[BACK] [NEXT]
Letter 40
Friday 21.05.10
While I was eating I noticed a bakery on the other side of the street,
so after the meal I went there. A bread. Not white. A little dark and
with some grains and flakes on. Now the next morning it`s a delicious
meal. It`s still too soft in the consistence but even then the closest
I`ve been to danish bread for a long time. Together with most of a
banana. And the water machine, that has constantly been on "warm", why I
went to the reception to get hot water for my tea, has just now
struggled to reach "hot", so I pour on.
Yesterday I didn`t really know where I was. We never crossed any bridge
so it was hardly surprising, that I after the meal ended up by the river
and saw most of Guangyuan on the other side.
This morning I have two things to do before checking out. To go to the
internet spot down the corridor and to find a place to put the backpack
for the day.
The first is no success. When I show the USB stick he waves "no".
So I go to the station. Left luggage a sign says, it can`t be there. But
after a long time at the information where I with the help of gestures
and my ticket try to explain my plan, he finally says: "Luggage store?"
It was that easy. He couldn`t speak many words, why should he take so
long?
And Left luggage takes care of the backpack. Is 8 o`clock all right? Ba
dian? It is.
When I ask for internet I`m shown back to from where I came, but they
walk with me. The situation is the same, he waves "no" again, but when
my helpers say something there`s suddenly another room next to, where
they`ve got the fastest computers I`ve met in China. So now you should
know that far.
I cross the bridge. Guangyuan is not a pretty city. I might mostly have
seen it at night. Here in bright daylight it`s ugly, but I follow a sign
saying: PARK and is now standing high above the city in lovely
surroundings. From up here I can see that there`s not much under
construction. After the nights more heavy rain it`s cloudy and the wind
is blowing. Somewhere behind the lower hills is the highway - going past.
Even the railway don`t get to this side. I`ve arrived at the quiet
provincial area.
The park offers surprises. First I have to cross some narrow rails to
get to a small pond with even smaller boats. Are the rails from once in
the past? They don`t seem that rusty. I find a toilet and when I`m on my
way back I hear rumbling from iron against iron. The train still works.
 |
 |
|
| In the park was a mermaid... | ...but hadn't they misunderstood something? |
I get to the tower which has been visible for long. A man tells me I can
enter it from the other side. Thanks a lot, I didn`t know. It`s around
30 m and costs humble 5 RMB. From up here my view upon the city I
totally changed I have to eat my own words. Two rivers come together
here and there are 5 parts of the city from which I only were aware of
two. The main part lies to the south east and it has lots of high
buildings both under construction and finished. I didn`t see any last
time I think. And I can`t understand how I got to the southern main part
because if I`ve kept on going straight I would have ended up on the
other side of the river. I must have turned down in the crossing, but I
didn`t see any signs? I cannot see the steel bridge I crossed the
following morning but it must be somewhere far south behind the houses.
I could do with a bicycle.
 |
 |
|
| A park like this... | ...can be used for many things |
I heard some roars not long ago and now I see a zoo, 8 RMB. I`ll give
it a try.
It`s not big. The roars was no camel as I thought but the king of the
animals who`s risiding next to his brother the tiger. A black malayan
bear is fed by some visitors with peanuts. It`s a tiny little local zoo.
Apart from the mentioned there are: a couple of bavians, 3 owls, 2 gees,
2 king pheasants, 3 emus, a wolf and a male (the one with a tail of
gigantic feathers) who is showing it all and attempt an attack on the
female partner. A sleeping hedgehog is fullfilling the collection. Maybe
8 was a little too much?
 |
 |
|
| The zoo... | ...didn't have many inhabitants... |
I descent to a walking street area and walks around for a bit. I pass a
kiosk and ask for a map. I have at least some words. She has. Here are
the bus routes if I want to go to the southern part. I walk for the
river but end up at the "wrong" one. There I see the steel bridge, they
call it "highway bridge" in the map. It has been hiding behind the
houses, not even from the tower have I been able to see it. Once upon a
time it led G108 across the river and two years ago I crossed it on my
way back to G108. All suddenly stands clear and within long I`ve found
my lodge from then. Someone in a restaurant helped me finding it. You
enter an alley, then enter some stairs and end walking a narrow passage.
I`m absolutely sure even the restaurant seems to have turned into a shop
with womens clothes. It seems I never got any further than the northern
part of the city.
 |
 |
|
| ...here are the main attractions | A part off Guangyuan seen from the top of the tower |
It`s turned warm during the day. I sit on a bench writing. I prefer
writing by hand. Then it takes no time to get it into the computer
afterwards.
But this strange way of writing from a chinese point of view attracts
people. Some just come watching from a discrete distance as had they
other things on their mind, but most have to come close to watch over my
shoulder.
Someone just asked to borrow my pen to write down a phone no. I had to
ask for it, he`s just babbling in his phone.
An old man comes to look at my new map. As the first he points to the
park on top. Yes, thank you, I`ve been there already. He points at 3
other places, all green areas.
I book a room in Xi`an for tomorrow. I`ve ended choosing Bell Tower
Youth Hostel. They`re member of IYHO, Han Tang Inn is not. I can only
get a twin room for 100. They have free pickup from railway station, but
it`s only between 7 and 9 and my train will arrive 9.03. Typical. When
there are free offers they`re always limited in some way.
I`m to get my luggage at 8 pm. I look closely at a timetable. My train
will arrive at 21.02 and leave at 21.16 is my guess. I don`t know from
where it`s coming and to where it`s going, only that I have to get on
here and get off around 9.03 in the morning in Xi`an. A new terminal is
under construction so everything is a little messy. While I was
strolling around I found the hotel where I should have stayed. It looks
real nice and would have cost the same. It was SO close to the stairs
that I not even had started looking yet.
During the night the train has fought its way through the mountains and
when I look out of the window for the first time beautiful folded
mountains draped in green are revealed. I remember still my first day in
these mountains two years ago. Such a pleasant change.
Soon after we enter the broad east-west valley where Xi`an must be found
somewhere 2 hours to the east.
In other words we have crossed the mountains at another location than I
did two years ago.
The valley becomes a big plain. The pillars for a fast train like in
Sichuan are being constructed. In the future these fast trains will
cover the whole og China probably. The reason for moving the train up in
the air must be, that on the ground the train would inevitable collide
with all kind of objects.
I was getting ready too soon. We also make a stop in Xianyang.