I'm Back!

I figured I'd better write something seeing that some people think I'm still overseas. I've been home since July 11th, the date I originally planned to return. It was an odd feeling when I returned. I wasn't quite ready to jump back into my American life full scale so I remained undercover here dabbling in the free summertime activities like listening to the orchestra in Central Park (despite the storm that completely soaked us). I thought I'd kiss the ground outside JFK Airport immediately upon arrival. This isn't to say that my experience in Asia was horrible. Someone stole my camera in Beijing, I developed food poisoning just as I was about to climb the Great Wall, encountered money withdrawal hardships in Narita Airport, and the isolation I felt wandering through Tokyo just all contributed to traveler's fatigue. I just wanted to be home and I wanted to stop carrying my six week backpack of a home on my back.

I did have fun in my final week though. I loved biking around Beijing with the locals, and especially around Tiananmen Square. It's funny...as I biked around the Square, Chairman Mao's portrait looming over everyone, I realized it was the Fourth of July back home. Everyone was celebrating freedom and liberty in the States while for me, a memorial to June 4th, 1989 would have had me escorted far from Tiananmen Square by undercover guards.

Tokyo wasn't too bad either, and Sophia Coppola picked the perfect city for her film, "Lost in Translation." One fun thing about Tokyo: I was homeless for a night so I slept in a park. Don't worry, it was fine and a bunch of other people did it to. The homeless men in Tokyo are still so traditional, they leave their shoes outside their cardboard homes, or underneath the park bench they'll occupy that night! And I can see why they're homeless. Tokyo is so unbelievably expensive. $17 for a cheap movie ticket? Japanese ATM machines are a nightmare.

Growing up in Wisconsin, I just came to know that the world is a big place and there's a lot to see out there. Despite knowing this, it still took a study abroad trip to Paris to truly comprehend this. My world didn't expand on this China trip, but it did teach me that growing up an American in the United States, I have come to know so little about the world. It seems to me that given our strong position in world affairs, all that matters is the U.S., and the rest of the world doesn't play in unless there's a horrible tragedy. I met so many people from other countries who knew so much about the U.S., and I in return couldn't tell them much about what I knew of their countries. Queen of the Netherlands? Didn't know she existed, but I did meet Dutch people who could provide a list of twenty U.S. senators, and which senators are going to have tough re-election campaigns this November. Can I name three territories or provinces in Australia? No, but many Australians I met knew exactly where Wisconsin was, and even what Wisconsin is famous for. Looking back, I remember looking at a list of the most populous Chinese cities, and only knowing three of them (Beijing, Shanghai, Xian). But what about Chengdu? Kunming? Who knew these Los Angeles and Chicago-sized cities even existed? So this trip has taught me to escape an America-centric existence, to make that extra effort to take notice of what's going on here, and abroad. I need a subscription to The Economist now...
China is a cool place, and I certainly want to return. I must return, especially considering I never quite made it to the Great Wall! I encourage everyone to see China. Don't worry about the language barrier. Just know the basics and be willing to get a little creative. The scale of some of the Chinese cities and the spectacular scenery in the countryside is something you don't want to miss. And if you have any questions about going, I'm willing to provide what I can. I want to thank my sister too for posting all my blog entries while I was abroad. The Chinese government apparently does not like blogs furnished by Blogspot, so it's censored. Who knew I was so controversial? I'd been e-mailing my entries to her and she posted them for me, so thanks Jane.
That said, I don't think I'll be writing in the blog regularly anymore. Its novelty has worn off for me. Maybe if I end up making a big move to Paris or something, I'll use this blog as a forum for communicating that. I wrote nearly 60 entries over the course of the year, and so I thank all the people who took the time to read it. Bye!

Oh My Gorge

It's so difficult to keep up on this blog when I am traveling so much. I must make this brief as I have a plane to catch to Beijing soon!
I hiked Tiger Leaping Gorge for two days last week. I am not sure what the difference is between a gorge and a canyon, but they are similar nevertheless. We started at the river level in the village of Qiaotou, and gradually hiked upward. Everyone I hiked with came from the guesthouse I stayed at, Mama's in Lijiang. Mama is something of a celebrity among Yunnan Province backpackers. She provided us with whatever help we needed, and when it came time to eat, the food just didn't stop. Even when everyone announced they couldn't eat anymore, Mama kept the food coming. And if you didn't eat any meat, she made you eat an egg for protein. Mama is cool too because she refers to herself in the third person. "Mama help you find train ticket," she'll say.
At Mama's, I saw many other travelers who were passing through Yunnan. Mama refuses to be listed in the Lonely Planet guidebook, and relies on word of mouth advertising. It works. Everyone seems to be on the same track, and I met my Dutch friend who I thought I had left behind in Dali so it was nice to see a familiar face, and meet some new ones too.
On the hike, Some locals followed us hoping that we would give in with exhaustion and hire their horses. No one in our group did. The hike started off under the hot sun, but as we climbed higher, the view of the mountains and river came into perspective. Very spectacular. Before reaching the top of the gorge (2600 meters, 8600 feet), we had to hike up the steep "28 bends." which are a series of trails that curve in and out upward. Once we reached the top, the terrain began to descend, and we finally reached our resting point, the Halfway House. The Halfway House is amazing because it is a lodge that overlooks everything because it is 2400 meters from sea level. The view from our balcony included the mountains across the river and the setting sun. The next morning, we woke up early and saw clouds pass slowly in front of us at eye level. Overall, the hike was not too difficult relative to other hikes one can do in China, but Tiger Leaping Gorge is certainly one of the most beautiful.
The next day we returned to Lijiang and biked to the small village of Baisha, home of the famous Dr. Ho. Dr. Ho became famous in the 1980's for his special Eastern medical practice. He examined me and recommended a tea mixture that will solve all of my medical woes.
After Lijiang, Nicole, my Dutch friend from Dali, and two French girls (I've been speaking French again...in China!) took a sleeper bus to some city, don't know where. The sleeper bus experience is wonderful. It's a coach bus, but instead of seats, is full of bunk beds! They cram 40 beds in this vehicle! We departed Lijiang at 6:00pm and arrived in the middle of the night. Our train to Chengdu did not depart until 9:00am, so we had to kill time by walking around this desolate city. The locals eyed us with curiosity and confusion. We ate street food with them and they laughed when we found the food to be especially spicy.
Now I am in Chengdu which has turned out to be actually pretty fun. I am not a fan of big Chinese cities, but this one is pretty laid back. We visited the Panda Breeding center yesterday and I saw the panda bears frolicking around their habitat. They're so cute, and it's unfortunate that there are only about 1.500 of them left in the world. Breeding them is a difficult task because pandas are very picky about who they mate with. We saw a video that showed a panda bear giving birth. Whoa Nelly, isn't that a sight! I suppose watching anything give birth is a sight in itself.
After the panda bears, we visited a large Buddhist temple. Buddhist temples are so beautiful and so serene. One part of the temple included a courtyard and we delighted ourselves by watching elderly Chinese folks playing checkers and mahjong.
After the temple, we walked to the city park where the people had set up speakers and a small orchestra. People danced in the afternoon sun without any worries on their mind. When they saw us foreigners, they insisted the girls in our party we dance with them! They dragged the girls out and everyone gathered in a circle clapping hands. Later, an accordion player started playing Dutch melodies, and the Dutch people in our group sang for the crowd. The Chinese laughed and grinned uncontrolably. They all said goodbye as we headed on our way. Later that night, we saw a Sichuan (the province I am in) opera. It was a variety show, all done very well. Watching the Chinese audience was a sight in itself. There are no prohibitions against flash photography, and people kept taking pictures. To westerners, this is annoying, but to the Chinese it is normal.
Okay, off to Beijing now! I'll be home in less than a week now!