My Kaiping Adventure to Zili Village

So sleeping has been a very big issue in China. The first month I was so exhausted all the time, I would sleep whenever. As much as I tried to adjust to living an opposite schedule, (China is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time) I literally could only sleep for 2 to 5 hour increments throughout the day.

This particular Friday, I fell asleep almost as soon as I got off work, and, because of that, I found myself wide awake at 3am on a Saturday. I tried Face Timing and Skyping family and friends, since it was a reasonable time there, but got no answers. Bored and bummed, I decided to search the web for things to do in Guangdong Province (the province where Guangzhou is located).

After about an hour or two of research, I decided I would make a 2 hour bus ride to Kaiping Diaolou Village to see some old watch towers and its distinct architecture. It's nice being in a place where transportation is fairly inexpensive, and just about anywhere is accessible to people without cars. It's truly been a life saver for me here. After taking some screen shots of my destinations inside the city, I took a quick shower and I packed some water and snacks, and then hit the road.

Since I woke up so early it was about 6:30 in the morning when I reached Haizhu Passenger Terminal to take the metro. I decided to grab some McPoison for breakfast. I walked in and ordered a sausage McMuffin with hashbrowns and orange juice (they don't have biscuits here). It was like heaven because it tasted just like home. (Well at the time, I had it a few times after and realized it was orange drink, not juice, and the cheese tasted funny. I call this the China effect. You get so used to eating Chinese foods that whenever you taste something from home its automatically the best thing you've ever eaten, mostly because you want it to be amazing). Upon leaving, I realized that McDonald's wasn't supposed to open until 7am. Because the employees spoke limited English and did not know how to explain that they weren't open yet, they just fired up the grill 30mins early. I was so embarrassed, but happy because I was hungry.

An hour metro ride later, I got to the bus station. This station was very far outside of Guangzhou city center, and lets just say English was almost non-existent. I'm glad I took some screen shots of directions on getting around the station, and was able to purchase my ticket. A young lady at the customer service desk was able to show me where to go to wait for my bus, and I was finally headed towards Kaiping.

With some help, I was able to find the correct local bus (everything is written in Chinese at this point). I am lucky that this town is used to many tourists. I was able to tell the bus driver where I wanted to go, and he agreed to show me where to get off. It was only 6 RMB, a cab would have cost anywhere from 50 to 100 RMB, depending on the cabbie and his greed. A tour bus would have cost me 180 RMB. I won't lie, I did question my decision when the city bus stopped for gas with everyone still on it, but I mean 6 RMB is almost $1 so...I was ok.

By time I get to my first stop, Zili Village, it's already hot. I was glad I brought water. The driver let me off on the side of the road and gave me extremely detail directions on how to get to the village...in Cantonese. I was very appreciative, despite being lost. 

By the time I looked around, nothing else really mattered. It had been a long time since I had been in such a beautiful and sunny place. No smog. No noise. Just nature and the occasional villager.

My view on the walk to the village

The mile walk to the village was no big deal, as I took my time snapping pictures and wandered off to explore smaller paths. 

The first path I followed, led me to the Fang watchtower. I had to climb through some tall grasses to get there and ran into several grave markers on my way

 The towers are very interesting. While not ancient, (built in the 1920s) they played a large role in Chinese culture during the 20th Century. You should read more about it here

I just loved looking around and taking in the scenery here. Kaiping was the perfect escape from the big city. It was a very freeing experience because I did it by myself, and, with a little help, made it to my destination. I took way too many pictures and they still barely do justice to my experience. I don't think I can really describe the place or the feeling of being there. Its like this with traveling in general. No one can understand the satisfaction of figuring something out or learning something new in a foreign place, unless they have done it themselves. It makes you feel unstoppable, like you've done something big. Most times, the journey is reward enough.

One of my favorite Landscape shots while in Kaiping

With all of the side trips and walking, I was pouring down sweat by time I reached the ticket booth. The tickets are actually kind of pricey(80 RMB), but I paid anyway and headed into the village. I immediately see where my 80 RMB went as I walked by some sculptures.

One time for the bruhs. Who ya wit?! Iccceeeeeee. I couldn't help myself

I took my time going through the village, walking along every path I could find. I discovered that this village still serves as a lived-in community for local people as well as an attraction to tourists. It was shocking but then funny for both parties, as I wandered around, running into surprised villagers, imagining what it would be like to have lived in these villages when they were completely isolated. 

It was hot outside, but nice to be out and away. Its nice being my own time, doing whatever I felt like, whenever I felt like it; just walking to satisfy my curiosity. 

Just a few of the beautiful scenes within Zili Village

As much as I enjoy exploring the landscape, I got just as much enjoyment going in the dwellings. Its very interesting to see how rural Chinese were living during that time.

Even more impressive, were the views from the roof tops of the Diaolou. I spent hours wandering from building to building. I can show you what that was like, much better than I can tell you.

By the time I made it back towards the exit, I was thirsty and hot. I bought a drink at the gift shop just get some AC and cool down. I ate a banana and then headed back down the road realizing 2 things: 1. The buildings I had walked to earlier were apart of a paid walking tour (oops) 2. I was not exactly sure how to take the bus to my next destination... 

Feeling the Distance

Technology is an amazing thing. It has allowed me to stay connected, despite having, literally, opposite schedules. I have enjoyed this new adventure; all of the new experiences will be remembered for a lifetime.

As much as I love to meet new people, I really wish my friends were here to experience them with me. During this little struggle to adapt, I find myself leaning on friends back home to give me the strength to continue to push forward. While its nice to have that support, it puts an extra (and unfair) burden on them.

It was great in the beginning, but as more calls are missed and ignored, I have found social media helpful to feel a little less "out-of the-loop." Documenting my journey through writing and photos has forced me to go out and explore. Though extremely time consuming, it makes me feel a little less lonely.

While I don't want to lose contact with my friends and family, I need to learn to cope with my new situation. While we all want to have someone to depend on, we have to learn how to "fix" our own situations.

When I was recovering from my surgery, it was hard to rebuild. A very overwhelming feeling, because I realized that the rest of world did not stop just because mine stopped. I had to start form the bottom; sitting up, standing, walking, moving my arm, lifting my arm, holding things...

China is a very similar situation;  I am an adult who is, more or less, illiterate. Just as before, nothing stopped because of my struggles, but instead of being depressed, I am just lonely. I read and write to pass the time, and take pictures for enjoyment. I explore when I have enough nerve and energy to "cope" with the ignorant. It's a freeing, but frustrating experience.

In the end, being abroad is like a magnifying glass to all your quirks and insecurities. I am an impatient American; I always want results now. I want to be normal, when know I'm destined to stand out. I'm always near the "in crowd," but never quite apart of it. I'm known, but seemingly unnoticed; always waiting, listening, and observing.

This time for realization is necessary, and instead of fighting the truth, we must learn to embrace it. My goal is to continue to patiently invest in myself.