First, Jinghong...or maybe I should start with the semi-dramatic journey to the Kunming bus station...That day had been a slow one, mostly because we were too lazy and wimpish to venture out into the cold weather sans jackets. We seriously need to man up. Always seeking some sort of adventure, that evening we decided to catch two public buses to the bus station, rather than the much easier taxi option. Little did we know what an adventure it would be!...The first bus was a breeze; only 10 minutes long and fairly roomy. The second bus, however, was to last about an hour and a half, and was barely bigger than the average minibus. Add to this half of Jinghong piling on, and no windows open, and you've got yourself a pretty claustrophobic atompshere...About an hour in, I started getting the wave of nausea, the white spots, the momentary blindness, all the fainting cliches...and I was standing in possibly the worst place: by the exit. I soon stumbled into Patrick and a random Chinese lady and was pushed into a seat, where everything became clear again. Pretty scary moment, I'm not gonna lie. Completely due to the bus's heat though- please don't worry! I blame it on the awesome guy who was singing along to the 'Backstreet Boys Greatest Hits' playing on his Ipod. While he was on there, I was feeling fine and singing along with him to my heart's content, especially enjoying his interpretation of that lesser known Backstreet classic, 'The Call'. It was when he left that I started to feel queasy. Co-incidence?...
Anyway, enough of self-pity...onto Jinghong! We really have become tangled in this town's laid-back atmosphere...we just can't seem to escape! Of course, the tropical vibe helps, with temperatures edging into the 20s and palm trees lining the streets. Our awesomely cheap hotel has also brought incentive to stay longer- 50 Yuan a night! That's 5 pounds, 8 Canadian bucks! Ensuite too- a novelty we haven't enjoyed in a while! It's fair to say that our best experience so far has probably come when we were at our most intoxicated states!...We were enjoying a few bevvies in Mekong Cafe, as you do, and then enjoying a few more back in our hotel room. Of course, the inevitable munchies came, so we headed out to the local vicinity to pick up some noodles. After trying (and failing miserably) to convey our food needs to one Chinese bar, we eventually stopped at an outdoor place we'd visited the day before, where we'd enjoyed a noodle breakfast for a bargain 4 Yuan. As we sat at the modest plastic table and low stools, the owners of the restaurant suddenly invited us over to finish the leftovers of the Dai barbecue they'd been cooking. Even though it soon became clear that neither spoke the other's language, it was truly a thrill to be eating in their company. Despite their true kindness and unfaltering hospitality- we were given beer-filled paper cups without a word- it was a fellow Chinese customer that made the evening truly memorable. Throughout our feast of barbecued snail, sauteed spinach and Dai-fired fish, he kept coming over to talk to us in excited Mandarin. His main focus was on the Nepalese Buddhist necklaces that Patrick was wearing on his wrist, as he kept showing us his own, presumably Buddhist necklace. He looked like a Chinese gangster with his suave suit and trilby; he even conveyed as much with joking, albeit slightly disturbing, 'cut-throat' and 'head-twist' gestures to us. Our hosts found his presence hilarious; whether it was our misunderstanding, or his genuine comedic words, who can say! Anyway, the whole meal was an amazing experience, and one which really made us realize how introductions are unnecessary to the sheer enjoyment of another person's company.
Now, onto our most recent ventures- biking! For those of you who know me, this sounds like a fairly unbelievable concept- me, on a bike, actually managing to ride it. I can't remember the last time I rode a bike. My own mother tells me of how my face was crestfallen the day I received a bike as a child, being the scardey-cat that I was. But, now is the time to try new things, so we headed to the bike shop yesterday to rent two bikes for the day. Our intention was to make it to the Gasa Hot Springs- natural hot springs that appear in the Dai village of Gasa, just outside Jinghong. However, our slightly dodgy map took us to the equivalent of a dual-carriageway type road, and due to my shaky (at best) riding skills, we had to abort the mission. However, last night we discovered a much better map that suggested a much less scary and dangerous route to the Hot Springs. So, today we returned to the Bike Shop, determined not to return in the same three-hour slot as the day before!
And, I'm pleased to announce...it was a semi success! Well, we actually made it to the Springs today- and I actually managed to ride a bike for most of it! Of course, I still had my nervous moments on the roads, but for most of the predominantly-countryside ride, I was carefree and loving it! Clouds have been hanging over us ominously all day, but they must have sensed the magnitude of my fear, because all we got was a light breeze and a few sunny tidbits. Once we finally managed to find them, the Hot Springs were not dissimilar to a swimming pool. The only difference was the slight eggy whiff of sulphur, and the pleasantly warm temperature of the water. At first it was just us and two other Chinese guys in hilariously tight and matching navy swimsuits; however, a family of 8 soon joined us as well, with their slightly (OK, very) annoying child. We still spent a few great, relaxing hours there before cycling back triumphantly to Jinghong. I was a little shaky again on the way back, but it was a HUGE improvement on the first day, when I considered cycling 10 metres a huge achievement! I'm definitely more stable now, and I was able to ride in the bike lanes of Jinghong today without too much panic or faltering...
Our Xishuangbanna adventure is not over yet! Tomorrow, we head out of Jinghong for a few days, cycling around the surrounding villages- exciting times! Not long left in China- we head to Laos in less than a week. Christmas there, then New Year's in Bangkok! Can't believe its so close to Christmas- am feeling even less Christmassy than last year in Australia, if that's even possible. We're both missing you all lots! See you after our cycling tour!
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