A haphazard chronicle of my inevitable misadventures during a year in Vietnam and points east.

p.s. I'll be pitifully grateful if you send me email during my exile: TravelerKaty@hotmail.com

October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 February 2006 March 2006 May 2006

 
My Hotel Room, China

Because my night train to Guilin didn't leave until 4:00 pm, I spent my last night in Zhang Jia Jie in a hotel next to the train station with a fabulous western-style room. Well, western-style except for the usual shower that sprays all over the bathroom, but at least it had a regular toilet, hot water 24/7, and a TV with an English language channel. I spent the large part of the next day watching it. Sure, that sounds pathetic, but I prefer to think of it as "resting my ankle".

So what did I learn from my day of watching CCTV-9, the only English language channel on Chinese television? Well, SARS Bad, Chinese Government Good. The bulk of the news programs were about SARS, which would be in danger of violating the government-mandated 70%/30% good news/bad news quotient. However, they were so upbeat about it that the SARS story may, in fact, qualify as good news.

On "After School Chinese" I learned the words for Air Mail, Package, and Overweight. Unfortunately I forgot them all instantly, as I do with all Chinese words.

I learned that the Qing dynasty, the last in China, was driven into the ground by the Dowager Empress Regent Cixi, who harbored a deathly fear of and opposition to railroads until a canny advisor built one from the palace to the place where she liked to have lunch. Of course, it didn't have a steam engine, as you might expect in the 1800's -- it was pulled by eunuchs with ropes. Way to add insult to injury, Cixi.

Finally, I learned that I got out of the Dali/Lijiang area in the nick of time, as they are celebrating a month-long "Tourist Festival". Lord, I can only imagine how many Chinese tour groups would flock to something like that. Whew, narrow escape.

Copyright 2003 Katy Warren
posted by Katy at 10:55 PM