Day 5
9:15 am 11/21/97 ct (Fri)
5:15 pm 11/20/97 rt (Thur)
Yesterday in the morning we all left the boat and got into much smaller
boats. We took these through the lesser three gourges. It was so amazing
beautiful.
We got back onto the boat in the late afternoon. Around one in the morning
we reached out final destination on the boat. So people from the travel
agency in Yichang (Where we are now. Pre-Aranged) met us @ the docks and
took us to a nice hotel. We all imediatly fell asleep. This morning we
all took nice long showers. It felt so good. And finally be rid of the
"bathrooms" on the boat. To sit @ an actual toliet. This is
heaven.
Today we will either take a train South (if a sleep is leaving today) or
stay in this hotel another night. The hotel room is basically like the
average hotel room you would see anywhere. It is nice, except that there
are only two single beds. Orion and I slept on one bed, and Clair slept
on the floor. It was not a bad night. For the first night since the trip
I drempt. Many of my dear friends were in my dreams, probably because I
miss them so very much. But I shall see them once I return, and perhaps
they can help me with all the school work I am missing. And they shall
all be around to celebrate my birthday (Except Amber & Cz, who do not
return until next year), so it shall be alright.
It is nice to go on a vacation so far away, and to see things that I have
never seen before. But I find myself compairing things here to things back
home. Like the cities. "This city is about the size of. . ."
or "Reminds me of. . ." I shouldn't do that, unless I'm saying
that this is like itself. But nobody ever does that. I guess I'm also
compairing everything we see to the ideas of it I had already formed. For
most if it I would not let myself get ideas of how things would be. But
sometimes you just can't help things, I guess. It's human nature, and a
sad sad thing.
****
1:39 pm 11/21/97 ct (Fri)
9:38 pm 11/20/97 rt (Thurs)
We are catching the train straight to Willow Town (best translation possible)
tomorrow @ 2 pm, so we will be staying here @ this hotle tonight. This
gives us time to go out and explore the city, as well as do a bit of shopping.
But this city is not designed for tourism, as Hong Kong is, so you own't
find the same types of store with as Orion put it "good stuff."
But it is all very interesting just the same.
The food is always good, even if it is "cafeteria food" sometimes
(Clair tells us.).
We might get a chance to visit the post office as well. That means we
can buy stamps as well as mail our postcars. Perhaps buy more postcars
as well. So I may write everyone again alter.
It is odd to hink of what they are doing as I write this, as well as when
I do other things. Now they would all be getting ready for bed, I presume,
but knowing my friends, homework would not be involved. =)
I wonder how I will be different after this trip. How will this enrich
my life? Am I more cultured now? And what exactly is culture, anyhow?
I know that I am certainly more knowledgable about the common life of those
living in China. But where exactly does that get me in the world? I could
bring it up in conversation, yes ("China? I've been there."),
but what will that bring me? Will people loos upon me differently? I think
not. So how exactly does one short trip to China enrich my life?
It will bring new things into old conversations with friends perhaps.
Or a new veriw on thing that I rook for granted. It could make me realize
other ways of living that perhaps I had looked down on before, but now I
raelise that the people live thier lives happily.
One thing I notice here is how thrilled people are to say "Hello"
to us, and for us to respond to them. Even the simple act of us speaking
a word or two of Chinese to them make them delighted. Back in the states
we have no such feelings. Perhaps it is because we draw so many people
form countries all over the world that we are used to hings like that.
What brings us pleasures that simple back @ home? Not much anymore it seems.
We strive foir new and different things, but @ the rate most of us are
going, all the new things that we would find "thrilling" would
run out.
If we want to see the beautful temples of China, or the tombs of Egypt
or the forests of South America all we need to do is rent the video or read
the book or surf the internet to find the sights that you were looking for.
Is this a good thing, that evryone can see the world even if they can't
afford to fly everyone ect? Or have we made it less spectacular to actually
see the sights live & in person?