Lookin' down on all the trails
On the mountains lookin' back at him
It's a real live fairy tale
Put a little distance
Between causes and effects
Like a day old fortune cookie
Askin' who or what comes next"
I'm not sure why that wasn't my introduction for my first day in China. Obviously this is a crucial "China Trip" song. Good ol' Jimmy Buffett. (Maybe I need to be a little worried that I've quoted him twice for this blog so far...) Well, better late than never! If you don't know this song, feel free to look it up before your trip to China!
***
Monday was a day of planes, trains, and automobiles. Minus the planes... So I guess mostly trains and very crowded vans. Nonetheless, Dave, Ellen, Johann, and I made it to Sanmen Nuclear Site, where they live. We settled into the apartment. Post dinner at a bar near the apartment, it didn't take to long for us all to pass out.
Tuesday came with a sky of rain and stormy weather. The trees shook with the wind and rain drops pelted the ground below. Johann and I lazily prepared for the day. Dave and Ellen had to go to Hong Kong for a couple days for some medical tests. They made sure we were all set up before they left. I think deep down they were more than a little worried about us. I assured them we could feed ourselves and stay out of to much trouble.
Johann and I put on jackets and headed out. We played a game I like to call "Who Regrets Sending Home Their Rainjackets!" So in Spain, I had used my rain jacket maybe once the whole trip. I was kind of annoyed at having to carry it around and not use it. So I decided I might as well send it home with the other unused articles of clothing. A piece of advice for future travelers out there. You think you need all this clothes. You don't.
We headed down a path out of the main site. The past weekend was the tomb sweep. Essentially this is a time set aside to go visit your ancestor's graves, adorn them in flowers and love, and remember good times. So we wanted to see the graveyard. For those of you who have read my blog continously you've probably figured out I like exploring graveyards. You can learn a lot about a culture by the way they treat the dead. It was a little harder here because I couldn't even guess at the writings on the tombstones.
The graveyard angled up a hillside over looking the sea below. Flowers had been blown over in the wind. Well, if we are being honest, most of the decor had been destroyed in the rain and wind. I did my best to reset the vases and cards. The very steep steps and walkways were slick with rain. Not the casual "Oh that is a bit wet." Going down the steps, it was more of a "If you slip at all, you're tumbling all the way to the bottom. And these steps are a slip-and-slidde. Alright. Here we go!" Johann and I explored fr a bit, but eventually worked our way back down towards the main muddy road.
We headed back. The rain kept coming. My face had rain drops dripping onto my already drenched clothing. My shoes squished into the wet ground. Johann's ankle was in serious pain. So we took our time despite the storm around us. When we arrived back at the apartment, we were careful to change into dry clothes immediately as to not drag puddles around the apartment. We hung them up and a small lake formed beneath the drying clothes.
Due to Johann's ankle, the storm, and a general lack of ambition to be out in the storm, our day consisted of re-teaching ourselves Rummy and my mastering of a Spanish tortilla's. Both were a success.
Brian picked us up in a car at the apartment that evening. We did a "Roll Your Window Down for a Second" tour of the surrounding areas. Then we got Mike from his apartment and the four of us headed into Sanmen for dinner. The restaurant easily could have fit into Boulder. The decor was all red and black and as Johann said, "surprisingly modern." Mike took over ordering. He later said he wondered if he was invited places only because he speaks Chinese fluently. I was very glad he was along because here was the menu:
He ordered us two types of fish. They bake the fish in a big oven that is set at very high temperatures. Then they set the fish in a plate of sauces and vegetables of your choice. Mike, with Brian advising as well, perfectly ordered combinatitions that weren't to spicy for me (I'm a total wimp in this area...) and delicious for everyone.
We next went to a little bar that was very quite. The goal was clear. Johann and I had to learn to play Liar's Dice. We played for a while. Johann and I got the hang of it by the end. Brian and Mike informed us there were many rules that they had left out for us. As we go along, more will be added in. Apparently this is played everywhere in China and we need to know how it works. Also, it's just a fun end to an evening.
Once back in Sanmen, Johann and I went over to Brian's apartment. He had offered for me to borrow his guitar when he heard me complain about music deprevation. Needless to say, I was barely in the door of our apartment before I was playing the guitar. I may have stayed up a bit longer than needed due to this.
Yesterday Mike had been excited in the car because the forecast wasn't 100% chance of rain. Today, Johann and I awoke to a sunny day. Well kind of sunny. It's not pouring rain. I guess it was a good reason to be excited. Off to another adventure now!
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