China 5: Yuanyang; Rice Fields Forever

I took an 11 hour night train from Nanning to Kunming (in the Yunnan province). I don't know if it's because I look like an 18 year old lost girl traveling by herself and people feel sorry for me but people have consistently gone out of their way to help me. While I was in the train I was talking to a Chinese man about where I was heading next. Then, without hesitation, he offered to drive me from the train station to the bus station. Not understanding the motive if his generous offer, I was automatically on the defense and politely refused. As we were walking out of the station I ran into a Spanish man (the only other non Asian), who asked us for directions, and the Chinese man offered him a ride to his hostel. The Spanish man's normal profession is a policeman in Barcelona so I felt safe having him as my body guard, if need be. The Chinese man turned out to be a genuinely considerate man and wouldn't even accept the mandarin orange I had in my purse as compensation. I then caught my 6 hour bus to Yuanyang without any trouble.

One thing I've noticed in China is that most people at a train or bus station seems to carry an extremely large bag (they are usually old, white, plastic bags that look like they should hold rice). Sometimes the bags cluck, sometimes they quack and other times they just lay there looking like a big old bag. Another thing is that there doesn't seem to be any social limitations on speaking volume. The man that sat next to me on the bus was an archetype of both categories. His bag looked like he had 2 children worth of rice inside and he didn't seem to care who's toes got crushed by the child rice. He also had a cell phone and let me tell you, he knew how to use it. He must have talked to everyone in his contacts plus a few random dials. That man could talk. On the 6 + hour bus ride I don't think he put down his phone once; I was very impressed by his popularity...and ringtones. Once I got to my hostel I took a much needed shower and had the first meal I'd had in 24 hours (besides the neglected mandarin orange that was in my purse) with a Belgium couple.

For Halloween I decided to be cold. I think I played the part pretty well. My frozen toes and rosy cheeks almost looked natural (oh wait, they were)....I even added seeing my breath in case I wasn't convincing enough. The only bad thing about my costume was that everyone around me seemed to be dressed up as the same thing...shucks, better luck next year.

The next morning I woke up to see the "sunrise" in the village I stayed at. I'm sure the sun did actually rise, but because of the thick fog, I wouldn't have known the difference. Dick (pronounced Deek), a Chinese man staying in my room, also got up to see the sunrise (on the roof of our hostel) but when I got back to the hostel he wasn't in our room. At about 11:00, 3 1/2 hours after the sun had actually risen, he came down to the lobby flustered. It turns out the guy, bless his heart, had waited for the sun to rise for 4 hours....ha ha...oh Dick.

The clouds finally cleared and I set off walking to along the road to see the rice terraces with my French friend (he is cycling around the world). Our eyes feasted themselves on the biggest rice terraces in the world....we were impressed to say the least. At one of the viewing stations I met a Chinese-American man who had lived in Palisade, Colorado. Yes, a man that I met in a village in China has lived in my home town (technically the valley of my home town)....saying "it's a small world" doesn't do that coincidence justice. He is molecular plant pathologist employed by the USDA and was doing research on rice and disease prevention (caused mostly by fungus, bugs and harsh winters). Led by a village-woman and her twin daughters, we ventured down the terraces to collect samples (I just provided moral support). Both scientists were very personable and interesting men who were passionate about their field of study and loved sharing their research with me.

When we got to a resting point on the hill the other scientist handed one of the twin girls a tissue to wipe up the snot dropping down her face. She politely took the tissue and used it. Seconds after, the other girl looked directly at the him and blew the biggest farmer's snot I've ever witnessed. Her point was made.

While the biologists were collecting samples, I stood back and observed the villagers doing labor; even kids and women would carry 50 kg loads up the steep hill. The 2nd scientist came over to me and said, "Look at their faces. They have such a good life." What he said really hit me. From a distance they looked like they had a grueling life full of hard labor and poverty, a life that I feel blessed not to have. But then I looked at their faces...really looked. They were happy in the fullest sense of the word. They get to spend all day with their family and friends, work at their own pace (they would constantly take breaks to talk, nap or play (the kids)), they get a sense of accomplishment every day, they are self-sufficient, fit, and their minds aren't polluted with pop-culture or materialism. Life is simple. Another thing that I found interesting was their clothing. The woman's garb was quite elaborate with many layers and colors. Besides the basics of covering her body there was no functional value in her clothing, it just made her "feel beautiful" (a rough translation of her answer). I guess no matter where we live or how "simple" our lives are, we, as women, still have a deep desire to feel beautiful.

The following day I watched the sunrise with my French friend in our hostels village then roamed aimlessly though villages and rice fields. I didn't have any "sights" I needed to see or things I was scared I would miss out on, I just walked until I didn't want to anymore. Buffaloes, chickens, roosters, hogs, dogs freely roamed the streets and rice terraces blanketed the hills. I watched the villagers tending to the fields and doing construction and I tried to imagine what they were thinking about as they worked. No one was listening to music and I doubt they were thinking about posting a facebook status to show others how awesome they were or what country they are going to travel to on their next vacation....they were just being. I came back to my hostel and was invited to have dinner with the employees (2 of the 5 were villagers from the biggest minority in the region, Hani), who I had become friends with over the past few days. After I was stuffed with rice, vegetables and chicken liver I went to see the sunset. I started to play with a few Hani kids from the village in the plaza and then their dad invited 2 others and I to his home to have dinner. Second dinner, why not? The only English the man knew was "follow me," "cheers," and "help yourself." Through very basic translations from the other 2 guests (both Chinese) I learned about his life. He was only a year older than me, yet I couldn't picture myself in his shoes. His parents fed his 2 children and tended to the fire in their modest 2 room house while we ate food that had all been grown/raised within a 5 min. walk from his house. It was a great day.

The next morning I caught a 6 hour bus from the nearest town, Xingjie Zhen, to Hekou, crossed the border into Vietnam (Lao Cai) and found a hotel in Sapa (I decided to spoil myself with a $8 single room). I spotted a bearded man at a restaurant, trusted his judgement, and consumed the delicious Vietnamese food I had been waiting for.

China 4: Nanning; The Wonderful Miscalculation and the 10 Hour Waterfall

After a 6 hour bus ride I arrived in Nanning, a good stopping point between Yangshou and Vietnam and relatively close to Detian Waterfall. I, of course, couldn't find my hostel. A couple of university students that were studying English must have sensed my panic so they approached me to ask if I needed help. After my rescuers called the hostel 10 times, asked several pedestrians directions, and we walked in circles we finally found it.

Dear China,
Please start labeling all your streets. I have become a local celebrity for having no talent except for being a different race so my opinions carry a lot of weight. Xiexie in advanced for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Danika
P.S. Please tell Japan to do the same at your earliest convenience.

For some reason I forgot that my Vietnamese Visa didn't allow me to enter the country until the 1st of November which meant I had 3 days to kill. If there is one thing I've learned about myself it's that I don't like cities....malls, crowds, concentrated pollution and building...what am I supposed to do with that? Nanning is famous for...well, it's where people go to with for their Vietnamese visa...they also have a Pizza Hut. I immediately devised a plan to escape (I'm also terrible at what some call "relaxing"....there are just too many places to be seen). I decided to cross to Vietnam at a different border crossing so I can visit Yuanyang, famous for it's gorgeous terraced rice fields, in the Yunnan province.

When I went to the train station to purchase my ticket to Kunming (where I would transfer to Yuanyang) an Irish woman (the only caucasian outside my hostel I've seen in Nanning) and her 2 Chinese friends came up to me to see if I needed help buying my ticket. Yes, yes I do. After We got our tickets we headed to the biggest park in town. I think Tracy was fluent in English but the only phrase she really said was "let's take a picture." We took a lot of pictures.

That night I played cards with some Finnish guys at my hostel. I would like to take this space to applaud the French, Finnish and Swiss. So far they have outnumbered American travelers by about 10:1...where you at America? Well done, Europeans.

Stardom update: although no one has asked for my autograph, I am still in pictures with every Mei, Wei and Ping that sees me. If I had a Yuan for every random picture I was in...

The next day I traveled 5 hours to see the infamous Detian Waterfall (Virtuous Heaven Waterfall). Detian is said to be Asia's largest transnational waterfall, shared by both China and Vietnam. This is hands down the most scenic waterfall I have ever seen. I took a raft up to the waterfall and was welcomed by Vietnamese who came right up to our raft trying to sell things us things; quite comedic actually. I then walked to the Vietnamese side, watched the Chinese tourists get their picture taken by a rock that says they're in Vietnam and bought some dried fruit. I was planning on spending the night in the village but as fate would have it I took a 5 hour bus back to Nanning that day. I spend about a hour trying to explain I wanted a ticket for tomorrow but after my English sensei tricks had be exhausted (including pointing to tomorrow's date and acting out a scene where a bus driver drove me to Nanning ..with full sound effects) and shut down I gave up and jumped in the van that the man I was taking to had been pointing to and saying "Nanning (and some Chinese jibberish)" for the past hour. There you have it, a waterfall worth over 10 hours of travel time.

Niko thought : I am quite confident that Chinese tourists are my favorite. For them, I don't think there's a single thing that isn't worthy of taking a picture of. A rock, a lost shoe, the people that collect your ticket; genius photographers I tell you. Then come the poses. Sure they sport the typical peace signs (with several differentiations), thumbs up and Vanna White poses, but they have created their own category of poses; most notably the nike swoosh framing your chin and the cutsie pose where half of you pretends like you're taking a nap while the other hand is on your hip. If one person pulls one of these bad boys out it will spread like wildfire throughout the group. But that's not all, I haven't even started with the props. Yes, scarves, umbrellas, dogs, water bottles. The only rule is that you cannot use the prop for it's original purpose I.e. holding an umbrella above your head to shield the rain is unacceptable (you may, however, hold it in of you or pull a Mary Poppins). Tourists can keep me entertained all day, good thing there's so many of them ( the matching outfits of the tour groups and couples only add character).

After being in Japan for so long, I actually have to fight with all I have to not make a peace sign in pictures, this is where Massage V, High Five A and China come in. My eyes have been opened to a world of poses...backstreet boys, East side...(drumdoll) FAR East side (get it?), model hair flip, you could say I've got some ammunition.

China 3: Yangshou; Wll You Be My Climbing Partner?

After having a delightful western breakfast at my hostel's cafe with a table of French travelers, that is probably convinced that I'm stalking, and a charming Chinese man that worked at the hostel, I set off for Yangshou, my initial destination in this area.

Yangshou is much more of a city than I remembered it being. I walked along the river taking in the sites that can be seen on the 20 Yuan bill and then ran into a Canadian couple that I had met earlier when we were mutual lost (a fair portion of my relationships begin this way) in front of the free outdoor climbing wall.

I don't think words can do these two justice. They are two of the few people that know how to live. They are thoughtful about how they live their lives (unconstrained by social expectations) and have found the recipe for their own happiness. The woman is a gorgeous, red-headed, down to earth life coach that is truly inspiring by how much she genuinely cares about people and about living out your her own values (I'll call her "Massage V"). The man is a goofy, thrill-seeking, outdoor athlete (his fortes are climbing and snowboarding) who can put a smile on anyone's face (I'll call him "High Five A"). They are a winning combination.

One thing that comes with being a tourist, especially a Caucasian tourist, is being the target of every sales pitch. It is rare that I can take 3 steps without being offered something while walking down W. Street (the main shopping/restaurant street) "hello hello, bamboo bamboo." Or the classic "Hello lady (plan A: they frantically flip through the menu trying to find something that catches my eye. Plan B: they pick out something they are certain that I can't resist point to it 7 times (I definitely wouldn't understand if they only pointed once) look at me while exhausting their synonyms of good and then pull out a chair for me regardless of my reaction ) ." High Five A was looking for a climbing partner for the next day and who better to ask than the people that stand outside of every restaurant holding their restaurant's menu? Oh how the tables have turned. Although he didn't have much success recruiting a climbing companion from the solicitors, my abs got a workout from laughing so hard, High Five A found a cheap guide elsewhere, he coerced them into giving him high fives, and we had drinks on the patio....so overall it was a success.

Later that night, I went to the Impressions Sanjie Liu performance. This is the world largest natural theater which utilizes the waters of the Li River as its stage. The impressions are derived from the daily life of the people living around the Li River and use singing, lights, and dancing on and around the river to help the audience understand the beauty of the folk songs' hometown. It is divided into several chapters that use color to represent different aspects of life. The performance is divided into several chapters including the preface and epilogue. I found this description online(http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangxi/yangshuo/impression-sanjieliu.htm):

"At the beginning, the lights are all turned off and the image of Sanjie appears indistinctly in the sky with beautiful songs 'Sing the folk songs, here I am singing and there you are echoing...'. As the lights come up, the twelve hills appear in front of the audience; and a small fishing boat is rowed from the hills. This is the Preface - the Legend of Hills and Rivers.

The first chapter is the Red Impression: Folk Songs. On the water, many fishermen are rowing their bamboo rafts in a column. Either standing or squatting, they hang the large red silk in the sky and or upon the water. This red picture symbolizes the enthusiasm and praises the labors of the local people.

The second chapter is the Green Impression: Garden. The color green symbolizes nature as well as the vitality. Among the green hills and rivers, the smoke from cooking fires curls upward; herders are heading home with their cattle under the gleam of the sunset. The women, washing clothes beside the water are waiting for their husbands who are rowing the fishing rafts back home. This chapter reveals the peaceful and happy life of the local people.

The third chapter is the Golden Impression: Fishing Lights. Hundreds of bamboo rafts with golden fishing lights are spreading all over the river. The rafts, gently rocking make the golden fishing lights dance upon the waters, the straw rain capes, the frolic cormorants and the hills construct a perfect picture describing the simple existence of the people around the Li River.

The fourth chapter is the Blue Impression: Love Songs. Under the deep blue sky, and on the dark blue water, the performer of Sanjie is singing classical love songs. Then, a crescent-shaped boat with a charming fairy dancing in is flying onto the surface of the water. A group of pretty and young girls, dressed in red or white are bathing around the boat. In this blue world, these beautiful girls seem to become the notes of Sanjie's love songs.

The last chapter is the Silvery Impression: Performance Grand Ceremony. As the 'Wonder of Lijiang Culture', this scenery reflects the traditional ceremony in Sanjie's hometown according to the legend. Over 200 Zhuang girls form a long column across the bridge over the Li River. Their silver dresses make the river shimmer in a mysterious manner.

In the Epilogue, the fishing rafts are rowed farther and farther from the audience while the beautiful songs of Sanjie are still echoing among the hills. The girls on the bridge present their thanks for the audience with their affectionate folk songs.

Except for the perfect seven pictures, the performance also boasts both modern and classical music played by famous musicians of China. Additionally, there are in excess of 600 performers, all of whom are local people of the Li River. They present the reality of life for the people in Sanjie's hometown through their primitive and wonderful performances."

In short, it was epic.

One thing that I love about the Chinese is how affectionate they are. It is common to see 2 straight guys with their arms around each other, husbands kissing their wives, piggy back rides and couples holding hands. If you have a significant other, kiss them. If you have a friend, hug them. Sure there a limits to my PDA endorsement but human contact is a beautiful thing.

The next day I met up with Massage V for a Spanish omelet and then roamed around taking in the beautiful karst mountains while she got a foot massage. I bumped into High Five A after he had maxed out climbing for the day and we all enjoyed lunch in W. Street and then I caught the bus to Nanning (the capital of Guangxi).

China 2: Xingping; Lucky Ladies Lick Their Lips

After being swayed by Hostelworld reviews I decided to stay at a small town/village called Xingping about an hour away from my intended destination of Yangshou. This was an excellent decision.

Let me take a moment to praise this hostel. For starters, it has toilet paper (if you know anything about budget traveling through Asia, this is a major indicator of class). This is the first toilet paper that I have seen since I have been in China...and get this, it's THREE PLY (insert applause here). It is homey little hostel right along the Li River and has warm showers and famous oven-fired pizza. The first night they played an independent movie about absolutely nothing. Not even a trace of a plot. Awesome. I met the girl that chose the movie and we instantly bonded. We spent the rest of the night talking about important issues like communism, China's conflict with Japan and why some toddlers in China wear pants that expose their butts (seriously, this seems very impractical and just plain messy). [Strange sidenote: one of girls that worked at the hostel came up to me and asked if I was from Japan before I mentioned anything about Japan to anyone. She said my mannerisms were very Japanese but she was confused by my...Caucasian appearance. ] Kung Fu Panda and a climbing video were on the 2nd night. I believe I've made my case.

Once I arrived in town, I strolled through the old streets and then made my way to the river to eat some mystery fruit. All of a sudden a couple of Singaporean guys asked me if I'd like to join them on on a free bamboo raft. My mom always told me not to get into strangers' cars but I'm pretty sure free bamboo rafts are fair game so I jumped in.

Cormorant fishing is a unique activity in Yangshuo and Guilin. The fisherman rows slowly on a simple bamboo raft with several trained cormorant birds. A piece of grass is loosely tied around the bird neck (or tethered with rings round the base of their necks) so the bird can't swallow big fish. When the cormorant bird catches fish and stores it in its mouth, the fisherman will hook the bird on a stick and empty fish from the bird mouth and then put the bird back in the water to continue fishing. We found a fisherman that agreed to let us take photos of him during sunset. Win! The fisherman let us hold the bird but when it got to my turn it, well, it kind of attacked me (I don't seem to have a lot of luck with Asian birds). Turns out my blonde hair alarmed the bird and now I have a small gash on my eyelid (mom, it's very small and I'm still being smart)...small price to pay. I guess blondes don't always have more fun. After that, the gentlemen treated me to a traditional Chinese dinner and invited me in a sunrise boat ride the next morning...accepted.

The next day I got up bright and early and met up with the guys. We went along the river, got some sunrise photos (which didn't turn out to be all that great because it was foggy) then we proceeded to get some dumpling soup in the market for breakfast. We then parted ways and I came back to take a nap. Yes, a nap. Naps are a clear sign that you either you are dying or you have an amazing life. I would categorize myself as the ladder. When I woke up, a girl in my room really wanted to talk to me but she didn't know a word of English so we spent the next hour passing back and forth her phone translating messsages...xie xie technology. I then wandered through some markets, orange orchards and down the river. When it came time for sunset I hiked up Laozhai Hill and sat in silence as the sun fell below the mountains in silence.

When I was young, my parents taught me a phrase so I would be able to pronounce my l's and it stuck with me (maybe I was born Asian): lucky ladies lick their lips. It could because my chapstick is deep within my backpack...but one thing is certain. I am lucky.

China 1: Zhangjiejia; Avatar's Playground

China 1: Zhangjiejia; Avatar's Playground

I am in China, meaning "center of the world."

It has been quite the change from Japan to say the least.

I first flew into Shanghai (where I just transferred planes)and had my first "culture shock." I went into a convenience store at the airport. I literally couldn't believe the prices. I was convinced I had written down the wrong conversion rate, surely I could not buy a salad, a meal and tea for less than4 USD.....at an airport. I frantically asked as many foreigners I could find (there were 2) and even double checked the rate at one of the free computers which all confirmed the same rate. I think I'm going to like it here.

The second thing that I slightly overlooked is that I don't speak Chinese. Whowouldathought, right? No hao was the extent of my knowledge. Since then I have more than tripled my vocabulary with the addition of thank you, I don't speak Chinese, toilet (well, I cheat and say W.C.....but I'm still going to count it) and where am I?....I'm pretty much a natural. Mandarian: Piece. Of. Cake.

I am now in Zhangjiejia in the Hunan province (I flew to Changsha and took a bus here), staying in the National Park. This is where Avatar was filmed and it is definitely a fantasy world. I am constantly in awe of the impressive mountains that jut up from the earth; this place doesn't seam real. My calves are fatigued from hiking up and down mountains for 3 days, my camera is getting more use than it bargained for, my throat is sore from talking to people at hostels and I have seen more people than I have seen in my entire life. I avoided the crowds by hiking on hidden trails that always seemed to go straight up the mountains. These trails made the 200 steps near my apartment in Kure look like a joke....but completely worth it.

So.many.people. Pushing, yelling, tour groups galore, honking, trash everywhere, smelly tofu, loogie hawking....I am no longer in Japan. Although at first these things made me angry, I actually appreciate many aspects. They are real. They aren't pretending to be someone they aren't; if they want to do something they will do anything they can to make it happen. They are raised to be #1 or else they are a loser, there is no middle ground (as my new friend, who has lived here for 12 years, described it, "this is the most capitalistic communist country"). Sure, it is selfish to push everyone else out of the way (including children and the elderly) to get in the bus, but everyone is doing it and not one person gets angry or complains about it, which is quite spectacular. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Once I got past the initial frustration, I actually enjoyed it. Where's the satisfaction in waiting your turn? The loogies are a different story, it's just plain gross (they spit inside restaurants, busses, taxis and obviously the street). It is refreshing to see people taking walks in their pajamas and to not be surrounded by trendy fashion, to see them not living their lives in fear of rules and to hear uncontrollable gut laughs fill up the busses. I can wear my hiking shoes, yoga pants and a t-shirt without giving it a second thought....some refer to me as a fashionista (and by some I mean no one).

I've had some great meals and some alright meals, but who can complain when spending approx. 2 USD/meal? One thing is for sure, this is not Panda Express. I haven't ate any cats or dogs yet...fingers crossed.

I am in a more rural area so I think I am the first foreigner that many of them have ever seen and most can't comprehend that I am traveling alone (most of them are in a tour group with 25+ people so I'm pretty sure they think there is something wrong with me)...lots of head turns and double takes. In 5 days I have only met 4 Chinese people who can speak some form of English (beyond hello and ok...if they are really good they will tell me I'm beautiful then awkwardly stare at me for 2 straight minutes without looking away) but that doesn't stop them from saying hello at every chance that they get (and then laughing uncontrollably when I respond...awesome punchline, friends). In the first hour of entering the park, I was in over 20 photos taken by strangers....and it hasn't stopped since. Group photos with 50 people, me and grandma, family photos, holding babies, the list is endless; I should start campaigning for office.

This is my last day in the park and then I will take trains (18 hours; less than $25 ) to Yangshou in the province Guangxi. I went there in 2008 with my Semester at Sea "team Dogmeat" and fell in love. I am excited to be reunited with the beautiful mountains, the Li River and Gong Boa Jim Ding (an amazing chicken dish).