Cock Fights & Sun Tans

The ride from Anturan in north Bali to Sanur in southeast Bali was beautiful. Throughout the drive, I saw vibrant green rice terraces, villages with family temples and huge mountains. If Bali itself is paradise, then I’m at a loss for words with how nice the Bali Hyatt is! They sounded a welcome gong when I arrived, placed a necklace of fresh flowers around my neck and looked at me strangely because I was carrying my luggage on my back when I checked in! Apparently the Bali Hyatt does not get too many backpackers!

I met Michael on the beach, along with his parents, his aunt and uncle, and his father’s best friend and his wife. We met in his aunt and uncle’s room overlooking a beautiful garden and one of the pools for gin & tonics in the evening. We ate at a wonderful Indonesian restaurant and then listened to some live Irish music at a local pub. Around midnight, Michael and I hired a taxi to Kuta where we did our own pub crawl until 5 in the morning!

On Sunday, Michael and I recovered by the beach and pool working on our tans for most of the day. That night, everyone came to our room to celebrate Michael’s father’s birthday. I bought a cake and birthday hats, along with birthday balloons and a banner to decorate. I don’t think they celebrate birthdays in Denmark with that much “stuff” so they were all very happy to see how an American likes to celebrate birthdays! We had a wonderful dinner on the sand…all 8 of us ordered snapper ginger which is an amazing dish I’m going to try to make again someday!

We rented bikes on Monday and explored the coast in Sanur. Along the way, we saw the locals watching a cock fight on the beach. Here, they strap a small knife to the leg of each chicken. Then, they chant and play music (drums and bells) to get the chickens aggravated enough to fight. Luckily, I didn’t see much of the fight – only enough to see which chicken did not win. I do not want to see that again. Much like the bull fighting I saw in Barcelona, it is way too violent and cruel. However, in Bali, it’s more of a religious practice as they sacrifice the chickens in the name of one of their Gods.

Along the way, we also saw a much more positive ceremony taking place on the beach in honor of the first full moon in the new Balinese year. Here, every family celebrates the anniversary of their family temple (all families have a temple in/near their home). They also celebrate full moons, the anniversary of community temples and the new year with ceremonies. Additionally, families celebrate birth, marriage, death and birthdays together with the whole community/village. I think their ceremonies are such a beautiful expression of gratitude to their Gods. And, they have such a strong sense of community…we should learn from their example!

Michael left on Tuesday, and I checked into Gina’s Homestay near the beach (from $160/night to $9/night…quite a change!). I spend Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday taking care of ‘errands’. It has been nice to have a room to myself for a few nights…haven’t had but one night alone since Mom left Shanghai! Tomorrow, I’ll take a 5 hour ferry to the Gili Islands, near the island of Lombok to the east of Bali. It’s supposed to be even more beautiful than Bali…not sure how that’s going to be possible, but I’m looking forward to finding out for myself!

How Are You Tomorrow?

More than once while walking along the beach, Gundula and I have been asked “how are you tomorrow?” It cracks me up. I just say I won’t know until I get there!

We arrived in Anturan in the north of Bali on Wednesday afternoon after a terrifying ride through the mountains of central Bali during a torrential downpour. That evening, we went to Warung Rasta on the beach (picture) for dinner. I had the most massive tuna steak ever – it was at least four times the size of a typical tuna fillet served back home and it cost less than $6, including rice and vegetables with coconut. Amazing! The ride to, and certainly from, dinner was an experience! A Balinese guy named Jack whom we met at the beach offered to drive us to the restaurant on the back of his motorbike. On the way, Gundula and I took turns riding to the restaurant (no helmet, wearing flip-flops!). On the way home, Jack was tired and so the three of us climbed on the motorbike (I’m not tiny and Gundula is over 5’10”!!). Gundula and I could not stop laughing…that is until we all spotted a police car, Jack cut a hard left onto the side of the road and told us to jump off quick. We did and luckily the cop just kept on going. I’ve broken my first law in Indonesia.

Thursday was a beach day…finally finished my journal from my time in China, read and worked on my tan. The most exciting thing that happened was watching a guy climb a palm tree to cut down coconuts right in front of me. Not too much happens in Anturan…a wonderful, local place to get away from it all! After yet another amazing sunset, we sat on the beach with local guys who played guitar and some other tourists. We all gave it our best shot singing the choruses and mumbling the verses of some classics…a great way to spend an evening by the beach in the middle of nowhere!

On Friday, I bribed my first government official. Gundula and I have both decided to extend our visas for another month (only 30 days are granted upon entry), so we went to the local immigration office to see what we needed to do and when. After hearing the laborious and complicated process, I decided to ask if there was an easier way. Turns out, there was…as everything seems to go in Indonesia, if you’re willing to pay, you can get whatever you want. I got another month added to my visa for $15 more than the visa extension actually cost. This is awesome because I wasn’t supposed to be able to submit the paperwork for another 10 business days, was supposed to find a Balinese sponsor, was supposed to have a flight booked to get out of the country and was supposed to have to wait 4 days to have my passport returned. I walked in at 10 AM and by 3 PM I had my visa extension. The best part is that the cashier in the immigration office was the one who “took care of it” for me and all of the immigration officials in the office knew what was going on. I love countries where bribery actually works!

Between 10 and 3, Gundula and I explored the northern coast of Bali on motorbike. We trekked into the jungle (much easier than the jungle temple trek!) to find the Sing Sing waterfall. It was beautiful! I’ve always wanted to go skinny dipping in a waterfall like they do in the movies, so I did. Sorry, no pictures were taken so none can be shared. ;)

I got a massage on the sand with the waves crashing about 25’ away from me Friday afternoon. It was one of the most relaxing places to get a massage ever! However, it did smell a bit like chicken poop since they run all over the northern beaches. I must get those nose plugs!

Tonight was very emotional for me. In addition to the chickens and dogs running on the beach, there are also pigs (in cages, thank goodness!). At 8 PM, one of the pigs went into labor and gave birth to 7 piglets. We were told by the locals that one of them had gotten injured when the Mom stepped on it right after birth causing its insides to come out. Gundula and I were heartbroken looking at the helpless little pig trying to breathe. So, we marched down to a neighboring hotel where we heard two nurses from Holland were staying to see if they could help. At 10:30 PM, the piglet was examined by the nurses. It turns out that its’ heart, stomach and intestines grew outside of its stomach. The Mom wouldn’t let the deformed pig eat, so then we went in search of milk to feed it. No such luck in north Bali as they only have condensed milk. It was decided in the end to let nature run its course. I am so glad I did not grow up on a farm.

To summarize this post: I broke two laws. I went skinny dipping in a public waterfall (very likely also illegal). I tried to rescue a deformed pig. I think it all balances out in the end.

Ubud!

I decided to stay one more night in Legian enjoying the pool, beach and sunshine. I saw yet another breathtaking sunset from the aptly named Sunset Bar with Van and Gundula. Gundula, Ellen (a 20 year old from England) and I hired a minivan to drive us to Ubud in Central Bali. We found a guestroom on the top of a shop complete with a front porch overlooking the street and a small family temple where they make their daily offerings….very cool for less than $6 a day!

We had a wake up call a lot earlier than I would have preferred by two monkeys who paid us a visit to eat Gundula’s pistachios that were accidentally left on the front porch overnight! The monkeys proceeded to eat every pistachio in the bag and then totally destroyed an aloe plant and some other tropical plant. We tried to intervene, but they just hissed and scared us to death, so we let them wreak havoc on the front porch for the morning. What a great way to start the day!

We spent the rest of the day shopping in the local market. Ubud is the arts center of Bali, so there are a lot of unique things to tempt you! Gundula and I went to the Kecak Ramayana & Fire Dance show Friday evening. It was definitely a show geared toward the tourists, but it was impressive. The first half (the Kecak part) was based on an ancient love story. Over 40 men sang chants for at least 45 minutes while the colorfully decorated actors recreated the story. After that, the fire dancing began. With the guys still chanting, a bon fire was started out of coconut shells. As they turned to a hot ember, a guy dressed like a bird started walking and kicking around the shells. It was nuts!! He apparently goes into a trance-like state and at one point two other guys had to pull him off the hot shells and lay him down on the ground. I’ve never seen anything like it!

Saturday, Gundula and I rented motor bikes and rode up to Mt. Batur, Lake Batur and Mt. Agung. Riding motor bikes in Indonesia is awesome! They basically don’t have any rules. I signed my name on a slip of paper and we were off…no drivers license, no training and a very sketchy ‘insurance policy’. I think I worried the guy we rented the bikes from when I asked what side of the street they drive on in Bali. The worry returned my way when he didn’t really answer me (turns out it is on the left side most of the time)! Luckily, we both survived and it turned out to be an amazing trip! We had lunch in rice terraces we passed along the way. In contrast to the cold, misty and brown terraces in China, those in Bali are a vibrant green. Gazing at the green terraces against the bright blue sky is an image I won’t soon forget.

It was a lot of fun to talk to the locals on the way up…filling up with petrol, if you can call it that, was also an interesting experience. They keep petrol in old vodka bottles or old plastic water bottles on the side of the road and use a funnel to fill up the tank. Definitely not like at home! Mt. Batur and Mt. Agung, both active volcanoes, were fantastic. The area, unlike Ubud and the southern part of the island, is not touristy yet. Since not a lot of people venture up to the lake and mountains without being on a guided tour, we got a lot of surprised looks. On the way back to Ubud, it started pouring down rain. We waited for the storm to pass under trees while all of the locals laughed at us. I was soaked to the core. Luckily, it passed quickly and we dried up almost instantly.

Gundula and I took a Balinese cooking course on Monday morning. It started with a tour of the market where, like most markets in Asia, chaos, stench and unsanitary practices are the norm. It was great to be with the locals seeing the world from their perspective and experiencing what they do. However, as I feel after walking out of every market I’ve entered since leaving the West, I am very thankful for Publix and Harris Teeter.

Back at Café Bali, we made bakso soup, satay (chicken paste with spices on a stick), pepes (fish marinated in Balinese sauce and steamed in banana leaves), ureb (vegetables with coconut and saffron sauce), saffron rice and dadar galang (a dessert pancake filled with caramelized coconut). Everything we made tasted amazing – so fresh, healthy and colorful! I really hope I can recreate it when I have a kitchen again!

I spent Monday afternoon exploring the Monkey Forest. Just as the name implies, there were monkeys everywhere. They swatted my bag, tried to steal the sandals that were strapped to my feet and generally scared me to death, primarily because there is a rabies epidemic on the island at the moment. At any rate, I am still amazed at how human-like primates behave. Their expressions are just like ours! If only we picked fleas & ticks off of each other and ate them every once and a while, we’d be identical!

Yesterday, I ventured off on my own on a motorbike. I went in 3 directions off the map that I was carrying…in other words, I covered a lot of territory. The absolute highlight was the hour long trek into the jungle to see the Jungle Temple (they really are very creative at naming things in Bali). An old Balinese man escorted me through the jungle. I was very muddy by the time we finished and my hiking shoes ripped…it was intense hiking, more like pulling myself up and over slippery rocks and through thick vines...no real trail to speak of. The views were amazing, but the real highlight was sitting alone with the Balinese guy and meditating (I felt obliged to do it even though I was too busy swatting mosquitoes and wiping sweat off my forehead to actually get into the meditation thing!). It was a great day of exploring the 5 villages around Ubud on my own!

Today, Gundala and I plan to venture to the north part of Bali. Not sure exactly where we will end up, but likely near Kalibukbuk – famous for black sand beaches, temples, dolphins and hot springs. On Saturday, I’ll head to Sanur, a coastal city in southeast Bali, to meet up with Michael, my friend from Beijing. His family and I will be staying at the Hyatt Sanur until Tuesday. It will be great to see a familiar face from China and to see how much Chinese I can still remember! Also, it will be nice to have air conditioning. Selamat tinggal from Ubud!

Pictures!

'The Rest of China and Hong Kong' picture album has been posted on Picasa Web Albums. Click on the following link to view them and enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/jamie1209/TheRestOfChinaAndHongKong#

Woke up this morning to two monkey's on our front porch eating some pistachios we accidentally left outside. Ubud is wonderful! Happy Friday!

Shhh! It's Nyepi Day!

I am in love with Bali: the people, the culture, the food, the beaches. It’s an incredibly laid back place – no skyscrapers, no rush and no worries! I am staying in Legian, a small coastal city in the south of Bali. On Sunday, Neil, the owner of the hostel drove a mini-van full of us to Padang Padang, a small and secluded beach about an hour away from Legian. The beach was nestled between cliffs covered in trees and vines….absolutely beautiful. From there, we went to Jimbaran beach for dinner. After picking out the prawns, squid and snapper and mahi-mahi that we wanted to be grilled by the locals, we sat down at candle lit tables on the beach eating some of the best fresh seafood I've ever had and drinking fresh papaya and pineapple juice – incredible. While eating, we watched one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. I have a feeling that I will see many beautiful sunsets here…so it’s going to prove difficult to rank them!

Sunday night, Van, a surgeon from Brooklyn, performed minor surgery on a nasty blister that I got from walking an hour to Kuta, dancing all night and walking back in fairly new sandals. I bought these cute shoes in Australia and wore them briefly there before moving to China where the majority of my skin, including my feet, was not exposed to the air for over 5 months! Needless to say, all of the walking and dancing wrecked havoc on my feet...and I’ve been hobbling around the island since Friday! Thank goodness there was a surgeon nearby to help me!

Van, Gundula (an awesome 39 year old German woman who, like me, quit her job to travel the world) and I spent Monday in search of ceremonies that the locals were performing all over the island to celebrate/prepare for Nyepi Day. Around Legian and in Kuta, a larger and more touristy city within walking distance, we saw large groups of Balinese putting the finishing touches on their Ogoh-Ogoh (paper mache representations of evil spirits/monsters for the parade). We went to the Vihare Buddhist Temple where we performed incense offerings to the Gods and received the traditional blessing. The blessing entailed sitting on our knees, drinking water from our hands three times, having water brushed on our foreheads three times and then having rice placed on our foreheads and collarbone. Women also receive a flower which is placed behind the right ear. It was a very moving and peaceful experience.

From the Vihare Temple, we walked to another where hundreds of locals, all dressed in white, were performing their offerings en masse. Some were chanting, some were playing drums and most were carrying baskets made out of bamboo or reeds carrying fruits, rice, money, flowers, etc. In both temples, we had to wear sarongs to cover our legs and had to cover our shoulders. I love observing people performing ceremonies in their own culture….and the Balinese have some of the coolest traditions I have ever witnessed!

After eating some delicious local Indonesian food, we went for head and face massages. I paid less than $6 USD for an hour long head and face massage! After our massages, we did a little bit of window shopping as we made our way to the beach. Again, witnessing one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever witnessed, we made our way to the street where the parade was to be held. At exactly 8 PM, the procession started with children carrying lighted torches. Then, the evil spirits made by different families in the community passed by, carried by children and teenage boys. Bleganjur was being played by teenage boys – a combination of drums, bells and chanting. It was magical! We followed the parade until the end, where they have parked the ‘floats’ until the 17th. On the 17th, they will burn them. Today, the 16th, no one can be on the streets. It turns out you can talk a little, but only in quiet voices. Tonight, we can’t turn on any lights…looking forward to doing some star gazing once it gets dark and eating dinner by candlelight! Since I’ve got a bum foot and a sunburn that is still healing, I’m happy to have a day to rest and relax at the hotel.

Smoothie Watch: the fresh juices/smoothies here are amazing. The best so far: vanilla yogurt, milk, ice, banana, date, honey and cinnamon. The most unusual: avocado and chocolate…an interesting and very thick combination that I’m glad I tried once but likely won’t again!

Next stop: Ubud in central Bali that Elizabeth Gilbert made famous in her book Eat, Pray, Love. I’m still working out the details, but I think the book I write based on my travels will be entitled Drink, Cough, Sleep. I drank a lot in Africa and Australia. I coughed a lot in China and I’ve been doing a lot of napping by the beach and pool in Bali so far! Happy Nyepi Day everyone!

Hong Kong & Bali

The overnight sleeper bus from Yangshuo to Shenzhen is something I hope I never have to do again! During the 11 ½ hours on the bus, I managed to get a whopping 3 hours of sleep. Here’s what made the bus ride so much fun: I was half lying/half sitting up on the floor. There was someone directly on top of me. I had to take my shoes off. The blanket that I was given had most definitely never been washed, and the Chinese aren’t known for their cleanliness. The driver smoked at least once an hour and liked to honk the horn a lot. I think I didn’t sleep mainly because of the smell. I have ear plugs for noise and an eye mask to block the light. Note to self: add nose plugs to the shopping list before next bus ride! I decided that the smell equated to: 20% cigarette smoke, 50% body odor and 30% feet. It was disgusting and made me gag every time I shifted under the blanket as the stench wafted my way.

I was almost giddy as I passed out of China and into Hong Kong. I took the train into the city and easily found my hostel. I was immediately sketched out by it though…I had to walk through an indoor, crowded market for some reason full of men only. Once I realized that I was in the middle of a porn market, my radar immediately went off that this probably wasn’t the best place for a single female traveling alone to stay. My intuition was right on because the guesthouse was disgusting and it had the smallest rooms for four people that I have ever been in. I stayed one night only and moved to the other side of the harbor into a more traditional hostel, where Grace and Keith (Irish couple) also were staying!

My first day in Hong Kong was great. I went to an art exhibit where every piece was made out of chocolate. It made me hungry, so I got an Oreo McFlurry (yum!). I spent the evening on Temple Street at an outdoor night market and had Singapore noodles on the street (it was wonderful!). I walked around Victoria Harbor (Kowloon side) that night and was amazed at how impressive the skyline of Hong Kong is…it’s one of the prettiest harbors/skylines I’ve ever seen with impressive architecture, awesome lighting and buildings as far as you can see nestled between the water and the mountains.

I checked into my new home away from home and met up with Grace, Keith and another guy, Yassir from France. The four of us headed about an hour outside of the city to see the 1st or 2nd largest Buddha in the world (the other is in Thailand) which sits on top of a mountain. We were entertained on the way by a 3 year old Chinese girl who kept saying “I am 3 years old. I am a big girl” over and over, but she said it with varying inflections or sticking her tongue out while saying it or rotating her jaw/mouth while saying it. We were all crying we were laughing so hard…and because we were laughing she just kept on doing it. A good way to pass the time on the subway! It was great to get out of town…beautiful views of the islands, mountains and water all around. We took the ferry back to Hong Kong Island and then took a tram up to Victoria Peak to view the skyline at night from one of the highest view points in the city. It was beautiful!

Grace and Keith left early the next morning, so I had Thursday to myself to wander around Hong Kong Island. I went to the top of the Bank of China observatory tower and then window shopped in the antique district on Hollywood Road. Went to SoHo (south of Hollywood) and shopped…there’s awesome jewelry in Hong Kong! I took the ferry back over to Kowloon to enjoy the views from the water. While enjoying the views on the boardwalk, I kept seeing people walking with balloons and handing them to a girl standing by herself. Curious, I walked over just in time to see a guy walk up to her, carrying more balloons, a bouquet and a small black box. He walked up to her, dropped to a knee and proposed! They were both crying and she said yes (and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I had a tear or two in my eye too!). Then, they let the balloons go and everyone who had gathered around to watch clapped…it was cool to witness something like that!

After the proposal, I ferried back to Hong Kong Island and did more shopping, this time in the street markets. I ate some great dim sum and egg custard tarts. I had plans to go out with Yassir to party but decided to get some rest instead…my feet were tired from 8+ hours of walking/shopping! All in all, I love Hong Kong. It’s everything I love about China, minus everything that I hate about China.

Checking in for my flight to Indonesia was slightly stressful. Unfortunately, I didn’t read the information that Indonesia requires a definite departure date and flight booked in advance. I didn’t have a departure flight booked, so they wouldn’t let me check in. So in less than 5 minutes, I booked a flight from Jakarta, Indonesia to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 9th….absolutely random and without any thinking through what I’m going to do in Kuala Lumpur or how I’ll get to Jakarta!

I’ve been in Bali for one day and am almost through my second evening. Bali is AMAZING! I haven’t been happier in a long time than I was when I felt the sand between my toes and walked into the Java Sea earlier today! I already have a sunburn! [the sunset picture was taken tonight from the rooftop lounge at the hostel where I’ll live until 3/17…breathtaking!] I’ve met some great people at my hostel – went to dinner and out with 8 people last night. The club scene here is awesome…4 story clubs with different music on each level…fire dancers, laser light shows, free shots...it was a blast! The Balinese people are incredibly friendly, calm, happy and helpful. They set out offerings everyday in front of their businesses and homes. I can’t wait to learn and experience more of their culture.

Wednesday, March 16th, is Nyepi Day (day of silence and first day of their New Year) for the Balinese Hindus. From midnight on the 15th until 6:00 AM on the 17th, no one is allowed outside of their homes, no one can work and no one should speak so that the bad spirits will pass over Bali as they enter into the beginning of the New Year. There are no flights in/out of Bali, no taxis, no shops/restaurants open, etc. We are not allowed to leave the hostel the whole time…glad that the place I booked has a pool on the property! March 15th there are huge parades and parties in the streets and supposedly most people use the day of silence to ‘sleep it off’. I’m so excited to be here to experience Nyepi Day in the Balinese culture!

Goodbye China!

Xingping is officially my favorite city in China that I’ve visited. It’s calm, quiet, not too touristy and beautiful. It is definitely a place that I’d put on the itinerary if you’re planning a trip to China! I spent most of Friday relaxing – sleeping, reading, writing and walking around the village getting a feel for the place. There was hardly anyone around…one night there were only 2 of us staying at the only hostel in town (at less than $3/night, I felt bad that they even kept the place open at all!).

On Saturday, I met a nice American girl and together we took a bamboo raft from Xingping up to Yangdi on the Li River. Along the way, we saw the mountain range that is printed on the back of the 20 RMB note. It was a very peaceful, scenic and cold ride! After the boat ride, I climbed up to the top of the highest peak overlooking the river. You can see from the picture that the water level is extremely low right now...there's currently a massive drought in the south of China. From the top, there were beautiful views of the limestone peaks, the village and the river. [picture note: my nose looks like Rudolph's because it was/is....I've caught yet another cold and cannot stop blowing my nose...seriously, how much mucus can one person produce?!?!]

Saturday was also 'market day' in Xingping. I've been to several markets in China selling everything from fake bags to pajamas to vegetables. This one sold everything. And by everything, I mean live turtles, chickens, rabbits, geese, ducks, fish and dogs. This area of China is known for eating dog, something I refuse to do for a multitude of reasons. I turned a corner in the market and saw a dead dog, already hairless, being placed on a grill. Behind it, there was a cage full of dogs packed so tight that they could hardly move. It made me sick to my stomach to see such cruel and inhumane treatment of animals. When I am faced with situations like that which are so far removed from what I consider acceptable behavior, I have to take a deep breath and remind myself that this is their culture and how they live, and then run away as quickly as possible before vomiting and/or screaming at them. [picture note: you may not be able to tell from the picture, but there is a guy sleeping behind his pork stand where an entire pig has been cut up and laid out for sale!]

In addition to the market selling everything under the sun but mermaids, Xingping's dentist and doctor offices open right out to the street, patients in chairs. No such thing as patient privacy, or sanitary conditions, for that matter down south!

Waking up in Xingping on Sunday morning, freezing again, I realized that I am completely in charge of where I am going and what I am doing. I have no timeline and nothing forcing me to go one direction versus another. I am sick of the cold, so I decided to completely change my plan of heading to Vietnam. I’m heading to Hong Kong via an overnight bus tonight. This Friday, I land in Bali, Indonesia. I AM VERY EXCITED!

I met up with my Irish friends today for lunch. I also got probably the best back massage of my life for less than $9. She also massaged my knee caps, eye lids and nostrils – very thorough! It has been a relaxing few days…I had grand plans of rock climbing and biking around the area, but the weather is way too cold and rainy for outdoor adventures!

As this will be my last post from China, allow me to summarize my experience here. China is a roller coaster. One minute you love it, the next minute you hate it. One minute you’re a celebrity and everyone wants to take their picture with you, the next minute you’re invisible and people are pushing you in every direction to get ahead of you in line. One minute you’re enjoying the ride, the next minute you’re gripping the seat with white knuckles and saying your prayers as the taxi/bus driver plays chicken with oncoming traffic. One minute you’re walking peacefully along the street, the next minute someone hawks and spits or shoots a snot rocket right in your path. After 5 months and 22 days, I don’t regret coming here at all. China has been an incredible experience, but I’m ready to get off the ride. And one more thing, I’m damn proud and lucky to be from a democratic country.

Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces

I’ve had an eventful few days since my last post. For starters, I had a great night out last Friday in Shanghai. I went to dinner with Michael’s friend, Julie and seven of her Danish friends. From there, we went to a bar with an eight person Latin band playing – incredible music and delicious long island ice teas (in your honor Mom!). After that, we danced our pants off (not literally!) at a swanky late night club. Very fun night and the best part is that I made it to the airport just in time for my flight!

Guilin is a much smaller town compared to most that I’ve been to lately with stunning mountain peaks that shoot straight out of the ground sporadically around the area and the Li River running to its east. I hiked to the top of the tallest peak in the city on Sunday. Recovering from the hike next to the Li River, I met two Chinese guys, Ma and Chen, who invited me to join them at their university for dinner and to celebrate the Lantern Festival – the last night of the two week Spring Festival to welcome in the Chinese New Year.

I met Ma and Chen at a very local restaurant near their school where we sat on tiny little seats (my knees were up to my chest!) and ate beer fish (from the Li River…I tried to ignore the fact that the part of the river I saw in Guilin was filthy!!). It was actually delicious! After that, we walked around their campus watching people light red paper lanterns and send them off into the sky. It was magical to look into the night sky and see it lined with red lanterns flying through the air. Also, there were fireworks being let off all over the city for 6 solid hours….individuals here can buy the kind of fireworks that cities at home light off for July 4th …so you can imagine that those with money like to show it off by holding their own fireworks show. Multiply that rich family by 30 or 40 and you have an idea of how many fireworks were going off around the river and various parks. It was great to be in Guilin for the Lantern Festival!

I ran some errands (bought back-up shoe laces, restocked on peanut butter, etc....very important stuff!) on Monday and relaxed around the town watching people. I met a great Irish couple, Grace and Keith, who asked if they could join me on my plan to venture north to the Dragon’s Backbone the next day. I was happy to have the company of such fun people, and I think after realizing that I spoke some Chinese, they were happy to be traveling with me as well! 5 different buses with loads of people, baskets of produce and chickens (we think dead??!) later, we arrived in Dazhai. A woman from the Yao tribe invited us to stay at her new ‘hotel’, so we did... not realizing we were going to walk for an hour and a half straight up a mountain to get there! We were the ONLY foreigners in the Tiantouzhai Village which has about 300 residents. It was WONDERFUL to be away from cars, buses, horns and people…I could actually hear the wind blowing through the trees and the water running through the creek. We sat on the balcony overlooking beautiful rice terraces, helped the Grandfather of the ‘hotel’ peel and prepare bamboo shoots for dinner, drank beer and played cards. I learned that the Irish call the club cards ‘cloves’ or ‘shamrocks’…so cute! Also, I think bamboo shoots are delicious – the pandas are onto something!

After a restful night sleep in a lodge made entirely out of wood, we started on our four hour trek through the rice terraces from Dazhai to Ping’An. It was awesome to be so close to the locals going about their daily lives – working the rice fields, hauling logs from one mountain to another, carrying pigs/chickens from one village to another. It was pretty foggy, but we still could see the terraces stretching out almost as far as the eye could see. The harvest was completed in late October and they won’t plant again for another few weeks, so the rice wasn’t at its peak viewing time, but that also meant that there were virtually no other tourists. It was a great workout and a very peaceful trek through what I would consider ‘old China’. That’s the kind of China that I prefer!

I arrived in Xingping, a tiny village nestled between mountains on three sides and the Li River on the fourth, this afternoon. I’ve counted five tourists so far. All of the shops and restaurants close by 8 PM. My next three days here will be a vacation from my vacation…I plan to sleep and read a lot, write in my journal and do some biking around the other smaller villages in the area! Until next time…xoxo.