Nanjing/Zhenjing...

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Well, I was so enthusiastic about logging on and writing about this mornining's adventure but after 5 minutes in this internet cafe, I'm getting nauseous from the smell of cigarettes!

It happened a little something like this.....

We arrived in Nanjing last night and checked into a hotel near the train station. Xiang Yi thought of calling ahead to schedule a free pick up from the Nanjing HI Youth Hotel,only to find out that the idiots did not check their internet reservations. Sorry, no rooms. What an aggravation. Some women we met in Suzhou suggested we find a hotel near the train station, as rates were CHEAPER than the hostel. Ok, obviously neither the people from Let's Go or Rough Guides are doing their homework on travel in China...

Ehemm..anyway...We found a place that was indeed cheaper than the hostel and close to the train station...The following morning we hopped on the train to Zhenjiang, just an hour away from Nanjing. Why, you might be wondering? Well, to visit the house of Pearl S. Buck---one of my heroes.

http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/Buck/
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1938/buck-bio.html
http://www.psbi.org/site/PageServer

We got there and declined the multiple offers from rickshaw drivers, thinking it must be a place visited by lots of tourists. Following the Let's Go guide, its a wonder we ever found the place, but we did. They got the name of the street wrong but at least they described it accurately, otherwise we would have passed it. According to the directions in the book, we were supposed to then walk ahead and make a left on the second street.
What they should have written was either:
1--You'll come to a fork in the road, take the left street and go up the hill --or
2.--Once you come to the first intersection, take the left street and go up the hill

Xiang Yi and I think either one would have been better than what's in the book. We walked uphill, through a nice and picturesque neighborhood. At the top of the hill was Pearl Buck's house, clearly marked by a plaque. I felt so happy to see it...until I saw the big lock on the gate. Xiang Yi asked the neighbors about viewing hours and was informed the house was only shown by appoinment, if they were expecting people.

We walked around the house, to see if there was anyone around that could open it. Nobody. Back around to the front we went. We complained about our guide books (yet again!) and thought of calling the local travel agency in the book. They confirmed the worst, the house was only shown to people in tour groups.

I stood there looking dejected. I glanced back at the house and felt utterly, utterly, utterrrrrrly dissapointed. I told Xiang Yi that I wanted to go home, the rest of China would mean nothing if I didn't get to see the inside of that house. Yeah, pretty dramatic even for me!

And then something happened.

The front doors opened and out came the keeper of the house. She came over to us and unlocked the gate. I hadn't felt such extreme emotions in such a long time. We walked through the front doors and had the house all to ourselves, sans annoying tourists!

The furniture and some personal effects were placed throughout the house. The keeper guided us through each room on the ground floor and upstairs as well. She explained some things about Pearl Buck, about what each room was used for. I got to sit at her writing table! This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip! Pearl Buck is one of my heros. If I have a daughter, I'll name her Pearl, and then she'll have to go to China and visit her hourse!

Now we're off to central Nanjing, to visit the Nanjing Massacre Memorial, when the Japanese went on a killing rampage. There's also a local market and a local night scene worth seeing (according to the guide!)....wonder what we'll have for dinner......

xxooo
jessica

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