Saturday, January 23. I wake up at 9:45 a.m. feeling much better. Shower and dress. Plenty of hot water and the shower is fine. As I'm opening the curtains across the window, I see two small birds flutter away - I think they were finches. Then downstairs to have breakfast in the hostel restaurant. I have the "not-so-full English breakfast" (that's really the name!): One egg, bacon, sausage, toast, juice and coffee (34 yuan).
Oliver and Mr. Li are right on time at 11. It is about a two-hour drive to LeShan, the location of the Giant Buddha (Da Fo). It takes awhile to get through the city but i get to see a little of "downtown" Chengdu. Population of "downtown" area: 6 million; the whole metropolitan area: 13 million. The sixth largest city in China.
Chatting with Oliver, inevitably the subject of the earthquake comes up. I ask whether he lost anyone in the earthquake and he says "yes." Apparently his cousin went with his/her fiance to a location out of the city to have their wedding photos taken and were buried in a landslide, so it (as he said) became their funeral. How horrible.
Eventually, we're on the expressway and traveling through the countryside. The farmhouses here are different than ones I've seen before: generally three buildings at right angles to each other, forming a "courtyard", then an enclosing wall finishing off the fourth side. Most of red brick. Also see some grave sites scattered here and there (see sketches in notebook). See rapeseed growing and tea plantations. Landscape: farmland, hills, trees, bamboo, water, terraces. There is a little faint sunshine today but mostly cloudy/hazy.
LeShan proper has a population of 550,000 with the agglomeration reaching 3 million. It's at the confluence of three rivers, the ____, the __ and the __ ! In fact, that was the reason for the giant buddha being built in this particular spot, to calm the rivers and bless the boatmen - and it worked! of course, all the rubble falling into the river from the construction of the buddha didn't hurt either! a beneficial intersection of religion and practicality.
As we drive through LeShan, I note a number of bicycles and motorcycles with very large bamboo baskets on either side. Many pedi-cabs. Also, between the road and the river, there's a very nice linear park where lots of people are strolling. First, we take a tour boat out onto the river (they obviously maintain a channel for the tour boats because the water is low in winter) to view the whole buddha from afar. a fairly hum=drum experience but it's nice to have the overview. [Birds on the river: gulls, cormorants, mandarin ducks, other ducks and something like a small egret.] Oliver says that after I see the stairs, I can decide whether I want to climb down and back up again! And he's right, there are a LOT of stairs to climb from the head to the feet. But you can't even see the feet from the river, so I definitely want to do it. Back in the car, I stoke up by having a banana and a few oranges. (By the way, did I forget to mention that there was FREE fruit in my room at the hostel: two bananas and two oranges! Those four star hotels got nothin' on this place!)
Once we arrive at the park (a Unesco World Cultural Heritage Site), we first have to climb about 300 steps just to get up to the Buddha's head. It's quite impressive up close. (see photos) Then we have to make our way down a very steep stone stairway in order to arrive at the feet. It's fairly slow going because the steps are not only uneven in height but some of them are quite a long step down. Oliver seems bored but maybe i would be too if I had done this as often as he has - but don't you think he would PRETEND to be enthusiastic? He's a tour guide for heaven's sake. I actually think he would have been happy if I'd decided not to do it (and query: would I have gotten a refund for the entrance fee? probably not).
Our downward progress is impeded by a group of Tibetans (one man and three women) who are making their way VERY slowing down the stairs. One of the women is quite heavy and is using a cane. I can't tell whether it's actually physically difficult for them or just fear. Hard to tell. Oliver manages to get ahead of them at one point, but i'm stuck behind so strike up a conversation with a nice young Chinese woman behind me - turns out she was raised in Australia (from age 4) so is completely bi-lingual. She's originally from Shanghai but is here visiting family. Her cousin is with her. When I make a comment that I wonder how the women are going to make it back up, the cousin says that it isn't necessary to climb out (I tactfully suggest he may be wrong since I saw people climbing back up when we were on the boat - but he insists it's true - he's been here before).
Finally reach the bottom and the giant feet. The Tibetans are apparently fervent Buddhists as they are prostrating themselves on the ground. After a few minutes of gaping up, I'm ready to start the climb back up (the cousin was dead wrong!). The climb back up is strenuous because, once again, some of the steps are quite high, but i just take it slow. I think of Annie Lamott's story about her father telling her brother to "just take it bird by bird" so I just take it "step by step."
At about 4, we're back in the car and heading for Chengdu. Drive uneventful except for a view of a truck with a big open bed in the back taking pigs to maret. The pigs are really jumbled in and don't look very comfortable. Wish I could have gotten a photo. Back to hotel at about 6, agree to meet tomorrow morning at 9. I peruse the English language books in the hostel "library" and pick up Anne Tyler's Accidental Tourist to read (I finished The Kite Runner in the airport last night). Up to room, then back down to have dinner (broccoli, carrots and garlic with rice) in hostel restaurant. Now I'm using the computer in their little internet bar ( 3 yuan/hour). After working perfectly for the first day in Chongqing, my netbook is now having connectivity problems. So aggravating. It says it's connected to the wireless network but everytime i try to open Internet Explorer it says "page cannot be displayed." I even try calling Sean who doesn't even have any bright ideas.
Note: Oliver's chinese name is zhu hai bo (hai bo means sea wave). I learn how to say "the small oranges are sweet" and "the small oranges are sweeter than the big oranges in chinese" !! xiao zhu zi shi tian de; ziao zhu zi bi da zhu zi tian
Off to see if i can find a nutri-express.
34 yuan breakfast
2 yuan water
7 yuan water and oranges (LeShan)
13 yuan dinner
Oliver and Mr. Li are right on time at 11. It is about a two-hour drive to LeShan, the location of the Giant Buddha (Da Fo). It takes awhile to get through the city but i get to see a little of "downtown" Chengdu. Population of "downtown" area: 6 million; the whole metropolitan area: 13 million. The sixth largest city in China.
Chatting with Oliver, inevitably the subject of the earthquake comes up. I ask whether he lost anyone in the earthquake and he says "yes." Apparently his cousin went with his/her fiance to a location out of the city to have their wedding photos taken and were buried in a landslide, so it (as he said) became their funeral. How horrible.
Eventually, we're on the expressway and traveling through the countryside. The farmhouses here are different than ones I've seen before: generally three buildings at right angles to each other, forming a "courtyard", then an enclosing wall finishing off the fourth side. Most of red brick. Also see some grave sites scattered here and there (see sketches in notebook). See rapeseed growing and tea plantations. Landscape: farmland, hills, trees, bamboo, water, terraces. There is a little faint sunshine today but mostly cloudy/hazy.
LeShan proper has a population of 550,000 with the agglomeration reaching 3 million. It's at the confluence of three rivers, the ____, the __ and the __ ! In fact, that was the reason for the giant buddha being built in this particular spot, to calm the rivers and bless the boatmen - and it worked! of course, all the rubble falling into the river from the construction of the buddha didn't hurt either! a beneficial intersection of religion and practicality.
As we drive through LeShan, I note a number of bicycles and motorcycles with very large bamboo baskets on either side. Many pedi-cabs. Also, between the road and the river, there's a very nice linear park where lots of people are strolling. First, we take a tour boat out onto the river (they obviously maintain a channel for the tour boats because the water is low in winter) to view the whole buddha from afar. a fairly hum=drum experience but it's nice to have the overview. [Birds on the river: gulls, cormorants, mandarin ducks, other ducks and something like a small egret.] Oliver says that after I see the stairs, I can decide whether I want to climb down and back up again! And he's right, there are a LOT of stairs to climb from the head to the feet. But you can't even see the feet from the river, so I definitely want to do it. Back in the car, I stoke up by having a banana and a few oranges. (By the way, did I forget to mention that there was FREE fruit in my room at the hostel: two bananas and two oranges! Those four star hotels got nothin' on this place!)
Once we arrive at the park (a Unesco World Cultural Heritage Site), we first have to climb about 300 steps just to get up to the Buddha's head. It's quite impressive up close. (see photos) Then we have to make our way down a very steep stone stairway in order to arrive at the feet. It's fairly slow going because the steps are not only uneven in height but some of them are quite a long step down. Oliver seems bored but maybe i would be too if I had done this as often as he has - but don't you think he would PRETEND to be enthusiastic? He's a tour guide for heaven's sake. I actually think he would have been happy if I'd decided not to do it (and query: would I have gotten a refund for the entrance fee? probably not).
Our downward progress is impeded by a group of Tibetans (one man and three women) who are making their way VERY slowing down the stairs. One of the women is quite heavy and is using a cane. I can't tell whether it's actually physically difficult for them or just fear. Hard to tell. Oliver manages to get ahead of them at one point, but i'm stuck behind so strike up a conversation with a nice young Chinese woman behind me - turns out she was raised in Australia (from age 4) so is completely bi-lingual. She's originally from Shanghai but is here visiting family. Her cousin is with her. When I make a comment that I wonder how the women are going to make it back up, the cousin says that it isn't necessary to climb out (I tactfully suggest he may be wrong since I saw people climbing back up when we were on the boat - but he insists it's true - he's been here before).
Finally reach the bottom and the giant feet. The Tibetans are apparently fervent Buddhists as they are prostrating themselves on the ground. After a few minutes of gaping up, I'm ready to start the climb back up (the cousin was dead wrong!). The climb back up is strenuous because, once again, some of the steps are quite high, but i just take it slow. I think of Annie Lamott's story about her father telling her brother to "just take it bird by bird" so I just take it "step by step."
At about 4, we're back in the car and heading for Chengdu. Drive uneventful except for a view of a truck with a big open bed in the back taking pigs to maret. The pigs are really jumbled in and don't look very comfortable. Wish I could have gotten a photo. Back to hotel at about 6, agree to meet tomorrow morning at 9. I peruse the English language books in the hostel "library" and pick up Anne Tyler's Accidental Tourist to read (I finished The Kite Runner in the airport last night). Up to room, then back down to have dinner (broccoli, carrots and garlic with rice) in hostel restaurant. Now I'm using the computer in their little internet bar ( 3 yuan/hour). After working perfectly for the first day in Chongqing, my netbook is now having connectivity problems. So aggravating. It says it's connected to the wireless network but everytime i try to open Internet Explorer it says "page cannot be displayed." I even try calling Sean who doesn't even have any bright ideas.
Note: Oliver's chinese name is zhu hai bo (hai bo means sea wave). I learn how to say "the small oranges are sweet" and "the small oranges are sweeter than the big oranges in chinese" !! xiao zhu zi shi tian de; ziao zhu zi bi da zhu zi tian
Off to see if i can find a nutri-express.
34 yuan breakfast
2 yuan water
7 yuan water and oranges (LeShan)
13 yuan dinner
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