The previous post is Xi'an (June 08).
The next post is Kaifeng (June 10).

Enroute to Kaifeng (June 09) · Jun 13, 02:24 AM

More morning shiko, leg raises, ma bu (horse stance), and tianchijin (heaven and earth man — read “up and down”). I get quizzed looks and smiles. The locals are playing taiji, dancing with fans in large groups, doing a various miscellanea of exercising, or shuffling in time to the loud techno broadcast from across the river. A group over there yells en-masse every so often, and exchange friendly yells with some of the men on this side. Afterwards, I have a Chinese breakfast for 3 RMB and return to the hostel after a very pleasant visit with a local artist, who wrote some calligraphy for me while we talked.

Yanick and Melanie are going to bike the city wall, and I join them. Before we leave, I run into Eva, Dallas, Jean, and a few more of the travelers I’ve met these last two days. Friends. You meet — maybe on the train, waiting for a buss, at a hostel, or on the street. You meet and swap basic info — how long are you out for? Where are you going? Where have you been? All while going about your business of traveling through China. Sightseeing is a part of that — just like it is during a normally short vacation. Unlike those weeklong getaways, you can’t do all the logistics and prep-work before leaving. You’re doing laundry, calling home, following finances, and doing background research for next month. Also, you don’t speak very much Chinese, which makes getting around towns you’ve never been to before and buying tickets for trains or buses difficult. Don’t forget to buy trinkets and memorable junk for all the untransient folk back home. And keep your blog up to date. And email. And if you can find the bandwidth and the time, please upload pictures. At least make sure to burn CD or DVD archives — one to mail home and a backup to carry. If there’s time left over, don’t forget the sightseeing: temples, markets, mountains, ruins, pagodas, caves, cities, etc..

When Yanick and Melanie finish breakfast we walk to the South Gate. The sun is out and there is a pleasant breeze to cool us (ironically useful when pedaling upwind). It’s a bump ride. We take our time at first, stopping for views and pictures, but then once we’re over the novelty, we start making time. It’s about 14 km total. We finish in about 90 minutes. I’m ready for a shower, which I take before checking out. I get a quick massage, then take a taxi to Xi’an’s “computer city” district to burn pictures. I pick up my bag from the hostel after returning, and grab another taxi to the train station. I’m just in time.

It’s the slow train, and hot. I’ve got a top bunk, but the bottom one next to me is empty, and that’s where I fall asleep.

* * *

Name
E-mail
http://
Message
  Textile Help
http://tom.spacing-guild.net/2006/06/14/kaifeng-june-10