For clarification this is a new bus ride, 3 days later on the way to Shanghai.
3 days earlier:
We pulled into our last destination after almost crashing into a lake. Our driver almost sent me into cardiac arrest on multiple occasions during our time together especially during our drive up the mountain.
The village we spent our time in was called Huizhou, outside of Anhui. I can say with certainty that is one of my favorite places in the world. It is a small town center with a few old looking buildings surrounded by rice paddys and farms. Chickens, WATER BUFFALO, ducks, and their babies roam free as do dogs whose owners are a mystery. Children also seem to roam free and love to play with Americans much to my delight. I picked my favorirtes and provided piggy back rides, stickers, and Enlgihs songs. Bascially I got to play with small Asian children in a beautiful setting-my dream.
Our ohusing was incredible. We stayed in a Western research center-a beautiful home with a twin in Salem, Mass (hence the sister cities). The biudling is set up in a manner where all rooms lead to the outside with courtyards connecting them. We all had our own room with antique looking beds that are remniscent of forts. My room was large with a desk, armoire, windows, and the bed which I fell in love with and never wanted to leave. The public showers and bathrooms were spa-like. The toilet was heated, something my mother would adore, and another thing I never wanted to leave. After weeks of squat toilets in my past and future, it was a welcome break. The showers were the sort that feel like you are being rained on, and there were heat lamps abve them. It was perfect except for the extreme hot and cold settings. The dining room served us all meals including these fresh cherry tomatoes which I ate like normal people eat grapes. Anyone who has eaten with me at school knows I always have a side of cherry tomatoes and these were the best I’ve ever had. The land around the village was green and lush (it rained every day we were there).
As much as I love the city I enjoy stepping away into a place that is simple and removed. Unlike Dazhai (or the aforementioned Mao-land) this place was not meant for profit and proved a real glimpse into simple rural life.
If I ever want to
a) write a book
b) enroll in the witness protection program
c) get over a divorce
d) leave my incredibly successful but stressful career
I will be hiding here.
I don’t know how to get here again, but it’s one of those places I feel the need to return. There is nothing to do in the town, so it may not sound tempting, but you have to be there to know.
The first day we were able to sleep in until around 8:30. Joe slept till 10:30 but I dragged him out of bed after calling him a bum. Rain ruined our plans to work in the tea/rice fields, so we had a very loose day. We mostly played with kids, met local officials, and then met with a minister in a nearby village. Apparently Chrisitianity has a home in China. I asked a question about the commercialization of Chrismas in China. We split into groups and had lunch with local families. Ours spoke no Enlgish. Jaye attempted translation. After 2 dogs and chickens wandered into the dining room from the open door, we asked how many pets they had. They said none. They did show us their 3 pigs and I’m fairly certain we ate the 4th for lunch that day. The family’s baby had the fattest cheeks I’ve ever seen and I spent ¾ of the meal swooning over it.
Grace tried to steal a puppy from a little boy and he cried and thereafter hated all females. We called him red pants. His friend was a little girl who had a lot of crazy clothes on and she ran around and laughed hysterically. We called her crazy lady. There was a little tom boy who was awesome and knew the “Obama terrorist fist bump”. I taught her “whats up” “whatever” “playa please” and “yo”. I called her my favorite. Keith and I want to adopt her, but she has parents and I’d probably get stopped at customs. Some of the guys found 12 packs of beer for 20 yuan (about 3 dollars) and we played Kings. I had never played before but it was really fun. I told Joe I didn’t need any help from a guy in a muscle tee. This only makes sense if you were there. The kids of the village wanted to hang out with us and one kept feeding Dave beer.
I went to bed by 10:30 as we had to wake up at 5 to go hiking up “Yellow Mountain”.
Some of us took the cable car up, but my theory is you only deserve the view if you hike. So the rest of us trekked up the most challenging moutain I have ever climbed. I had backsweat like no one’s business and may have used a few choice words on the way up referring to what I thought about the climb. Everytime I struggled a man carrying 50 pounds of food up the mountain would walk past me and make me feel like I had no reason to complain. They were not human.
The views were worth it. Except for Lake Louise and Rangers, it was one of the highest places I’d ever been and incredibly beautiful. My camera nor my words can capture what I saw. We hiked for a few hours once at the top to explore more sights and then a few of us grabbed a table at a reatuarant at the top to relax. Some grabbed beers while I took a cat nap. I was so tired I could barely stand.
The cable car ride dwon as slightly insane-over 40 people in one cable car oer a valley inspires fear into most hearts I believe. The views were again gorgous at a new angle.
The decision between food, shower, and sleep upon returning to the house was a difficult one. I chose food and then went for a walk with Tom, Josh, and Kristen to take pictures.
Showering was heavenly. I love those days when you can actually feel as if you derseve a shower and sleep. I did.
I was going to go to bed around 9 but found out fireworks were going to happen. I forced myself to stay awake. The town put on acual big fireworks and then gave us sparklers to play with. It was like my favorite holids-the 4th of July. I acted like I was 7 and was thrilled with the sparklers.
After that Dave and I layed in bed and talked. We had visitors float in and out and after everyone left I crashed until 6 a.m. We packed, put out stuff on the bus and then had a choice between visitng a tea factory and teaching at the local elementay school. Clearly I picked the school. Some of my favoite kids were in my class. We taught the Hokey Pokey, Old McDonald, and played a lot of games with stickers as rewarsds. I got trampled for stickers and was on the ground. It was scary.
We pulled out of the village and after a quick 40 minute stop in a nearby town where I got CHOCOLATE MILK!!! we were on the way to Shanghai.
I have mixed feelings. I am excited to see Shanghai after hearing such great things about it but I am sad to leave here. Also this is our last stop and I’m not ready for this trip to be over though I have to admit hostility between certain people is growing. I am peaceful as usual and have no enemies. I am excited to continue traveling but wish I was going to the Pihllipiens and Vietman with some of my friends.
There are so many places on this side of the glbe that I have a desire to see. I wish I had more time.
Being in the village in Chian helps me see the urban rural divide in China firsthad. In the other village the conditions at the doctor were not so good. Grace, who is going to nursing school, said that the temperatures were taken wrongly and the supples were not up to par. The doctor stuck alhocol up my nose after I told her it was dry and it burned and worsensed the dryness. In the city I ahvent been to a hostpical luckily, but I heard they are moden and efficient. The education is different as well. More focus on Enlgihs is in the city for obious reason and the teching seems to be more enthusuatic and effienced in urban areas. There is a shortage of cerain teachers in the ruual areas.
I haven’t seen any sort of suburbia in China-is there? I’m not sure.
There is a growing middle class though.
I am exhausted though I have many more thougsh so I will hold off until later.
Hana
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