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Letter 35
Sunday 16.05.10
The two last letters have been sent from the english teachers computer.
Yesterday we download Google Earth, chinese version, and I sat there
telling about Denmark in maps and pictures for hours. It was 11 pm. when
he suddenly got real worried and wanted me to go back home in a hurry.
The gate was also locked, so without his help I probably would have had
to stay.
I`ve realized that he feels responsible for me, like he might have done
also two years ago. It`s a nice attitude, but almost too much. On one
hand I can take care of myself - I think - on the other I think he
exagerates the dangers here in China walking back a lightened main
street at night. I definitely prefer to walk back here in the rural
Maoxian than some place in Noerrebro in Denmark. According to the sign
down at the crossroads there`s 172 km to Songpan. According to my german
map around 114 km. I think we have to trust the first - sorry germans!
It took 9 hours, which makes an average of less than 20 km/h - speed for
a bicycle - but not on this kind of road. This makes it crystal clear
what kind of problems they`re still dealing with here. According to the
english teacher the road will be finished this october. "It must", he
says, so somebody has established a deadline. But it`s hard to believe
when you see all the work that`s done by hand. The pillars for the
bridges are produced on the spot after the iron "armour" has been "yielded"
by hand. Bridge elements to connect them are produced by construction
sites along the road and having had wheels in front and end they`re
rolled to where they`re needed. The crane to take them to the right
position is the most advanced here. Differently perhaps with the
tunnels? But all the rest along the road, which means the edges and the
canals for the water are constructed by hand and THAT many workers seem
not to be here. Maybe he`s just speaking of the distance from Wenchuan
to Maoxian?
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| A rebuild house in the village | The houses in the upper part were not finished |
In town the water truck seems to be on its way forever, especially in the detour
road here behind that leads the traffic from Wenchuan on to Songpan. They don`t
try to remove the dust and the mud, that would be impossible - they try to
reduce it. The wind and the cars will make new supplies arrive. And it`s not
only the roads that do it. The construction sites in town also contributes. But
in the future - in the future it might look like the big posters that cover the
wall around the new museum and cultural center for the qiang-people, where all
stands crystal clear with a blue sky with scattered clouds as background. Time
will show when.
It was raining when I went back last night and kept on at least until 00.30 when
I got to bed, but today it looks dryin the yard. Maybe we`ll have some sunshine?
The english teacher told me yesterday that he had been speaking to the wife of a
collague in the market. She told how they were fighting in many villages to pay
back the loans they`d have to take (probably in Agricultural Bank of China) to
finish the rebuilding of their houses. From the central government they`d had
20-24.000 yuan, which wasn`t at all enough.
I asked how long after the earthquake they had been "under a roof" again? First
the tents had arrived. That took 2-3 weeks. There had to be 8-10 persons in each
tent. Later it had been reduced to 2 families in each. The temporary buildings
had arrived after about half a year. Then they had been able to teach almost
normal again. At this moment his family had been able to move back into their
block - that wasn`t damaged - others still live - as I saw - in the temporary
houses. And in winter? Electrical heating is a possibility, he says.... But it
must be expensive without isolation?
It`s now 7 pm. And I`m exhausted. At 11 I was going for a smaller walk to find a
spot with view over town - and I`ve just arrived. Sometimes what seems most
promising end without any result other times it`s the opposite. This time the
latter. What looked like a dead end evolved.
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| A part of the village with Maoxian in the background | This rock from the earthquake had been reprieved |
I start to the right of the busstation and I get succeed inclining a bit. On my
way along the mountain I come to a village that has been rebuilt and not only
this, it`s Maoxians new tourist attraction. I don`t get the full picture until
I`ve been all the way through the valley, as far as I can get. The valley ends
and there seems not even a path into the gorge that inclines extremely.
Then I go back and it`s not until now that I see this road that went right and
that bends up the mountain. I had seen some Buddha statues to the left by a
small path. I thought I`d save them until the descent, but just then an elderly
man passes, he shows me
he`s on his way to pray, so I follow. He explains to beware of falling rocks - I
don`t understand the words, but I get the meaning, it obvious. There was a block
the size of a minor car some steps back. It had holes drilled in to prepare some
explosions, but now it`s been abandonned to serve as a memorial I guess. Only
small cars go here, and they can pass.
He makes his 3 x 3 bows and we go back. I consider if he`ll go back from where
he came or continue downwards - he continues. It was just the daily prayer to
avoid earthquakes - perhaps.
I reach an antenna - and from here there is the most extraordinary view of
Maoxian. The sun is shining, it`s become hot and I shoot some pictures. From
here you have the overview. I can see the big parking lot and the entrance to
the village, which covers a vast area. The parking lot is empty exceptfrom a
truck. The houses have been rebuilt. They are not all finished, so I can see how
they do it. First some solid earthquake safe concrete walls. Then they "glue" on
the staffage, so the stone walls in Qiang style is like a shell on the outside.
Some areas are levelled with a mixture of clay and straw, others in the modern
way added patterns in Qiang style like the goat ornaments cut in the window
frames are like the original ones. You could take it for the original stuff -
but what else is there to do? And they look original.
The village is ready to welcome the first visitors. I am if not the last tourist
in Europe (quote from a danish song), the first tourist in Ping Cun - people
look at least at me that way. Most of the houses have beds for guests, I think,
and there is an restaurant. At least some chefs are gathered there. But if there
ARE any guests or they just practise? The latter I think. Someone has got the
idea, that there should be some ecology too, so from time to time I pass small
windmills and sunpanels to maintain light during the evenings. Just now there is
only the annoying howl from the windmills.
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| With a new friend in front of the entrance | Another interesting meal |
At the entrance I meet theem again. There was an intellectual looking
chinese couple, to whom I say a few words and he spoke a bit english.
Now we meet again, they`ve come another way down. Before I mention his
girlfriend, he admits that it`s his mother. I hope I manage to hide my
surprise, and taking a closer look she is at least older than he. He
tells me he`s going to Chengdu tomorrow. Really? - but the busses go the
other way tomorrow? Yes, but he`ll go by car. One with a special permit.
If I want to come it`ll probably be possible? There are phonecalls one
way and the other, no, it`s not that easy. He`ll have to stay one more
day. But when I ask about buying tickets for the bus in advance, he
offers to go with me to the busstation and ask. It`s quite close and he
think`s I can get a ticket for tuesday now.
But I DID get it right. They only sell tickets one day in advance. But
now I`m invited for lunch? I accept. After his first tumbling english
words, he`s doing better.
We go by taxi to the other side of the river where they live, his
parents. He`s studying in Chengdu. The parents live at the school where
she works as a teacher. She`s actually not teaching but doing some
administrative work. His father works for the local government. I see a
possible new source for information, but it`s in the educational section,
but - maybe?
We have egg soup with sugar. It might sound a bit strange, but is
actually nice. I wouldn`t expect eggs and sugar to get along - but they
do - at least when you`re hungry. In China at least.
The young man was in Wenchuan during the earthquake, so I get some
information I need for my book: "The story of an earthquake - and a
bicycle", not knowing yet how to put it together. He has some fantastic
pictures I don`t recall having seen in the world press. They`re
transferred to my USB.
I have to stay for dinner too. So now I`ve been to 4 dinner parties and
known now, that when you`ve eaten all you can of the good stuff - then
comes the rice!
I`ve also had some glasses of white wine, as theyt call it, from the
word bai jou. It cannot be as strong as the danish "snaps" - but this
one tastes really good!
I`m exhausted from being "on stage" all the time. Just need to lie down
and watch TV, but I have to write... I walk around the corner to get 2
apples and 2 oranges - and "yi ping pi jou". You might guess what that
is?