Week 7: Quingshui River Hike

This week I decided to get out of the city for a bit and join some other expats and curious Chinese on a trip to Quingshui River. Going into the weekend I expected a nice walk along the river bed with some swimming holes and a tasty barbeque at the campsite at the end of the day. I was not exactly on target with this prediction.

We had traveled to a town near the river in a regular bus, with about 30 seats total. However, to get to where the trail head started near the river, we had to split the group in half and load onto smaller buses with 2 seats on one side and 1 on the other. Thank goodness we did so, because the roads we proceeded to follow were extremely narrow and passing other 4-door sedans was a feat in and of itself. In China bus drivers seem to honk at everything: pedestrians crossing, the car in front of them going to slow, approaching a corner, you name it! I’m also pretty sure that the horns on cars in China are louder than anywhere else in the world, but that may just be due to increased usage. Along with the constant honking and the precarious passing’s, my driver also managed to pull down an electrical wire with the side mirror at one point. In an “only in China” moment, he proceeded to light a cigarette and pick up the wire, throwing it back to the side of the road and enjoying his smoke while he re-adjusted the mirror.

Hiking started out fairly normally-we walked through a bamboo forest and ended up at the river, promptly jumping in for a swim in the cool water (it was about 90 degrees with 85 percent humidity.) After the swim though, things started to get a bit harder. The river was higher than the trip planners had anticipated, so instead of wading through the water we ended up climbing (and more commonly, traversing) the rocks on the bank. It was a lot like indoor bouldering, except that if you fell you would fall into water and likely have wet clothes for the evening. With the stakes so high I hung on for dear life a few times, and owe a box of cigarettes to our trained guide who hoisted me out of the river a few more times than I’d like to admit. (He smoked like a chimney, had the girth of a celery stalk and the strength of a bear.)

The campsite was a quaint little spot with about 6 houses, clearly set up for the tourist traffic coming through the area. I was provided a tent and sleeping bag, and decided to do as the locals and pitch it on a structure by the river. When I say “by the river” I mean over the river: the hosts had several frames made of wood that they lay woven bamboo mats over in order for tents. These did not look sturdy, but after a night sleeping on it I can say it was fairly decent, no worse than a forest floor. The biggest problems were the mat moving whenever anyone on the platform shifted and the fear of going to the bathroom in the night, in case you walked the wrong way out of your tent. We were also served a traditional Chinese meal, which was quite tasty if not the barbecue I had anticipated.

The next day was significantly more relaxing, with a walk that actually was along the river (rather than through it or alongside it suspended a few feet) and some swimming to cool off in the heat. We also had the fun of watching another group of all Chinese people enjoy the rapids in life jackets-as they made a train to go down they all made the funniest “weeeee!” noise, so those of us not from the country were quite entertained. At the end we hiked up some steep banks to a small town for the mini buses to come pick us up again. We were rewarded with some amazing views of the surrounding hill sides and fresh mountain air. Getting on the bus to go back to Shanghai is always a bummer, but this time I was happily exhausted.

Note: usually the pictures I post were taken by me (or the subject was me) but I can’t claim credit for most of this week’s, we had some stellar photographers who shared their shots and I must say they were better than the ones my little point and shoot came up with. Don't want to take credit for work that isn't mine.

Week 6: Shanghai Part 2

This week I decided a bit of R&R was in order, so I stayed in Shanghai to get to know the city a bit better. My coworker gave me a list of things worth seeing or doing: from standard tourist attractions to places locals explore in the city. I started out with getting a new pair of prescription glasses. No I don’t need new glasses, the ones I brought are working just fine. However, as advertised, you can get custom glasses made within 30 minutes and the price tag is nothing to scoff at, especially compared to prices in the US. Thus, 30 minutes and $50 later, I am now the proud owner of a pair of Ray Ban glasses, to wear when I want to mix it up a bit. Highlights of my trip include showing the salesperson a picture of my office manager in order to secure the “friend discount” and getting an eye exam done. In the States, when they want to test what lens strength you need, they hold up an eye machine to your face and flip through the different lenses. Here, they had an actual pair of glasses that had clip-ins for the lenses, which you could compound as the patient requires. Since I’m very, very near-signed, my obligatory walk around the shop with this medical device was a sight to see, with 3-4 lenses strapped to each eye!

I also decided to go get a haircut, since I hadn’t had one in several years. I walked into a recommended salon with the intention of getting a trim and some layers: what I ended up with was a shampoo, head massage, upper shoulder massage, trim, and styling. It was quite the relaxing experience, so I can’t really complain!

Outside of my mini makeover, I went to one street known for selling clothing. Along this particular road were several buildings that were full to the brim with independent clothes salespeople and their shops. It was like TJ Maxx had split into 100 different tiny rooms, each with a hodgepodge selection, with any kind of clothing you could imagine. There was 1 “store” with only denim-pants, shirts, jumpers, you name it! I’m not sure how the Chinese are able to find anything with the cluster that was Qi Pu road, but it was certainly a sight to see.

The other place I visited was the Yu Garden of the “Old Temple”. This is a historic site tucked away in the middle of the city, complete with a temple and beautiful garden. The garden was probably a serene place once, but now it is filled to the brim with people from all over the world. Still beautiful, it was worth the visit, especially for the enormous fish in the various ponds the garden encircles. Outside the garden they also have a type of cafeteria, where I had a laugh at some of the translations of the available delicacies. Particularly funny was the translation for a dish that I’ve always known as “Stinky Tofu”. (And believe me, this particular snack gives off an unmistakable odor that cannot be escaped. I always seem to find it in the old towns.) This sign indicated that it was “Deep-Fried Bean Curd of Odor”. How’s that for a mouth-watering description!

Week 5: Xitang and Hangzhou

This week I decided to set out on my own and explore some of the sites closer to Shanghai, but equally famous. (I’m pretty sure every place in China is famous because my coworkers always mention how famous a town is when I name one, without fail!) Looking to get away from the crowds and hustle of city life, I decided to start in Xitang, reputed to be the least crowded of the Shanghai water towns. If this was the least crowded I can only imagine what the others would be like, because it was overflowing with tourists: however, it was a very beautiful place with a lot of character.

A lot of the old water towns (a town built along canals, like Venice but smaller) actually charge entrance fees to enter the old town historic section. Once in, you can see the sights of a living, breathing town, and fight your way through hordes of tourists while enjoying local delicacies, such as stinky tofu and some kind of creature that looks like fried sting ray on a stick. At night, despite its small and quaint atmosphere, Xitang old town turned into a club scene, with 6-7 clubs blaring music at top volume. I have to admit, except for the music volume, clubbing in China is done right. People enter a club and are assigned a table, where they can sit with friends, drink, and watch the dance stage. The dancing area is elevated and, when I came, only men were dancing, which was a refreshing change from what normally happens in the US. After enjoying my drink from a nice seated position, I decided to give dancing a try. Turns out the stage is more like plywood suspended on springs, so it’s like dancing on a trampoline! And the best part-this all started around 7pm so I was happily in bed at my normal time and still got to experience it.

The next day I had some fun encounters with the language barrier, but managed to make my way to Hangzhou, a town famous for having West Lake smack dab in the middle. It was very beautiful, but extremely hot, humid, and drizzling so my energy was a bit sapped. I did manage to visit the old town and a few temples/pagodas before I departed for some views. That is one city I’d like to return to, but in nicer weather.