Lunar New year trip2 - Anshun

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01-02-2011
When was my last shower?....wooah....more than 10 days ago!!!! I made the right choice by abandon Weining and come to Anshun. there was no bus service for the last 10 days, I didn't really know that until I try to get the ticket. and someone suggested "take the train"! yeahhh....why not....why I never thought about train??? perhaps my aged expreience told me train ticket is difficult to get. still...I went to the ticket office in town, not very crowd but with some elbowing and squeezing I got to the window and shouted "one ticket to Anshun today". guessed what? "yes, have seat" was the answer. although it was schedule at 0306 am in the morning, it still better than waited and do nothing in the freezing Weining! it had been a long time that I hadn't ride on a train in China, and this one served me with an empty train so I could picked any seat I want in an quiet quarter. on the 3 hours journey I noticed there was far less ice along the route, and I recorded the altitude was only 1200m while arrived Anshun. and great...the street wasn't frozen like in Weining. I could walk in pleasure now. I wait out in a noodle shop until the sky got brighter then I walked to the same guesthouse where I'd stay last July when I was in Anshun as....I remembered they had hot water for shower that was heat up with a boiler. yes...shower was what I dreaming of for the last 10 days!!!! I slept the first half of the day and went out right in time to caught the sudden sun light in the afternoon....ANSHUN....I love you!!! But....not just for the weather, just looked at the busy street scene...PK down the depressing Weining in no time!!!! beside...the food scene in Anshun is something I always enjoy, just re-read my journal on last july. and this time I again find some more new item, a bowl of sticky-rice thick gruel sprinklered with popyseed, then a fresh fried red-bean paste baba dropped into the bowl, the zi-zhaling sound when hot oil in hot water created an dramatic sensation, this snack has a mild favour and I like it. The most popular snack should the soft pickle rice roll, you could find it everywhere, many places offer do-it-yourself style, many different bowl of pickle lay on the table and you rolled up your own favour! but it was a cold dish so it wasn't my cup of tea. The night market wasn't as busy as in summer time but still a nice place to hangout in the evening.


04-02-2011
while I was still thinking about how to spend the time in Anshun before I could track down any festival location and date, then I tweak my ankle badly. well...it was hurt but...it solved the problem! I just stay indoor!!!! looking back...everything happened before the new year, bitten by dog 10 days ago, tweak my ankle on the new year eve when I was waiting for the bell striking moment in the temple before midnight. was it a sign, an omen??? just hope it would get ripe of all the bad luck and bad thing from me before the new year begin.
The festival atmosphere began from the afternoon of new year eve, explosions came from different corner of the city. people ignited few meter long of fire-cracker and left behind a trail of red shred paper when they closed up their shop for the last time before the year of of tiger was over. the big orchestra came right before midnight, the sky was lite up by exploded fire works, late night vendors busy in hand out explosives to exchanged in cash, there was no shortage of supply! while I struggling my way back to the guesthouse with my fresh tweak ankle...I need a gas mask!!!
I did went out by bus (injuried leg!!!)to a tupo for a day trip, Benzhai is another stone village, it looked far more better than the Tianlongpo I had visit last year, a small village with many nice stone and wood engraving.
Anshun also had a small lake not far from the Confucious Temple, where you could made pleasand walk around it.

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