China Day 3, Feng Huang

China Day 3, Feng Huang

Monday June 29^th

We were woken up at 5:00 so that we were ready to get off the train by 5:30 in Jishou. I was very tired as sleeping on a train with all the noise is very difficult. Then we had to catch a bus for a two hour ride to Feng Huang. This is a very beautiful town situated on a river. It is also very touristy, but there are very few western tourists, most are from China. The exploding middle class in China is discovering tourism and exploring their own country.

When we arrived we checked in and immediately went for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Allen always orders a bunch of dishes for us and that way we can share a number of things and sample local delicacies. After lunch we went for a long walk around town and Allen pointed out a few things we might need, ATM's, post office and the like. Then we returned to the hotel for a rest.

Later in the afternoon we all went on an optional trip to Qi Liang Cave. This is a huge cave with a massive entrance. The Chinese have gone through a lot of effort making a path through the two levels of the cave that are open to the public. We had a Chinese woman guide and she told us the information in Chinese and Allen had to interpret it for us. We walked several kilometres inside and saw a river that flows through it, and some massive stalactite and stalagmite formations. Nice and cool inside too, and a welcome break from the heat and humidity outside.

After we returned to the hotel I decided to go to a cafe we visited earlier on our walk to make use of their wi fi because our hotel has no electricity. Actually most of the town was powered down as a energy saving activity lead by the government. It must happen frequently because most places now have generators which make a racket and don't add to the ambiance of the place. Anyway, Allen came with me because it is one of his favourite hang out places and to show me where it was. After catching up on a few e-mails we sat and talked for a couple of hours. He is a very nice man and we had some good laughs.

Then we returned to meet the rest of the group and go to dinner together. We ate at another local restaurant and he ordered for us. The food was good and we enjoyed a couple of drinks too. After that it was back to the room where the electricity and wi fi had been restored and I could finish a few e-mails.