Instrument For Healing

I got up really early thinking I would pack to go to Sichuan with the other two men in the room. They were nice to wait for me. However, after packing, I decided to check out the possibility of taking a flight to Chengdu and parted with the two men and went back to bed. Maybe the real reason was that I was too tired and I really did not have a particular need to rush to anywhere. Everyone else in the room departed for their new destinations.

The second sleep was excellent, it was just what I needed and I woke up with a smile. I felt rested after that. I re-hung my damp laundry that did not fully dry over night and headed to reception to find out about reserving a ticket to Chengdu. The agency did not charge a service charge for this but needed my passport information so I was instructed to go to the agency with simple directions. As it turns out, I did not find the office and ended up at another one. I think I wasn't fully awake yet and my head was still a bit groggy. I bought a ticket for Chengdu and changed my mind right away because all the flights were evening flights and I would land after 11pm or later. I decided I needed fully wake up and also needed to eat something and then sort this all out afterwards.

I found a noodle shop over looking the water. I met four people from Sichuan who were all police officers on staff vacation. It all started with a camera. They wanted their group photos taken and I took it for them. They were very curious of the fact that I would travel alone. They found my stories interesting and took a picture of me to show to their friends and family when they go home. They told me to return my ticket and go by bus and train that it was much cheaper and I should save my money and spend it somewhere else.

I was convinced and after lunch went to return my ticket for a fee, I still saved a lot of money since the ticket was for 680 yuan and the train and bus would be less than 200 yuan all together. I then went to the bus station to buy my ticket for Pan Jr Hua where there is a train that goes to Emei. I did not pick the earliest bus, I choose 7:10am bus. This still gave me plenty of time to get to the train station since the first trains to Emei is between 5-6pm.

Back in the old town, I stopped in shops and marveled at crafts and silver jewelry. There are lots of guest houses with classical courtyards at every turn and corner. There are economical places to stay and there are exquisite places to stay. I stopped by a sign that said 5 yuan to put on Naxi traditional costume. I had the shop keeper take photos of me in it. Naxi tribe inhabited this land and its music is famous. I like the silver jewelry work. I didn't care for the music too much. It's a highlight here, a thing to do as a tourist to go to a Naxi concert. Tickets have to be bought in advance for 100 yuan. The arched bridges over intricate water canals and Song dynasty architecture are beautiful. People spend days here, just relaxing, eating food and drinking tea. There are lots of postcard spots to stop and marvel at, especially in the late afternoon sun through the trees, on the water, and reflecting off the paper window. It's a place to sit, drink tea and imagine doing poetry. I say imagine because there are tourist everywhere. With the warm weather in Yunnan, there is probably tourist all year round.

I came across the group of police officer friends from Sichuan in a tea shop. They invited me to tea and I joined them. It was perfect timing because I wanted to have tea and was looking for a spot to sit and have tea. I haven't properly sat down to have tea in 40 days. I dearly miss just sitting and having tea. I sat and had what I called bad tea. It cost 45 yuan to have a pot of tea. I think the attendant burnt the tea leaves on the first infusion. It is amazing how many people don't know how to take care of tea

Conversations during tea were about their families and running through travel safety in China, yup spoken like good police officers. They tell me the most trust worthy people in China are those in uniform because they have a set salary and their job is to provide information and is not interested in making money off of you. They invited me to the lake and travel with them via government arranged transportation and tour guide all the way back to Sichuan. I wasn't interested in going to the lake and I already bought a bus pass so I turned down their offer.

They were very nice people who gathered me in as a part of their group and I wanted some how to thank them for the tea and their company. Well, the opportunity came when they pulled out their camera. I told them I do photography for a living and did portrait sessions there for each and every one of them. I also showed them how to use their digital camera. I took care of each of them and I realized they had never had a portrait session before in their life like that. I can see it wasn't just fun but also very healing for them. Photography and the camera, can be used as an instrument for healing.

We all had fun at tea and continued to walk and shop. They invited me to dinner but I passed because I wanted to go to bed early to catch my morning bus and my diet is hard to feed. Well, it's not but it can be among non-vegetarians. Plus they were going to a restaurant outside of the old town and I would have to take a cab back late at night by myself and I would prefer not to.

Going to bed early was a fantasy. Back at the youth hostel the receptionist took a liking to hanging out with me and invited me to the lounge on my floor to hang out with some of her friends. She ended up telling me her sob story of her lost love life and her job etc.... It was somehow full of drama, it was too much for me. I was tired but I was interested in looking into the lives of young workers in youth hostels who worked long hours here in China. The pay at youth hostels are typical, people enjoy seeing westerners. Those who speak English can make western friends and enjoy their jobs. Those who don't get easily replaced by other workers who do and their circle of friendships remain among the high turn over rate staffs. I ended up teaching her English and introducing hot chocolate to them. I have found so far people are curious of hot chocolate here, will try but don't really drink it.

In my new room was a new roommate, a girl from Guang Dong who was headed to Zhong Dian and I chatted with her and shared my experience. The guy from Shanghai was there too who applied his certain skill of inflicting fear in the minds of single female travelers in hopes of picking one up and he applied it to the Guangdong girl. She fell for it, he got her convinced that it is too dangerous for her to travel alone and she would be lost without him. He convinced her to talk him into becoming her traveling companion and that it all appeared to be on her invitation and her idea. It was all very interesting to watch. I had told her early on for her to have her own mind and know what she wants and let people have their opinions.

Lijiang Lit by Red Lanterns

We got off the bus terminal and Jorn led the way into Lijiang Ancient Cultural Town. The sun was setting and we walked quickly through the twisty tiny streets, more like alley ways, filled with ancient architecture and decorated with wooden carvings. The streets were lit with warm red lanterns hanging over moon shaped archways and doors. I tried to keep up with Jorn as I looked around totally fascinated as we zipped through the streets. My head was pretty dizzy by the time I made it to the hostel. I could not remember where I was what and was totally disoriented. As it turns out Jorn's hotel is right across from mine.

This hostel had free internet and movie room. My first concern was laundry, access to washing my dusty stinky clothes and hot showers. The hot shower times were evening after people have checked in for the day and morning before people check out. Not having clarity in hot water times can result in very cold showers. My room was on the 4th floor, one bunk among the 9. It was the cheapest accommodation available and with ear plugs I didn't mind all the people in the room. The interesting part about the room set up is each bunk had its own curtain to close off the bunk. This little addition of separation made of sheet bedding material really made a big difference in the experience of privacy among the many.

In my room were two men who planned to travel to Sichuan by train. You would have to first take the first bus of the day to Pan Jr Hua for 57y, hop onto a local bus to the train station and then from there catch the last train to Emei at 5:10p for 130y on a hard sleeper top berth. These two men were heading out to Sichuan the next morning and said I could join them if I wanted to.

How interesting my trip has been, unplanned, no particular goal or direction, I don't even have a lonely planet guide, and I don't know how to search on the China Google engine "baidu", yet, the answers come just when I need it from where is my next destination and how to go about it, including where to sleep. This kind of traveling really scares some people, totally unorganized, destination free, ungoal oriented, without time constraint, completely about the process, the journey, the discoveries, no room for the categorizing of conventional travel success or failure.

On my 4th floor there is a beautiful deck and a lounge. The deck over looks the entire town of ancient architectural roofs lit by red lanterns. It was a beautiful and an amazing sight. I spent a lot of time looking at the view before going to bed that night. It was nostalgic and romantic in its own way.

My room was filled with Japanese tourists. They are heading to Vietnam by traveling south to the border, a country I would like to visit one day myself. They all spoke Japanese, they formed a group on the internet to do this trip together. This method I hear is quiet popular now, it is especially so in Hong Kong.

I dropped my bags off and set up my bed and organized the evening for myself. I wanted to walk around and see the town even though I was very tired, plus I desperately needed to locate an ATM that will take my card. I walked to the main eating area and checked out what was popular. I followed the river and walked over many arched bridges. The entire town was red in the evening lit by the red lanterns. I discovered hot pot or shabu-shabu was the most popular here. People don't actually come with their families. That this was a popular company, staff retreat, or vacation spot in China. Most sit down spots are catered to groups. I ended up with BBQ vegetable and rice cake kabobs for dinner. It is an easy way to get a variety of vegetables for my diet without extra additives. It is simply cooked over wood and dusted with salt and pepper.

On the way back to rest for the evening I passed by the cultural performance area where dancers performed cultural dances and sang tribal songs. Other parts where there were bars, also had karaoke and I think people who are drunk or maybe they weren't but just sing terribly should really spare everyone else's ears. Or maybe this is just the tactic of bar owners to get everyone else to drink more so they wouldn't mind the terrible singing and they are not going to remember a thing the next day anyway.

After returning to the hostel, I picked up my machine washed laundry to hang dry. I ended up befriending the entire female staff at the hostel. I don't know how this happened, or may be I just don't remember but that's how it worked out. They wanted to hang out with me and chat with me. We had to schedule times for different days during their off work hours to do so.

On the same floor a man from Shanghai chatted with me about going to Zhong Dian. He asked me what my plans were after Lijiang. I planned to go to Sichuan to Mt. Emei. He told me I shouldn't take the train or bus that it is all too difficult and confusing that I would get lost, etc.... He went on and on only to fill me up with fear, all to sell his pitch about how I need a man to travel with and he is the candidate and that I need to go to Zhong Dian with him because it's a good place to travel. He didn't understand that I just came from there or maybe he didn't care and just wanted some one to accompany him. I didn't fall prey.

After shower, I crawled into bed and realized I was in a bit of cultural shock or shock of some sort. I had just come from the quiet town of Yubeng where there are less than 20 families and no more than two dozen tourist, surrounded by pristine majestic wild mountain where the lives stock graze right in front of your door steps and the only noise is really the pigs squabbling, to a kind of Universal Studio type place full of people, tight alleys, and things to buy everywhere. I was in shock from sensory overload. Maybe I am just tired and in need of good rest that I haven't had in the last two weeks.