July 8 - A Most Friendly Place (Journey to Kaili - Part 2)

Ni Hao!

Here's a continuation of our journey to Kaili...

Kaili is known as the "gateway" to the many ethnic minority villages around the province. We had a contact through the director of the Summer Language Institute who was willing to meet us at the bus station when we arrived. Having a person who speaks and reads Chinese with us when exploring is really wonderful. Wang Shan could not have been more gracious or kind... plus we just had a darn good time with him!

To get from Bijie to Kaili, we needed to go back through the capitol Guiyang and then continue east. The whole journey was due east. We did not know what kind of bus we would be on, but most of the buses are about 2/3 the size of our city buses and are open air vehicles. They can be very crowded and uncomfortable on a long trek. We were very fortunate to be on a modern cruiser type bus, with air conditioning, too! Most of the time, Chinese music videos were played on a small screen at the front of the bus. It was wonderful to hear the driver and the manager-type guy on the bus singing away with the songs.

The driver positioned Nancy and I in the very front seat directly behind his head. We didn't know if he was being generous and offering us a good view or if he wanted to keep an eye on us, but either way the seating allowed for excellent positioning for taking photos. It is fascinating to watch the rules of the road unfold as you ride on a bus here.

Our driver had one of the larger vehicles on the road, and I believe the painted line on the road is merely a suggestion. He wanted to keep moving, so he honked loudly on his horn every time he wanted someone or another vehicle to move out of his way. We frequently saw semi trucks and cars coming at us head on as he was moving into the "overtaking lane" of traffic to pass. There are also little pull offs every 1/2 mile or so for cars or trucks to escape into, if need be, when others are trying to pass.

The only uncomfortable thing on the bus was the smoking of the driver and his friends who hung out at the front. It was a very people-friendly bus up front for the driver, as one friend of his could sit in a pull out seat in the entrance ramp of the bus, and another could stand behind a little pullout bumper behind his shoulder. The driver talked long and loud and had many good laughs along the way with his friends. We were on the bus from 10 am until 5 pm by the time we reached Kaili.

What a wonderful city! It is truly the most friendly city I have ever visited. We arrived during Sunday Market, so the streets were crowded with people moving around the market and eating. It is not unusual at all to see little kids of four and five years old just roaming about on their own. The market is also a place where one can go to get shoes shined, get a haircut, or even have teeth pulled. Pliers are readily available for this minor operation. Most cannot afford dental care, so we see many smiles filled with teeth that are either crooked, missing, or browned. The smiles, though, are so welcoming and so contagious. I could live in this city, without a doubt.

Wang Shan wanted to treat us to some local specialty items... like the sour fish and the Yang Mei wine. We would never have been able to know about or find these specialties on our own because he knows the little tucked-away restaurants that prepare exactly what you want. He was determined that we try the sour fish and the wine, so we went to a little shop owned by a woman who brews the local fruit (a kind of red bayberry) into Yang Mei wine. She had a few 5 foot tall jugs in her storefront, let us sample two types, and then scooped the wine into plastic water bottles for the purchase. We preferred the fruity-er wine, as the other tasted more like ethanol. Then Wang Shan took us to another storefront where he picked out two fish. One of the fish jumped the net and landed on the pavement. Easily scooped back up. We were taken to a little private eating area up a very narrow , twisty staircase. Within minutes, a hot pot of sour fish was at our table.

More later... have to attend the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Language Institute now...