China Wrap Up

China's done, finished, kaput. How do I feel about it? Well like the end of most trying experiences it's bitter-sweet. I really loved China and have a long list of reasons to stay, but on the other note - I'm a bit Chinaed out myself and know it's time to move on to the new experiences I'm looking forward to in SE Asia and Oceania (oh, yeah and back home too). That will have to wait for now though... For now, here's the account of the eventful last ten days in China. As always, I've posted a number more pictures on my Flickr site.

I met up with my sister Amy late on the first of January in Guilin. I'd heard Guilin was westerny and touristy, but it defied even my expectations. The town itself is nice, with tall Karst peaks surrounding the city and many canals and lakes winding through the middle of the city and abutting the Li River. Like Yangshuo I rarely found the need to use the Chinese I'd been working so hard to develop. The main problem with Guilin when we were there was the weather. It was the same bitter, wet cold that I'd become accustom to in China, the kind that cuts right through your clothes and accumulates throughout the day since you can never really get out of it. With the weather as it was, and with Amy adjusting to the jetlag associated with a 15 hour jump over the Pacific, we mostly took it easy in Guilin, but did get to check out the Reed Flute Cave hidden in the middle of one of the nearby mountains, took the Chinese tour boat up the Li River to Yangshuo and saw some of the other famous sights in Guilin.

Reflections on Reed Flute Cave

Li River From the Tour Boat

We also managed to find some great food in Guilin including the "Thousand flavors dumpling restuarant". Walking down the street in Guilin, Amy and I ran into Tom (on the right in the New Years Picture from Yangshuo) and he joined us for dumplings, and with our collective knowledge of Chinese we were able to navigate the Chinese menu and avoid the horse Dumplings (they really mean it when they say 1,000 flavors). These were hands down some of the best dumplings I'd found in China and in the nick of time too! Personal favorites were the "three fresh" dumplings with pork, shrimp and... uh... something else delicious. Another hit was the spicy Sichuan restaurant and the Sichuan pickled cabbage which knocked our socks off but were delicious. This sounds all well and good, but somewhere in these culinary pursuits lay a crouching menace waiting to pounce (oh, the suspence!) resulting in AJ having his first (but hopefully the last) "gastro-intestinal " incident of the trip.

This "incedent" (as it will be hitherto refered) lasted through an extremely uncomfortable sleeper train (which has now surpassed the sleeper bus to Kunming as the #1 thing on my list of things which I do not want to talk about) and into our arrival in Guangzhou. I was trying to ride it out and beat it the natural way, but after two days and three terrible nights with no improvement I'd had enough and I called in the reinforcements in the form of 6 Cipro pills prescribed by my doctor before I left (note to perspective travelers - this is a good idea). Magic. I felt better almost instantly, though it still took a good three days to fully recuperate and rehydrate. In one bit of luck from the last week, Amy remained unaffected.

The first night in Guangzhou was muted by my sickness, as on arrival we ended up just crashing at the hostel near the train station and I spent the whole day in bed reading and sleeping (it was actually kind of great). By nightfall, I thought I was better so we went for a walk along the Pearl river which is lined with lit up clubs, lit up trees and full of people enjoying the mild, pleasant weather. After walking not too long , I quickly realized my strength wouldn't last and we hopped a cab back to the hostel. The next day we headed to a different hostel on Shamian Island, a western hotspot on the river separated from the mainland by a small canal. The Island is really neat as it's filled with old European architecture and grand buildings from when the British used the Island as a base for trade with Guanzhou. Rumor has it that the island used to be isolated at night to keep out the pesky locals.

The Pearl River From Shamian Island

There's something else strange about Shamian - as Amy discovered when she checked out the local shops and was repeatedly asked if she had "picked up her baby yet". When she replied, "no I'm just here with my brother," then it was obvious to them that I was the one picking up a baby. They now stand corrected. Turns out Shamian is now the center of Baby trade between the US and China, and for some reason all the US couples come here and have to wait a month before picking up their babies. It creates a strange atmosphere - trust me.

We also dined well in Guangzhou despite my condition. We went to a local restaurant with many local oddities like sandworms, water beetles, snakes, toads, etc. in tanks outside the dining area. Apparently the saying is that in Guangzhou they will eat "Anything that flies but isn't a plane and anything with four legs that isn't a table". I believe it. Despite the adventurous nature, this meal was disappointing. We went for the too bland steamed chicken buns and the fried eel in "Rose Sauce" which tasted suspiciously like Ketchup.

The next day we went to a cool tomb that was unearthed in the eighties when digging for an apartment building, and that night gave a ring to Aaron (a friend of my friend Andrew) whom showed us the ropes of Guangzhou steamed Guangzhou fish and the local "Dim Sum," a cantonese phrase translated directly as "touch the heart". It was wonderful (a term I do not use lightly).

Dim Sum in Guangzhou with Amy and Aaron

The next morning we signed out of China and arrived in Hong Kong. We decided to crash at the Chungking Mansions, a network of apartment like buildings tied together with restuarants and guesthouses on everyfloor. I would not describe the "Mansions" as "clean" but they did the trick and it was definitely a worthwhile experience. They were filled with Africans, Indians and countless other ethnicities I didn't recognize, as well as Indian food stalls wholesale trinket shops and sketchy money trading windows.

The Entrance to Chungking Mansions

I really liked Hong Kong. The weather was perfect (finally!) the air was clear (at least when we were there) and the surrounding islands, beaches and mountains are beautiful. The city is bustling and filled with a great diversity of British, various Asians and other westerners. Highlights from Hong Kong involved the view of the city from the Star Ferry going to Hong Kong island from Kowloon - the best bang for your buck in HK, the tram up Victoria Peak for the sunset and to watch the lights come on in the city, riding the double decker bus over the winding roads around the island to the southern point of Stanley - a great place to relax in the sun with some authentic British Fish and Chips and a Boddington's (after three days of antibiotics). Heaven. The last night we spent with my Friend Justin From High School who works in Hong Kong now and his friend Elizabeth who was there visiting, both of whom I knew when I was in DC. And with that, I called it, and headed to bed, waking early for my flight to Bangkok where I remain.

The Lights Come on in the City

The Sunset From Victoria Peak

And so the epic (if I do say so myself) trip to China comes to an end. A success in my eyes and an experience I'll always carry with me. Luckily, the epic continues through SE Asia and onto Australia and New Zealand. I plan to keep up the blog so stay tuned for further updates. Thanks for coming along with me so far.

Cheers.