Day 11 Jan 31 New Year's Day
After distant fireworks for a few
hours it was quiet until about6. I got up and sat on the balcony looking toward
Yangshuo. The fire crackers started then and continued for about three
hours. But it just sounds like, well, distant fire crackers
about 2 km away. David slept peacefully through it all. Breakfast,
porridge for me and Mexican breakfast for D. We are unabashedly enjoying
some Western food, for the first time in a long while.
Gary arrived at ten and we walked
soon the hill to the bike rental place. Imagine a small brick one storey
building with a side yard full of healthy chickens and a healthy rat.
Phone Ecalls were made and a young couple with soon arrived on a
scooter followed shortly afterwards by an older couple on another
scooter. Doors were unlocked and we were fitted with bikes. Well
used. David's had a range of high hard, mine one low heat and
Gary's has one speed.
Then set off into town where we had
walked the previous night. As it is a holiday, traffic was light
to start. OK, let me qualify that. Traffic circle, vehicles in
every direction. Cars, yes of course, and bikes too. Then every imaginable
variation on two and three wheels, all doing the gentle ballet that
is Chinese driving. David adapted right away, weaving with ease and
confidence past whole families on scooters, and taxis, and
grandmothers with freight trikes full of mustard greens. Inspired
by his ability, and because there was no choice, I soon got into the
rhythm as well.
As usual, sensory overload.
The photos will help... They are on the camera and will be
downloaded when we get back to Changchun.
Traffic jam caused by some lion
dancers with drums. They go from store to store dancing until the owners
give them a red envelope.
A man sweeping away piles of red
paper, the remnants of fire crackers, using a broom made of
bamboo.
Town turning quickly to country..
Biking along roads that reminded me of roads atop the dikes in Germany
and the Netherlands.
Sunny day feeling like midsummer in
Ottawa.
Women washing clothes in almost any
available water.
Older design bamboo tags, of real
bamboo, propelled from the back like a punt, the driver using a
bamboo pole.
Lots of new year greetings
called.
Amazing views of karst mountains,
stretching into the distance, the morning fog burned off.
Gary leading us into a cattle field,
the inhabitants wearing bells and not disturbed by the three crazy people
yelling "sing nyen how" at the top of their lungs to hear the
echo.
Making up stories to go with the
shapes of the mountains.
Tiny hamlets with houses using pumps
for water and big screen TV 's visible through the open front walls .... many
ground floors have garage type doors leading into a room which can house a
business or scooters or a living area or all of these.
Groups of people sitting and
eating.
Children wearing their new year
clothes.
Many Chinese tourists.
Gary loves the area and being a
guide. He was a teacher for 11 years and it shows.
After about 3.5 hours we were pretty
saddle sore. Back through Yangshuo with much more traffic this
time, but we sailed through.
Got back at 3and had a drink before staggering the 38 (but
who is counting) stairs for a nap and showers. Dinner at the hotel, Skype
visit with Lucy and Nykka, this writing, and so to bed.
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