Mini-Trip to Yangshou

Thursday May 6

I didn't think that I would have anything to write about this early into the trip, but I guess life is full of little surprises, which makes it so interesting.

It is now 12:23am and we have yet to board our 9:50pm flight from Shenzhen to Guilin.

We arrived at the airport on time after a quick border crossing and minibus to the airport. As has become customary at this point, Alex and I began a search for McDonalds for dinner. While I hate eating McDonald’s at home, here it is a true symbol of consistency. The first thing I realized was that now, I was DEFINITELY in China. We're not in Hong Kong anymore Todo. What does this imply exactly? Well, aside from the ceaseless smoking and spitting, it means that a miniscule portion of the population speaks English. This was a bit of a shock because to me, and please don't take any offense, I cannot notice any physical difference in the people, but they certainly are of a different culture from Hong Kong.

It's a damn good thing that “wo men shou yi dian de Putonghua” (we speak a bit of mandarin) and that the McDonalds arch is probably the most widely recognized symbol in the history of the world. After a few times trying to pronounce it with Mandarin sounds, I resorted to just tracing the M on a table, and immediately they knew what we were asking. Mao is probably rolling in his grave right now.

After getting through security we realized that we were in for a real treat. As we cleared it, we could gear a rumble of voices from the other side. I thought it was some kind of response to a TV show or sports event, but it turned out to be a bunch of people yelling at an airline employee because their flight had been delayed 7 hours without any explanation. It was amazing how obnoxious and violent they were – both physically pushing and verbally abusing him.


(Note that the guy doesn't say a word through the whole assault. Also my question about canceled flights would be answered shortly)

After this video was shot, one man tried to tackle the airline employee. Behind us stood some security officers from the x-ray machine who stood by and enjoyed the view as much as we did. It’s a strange dichotomy to the very present police force in China that we are accustomed to hearing about being brutal to people – here it was the opposite.

An hour later the same thing happened at our gate as we found out that our flight would be delayed indefinitely. It turned out it was three hours, but as of now, it looks like it will be longer. The really nice part, and another distinction from American airport etiquette was that after about an hour, the airline employees at our gate started handing out food and drinks to everyone. While it was nasty baked beans and crackers, it was the thought that counted. The ones who had been delayed 7 hours even got ramen noodles! You won't be seeing American Airlines do that anytime soon.

(This is the 3-hour-delay snack pack. That's a can of beans up top, not my favorite, but we traded for more crackers)

The scene here reminded me of a more defunct version of LaGuardia, as we found out that all of these delays, probably more than thirty flights, had been caused by rain at another airport a few hundred miles away in Guangzhou. Gotta love those domestic airports!

(Pre-boarding mayhem)

(This used to be the flight information screen until some guy smashed it in frustration)

1:30am – We sit down on our flight which was largely empty, i.e. we got exit row seats just by sitting in them. Then after waiting another 20 minutes to take off, we hear an announcement and then large groans from the audience. Our flight is cancelled. I'm pretty sure this is the first time it has happened to me and it couldn't have been worse timing.


(Post-riot analysis)

After more raucous at the gate while we waited, and the eventual screaming fits between the airport operators and passengers, we were herded outside into a major thunderstorm to a bus, where we eventually left for a hotel in the middle-of-nowhere Shenzhen.


(Just before getting a hotel settled)

(Lots of rain at least. Of course, four hours earlier, it wasn't like this)

While we were in bed by 3:30, a lady knocking and screaming at our door quickly waked us up. Alex answered it to receive two bowls of soup... at 4am. This all makes too much sense. Back to sleep in a room with AC for the first time in a while, and I was a relatively happy camper. Of course, the Chinese system seems to have been created such that nobody is in charge so nobody can be held accountable. Thus, we slept without any prospect of if and/or when we would be leaving.

Friday, May 7

This morning I woke up and made the decision that I want to fly charter flights from now on. Hopefully this goal is realized soon. My phone rang at 11 to answer to elong.net, the site we used to book the tickets, telling me that the flight was rescheduled for 2pm. This is when I become thankful for buying a China SIM card before this trip.

Immediately after I hang up we are obnoxiously greeted by the hotel staff yelling and rapping on our door, then handing us two boxes of beef rice and vegetables – the breakfast of champions.

After waiting another hour in the lobby, and with 2pm quickly approaching, the rest of our flight arrived in the lobby, and the shitfits began once again. It seems that this is the way things get done in China. Since nobody is responsible for anything, the only way to get movement out of anybody is to be insanely rude, obnoxious and loud at them. It seems the hotel, the airline and the airport each have a group of people designated to receive all the bitching and yelling from all the customers.  Then, after a certain threshold is crossed, some kind of information is released. Finally, in this case, we were told that a bus was on the way to take us to the airport.

(Finally, getting on the plane!)

Around 2:30 we all check into our flight and board a few minutes later. Alex and I resume our exit row seating, and the flight attendants greet us with the same English version of the China Daily as the night before along with a cup of tea. Again, mind you, this is all for a one-hour flight, which cost under $30US. Why can’t we have this in America guys?

About an hour and a half later, a few guys decide to get off the plane. At this point, we were told that we were fifth in line on the runway. However, an hour later, we are all still confused as to why we are sitting there, and people start to get angry again.  This is when I confirm for myself that it is not a fluke – Chinese people are super effing loud. Like really loud. Like imagine how you would speak if you were always at a rock concert. Now imagine that were the only one who could hear the music. Right, this is exactly what it was like – people standing three feet away from each other yelling about probably mundane things as if they were trying to scream over an avalanche.

Some people started to pound on the door to be allowed out like the others. Then some more information leaked, as it does when things get a little too close to out-of-hand. Apparently, when the original group left, our spot in line was reset for some ungodly reason. Thus, if they now left, we would be further screwed. Some people physically restrained these people trying to leave and everyone calmed down a bit.

We left at 540pm. This was after nearly 3 hours stranded on the runway and 20 hours after we were supposed to have left the day before. What a delightful sound it when I heard the engines turn on and the harsh squeak of the tires encountering friction on the runway as they started to move. A very uneventful hour later, we arrived in Guilin to a large round of sarcastic applause. Quickly, we united with a married couple with a baby who offered us to join in on a private taxi for a reasonable price to Yangshou with our two new German acquaintances Lars and Isabelle, both doing a year-long internship in HK.

(Hey! We made it... with our German friends)

We walked around Yangshou for a bit, getting lost for a few minutes before finding the Bamboo House Hotel. This place is absolutely wonderful and everyone who goes to Yangshou should stay here. We had a private double room with the plushest mattresses I’d been in for months, along with great cheap food downstairs to compliment the free internet and tour arrangements.  All for the price of 40Y = $5.5 per night.

(Night in bustling Yangshou)

(Quaint little town/city - really nice)

After eating dinner around West Street (the main street of Yangshou backpacker town) we met up with Pat and Trevor, friends of ours from CUHK, who are in the midst of a trip through China, and walked around to go to the Show Bizz Bar, which was on the rooftop of a hostel by the same name. We enjoyed a good deal of pool, conversation and $1 local beers all night. We were later joined by Lars and Isabelle to add some international flavor to our games.

(Local beer)

(Famous West street)

(Creepy Mickey Mouse (why is he here?) who proceeded to follow me asking for money after this pic)

(Really cool night views of some of the formations)

(Pat and Trevor whooping us in pool)

Saturday, May 8

Today was our biggest and most productive day of the trip. We woke up at 8am for a hearty breakfast of eggs and banana bread (which rivaled my own recipe) and some fresh-squeezed orange juice. Then we settled our rental of bikes for the day and were on our way.

The first part of our tour today was a 40-minute bike ride out of town of Yangshou proper into the countryside where our motorbiking guide would turn into our bamboo raft driver. We were on a raft about 4 feet wide and 15 feet long, and our fun-loving guide just pushed us along the Yang River with a bamboo stick. It was so surreal and breathtaking. These rock formations, as I will call them because I have no other way to describe these non-hill, non-mountains, were protruding from everywhere and were such a unique visual experience. We also got relatively lucky with the weather, which, while it brought some fog, is definitely better than if the sun had been beating down on us all day, I promise you that.

The only non-peaceful part of the 2-hour boat ride was the older women who had bamboo stands in the middle of the river tirelessly nagging us to buy beer, water or soda for ourselves, and if not us, then our driver! This was funny the first few times, and then just got old, as we tried to come up with clever excuses in Chinese for why we couldn’t buy anything from them. It was also some fun to try to talk to the many Chinese tourists that passed us on the way in our limited Chinese. I must say, I’m impressed with myself at how much Chinese has been able to be remembered or jogged after a full year in hibernation.

(Bamboo parking lot)

(Our lovely driver)

(Pretty low levels of fog, which also means bearable temperatures)

(Going over some of the dykes)

(Here started the onslaught of "you're really white and tall can I take a picture with you" pictures)

(This guy snuck in at the last second, really annoying - didn't even ask)

(Finally...)

After the boat ride, we picked up our bikes that were brought down the river for us, and biked a little ways down the road to get to the entrance to of Moon Hill. This is one of the more famous of the formations, as it has a hole in the top of it that somewhat looks like the moon. Either way, they’ve made a path of steps up to this area and then some more up to the top. About 40 minutes of stair climbing later, which made the I-House stairs feel like the Midwest, we arrived at the first picture-taking venue. This is also where most of the Chinese tourists stop, who don’t seem to be too big on anything but picture-taking, and certainly not hiking, as there were several we saw in flip flops or even high heels. Definitely a questionable decision there. After the first area, we went up a few minutes more to see the more grand view, where most of the Westerners stop. It was truly amazing up there. You can just see thousands of these formations going on forever. I really don’t know how they got here, but it really seems like someone was walking along with a bag of these, and the plastic ripped and everything just fell out right here.

(After climbing the stairs up - stage 1)

(A little further up - stage 2)

After this, we decided to try to summit the Moon Hill by taking a closed-off path, which was definitely once an open path, to the top of the formation. We made it there without any slips, and it was well worth it. The views were spectacular, and just the feeling of being atop something was so gratifying and rewarding that we just had to stand there and take it in for a while before heading back down.

(View from the absolute top of the hill - absolutely breathtaking)

We took a rest down at the first level, chatting with an elderly lady trying to sell us water for 3x market price, which we declined fervently, and then headed back down to the bottom.  On the way down we met and chatted up a young friendly couple of 20-somethings from Guangzhou, who ended up showing us a nice place to eat as per their guide for the day. I really enjoyed just being able to meet and sit down for a meal with these random Chinese people and be able to connect with them based on our limited Chinese and their limited English. As different as we may seem, we humans are pretty alike no matter what we think. Their hospitality of us being in their country extended to the point where not only were they sharing food with us (a pretty common Chinese custom), but they ended up forcing us to not pay for our meals.

(Lunch friends)

From lunch we biked over to the ticket office for the Water Caves where we boarded a minibus to take us over to the caves, which go under eight of these formations. We were on the “tour” with a British family on their vacation. The tour was a bit useless, pointing out different stalagmites or –tites that looked like a jellyfish or snow hill. However, it was awesome just being able to walk through these formations, where the ceiling was 30-50 feet above us and walking through all of the formations without noticing any disconnection between them. Quite amazing. One of the Brits agreed to take a few pictures for us, so hopefully we’ll be able to see those soon.  After the “tour” around the caves, we settled in for a mud bath, which was not as warm as I remember it being at the Dead Sea, but equally as fun! Then, to warm back up after a cold shower we went to the naturally occurring hot springs less than 30m away. It was so bizarre to be in a pool of freezing water and then take one step and it be a Jacuzzi! Someone has to explain to me the science behind this stuff, because I’m just perplexed.

(This was the "jellyfish" rock)

(With our British friends)

After a longer-than-expected bike ride back into Yangshou town, we took a much needed nap before heading out to dinner on the streets. Just as we sat down, the only other American on our flight, who spoke chinese and was really helpful getting us information, walked by with his girlfriend and they sat down with us for a few, which turned into many, drinks. This guy, Logan, basically has the ideal job for me. He has been working and living in Beijing now for seven years, got his PhD in political science with a dissertation about the politics of the Chinese foreign exchange rate policy, and now does consulting work regarding financial markets and political risk in China for investors in the US. COOL!! I’m going to try to meet up with them again while I’m in Beijing, and maybe score a nice meal or a laundry location :)

Sunday, May 9

Sunday was a bit disappointing as we woke up and it was a torrential downpour until about noon. So, we chilled and napped some more, used the internet and then around 1pm left for the bus station to take a minibus to the Li River. This is the much more famous and large of the two rivers on either side of Yangshou, and was so, so worth going to.

(Main hangout area in Bamboo Inn)

(Walking around Yangshou)

We went on a motorized bamboo raft this time and it was an amazing 2 hours on the River. You really get the feeling for how big and impressive these formations are. I felt like we were winding down something akin to the Grand Canyon. I really felt so insignificantly small, as if these formations were engulfing and surrounding me entirely.

At the end of the two hours on the River, we got off to take pictures in front of the area where these beautiful landscapes are featured on the back of the 20 Y note. A little kitschy but fun nonetheless. The only bad part of the trip was that I lost my phone on the bus out to the river and didn't realize until we were on the river. Oh well, it was a crappy phone that I had borrowed from Winter, and I’ll just have to buy another $20 phone when I get back to HK.

(Classic)

After taking the bus back and enjoying a final dinner with Lars and Isabelle, we waited in our hostel lobby to be picked up for our bus. We had decided that after the debacle on Thursday, and given the current forecast for more rain on Sunday night, that booking an overnight bus back would be better. Not only would we save some money on taxi fares from the airport to the border and then back to campus, because it was going to be like 2am, but we would also get a “decent” night’s sleep and be able to get across the border easier in the morning. Also, a fun fact, Chinese airlines are MUCH nicer about changing/canceling flights than I’ve ever heard of. We only had to pay 10% of our ticket price, about $8, while our German friends, on a different airline, only had to pay 5%! How crazy, to think that to change any tickets on American Airlines, it costs over $100 regardless. Absolute nonsense.

Once we settle in on the bus, which didn’t arrive until 1.5 hours late, at 10:30, I instantly realized that I am not physically compatible for this country. The "deluxe" bus we paid for was not deluxe. In fact, that is one of the last words I'd use to describe it. The beds are in three rows with about ten along the length of the bus bunked two high. The beauty of the cramped space design is that your feet go inside half of a pod, which is the slanted portion of the person in front of you’s back support. Basically it is highly constrained from every direction and I don't get much sleep before we make our first stop about 2.5 hours later at 1am.

Once again my spite for the loud Chinese people grows as they talk to each other far too loud and receive phone calls, which they take with pleasure. Who is calling these people? The next phrase I need to learn is "please talk less loud, you are hurting my ears". We’ll see how that goes.

We are really in the middle of nowhere at this point, and I'm very confused as to why we are still hanging around in this desolation at 2:30. People get on and off and I just don't get it. My physical inhibitions and the lack of air movement, as the engine has been off for over an hour and we are recycling lots of dank sleeping air, hinders my ability to sleep. So I write.

Moments later, I get a temporary respite as I hear the driver insert the ignition key and start turning the engine on. But, as soon as that hope was born, it was savagely destroyed as the engine turned on for two seconds and then petered out. I have reached a peak of frustration. If only they were brought up in the Novick household, they would have a set of jumper cables and this problem would not exist.

It is now t-minus seven hours until my exam starts at 9:30am. It is 7.5 until I can no longer enter the exam room. My complete lack of knowledge about our location troubles me to an extent, but then again, my ignorance is providing some bliss, as I realize that I have no moves to make, and things will work out as they should … hopefully.

It is now 3:15 and we have cleared the two-hour sitting mark. The bus has not yet moved and the engine does not seem to want to go on. I have been informed that a new bus is on the way and should arrive within a half hour. I believe that we still have about 5 hours left to drive. This means that if we leave at 4, get to the border at 9 I should be able to run into my exam at 10am with 1.5 hours to spare for exam-taking. Things are very grim, but there is some point of light in the tunnel.

I have begun to think about the worth of this trip. If I can't make my final, what's the possibility that the professor has some pity on me and let’s me take it later? If I can't make the exam, and receive no credit for the course, would I regret going on this trip? Well, I still think not. This was a place I really wanted to go to, and had a wonderful time at regardless of the delays or the weather. The inability to know when I will return to this side of the world in my life forces me to think and do as much as I can that is specific to this location. Was I neglecting my academic duties? Maybe. It was planned out to work, but of course, plans for life are always changed by life itself, so that excuse is useless I guess. Did I do my best to secure my goals, both traveling and academically? Yes, I think so. A prudent decision was made to cancel the flights given the impending rain in the area that would threaten again to cancel the flight. The bus seems like a better option for weather, and chances of a breakdown were sufficiently lower. But, things happen.

It is now 6am. We are still stopped, and have been sitting here for five hours. Finally, I hear some mild cheering as a bus pulls up next to us and we board the new bus. Thankfully, I get a more comfortable spot in the back of the bus where I can stretch out.  I’m not sure if I would’ve been able to survive what was about to occur with anything less.  I quickly fell asleep and woke up around 10, hope glimmering in my eyes.  According to my timeline, we should only be about an hour or so away from Shenzhen. It is clear that I have missed my exam, so all that I can think about is how am I going to get in touch with my professor (I have no phone) and what kind of letter will I write to state my case as best I can. I’m no longer frustrated, but rather, just pissed that in the class which I actually did well in, and needed to take the final to get the B- I needed, I wouldn’t be able to and would need to take another class next year. Not life-changing, but certainly not my intentions. This is the first time in my 15+ years of institutionalized education that I have missed a midterm or final exam. It’s definitely a weird feeling, and i don’t know how it will work out.

At 11 the bus stops at a gas station, and then at a little shop on the side of the road. As we get out I ask the bus company lady how much longer until we get to Shenzhen. She says “si ge xiao shi” (four hours) which I had assumed she meant “si shi ge” as in “forty more minutes”. I asked her again just to make sure, but her answer was followed by a large “FUCK” that came out of my mouth. I have become pretty comfortable cursing in English in China, mostly because people have no idea what I’m saying. Still, now the ETA was around 3pm, and now it wasn’t only my exam that I was worried about – would I be able to take it late even if I was allowed to? – but also the flight that I was supposed to take to Kunming that night at 8:30pm, which would have implied packing for three weeks of traveling, and getting out of the university by 4:30pm. By some stroke of luck, I was able to find a guy surfing the internet, and was able to cancel and rebook my Kunming flight. Now, at least, I would have some breathing room.

(In the infamous bus)

To finish up this nightmarish story, we finally arrived in Shenzhen at 4pm, yet another hour late, and 10 hours after our expected arrival time. We quickly cleared customs, and jumped on the MTR. Alex, who had his phone buried in his bag, let me switch out his SIM and call the university. I got in touch with my professor and he agreed to let me come immediately to the Economics office to take the exam. I couldn’t believe it. I ran up the hill to the office when I arrived, and was able to take the test – I was taking it completely cold of course – within the allotted time.

Man, I still can’t believe that all this happened in a mere 4 days. Just incredible, and I hope that I’ve gotten all the kinks out of my travels before I embark on the next few weeks on adventures.

While I’m away, the best way to get in touch is with email, at novickj [at] wustl [dot] edu, as I should have pretty consistent access to the internet while I’m traveling in China and India.  I will be trying to update the blog as I go along, with text if not some pictures, and if I don’t hear from you over email, I look forward to speaking with you when I return.

Until then, be safe and have a great couple weeks in my absence!