Tuesday, May 12, 2009

High on a Hill was a Lonely Goat

My friends and I traveled to FengHuang with a travel agency as it was both the cheaper and more convenient rout to go. On the way back to the city the itinerary landed us in a minority village about three hours away from Guiyang where a famous hot spring is located. 

I was not thrilled about this plan. I'm not the greatest swimmer, and the thought of dozens of Chinese people crammed in tiny swimming pools didn't seem like the most appealing way to spend the afternoon, especially because the day was warm and the natural surroundings all too enticing.

Luckily, my friends shared similar thoughts, so we set off to explore the rice terraces and old fashioned architecture of the village instead. The afternoon was just the medicine my tree-starved soul needed, and the people of the village were so intriguing.

And out of nowhere, as we meandered around, my friend Sharon broke into song, sharing her renditions of music from the "Sound of Music," with her friends. In these situations, the best response is to join in the merriment. And so my Chinese friends and I walked along the terraces — more of a balancing act, really — singing "High on a Hill was a Lonely Goat" while eating the chocolate ice cream we bought from a vendor up the road. Very satisfying. 

This afternoon in the village was the perfect way to end my vacation to Hunan province. No deep thoughts, no burrowing issues. Just sheer enjoyment and some much needed time in the sun. 





2 comments:

  1. Lovely pictures, dear. I also feel like I have a tree-starved soul...Glad you got yours satisfied. My time will come in a week and a half. (Did I tell you I'm going home for Memorial Day Weekend?!)

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  2. What beautiful children!

    You don't know me, but I really enjoy reading your blog...I stumbled on it via Lael's blog (which I stumbled on via Orangette). I don't mean to be creepy!

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