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Letter 27
Saturday 08.05.10
I use the day to find my way to the airport on bicycle. It's no surprise that
it's hard. It's not in the map, but there's room for it, or in other words, the
big area with nothing is the airport. I've found a street, that should take me
there in an easy way.
It does. There's just one thing, the small road to the left, that should take me
tha last little bit, isn't there anymore. I ask for "Feiji Chang". This lead to
a heated discussion among the spectators. I'm on the west side and arrival/departure
is on the east side. They want me to carry on to the south. I go a bit, then
comes a possible left turn to Air China garages? That's what I think it is.
There I find some young people. While they discuss Jan Larsen calls me and
cancels. He's sorry, but the problem with the road spoils it all, cause his
schedule is too tight, it HAS to be monday-tuesday and if it can't, it's all in
vain, because then it can't be broadcasted on the 2 year day of the earthquake.
I mean for the actual people it doesn't matter if it's a week or a month back or
forth, when the reconstruction is going so slow. But to DR it obviously matters.
Let formality be more important than real people! He regrets. I tell him, that's
life...
I AM sorry about it, but DR is not going to ruin my trip. Then I'll have to
collect material myself. For a book...?
The young people tells me to ask at the Shangliu bus station and I continue
south. Ask for it - the new young people don't know. So I follow my "nose". To
the left as far as I can go, then right and then left again. In this way I find
the wall around the airport. On the top of some piles of earth I stand watching
the plane queing up for taking off. I'm halfway I guess, so I go back and on
further south until a big road.
This way I go all the way around the airport and I do find the departure hall,
which is on the first floor. An officially looking man I ask, shows to be KLM
representative. He gives me a phone number where I can get further information.
A bicycle costs around 80 euro - that's like two years ago. There is no spicial
place for "odd sizes", so I just have to do a normal check in and pay for my
overload.
It's almost one o'clock. I started at 9. I eat a bit. Now I just have to find an
easier way back home, that I can use when I'm going out here for my flight.
I asked him how to do and it sounded easy, but he doesn't cycle normally, I
guess.
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| A bicycle can be loaded with a lot... | ...but then a little help can be needed |
I test different roads. Go back several times. Do some drawing in my map,
because it's not accurate here. I bring up my compas several times to get the
directions right.
When I in the end reach a point where it's possible to ride under the expressway
it looks easy. I go back under the expressway to find out if I could have come
here in an easier way. But the track is a dead end or more precisely ends along
a stream where there's definitely no bridge.
So, back again and further on. What should be easy isn't, for a construction
starts and a man prevents me from going opposite the traffic at a narrow one way
spot. In stead I have to go down a dirt road.
I end up on a big crossing road going south. Fortunately I don't have to go THAT
far before I can make a u-turn and go back.
This street can be followed all the way to the river and within a short time I'm
in the center and then I'll soon be home.
I'm bacck around 15.30. An hard day, but satisfying. I better reserve two and a
half hours for the trip there.
Now I'll relax and decide how to go to Maoxian and Jiuzhaigou National Park up
north, which I've decided to visit.
And tonight I'm going to the opera with Markus and Bernie. Sichuan Opera that
is.
And tomorrow I'll go by bike to Dujiangyan to see the famous irrigation system.
It's more than 100 km in all, I think.
I have a long talk with the bike guy in the reception, he's been on a tour to
the mountain "The Four Sisters", it was snowing and his gears froze. The road
from Yingxiu to Woolong was terrible, probably like from Wenchuan to Maoxian.
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| I disturbed the guests in the teahouse... | ...before I found - the wrong - side of the airport |
The opera is like the description. A messy collection of different
traditional chinese arts: shadow play, changing masks, opera, solo
instrument play (erhu), theater and genuine instruments in the
background. Most of it is playback, they play, mime and sing. It seems
not nesecessary. The instruments are fine themselves. When the fire
blowers blow their flames you can clearly smell the kerosene. I like
that, it's the real stuff.
The play back background for the erhu is not nescessary and the ecco too
- a totally failure to my taste. And one of the tunes is european
normally played on a violin - for what reason?
Before the show we were picked up in a big minibus. Markus and Bernie
have been with Mix to buy bicycles for the new hostel. It was a fine
experience.
First we were taken some place where we drank a cup of tea. Other guests
had massage, but that's not included in our 100 RMB. After the
performance M. and B. were going back with another car. We didn't really
know if we should part once more at that point. I'm going to their hotel
tomorrow evening, maybe - to see if they're there.