YangShuo Day 1

           Garett, Michael and I decided to go have the best weekend of our lives. We flew into Guilin Thursday night and the hotel van picked us up and we got to Yangshuo at about 1am. So the entire drive long we couldn’t see what was outside. Which made waking up the next morning so much more exciting.

         For the first day we decided to rent bikes and go the Dragon Bridge (some 600 year old bridge) and then take the bamboo rafts down the river. They say that this place is the most beautiful place in the entire world and I don’t doubt that for a second. This place is gorgeous beyond belief.

         So we biked on paved roads through the “city”, dirt roads through the farms, and sidewalks along the river. It took us forever to get there because we kept on stopping to take pictures.

         The bridge was pretty, but ultimately just a bridge.

         The bamboo rafts though! Since there was three of us; we had to split up. Garett went on one and then Michael and I went on the other one. It was AMAZING. Truly the most fantastic place I have ever been. All of our pictures look fake because there’s no way this place could be real.

         

         

Study Tour: Beijing

 DAY EIGHT

         Today we met up with Larry again at Tiananmen Square. It was strange being in a place with so much history. There is such power in the events that have transpired here. A very special experience.

         Unfortunately, my least favorite moment of all of China, as well as my proudest moment, occurred here. Mao’s mausoleum is in Tiananmen Square and thousands of people go through it everyday. But think about it. It’s basically like going to the tomb of Hitler, except a hundred times worse.

         I’ve never felt so physically and emotionally uncomfortable. It was such a horrible place to be. And thousands of people go there! People bring flowers and place them on a statue. Others will pray to him, which was so sad to watch. These people adore this monster. I wanted to get out of there as soon as I stepped inside. But I did do one thing that I decided to later put on my bucket list so I could cross it off. While we walked through the room with his “body” in it…I might have spit on the ground. A moment of triumph for America.

         After that train wreck, we went to the Temple of Heaven. This is the building they built in Epcot to represent China. It was gorgeous! It was fun going there because all around the grounds there were brides and grooms taking wedding pictures. It was cool seeing their Western style dresses, Chinese dresses, and then awkward scantily clad prom dresses. But adorable nonetheless.

         Then we went shopping. We went to the Silk Market, which is one of the huge fake markets in Beijing. Bartering is probably one of my favorite things to do, but shopping is not. So really I only go there so I can argue with people. 

Study Tour: Beijing

DAY SEVEN

         We (Sammy, Garett, Michael, and I) met up with Uncle Larry today. *teen girl squad voice* It was AWESOME!!

         First we went to the Lama Temple. Fun fact: has the largest statue ever made out of a single tree. And that’s what was cool about that place.

         Then we went to the Forbidden City. Mao’s portrait though: priceless. There were soldiers everywhere and security was very tight. It’s a big place for protests so they were screening everyone who didn’t look Han for suspicious belongings or behavior. Sounds racist, but necessary. We walked around there for a couple hours and it was surprisingly empty. The place is massive, but all of the furniture is in Taiwan, so that’s a little anticlimactic, but still cool nonetheless.

         Then to finish the night we headed to Tiananmen Square. It’s all lit up at night and there was people everywhere and soldiers marching back and forth. We decided to film part of our music video and went crazy dancing in front of the Forbidden City. People loved it. After we finished we had another impromptu photo shoot which is always fun. During that, these two guys came up to us and we started chatting. One of them, the infamous ChenChen, asked each of us to take selfies with him. But with me it was a little different. I thought that he was just taking a selfie, but later that night he sent Garett a video of me. It was horrifying. It had this creepy music and was basically just of me smiling and laughing at the camera. 100% ChenChen will inevitably be my murderer.

Study Tour: Beijing

DAY SIX

         We went to the Great Wall of China. AHHH!!! It’s proof that pure disregard for the rights of human beings yields wondrous results. The fall colors were fantastic and it was just the right amount of cold. We couldn’t have had a better day.

         It’s been surreal going to these places that I’ve read about in books for years. Little, fat, third grade Mackenzie who wrote her report on China would have her mind blown at the life I am living. Even I don’t believe it.

         To get up to the wall there’s this chairlift that you take, which is fun, but nothing compared to the ride down. They have alpine slides that you ride down and it was awesome!

         After that we went to a tomb that was a waste of time and money.

         Then we had our Peking duck dinner. HOLY SWEET MOSES OF EVERYTHING GLORIOUS. It was delicious. One of the best meals I have ever had (sorry Mom). This restaurant was world famous and packed full. But worry not, the bathroom was still just a building outside that had no stall walls (that was awkward).

Study Tour: DaTong

DAY FIVE

        Datong was nice because we stayed in a Holiday Inn that had American beds. We visited these grottoes that were impressive, but not interesting.

Study Tour: LiJiaShan & QiKou

DAY FOUR

         On our second day in Pingyao we decided to leave Pingyao. There was a car that the hotel provided that would take us to Lijiashan and Qikou so we decided to go.

         Probably one of the more eventful car rides I have ever been on. There were all of these terraced farmlands and pretty mountains and valleys. The van we were in was twisting and turning through all of these narrow roads on the sides of cliffs so that was unexpected and fun. But eventually we got to Qikou. 

         First we ate at this AMAZING restaurant. Once there, we all realized we had to pee. We asked where the bathroom was and they said it was around the back of the building. When I saw it there were some real tears and almost pukes. But I am proud to say that I peed in the toilet featured below.

         In Qikou there was a funky temple and that was about it. So then our driver took us over to Lijiashan.

         Lijiashan translates into “Li family mountain”, so this was an entire village built into the side of a mountain and the entire population was made up of the Li family. Pretty impressive. I’m trying to picture my family doing this and it sounds catastrophic, so props to the Li’s.

Study Tour: Xi'an

DAY 1      

         We took a sleeper train to Xi’an.  It was 13 hours, but felt like it was at least 14. Sammy was throwing up the whole way. I didn’t know this because I was asleep, but I still feel bad about it.

         When we got there we were greeted by Riep and headed to the bus. Now I had avoided peeing the entire ride long because it was a squatter and I had bet myself $10 that I would make it through China without using one. But the urge was too strong and I ended up using a squatter at the train station…those things are so much fun. It’s like next level peeing.

         We then headed straight to the Terra-Cotta Warriors. Plot-twist: they’re lame. Probably the biggest let down of China. Fun fact: apparently the Terra-Cotta Warriors in China are kind of like the moon landing in the States. Some people think the government made them as a tourist trap. I don’t care enough to have an opinion on this issue, but it’s something I didn’t know.

         Anyways, those were a let down.

         We went to another tomb, but it was equally as lame and not worth discussion. All I remember was that it was underground and apparently a big deal. If I know one thing in this life it is that that place should not be considered a big deal.

DAY 2

         Today was a free day so we got a late start and then ventured into the unknown. First we went to the Forest of Stiles museum. Not worth commenting on.

         We then decided to go for a bike ride around the Xi’an city wall. Super fun! It started out with Sammy, Jannelle, Hannah, Sharae, Michelle, and I walking up the stairs and an old man commenting that we had nice bodies. That was kind of him.

         So we biked around the city and the view was gorgeous. We stopped at this part to take pictures and asked this Chinese man to take a picture of the six of us. I climbed to the top of the wall and then everyone came up and literally every Chinese person there stared at us in wonder. Apparently they had never thought of climbing the wall, which probably explains why the Great Wall was so effective.