Fine as Fine China
Ni hao. Nearing China, the air became increasingly colder. Calling it fall we bundled on the decks waiting to see what was next. Waking early, I looked out the windows to find we were coming along side Shanghai’s skyline filled with tall luxurious buildings in many forms.
I waited in the tedious immigration line with a friend before exploring the town on foot. We walked miles and miles just taking in the different districts of the city. We laughed at ourselves as we took 45 min to figure out the food court system and order without a common language. We made our way to historical gardens, which are now filled with local stores to pick up handcrafted products and be amongst the locals. As the sun was setting we excitedly grabbed vanilla cones at Dairy Queen (another funny ordering encounter) and added another layer of clothing to our now very cold bodies. The town took on another life as the sun set and the vibrant lights appeared on the surrounding buildings. Hungry, we walked down the winding streets and stumbled upon “Shanghai’s Grandma,” which we felt was a sign for good food. As we ate our food, others joined in on our laughter at our ability (or lack thereof) to eat with chopsticks. The day was simple, yet fulfilling.
Bailing a week prior on my plans to see the Great Wall for no reason other than I simply decided I did not want to. I set out with a friend and no itinerary, except having a good time. We soon picked a small town out of a book and bought train tickets for that night. We entered the train car to find bunk beds stacked three high all the way down. Unsure of our presence, the locals laughed at our confused faces and gave us two thumbs up. Because of our inability to read the Chinese writing on our tickets, we picked our beds parallel to one another. Only to soon be reprimanded in Chinese and taken by hand to different beds far apart from one another for our 14 hour ride. This was the start of a very comical trip full of mishaps and misunderstanding.
Upon arrival to the small town we walked to a nearby hostel. They welcomed us and cleaned beds for us as we ate ramen noodles. We spent the rest of the day walking through “old street” an open market, trying food, buying, and bartering. Before the night was over we warmed up in a hot spring resort. The 15+ pools were infused with teas and herbs thought to nurture your body in different ways. Then finished the day as we had we started, with more ramen and hot water to warm up. I bundled up, complete with a hat to sleep in our very nice, yet extremely cold hostel. I later found out the temperature is regulated by the government.
The morning came fast and we loaded on a bus, headed to what we hoped was the base of China's Yellow Mountains. After being kicked off a few busses, we finally made it with a new Australian friend in tow. The three of us navigated our way to the top by cable car then spent the day hiking various trails around the peaks. I watched the fog roll through the low valleys and up the sides blanketing the tops. The view was astonishing. Each section held something new. We left and with more miscommunication we quickly walked the road along the base for a few miles hoping to find the last bus for the night back to town. At last a few women yelled bus and we stayed trusting it would come, and it did. We made it back in time to eat our weight in homemade dumplings.
The next morning we boarded yet another city bus, only to be kicked of a few blocks later. Because of language barriers the reason is unknown. We hopped another, soon realizing it was off course we decided navigation by way of foot would be better. Back to “old street” we went to spend the rest of our day enjoying small cafe’s and small interactions. Our adventure in the small town ended as we jumped on another train. This time a high speed one, that took a mere four hours.
I spent the following day with the large population of elderly in Shanghai. First I went to the park were they gather each morning for Tia Chi, dancing, singing, bird watching, and yard games. This was followed by a warm meal in a nearby residents area and then off to a university to chat with a professor.
My time in China was filled with the best type of travel experiences that left me laughing saying, “Yup, this is my life.” These perfectly imperfect moments included: using bed sheets as towels, getting kicked off multiple busses, using an air conditioner unit to warm a freezing room, sleeping against a train ceiling , having taxis go to the wrong location, trying to communicate most anything and still not being understood, making friends from across the globe, being asked to be in pictures constantly (because of being different), making spontaneous plans with great people. These moments forced me to slow down and take take in their unique perspective on life and focus on what I find important. Onboard I reflected with friends as we passed the city lights and headed onward, to the open ocean where the only lights are the stars above.
Xiexie
