Friday, October 14, 2011

Typhoon. Always Rainy in Guilin.


An American in China: the Chinese sleeper bus is one mode of transportation everyone should experience. . . . at least once. 
Alex and I set out on a vacation to Guilin this past week. We received the first through the seventh of October off for National Day. We decided to stay in Guilin from the 30th of September through the 6th of October. How were we to make this journey? Sleeper bus. A sleeper bus is a common mode of transportation here. Basically, it is a coach bus with three rows of bunch beds instead of seats. So you have to lay down most of your journey. With very little Chinese in our heads and survival chinese, written by William, in my notebook we set off on our journey. 
William, like the father figure he is to us followed us on to the bus to make sure we were settled in for our journey. We started to load the bus when Chinese was yelled at us from all angles. Apparently no shoes are allowed to be worn on the sleeper bus at any time. So, you must take off your shoes as you enter and place them in a plastic bag then, of course, put them back on before you exit the bus. Alex and I grabbed our top bunks by imitating monkeys to climb up. Or, should I say, I imitated a monkey as Alex is tall enough to lift himself in. (Riding on the top bunch can only be liked to an amusement park ride-- especially on the bumpy country roads) We said our goodbyes and thank yous to William and thought him gone when all of a sudden he rushed on to the bus to tell us the ride would not be 6 to 7 hours, like we were originally told, but 12 hours with no bathroom on the bus. 
Thus began our adventure. 
I should say the bus stopped promptly every two to three hours to allow us to walk around go to the bathroom and eat. This is where I found out one of my students was on the bus with me. I also mastered the squatters. A squatter is the Chinese toilet. Basically, a hole in the ground you squat over. In all honesty it is okay and makes sense if you think about it. But cleanliness in roadside squatters is not a priority thus creating a ripe smell. However this does not damper the animal life of China. In fact, as I “sat” down in my third squatter of the trip I was greeted by a small frog jumping at the chance to share my bathroom space with me. 
The trip was not too bad. We met a Senior student, Pinki, from Wuyi-- who I am sure I will become close friends with, watched some American and Chinese films(including two Jackie Chan movies), and I listened to some Mason Jennings while staring out my window and thinking to my self: you are in China, you are in China, you are in China and got some much needed sleep after my first month of teaching. 
Day one involved us getting to know the city of Guilin. Our first stop was the Price City Scenic area. Which, to be honest, was kind of pointless without English translations but I learned about the examinations Chinese scholars would take from Alex’s College Chinese history course. We also climbed our first peak/hill/mini mountain: Solitary Beauty Peak. These peaks are what Guilin, Yangshuo, XingPing are famous for and is said to be the most beautiful area of China. The peak boasted great views of the city. At the first look out I hit Alex and told him we were in CHINA to which he responded, “Why are you hitting me,” and, “we have been in China for a month now.” “I know,” I told him, “but, I think it just it me.” After that tourist stop we walked along the Li River where we found Bob Cafe. A little coffee shop/restaurant we frequented during our stay. We were stopped on the street by a salesman who promised us a the beauty of the Longji(Longxi) rice terraces. After a butt load of questions Alex and I agreed to the 180 yuan(our hostel provided the same trip for 400yuan). 
We met Pinki for dinner and enjoyed some shopping afterward. On the way back to the Hostel Alex and I stopped to watch the fireworks for National Day. The U.S. has nothing on China in terms of firework usage. 
Day two started off bumpy with an old couple refusing to get off the bus the the rice terraces. Alex and I were forced to get off instead while we were reassured another bus would be by in five minutes. After ten minutes our hostel ran out and told us to come back into wait since it would be more like 20 minutes. In this time our hostel expected us to pack up so they could move our rooms while we were gone. So probably an hour later than we had planned we set off to the rice terraces. 
On the bus we met two women, english teachers, from America who were in their second year of teaching in China. They shared our dislike for the old couple(this old couple’s defiance to not get off the bus caused the four of us to start our tours late). After we left the bus Yao women bombarded us with bracelets and scarfs reciting looka, looka and so beautiful. The Yao are a minority group in China. The women have famed long hair that they only cut once in their life (if I remember correctly, at the age of 18) and they have to wear their hair in one of three styles that indicate their relationship status. One for single, one for married, and one for widowed. To my knowledge the men have to display no such thing. As long as you ignore the major tourist attraction Longji has become you can imagine a beautiful and different way of life in China. Although us westerners, the two women we met, Alex and I, joked about the lifestyle no longer existing except for the tourist. Comments about hair weaves and modern clothing torn off to slip into the traditional dress before the tourists arrived were common fodder. 
The night included an “Irish” pub with pizza and beer: much need after a long day of being a tourist. 
Day three was a long day full of ups and downs. We met my students Blair and her friend Kellin (her spelling not mine) to travel to Yangshuo. We expected to rent some bikes and try to go hiking but, in my fear of missing out, Alex and I joined Blair and Kellin for a Li River “Bamboo” boat ride. The “Bamboo” is actually PVC pipe. I am glad we did it but it turned out to be a day of mostly traveling instead of exploring. 
We took the bus for an hour and a half to Yangshuo. Then we took a bus to Xing Ping for and hour then we took a rickshaw type go cart for thirty minutes to get to a boat. Our driver was the slowest on the river. He hit almost ever wave spraying Alex and I and ran into multiple boats. We were cold and wet but all I could do was laugh because what else could I do and if nothing else it is now a great story. The views, I do have to say, were amazing though. A lot of my students said Guilin is beautiful and the water is so clear but I, environmental me, could not help but think the water will not stay clear for long with all of these motorized “Bamboo” boats and tourists throwing their trash in the water. 
Our transportation back should have it’s own paragraph. . .  . or two, so here it is: 
China is overpopulated. When you visit a smaller town it only makes sense that catching a bus would become more difficult with a lot of waiting involved. When we got to Xing Ping a bus back to Yangshuo was loading. It was obvious we would not make it on to this bus but it seemed all of the people pushing to get on this bus would not make it on either. There were too many people and not enough boats. . . . or I mean, not enough seats. We watched a western couple make their own luck by opening a window in the back of the bus and climbing in. The girlfriend had a little more trouble than the boyfriend. A Chinese man was more than willing to help and proceeded to push her into the open window via her butt. This was all so hilarious until another bus rolled in and we realized we would have to do the same thing. 
The stampede began but this bus decided to make it a challenge and proceeded to turn itself around. The mob of us pressed against the door, thank God for Alex in this situation,only to side step a few more feet as the bus inched forward and refused to open its doors. Finally, it opened. It was as if the bus was submerged in the Li River and we were the water rushing though a broken window. Alex and I squeezed and elbowed our way on. I turned around to reach for Kellin’s hand and pulled her in. Blair eventually made it but had to stand while Alex, Kellin and I got seats. 
We separated from Blair and Kellin when we got back to Yangshuo--we had different ideas of how we wanted to spend the rest of our time. As Alex and I weaved through the crowded Yangshuo streets we, I, became thankful we did not stay in Yangshuo even if the backpacker/bars and promises of immense hiking called my name. We finally found a quiet coffee shop where I got my first mocha in a month. 
An hour later we joined the line, of a million Chinese people that wound around like a snake, to get back to Guilin. Dinner, fried rice, was in the Hostel this night as we did not get back until 11pm. 
Day four Alex and I decided to explore on our own, as it was probably best. We went to the Reed Flute Cave where the fake colored lighting and water pumped in to create “natural” pools could not detract from the beauty of the cave. I wanted to camp out there like the Goonies or the lost boys. It really made me feel like a kid when my Mom and Dad would take us to caves all over Indiana and South Dakota. 
The after was lazy with walking around the pagodas in the city. We found a steam bun man too. Naps were had back at the hostel and after we met Pinki, again, for dinner and shopped in an “Art Gallery.” I was suckered into buying two paintings. One will definitely be a Christmas present for Mom and Dad. The night was spent with two Americans in our Hostel, here teaching English, we talked and drank beer. It was really nice to share experiences in China with people who were our own age and people who knew what we were going through. We also talked about home and futures. The topics that are so interesting when first meeting someone. I was happy to hear that the things they knew about Minnesota were Brother Ali, Atmosphere, and Garrison Keillor. 
Day five was our last day in Guilin. We visited Elephant Trunk HIll and climbed some more. I love to climb. We indulged at Bob cafe; I had another mocha and Alex had a banana split. Dinner was at the Irish pub again(as Jiangmen does not have one) followed by packing for our 12 hour journey home. 
It was a great and much needed trip. Did I forget to mention it rained the whole time?

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