China - Breaking the Stereotype

One year and two days ago we landed in New Delhi, the beginning of the "hard" traveling, and what a year it's been! From India, to Nepal, to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and now China. All distinctly unique + memorable, but maybe no other has been so contrary to my expectations as China is proving to be. At times, so similiar to the States, but better - Very friendly people that go way out of their way (even taking time off work or school) to help and are quick to smile or laugh; People out and about WALKING in planned pedestrian plazas or on tree-lined boulevards, or even BIKING in DESIGNATED bicycle lanes; Cities that are spotlessly clean with numerous public toilets + efficient mass transit for pennies; Old people as a vital part of society, whether they're doing Tai Chi stretches in the mornings at Tonghai's temple mountain or playing instruments + dancing in Kunming's Green lake Park on a Sunday; Teens are as hip + fashion forward as at home and ever eager to practice English with a stranger and help you with your Chinese in return; Modern metropolis' and ancient villages not only exist side-by-side, but intermingle, and it's not uncommon to see women in tribal dress going about their business with cell phone in hand. Not what you thought, is it? Us either. Yunnan has really won us over.

You're waiting for the "But" aren't you? There is an obvious one. For all it's "Pro's", China's big "Con" is that it's heading on the same mega-consummerist track that the rest of the western world is and the cities all feel like giant shopping malls. We headed halfway 'round the world to get way from that a bit and now it's right back in our face. It's the same story the world over though - people get money and they can't wait to spend it. I know I'm not much different, but it HAS been nice being farther down the consumption chain living out of a backpack for awhile. And note that I said Yunnan, not China. I can speak from my own experience here, but China's a big place, and we've gotten reports from our friend Ken who's now up in Xi'an saying that that is THE most polluted city he's EVER been in, and noisy to boot. Obviously, China hasn't gotten a bad rap on their poor environmental record for nothing, and if you think that that's THEIR problem, check THIS out. The World is becoming increasingly smaller, and more + more, decisions made halfway around the globe will affect us all. For the most part though, we've got nothing but recommendations. Come see it for youself and make your own judgement.

Check the "link" for our Yunnan Province recommendations.