Rain: with a side of the Dragon Backbone Terraces

Well, we've been in Guilin for a couple of days and just got back from the Dragon Backbone Terraces.  We left yesterday and took a local bus to Longsheng, then another local bus (with a bunch of school kids) to Dazai.  As we were inquring about the bus to Dazai (in Longsheng) a man approached us trying to get us to come stay at his hostel.  We took his card and said we'd think about it.  We met yet another Canadian traveller (from Edmonton) on the bus as well and he got a little turned around (thought he was on a bus to Ping'an), so this guy (trying to get us to stay at his hotel) told this other Canadian he would show him a quick way around the patties so he could catch his bus back in time.  More confusion later, this guide thought that all the Canadians were in a group together, and when he realised the guy from Edmonton wasn't staying the night and we were, he ditched the other kid and started following us.  The guy was actually super friendly, called Darren by his Chinese name the entire time, and basically guided us through the rice patties to the viewpoing we wanted to go to, and then guided us to the village to his hotel.

Before I go on, the rice terraces are amazing!  Apparently the ones in the south of Yunnan are better but those would have to be out of this world because these terraces were breathtaking.  They were so beautiful.  The entire area is basically a string of villages up in the mountains, and every mountain for as far as the eye can see, from the bottom to the very top, is covered in rice patties!  It's actually unbelievable, especially when you consider that these terraces are 600-700 years old!  The irrigation system as well, given the time they were built is unreal as well.  They've basically rerouted the water that runs down and through the mountains so that it flows through the rice patties--all of them--top to bottom.  Some modern technologies have been interwined (plastic pipes alongside the bamboo "pipes"), but it's still incredibly impressive.

Anyway, we ended up staying at this man's hostel, it was actually nice (just the basics, but with hot water), and the view from our room was pretty amazing.  Not only were the mountains literally a breath of fresh air, but this man was genuinely trying to earn an honest living and didn't try ripping us off, also a breath of fresh air.  It didn't seem there was anyone else staying at this hotel/inn (which was essentially a large wooden house on stilts), just ourselves and this man and his family (his wife and baby boy).  He only charged us 50 RMB for the room (a double bed with bathroom) and we didn't even have to bargain.  They cooked us dinner which was delicious and reasonably priced and we really appreciated his efforts and honesty.  His hotel is one of many in the area and further back along the trail than the others and we figured business must be difficult for them and we were really happy to stay in the area.  To get into the Longji area they charge a 50 RMB fee, which apparently, the locals don't see a penny of.  There's no road system really, between the villages, and it seems you basically have to walk to one of the town ends to get a bus to take you anywhere.  Consequently, when the little old ladies with their super long hair come trying to sell you things, you basically want to give them your money.  One lady on the bus sold us a little wallet for 5 RMB, and that was her asking price.  After we finished eating dinner a woman, who we think was our hosts mother, sold us a few knicknacks as well.  The minority people and the culture is just incredible and seems well preserved, probably due to the isolation of the area.  Don't get the wrong idea though, Longji is still touristy, but not as bad as some places, and it's more Ping'an than Dazai.

Our evening was fairly relaxing and we went to bed early, planning on an early morning and early hike to get to Ping'an where we would catch our bus to Guilin.  Even before our alarms went off however, the sound of the rain pouring out of the skies woke us up.  It poured and thundered so loud we weren't sure if we were even going to attempt to make the hike.  The paths were flooded even in the village and we didn't want to imagine how flooded they'd be out between the rice patties.  If you've been watching the news or international weather at all (not that you would), you'll know that China has been receiving an unprecedented amount of rain.  Some places in Southern China are being evacuated and seeing such flooding that the government is sending in military aid.  Guilin and the surrounding area isn't quite that bad, but the rain hasn't been letting up, and today was no exception.  It lightened a little as we ventured out but it wasn't long before we were caught in a total downpour with thunder like I've never heard before in my life.  It was like two or three different clashes all strung together.  Darren and I both looked at eachother at first, thinking "that didn't sound good" and then it just kept on going.  It was strange.

At one point, Darren and I stopped under a tree to wait out a really heavy fall, and a little snake came slithering out of the bushes, stopped and froze for a while on the path, and then went on his way ducking back into the bushes on the other side.  I was creeped out at first (you never know if these things are poisonous right away), and Darren tried sticking his foot out at it, which is why it stopped in the first place.  We actually saw a mass amount of strange looking bugs that we've never seen before; odd beatles, massive fist-sized spider (gross!), and butterflies everywhere.

Anyway, we walked, through the rain, soaked to the bone for about an hour and a half until we got lost.  You know that squishy feeling you get in your shoes when you've stepped in a puddle?  Well that's what it was like after a half hour of walking.  Once we got lost though, we hired a guide (because you can't just ask for directions without being asked if you'd like them to show you the way for a small fee), and this woman was incredible.  She was one of the local ladies, and was wearing a pair of green tennis shoes, rolled up pants, a plastic bag tied around her neck, and one of those bamboo hats--she was dry as a bone (with the exception of her feet--no socks).  Not only did she somehow manage to stay dry with so much rain spewing from the skies, but she was so speedy!  The whole trail is lined with stones (so you're not stepping in the mud), and when wet, those slate-like stones are slick!  She was so quick and so fast, Darren and I had a hard time keeping up.  We both slipped once or twice just trying to keep pace with her.  We stopped in her village for lunch, and she was so funny, running around, yelling through peoples' windows, trying to find us a place to eat.  She would stand at the top of a trail and start yelling (seemingly at no one) until a window popped open and couple heads popped out, and they exchanged yells.  We eventually found ourselves in another wooden house on stilts, that had two fire pits dug into the floor, surrounded by a square of tiles; these, are essentially what they use as stoves.  The houses in this area, also leave their windows open for swallows.  There was a small nest just inside one of the windows, and we just sat watching them come and go.  It was also pretty amazing watching the locals cook an entire meal over one little fire with one wock.  Of course, they did have some electric appliances, a rice cooker being one of them (almost the only one).  There was also a little boy/girl (you never can tell, which could be why some of the kids run around bearing all) at the house we were eating at, and I couldn't believe how good this kid was with chopsticks.  He (most likely a boy) was running around with a bowl of rice and his chopsticks and not spilling a thing.  He couldn't have been more than three or four.  It's funny though, people here seem to use their chopsticks backwards compared to the way we hold ours (but I guess we're the ones who hold them backwards seeing as the Chinese were using them long before we were).  At one point, we gave him an Oreo, and one to his mom, and he ran after his mom whining, handed her his bowl of rice and took her cookie!  It was pretty funny.  But before long we were back out in the rain.

Eventually, maybe an hour later, we passed some western tourists, our guide collected her fee, motioned which way to go, and left to go see if she could get herself some new customers!  She was hilarious!  On our own, we eventually made it to the road that leads to the parking lot.  Pretty sure no one drives on this thing because there were landslides everywhere!  It was pretty intense and even a little scary.  You didn't want to walk between the edge of the road and the giant crack in it, but you also didn't want to walk too close to the side where all the mud and rocks were falling either.  At one point, once the buses were finally in sight, I was trying to be all "light" on my feet and jump from one rock to another to avoid the water, and of course, my foot slipped and my leg was sucked into the mud right up to my knee.  In trying to catch my balance, my other foot went in as well.  Both my feet were covered in thick, orange mud.  Darren said it looked like I wasn't even wearing shoes.  Ya....

Soaked and muddy, we eventually made it to the parking lot (I washed my feet and shoes and threw out my socks which no longer resembled any shade of white) and we hitched a ride with a tour group back to Guilin.  Once we got to Guilin, the bus dropped us off somewhere near the train station, and it was another twenty minute walk (felt like twenty hours) back to our hotel.  On our way, we saw one guy steal an umbrella from an unsuspecting store and two guys try to steel something out of a woman's purse.  We were just walking along and these two guys were walking towards us.  As they passed these two women, they suddenly turned around and started sneaking behind them.  At first I thought they knew them and were trying to sneak up on them, but then we saw the one guy reaching his hand into the woman's purse.  At this point, Darren and I both had very little patience.  We were soaked and uncomfortable, and seeing this just set Darren off.  He yelled out, scared the women, who then realised this guy had his hand in her purse, and Darren looked like he was ready to tear this kid apart.  He made sure the woman was okay and had everything before he stopped staring the kid down.  The entire time we've been in China we haven't experienced or noticed anything like this (we've only experienced the blatant sort of thievery), and it seemed strange to see it twice in one day.

Anyway, the terraces were beautiful, but we're sick of the rain.  Forecast says it's supposed to last for two more days.  Here's hoping it's not any longer.  We're off to Yangshuo tomorrow and then Hong Kong before going to Bali (the weather forecast for Bali is pure sunshine!).  Hope everyone is well and enjoying the sun back home.  It seems we're hoarding the rain for a little while!

The Tiger Leaping Lijiang

 It’s been a couple days since we were in Lijiang and we hiked the Tiger Leaping Gorge. In a way, a lot has happened since and at the same time not much has happened at all; but, I’ll recall the hike as best I can.

We left our cozy little lodge in Dali and headed for Lijiang around 4pm on Monday the 14th (I think). As soon as we got to Lijiang we didn’t really like the look of it. On the one hand, it reminded us of Disneyland (downtown Disney); on the other hand, it was all the crowds and anticipation, but without the satisfaction of seeing Mickey or Ariel. It took us forever to find our hostel on that first night. The map and directions we got off the internet were grossly incorrect and we walked, weaving in and out of the masses of people, with massive packs on our backs, for about an hour before we stopped at another hostel who called our hostel. They sent someone to fetch us, and it was another ten minute walk to a place we never would have found on own. (As soon as we got there, the two that came to find us were sent off to fetch some other lost souls as well.) In that first hour and a bit of walking, all we passed were stores and bars and stores and bars and stores and bars with the occasional store and bar. With the World Cup in full swing, the noises that hit you like a slap in the face as you walked by was a combination… more like a battle... between the Chinese sports announcers, off-key karaoke, various forms of music and singing, and the occasional soliciting call. You have to hand it to them though the Chinese do know how to party. An all out party district isn’t the first thing you’d normally think of when you hear of Old Town Lijiang, but that’s what it is. It’s where the locals go to let loose on the weekends and celebrate after exams. When we arrived, it was a long weekend and the end of the school year, but apparently it’s always that busy. As soon as we checked in and dumped our bags, I was pretty hungry and extremely unpleasant to be around, so I went off and wandered the streets, had some Naxi fried rice and read my book. (On my way out the door, there were roses everywhere and someone was lighting a bunch of candles. Apparently, not long after I left, someone at the hostel proposed to his girlfriend there. I saw pictures. It was funny… so much effort into roses and candles and the kid was wearing ratty jeans and a t-shirt. Ha ha ha… It was still sweet.) Before I left, Darren had already started asking about the Tiger Leaping Gorge, an overnight hike which we’d have to leave for at 8 in the morning. We’d just gotten off a very bumpy six hour bus ride (they were doing construction), then walked through town for an hour with a very heavy pack on, and when I told him I didn’t know if I wanted to go and that I was exhausted, and he asked me how I could possibly be exhausted, I lost it. He tossed me a fifty (RMB) and we didn’t talk for an hour or so. I was still a little peeved when I got back, but much more tolerable and we discussed the hike again, and decided to go. I’m glad we did.

The bus picked us up at 8 am. There were seven of us to a bus (eight with the driver) and ours consisted of Darren and I, a brother and sister from Vancouver, Luke and Claudia, and a girl named Angela, originally from Columbia, now living in Main, and a guy from Mexico named Erik (we gave him a hard time about his very un-Mexican sounding name, and from then on we had to pronounce it with a rolling “r”). It was an interesting group of people and a lot of fun. We all got along really well, and had a lot to talk about; politics, health care, and of course, travel. The bus dropped us off at one end of the bridge where we changed buses and drove over to the other side of the bridge. Apparently the bridge is more or less a border crossing between Lijiang and Shangrila, and drivers are only allowed to drive on their own respective sides. They were also doing construction on the stretch of road that normally leads to the actual section of the Tiger Leaping Gorge, so “yay for us”, no entrance fee. By the time we actually started our hike, it was about noon, and I think Claudia and I sort of took the lead and started strong. (Claudia was a sprinter/middle distance runner for UBC—she basically lived out my dream years and we had lots to talk about.) I really like Claudia… anyone who carries a constant supply of Snickers is worth keeping around in my books. Like myself, she needs a constant intake of sugar or she too becomes somewhat unpleasant (or so she says because I didn’t notice… or she just never went hungry). She was also, with the influence of a little Baijo, able to tell Darren that while his beard isn’t bad, it is a little “pre-pubescent” (she denies ever saying so), we got along quite well. The first stretch of the hike is a decent climb and by the time we hit the Naxi Family Guesthouse we had worked up quite an appetite. The group of us stopped for lunch (which was excellent) and tea, and kept on truckin’. Walking along the rugged trails, we kept our way by following the green and red arrows spray painted on rocks and trees. The next stretch ahead of us was the “28 Bends” which was a series of 28 (who woulda guessed) steep switchbacks (not than anybody actually counted though). Just before hand there was a woman selling water and snacks and, what else but little bags of weed with labels that said “Good for the 28 bends”. That gave us all a laugh. The 28 bends were pretty intense, but once passed them the trail levelled out, fairly flat, cutting straight across the mountains. We stopped at the “Tea Horse” (which I kept mistaking for “Tea House”, I thought it was just incorrect spelling at first) for tea and snacks before continuing on our hike. A little more relaxed with the levelled out trail, we were able to really take in the beautiful scenery, and the views were spectacular. After a couple of hours, maybe around six or seven, we stopped for the night at the Halfway Guesthouse. They have a deck/patio that looks right out onto the mountain across from it, and it is quite a sight. I tried capturing the magnificence of the mountain with a pano, but I couldn’t quite get it. Just look at the pano, then think ten times more amazing. We never were able to see the tops of the peaks because the clouds were constantly floating in and around them, but that was part of what made it so amazing. As you were eating, dinner or breakfast, the clouds would slowly weave their way through the peaks, constantly changing the look of the mountains. It was fantastic. I think we could’ve stayed there forever.

That night at the Halfway Guesthouse was a fun one too. It started with beer but ended with Baijo, which is a 46% rice wine (Tanya and Frank, we’ve got a little taste to bring home for ya). We started playing Russian Cheat, and ended with Spoons. Poor Jorge (another Mexican friend), he really had a tough time with Spoons and consequently took quite a few shots. The one time he did win though… I’ve never seen anyone look more proud or more elated! It was awesome! “I love Spoons!” The rest of the night included interpretive dancing, dramatic monologues, some solid Mexican serenading on Jorge’s part… into a spoon of course, and a few other shocking and hilarious one-liners only for the brave of heart. It was a great night spent with great people, and despite the noise complaint and Claudia’s incessant banging on the table, we really enjoyed ourselves. Kudos to our little group, you guys were awesome!


The next morning, we got up bright and early (some of us didn’t even really sleep, poor Jorge) and had a wonderful breakfast. Before I forget, the Halfway House makes an incredible pancake. Banana and chocolate was my favourite, though the apple and banana was also delicious, and the banana and honey Claudia had for breakfast (which I had to taste test) was also amazing. If you ever go, don’t leave without having a pancake. We kinda hurried out, trying to beat the group of students on the trail, and the hike only got more amazing. We were told that people generally like to take their time on that last leg of the hike, between the Halfway Guesthouse and Tina’s, and we can see why. What would normally be a pretty quick hike, probably almost doubled in time with all the picture taking. There were beautiful views of the mountains, the local rice fields and waterfalls. That leg of the hike, for the most part wasn’t too steep, though it had its moments, and for some of our hikers (given their state the night before) they were some tough moments. We made it down to Tina’s though, grabbed a snack and some fluids and then made our way down to the “Middle Gorge”. Some people stop at Tina’s and grab the bus back to the bridge and back to Lijiang, but we wanted to keep going.

Now, there are two paths to take down to the Gorge, there is the “safe” path and the ladder path. As per the advice of the “gate keeper” (there’s no gate, but she’s the local woman whose family created and maintains the first half of the path and so you can’t get by without paying her 10 RMB), we went down the safe path and would circle around and come up the ladder path. The safe path was steep and along the way you’d see these make-shift stretchers which weren’t convincing. At least I think they were make-shift stretchers. They were basically legless wicker chairs strapped to two long pieces of wood. The daunting trip down was totally worth it though. The view of the Gorge from the path was slightly blocked by trees, and once you came out into the clearing and onto the little bridge the rush of water and high cliffs takes your breath away. There is so much water forcing its way through that Gorge that you can’t help but feel a surge of energy. It’s actually a little intense, it’s very loud, and at the same time, it’s extremely calming and peaceful. I actually video-taped a full two minutes of the gushing water (which you’ll have to wait and see until we get home). When we first got there, we were all sort of running around taking pictures and climbing rocks, until at one point, I looked around and everyone was just sitting, somewhere, watching and listening. That place was amazing. You could stare at the thundering water forever. There was so much force there, I’m glad they decided to cancel the contract to damn it up, but who knows how long that’s going to last.

Hesitantly, we pulled ourselves away from this wonder of nature and headed up to the “Sky Ladder path”. Along with stretchers, there’s also a sign at the foot of this path which says that the path is dangerous, to be careful, and that those who successfully climb this path are said to be lucky. There’s also a woman, selling water, red bull and other fluids who was stationed at a cross roads where the ladder and the safe path intersect. Her way of expressing the two different paths was priceless. Body language is highly effective, and quite amusing. She pointed to the safe path and exclaimed “hao” (good) and then pointed to the ladder path, motioning a ladder and then clutching her body and shaking as though she were cold but then making the shuddering sounds you might associate with fright. She then proceeded to point and wave her hands at the ladder path while frowning, then pointing to the “safe” path and smiling. We decided to take our chances. Bring it on! It was an intense climb. The first ladder was quite long and literally ventured straight up the side of the mountain. There used to be an old wooden ladder, which they’ve left there but reinforced with re-bar, and a rebar cage (who are they kidding though, that’s not going to stop you if you fall). I’d like to tell you how high it went, but you couldn’t see all the way to the end from either the top or the bottom, and at no point was I dumb enough to look down while actually climbing the thing. Each and every one of our hearts was pounding when we got to the top. The second ladder wasn’t quite as steep, and once you’ve climbed the first the second one feels like a breeze. I’m actually glad we took the woman’s advice and went down the other way and up the ladders, because it would’ve been terrifying climbing down those things. That wasn’t the end of it though. While the fear of dangling from a few sticks of rebar may have passed (sorry Mom, we’re being safe, I promise), there was still an intense climb ahead. We were all sweating and breathing heavy—even for Claudia who’s only been retired for a year and is still quite active. It was steep, and it was hard, but it felt amazing. There’s another guesthouse at the tope of the trail and as our head peaked over the steps we rejoiced! I think we were all pretty proud of ourselves. As the other half of our group (the smoking half—sorry to out you guys ;)) got to the top of the stairs, we were all gathered to applaud and congratulate. It was a fantastic two days, and a tough two days, but it was amazing.

To spend two days, out in the middle of the mountains, away from the swarms of people who seem to be ALMOST everywhere, was a breath of fresh air… literally actually. You see, if it’s difficult, if they can’t do it in a pair of high heels, the Chinese wont. There were maybe six Chinese people we saw on the whole hike, and they were the exceptions, in their rain gear and hiking boots. Harold, we know you did the hike, you know how beautiful it is. We loved it and it would recommend it to anyone who heads out this way. I think part of the amazing thing was just to be really moving again, to break a sweat and not because of the heat. We do walk a lot, but most of the mountains/adventurous excursions we take-on have nicely paved paths of wooden walkways. It’s only since we’ve been in Yunnan that we’ve been able to head out onto a mountain and actually go for a real hike. It’s nice to feel that burn in your legs… even if it means that you smell really bad for two days because you didn’t pack anything but extra socks and underwear. (Deodorant couldn’t even mask the stink that Darren’s dry-fit decided to exude full force.) I think the Gorge is going on our list of favourites in China.


The bus back to Lijiang was long and bumpy and we were all pretty exhausted and hungry (we ran out of Snickers and refused to pay 10 RMB to buy more). With the construction and condition of the roads, apparently, only locals are allowed to drive on them, because only they are capable of “reading” the roads and responding effectively to anything that might go wrong (ie. rocks falling from above you, or the rocks/road falling out from underneath you). It was raining when we left and the mountain sides weren’t looking so stable. Luke said he saw one massive boulder being propped up by a stick no thicker than my arm (don’t worry Mom). We did get back eventually, and in one piece, and after showering off the stink and changing, we went into town for some hot pot. (Claudia hadn’t had hot pot yet and was leaving in a few days). As we were about to sit down, we ran into a Frenchman who we had also seen on the hike. (He had actually made friends with an elderly local man at the Halfway Guesthouse and they got into quite the conversation. Though neither of them could understand each other, body language did the trick; however, the interpretations might have been a little off. The bit about hunting bears and lions across the Gorge was accurate, but apparently the Frenchman’s interpretation of the Chinese guy hiding up in the mountains and hunting Japanese was a little less accurate. An American/Chinese traveller had a hard time understanding the man because of the dialects, but assured the Frenchman that he was talking about installing the cables and wiring up in the mountains, not hunting Japanese. I like the Frenchman’s story better and so did he.) Anyway, hot pot was delicious, and in the way it should be done, we spent the night exchanging travel stories and filling our tummies. I don’t think we could’ve ended our adventure with our new friends any better than that.


Darren and I were unable to get a train directly to Kunming for another two-three days, and because we weren’t all that fond of Lijiang to begin with, we were easily persuaded (by ourselves) to take the bus back to Dali and head to Kunming via another bus. We arrived in Dali early in the evening, enjoyed some delicious dinner at Namaste (mmmm… samosas, vindaloo, butter naan, and chilli paneer) and just took the night off to rest (at the Sleepy Fish Lodge again, we love it there). It was the next morning that we got in touch with family and updated on everything that was going on at home, and so spent that day with our own thoughts. I’m glad we were in a familiar city, in warm and welcoming accommodations. I would’ve hated to be in the city that day. Our second trip to Dali was a few days off from the outside world. Inside the walls of the Old Town you really can just shut off for a little while, which we did. Yesterday, we took another bus to Kunming, and we are currently on a train to Guilin.


As a side note, I have no book to read because “Mandarin Books” (in Kunming) is a rip off. I bought a used book from them (“The Time Traveller’s Wife”—which was amazing) for 65 RMB, which is expensive. They have signs everywhere that say that they buy used English books, and when I brought it back to trade in, they told me they’d give me 6 RMB—no, that’s not a typo, that’s a 6.0, six= just less than $1. I knew I wasn’t going to get a lot for it, but I figured at least 30 RMB or so… but no, they offered me 6 and wouldn’t budge. So, instead of giving it to them for 6 so they could sell it for 65 again, I kept it. I’d rather just give it away. At least I would save someone else from getting ripped off. I could also trade it in if I ever find a decent book exchange. Not wanting to give them any more of our business, I didn’t buy myself a new book. So a 20 hour train ride, no book, and only 3 hours of battery remaining on the lap top. Oh well! You win some you lose some… but we’ve got a pretty good idea of why they say “never do business with a Chinaman” (no offence anyone).


Once there, it’ll be about two weeks exploring Guilin, Yangshuo and the Dragon Backbone Terraces before we’re back in Hong Kong and leaving for Bali. Hope everyone is well, especially back in Prince George. We send you all our love and are thinking about you guys all the time. Sounds like you’re doing pretty well though. Tell Kong Kong we’ll bring back some Baijo for him too ;), and Frank and Joel, that BBQ looked DELICIOUS! Miss you all and it’ll be regards from Guilin next. (Mom, get Vinni to e-mail me Ayla’s number so I can call her on her birthday. I haven’t heard from you guys in a while and you’re never home when I call. Love you!)

PS- For those of you who haven't figured it out (ie. Erika), I've stopped posting pictures in the actual blogs because it takes too long, but there are links to albums and slideshows at the bottom of the page!

The Last of Days in Dali

Our last couple days in Dali were fairly quiet compared to the first couple.  With our friends off to the monastery to study Kung Fu for a couple days, Darren and I just laid low.  Unfortunately, without hikes and bike rides to occupy us, we spent a vast amount of time walking around the Old City, which is beautiful and full of culture; however, it's also full of little markets and old Bai women trying to sell you anything from jewlery to "gonja" (am I spelling that right?). 

There's this one old lady who's always sitting at the same place, who we pass constantly.  It's gotten to the point where as soon as she makes eye contact with us, Darren says "wo bu yao" (I don't want).  Hee hee.  You have to admire her persistence however, because the other day she did manage to reel us in--for bracelets, not drugs.  I stopped to look at one or two of the ones she had on the table, and next thing I know, she's pulled out an entire bag from somewhere inside her garments/coat, and had put ten onto my wrist... all ten, up my wrist.  Darren joked that she see how many it would take to go all the way up my arm.  We had a good time bargaining with her and got them for what we thought was a decent deal.  (I find that with the old ladies, I'm not quite as ruthless in my bargaining... I find the whole process more amusing with them, and I find myself just doing it for fun, not even for the actual product.)  However, just as I turned and was walking away, examining my buy, the ladies from the next table saw me; and, literally four of them chased me down the street offering me cheaper bracelets.  I think with the first lady I paid 50 RMB for 10 bracelets, and these other women were offering me bracelets for 4 RMB a piece, and I'm sure I could've gotten them down to 2-3 RMB.  When the one women wouldn't leave us alone, I did attempt to get them for 1 RMB each, and she laughed and walked away.  It's always a fail safe method really... you just low ball the crap out of them, and they will either recognize their defeat, or you'll get a super good deal!  (These aren't the same bracelets as the ones you got us Ruth.  These ones are more like pendant/beaded bracelets.)  Last night, while waiting for Darren who was perusing video games, I somehow found myself in a little street market (which we somehow completely bypassed until last night.  Those who know me, know that whether I mean to or not, I always end up in a mall or market of some sort or another).  Again, I found myself face to face with a little old Bai woman and this time, Ruth, I was buying the thicker "silver" bracelets (who knows what they're really made of, but I think they're half silver, or at least that's what the lady a few stalls down told me).  I immediately browsed through and picked out ten (Ruth, I have three or four of the dragon/pheonix bracelets for you to choose from, and two of the zodiac ones as well), and so the bargaining process began.  Again, I loose my edge with these old ladies in their blue hats and layers of colours and patterns (I need to take a picture of one of them), and it didn't help that she pointed out that her and I have the same mole on our chins--like long lost relations!  I ended up buying 10 for 100 RMB, knowing that I gave in too easy; and of course, the lady from the next stall tried to offer me 14 for 100 RMB.  I had to stiffen my lip with her and ended up buying 7 of the wider bracelets for 60 RMB.  She wasn't too happy with me, amused I think, but a little disappointed that I wasn't as easy a target as she thought I would be.  Of course, after that, I ended up buying earings at the next table, and only got away from the old Bai version of myself who was trying to bait me with silk handicrafts, because the shopping made me really hungry--"Chi fan.  Chi fan.  Xie xie, zai jian!" (Eat food.  Eat food.  Thank-you, good-bye!)

Jewellery aside, the owners of our hostel also gave us the address of where they buy their DVD's.  Not sure if they're all decent quality, but that's the gamble you make for 8 RMB a piece (we bought 18 :S, including the entire Godfather collection on blu-ray--a little more expensive.  Oooo- Leah, I bought Brightstar!).  I Love Dali!

Other than shopping and eating numerous dumplings we did a bit of kayaking yesterday.  I could totally go for another massage, my back is killing me.  It wasn't the greatest day for it, but we managed well enough.  We paddled across the lake to a temple and small village, which took us 45 minutes and just wandered for a while.  It was supposed to be 20 RMB to get into the temple area, but no one was there to collect our money so that was a cheap little experience.  There wasn't a lot to see on that part of the lake, and we were going to paddle across to the island where the "famous" people live, but as we got back down to where we had stowed the kayak, the wind had picked up and the waves weren't looking too friendly.  Even getting off the shore-line was difficult.  The locals construction workers who were rebuilding the road, gathered around to watch us attempt to launch the kayak.  We always seem to be a source of amusement for the local people.  I got in first because I was sitting in the front, and as Darren tried to get in, we weren't quite facing the waves properly, and as he was half in, a huge wave came and started to rock us a bit.  I got soaked, but he bailed and was standing in waist high water while me and the kayak just waded a few feet away from him.  Hee hee.  Once we got going, the waves didn't seem to be getting any better, and with dark angry clouds looming over the mountains on the other side of the lake, we thought we'd throw in the towel and head back.  Now, for anyone who knows anything about kayaking/canoeing/boating of any unpowered kind, you're supposed to avoid travelling parrallel to the waves as they can knock you over if they're big enough.  So, even though where we wanted to go was directly across the lake from where we were, it would've required paddeling parrallel to the waves.  So, we had to sort of zig zag our way back, against the waves and wind.  It sucked and it was tough, but at the same time it was a blast.  The only real downside of the trip, was that my knees are burnt, Darren's too.  Never be fooled by the clouds, they may block out the sun but it's not the same as being in the shade, especially on water.  So we both have strange red knees, but only on the insides since the outsides were slightly sheltered by the kayak.  Once we docked and got soaked again, one of the locals (who the owners of our hostel rent their storage space from) cooked us lunch.  It was delicious, and there was so much of it.

We love Dali, but it's off to Lijiang this afternoon.  The whole visa situation is still up in the air.  We have double entry visas, the first entry expiring in two and a half to three weeks.  The debate is whether or not to apply for an extension, since we'll only need an extra week or so to finish up; however, when you apply for an extension, it seems they just cancel your current visa and issue you a new one, so we think we'd probably risk losing our second entry, and we would like to spend a couple days in Beijing before we fly home.  So, we either rush through the next few locations and finish before our visas expire (not a favourable option), using our second entry (60 days) just to spend a few days in Beijing; or, we get the extension, take our time finishing China, and apply for another visa before going back to Beijing.  I think the latter is what we'll likely do.  I've also heard that there is something called a "bridge visa" for people stopping in mainland China on an international flight.  We'll see.  If we do apply for an exntension, it probably wont be until Guilin.  So until then, it's Lijiang and the Tiger Leaping Gorge next.  Hope all is well and we'll let you know how the Gorge goes!

Dali: A Home Away From Home

We’ve only been in Dali for two-three days now, but we love it. We’ve loved it since the day we got here. (I think a large part of how we feel about a new place depends on where we come from, and Kunming doesn’t set high standards; though I’m pretty sure we’d love Dali no matter where we came from.) We are staying at this incredible and cozy little hostel called the Sleepy Fish. It’s only a year old—recently opened compared to a lot of others in Dali. The owners are two wonderful ladies, an American woman and an English woman. The hostel is located not far from the east gate of the Ancient City, and because the ancient city is only 1.8 km by 1.8 km, no matter where you are you’re within walking distance of everywhere. The best part of it though, is that we’re sort of opposite the main areas (Boai Lu, Foreigner Street and Renmin Lu), so we get all the convenience without the noise. Our hostel also has reasonably priced, excellent Western breakfasts. Let me point out that Western breakfasts always (no matter where you go) are at least four times the price of a Chinese breakfast (street food); but, of all the luxuries of home, there’s nothing like starting a busy day of sightseeing or an active day of hiking with a solid breakfast of eggs and coffee. Usually, two slimy eggs, bland white toast and coffee will cost somewhere around 30 RMB. Here at the Sleepy Fish, you choose two of the following: 2 eggs, whole wheat toast, oatmeal (with hot milk and honey), yoghurt, French toast (made with whole wheat bread, with either syrup or honey) or pancakes, for 16 RMB, which also includes either coffee (made from espresso) or tea. I’ve had everything except the pancakes, and it’s excellent! You can’t find whole wheat bread/toast anywhere so it’s a real treat! I also have it on solid authority (from Max, one of the owners) that the pancakes are real pancakes (not the gross yellow ones you get at other establishments), which I intend to test out tomorrow. Also, the honey they normally serve here is from a hive up on the mountain, but unfortunately, because of the 8 month drought, there are no bees on the mountain at the moment. Ooo… and, they also have granola bars here. That’s another thing we’ve missed, is a hearty, healthy granola bar to snack on. All we end up with are bananas and some sort of cakey-like bread. All in all, we love it here!
Okay, so, it may not sound like we’re having the most authentic Chinese experience at the moment, but I think that’s part of why we love Dali so much. The ancient city is still traditional enough that you can watch the old Bai women and villagers going about their day to day lives (mind you, one of the day to day activities of the old ladies also includes going up to foreigners and asking “Smokey smokey gonja? Just looky!), while still being able to find the comforts of home when you want them. For example, our hostel and breakfast aside, they have a at least four or five Western bakeries, which means chocolate chip cookies. You can’t find chocolate chip cookies in the normal Chinese bakeries, and on a rainy night, you really start to crave them—the chocolate chip cookies at Sweet Tooth are wonderful! We’ve also had excellent brownies, real apple crumble and some of the best Indian food we’ve ever tried, with plans to have what are supposed to be excellent mango milk shakes, sweets from the newly opened French patisserie across the lake, and real cheese (edam, gouda, etc). At the same time, there’s always excellent and cheap kabobs, breads, and my all time favourite pancake thingies, to be had around just about every corner.

Believe it or not, there are other things to do in Dali. The ancient city is very nicely positioned with Er Hai Lake on one side, and the Green Mountains on the other. The first night we arrived in the ancient city, we happened to stumble upon some of our Israeli friends whom we met earlier on in Suzhou, and spent the next two days with them. The first day we went hiking up the Green Mountain. Usually, this involves paying 30-40 RMB to take the cable car up and another 40 RMB or so to enter the scenic route. However, a little birdie told us about a way to climb one of the various paths us the mountain, and get passed a small barbwire road block, and enjoy the closed off trail free of tourists, before coming back down right before the ticketed area. In total, we walked up the mountain and along the “Travelling/Wandering Cloud” path for just over 20 km. It was a beautiful hike—a real hike, through the bushes, on eroded dirt trails and all—with break-taking views and peaceful, tourist free surroundings. Compliments of our Israeli friends, we made a little pit stop at a little shelter near the creek and rested with a hot cup of coffee. Thank goodness for it too because the hike was longer than we expected and didn’t really pack a lunch. I don’t think we would’ve made it down in such good spirits without the extra kick. You can always rely on Avi and Gal to have a constant supply of coffee. They bought themselves a little propane burner and travel mug set and take it with them everywhere. They’re handy to have around for sure. As we started approaching the way down, we could hear thunder behind us, and at one point you could even see the rain coming down hard at the other end of the lake. We kept an eye on it and it was catching up to us quite quickly. We debated whether to wait it out under a shelter or to try to beat it down. People were starving, and we opted to try to beat it down the mountain (another hour at least), and we failed. We got pissed on, but it was awesome! The earth around here is a rich red colour and when it’s wet it turns into a type of clay. We were drenched (even with raincoats) and were sliding all over the place. One of the girls, Dana, was wearing sandals and she was in particularly rough shape, and we were all fairly muddy! We basically ran down (which doesn’t help traction much) and it was a bit of a rush. Rain and shine, it was a great hike and a great way to spend the day. We headed into the city, grabbed a little lunch, showered up and met again later that evening for a little R&R. Now, the definition of R&R varies respectively. For Avi and I, R&R was a pub crawl, but instead of pubs, it was desert—brownies, chocolate chip cookies, vanilla rice cake, and home-made-on-the-spot apple crumble with ice cream; for Darren, Gal and Grace (a girl from England) it was an hour massage at one of the many parlours. It was perfect!
The next morning, because we had been bragging so much about our home-made, whole wheat bread and cheap breakfasts, everyone walked over to our hostel to come eat. From there we rented bikes and attempted to ride to the patisserie. We thought a scenic route would be better than taking the highway, and while it was an adventure, it was also a few hours riding in circles. We rode through rice paddies and corn fields, all the way to a pier or a dock, only to be turned around and heading down a rather bumpy (hard on the sit-bones) path, reach a dead end and have to turn around. We wound through the various fishing/farming villages, which was nice, but ultimately led us right back to where we started. Determined to get to this one village in particular (Grace was pretty set on going for a swim), we headed back to the highway to make our way (it was already pretty late by then). We rode for a while and stopped for a little rest and some lunch. Hmmm… lunch.

With all the great food around, we stopped at a little road side restaurant, and Darren did the honours of ordering. (Eating with a full vegetarian, partial vegetarian, and a semi-kosher Israeli always makes the ordering process difficult). To make the story short however, we ordered half a chicken (which they butchered right there and then), which was cut up into pieces and cooked—head, feet, neck and all—which was also primarily bones. As Darren was ordering, he watched her write down the dishes and price them, the chicken was priced at 38 RMB, an average price. When we asked for the bill (barely eating any of the chicken because of all the bones) it was 200+ RMB. Apparently, the chicken was 38 RMB per kilo, at 4.5 kilos. First of all, she didn’t explain this to Darren when he was asking how much it was (which she says was because of the language barrier, but seemed to explain quite clearly once it came time to pay); secondly, there was no way in hell there was 4.5 kilos of chicken, even with the bones; and thirdly, you can buy a whole live chicken for 40 RMB a block away. This lady had a battle on her hands. We were arguing, drawing pictures of chickens, writing down numbers, crossing out numbers, exclaiming “Bu xing! Bu xing!” (Not acceptable! Not acceptable), and getting people on the phone to translate, only to be informed that she wasn’t going to let us leave for less than 190 RMB. Unfortunately, in the great scheme of things, the rules of business and ethics we’re used to at home don’t apply in China, and the extra money wasn’t worth risking trouble with the police (especially since, with the Chinese police, we would basically have no rights). So, Darren managed to settle the whole meal at 170 RMB, and we all got back on our bikes, slightly perturbed, and kept riding.

After getting a little more lost, and stopping to ask for directions at every crossroads, we finally found a guy who took us all the way into the village and to a outlet right on the water. It was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, we took so long getting there that e only had ten minutes before they closed the gate. Grace didn’t miss the opportunity to get in for a swim, and the locals didn’t miss their opportunity to gawk and holler at the white girl in a bikini. Poor thing didn’t think twice about it and was a little nervous getting out of the water. But we took our pictures, packed up, and stopped at a pretty little place outside the gate, where all the farmers graze their dairy cows, and of course, had a nice cup of coffee before we rode back. Again, without that coffee I don’t think we would’ve made it back alive! We booked it on the highway, again trying to beat some ominous clouds coming over the mountains, and just hungry and tired and ready to shower and be comfortable. We managed to get back in an hour and a half, getting us back to our hostel around 8 pm (the World Cup game started at 10), and the ride back couldn’t have been more exhausting. We were all so tired, and so dirty (the trucks on the highway spew black clouds of exhaust to choke your lungs). Needless to say, all of our butts were sore from the hard seats, and it was a night of a little more R&R. This time, the guys and Dana headed off to watch the World Cup, and Grace and I went for a massage. We walked around bargaining prices with the various parlours, and finally found one that would give as an hour massage (half shoulders and back, half feet) for 40 RMB (less than $10). Our masseuses were two boys, probably fifteen or sixteen years old, but they were strong and their elbows were pointy. It was a bit painful at parts, with them digging their thumbs into all the right/wrong places, but it felt incredible! My shoulders this morning are killing me, but it’s like the feeling of sore but loose muscles after a good workout. We finished off the night by buying one of the bakeries out of brownies, and watching the last ten minutes of the game.
Today, we were going to go to the monastery to do a little Kung Fu, but it was 300 RMB, and only worth doing if you stay for a few days. So instead, we’re doing nothing. I’m catching up on some blogging (obviously), Darren’s reading, and later we’re just going to wander around the city and take it easy. Tomorrow, it’s back to active enjoyment with a little kayaking, so today we’re going to enjoy our rest. Hope you’re all well, and congratulations to all of you graduating today/yesterday. I was thinking about you as I was biking around the lake and a little sad that I couldn’t be there with you. I hope it was a wonderful day (I heard it was sunny), and you/we should all be proud of our four year (for some longer, and for others shorter) accomplishment! Can’t wait to see what wonderful things everyone goes onto, and maybe I’ll see some of you in the teaching program in January (keeping my fingers crossed). Congrats again and we’ll have a belated celebration when I come home in four to five months!

Kickin' It In Kunming

Didn’t do a whole lot in Kunming. These lazy days seem to be more frequent lately, which is a bit of a shame considering we don’t have an infinite visas. But our time in Kunming was ultimately consisted of tying up a few loose ends and getting some planning done.

Our first day there (Friday), we turned on the lap top just to check the messages and touch base with home, only to be slapped in the face by the dreaded blue screen, which was followed by some odd beeps and clicks. For anyone who or has ever owned a computer, you’ve probably experienced this trauma before. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, these are signs of a dying hard drive. Now, my original intension upon coming to China was to buy a portable hard drive to store photos on, but Darren figured that would fit well enough on my computer so we opted to put it off until/unless it looked like the files were taking up too much space. I have been uploading a portion of the photos onto Picassa, so we did have some form of backup, but not a complete backup. That all being said, when I saw that blue screen my first and foremost concerns were for my photos. I made Darren take me to an electronic market immediately so I could buy a hard drive, and than stressfully wait to see if I could transfer the important things before it blue screened again (the important things of course being photos, music, and Photoshop). After a day and a half of frantically trying to back up photos and figuring out what our repair options were, we eventually figured out that the lap top was still under warranty; and, with the help and translation of the hostel reception, we were able to drop it off at an Asus repair shop. They put it in a new hard drive and transferred all our data free of charge—all that stressing for nothing! (Keep in mind that before leaving for China, I dropped my very large hard drive twice, in a matter of minutes, and it is the only source for all my photos, and have not repaired it yet; so, already scarred from my previous technical misfortunes, this was the second time my photographic life was the flash before my eyes.)
Technical difficulties aside, the only other thing we did in Kunming was walk around the city, buy a novel or two, and go to the Stone Forest.
I only watched BBC’s “Wild China” once, but it definitely left some strong impressions of China—and of the Stone Forest. I was particularly excited to see the Stone Forest, and while it is impressive, I was also a little disappointed. (Since coming to China, we have also learned/come to realize that in order for BBC to film “Wild China”, they first had to sign an agreement with the Chinese government, restricting what they were and were not allowed to document/show.) The parts of China that BBC doesn’t show are the tourists and ticket booths that are around every corner. The Stone Forest in the “Wild China” documentary is portrayed as a “wild” and petrified forest. It is petrified, but hardly wild, and it was also smaller than I expected. It is actually a small park, which was once wild, but has been exploited for a profit like every other natural beauty in this country. That being said, it was still pretty cool. The original forest was created some 200+ million years ago when the ocean receded from the area, leaving a large forest of limestone karsts. With the proceeding years of wind and rain, many of the karsts have been warped and moulded, leaving some smooth, some jagged, and most in strange and unusual shapes. Some of the rocks have even taken the shape of things such as elephants, birds, or a cat. It definitely adds a whole new level to that childhood past-time of finding shapes in clouds. I think one of the coolest things about the Stone Forest, despite the mowed grass and highly manicured walkways and rest areas, are the swallows that inhabit the trees and massive lime-stones. At least we think they’re swallows. I don’t think we actually saw any of the birds (something did swoosh by once, but so quickly we barely caught a glimpse), which makes the experience a little eerie but exciting at the same time. As you enter the forest, there is this overwhelmingly loud, buzzing-like noise that seems to be coming from everywhere. We couldn’t figure it out at first, but we realized that it must be birds. An area will be totally quiet, and the minute you step over the invisible threshold, it just explodes with rapid chirping. The quiet forest just suddenly comes alive with this chaotic noise, enough to rival the masses of Chinese tourists. Once you do escape the hoards, the forest can become fairly quiet and very peaceful. I’m not sure if it was the air quality/lack of oxygen or just the fatigue from travelling in general, but we were both exhausted and short of breath (it’s entirely likely we’re just out of shape), and just about fell asleep at this wonderful little spot called something to do with a swords tip or peak of a sword or something. We overheard one of the tour guides talking and I think it was supposed to be a holy place, and there we were lying on the rocks half asleep!

We spent one last day in Kunming (at the Hump hostel—not our favourite) and were off to Dali.

Bittersweet Jiuzhaigou

I'm not sure exactly where to start.  This trip was "bittersweet", so do I start with the "bitter" or do I start with the "sweet"?  For the sake of not leaving a bad taste in anyone's mouth, I think I should start with the bitter.  That being said, our tour to Jiuzhaigou was pretty terrible.

Let me make clear that the scenery itself wasn't unpleasant, in fact, it was breath taking, but Darren and I have both agreed that we will never take another overnight tour again.  This tour wasn't just overnight, it was over three nights, and the problems started on the bus on the way there.

The reason Darren and I join tour groups is strictly convenience.  I haven't come across a tour price yet, that is cheaper than what it would cost for us to do it alone.  We did the calculations, and for us to go to Jiuzhaigou on our own, would be less than a 100 RMB difference from the tour; but, with a tour we don't have to worry about the planning and arrangments.  In this particular tour, the transportation, accomodation, entrance fees, a Tibetan event, and all meals but one were included.  Anything not included in our tour price, was optional.  We also opted for the "bus tour", which was cheaper than the "plane tour" by over 1000 RMB, but took 10 hours longer!  It was a long 10 hours!  Now, when we booked our tour (and by we, I mean Darren) we were very specific about the details.  As you can see, we wanted to make sure we knew exactly what was included, and the nature of the tour itself (like the Panda tour, this one would drop you off at the sight and pick you up, but didn't accompany you and force you to follow a set schedule while at the park).  So, when the tour guide (who didn't speak any English) finished his microphone speal on the bus, and started walking around and collecting money, we didn't really know what was going on.  When he got to us, he said/gestured that we were to give him 600 RMB, 300 RMB each.  We didn't know why and were not about to just hand over that much money blindely.  We recited our well used phrase "Wo ting bu dong" (I don't understand), and he proceeded to solicit the translation of a girl from the back of the bus.  As best she could, she explained to us that the 300 RMB each was for two events, two Tibetan cultural experiences/parties.  We were aware of the events, and were also aware that they were optional and simply said that we didn't want to go.  The guide did not take this well.  As per her translation, the guide insisted that we attend these events, and that they were mandatory.  The girl however, also informed us that the events weren't mandatory and that we had the choice of whether or not to go.  The guide obviously had a different opinion and after brooding in silence for a few hours, asked us again to pay, during a pee break.  We again said no, and the guide blew up.  He started yelling at us in Mandarin with flaring hand gestures and we couldn't understand why he was so upset.  It's funny how some things are quite clear despite the language barrier, because it was quite clear that he was threatening to kick us off the bus if we didn't pay.  Sure enough, as our translator informed us, this was the case.  The guide called someone who claimed to be his manager who also told us that if we didn't pay the 600 RMB they were going to kick us off the tour once we got to Jiuzhaigou.  We were pissed off enough and not impressed at all, and didn't want to be on the bus anymore anyway.  So Darren told the guy on the phone, that quitting the tour was fine with us, that we would pay 100 RMB a piece for the drive up and that they could refund us our remaining 1400+ RMB and we'd be on our way.  We got disconnected (driving through the mountains) and when he called back, he explained that he had looked into our bookings, noticed that the one night's event was included in our package, that we were right, the other night was optional, and that if we wanted to go we could pay the 150 RMB but we didn't have to.  With a bad taste in our mouth, we stayed on the bus, though in hindsight, we wish we had gotten off.

Though awkward, things seemed to have smoothed out.  The other people on the bus were very empathetic and even embarrassed by the tour guides actions.  They were extremely kind and went out of their way to make sure that we were comfortable.  Needless to say, Darren and I didn't trust our guide at all from this point forward, and were weary of his every move.  Before we left our hostel we inquired about student prices for entry into the parks.  As it is with most places, they did have student discounts, but the hostel and the agency weren't sure if foreign students were applicable for the discount.  After checking with the agency, our hostel told us to just bring our student cards and see if they'd be accepted; if they were, we'd be reimbursed the difference at the end of the tour.  So when we got to Jiuzhaigou we asked one of the girls to check abou the student pricing for us, and sure enough we got the student discount (-50 RMB each).  We were still a little ticked off about him trying to scam us for 600 RMB, but this was a small redeeming factor. 

The next morning, we boarded the bus at 7 am to head for Huanglong, expecting to get there around 10 am, and we didn't get there until after 2 pm.  We had stopped at four different tourist/souvenir shops on the way to Huanglong.  At each one of course, our tour guide got a commission off how much we purchased.  Consquently, when a couple of the other tourists decided to take over an hour perusing and purchasing cystals, there was no rush.  Everyone was sitting on the bus, waiting and preturbed as the amount of time we were wasting.  Oh, and did I mention that up in the mountains it was freezing? We were all so cold and just wanted to get going.  Darren and I made a small purchase, just snacks, at the last place and regretted doing so as we watched him collecting copies of receipts as we paid.  (It was such a massive waste of time and everyone else on the bus seemed to think so as well, but it does seem to be par for the course with these tours.)  Once we finally got to Huanglong, the guide went around collecting all the student cards/certificates before going to get our tickets, but came out and told us that the discount only applied to Chinese students, and then dashed off.  Still untrusting, Darren went into the ticket office himself to check whether or not our student cards were applicable.  Sure enough, they were, and the girl at the office told us that we'd have to take up the discount with our guide.  Livid and raging, we stormed up the hillside, passing people with oxygen masks like it was no problem at all (a lot of people apparently struggle with the elevation).  We were so mad that we barely took in anything we saw on the way up.  Once we got to the top we sat down, had a bite to eat and talked over how we were going to deal with getting our money back (another 50 RMB a piece).  On the way down it was like seeing everything for the first time since on the way up we just stormed passed it all.  We made sure to get back down before the ticket office closed and went back to speak to the attendant.  She called our guide (the tickets were registered under him) and found out that the tickets were booked online as full price tickets, and that once they were booked, you couldn't redeem them at the student price.  Just to be sure, we had one of the girls who speaks English to double check for us.  She came back fuming.  (Keep in mind, this is the same girl who translated to Darren when the guide said that the student price was for Chinese students only).  She said that the tickets were booked as full price adult tickets (which we couldn't understand since they knew we were students) but that all the guide had to do was cancel the tickets (at the expense of 4 RMB each) and then ask for student priced tickets.  Well, she was so angry that she could hardly relay this information to us, and when the guide got back on the bus, she tore a piece out of him!  Our hero (her name is Gloria by the way), she was fantastic!  They got to arguing and even stormed off to the ticket office together to sort it out, but the office was closed.  He apparently told her that it wasn't his responsibility to explain to the "English" people why they couldn't get the discount, and it wasn't his responsibility to get us the discount in the first place.  Then, he threatened to kick her off the bus as well, told her she was a "bad student" and that she was an embarrassment to the Chinese for helping us.  Again, we had the empathy of everyone else on the bus, but were really no better off.

The next morning (we left Huanglong at 5 am), another dissatisfied tour member got into an argument with the guide and he threatened to kick her off the bus as well.  The guide was off his rocker!  We've met a lot of tour guides or aspiring tour guides and none seem to be quite the prick this guy was.  Thanks to our wonderful Gloria though, we were able to call our hostel, explain to them what had happened, and ask them to figure out how we were going to be reimbursed the 200 RMB (the total amount we saved with our student discounts).  Our hostel spoke to our guide who apparently told them that we wouldn't be reimbursed for the student discount at Huanglong because we weren't applicable.  Our hostel then called the tour agency who said we would be reimbursed the full 200 RMB, and then told us to wait until the end of the tour and that if we had any trouble to call him again.  Sure enough, at the end of the tour, our guide proceeded to hand us each 50 RMB.  Wonderful Gloria told him that we were each entitled to 100 RMB, which of course he argued, now claiming that we he was reimbursing us for Huanglong and not Jiuzhagou, and we called the hostel again.  Meanwhile, he got on the phone with his boss, and was apparently arguing with his boss telling him that Darren and I were trying to cheat him.  In the end, after the tour guide called Gloria our whore, we got our 200 RMB back.  Gloria was fantastic, if not for her I don't think we would have been able to get our money back.  She also came with us to our hostel to relay to them what had happened.  The people at our hostel speak incredibly good English, and it wouldn't have been that they couldn't understand our explanation, but it's difficult relaying the faults of someone else through translation.  At first, the hostel thought maybe it was just a case of miscommunication, but Gloria made sure they knew that the guide was definitely trying to take advantage of us.  I have a feeling she sugar-coated a bit of the translation for us, but gave the hostel the full account, and apparently, somebody's in trouble.  Ideally, Darren and I would have liked to be reimbursed for the entire tour, but this isn't home-- things don't work like that here.

So, now for the sweet stuff.

The first night in Jiuzhai, we went to some sort of Tibetan dinner.  It was almost like a cold luau in that as we got off the bus they draped a piece of yellow cloth around our necks.  Before we were allowed to pass through the gate, we had to step over a bowl of some sort of smoking substance.  From there, we walked over to a wash basin and washed our hands, before passing by and touching the gold wheel/spindle things, afterwhich we were led to walk around some sort of shrine.  Form there we were led into the room where we were to eat.  It was a small room, the table and bench seats set up in a square, with an open space in the middle.  True to the Tibetan style, the room was very bright and colourful, with lotus flowers and other cultural symbols painted on the walls.  We sat down to various plates and dishes of breads and snacks, some strange green things, a bowl of soup/broth with a chicken head in it, and a nice steaming bowl of yak meat.  They also performed some sort of ceremonial toast where we chanted something or other, dipped our fingers in it in the ceremonial way and the proceeded to splash people with it, before toasting again and taking sip.  It tasted like cold broth.  It's possible that it was supposed to be warm but cooled while waiting, I'm not sure.  It was strange, but a lot of fun.  We sat eating while the locals sang songs, and quite well.  I told Darren that if he could learn to sing like the one guy (who was kinda cute--Darren noted that he looked like Jason Lee off the Jungle Book) I wouldn't mind so much when he made up his own words to songs.  The other men in our group really took to Darren, raising a glass of potent rice wine to him several times and saying "Gambe", which is a Chinese form of "cheers" except that you have to down your entire glass.  Darren could easily drink them all under the table.  Most of them had on their Asian glow after their first cup.  We also had, what I'm pretty sure was the Tibetan milk tea, made with yak milk, and it was pretty good.  At one point in the night, they brought out a huge roasted something-with-no-head on a platter.  When we asked one of the guys what it was, he said he didn't know what it was called in English.  It kind of looked like a dog, and he said it wasn't a dog, but like a dog.  Darren braved a piece of rib and took a bite, but I don't think he liked it.  The animal, whatever it was, looked somewhat under-fed because there didn't seem to be much meat on the thing to begin with.  After the "not-dog" meat, and a lot of singing, they played some strange game where they dressed two of the men in traditional Tibetan garments (but I think they were women's clothes) and sang more songs.  At first they tried to elect Darren to play the game but we didn't know what was going on.  It was pretty funny.  After everyone was done drinking and eating, we all went outside and danced some special dance around the fire.  Well, they were all dancing their dance, Darren was "picking potatoes" and doing the electric slide.  It was a blast though and we had a great time.  The women kept telling Darren "I love you, I love you" and then giggling and dancing some more.  It was a great way to relax and relieve the stress of our trip up, and we really enjoyed the experience.  The next morning, it was off to Jiuzhaigou.

The mythical story behind the creation of Jiuzhaigou is based on a love story of course.  Apparently there was a man who was in love with a goddess, and he gave her a very special mirror made of wind.  An unforseen evil force apparently separated the two lovers and the goddess smashed the mirror, the pieces falling to earth and creating the crystal clear lakes of Jiuzhaigou.  The water there was so unbelievably clear and so blue that it didn't seem real.  It was unfortunately miserable weather, raining and cold, but the scenery was still beautiful.  I can't imagine how amazing it must look with clear blue skies, but apparently, they really do look like mirrors and perfectly reflect the surrounding mountains.  They were still fairly clear though, despite the clouds and the rain rippling the water.  We walked a lot of the back walkways and it's incredible walking through waterfalls basically.  The water rushing below your feet on the walkways and down the hillside.  Trees still grow all over the place and it's like a wet land but with clear moving water rather than a boggy swamp.  Some of my favourite places were the little waterfalls tucked behind the trees with no one around.  The Panda lake was also pretty cool.  It was actually a white sand beach with the bluest water which varied in shades, depending on the depths of course.  It was all so unreal.  The park consists of five valleys (I think) with a road through it shaped like a Y.  To walk the entire thing is 32 km, but they have a shuttle bus that you can get on and off of to save time between some of the sights.  It was an excellent walk though, even with the rain,, and they say that it's the ever changing weather that makes each experience to Jiuzhaigou so unique.  Apparently, October is a great time to go because the weather is a little clearer, and the lake refelcts all the bright colours of the fall leaves.

In Huanglong (which I'm sure I'm spelling wrong), or Yellow Dragon, the water falls down the mountain gathering in small pools on its way down.  The minerals in the water actually turn the mountain-side a light shade of yellow, and the pools a bright shade of blue.  Though we missed a lot on the way up, we did take in a bit on the way down.  A lot of people take a "rope way" up and walk down, but Darren and I opted for walking the entire thing.  On the way, we saw a lot of people with oxygen tanks, or stopped at the various oxygen bars along the way.  Apparently the altitude gets to people and makes it hard for them to make the climb.  But it's not even a climb really.  All the mountains we expect to be more like Grouse or the Chief, but they're all just a series of steps, and not very steep.  Again, the weather was kind of crappy and it was freezing, but still a gorgeous wonder of China's landscape.  As Darren and I were discussing, it's just a pitty you have to travel so far and pay so much to enjoy what little of the beautiful landscape is left.

Finally, the other "experience" that I got from the tour was less scenic and more... personal I suppose.  I tend to avoid squat toilets when at all possible, especially the ones where there isn't really a stall so much as two small walls on either side of you and no door.  When travelling with a tour however, and in a rural area especially, you basically don't have an option unless you want to pee your pants.  During our tour, not only did I use squat toilets, but also squat toilets that look more like a trough (troft?), and I used them with people standing right in front of me waiting for me to finish.  These weren't clean squat toilets either.  If you do have the option of picking which stall you go into, then you can pick the one that doesn't have number two splattered all over the floor, but usually, you just had to use whatever was available when it was available.  It's a small milestone, but one you have to experience in China and I think I can now successfully cross that one off my list.  I've actually gotten pretty good at it... squatting that is.  It's difficult at first, trying to aim, but you really just have to get right in there.  It's not like hovering over a public toilet, but you fully have to squat as low as you can get basically!  I'm still perfecting my technique, but I think I've got it down pretty good.

While you think about that, Darren and I are heading off to Kunming.  20 hours!  It's a long one.  I'm going to work on getting photos posted soon but I've run out of time for now.  Hope everyone is well and we'll send word from the Yunnan province next.

Loveable, Huggable Chengdu

When reading our guidebooks take on Chengdu, it didn't seem like there was much to do here but drink tea and eat hot pot; but, Chengdu serves as the base point for reaching the outlying areas, so a visit here was inevitable.  Our original plan was to come to Chengdu, and from there, make trips to the Wolong Panda Reserve and Jiuzhaigou.  It turns out however, that our book wasn't published until after the earthquake of 08, and the Wolong Panda Reserve is now closed.  The other Panda facility outside of the city is only accessible to volunteers, and while that would have been amazing, Darren and I didn't feel we had the time to go through the paperwork and the minimum 3 week service; so, we settled on the Panda Breeding Centre here in Chengdu.

We decided to visit the Breeding Centre with a tour group since the only other way to get there in time for feeding (which is basically the only time they're awake) is by taxi, and it's a bit out of the city.  The tour group worked out well for us because it wasn't one of those tours where they put you in matching hats and make you follow a yellow flag.  The "tour" basically consisted of them picking us up at our hostel, dropping us off, and coming back to fetch us a few hours later.  We also lucked out because one of the couples on the tour with us had already done the tour, but because their camera was stolen, they wanted to come back and reshoot the experience.  So they already knew where all the best hot spots were and were more than happy to share them with us!  Instead of wasting our time trying to interpret the park map and decide where to go and what to do first, they already knew when and where the feedings would be, and the best vantage points.  Consequently, we got some pretty amazing pictures (which you'll have to wait for until I can upload them).

We started with a few of the older pandas, up bright and early waiting for breakfast.  They are fairly entertaining to just watch.  They are huge, and just sit there, doing basically nothing.  We caught sight of another who hadn't quite woken up yet, but seemed to be enjoying his sleep, all sprawled out.  We made our way to the Red Pandas (which really do look more like raccoons than bears) and they were a bit more lively, though rather shy.  They really are cute, but when they hear you coming, they freeze and don't move, and despite the many signs that ask you to be quiet, most of the local tourists think that calling at them and making strange noises will cause them to turn around and pose for their cameras.

From there we headed to the main feeding area for adult pandas and they were hilarious!  The four or five of them just sat there on their great big behinds, slouched over and back mouing down on their nutritious bamboo... and they're not clean eaters either (not that you'd really expect an animal to be).  We left for a bit and came back to a couple pandas with mass piles of shredded bamboo husk all over their bellies.  No, Ruth, we didn't see any of them poop but I'm sure it would be quite a sight.  They are rather entertaining with their human-like personalities.

The baby pandas were of course my favourite.  They are so cute.  The lady said in the morning they do their stretching and gymnastics, and it totally seemed that they were.  They were rolling around and contorting their chubby little bodies in awkward poses, and sitting on each others' heads.  They were too adoreable and too cuddley.  I wanted to "hug" one, but wasn't about to pay 1000 RMB to do so.  (You really must wait for pictures to do justice.)

For all my fellow "Up" fans, Kevin was at Breeding Centre.  If you don't know who Kevin is, you need to watch the movie again.  Kevin is the female, multi-coloured, ostrich type bird in the film that makes a very loud squawking noise.  We kept hearing this noise and I couldn't help but be reminded of Kevin, and then up on the roof was this large bird that even looked like a smaller version of Kevin!  It was awesome!  (It may have been a peacock.)

After our Panda expedition, we had a bit of a rest and went with our tour group to the Sichuan Opera.  It was pretty cool!  Aislinn, you would have loved the mask changing.  It was definitely my favourite part.  They change masks so quickly I didn't even notice the first couple times.  I was of course busy taking pictures, and Darren was like "did you see that" and I was like "what?".  Ya, it happens very quickly... and, they breathe fire which is sweet!  Aislinn, if you ever master the art of mask changing, you may just kill me with fear!

The following day, Darren and I just ventured through the city, exploring the various areas.  The two "local/old streets" that we walked through still have a lot of the old architecture, but all the shops are modern and a lot western... which basically equals EXPENSIVE, so we got through there pretty quick.  We wandered over to the Tibetan quarter which was pretty cool.  Not quite the same crowded streets of shops and vendors as the Muslim quarter in Xi'an, but a regular "district" with a lot of shops selling Tibetan cultural/religious articles.  My favourite part of it though, was all the monks wandering around the streets just going about their daily business, all of them in their burgundy and orange robes.  It was fantastic though kind of strange to see Buddhist monks in their robes, with their shaved heads, beads in one hand and then a cell phone in the other.  Something about it just doesn't add up.

On Sunday, we left for Jiuzhaigou (see the next blog), we got back this evening, and tomorrow we're off again.  Overall, Chengdu has been a very pleasant experience.  The atmosphere here is very laid back (as it apparently is in all the Sichuan province) and our hostel has just the same atmosphere.  While we're excited to head south to Kunming and explore the Yunnan province, I think I could easily spend a week here, just doing nothing (except I always feel guilty for doing nothing for too long).  Another 20 hour train ride ahead!  Here's hoping we don't end up with stinky feet, more farters or another cabin of snorers!