Traveling Diary: June 2008 Archives
Gina and I spent our Dragon Boat Festival long weekend traveling to the province in China know for two things: poverty and natural beauty. Anhui is two provinces West of Jiangsu (the province that I live in) and while there we intended to see some ancient villages as well as China's most famous mountain range; however, as is the theme to life, (or maybe just mine?) we got a lot more than we'd bargained for.
When we arrived at the bottom of the mountains, tired, disoriented, and aggravated from being on a public bus that felt the need to play KTV songs full blast on the tv the entire ride, our 'white skin pass' directed us to Mr. Hu, the token English speaking guy in town. He hooked us up with a place to stay, food, directions on where to go and when.
Before taking his advice, we did a little preemptive exploration of our friendly neighborhood, where we were reminded yet again why we don't eat meat here.
A local chicken vendor.
Fly paper keeps the flies off, right?
And then before we knew it, we were off to Hongcun in my new car for a late lunch and a walk through a thousand-year-old village.
Hongcun Ancient Village was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. This village is apparently the most representative local-style residence of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). So far, it has a history of over 900 years. The village is famed as being the 'Ming and Qing Dynasty Local Residence Museum'. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/anhui/huangshan/yixian.htm
My favorite part was helping the kids play a Chinese version of cops
and robbers (counter revolutionaries and communists?). They actually
had guns!
But come to think of it, I don't know what side I was on. Appropriate.
Then I literally ran into this poor rooster hanging out.
And apparently it was laundry day in the city, and the whole town uses the local bridge as a dry line.
I may or may not have mentioned that Gina is from Wyoming. So her and I are used to natural beauty, fresh air, and hiking. But no amount of my Rocky Mountains training and her Yellow Stone National Park experience could have prepared us for Huangshan.
"Of all the notable mountains in China, Mount Huangshan, to be found in the south of Anhui province, is probably the most famous. Together with the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Great Wall, Mt. Huangshan has become one of the great symbols of China." http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/anhui/huangshan/huangshan.htm
A quick wikipedia search (yes, the Chinese government has recently
blessed us with access to this site for appearances by the olympics committee)
tells you that "the area of Huángshān (lit. Yellow Mountain) is very famous for its scenic beauty, which lies in the peculiar shapes of the granite peaks, in the weather-shaped Huangshan Pine
trees, and in views of the clouds from above. The area also has hot
springs and natural pools. The Huang Shan are a frequent subject of
traditional Chinese paintings and literature. Today, they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of China's most popular tourist destinations."
We knew it would be beautiful. But when we got there in the early hours of a rainy morning, we were breathless. Every corner we turned, every step we took, we thought it was the most beautiful thing we'd ever seen. I took 78 pictures.
wikipedia will also tell you that: The Huangshan mountain range comprises many peaks, 77 of which exceed 1,000 m in altitude. The three tallest peaks are Lotus Peak (Lian Hua Feng, 1,864 m,
30°07′N, 118°10′E), nearby Bright Summit Peak (Guang Ming Ding, 1,840 m) and Celestial Peak (Tian Du Feng, literally Capital of Heaven Peak, 1,829 m). The World Heritage Site covers a core area of 154 square kilometres and a buffer zone of 142 square kilometres.
I'd like to say we planned this, but after getting lost we somehow managed to hike to everyone of these peaks.
The mountains were formed in the Mesozoic, about 100 million years ago, when an ancient sea disappeared due to uplift. Later, in the Quaternary, the landscape was shaped by the influence of glaciers. In many cases, stone pillar forests were formed.
And as if we didn't know how talented Chinese people are at building stuff. Check out the paths we were walking on to get around all these peaks!
I mentioned we got lost. Yes. And in turn hiked for over 10 hours. The last of which was running on very tired legs to get to the cable car in time to get down to the bottom before it closed. It was, however, as most of these things are, a blessing in disguise. We saw so much more than we would have.
When we arrived at the bottom of the mountains, tired, disoriented, and aggravated from being on a public bus that felt the need to play KTV songs full blast on the tv the entire ride, our 'white skin pass' directed us to Mr. Hu, the token English speaking guy in town. He hooked us up with a place to stay, food, directions on where to go and when.
Before taking his advice, we did a little preemptive exploration of our friendly neighborhood, where we were reminded yet again why we don't eat meat here.
A local chicken vendor.
Fly paper keeps the flies off, right?And then before we knew it, we were off to Hongcun in my new car for a late lunch and a walk through a thousand-year-old village.
Hongcun Ancient Village was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. This village is apparently the most representative local-style residence of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). So far, it has a history of over 900 years. The village is famed as being the 'Ming and Qing Dynasty Local Residence Museum'. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/anhui/huangshan/yixian.htm
My favorite part was helping the kids play a Chinese version of cops
and robbers (counter revolutionaries and communists?). They actually
had guns!But come to think of it, I don't know what side I was on. Appropriate.Then I literally ran into this poor rooster hanging out.
And apparently it was laundry day in the city, and the whole town uses the local bridge as a dry line. I may or may not have mentioned that Gina is from Wyoming. So her and I are used to natural beauty, fresh air, and hiking. But no amount of my Rocky Mountains training and her Yellow Stone National Park experience could have prepared us for Huangshan.
"Of all the notable mountains in China, Mount Huangshan, to be found in the south of Anhui province, is probably the most famous. Together with the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Great Wall, Mt. Huangshan has become one of the great symbols of China." http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/anhui/huangshan/huangshan.htm
A quick wikipedia search (yes, the Chinese government has recently
blessed us with access to this site for appearances by the olympics committee)
tells you that "the area of Huángshān (lit. Yellow Mountain) is very famous for its scenic beauty, which lies in the peculiar shapes of the granite peaks, in the weather-shaped Huangshan Pine
trees, and in views of the clouds from above. The area also has hot
springs and natural pools. The Huang Shan are a frequent subject of
traditional Chinese paintings and literature. Today, they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of China's most popular tourist destinations."We knew it would be beautiful. But when we got there in the early hours of a rainy morning, we were breathless. Every corner we turned, every step we took, we thought it was the most beautiful thing we'd ever seen. I took 78 pictures.
Because the mountain tops are often above cloud level, they offer
views of the clouds from above and interesting light-effects. The Sea of Clouds (Chinese: 雲海, Pinyin: Yun Hai) and Buddha's Light (Chinese:
佛光 Pinyin: Fo Guang) are famous phenomena which attract many tourists. Reminded me of Silver Star!
wikipedia will also tell you that: The Huangshan mountain range comprises many peaks, 77 of which exceed 1,000 m in altitude. The three tallest peaks are Lotus Peak (Lian Hua Feng, 1,864 m,
30°07′N, 118°10′E), nearby Bright Summit Peak (Guang Ming Ding, 1,840 m) and Celestial Peak (Tian Du Feng, literally Capital of Heaven Peak, 1,829 m). The World Heritage Site covers a core area of 154 square kilometres and a buffer zone of 142 square kilometres. I'd like to say we planned this, but after getting lost we somehow managed to hike to everyone of these peaks.
The mountains were formed in the Mesozoic, about 100 million years ago, when an ancient sea disappeared due to uplift. Later, in the Quaternary, the landscape was shaped by the influence of glaciers. In many cases, stone pillar forests were formed.And as if we didn't know how talented Chinese people are at building stuff. Check out the paths we were walking on to get around all these peaks!
I mentioned we got lost. Yes. And in turn hiked for over 10 hours. The last of which was running on very tired legs to get to the cable car in time to get down to the bottom before it closed. It was, however, as most of these things are, a blessing in disguise. We saw so much more than we would have.
And then guiltlessly feasted on local food (bamboo and mushrooms) once we finally made it back to Mr Hu's.
There is a saying that "In the sky there are the heavens; on earth there is Suzhou and Hangzhou".
Having lived in beautiful Suzhou for over 8 months, I figured it was time to check out this Hangzhou place.
So this weekend I did just that. On Friday I took a late afternoon train 3 hours South, and arrived to the most beautiful lake I have ever seen in my life, just as the sun was setting.
I love traveling 'lone wolf'. But it was one of those moments where I was so happy and experiencing so much of what life is supposed to be, that I wished I had someone to share it with.
However, I got over that pretty quickly when I looked around and asked myself, "so, what do you want to do?" to which I replied, "I don't know, whatever you want to do," and then I thought, 'awesome, we'll do what I want to do.'
With horse shoes up my butt I stumbled upon a hostel from the Lonely Planet guide, then managed to get the last bed in the place for two nights. After dumping my stuff I headed for a long walk to a famous night market where I tried food I'd never eaten before, saw crafts I had never seen before, and breathed in all that which is Hangzhou.
The following morning, I woke up (to my surprise) much later than my bunk-mates (I have been fighting something of a cold, SARS, or another bird-flu type of disease lately). Bleary eyed I packed my day bag, put on my runners, and started walking. In my typical no-plan-but-i-have-a-list-of-things-i'd-like-to-see way, I walked clockwise around XiHu (West Lake). This is the lake that makes Hangzhou so famous. Having grown up in the Interior, lived on Vancouver Island, Maui Island and traveled around New Zealand (the two most beautiful islands in the world...which is saying A LOT form a Vancouver-Islander) you know I am speaking with an critic's eye when I say this is by far the most beautiful lake I have ever seen.
I walked and walked....
Around every corner, the next scenery outdid the last.
And then while I was in a Zen-like state, I came across possibly two of the best sporting events ever witnessed in China.
First, a re-enactment of the olympic torch relay - put on by a group of 7 or 8 year olds and their parents.
This was possibly also the coolest thing I have ever seen a Chinese parent do.
And just when I thought I had seen it all, I bumped right into (albeit I can't read enough Chinese to know exactly what was going on) none other than the olympic qualifying rollerblading competition.
First there were both men's and women's skills competitions.
And then, just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I heard a gun go off.
A few hundred meters further on, the qualifying races had begun!
Very serious.
Look, this kid is even drafting the other one! They are going so fast that wind resistance is a key factor!
After the morning's shift of 5 hours of walking and sensory overload, I needed a coffee. But it was only about 3 minutes after my Grande soy mocha when I was ready to continue.
I took a taxi to the Chinese pottery museum, and tried to remember those pottery lessons I took in University as I tried my hand at making traditional Chinese pottery. I also made a few friends while I was at it; albeit they all were under the age of 10; which generally seems to be my target market for individuals who can speak some English and can understand my Chinese.
Whew! are you tired yet? Well apparently I wasn't.
From here I headed to Qingfeng Old Street, home of some Hangzhou traditional arts; one of which is Traditional Chinese Medicine. I paid the whole 1$ to go into the Traditional Chinese Medicine museum where I learned a lot about the history or TCM, and also found myself in a room of over 5000 herbs and 'other products' that are widely used in this ancient form of medicine.
Bears, as per the picture, give the patient more strength. What...it's worked for thousands of years!
Ok, yeah, some of it is totally bunk. But I'd still chose it over Western medicine 90% of the time.
Sorry that is kind of a weird picture. Along with the bear is a reflection of my hand and my camera, as well as the animals across from the bear. Yes, that is a pigeon, snake and hedgehog.
At this point in the day I began to wonder what time it was. I decided to head back to my hostel for a quick costume change. But no sooner did I arrive than I felt the urge to leave again. After all, there was another night market on the other side of town I had read about with a famous shoe market!
After about 15 hours straight of walking, I was reminded of how hazardous I can be to myself. It is probably better for me to travel with someone. But, it was nothing a little beer and IBPrufen couldn't fix.... Which reminds me....As if being able to drink beer for 50cents anywhere anytime isn't enough to keep me here - my shopping experience in Hangzhou was the cherry on top. Not to rub it in or anything, but at this amazing shoe market, I got 5 pairs of knockoffs for under 50$. Then, I bought 3 pairs of shorts and 10 shirts in various locations and still didn't spend more than 100$. Painful.
Painfully amazing!
Having lived in beautiful Suzhou for over 8 months, I figured it was time to check out this Hangzhou place.
So this weekend I did just that. On Friday I took a late afternoon train 3 hours South, and arrived to the most beautiful lake I have ever seen in my life, just as the sun was setting.
I love traveling 'lone wolf'. But it was one of those moments where I was so happy and experiencing so much of what life is supposed to be, that I wished I had someone to share it with.
However, I got over that pretty quickly when I looked around and asked myself, "so, what do you want to do?" to which I replied, "I don't know, whatever you want to do," and then I thought, 'awesome, we'll do what I want to do.'
With horse shoes up my butt I stumbled upon a hostel from the Lonely Planet guide, then managed to get the last bed in the place for two nights. After dumping my stuff I headed for a long walk to a famous night market where I tried food I'd never eaten before, saw crafts I had never seen before, and breathed in all that which is Hangzhou.
The following morning, I woke up (to my surprise) much later than my bunk-mates (I have been fighting something of a cold, SARS, or another bird-flu type of disease lately). Bleary eyed I packed my day bag, put on my runners, and started walking. In my typical no-plan-but-i-have-a-list-of-things-i'd-like-to-see way, I walked clockwise around XiHu (West Lake). This is the lake that makes Hangzhou so famous. Having grown up in the Interior, lived on Vancouver Island, Maui Island and traveled around New Zealand (the two most beautiful islands in the world...which is saying A LOT form a Vancouver-Islander) you know I am speaking with an critic's eye when I say this is by far the most beautiful lake I have ever seen.
I walked and walked....Around every corner, the next scenery outdid the last.And then while I was in a Zen-like state, I came across possibly two of the best sporting events ever witnessed in China.First, a re-enactment of the olympic torch relay - put on by a group of 7 or 8 year olds and their parents.
This was possibly also the coolest thing I have ever seen a Chinese parent do.
And just when I thought I had seen it all, I bumped right into (albeit I can't read enough Chinese to know exactly what was going on) none other than the olympic qualifying rollerblading competition.First there were both men's and women's skills competitions.
And then, just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I heard a gun go off.
A few hundred meters further on, the qualifying races had begun!
Very serious.
Look, this kid is even drafting the other one! They are going so fast that wind resistance is a key factor!
After the morning's shift of 5 hours of walking and sensory overload, I needed a coffee. But it was only about 3 minutes after my Grande soy mocha when I was ready to continue.I took a taxi to the Chinese pottery museum, and tried to remember those pottery lessons I took in University as I tried my hand at making traditional Chinese pottery. I also made a few friends while I was at it; albeit they all were under the age of 10; which generally seems to be my target market for individuals who can speak some English and can understand my Chinese.
Whew! are you tired yet? Well apparently I wasn't. From here I headed to Qingfeng Old Street, home of some Hangzhou traditional arts; one of which is Traditional Chinese Medicine. I paid the whole 1$ to go into the Traditional Chinese Medicine museum where I learned a lot about the history or TCM, and also found myself in a room of over 5000 herbs and 'other products' that are widely used in this ancient form of medicine.
Bears, as per the picture, give the patient more strength. What...it's worked for thousands of years!
Ok, yeah, some of it is totally bunk. But I'd still chose it over Western medicine 90% of the time.
Sorry that is kind of a weird picture. Along with the bear is a reflection of my hand and my camera, as well as the animals across from the bear. Yes, that is a pigeon, snake and hedgehog.At this point in the day I began to wonder what time it was. I decided to head back to my hostel for a quick costume change. But no sooner did I arrive than I felt the urge to leave again. After all, there was another night market on the other side of town I had read about with a famous shoe market!
After about 15 hours straight of walking, I was reminded of how hazardous I can be to myself. It is probably better for me to travel with someone. But, it was nothing a little beer and IBPrufen couldn't fix.... Which reminds me....As if being able to drink beer for 50cents anywhere anytime isn't enough to keep me here - my shopping experience in Hangzhou was the cherry on top. Not to rub it in or anything, but at this amazing shoe market, I got 5 pairs of knockoffs for under 50$. Then, I bought 3 pairs of shorts and 10 shirts in various locations and still didn't spend more than 100$. Painful.
Painfully amazing!
