Hey, China's got a Jungle...

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Hi again all...

Well Im now about 6hrs closer to the Lao border and now traveling the great city of Jinghong.... Its amazing that this place is part of China... Its warm and there's jungle all around... Me and the Korean girls Lee JIN and Nara got into a taxi and went to the guest house callled Wanli Dai Style Guesthouse... Now this place is very basic... With only three beds in the room and that was about it but for 20Y a night it was the cheapest place that I ever stayed... After we got settled in we went next door to a place called Mei Mei Cafe... They make one mean breakfast and this place is always full... During breakfast I met two American girls named Clare and Lily... We were talking for a bit and told me that they were on their way to see a waterfall around Jinghong... I said sure and they Koreans said no but I still went... So after breakfast the girls and I went by mini van out to a small village... Now the cost to take us all out there was 180Y for the mini van and you could of put 4 more people in it to cutdown the cost but it was just us three... The ride took abetter part of an hour and a half mostly on a very bumpy dirt road... We then ended up at a small village and the guy took us down a road about 500 meters and the drew us a map on the ground and showed us how to get to the waterfall...LOL... OH, he didn't speak any english either...LOL... so it was off into the jungle by ourselves... It was I nice hike through a field and then it was time to start climbing... Now this trail at some points was only about a foot wide with one side of it being a 50ft drop... We hiked for over an hour and sometimes wondering if we were on the right trail but did manage to find the waterfall... It was a nice small one with some big boulders around the bottom for us to sit on... To bad we didn't bring a picnic... We hung around for an hour and then made our way back.... We met our driver and head back to town.... We grabbed some food and decided to go to the night market later in the evening.... Now I was suppose to meet up with the Koreans at 6pm and for some reason they never showed up... But at 8pm I met up with the Americans and we headed to the night market... The market was Kool... They had games and rides for all to enjoy... The girls went for a ride in the bumper cars and trust me they were a target for all the Chinese...LOL... We the walked around and found ourselves at a Karaoke Bar... Put for some reason this place was very ODD... There was an older guy there bossing around some of the women in the place... This guy was sitting with us and trying to feed us beer... I of course declined...About 10 mins latter we say some of the girls go into the back room and then some guys came into the place to go to the same back room... At that point we saw all the naked posters on the wall and also figured out that we might be in a Brothel...LOL... We then just boooked out of the place....LOL... The girl then wanted to go rollerskating... That was pretty fun from where I was standing.... After the night market we just went back to Mei Mei's and sat around enjoying Apple Pie.... We said goodnight and I went to bed...But around 12:30 the Koreans came in and I was given two roses and a Teddy Bear because they missed me...LOL... Im such a Lucky guy...LOL... I told them that was all right and they said that tomorrow they would do what ever I wanted to do....

The next morning I wanted to go see the Tropical Flowers and Plants Garden...Now I like Trees and Flowers ... The cost was 40Y and it was entertaining for me but I think that the girls would of wanted to do something else... So me being such a gentleman as I am told the girls that we would do what they wanted to do next....Well the girls wanted to go and get a FACIAL...LOL... And I had to go to... We found a place and went into a room that had three beds for all three of us... Now Im a guy travelling and I don't shave everyday so I was sporting about two+days of beard.... Now the girl that was doing my face wanted to shave me and I said "Go Ahead"... But I don't think that she had ever shave a western man before... She just took a razor out of a package and started to shave me... OUCH... I then tried to tell her that I needed some shaving cream but she didn't understand and I don't think they had any anyway... So I gave myself a dry shave.... This was my first FACIAL and I kind of liked it but the if there was going to be a next time I going to make sure that Im clean shaven...LOL... I know the girls liked it a lot... We then went for some food and later went to another night market with another Korean named Joe... This night market was also good... They had more things to buy and the people were very nice... After the night market we went for HOTPOT... Now Joe loves hotpot and I think its pretty good too... But this time it was very spicy... We sat there eating for about 2 hours and then went to bed... But tomorrow I need to head to Mengla and get to the Lao border before my visa runs out...

The next morning I woke up with HotPot problems.... Yes thats right POOP SOUP... and If you have a week stomach then don't read the following Paragraph... Now in China you can only find squat toilets except in major hotels and maybe a Mcdonald's... My experience with squats is only once except to pee... Now in Jinghong where I was staying there is only squats... And when I woke up I need to go to the toilet so badly.... My problem was the AIM...LOL... I thought I was in the right spot but I wasn't... and I made a mess... I tried to clean it up as best as I could... I then took a pill to help the situation especially because I had a 5hr bus ride ahead of me... The girls and I went for breakfast and then went back to the hostel to grab our bags and head to the bus depot to catch our buses... But I need to make another trip to the Squat... This time I went from the other way thinking that this would be a better angle but Nope I got it all over the wall.... LOL... I felt so bad...I took another pill and hope that this was the end of it untill I got to Mengla...

So me and the girls went to the bus station and their bus was leaving in about 10mins and I needed to wait for 2 hours untill my bus was to leave... So I went to one of the food markets to have a good look around... I then went to catch my bus and off I was to Mengla... It was a nice 5hr bus ride through the chinese jungle... I arrived I Mengla around 7pm and went looking for a place to spend the night... I found a place for 50Y a night ... I then went to take alook around.... I found a park where the chinese people were all dancing and watched for about 5mins when A guy comes up to me and he wants me to join in... So I joined in...LOL... It was a big circle were we all hold hands and then move our feet and go around and everyone was laughing about me even the spectators...LOL...I did it for about 10 mins and then I thanked them all and left... But I tell you that was a high point for me... I went home and went to bed early so I could catch the first mini- van that went to the Lao border in the morning... I hope that I can get that visa at the border...

So im going to end the story here and make you all wait to see what happens with me and the Lao visa situation... I will say it was a happy ending.... Thanks again about reading my travelblog...I do like all the attention that you all have given it... Keep up the comments as I do publish them...

Take Care... Michael

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Photos

Somebody lives here...
We ran across this place on our way to the Waterfall...

The Americans and Me...
Clare and Lily

The Market
They wanted me to start cooking for myself...

Comments

[Occasionally Bob]

Too much information!
No more squat toilet stories please!! Hope you are enjoying Laos : )