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Flying Fists of Fury Legend has it the Xia was preceded by a succession of three sovereigns and five Emperors. From the waist up baring human form, they had Dragon's hinds for tails. Nugua fashioned the Chinese from clay. The Ox-headed Shennong bestowed gifts; hunting, fishing and animal husbandry. Then later; agriculture and knowledge of the medicinal properties of plants. Boats, amour and pottery came to the people of China, and finally Shun crafted the writing brush... China China China. Am feeling rather wrapped up with this, the middle kingdom, so please forgive me my left-field wonderings. Back in Thailand i met an Israeli named Tuval. An excellent chap, he had many a Chinese tale to tell and I duly listened. He has guided us well and to the west we have wondered with the mountains in mind. We have come from Hong Kong through to Guangxi and on to Yunnan.
Observers can see a chess game more clearly than the players
It is common sense not to arrive in a foreign city you are unfamiliar with at midnight. Our arrival in Guangzhou was the third time we have managed to do this - note
Noting the Hobos
In the morning the Chinese police, who are scary, moved us on. Everyone eles was allowed a lie-in but not us! That is sooo not fair! the picture of the hobos. A massive modern City (9 million in population), we had no idea what the billy-o was going on. Outside the train station, this is at midnight, there were thousands of people sleeping rough. Not homeless people, regular people. So we joined them. We then awoke, not that we really slept, and joined the people in the enormous queues for the ticket booths. The next available train was 3 - 4 days away the rails were so busy. O.k. got to get to grips with this country and got to do it fast. We eventually found a bus to get us the hella outta there. There was so many people around when the morning commute started up at 8am that uniformed chaperones/drill sergeants with loud speakers heard people across lanes of other people.
China has 1.3 Billion people. That's a lot.
If the Horse dies, then you have to walk
The bus stopped in Yangshou. This county is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. It was magical. Are you familiar with that Chinese porcelain, white with blue pictures of little bridges, blossom, wise men and
the two doves in the sky? Or giant fans with flowers and birds a bloom or even limestone gorges with little boats on the still water? Well, I'm pretty sure these images come from, and are inspired by, Yangshou. We hired tandem bicycles and got lost. It was lovely... Arrrrr...
Back in Hong Kong we purchased ze lonely guide to China - the 1996 edition. How much can a country change in 10 years? A lot is the answer. Especially this one. According to our aged edition, foreigners pay foreign rates for everything. Unless, you have a fabled green card - a Chinese student card or residence card. Well, naturally we wanted to get our mitts on one of those bad boys. Doing a language course would suffice so we kept our ears to the ground. However, money money, and time, as in months of time, were not to our disposal. Just when we were getting demoralized and loosing hope a likely Frenchman came to our aid. We told him our plight and he laughed telling us how the Chinese government had abandoned this system over 10 years ago. "Ah", we said.
A Swallow cannot
In Guinxhou
Having found an old bamboo raft we joy-rided it around the river until we all fell in. Note Jona's sexy hat. know the lofty ambitions of an Eagle
We are now in Da Li. It is an ancient walled town on the edge of an expansive lake surrounded by scrub mountains. Here is what olde Marco had to say when he passed through in 1292;
At the end of these five days journeys you arrive at the capita city which is very great and noble. In it are found merchants and artisans, with a mixed population, consisting of idolaters, Nestorian Christians and Saracens or Mohametans... The land is fertile in rice and wheat... For money they employ the white porcelain shell, found in the sea, and which they also wear as ornaments around their necks. Eighty of these shells is equal to two Venetian goats. In this country there are also salt springs... The duties levied on these springs produce large revenues for the Emperor. The natives do not consider it an injury when others have connection with their wives, provided the act is voluntary on the woman's part. Here there is a lake almost a hundred miles in circuit, in which great quantities of fish are caught. The people are accustomed to eat the raw Spring Flowers
Are Everywhere. Spring time in China. Good time. flesh of fowls, oxen and buffalo... the poorer sorts only dip it in a sauce of garlic... they eat it as well as we do the cooked...
Give or take a few Venetian goats this hombre has got it spot on. Not sure about the wives thing as our Chinese isn't up to much but we'll let you know how that one goes. He is particularly accurate about the large presence of artisans and professionals. You stroll down the cobbled streets and find men sculpting marble and fabrics; a man with a goatee that makes me blush plays a violin that could make me weep. As for the lake we hired bikes and circumnavigated the bugger. Now it is my saddle arse that is making me weep. En route we saw some things.
Perhaps the one which had the most impression on me was the women working the fields. These women were really working. Lugging rocks about, ploughing, sewing, everything. Very few men about. These women are dainty little things, some so wrinkled yet so healthy. Every other face looking like it's come from the cover of some National Geographic or Lonely Planet cover. A real
Chinese Bridge on the Lake
With a little house on a little island behind, where, no doubt, a wise man lives. great communist ethic.
They fish with nets but also with Cormorants, placing a ring round the bird's throat so as to stop it swallowing its catch.
Around the corner of the great lake, we passed it yesterday, is New Da Li. This is another amazing side of China. Super amounts of construction going on. And very nice stuff! Apartments, sports grounds and convention centres that leave Merchants Quay in the gutter. Gucci and Prada on the high street. Dickensian extremes from one side of the lake to the other.
When you paint a Dragon, dot its eyes
It looks like Lhasa is a no go due to a sudden tightening of security in response to some protests over the weekend. You can get there but only with a guide and such it seems. So we're going to head up into the cold but just try and steer clear of the capital. Find us somewhere amazing for our 6 month anniversary. Where exactly 'the cold' will be I don't know, I'll ask the boys at dinner later. Yes, dinner, food is surprisingly good! Not to give you the impression that any
The Fan Painter
This Buddhist Craftsman had no arm and no leg, painting with his shoulder. Alec and I taught him a little english so as he could write a special message to a special person. of us have got the balls to try fried Chicken's stomach or ox tendon. We just stick to the Dog.
P.S. I hope you find peace and wisdom in these ancient Chinese sayings. Don't worry though, if you don't, we haven't! Too busy having a good time!
Samwise
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Sarah Cheets
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Envy
Don't know if I want to read your blogs any more - am green with envy here - living on the edge of all this, but constrained by time/commitments/naked fear. Was the hobo life a bit scary?I wouldn't want to mess with a Chinese policeman. Rural China looks so idyllic, but are people beginning to make rumblings about the wealth gap increasing? You must have a book between you by now- get writing!! All love Sarahxx