East Asia by the Numbers

Well as we all know, I'm leaving this part of the continent soon so here're some stats to give yall an idea of what the last 6 months have looked like...

I've taken...
24 Bus rides (b/w destinations)
23 Train rides
8 Border Crossings
6 Flights
6 Boat rides
6 Countries (7 if you count Hong Kong)
4 Bullet train rides
4 Days to get to Saigon by driving a motorbike
1 Ride in the back of a truck (during the pouring rain incidentally)
_____________________________
6,300 Pictures taken
~2,500 Pictures kept
1,233 Pictures posted to Flickr (with 21,766 views in total)
_____________________________
16,000 Vietnam Dong = $1
8,000 Lao Kip = $1
4,000 Cambodian Riel = $1
106 Japanese Yen = $1
30 Thai Baht = $1
8 Hong Kong Dollars = $1
7 Chinese Yuan = $1
_____________________________
30 Malaria tablets taken (out of 79 brought)
12 Nights spent as a bartender
4 Guidebooks used and since discarded
3 Entertainment options for every bus/train/plane ride (iPod, Nintendo DS, Book)
3 Expensive gadgets bought (eeePC, iPod Classic, Sigma 18-200mm lens)
2 Books read (The Mole People, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy)
1 Sock lost
1 Remaining sock used as iPod case
1 Night inadvertently spent in a hammock
1 Camera lens broken
1 Pair of unstained shorts left
1 McDonald's soft serve ice cream cone per day where available

And Thousands of...
Beers drank
drug offers refused
boom boom/massage/pretty lady offers refused
Custom made suit offers refused
Miles traveled

Dont Know What You've Got 'Till It's Gone

The weather in Yangshuo (my current location) is perpetually hot and humid. The streets are filled with hawkers trying to sell souvenirs and bicycle rentals and the ubiquitous Chinese tour groups are everywhere you look. This was the place that almost everyone I spoke too about China insisted that I make time for in my itinerary but I've having a tough time figuring out why. The karst scenery is pretty impressive but I constantly find myself wishing I was back in Yubeng.

Yubeng Village is a full day’s hike from Duqin, which is a full day’s drive from Lijiang, which is a full day’s drive from Kunming, which is 42 hours on a train from Shanghai. Nestled about as far into the Himalayas as one can get without entering Tibet, this roadless town is surrounded by glaciers, mountain ranges and waterfalls. Mitch, Jim (two British guys that I ended up traveling with for a couple weeks) and I hiked out there and stayed for 3 nights taking advantage of everything that the rest of China isn’t.

The town is about as close to an idyllic mountain village as I could have ever imagined. White Tibetan homes are surrounded by golden fields and green pastures. Trails run off into the distance and all of this is punctuated by dramatic snow capped peaks in almost every direction.


All 3 of us had come to China to get to the mountains and we were finally officially there. Elevated altitudes gave rise to elevated attitudes as we explored the surrounding areas. One day it was an easy hike to a beautiful waterfall and then the next day we ventured to an emerald glacial lake. The opportunities seemed endless and we were really limited only by our own ambition.

Our days began and ended with the same food in most cases. To eat, we had to go get one of the women of the household to come to the dining room. On the floor was an assortment of locally grown vegetables and ingredients. Ordering was quite an ordeal because all I could do was just point at what we wanted and they would cook it. If I wanted peppers and onions then I would point at each with different hands then clap my hands together. It was crude but my point got across. If we wanted chicken, they would have to go out back and kill one. Though the food lacked variety, it was fresh and considerably better than much of the Chinese food I had had so far. In the end, 4 days worth of food and lodging cost us $45 total (split 3 ways). Probably the best $15 I’ve spent in a long long time.

It wasn’t Tibet but it may as well have been. Feeling like we accomplished what we set out to do, we walked out of that valley with nothing but our packs, smiles and a natural high that persisted for days. We walked the shady path all the way back to Xedong where we could catch a cab back to Duqin. On the drive I crossed the Mekong for what very well may be my last time… But I’ve said that before.



_____________________
I’ve finally succeeded in getting all my Yunnan pictures on Flickr so feel free to check them out. Just hanging out here in SE China waiting for my flight on the 14th to Jordan where I will meet Alyce. But first I have to try and enjoy Yangshuo and Hong Kong though in reality, I may have already left China. The opening ceremonies for the Olympics are tonight so that should be interesting at the very least. Definitely expect another post before I leave this country.