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Courtney’s
Vicarious Voyage... China
By Courtney DeSchepper
Hello from China! I spent from April 1-7 in five different cities. I
traveled independently all across China from Hong Kong, to Guilin,
Yangshou, Beijing, and Shanghai. The weather in China has been much
like a typical spring in Ohio. It was a little breezy and about sixty
degrees but still very beautiful. My time in China was full of cultural
diversity and new experiences I could have never imagined.
While in Guilin I visited the Rice Terraces. The Rice Terraces are
generally farmed by the Yao people. The Yao People are a small group of
people who escaped the war by moving to the mountains. Here they spend
their very simple life harvesting rice. They grow rice on the side of
the mountains, harvest it, and then sell it to local vendors. To get to
the Rice Terraces I had to take a taxi up the steep side of the
mountain. The road was almost like a roller coaster complete with one
hundred and eighty degrees, obstacles (or other speeding cars and
buses), and high speeds. Once I safely reached the top it looked like a
whole different world. There were almost no modern day amenities;
instead I witnessed a whole culture that could live sustainably off the
side of a mountain. The climb to the top was a handmade staircase of
chiseled stones and strategically placed rocks. While the climb only
took a half an hour I could not imagine climbing it every day to and
from work, for lunch, or to use the restroom. The only thing up where
the rice grows was just that: rice. The view from the top was beautiful
though. To see the ocean of rice fields twisting and turning around
every dimple in the mountain was incredible. The overcast sky gave
everything a gray tint, leaving it up to my imagination to see the
vibrant greens and blues from the rice and water nearby. This peaceful
place was something I did not want to leave, but knew other adventures
awaited me.
While in Yangshou I visited the Li River. The Li River is one of the
top tourist destinations in all of China. However, the part of the
river I floated down had very few tourists on it. Instead, I witnessed
fisherman patiently waiting for a nibble on their line, other boats
being paddled down the river toward people’s homes, and families eating
lunch together along the bank. This simple lifestyle compliments
the intensely beautiful scenery that surrounded it. The low clouds
played a game of peek-a-boo with the mountain peaks, while the gentle
ripples sang a sweet melody to all who sailed down the river. While the
tour was mainly to sit on a bamboo raft and watch nature pass me
slowly, I could not help but notice that it never looked quite the
same. It was as if each mountain was its own person; with a name, a
life, a story to tell. I couldn’t help but wonder what each of those
stories were. What had the mountains seen? What could they tell me
about China’s history? The questions were endless. This river that
stretches over 400 kilometers was one of the most beautiful sights I
have seen during my entire voyage.
One other major thing I did while in China was to visit the Great Wall
in Beijing. The morning air was cold when I arrived, but quickly warmed
to a nice temperature to climb the wall. When I arrived I took a cable
car up to the wall. The ride up was an experience in itself. To watch
civilization slowly disappear was interesting; something so significant
in our everyday lives suddenly looked so minute. Once I reached the top
of the Great Wall I could not believe I was actually there. It is
incredible to think that this 5,500 mile wall was created by hand. The
structure is just amazing. I think one of the most interesting things
about the Great Wall are the stairs. The stairs range in size from baby
step stairs, to stairs that required me to use my hands to push myself
up. It was necessary to look down almost constantly because I would
have no idea what kind of step was next. Once I reached the farthest
point I could climb to I was able to sit and just peer out at this
amazing piece of history. I could see the wall for miles. As I sat
there I tried to imagine what it was like to work there. As the winds
picked up I had a chill all over my body and I felt like I would never
get warm again. It seemed almost impossible to understand what life was
like for the people who worked up here. Most of the day at the wall was
spent simply looking at this magnificent structure. I, again, had spent
a day at one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Next I will be heading to Japan; my last international port. I can’t
believe that this journey is already so close to being over. I will
arrive on April 10. Until then please read my blog at:
agirlaroundtheworld-2012.blogspot.com
Bon Voyage ☺
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