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Published: August 3rd 2012
MY NAXI WOODCARVING
Worth the dramas that followed its purchaseBeing left behind is one thing...being left behind with only 1 yuan or 15 cents is another...40 kms from anywhere...being left behind at all...wouldn't do it to my worst enemy...certainly not to a friend...but so as not to miss out on calligraphy...that sucks!
We flew from Beijing...across countryside that reminded me of crinkled aluminium foil...to Kunming the capital of Yunnan Provence...commencing our trip to Shangri-la...the enticement for my first trip to China...6 of us...3 Chinese speakers...3 not...me probably the most excited...me the least experienced.
David had visited Yunnan weeks before and planned our itinerary...gave us a list of our destinations and dates...that's all the detail required...lead on David.
David & Pauline only just made Beijing Airport in time...held up by "the accident."
We had had an amazing Christmas Eve in rural urban Beijing...my first White Christmas...Chinese hosts Zhong & Mischa with an extraordinary collection of expats and their beautiful Chinese wives...stayed overnight...big house...two storey & marble...blanket snow outside.
On a walk while my mates made Pavlova to impress our hosts...I left the security compound...wandered down the icy dirt roads...a woman walks out of a
humpy with a large pot...crosses the track and dumps it in the water channel...I cross the plank bridge...inspect the public loos...also drains into the water channel...wow...the Rich and the Poor...neighbours...talk about
"Upstairs, Downstairs". The Accident Twas about midday, Christmas Day...sitting around the house...pretty pleasant I must say...until the phone rang.
It was one of the guests Tom who had left shortly before...had an accident...collided with a farmer pulling a cart on the icy road...Tom injured...the farmer refusing to get up off the road...sitting awaiting...the Police.
Now Tom was an an expat...business interests in China now in extreme danger...if not go well he could be deported...compensation...Police attitude pivotal...calls Zhong for assistance.
We passed the scene about an hour later...crawling along on the icy road...Tom talking to us...head bloodied...Police car...farmer still on the road.
In the ensuing days...David also engaged to assist...somehow not delaying us leaving for Yunnan 2 days later.
Kunming David was the leader in Yunnan...he always sat in the front seat next to Dick our driver...he knew where we were going...chose the music played in the 8 seater Diesel van...would stop outside restaurants...leave us in the van...negotiate inside...then take us in
or drive to another...we didn't pay for anything...would pay our share later...only money required was for souvenirs along the way.
Harbour Plaza Hotel Kunming...near Ciuhu Lake...full of Siberian Gulls...greeted by the Concierge in red & black.
Lucky I got a map of Kunming from reception...in English...also lucky I took their card.
Lesson 1...on any trip...take a card from Reception of the address of one's hotel. Early start next day...up Yu'an Mountain...the dense dwellings suddenly stopped...as if a line had been drawn...that beyond is holy ground...then up
..."You Beauty"...Qiongzhu Si...The Bamboo temple...the temple of the 500 ceramic arhats that Lonely Planet had raved about...I asked David if we could include it...and its our first stop
..."Thanks David." Signs
"NO PHOTOS" in the ceramic arhat halls...bummer...me eyeing the security...wandering back...loitering really...sneaking the odd shot of arhats on shelves...paranoid I could lose my camera if caught!
Went for a leak...to the WC of course...small room with a hole to nowhere down the mountain...positions marked for the feet...ready...
WHACK...felt as if I'd been punched in the nose...like from an upper-cut...knocked me back...that very deep narrow hole held the rear secrets of centuries...concentrated like a beam of light...most pungent I've encountered in
all my travels!!!
Then further up the mountain to the top...a magical ancient Taoist temple complex...beautiful murals...birth statues for every year going way back...3 of us snakes...one a horse.
And underneath...peasants' temples...not know why they are not praying upstairs.
Lunch in a derelict restaurant...banana roots and fried fish.
Kunming struck me as much poorer than Beijing...driving along I see humanity in action by the roadside...brushing teeth then spit in the gutter...lines of square concrete boxes...double bed within...family thereon...watching TV...father on the footpath...mending bicycles...beating metal...business...trying to make a buck.
A toddler trots towards the gutter...turns...sticks his bum at the traffic...slow motion...completes his business...trots back...wonder who has to clean it up!
The afternoon was a blast...my introduction to survival.
Dragon Gate Drive around Diachi Lake to Longmen or Dragon Gate...on a cablecar to the top of a 2,000 metre high cliff...overlooking the lake...then down the cliff face...a path cut into the cliff...some tunnels...chiselled into the cliff face by monks over the centuries...temple at every turn...Longmen Tunnels...awesome.
I'm slower down steps than the others...heights not my friend...run to catch up...buy a Tibetan hat on the run...vendor running with me...smoking dog...catch up...onto a cable-car...across the
lake on a wire...awesome.
And why build a cable-car across a lake?
The Kunming Minority Village The Chinese do not spend mega bucks for no reason...into a vehicle...arrive at a gate...examples of villages of Yunnan's Minority cultures. Yunnan has 26 of China's 52 as I recall.
First a
Bai Village with girls from Dali in white & red...white pigeons as accessories...
Naxi Village with youth from Lijiang...enter a shop...amazing woodcarvings from Lijiang Naxi culture...the wizened carver enjoying my interest...I want to buy one...difficult to choose.
The others filtered out...me negotiating...had to show I had no more in my wallet...the ultimate last offer...its all I've got...take it or leave it...OK deal done...both happy (my opening photo).
While I was finalising the purchase David advised he was moving on.
"We'll meet at the gate at 4.30." "OK I'm nearly done. I'll follow you. Which way are you going?" "I will go up this path." "OK See you soon"...No idea I would be wrong. Handed over all the RMB I had to the Master Carver...
gives me the 1 RMB note back...with a smile...no idea he had just saved my life!!! Head down
the path David had gone...past the
Dai Village...to a small lake...a pretty girl in a canoe hollowed from a tree trunk...paddles gracefully towards me...she's
Mosuo...idyllic setting.
I was greeted by young soldiers forming for a photo with the Mosuo girls...invite me to join in...here...right in the middle...one of my favourite photos in China.
Time is marching on...4.20 pm...Sorry but I have to go!
Camera battery failing...its been a busy day...bummer lots more villages to see...manage 1 shot of the
Dai Village..."Battery Exhausted"...better run if I'm to get to the Gate by 4.30.
So I went cross-country...not follow the paths...across the back of villages...there's the Gate (the same one we entered)...4.35...5 minutes late...no more.
But my friends were not at the Gate...I'm first here...wait 10 mins...to the few Chinese at the Gate...no English...pointing to my skin
..."anyone like me been here?"...good...they understand...nodding furiously...pointing at me to get aboard the shuttle vehicle there...driver nodding as well...so I reluctantly get on.
As soon as we headed off I felt I was doing the wrong thing...David had said we'd meet at the Gate at 4.30...I was there at 4.35...its only 4.45...Why wouldn't they have waited?...Why aren't I continuing to
wait?
The shuttle took me to the cable-car terminal...no-one I knew around...shuttle car gone...shit...I shouldn't have left the Gate...panic...how the hell am I going to get back???
Hail a woman in a cart...pulled by a donkey...seemed to be heading in the right direction...its urgent...please hurry.
It was the longest few kms I have been in my life...the donkey in no hurry...seemed to sense my panic was a sign to go slower...not sure whether it would have been quicker walking...but then I'd get lost for sure...try and enjoy the ride.
No friends at the Gate...its past 5...they're probably looking for me...if so, why hasn't someone stayed at the Gate?
Point at my skin again...this time no nods...just shaking of heads...I'll stay here this time.
Then someone approached me with a Map of the place...
WHAT?...4 GATES...Where am I?...WEST GATE...Mosuo near the NORTH GATE...MAIN GATE...that's miles away...
No one told me to meet at a different Gate.
Ping...brain engaged...I'll try the North Gate...then the Main Gate...and this time keep to the path...probably bump into them...they must be looking for me!
North Gate isolated...Main Gate...took ages to get there...at least 20 mins at a canter...not there either...shit...where are they???
Asked around...stood in the open...met
a Scotsman...first person I had met who spoke English...showed him the card from the hotel...and my map...that's 40 kms away!
Showed me the bus stop.
"Only 1 yuan for the bus fare." "Your kidding I have exactly 1 yuan." "Get off when you see a McDonalds and KFC at the same time. Get out there and you'll be able to find your hotel". The others probably went back to the West Gate...they wouldn't have left me...so I keep to the main path...slight diversions into villages...each different...wish I had brought my spare camera battery.
Lesson 2...Always carry a spare camera battery. Back to the Naxi shop where I had last seen David...place closed...found the Naxi around the back eating noodles...recognise some...you're kidding...denying they've ever seen me before...probably think I want to return the carving...no help here.
Sat next to a large pool as the sun started to set...don't remember if I was feeling sorry for myself...only remember a massive storm cloud of mozzies invaded my solitude...and I ran...
The Minority Village was closing...escort me out...sorry, sorry...looks like I've got to catch the bus...saw one of the numbers...ran...just made it...only 3 passengers...here's my
WHACK
an encounter with the rear secrets of centuries 1 yuan...driver nodding...down the back...rear middle seat...stretched out...all I need do is find a McDonalds & a KFC at the same time...should be easy!!!
The Wayward Bus The bus was an "All Stops"...started to fill up...and it was dark...only light a small bulb in the middle...saw a McDonalds...also saw a KFC...not together...fervently looking to make sure I didn't miss them...the bus is now full...I won't be able to get out...squeezed to the front step...sat there...people climbing over me...driver talking...everyone laughing...I can tell by the eyes...they're laughing at me."
"Does anyone speak English?" I call.
"I do" says a girls voice from the middle...so I squeeze to her...pull out my map...under the small light...all eyes on us...total hush.
Looks at the hotel card...no recognition.
She takes my Map...examines it...others also...then she starts rotating the map...not quite spinning it...but clear she could not read it...as it was in English!!!
The bus rolled on...metropolis...lights...all totally unfamiliar...now worried I may go too far...no idea where I may end up.
No mobile...no money...no Mandarin...and a map no-one can read
No time to worry...no time to think...gotta find the McDonalds & KFC...the Scot said I wouldn't miss it.
A hand grabs me by the shoulder...lifts me off the step...escorts me off the bus...he insistent...into the middle of a very wide road...gets on his mobile...show him the map...a girl on a
pushbike in a yellow raincoat stops and joins us...spinning the map together.
Then I saw it.
The Arrest Looks like an armoured vehicle...and its heading straight at me...yep...stops about a metre from my face...Policeman with a rifle gets out...puts me in the back...
Yep...I think I'm under arrest!!!
Two police...laughing...I guess I'm safe now...rifle butt falls against my leg...offers me a cigarette...I don't smoke...no time to argue
..."Xiexie...Thank you". Having a smoke in the back of a paddy wagon...somewhere in China...doesn't get better than this!!! Gotta see if I can squeeze one more shot out of my camera...the others aren't gonna believe this otherwise...magic...got a couple of shots...my lucky day!
The Police could not read my map...they spun it also...made me smile...somehow got me back to my hotel...at 8.35 pm...
guess it was the hotel card...Lesson 1 confirmed! Got to my room...note on the door
"We have gone out to dinner. We are worried about you. Hope to see you later." Told me they had waited at the Main Gate from 4.30 to 5.05pm then left expecting me to catch a taxi back to the hotel. And did I complain?
No.
I was buzzing.
Really pleased with myself...40 kms on 1 yuan...brought back in a paddy wagon...what an adventure...Chris videoing the telling...all amazed I was in such good spirits.
The following morning breakfast with my other mate.
"Did you look for me?" "No. we just waited at the Main Gate." "Why didn't you look for me?" "We didn't have time...otherwise we would have missed calligraphy." "You're kidding. If it was you...I would have looked...until I found you." Deep down I spewed...lost for words...just deep down...I spewed.
Relax & Enjoy,
Dancing Dave
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Shelley and Scott
Michele Hutchinson and Scott Maberley
Man I sure know that feeling
First OS holiday back in 2000 and we got caught between Syria and Turkey without a Turkish Visa, no way of getting back to Syria and no usable money, (travel rule number 3, always carry US currency). We had a good hour of freaking out before a local got us out of the fix, but boy that one hour took a year out of my life. Reading your blog had me sweaty palmed remembering how things can go wrong so quickly and how panic sets in just as fast. As time goes by these stories are what travelling is all about, getting yourself out of your comfort zone. As always a great blog. Shelley and Scott