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ButterflyWings

6 Blog Entries
1 Trip
14 Photos

Trips:

Yangshuo, China

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http://blogabond.com/ButterflyWings




Petty Theft

Yangshuo, China

An act of petty theft has left me without camera. An entire month of photos from China lost in one instant...I was bicycling to visit a "water cave" (a popular tourist attraction) and a two young guys on a motorcycle rode up right beside me and took my backpack out of my basket attached to my bike. I was lucky to have only my camera and a cheap chinese towel in the bag, so my wallet was spared. It was the most bold move I have ever seen or experienced. I was outraged and attempted to Chase them, but as a peddled as fast I could my legs gave out and when I finally stopped I broke into tears. Before coming to China my car was stolen. Although I did get the vehicle back, $4000 worth of my belongings was taken, including my camera. So this is now the second camera to be taken and my second police report filed within the last few months. As I have told this Story to other travelers in Yangshuo and to caution them during their stay, I have heard numerous other tales of similar acts of theft. One girl was at the post office and had heard purse strapped over her shoulder when someone came up and, with scissors, cut her purse off and ran away. Her wallet, passport, departure card and everything else important was taken. I met a guy who bought a brand new computer in beijing. He went to head home on the metro and the computer was taken...it was still in its box!! I met a couple who were traveling in Thailand. The guy was going to propose to his girlfriend during their vacation and the wedding ring was stolen out of his backpack. He still proposed and she said yes, but with no ring. So I guess now I am just apart of the statistics.

permalink written by  ButterflyWings on January 19, 2010 from Yangshuo, China
from the travel blog: Yangshuo, China
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Painted Fans and Sugar Cane Fields

Yangshuo, China

Days have been cold, windy and rainy. The number of western tourists dwindles down everyday. Folks are traveling to the warm beaches of Laos, Thailand and other exotic countries. But, I remain in Yangshuo and loving everyday of it. Farmers markets, ancient villages, off-road muddy motorcycle rides, bamboo boats and smiles everywhere you go keeps me entertained and loving china more and more. New experiences these last few days include eating sugar cane straight from the cane itself, dodging hundreds of Chickens while bicycling through remote villages, riding a ferry made of bamboo across the river being paddled by a petite 60-year-old women, and sampling tea across China during a traditional tea ceremony.
Of course there are always the mishaps of traveling abroad. Like ordering Chicken feet with the claws still attached (which I did try...it tasted like Chicken), seeing dog meat being sold at the farmers markets, and of course chinese toilets, which are holes in the ground. But it's all apart of the experience...the goods and the 'weird'. I find myself in awe at everything I witness making no judgements of how other people in this world live. My life from America is not the norm, but just my own reality. People, I figure, are just living the best way they know how, no matter where they are.

Pictures (upper left: templates of chinese fans. lower right: bamboo raft ferrying across the river with our bikes)

permalink written by  ButterflyWings on January 13, 2010 from Yangshuo, China
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Through the lens

Yangshuo, China


Ian looking down on Yangshuo from the windows of our apartment.

Sho Lee and Cocoa, my favorite girls who work at my favorite pub...smiley

Even the old man to the right are amazed by the display of the balloons



permalink written by  ButterflyWings on January 13, 2010 from Yangshuo, China
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It's the New Year

Yangshuo, China

I welcomed the New Year with home-cooked mexican food, mutliple games of twister, fireworks and an overwhelming international gathering. It was quite the celebration even though china doesn't celebrate the New Year on our calendar. They celebrate the Chinese new year in the month of February...this year it falls on Feb. 14th. None the less, there were still many chinese watching the amazing firework display on the streets of Yangshuo right at the strike of midnight. The crowd, along with myself, were standing about 20 feet away of where the fireworks were set off...a little too close. My friends and I were trapped in smoke and one firework actually hit the back of my leg. (Don't worry mom, I am ok). We left that scene quickly and heading to a pub and continued the celebration. A few of us counted and discovered there were over 16 nationalities represented that night, from
Australia to Israel. It was an amazing day. My Canadian friend Leslie, dressed up as "a warrior of peace," wearing a peace bandanna, a flowy hippy dress, and Barrack Obama earrings. We talked about how you celebrate New Year is insight of what is going to come to you in the upcoming year. I don't know if that is true or not, but if it is then 2010 may be the best year of my life.

permalink written by  ButterflyWings on January 5, 2010 from Yangshuo, China
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Rice noodles and Wonton soup

Yangshuo, China

Step into any mall in the states and a buffet of pre-cooked vats of fried rice can be scooped on a plate along with your choice of three sides for $7.99. Orange chicken anyone? Before entering China for the first time, my main introduction to chinese cuisine was Panda Express. Embarrassing to admit, but the American fast food chain providing Kung Pao chicken, sweet and sour pork and egg rolls warmed under heat lamps was how my american mind depicted "chinese food." However, my american mind and palate are developing. Chinese take-out in red and white boxes is no longer my idea of the cuisine that comes from china. I am living in a very small region of China, and every region has its own food specialty. Here in Yangshuo, Guilin rice noodles is the thing to eat! Long white rice noodles are steamed and placed in a metal bowls accompanied by slices of pork, cilantro, garlic, pickled something?? and finally a chicken broth is poured over the mixture. (Price of the meal is .75-$1.25.) I generally eat the hot soup in the mornings. But other breakfast dishes include rice porridge with pork or steamed dumplings filled with pork, veggies, bean paste or a mystery stuffing. (Price .25 each.)
When I choose one of the dumplings I am never quite sure what is going to be inside...it like putting a quarter into a toy dispenser-sometimes you get something really cool and sometimes it is a disgusting minced meat surprise!! It is always an adventure when meal time rolls around. I really need to learn how to say in chinese "no meat," but I figure they only cost a quarter and eating wierd things is all apart of the adventure. I am not at all an expert in chinese cuisine, but I do now that all the food is deliciously fresh all the time. You can almost hear the pig squealing when eating your food. At night one dollar stir-fry plates full of egg plant, tofu, carrots, potato and pretty much whatever veggie you want can be flung around in a wok. I know I am not going starving here and in fact I am probably more nourished here than in the states. Although the american inside me misses cheese!!! Somedays I could really go for a quesadilla.

permalink written by  ButterflyWings on December 30, 2009 from Yangshuo, China
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A Dense Population

Yangshuo, China

Stories of steep limestone rock faces attracted me to Yangshuo. A town internationally know for its outstanding rock climbing. Every month sponsored climbers from Black Diamond, Arc'Teryx, and other big name companies travel to this small town in southwestern china and tackle the 5.14's...some of the hardest climbing in the world. I on the other hand can't even get off the ground when attempting a 5.12, but rock climbing is so much more than becoming a great climber. I mostly use climbing as an excuse to travel and explore the world.
After 13 hours on a plane, 2 hours on the metro, 12 hours on train and finally another 2 hours on bus I finally arrived to Yangshuo on Dec 7th. The first thing I noticed when I arrived in china is the people and how many there were of them. The streets in China are at a constant level of frenzy. Pushing into the metro train and cutting in line (anywhere) is the norm. I had a small taste of this at the Chinese Embassy in Los Angelas, where a women literally pushed me to be the next in line for the teller. A friend of mine said he was in line to go to the urinal and watched five men cut infront of him. He ended up holding it. The country is the same size as America, but the population exceeds America's by 1 billion. China contributes 20 percent of the world's population, while America supplies only 4.5 percent. Although the hustle and bustle is intense, it is, however, not considered rude behavior...and hence my first lesson in chinese culture.

permalink written by  ButterflyWings on December 26, 2009 from Yangshuo, China
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