This was the site where the original Argentine flag was flown. The flame is in dedication to all the dead Argentine soldiers. And beneath the pillared part of the monument is a cool museum with flags from every member of the Organization of American States, as well as soil from most of them. There´s also a tower, which you can see in the background. You can get to the top via elevator.
Argentina has provided, by far, the best hostel experiences I´ve ever had. The level of services is far above those you typically find in China and New Zealand (which does have some great hostels).
As a rule, you get:
-breakfast included -free Internet -free wifi -lots of help with travel arrangements
They also clean like mad. The hostel in BA where I´m staying again for New Year´s festivities has a cleaning staff that works throughout the day. It´s great.
And speaking of wifi...it´s EVERYWHERE. I´d say 75 percent of cafes provide it. You can find it at malls and at bus stations. There´s a public square here in Rosario that provides Internet access. Amazing.
Whew. The fun never stops in Córdoba... We had a huge dinner on Christmas eve... sushi, beef, rabbit paella and more. Plus lots and lots and lots of champagne. Some great people have been staying at this hostel. We did secret Santa (Papá Noel invisible) and watched fireworks in the street. I present to you the following photographic evidence of said fun night. I´ll let you make up captions for them and try to fill in the gaps.
There was a good two inches of water in the street. Apparently, when it rains a lot, the entire city floods. Since it´s technically in the desert, they´ve installed a citywide irrigation system along the streets. Without that to take a lot of the water, it would have been quite ugly.
Futbol
I caught another football game last week before I left Buenos Aires. The last game of the season for the Boca Juniors. They won, which put them in a three-way tie for champion of the league. Tonight´s the final match of a three-game playoff of sorts ot identify which of the three takes the crown.
I had a much better seat at the last game. I could actually see the rest of the stadium.
Mendoza is the country´s main wine region. To enjoy what the area has to offer, it´s popular to hop on a bike and tour some vineyards. With the help of Mr. Hugo, several of us grabbed bikes and pedaled from site to site. We visited three vineyards, a chocolate/liquour factory and an olive plantation. Upon returning to Mr. Hugo´s, we were treated to bottle after bottle of local wine--all included in his 25-peso fee.
Now I´m in Córdoba, the nation´s second-largest city. I´ll spend Christmas here--there´s some great folks staying at the hostel. I´ll be back in BA for New Year´s festivities. Sounds like I´m going to spend the evening with some folks who work at my hostel there--a good group of locals.
Argentine cuisine isn´t exactly world-renowned, but it is quite good. Obviously, the country is known for its beef (I can confirm that this is for good reason). But there´s plenty more to eat here than a thick juicy steak. Including the ginormous amounts of beef, the diet here is horrendous. Vegetables here typically include potatoes (fried or mashed), plain lettuce, tomatoes, onions and sometimes mashed pumpkin. Lots of breads--all refined grain, of course. I´ll be going into seclusion when I return, while I burn off a few extra pounds.
Beef: It´s what´s for dinner (and lunch)
First, a few words on the steak. They really do eat tons of it. I ate the best steak of my life in Buenos Aires. A tenderloin (bife de lomo). Juicy. HUGE. Less than US$10. And I´ve had several decent steaks for even less than that. Argentines love an asado, or barbecue. They lay out every part of the cow across the parilla (grill).
This was an asado at the hostel where I stayed in BA. You can see short ribes on the left, with chinchulines (small intestines) in front of them (yes I tried them...crunchy on the outside; pastey on the inside). Chorizos are in the middle, with some morcilla, or blood sausage, in front of them. And to the right, we´ve got a couple kidneys. They taste like beef, but are pretty fatty. And the bife de chorizo (sirloin) isn´t even on the grill yet.
There´s lots of italian blood in Argentina. BA even has a local slang based on Italian words. And so there´s lots of pizza and pasta. Quite popular is the basic pizza de muzzarella, usually topped with oregano and a few olives. The pizza below cost me 10 pesos, or three bucks.
And there´s a boatload of pasta, typically made fresh at the restaurant. You pick your pasta (spaghettis, raviolis and ñoquis are the most popular) and then your sauce (tomato, bolognese, pesto, cheese, etc). Delicious.
My favorite, ñoquis (gnocchi in Italian; they´re potato dumplings) with pesto sauce. It´s almost gone for a reason
In order to make it from a 1:30 lunch to dinner at 10:30, you often need a snack. I often substitute these snacks for a lunch, as they´re cheaper by far.
Empanadas are dynamite. Little pastries filled with ground beef, ham and cheese or any number of other combinations, it´s a mission for me to find the best. A day without an empanada is a sad one indeed. My favorite is caprese--mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.
Choripan also is a great snack. The name comes from the ingredients: chorizo and pan, or bread. And this brings me to something very important, as you must must must top your choripan with
CHIMICHURI. Slather it on everything from the obligatory rolls to your steak and sandwiches. It´s oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic and usually some chili, depending on the recipe. Awesome.
Argentines also like a sandwich. Quite common is a simple tostada, a white-bread sandwich with ham and cheese, grilled.
Breakfast
Breakfast is simple, and it´s also, as a rule, included with your hostel stay. Coffee--usually cafe con leche--and medialunas (literally "half moons." Croissants). Smear some dulce de leche, a creamier version of caramel, on your croissants and you´re having desayuno Argentine style.
Dessert
Of course there´s flan. Of course there´s tirimasu. But why would I waste my time on those when there´s gelato (known here as helado)?? For as little as US$1.50, you can have a small cone piled high with four inches of ice cream. Popular flavors are dulce de leche, a variety of chocolates and fruits. Get at least two flavors to do it right. Like empanadas, I enjoy an helado more often than I should.
I haven´t eaten this well so regularly in my life. Are you drooling yet? Want to come join me?
Now I have to go decide which of these treats is going to be my lunch!
I decided, pretty much on a whim, to take a Spanish class for a couple weeks. It´s been good to have somewhere structured to practice, but we´re studying things at quite a high level (I tested into level five of nine)--verb tenses that I don´t exactly need to use in basic conversation. Some have no exact equivalent in English. But tomorrow is my last class.
Just a couple quick updates for youse all...
Last Saturday, I went a little way north of BA to Tigre. It was a nice change from the loud city. It lies on the Plate river delta. We took a water taxi through the rivers and canals, passing many rowing clubs on the way, to an Island with no cars. Very nice break from the city.
I´ve spent a lot of time just relaxing on the hostel´s roof, enjoying a Quilmes beer and conversation--in English and Spanish--with my fellow travelers. I´ve made quite a few good friends since I´ve been here.
I also went to a market on Sunday--a huge market. I will get photos this Sunday. Quite cool. It was a holiday weekend so there were lots of other small events going on, including a concert by a brass band in the Plaza de Mayo, where the goverment offices sit. They played such standards as CCR´s Green River and a Madonna medley (she was in town for a series of show).
Lastly, I know you all wanted to see what my foot looks like, post glass incident. Here it is mostly healed. I had already taken one stitch out.
I´m in town until Monday, I think. I´m going to head off to the northwest and see Cordoba, Argetina´s second-largest city, and Mendoza, the country´s chief wine-growing region, and probably another stop or two. Then it´s back to BA for New Year´s and after that, onto the south of the country, where I´ll see glaciers, lakes, mountains and maybe even visit the world´s southernmost city.
But before I jet, I´m going to catch the last Boca Juniors game of the season on Sunday. Bound to be a blast!
Getting change in Buenos Aires often is a hectic procedure. An article from one of my favorite news sources, Slate online magazine, discusses the issue, noting that there seems to be a shortage of coins, particularly one-peso coins, or monedas. It´s also quite difficult to get a five-peso note.
Some examples:
I dropped my laundry off for washing today. It costs 15 pesos. Unfortunately, I only had a hundred-peso note (since I´m getting charged $2.50 every time I take out cash, I take out several hundred pesos a go. ATMs here do distribute 10s and 20s, so i´ll usually take out something like 490 pesos.) Of course there was no change, but he said I could pay later. Eventually, I tracked down a 50 and five 10s. Even still, he didn´t have a five to give me as change. Hopefully I can get some change when I pay for my Internet time.
I bought some clothes the other day. The total was about 55 pesos, and I presented another hundie. It took the woman several minutes to track down the correct change.
Lastly, I have a pocket of five- and 10-centavo coins because 25 and 50 coins also are relatively hard to come by.
The article really nails the situation on the head, and offers some explanations. It´s a very interesting read.
Lots of great food, a football match and a trip to the hospital (via ambulance, no less)...what an exciting first week in Buenos Aires. I hope you´ll forgive me for the delay in my first post from this amazing city, but I have been a busy guy.
Buenos Aires is a great city. It feels very European--lots of wide boulevards and plazas and cafes. It has dozens of distinct barrios, or neighborhoods. Each has a unique character. I´m staying in the microcentro, the center of the city. This has positioned me well for lots of exploring on foot.
Not far from where I´m staying is the Plaza de Mayo. Adjacent to the plaza is the Casa Rosada, the office of the president. It´s also where Madonna sang ¨Don´t cry for me Argentina.¨
And, as I mentioned before, the city has a number of sprawling boulevards, including, apparently, the widest street in the world--as wide as one city block. Avenida Calle de Julio is the main north-south artery in the city. In the center is one of Buenos Aires´ more well-known landmarks, an obelisk dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the city´s founding.
One of the city´s most famous barrios is La Boca. It´s a very colorful neighborhood, with a small tourist area loaded with cafes and tango clubs. Many of the cafes have small stages outside where couples dance the tango. (In case you didn´t know, the tango is from Argentina).
The neighborhood is known for being a bit rough. This was more than evident during last night´s Boca Juniors game. The Boca Juniors are one of the world´s most famous football clubs. Diego Maradona, who was recently named the coach of the national team, played for them a couple decades ago.
The police had cordoned off an area around the stadium. To get within one block, you had to go through a police checkpoint and get frisked.
And to enter the stadium, you had to be frisked once more. Inside, the field itself is surrounded by a fence topped with barbed wire. The general seating section (where I sat) also is circled with a tall fence. As you might guess, futbol games in Argentina have gotten out of hand now and then. But last night´s game was without incident. It was, however, exciting as hell--one of the funnest things I´ve done during all of my travels so far. The crowd sang and chanted constantly. They had a different song for every part of the game--welcoming the team, yellow cards, goals. They even had one to sing at the police while we waited to be released from the stadium (they do it in sections, so that the crowd is better dispersed.)
And now, in a first for this trip, some videos. Here are two from the match, the first is the crowd welcoming the team onto the field, and the second is the fans celebrating the Boca victory.
A few other highlights:
--The city has a pretty extensive subway network, the Subte. The oldest line is like no other subway I´ve been on. The line, built in the 19-teens, features wooden cars with doors that are manually opened. It´s really cool.
--The Recoleta neighborhood has lots of beautiful buildings and feels quite Paris-like. It also features a cool cemetery, which includes the mausoleum of Eva Peron. The cemetery is entirely above-ground tombs.
--Lastly, I´m sure I got your attention when I mentioned a hospital visit. I found a bar to watch the Nebraska game on Friday night. Among the people I met there were two locals who had recently spend two months living in Omaha, during training with First Data. Small world, eh? Anyway, at the end of the game, a glass fell from the bar and sliced open the top of my foot. There was a lot of blood.
The bar´s security guy told me that he called an ambulance to take me to the hospital. Not only did I think this was a bit much (though it was clear I did need stitches), but I told him that I didn´t have much money on me and no identification. Doesn´t matter, he said, it´s free. Free? Yes, don´t worry. Wow. I tried to insist upon taking a taxi instead--surely the ambulance could be put to better use somewhere else. No, it´s fine, the ambulance will be here soon. Long story short, I got an ambulance ride and three stitches for nothing. I didn´t even sign have to sign a consent to treatment form. Apparently, outpatient services at the public hospitals are free in Argentina, regardless of your nationality.
Anyway, what happens from here? I don´t know. I have no plan. I will be in BsAs at least through Thursday. I´m quite happy to stay in the city for a little while, as there´s a lot to see and its a lot of fun. The locals are very nice, and happy to have a conversation with foreigners. I´m actually amazed at how much Spanish I remember, having had my last class more than three years ago. I guess eight years of learning kinda seals it into your memory. The locals can be a bit hard to understand, but if I explain that I´m a foreigner, they speak slowly. And really, I´ve been speaking Spanish more than half the time. I´ve been hanging out with people from around the world who speak Spanish. It´s great.
More later this week. I´m very happy with my decision to come here.
Well, lots of folks seem to have figured out where I´m at, but only after I led them down breadcrumb paths. The "moo" clue seems to have been a red herring for many of you, but I gave you another HUGE clue in that last post.
If you recall, I said, "But don't cry for me--the change also means I'm going somewhere I've wanted to visit for years."
Come on, pop culture junkies...
Don't cry for me, ARGENTINA!
I'm in BUENOS AIRES! Just a short 36 hours on four flights (Hong Kong--Tokyo--LAX--Dallas--BA). Whew. But it's worth it.
I made the decision to come here about a month ago. I was in the middle of nowhere, only foreigner in town, wasting time at the Internet cafe. Just happened to run a search on Kayak.com for HKG to Buenos Aires (pronounce it right, people: BWAY-nos EYE-race), and what do you know? The cost was about half what it should be.
So I slept on it, and bought the ticket the very next morning. Now for me, this is a very logical decision. I thought, If I don't get to take another long trip like this again (God forbid), where would I be more disappointed to never have visited: Southeast Asia or Argentina? It was an obvious answer for me, as Argentina had been a finalist for my big escape country. I opted for New Zealand instead, as unemployment here is very high and New Zealand was practically begging people to come.
What's to like about Argentina?
Well for starters, I speak Spanish (more or less). It will be a welcome change after being unable to communicate with anyone in China unless I'm ordering beef noodles or buying a bus ticket.
Secondly, it's a beautiful country. Buenos Aires is supposed to be an amazing city. And outside of the capital, there's everything from rain forest and glaciers to amazing lakes and endless plains. Not to mention such famous locales as Patagonia, Tiera del Fuego and Iguazu Falls.
Throw in a little culture: Tango, futbol, gauchos, mate, futbol... Oh, and it's known as the most European country in America. How's that for cool?
And last, but most definitely not least, the food. I've been salivating for weeks thinking of my first Argentine steak--the best in the world, allegedly (hence the "Moo" hint). And thanks to a huge Italian population, Argentina also has copious amounts of pizza, pasta and gelato. And of course there are beef empanadas, beef sandwiches, beef hot dogs...
Now, how about some initial impressions?
For starters, summer is definitely on its way. High today is about 85 fahrenheit. Whew.
The city does have a European vibe, with some long, green boulevards and many squares, often bordering a church.
Argentine men ogle, whistle and holler at any woman younger than their mother (a huge contrast from conservative China).
My first meal... a milanesa napolitana. This is beef scalopini (mine was as big as a dinner plate), topped with a thin slice of ham and cheese, with some tomato paste and a bunch of oregano. Four bucks well spent.
The rest of the day is going to be dedicated to rest. I´m at about 44 hours without sleep right now (me and planes don´t get along).
Well, it's been a fun ride in China, hasn't it? Two-and-a-half months of great memories, delicious food and welcoming people. But as with all good things, this must come to an end.
However, the best is yet to come. Very soon, I will depart for my next destination. Now, I should forewarn you: because of this change to my itinerary, it's likely that my trip will be about a month shorter than I initially had planned. I'll probably be coming home around the first of March (brr). But don't cry for me--the change also means I'm going somewhere I've wanted to visit for years. And the stunning scenery of this place means more eye candy for you. I also will get to have some amazing food (day two of my return to the States: join a gym) and experience a culture as rich as China's (if a little younger).
Now, as I'm certain you haven't yet guessed where I'm going, I will give you one last clue:
Moo.
I promise that's more helpful than you think.
I will see you all in a couple days!
Adios!
PS: I lied. There actually are multiple clues in this post.
I love Hong Kong. I was here in 2004 and I am thrilled that I got to come again. It has an energy like nowhere else. It's a bit like New York, with perhaps a little bit of San Francisco thrown in. There are people everywhere. It's an international city.
One of my favorite things about the city are the countless ways to get around. There are double-decker buses, double decker trams, a cable car to the top of Victoria Peak, numerous ferries running between the various islands and the Kowloon Peninsula (including the long-running Star Ferry, which used to be the only way to get to Hong Kong Island), a top-notch subway system and an enormous fleet of red taxis. AND in Central--HK's main business district--there's a huge network of above-ground walkways. You can go nearly anyway and never have to touch pavement.
I stayed the week at the apartment of Paul's dad, Denny. He's a teacher at the HK International School. I got quite a lot in, as well, though I neglected to bring my camera most of the time. We hit the night market one night for a bit of haggling for gadgets and souvenirs. I also was able to meet up with my friend Jimmy, a native Hong Konger who worked at the hostel where I lived in Wellington. I went to Lamma Island, which I didn't do last time. Had a nice fish and calamari lunch and a bit of a hike across the island. It's been a good week
Just a few photos, but I'm sure you'll agree with me that this is the coolest-looking city in the world.
From atop Victoria Peak (The Peak). You're as high as the tallest buildings. You might recognize the very tall building on the left from The Dark Knight.
I told you last week I'd give you the rundown on Guangzhou. I'll save your time. It's a nice enough city, with the Pearl River running through it. There's a nice river walk the length of it. Some nice parks too. But it's really a big business center, especially in terms of trade. So I relaxed, did a lot of walking; but I don't have any super-cool photos or anything like that to share.
However, I'm in Hong Kong this week and will have plenty of great pics to share before I head off to my next stop.
Speaking of, perhaps you'd like another hint as to where I might be going?
OK, here it is: As I said before, it will take me 36 hours to get to my next destination. This trip also will talk me through two other countries.
Any ideas yet? I'll give you one last clue before I leave, and I promise that one will help.
Just a quickie to fill you in on Macau. As I said in the last post, it's gambling central. This special administrative region of China pulls in more gaming money than Vegas. Apparently, on average, its tables are immensely more profitable than Sin City's. I was stunned by how much it's changed since my last visit.
Aside from the gambling, there are a few interesting sights; many are related to the region's former life as a Portuguese territory. One of the most famous landmarks are the ruins of St. Paul's church. All that's left is a facade. As you can see, the ruins are blanketed with tourists.
But really, we were there to gamble. Poor Andy and Dave...they lost a good bit of cash. But go me! I walked away $850 (hong kong dollars) up on the three days we were there. That's about US$110, or enough to fund my stay there.
The city's skyline continues to change. In the photo below, you can see a number of casinos, both in business and under construction. The monstrosity on the left is the Grand Lisboa, the newer counterpart to the Casino Lisboa, perhaps the most renowned and oldest casino in town. The construction to its immediate right is almost assuredly a new casino/hotel. The swooping brown building in the center is the Wynn and the building sticking out behind it is the Star World hotel and casino. To the right of that is the towering L'Arc casino under contsruction; in front of that is another Wynn--the Encore. And between the buildings of the ridiculously huge complex on the right you can catch the slightest glimpse of the MGM Grand.
And that's only one part of town. On a new strip of reclaimed land, the Venetian Macau opened last year. It's the biggest casino in the world. Absolutely ridiculous. And across the street from that is a huge new shopping complex. A number of deluxe hotels are in the works as well. It's all part of the new "Cotai Strip," allusion to Vegas intended.
Our favorite casino was the Grand Lisboa. It was huge and over the top on the outside. But the casino was quite pleasant, with high ceilings and a clean, uncluttered layout. There was no sense of the stereotypical "they never want you to leave" setup.
And to top it all off, the city was getting ready to host its annual Grand Prix, with streets getting barricaded and grandstands erected. Cha-ching.
After Macau, I spent last night in Hong Kong. I'm now back in mainland China--Guangzhou. This is another ridiculously big city. It's a business hub, and where lots of exports out of the country are arranged from. I'll give a full report later and will touch more on Hong Kong next week.
And now, how 'bout another tidbit about my mystery destination?
In this country, they don't eat with chopsticks.
And come to think of it, if anyone can guess my mystery location--via e-mail only--I'll buy you a beer when I get back.
It's a beautiful day in Macau, a special administrative region formerly owned by the Portuguese. It's not far from Hong Kong. It's also Asia's Las Vegas.
I was here briefly four years ago when I was in Hong Kong. It's changed incredibly since then. There were lots of casinos here then, but in that short time, the territory has surpassed Vegas in intake. There are mammoth casinos everywhere and as many more under construction. The skyline doesn't compare to that of my last visit. MGM Grand, Sands and the Wynn all have put up huge casino-hotels here. The Venetian copied its Vegas establishment and here it occupies a space of 500 by 500 meters, which is huge, for those of you not in tune with the metric system. I'll share some photos of this incredible place in my next post. (And yes, I've been hitting the blackjack tables; I was up but am now even).
But today's post will take you into karst mountain territory. As you'll see, I've got some incredible shots to share. I spent three days in Yangshuo (less than the planned week since I opted to join some others in Macau). We even got a sunny day there, during which I went on a nice bike ride through some backroads and paths, through pools of mud. Anyway, on with the show...
I spent a lot of time with a fellow Justin from Oregon (his real first name is Robert, if you can believe that), and Dave and Andrew from England. Lots of fun was had with these guys, and I'm in Macau with the English guys.
A highlight of my time in Yangshuo was to head out on the river to watch some nighttime cormorant fishing. The fishermen tie string around the cormorants' necks and the birds swim along side their bamboo rafts. When a bird catches a fish, it's can't swallow it. It was really cool and I got a dorky photo op out of it as well.
And now for the scenery. Stunning. No way to describe it. This is among the top three most beautiful areas I've been to, no doubt about it. As I mentioned before, a few of us went on a nice bike ride, but the three guys and I also took a boat cruise on a (fake) bamboo raft. It was a great way to see the river and mountains, even though we kept passing huge ferries. If I shared all the photos that I wanted to, I'd fill my Picasa folder, so here's just a couple that I like, so you can get the idea.
And then the next day, the rain came back. So I decided it was time to hightail it out of there. I'm glad I did because the weather here is great. But we had to endure a 19-hour sleeper bus to get here. We were delayed two hours due to a traffic accident, another 90 minutes because our bus broke down and many more minutes due to crappy roads. It was exhausting, but we made it.
And finally, I know I caught many people's attention with the promise of a mystery destination. I will be there in about two weeks, and you won't find out where it is until I'm there. But I suppose I could toss a clue or two your way to whet your appetite.
So here's clue one: It will take me around 36 hours to get to this place. But I won't tell you the mode or modes of transport I will be using to arrive there.
And another wimpy clue: This place, like China, has incredible scenery that is quite varied.
Does that help any? Didn't think so. I'll give you another hint in a few days
So I spent about a week hopping from place to place in souther Guizhou province. I saw some great Miao and Dong villages and met lots of friendly people. I'll keep this post short and sweet because I'm not in a writing mood today. It's been raining like a bitch for a week and a half. Just won't let up. Parts south of here are apparently horribley flooded, including northern Vietnam (So it's good I'm not going there in 2 weeks like I originally planned).
But I thought I would give you a little eye candy...
Bad photo, but Miao women in traditional dress, dancing and singing.
And, oh yes, we had more road troubles. Really bad muddy patch. We're talking Willy Wonka's chocolate river. Buses and trucks stuck. We were stopped for two-and-a-half hours. I think it was all a ploy for some women to sell instant noodles to us for twice their normal worth. But you gotta eat, eh?
A group of men, who I presume were there working on the road and a retaining wall, were quite helpful and spent the entire time pushing cars and trying to get everyone moving again. I can't imagine you'd see that happen in the states...without money being involved.
So that's that. I'm in Guangxi now. Yangshuo. It's a big backpacker hangout. I'll be here about a week I think. On the river; beautiful karst mountain scenery. I will have some amazing photos to share later this week, assuming the rain lets up.
Also considering a trip to Macau, a special autonomous region near Hong Kong, to do some gambling. It's now officially bigger than Vegas. But we'll see.
A few random things I haven't bothered to share yet...
Restaurants When you go to an American restaurant, be it a nice French place or Denny's, there is a certain protocol that is followed. Someone shows you to a seat. You get a menu. Drink are brought. Order is taken. And food is delivered. There's also a certain ambience, from romantic to goofy shit all over the wall.
Not so in most Chinese restaurants. Unless you go to a fancy schmancy place (or one run by foreigners), you'd better lower your expectations. Chinese restaurants are typically brightly lit establishments, their walls barren, save for the ocassionaly beer poster. The kitchen is often right in the dining area, perhaps right by the door, so passersby can see what's being served up. Usually the menu's on the wall. Or there's no menu, so if you can't speak Chinese, you just take a look at their ingredients and tell the cook what you want. Dishes are served when they're ready. Tables almost always have three things on them: A container of chopsticks (if they're reusable, just hope they've been cleaned); a variety of condiments (soy sauce, vineagar, chilies, salt); and toilet roll or tissues (there's no napkins). Throw dirty napkins, fatty meat and bones on the floor. Hell spit on the floor or do a snot rocket if you like.
It's a very different experience.
Babies Chinese love babies and young children. One train ride sums it up pretty well. A boy, no more than 1 1/2 or so, was sitting near me. Everyone who passed touched him in some way: rubbed his cheeks, smacked his butt or held him. Complete strangers.
And babies in China do without quite a lot. 1--There are virtually no strollers/prams. Kids are carried on their parents' backs usually or even the littlest children walk. 2--I haven't seen a single pacifier yet. And lastly: 3--Diapers. The littlest babies might have them. We're talking less than six months (though usually quite younger). Little kids just have big holes in the crotch/butt of their pants. Potty training starts really early in China. Parents get their kids to go to the bathroom at certain times--often just on the street. You see little kids copping a squat on the sidewalk all the time. I have not seen one person get peed on from a diaper-less kid yet.
Annoyances Despite their kindness and great sense of hospitality, the Chinese can be horribly annoying. I give you the following reasons:
--Spitting. We're talking huge, throat-clearing loogies. They don't swallow saliva. They spit all over the street, out bus windows, on bus floors, in restaurants, internet cafes, etc. And they also blow their nose on their fingers, then wipe it off and make snot rockets. Yum. And they women are just as guilty--no lie.
--Noise. Christ. Sometimes I want to yell. But it would have to be quite loudly. They talk on their cell phones like they're trying to yell at the person sans phone. They use their cell phones as ghetto blasters in every sort of public space. They play TVs and radios way too loudly. And they make all sorts of godawful noise while they're eating. China's a noisy place.
--Smoking. Everywhere. The dude at the computer next to me is smoking now. On buses, in restaurants, on trains. But they do often offer me a cigarette, so I guess that's half a point back to them
Despite these irritations, as I've said before, the Chinese people are incredibly generous and good-natured people. And therefor I give you...
Chinese hospitality In no particular order, a list of things Chinese people have done for me during my stay:
-A police officer pulled over a cab for me when I was having trouble hailing one in Qingdao
-A woman paid for my bus ticket just the other day
-When I stayed at the Tibetan village, I paid $15 for a stay that could easily have been worth three times that
-Countless offerings of food and cigarettes (again, only half a point)
-A young Chinese guy on a train, who spoke very little English, declared us friends and gave me a kite
-Sim gave me a free ride and a few free meals
-Workers shared their yak-butter tea with me during their break
-Walking back to town from a village today (about 5 miles...it was downhill and great weather), several people stopped to offer me a ride, including a government car of some sort
That's it for now. As you can see, there's a lot more to my trip than pretty pictures and scary bus rides.
I'm in the middle of nowhere again. I've gone to the southeast portion of the Guizhou province, making my way toward Guangxi province and the backpacker town of Yangshuo. Last night, I stayed in a Miao (Hmong) village in a beautiful valley. While it's got a very touristy vibe to it, Xijiang is not the Disneyland of Lijiang, but a real village. Wooden houses are built into the hillside and the roads are stone. The people are incredibly friendly and hospitable. The woman sitting next to me on the bus today even paid for my ($1.20) ticket, despite my resistance.
Tonight I'm in a more developed town called Rongjiang. Tomorrow it's on to Conjiang (notice a pattern here?), where I'll venture down the road to Basha, which is supposed to be another nice village. After that, I'll make one or two more stops in this province before heading into Guangxi. About three more weeks in China, and plenty yet to see!
Hong Kong is next, where I'll spend a few days with Paul's dad, who's a teacher at the international school. There's been a bit of a change to the itinerary after Hong Kong, though, I'm afraid. I had been planning to go to Vietnam next, but that will have to wait til later, as something a bit more exciting is in the works. Where am I going instead? That's for me to know and you to find out. The only hint I'll give for now is that this place isn't among the countries I had initially intended to visit. That narrows it down by, oh, five. More on this later. And photos from these villages to come later as well!
So, what have I been doing the last week that has prevented me from devoting my entire attention from entertaining you? I'm glad you asked. It began with a five-day stay in Kunming. There's not a lot to do there; but there is french toast and pizza. I had plenty of both. After shitloads of noodles, rice and unidentifiable meat, it was so nice to have some western food. But one can only sit on his ass and gorge himself for so long, so I packed up and headed south for the Yuanyang rice terraces.
And on the way, our driver decided to take out a truck.
And yes, I was sitting where I took the photo from. Fortunately we didn't hit something bigger, or I might have kissed the windshield. And thankfully the driver of the other vehicle got out alive. This delayed our trip by about 90 minutes while we waited for the police and insurance inspector to come. Now in the US, our driver would have been at fault--he was trying to pass the truck on the wrong side of the road. But the driver did obey the Chinese rule of honk-before-you-pass, and he's got the bigger vehicle, so I think in crazy backwards Commy-land, the driver of the truck (who probably lost his whole livelihood with this wreck) is likely the one to blame.
Anyway, the unscheduled rest stop allowed me to meet some of the other folks on the bus, including Don (Australia) and Kristi (New Zealand), with whom I shared a room and explored the area with.
Home base for exploring the rice terraces is Xinjie, also called Yuanyang. It's a nice town, perched far up in the moutains--about 1,500 meters up.
We scheduled a van for the next day to take us out to see the sunrise and sunset, and some villages on the way; there are specific sites that are best for each occasion. As it was raining when we got arrived, we didn't know whether the weather would cooperate, but realized that regardless, we'd probably be fighting fog at the least.
The climate allows them only to plant once a year, so during the winter months, they just let the paddies flood...so during a nice sunrise or sunset, the colors reflect off the water. Despite the lack of an actual sunrise, we were able to see some great scenes of the 1,000-year-old terraces (yes, that's a thousand years these have been in use). I'm sorry to say that the few decent photos I was able to capture don't do the beauty of area justice.
But equally as exciting as the terraces were the people, many belonging to the Hani minority, who inhabited the area. We spent some time at a couple local markets and trekked a bit to some nearby villages.
Now don't get all "child abuse" on me. This guy isn't smoking dope. It's common in Yunnan for folks to smoke their tobacco with bongs. Even their cigarettes.
Paving a road. The women carried baskets of sand on their backs while the men mixed it with cement or sat on the ground smoking cigarettes. Chinese women are the hardest workers I've ever seen.
Even though mother nature had it in for us, we still had a great time. And I ruined my shoes.
Sooner or later... I knew I'd run into dog meat. Found it. We saw several shops in the area that specialized in dog meat. We even made a running joke that all the dogs we came across were named "dinner." Not so funny, though, was when Don and Kristi actually witnessed someone butchering a dog. Thankfully I missed that one, but apparently the knife wielder found it entirely unnecessary to do his task humanely and simply sliced the dog down the middle and let it bleed to death, barking and yelping all the while.
I will not be trying dog meat (and let's not get into whether I may have unknowingly).
