Experiencing China

Day 3: Yangshuo
Yangshuo, Guangxi Province

Considering we just spent our day in Yangshuo doing little more than meander about, Tony and I certainly worked up our appetites. So this evening we feasted at a little cafe not far from our hostel. In his homesickness, Tony ordered a burger (made of pork) and fries and a Coke. Myself, I ate an appetizer of snails, of which they served me dozens in a spicy sauce (for only 3 yuan, $.35 US). I'd not had snails for years and liked them much more this time around. To quell the burning of my spiced lips, I drank a Chinese Liquan Beer and then ordered a bowl of steamed rice. For an entree, I gobbled skewers of pork satay with water chestnuts and some eggplantish type of vegetable, all prepared in a peanut sauce. For dessert, I had a pancake/crepe enveloping bananas and chocolate. All this cost me 36 yuan. My belly was content, even if a little surprised by the grainy escargot.

We shopped, shot photographs, explored the city, relaxed. Tomorrow will be much more active as Tony and I join Martin and Lenka, two Danish travelers from Copenhagen, on a bike ride to see the countryside and the limestone mountains that surround Yangshuo - the same mountains that appear in so many Chinese ink drawings and paintings.

Lenka is a student of health and human services; Martin works in communications, with phone services and the internet. I know of no better way to see a place than to walk about or see some countryside. Even here, the city feels too conscientiously geared toward visitors. I want to meet and see folks in their daily lives, not simply and mindlessly absorb the cosmetic version of a place's character presented to me by hotel and store owners and others catering to the tourism dollar. I don't want the beaten path.

The internet is present here, at cafes for anywhere between 14-20 yuan an hour, though the connection is terribly slow.

Crossing the street in Guangzhou is a serious adventure as driving laws of most any sort seem absent: no lanes, few curves, construction sites in the middle of the road that are simply to be slalommed and dodged. (Of course, some parts of town are more regulated than others). There's no room for indecisiveness when crossing such streets, and when riding a bus or taxi I find it best not to watch out the front windshield. Here in Yangshuo, it's a bit tamer.

I've discovered the Chinese character for "grace." I met a gentleman who has it as part of his name.

We're staying at Lisa's, a touristy hostel on one of the main streets in Yangshuo. Much more comfy than the Chungking Mansions, heated, and cheaper (40 yuan/night). The restaurant downstairs is creepy. One wall has a poster of Mao Zedong in a chair, looking fairly comfortable and content. The poster is surrounded by hundreds of Mao buttons , little gold and red and white buttons of all sizes with Mao's bust upon them. The opposite wall has Mao's portrait surrounded by hundreds of his Red Books dangling upon the wall for purchase. Part of me is interested, intrigued; part of me is nervous seeing such a figurehead as Mao and his memorabilia being flaunted to passing tourists, as if his influence was purely benevolent or as innocuous as a summer breeze.

As we shopped, restaurateurs and shopkeepers aggressively sought our attention, especially as we're in the off season for tourism and clueless, loping westerners like ourselves with money in our pockets are less frequent. When we did buy something, we were usually able to bargain. It's actually expected and, if done good- naturedly with laughter, becomes part of a more personal exchange.

Tony and I are certainly on different parts of the travel spectrum: he wants McDonald's, I want fried noodles; he hoops and hollers over discovering a Kentucky Fried Chicken, I cringe at seeing such a sight on Chinese soil. I want to absorb all the culture around me; he wants a break from it. He's on vacation. I'm living a dream. Neither of us is right in this, just as neither of us is wrong.

I'm learning more about my own travel style; fairly intense, I want to see as much of a native culture as possible- go go go while I can. In fact, I can be a bit ludicrous at times, wanting to hit multiple museums, places of interest or restaurants in a short amount of time without bothering to allow too much time to rest. But I also like to wander and count on serendipity for adventure and discovery. I like to have some broad ideas of where I want to go, what I want to do, and make the things important to me a priority. But beyond that, I'm happy to wander. And learn. It's important that I recognize my own travel style as such because it's easy to have different goals and ideas about travelling, I'm finding. Much compromise needed when travelling with others.

Word is there are boats down on the River Li that fish at night using birds. Apparently they tether the birds to a small junk boat with a rope, give the birds enough slack to freely fly, and then wait for them to dive into the murky water for food.

Once the bird's caught the fish, the fisherman agilely reels the bird back in, nets the bird's catch for himself, and then releases the bird again. We'll see.

I didn't sleep all that well last night in the sleeper train. Hope tonight's better. I think I'm finally warming up; unseasonably cold. I pray, Lord, that this trip be enjoyable and refreshing for Tony as he must return to teaching in a few days. May I not be a burden, but rather an encouragement.

Mark

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