Blogs from Kaili, Guizhou, China, Asia

Hi All, these villages are so easy to get to. I often marvel at the efficient public transport system that exists here in China. Today we caught the bus from the Long Distance bus station. The bus drops you off outside the village as you have to buy a ticket, 50 rmb for non Chinese, and then you can either walk, which we chose to do, or pay another 5 rmb and take the sightseeing car. The walk to the village is lovely along a river of crystal clear water in which the local kids were all cooling off from the intense heat. When we arrived at the village proper we were just too late to see the cultural show which they put on twice daily but at least we got to see all the locals ... read more

21.5.14. Mingguan Destination: MINGGUAN Distance: 137.5. Kms SubT. 512.5. Bal. 11,852.5 Kms. Road Condition: 95 % v good Weather: fine v. Hot 37.7+ Time in Saddle: 6 hrs Av Speed: av 23 kph. Av Cadence 75 rpm Elevation: 561 M up; 538 M down Calories burned. 4841 Left hotel at 7.30, after an ordinary breakfast, pleasingly supplemented by purchased bananas, for the long wind out of Nanjing. 22 Kms before we reached clear road. In the process crossed over the Yangtze River, bridge width was 3.8kms. Air was thickly polluted, so it was difficult to see the ships traversing the water ways. Other than pollution, the other item that is a standout, is all the construction, road work is all over, high rise towers by the score are being constructed, and there are thousands of cars ... read more

Day Three in Kaili. On our third day out with Mr Wee we were heading to the Shidong markets, one of the largest markets in the Kaili region. The market is held in a small riverside town on the riverside shingle, under the span of the long bridge. We left early and an hour later we arrived in the traffic jam of minibuses and motorbikes around Shidong. As we were getting closer to the town we stopped to watch a wedding party. Again all the men were waiting outside a group of houses, the yard full of low round tables covered with the soon to be consumed feast. The bride and all the female members of her family were walking down the road towards the group of men. That day all the women, including the bride, ... read more

I’ve combined these two days, as really, our 23rd day was spent on the road doing the 630 km to Xingyi. Really not to much to report. The landscapes were not so spectacular, but I guess that thus far we have truly been spoilt. We passed through Kunming, which on the surface looked like just another grimy big city. Then heading to Xingyi where we observed the numerous pyramid type hills dotting the landscape. Nothing to report from Xingyi, yet another new town that is popping up in the valleys. The following day started off with a piano recital by two team members on the hotel lobby’s baby grand, then we hit the road to Kaili stopping to see the Huanggoushu Waterfall, said to be in the top six in China. Beautiful, yes, but after Jyuzhaigou ... read more

Hey All, I’m back on campus and taking a deep breath as I decompress from our homestay that, as you can tell, was chockfull of adventure. Happily, I can tell you that despite the little side trip to the hospital, it was truly an enjoyable experience. One unexpected plus is that my Chinese is actually improving. I can now string together elementary sentences such as “My horse is fat,” and “My dad is busy.” I can say the same things about your horse and father, and even about his/her horse and father. Don’t act like you’re not impressed. To catch up on Kaili: On Sunday afternoon we went to the home of an English teacher from John’s high school. She had some family visiting for the holiday and prepared a lovely lunch for all of us. ... read more