China to Hong Kong to Taiwan

A new day, and a new sun... My time in China mainland is now over, and I'm currently writing from Chep Lap Kok island (at the airport hotel) in Hong Kong. After taking a day to recover from my "week of adventure," I made the most of my remaining time in China. Although I hadn't planned to leave until Sunday/Monday, visa complications hastened my departure. Since I have been using the 2002 edition Lonely Planet guidebook, I have been under the impression that I could easily secure a visa extension in Yangshuo. However, due to the tourism explosion in the area, the Yangshuo PSB called it quits. When I made a special trip to the Guilin PSB, I was told that they would need my passport for at least a week, which was not possible. Thus, I stretched my visa to its maximum - 30 days - and left a bit earlier than I would have liked.

After being told that I would have to leave early, my Chinese family was very disappointed but also resolved to make the most of our remaining time together. I woke up early each of the last couple days and spent a lot of time talking to them, watching everyone cook delicious food, and playing with Nine (the baby). Xiao Mei (Yuan) and I set out on a great biking adventure on Thursday, traveling in a big loop from Moon Hill to Dragon Bridge in Baisha to Yangshuo. It was so nice, as it was the first time I'd been anywhere in China without getting lost. And there's absolutely no way I could have found my way through all those rice paddies - no way I would have known that the inches-wide, rocky paths we rode on were actually intended to be used as thoroughfares - without her as a guide. At the least, I wouldn't have been home in time for dinner... The Dragon Bridge, in particular, was really cool. Built in the 1400s, it has remained crucial to the people of Guangxi for centuries, being one of the only means of crossing the Yulong River. The bike trip was a great time - and a great workout, too - and I returned home tired, hungry, and even more disappointed that I would be leaving so soon.

Friday was a busy day full of tying up loose ends and packing up for my departure that night. I spent much of the day in Yangshuo bargaining with stubborn vendors in order to get my souvenirs at a decent price (ok, a decent price by Chinese standards). I really hate to bargain, but I suppose it did help my Chinese, and my bargaining-skills definitely improved as the day progressed. I certainly became comfortable saying "Wo shi xuesheng; mei you qian!" ("I'm a student! No money!"). After packing, I spent the afternoon with the family, and then we all enjoyed a big going-away dinner. As I sat there on my stool six inches above the ground, shoving rice into my mouth with my chopsticks and chatting in Chinese with my mouth full - surrounded by people who in one month had gone from being total stangers to being...my family - I realized that I had accomplished my mission. I had achieved a genuine understanding - however small it might be - of another culture. I had become not just another "foreigner" to these local village people but someone to whom they could relate and for whom they cared. Exactly like last year, when I experienced the same feeling of belonging with my Costa Rican family, I didn't want to leave...but, like then, I knew I had to. Earlier this year, when I pondered how to spend my summer, I was tempted to return to Costa Rica and try to relive the amazing times of last year. I would know exactly what to expect, I would be secure and comfortable, and I would undoubtedly have fun. Upon further thought, though, I realized that the world is just too big to settle for one good thing. If I had returned to CR again this summer, I would have become even more comfortable there, and, in the future, I would have no reason to go anywhere else...and that's not what I want out of life. While I do want to experience a sense of belonging in different places and within different cultures, I want to remain a traveler and an adventurer. Although it was extremely difficult to say goodbye to both my Costa Rican and Chinese families, I think I did the right thing in both cases. There's just too much out there to see and experience, and I can't let myself become tied down. I totally agree with Into the Wild's Chris McCandless that a truly rich life - rich in experience - can be acquired only by searching every single day for a new and different sun. With those thoughts, I packed my things, exchanged tearful goodbyes, and headed for the bus station.

From motorbike to minivan, plane to train, and bike to bus, I'm pretty sure I experienced all of China's modes of transportation. The long-distance "sleeper" bus I took on Friday night just might have edged out the train for the ground-transportation first-prize. Although some grumpy British guys behind me were whining for much of the night and making comments like "And this is first-class to them!", I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. I suppose after a month, I've grown accustomed to everything in China being made for people who are 5'5", so the fact that I had to sleep with my legs bent wasn't such a big deal. To conserve room, the beds on the bus are actually raised slightly in the front and back (so that your legs go underneath the bed in front of you), but this actually makes them quite comfortable. It was really nice falling asleep at 11 PM outside of Yangshuo and waking up at 9:30 AM the next morning in Shenzhen. Admittedly, I did have a bit of trouble finding the border crossing in Shenzhen and was becoming frustrated as I walked around in horrendous heat carrying all my luggage. Everyone I tried to talk to seemed to be able to speak only Cantonese, and even when I simply asked "Hong Kong??? Shang Gong???" (using both English and Mandarin), I was given dumbfounded looks like I'd asked how to get to Lexington rather than the metropolis that is located about a hundred meters away (I wanted to ask "Do you not realize that right across that river that you live beside is one of the world's most famous cities??). With the help of a friendly UCal professor, I eventually found customs and, after waiting in almost every line twice (after forgetting to fill out the little emmigration card when leaving China and then doing the exact same thing when entering Hong Kong), I finally shuffled onto Hong Kong's KCR train with all my bags. At this point I was pretty hot and tired, so I got off at Hong Hum, caught a cab to the Airport Express station, rode to the airport, and then checked into the airport hotel to relax. Most importantly, I just needed somewhere to store luggage (having bought souvenirs and having left the rock climbing gear bag in Yangshuo, I was having issues). I relaxed in the hotel during the evening, watching planes land every five minutes in front of a beautiful sunset over the ocean and the distant islands. I then went out and had maybe my third Western meal (ie. no rice!) in five weeks; like the previous two instances, I could think of only one thing - cheese - this time opting for lasagna.

The last three days have been absolutely great. I awoke Saturday with no plans and really had no idea where I was going to end up. I left almost all my luggage at the hotel, knowing I would return tonight, and hopped on a bus to southern Lantau island (Lantau island is essentially connected to Chep Lap Kok, where the new airport is located). A nice guy on the bus saw me looking at my map and, offering to help, asked me where I wanted to go. He didn't seem to understand when I said I didn't know where I was going, that I was just going to "go" and see where I ended up. I ended up getting off at Silvermine Bay and exploring this area a bit. It didn't feel right though, so I got on a ferry in Mui Wo and island-hopped to Cheung Chau. The only vague plans I had in the back of my head involved windsurfing, but - despite Lonely Planet's declaration that the Hong Kong people have been crazy about the sport since '96, when it brought them their first Olympic gold medal - most people didn't seem to know the word. I didn't really want to ask directions anyway, though, so I basically just let my feet do the guiding, and I kind of followed them along. After wandering around Cheung Chau for some time, I eventually wound up at - of all places - the Cheung Chau Watersports Club. Soon enough, I had a great hotel room so close to the ocean I would later fall asleep to the sound of the surf and with a balcony that offered a superb view of the bay and of Hong Kong island in the distance. I spent most of the day on Sunday out on the water, having an absolute blast. I wasn't able to book a lesson as I had planned, but I guess the combination of my surfing experience and my knowledge of sailing did the trick (and I probably still had some muscle memory from those few days of windsurfing six or seven years ago). Within ten minutes I was tacking and gybing, and later in the day, I was cruising side by side with several expert windsurfers (well, until they passed me, going twice as fast) a half mile out at sea along a rocky cliff, waves crashing against the rocks just twenty feet to my starboard. Now, I must be clear - I love the mountains more than just about anything, and I certainly fell in love with the scenery in China - but it was awesome to be back at the ocean. Flying across the bay with my back nearly parallel to the water, the wind howling in my face and the smell of salt in the air, my arms and hands begging me for a break despite the wild grin of pleasure on my face...this was the life. All I could think was "It just doesn't get any better than this" (with one exception, of course: surfing). Of course, I took more than my share of falls, getting flung head over heals every few minutes by ridiculously strong gusts of wind, but it was all part of the fun. After windsurfing, I still didn't really have any plans, but I had checked out of my hotel, thinking I might try to hire a sampan to take me over to a remote part of Lantau island, where I could camp and then hike part of the Lantau trail the next day (which is apparently very nice and goes over the two highest mountains in Hong Kong). Nevertheless, I just couldn't bring myself to leave Cheung Chau. As I explored the island, I was totally charmed by what seemed to me to be the place's unique combination of Chinese and Hong Kong culture. The narrow alleyways and markets and street vendors made me feel as if I were still in China, but the people were clearly more cosmopolitan (barely even taking notice of me) and polite (by Western standards of what is polite), even bothering to ring the bell on their bikes before passing pedestrians. Plus, there was a definite laid-back island feel to the whole place; in all, it was just too much to leave behind. So, I went back to my hotel, checked back into the same room, and repeated everything once more. Another evening exploring the markets, buying fresh fruit, and reading on my balcony over the ocean; another breakfast of delicious dim sum (I just can't get enough!); another day of windsurfing. I didn't make it back to the hotel until this evening, my face a bit redder and my hair quite a bit saltier than when I checked out on Saturday. Now, it's time to repack and get ready for Taiwan. The original plan was for China to revolve around rock climbing and Taiwan to revolve around surfing, but I'll just have to wait and see; I'm sure I'll find some way to have fun. Of course, with the typhoon that's demolishing parts of the island as I write, I just hope my flight won't be postponed... although if it is, I guess I could handle another day of windsurfing...