I understand I have been a horrible blogger lately - just a lack of motivation to write, I guess. Anyway, I will take advantage of this balmy Beijing night to recap on the trip I took to Guizhou last month. Here goes...
Our trip began on a rainy, chilly night in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province. Gloomy, dirty, and relatively devoid of human activities, my first impression of Guiyang was far from ideal. Tired from a day of traveling, we found a hotel room, pacified our stomachs with a bowl of street side noodles, and called it a day.
The next day, we spent the better part of it tumbling through muddy, pot hole infested roads and the lush green hills of Guizhou to reach Xijiang, the largest Miao (more commonly known as Hmong in the rest of the world) village in eastern Guizhou. Set in a beautifully picturesque valley, traditional wooden Miao homes and farms in Xijiang raise from the hills. A cobblestone street serves as the main road of the town, as well as the main center of activities for the colorful locals. While still relatively "underdeveloped", Xijiang is poised to become China's next Yangshou or Lijiang. Already, tourist shops as well as a few backpacker hostels and restaurants line the main village road.
During our time in Xijiang, we stayed with a local Miao family in their home. As an extra source of income, the family has outfitted part of their house for those travelers looking for a more "local" experience. The family we stayed with - husband, wife, son, and paternal grandparents - were lovely folks, helpful, and very hospitable. During the day, we would spend our time eating (a bit theme for the trip), wandering around town, and exploring the surrounding countryside.
On our second afternoon, we found our way into a local Miao village. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, the village was absolutely breathtaking - the catch? It was also desperately poor - to the extent of the villagers having problems providing a nutritious diet for themselves. Almost all of its younger citizens are either at school, or have left Guizhou to seek work opportunities in one of China's booming cities. Those left behind do the only thing that they can do to survive - they farm and constantly hope for a better life.
After Xijiang, we found ourselves in the little town of Chong'an, a quiet little river "hamlet". We settled into the only guesthouse for foreigners in town and over the next few days, lazed around the relaxing atmosphere and befriending the few other foreign travelers in town. Chong'an, while not as picturesque as Xijiang, offered plenty of its own charm in its water lined houses, quiet alleys, and the always consistent water taxis.
Our final stop in Guizhou was also Guizhou's most famous tourist attraction: Huang Guo Waterfalls. Hailed as the largest waterfall in China, Huang Guo has attracted Chinese tourists from far and wide, eager to catch a glimpse of the legendary falls. Unfortunately, during national holidays, this also spells mayhem. Without going into much details, let me just say that it was not one of my better China days (although ironically, I got one of my best shots from the whole trip there).
Overall, our foray into Guizhou proved to be a very nice escape from Beijing. Not only did it open my eyes a bit more about life in one of China's poorest and most developed provinces, but it was also good to travel with a good group of people (4 girls!) who were not only provided great laughs, but were also good company.
