through the looking glass

a smidge over one year later I arrived back in chengdu after a crowded 17 hour train ride. though my initial intent had been to head to chongqing there is but one train, a slow one, and tickets could only be had if you proffered a signed letter from the head of the train station. so chengdu it was. found a fantastic little hostel in the middle of a small section of unbuiltup streets for a very, very reasonable price: Dragon Town. so reasonable, in fact, that I splurged on the suite simply because it had one of those old fashioned chinese beds that look like canopied wooden couches and I’ve always wanted to sleep in one. my first task in chengdu was to procure rain gear for guizhou, as it looked to be wet, and a reuben, because for some strange reason it’s the only american food I actually miss. not that I wouldn’t enjoy a good steak if offered, but I actively crave reubens. also enjoyed a welcome can of ginger ale to wash it down. aah, city life.

managed to miss the right bus stop one day and ended up at the long distance bus station, on the return trip however spotted an aircraft carrier museum. no way. even though it was not on any map and everyone I asked had no earthly idea what I was talking about, a few days later I hopped back on bus 61, got off at the dirt pile I’d spotted as a landmark and headed in for a glorious afternoon of plane watching and wandering through imitation training camps, past a cape cod style hotel and a go cart track (closed for the winter) and an aircraft carrier converted into restaraunts (I couldn’t bring myself to stop in). outstanding.

decided on the way to find bus 61 the second time that I’d like to take a bicycle taxi, simply because I’d never done it before. even though I was only going 4 big blocks south the first driver wanted 15. the next came down to 10 but I was only willing to pay 5, so oh well. to the bus stop (big blisters after walking the city with my big pack, was trying to save my feet for the trekking I expected in guizhou), realized 61 stopped there. while taking out my kuai for fare the second taxe driver came up to me. “this way goes north. you need to go to that stop across the street to go south.” (did I mention that the hotel I stayed at the previous night had a lousy map?) he walked away but I followed. you said 10, right. well, you didn’t have to help me but you did, so ten it is. we chatted about his work along the way, lousy but sometimes he gets to meet interesting people and that’s something. I had him drop me off outside an outdoor store where, after taking his picture, I promptly purchased a compass.

another highlight included wandering around a wonderful, quiet neighborhood. got lost on my way to find bus 61 (are you sensing a theme here?) and caught sight of a peaceful tree lined street so I followed. I spent the better part of a morning sampling street breads and getting let into neighborhood gardens and courtyards for a look around. was shown a giant outdoor palmlike plant, the kind used as houseplants in the us; I’d never seen one over 6′, let alone one with 6′ leaves. the owner was particularly proud and insisted I photograph it. an old gatekeeper chased the ducks.

another morning was spent visiting a tomb of someone whose name I can’t for the life of me remember right now. there was something different about it, special. I don’t know why, but I took copious, detailed notes.

two evenings spent walking and writing by the river, one evening found a few musicians under an arbor singing opera and dancing an almost tibetan dance in flavor. later spent a little time at the cozy and welcoming ‘little bar’. everywhere people played badmitton in the streets. it was miraculously sunny. hu talked me into buying a pair of slippers; I initially balked but eventually understood. I will never leave home without them again.

my memories of chengdu are, again, not linear.

spent a lot of time just sitting in the buddhist neighborhood. saffron robes abounded; I passed a woman in full tibetan gear talking on a cell phone with multiple glittering danglers. I bought a bird of paradise (the flower) and the sales girl kindly helped tie it to my backpack. I carried it for two days, pleased that I was not getting stared at just for being the white girl. ; )