4/30/07

Got back late last night from my trip with 我的男朋友 Masa. Amazing trip. We saw near abandoned villages, hiked around mountains, drew under peach trees, ate good (but basic) food, used hideous hole-in-the-ground country bathrooms, didn't shower and basically lived outdoors for four days. Wow. Back to Beijing reality...



Random village view from the bus.

爨底下(Cuandixia village)


Temple at 爨底下.

The owner of this home made a delicious stew with frozen tofu. She had one of the cleanest kitchens I've seen in China.

Brushing my teeth outside of my landlord's home. (She's on the right.) The owners of the house next door raise bees, so they were constantly buzzing around this area. (I bought very inexpensive honey.)


Home at 白玉 (Baiyu)

Abandoned home at 白玉. This room had some cultural revolution memorabilia on the dressers. Everything was dusty and untouched.


Donkey.

Peach blossoms in the mountains.


This woman, like many local villagers, has opened her home to tourists and provides a place to sleep for 10RMB a night (around $1.40)

Dinner at a home restaurant in 爨底下. Mantou, corn cakes, Cucumbers with vinegar and sesame oil, spicy donkey with peppers and whole little fish. (which were sweet and salty)

Very curious boy. He ran around with my camera taking pictures.

Mother of our landlord with her grandson.

Mountain lake by 珍珠湖. Masa and I found an abandoned paddleboat.

金鑫 (Masa) wading in a river.

Mountain view near 珍珠湖.

Train to 西直门, a subway stop in Beijing. Everyone else boarding this train were fishermen.


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds (and looks) like you had a good trip. You look so pink! No more little-bit-of-brown-you-get -from-living-in-Miami-tan. You look like a Northern city dweller Ross, which come to think of, you are :).
This weekend I saw a friend perform with her Taiko drumming group at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens...lots of blooming trees, children, and girls in kimonos wearing combat boots ( I forget the name of the Japanese festival that was being celebrated)

Anonymous said...

u should write something about that poor little pot!apparently its gone...

Anonymous said...

Wow ! sounds like an exciting adventure! too primitive for yer old ma- who must have a real bathroom or it's a no-deal!!! I really am afraid to ask but is that before and after pictures of the poor donkey? No chicken but a whole donkey!!!!
I guess being American is to be crazy-always-on-the-run just trying to pay the bills and suck gas, while a large part of the world is just trying to eke out a survival pattern , boiling water and finding food... it's incredible the vast differances in existances, way of lifes ... I really am not sure which is more rich and vital...it's a shame there is not more common ground...a more level playing field...Many Americans are not entirely happy with the capitalistic way of life and our culture does not seem as true or real.
It still amazes me how Beijing and Japan want to emulate the western world and embrace it's icons, is it all Mc Donald's and Disneyland? Middle Class Americans now know better, the struggle is intense and stressful and unhealthy and seemingly unending... but I still love America and the principle of our ideals... the tragedy is our government has lost sight of what made America great...Oh well another hot day in Miami....
Please continue to include pictures of yourself in the blog, everytime I see you it warms my heart and lessens the incredible distance between us... I am sure everyone else feels the same... new haircut?
loveyerma
aka
GrannyT

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
about us said...

the food as usual looks delicious, even if it's basic. the sights are otherwordly...i'd love to feel the height, the weather, the aromas...
how far did you travel? did you go north or west? south? i have to agree with "yerma" about the pictures of you...it's like: "OH! THERE'S ROSS!" sometimes, it's easy to forget how very far you are....
miami is more of the same and yet it feels like everything is changing, shifting...
went camping to the keys with the kids this weekend. you can see pictures on my about us thing (the most non-blog, blog ever!).

i may have an interview for something that's supposed to be good real soon... we'll see.?! either way i plan to move out of this city by the end of next summer...

what pot is masa talking about? gone?

no sylvia on this trip, huh? what the hell did she do this weekend...have a party while papa ross was out of town!? will you give me her e-mail, i seem not to have it.

take care of yourself and don't get too serious about relationships and shit...but have the time of your life.

your bud,

i--

harumi said...

beautiful beautiful beatiful!!
looks like you had amazing trip! I love looking at all your pictures. Its so awesome!
btw, is Masa chinese?

ross said...

Mom! Actually, China has this interest in the west, but it's fairly skin-deep. Although, I don't know enough, and many Chinese would disagree with me.

Dad! I'm very pink, especially so compared to locals.

Isa! Just saw your blog today. The pot is just a plant pot that broke at my house, I'm assuming.

Masa! Post something better!

Harumi! Thanks for the comments! Masa is part Japanese. His Chinese name is Jin Xin. How are things with you and Tommy?