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Prue fights through stomach cramps and a sickly cup of warm soy bean for breakfast to recover enough to carry her pack to the bus station and await for my very first overnight sleeper bus. I'm not gonna lie, I am pretty nervous peeering at what looks like a bug ridden compact grimy piece of transport. People hock up all the flem in their system before alighting, we seem to be lacking somewhat. Playing dumb I manage to blag my way onto the top bunk next to Prue rather than a row behind, this tactic has also helped us out with overpriced toilets. Our bus could be anywhere between 12 and 18 hours, once on board it is easier to relax seen as I don't have to use that drab looking quilt and in fact the beds aren't so bad, lieing down watching the world go by is pretty unique. Admittedly since we are giants in the Chinese world (the southern Chinese people are the shortest) there could be a little more length to the bunk and as people shuffle along the aisle they occasionally knock against our gangly limbs. The city was replaced by greenery as day was replaced by night, windows slowly shut out the chill but wall in the smoke from a few passengers. Sleep doesn't come easily but does attend in stints and allows some respite. By 12 am there is a sudden stop of engines, a great time for a toilet break that does not have to involve one of the toilets but a dash behind its stone wall, ahhh the fresh air. The halt allows the driver time for sleep and the rest of us 3 hours of tranquility, and Ipod to drown out a couple of snorers. The engines revive in the early hours and allow me to check out the outlines of the valleys and the rising of the mist in a sleepy slumber, awesome.
We try to disembark one stop early but the good driver makes sure we reach our target town Jianshui. We barely have time to feel disappointment at our new dusty city surroundings before a scarfed lady, like she doesn't realise what time of day it is, comes barking towns and other unrecognisable things at us. 'Easy woman, chill out with your voice', its much easier to say this when you dont share a single sentence of each others language. Backing away from the beckoning drivers and piercing voice we hope that there is something true to the pretty traditional Jianshui than we can see so far. Using our guidebook we aim for a guesthouse deemed to be in the centre of town and within 5 minutes feel engulfed by the tremendous beauty of alleyways made accessible by grand arches. Turning into one of these traditional Chinese gates we can be amongst the small quaint clothes shops bordered with Chinese scriptures and painitings, and smaller side streets with people setting up their tofu barbeques and sliding open their carved balcomy windows. Stepping out of the taxi was like stepping back in time, and the only smack back into reality occurred when Prue had to jog after our guidebook which I had neatly placed on top of the vehicle, classic.
The guesthouse we took refuge in was a wonderland of Chinese architecture, just like its surrounding town. Alongside the eggs and toast on the menu we made good use of the sprightly toilet making ourselves a little less gross after such a long journey. The freshen up came just in time as soon after a hoard of Chinese tourists approached, and in that excited manner than only Asians seem able to achieve they bombarded us with loud chatter and a speedy organisation of photos. A multitude of flashes, peace signs and smiles later we were once again in silence, but with massive grins all over our faces. We had time to kill, so took a walk around the traditional cobbled street town, we marvelled at the grand main gate surrounded by groups of gambling men and women, some smoking cigarettes through huge bong style tubes. Black and white whispy paintings can be found on the walls, and although many of the shops sell modern goods (Thanks to China Mobile I have a new phone number) they are in an antique setting. Wondering around in this relaxed atmosphere where there are some shy smils and as yet no other foreigners feels special and after watching townsfolk draw water from traditional wells it became apparent that we were approaching our meeting time with our host Ellen.
Couch surfing, a new concept to me, seems ideal in China since we have such little knowledge of its customs and language. Ellen has accepted our request and sends us a text of her whereabouts in chinese characters, genius. Entering her home and workplace tentatively we are obvious outsiders. The back packs and white skin create quite a stir in the 2000 student school. Betting on who our host is our attention was immediately drawn to a woman almost jogging with excitement in our our direction. Meet Ellen, and our new home, a room just big enough for 2 more girls and their back packs and an biddy bit of walking space. Theres a lot of pink, the wardrobe for instance and the head board; There are curtains at the far end of the rectangle which seal off the cooking area and the door to a tiny bathroom whose washing bucket seems to engulf it. When showering, ones elbows will always knock something off the clothes peg or toilet, and generally in the direction of down the squat hole... eventually I am to lose my soap and a hair bobble. Her kitchen consists of a shallow stone basin along the left hand side and a counter with the only cooking appliance you'll ever need, a hot plate. Above this hangs an array of drying clothes, flannels and a cluttered shelf. All in all the place is clean, if not a little overwhelmed.
Dumping the bags straight off and heading for one of our dreaded ambitions, a restaurant lunch, Ellens confidence strengthens as she realises we are quite nice and reaffirms that foreigners are not so bad after all, despite what might sometimes be portrayed to her people. At the restaurant a set of crockery and chop sticks all wrapped in platic is placed before us and we pop the utensils open, imagine our suprise when we are asked if we like eggplant. Thinking we were doomed for being vegetarians, our spirits -and our resignation to never listen to others- soared. Chinese food is fantastic, with a multitude vegetables, new sauces, spices, soups and green tea to wash it all down.
It was beginning to feel like a long day, not suprising after the overnight travel and a few stomach upsets. Ellen however, asks if we would mind joining one of her classes for a quick hello and after receiving so much we oblige. Possibly a mistake, 10 minutes stretched to over an hour; I was forced to sing to a group of 60 (thanking Prue for that who I mouthed 'f*** off' to over the class) and Prue attempted Simon Says and hangman games, after which we tried to converse with everyone individually. Ellen pushed us a little too much, and I feel that although it is beneficial for the children to converse with foreigners the entire class is disrupted by our presence and the students are left with a wasted hour and we exhausted and a little tense. The children here attend school throughout the day, and although there is a 2 hour sleep break at noon may stay until 10 at night. To relax we walk to somewhere quiet and still before retiring back to Ellens place as she finishes her classes where she has given up her bed for us and taken up the sofa bed instead.
It is quite amazing what food can be cooked on a single hot plate, I'm finding myself falling for Chinese quisine (and breakfast is freshly steamed dumplings!) and even the way of life. The accomodation is on the 5th floor of a school residence building, this one reserved for teachers. Ellen who is quite open about herself has already told us that she cannot shower in cold water because she is on her period, so I confess that I am also on mine. In response to this I have to heat 2 kettles of hot water for my shower, am constantly fed rose tea (litterally roses soaked in water with sugar), am banned from massages (not a fan in the first place) and more disastrously, from ice cream. What the hell... oh it's because it is also cold!!! The next morning, the friend of the woman across the way knocks on our door with a bowl of ginger soup to sooth the pains, news definitely travels fast, even Prue receives a tea bag from another corridoor buddy that after 4 days finally allows her to go to the toilet... effective in approximately 8 minutes!
What an awesome insight into the behaviour of the Chinese who live in very close contact and who spead information and helpful advice. Ellen has lists of herbal remedies passed down from mother to daughter over centuries, and I must say the rose tea may have made a difference, but also we are eating more healthily than ever, steamed vegeatables, tofu soups and yummy greens (yes yummy).
The connectivity also applies outside of the building, one woman who lives opposite Ellen calls her husband who works as a guide at Jianshuis 'Swallows cave' who calls the desk staff of said attraction and then messages Ellen who texts me a name that allows us free entrance. The Chinesehave a specific phrase for 'who you know' connectivity.
However, on the flip side, the confinement of this way of life takes its toll on the free spirited traveller. Being told when one should wash their face, wake up, eat and return from an outing does become irritating. You cannot help but feel that you are being checked up on and look for games that involve entrapment, such as being forced to take the keys so you have to rush back when your host wants home. We remind ourselves often over the 3 days at Ellens that this is a cultural difference and is a desire to do things together, nothing personal.
We receive so much in experience, exchange languages, phrases, food preferances, wefall into deep appreciation for our ability to pick up a back pack and explore the world. To give something back for all the kindness we cook up a storm for Ellen, despite struggling to find any of our ingrediants in the local supermarket and nearly buying a kilo of salt instead of sugar we manage to rustle up pasta, garlic bread and bruschetta, and for dessert banoffee pie (after pleading with hand signals in a bakery to attain some cream). Healthy Ellen struggled with the sweetness but we had a fantastic feast and last gossip session while the sugar high lasted before falling into a stupour as it wore off. Earlier in the day while treating Ellen to lunch, she hellishly over ordered and we were presented with an unfinishable amount of food, so the 3 of us easily drifted into a bloated sleep within the little unit. A grand thankyou to Ellen, fond of the foreigner, in need of a travel buddy, a keen listener and devoted host.
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