Buses that reek of timeworn perspiration, trains that
shutter to a stop, hostels providing suspiciously stained comforters… welcome
to Asia. Sure we're not in the third world (not yet), but traveling through
China is much different than hopping in my jeep with [insert friend's name] and
comfortably riding off into the sunset of our choice state.
First stop: Yangshuo. Yangshuo offered us everything we have
been craving. Wuhan is the city of abrupt interactions and stinky tofu (a.k.a.
"China's buttcrack"). Not that we haven't come to love Wuhan and all
its quirks but nature has been calling my name. Yangshuo is a place I'd
recommend to anybody visiting China. It's a small town with a little strip for
tourists/foreigners but that's easily avoided when the specific intention to
find side street markets and local interaction is in mind. We spent the first
two days exploring the town and the third…oh the third… was spent on a thirteen
mile bike trek through the countryside and random villages with a Yangshuo local
(and dare I say friend?), Peter. Or Xing Xie De, or whatever. Peter was easier
to remember. We rode along the mountains and found our way to a cave where we were given a tour and time to play
in the mud baths and hot springs inside. After that we climbed
up a stone set of stairs and made our way to the top of "moon hill".
Second stop and current location: Nanning. After a treacherous
train ride of sitting straight up for six hours and being crammed among hundreds of people we
finally arrived in Nanning. Nanning is only a stop for us because this is where
we get our visas for Vietnam. And trust me, we wouldn't be here if not for the
intense desire to navigate the Vietnamese jungle. This city is just that…a
city. Wuhan is ten times better and I'm not just saying that because Wuhan has
awesome hole in the wall restaurants and the occasional intensely angry native.
I'm very excited for the upcoming three weeks of travel through
Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and potentially Laos. As fate would have it (and
kindred spiritness) Sarah Lane just so happens to be traveling to Thailand for
a soul searching week the VERY SAME week I'm going to be there. I'm going to be
breaking off from the gang at that point and while they head home I'll stay for
an extra couple of days and hang with my stalker…I mean best friend. Of course
she didn't use her sources to find the perfect moment of insertion into my life…
Impulsive. Impulsivity. Impulsiveness. I've been turning this
word over in my mind. Ultimately it's resulted in the decision that there is
nothing WRONG with the quality of impulsivity (not completely). Why,
since I've become a Christian, do I feel condemned by this? It's as if all the
personality traits not falling into the category of "meek, kind and
thoroughly thoughtful regarding every decision" are labeled as wrong and
ungodly. What about the fearlessness and passion that goes into quick decision making
combined with quicker action? Please don't misconstrue me advocating for those
of you who are willing to cast logic aside to pursue an exciting and oftentimes
necessary adventure with my promotion of zero roots and wholly selfish living.
Being faithful to those relationships we've created is definitely the honorable
quality. However the deeper traits which motivate impulsive decisions are definitely
not all wounded and debauched, but perhaps bold and full of desire. I suppose I've just gotten tired of hearing
far too many times this month that to be impulsive is to live life mindless.
As I stated, Nanning is crap-tastic so I've had much time to
read and think. That's all for now!
 |
| Beau looking "swag" in his new coat and scarf at the huoche zhan. |
