A letter from Emily

Nihao all,

I think the next lesson that Heidi and I need to learn is how to tell
time in Chinese. We just got off of a train bound for Chengdu, China
with the understanding that we would be trapped in our hard, middle,
sleeper berths for 20 hours, not bargaining for an extra 12! Luckily,
the space available checks in just above the bus sleeper berths, so
that I didn't have to fear falling out if I had decided to switch
sides.

Some of you may know that my friend, Heidi, and I decided to spend a
month traveling around SW China. We flew into Hong Kong a couple of
weeks ago and fulfilled my girl-in-the-city fantasy with the neon
lights and being able to find anything you had ever asked for. We
should have taken the men up on their plentiful "custom-made-suit"
offers so that we could have fit in a bit more with the business crowd
in town.

We didn't last long there, and with our newly acquired, expensive,
Chinese Visas in hand we were off to Yangshou. I thought I would find
the images of my Chinese dreams there. And I did. As I mentioned to
Heidi and Thomas, our new Czech friend, I felt as though we were in a
fairy land. Or in a movie, as we lazily floated down the river on
bamboo rafts, bikes on board, surrounded by the karst limestone
scenery. It even stopped raining long enough to fit in a day of
climbing. I realized that fewer hands have gripped the limestone here
than compared with Thailand as my shredded hands proved evidence of.

Now we find ourselves in a Chinese comedy. As Heidi and I have
managed to pick up a phrase or two (ie I don't want that, hello, thank
you), we are constantly in search of the right phrase to get us by in
our Mandarin phrasebook. We are usually at our wit's end when someone
responds in words, or better yet, in symbols, and we are left looking
at each other in despair, and at them in looks of wonder trying to
figure out what help or humility has been given to us.

Throughout our confusion, we have been biking and hiking and enjoying
saying "hello" to every person we see on the streets. The babies are
adorably wrapped up in every piece of clothing they own to resemble
min-marshmallow men, and they must learn how to say "hello" in English
before Chinese. They certainly reeled me in though with their rosy
cheeks and dark eyes.

The sights and smells are as amazing as the scenery and we have been
able to see everything from caged birds, skinned rabbits, and swimming
carp, to the most delicious smelling lilies, sweet mangoes, and
pineapples cheaper than Thailand! I am in heaven! I would kill to
have fruit like this everyday back home!

Next we head north to Juizhaighou where we hope to be surrounded by
trees and alpine scenery, and promises of some warmer temps! I am
also hoping to manage to steel Andrew's camera cable so I can finally
add some pictures to this journey!

I hope everyone is happy and healthy and enjoying the year of the pig!

Love to everyone!

Em