Kaiping Diaolou

16.05.2014

Well, the bus and train connections to Guangdong are really good, so I didn't even stay overnight anywhere this weekend.

I booked a train ticket for 11:50 p.m. leaving from Changsha and completely forgot how early the buses shut down here. I went out to the bus stop really early because I was bored and it was raining, but then I realized the buses stop at 10 p.m. A guy on a motor taxi tried to convince me to go with him to the train station, but I had a whole hour, so I figured I could walk. In the rain. Yeah, great idea. It turned out OK, I made it to the station just in time for the train, but I was pretty soaked.

I had a bottom bunk and promptly fell right asleep. When I woke up we were just about in Guangzhou. I brought a peanutbutter sandwich so that was my breakfast (all cut up into pieces because of the braces). We arrived at 8 a.m. ish and I found the bus station right away and immediately boarded another bus to Kaiping. Then, from there, I had to wander around the station asking the bus drivers who would take me to Zili Cun or Li garden. Finally I found the right bus, it was probably the worst bus I've been on yet, but it was a bus nonetheless. He dropped me off outside Li garden and as I was walking there, I noticed a path leading to Zili village, where there are more diaolou buildings.

I was reading in an article that this place doesn't get many tourists, they said 600,000 per year. Some of the destinations I have been to will get that many in a week, so by China standards, this is pretty poor. I found the infrastructure here to be lacking, and I would be able to tell them how to improve it. But they're not asking me, and probably don't have the money to do improve the public's access to the attractions anyway.

For me though, I didn't mind. However, I thought Li garden was a little unkempt for the price that you pay for the ticket. Zili village was alright though the ticket price was lower and the buildings were more impressive. Still, it was cool to pretend you were a rich Chinese immigrant who had come back home with lots of money made abroad, wandering through the grounds.

I arrived at lunch time to Li garden and ordered some tofu for lunch. Shouldn't be that difficult. Just say "dofu" and it should arrive. Plus, the table next to me already had a huge bowl of it. Nope, "mayo", no tofu.

"Noodles?" she said.

"Fine noodles." Out she comes with some shitty ramen that was stir fried with some spam or something. Ugh.

"How much?"

"Two-Eight"

"Twenty Eight for that?" My god. Just pay it whatever.

There was quite a walk in between Li garden and Zili village. I thought the pathway to the village was not marked very well, because somehow, I ended up back on the highway and walked all the way there with speeding trucks and tourist buses passing me the whole way. Later when I got there, I saw the end of the path I should have taken and it probably would have been really nice. Oops.

It was really hot and the whole time I was asking myself "This is seriously torture. Why do I do this to myself?" But then I forget these rhetorical questions when I actually arrive at my destination. You know, usually I try to just "enjoy the journey", which is not hard to do, but today however, it really really was. I think my feet were even sweating, because I started to get the same blisters I got in Cuba on that really super hot day. Note to self: When the temperature is over 35 maybe don't wear Chacos.

There was nothing along the highway except ruined houses and long grass. I stopped at the lone gas station to get a drink because I had run out long long ago. I started to get a little discouraged because I had no idea how much further down the road Zili village was, but I kept walking anyway and finally found the turn off.

From the highway, it's still a further walk to get to the front gate. I realized why no one comes to this place.

The architecture inside though, was really interesting. I'm not sure how much of the art on the buildings was authentic, but it was definitely something very different and unique to this area. It was a good trip to take, despite the confusion and intense heat.

I guess I should get used to the heat anyway, I'm going to be living on the equator soon! Agh! After this weekend, I am really frightened about that.

I found myself following a father and son pair from France. We didn't say anything to each other until we were both waiting at the bus stop to go home, and even when we did converse, I found them to be stereotypically snobby. I wish stereotypes weren't true, but sometimes you can't ignore them.

Anyway, I went back with them to Guangzhou in silence, they weren't interested in sitting near me or talking with me at all. I left the bus without saying goodbye and took the next sleeper train back home at 10:30 p.m. Twenty three hour trip! Wow!

The horrible bus