Another day, another guesthouse in the Chinese countryside. This time the village is Chengyang, a picturesque place with ancient covered bridges, rice paddies, and unique wooden houses. We arrived last night in total darkness wondering what the morning would present. The journey was long, arduous, and interesting. The train was easy, the bus crowded and breakneck. Besides the full load of people, all sorts of items were piled to the bus ceiling. Large gunny sacks of textiles, bags of grains, boxes of supplies, and ten foot bundles of curtain rods bided for space. People sat in seats and atop sacks. As many as five people shared the engine cover in front of me and beside the driver. The crowded conditions were intensified by manic driving and passing around dangerous mountain curves. No one was safe. Tractors, motorbikes, water buffalos, dogs, and children dived aside as the bus attacked the road. But all was worth it as we relaxed in the night shrouded guesthouse. Food and light Chinese ale coaxed us to sleep as water cascaded from hidden water wheels and over small water falls. What would the morning view be?
An early rise, more haze. Mountains and rice terraced hills. The old women peddlers setup inside the shelter of the covered bridge providing a gauntlet of non-sanctioned Chinese capitalism. Water buffalo drawn plows are dragged through deep gray mud. Rice plants are moved from brilliant green beds to freshly plowed muddy beds in perfect six inch intervals. Everyone is knee deep in mud, mud, mud. A hike up the hill to the temple provides incredible views. The hike down into the village found people relaxing as the "grave sweeping" holiday approached. The village square was relaxed but alive. The clubhouse provided old men with a place to play cards. Firecrackers ignited by the brick created a festive mood as the holiday bubbled up in the village. Tomorrow we head off to the ancestral "grave sweeping" festival, an event few westerners enjoy (says our happy and sometimes drunk guesthouse keeper). South China has been amazing on this our fourth day in country. Our fourth day, but the first day we've encountered other westerners.
PS - On request, I'm obligated to write down the top eight Chinese Pop Karaoke hits from the video presentation aboard our bus between Liuzhou and San Jiang. Here they are: