Ruts
One thing about living here--I've gained a new appreciation for pavement and proper drainage on the roadways. Not that I've ever had to drive on any of these dirt roads, mind you. I'm thinking that it would be a worse hassle than walking on them. Sort of like having to drive in snow all year long.
Anyway, I probably shouldn't complain too loudly. About 90% of the roads I use are paved. Unfortunately, that remaining 10% includes the driveway from campus to the rest of the world--a road I have to use every day. The road's in a temporary status at this point. The college is putting in a new gate/entrance, so traffic is diverted around the main roadway. The alternate route is a real mud pit this time of year and with all the big trucks passing through on the way to construction sites, the mud gets spread all down the road. I've given up on washing my shoes for the duration. Maybe I spring for a shoe shine at the airport on my way out.
I should point out that the picture above is not the campus roadway. It's a country road that Yau Neih and I explored last Wednesday. It was a spousal hike that we scheduled to take advantage of us both having a "day off". (Technically, since my primary function has switched from home teacher to home packer and cleaner, I did have work to do. But I'm also my own boss in this... or at least as own boss as any husband can be. ;-) ) We packed a lunch and decided to follow a road we had discovered over the winter break. 'Twas a pleasant road, winding it's way up into the mountains to the south of town. There's a constant temptation on such roads to see what's around the next bend.
Of course, after a few "next bends" after our previous stopping point we came to what looked like the end of the road. There was a gateway over the road and a big building next to it. It looked like private property, though upon reflection I suppose it could have been the entrance to a village. (I still don't know how everything works here.) Not wanting to trespass, we doubled back and took the first side road we met. This ran up the mountain and quickly shrunk down to footpath status. We intrepidly followed and were treated to some great views of some local farms. One small valley had been transformed into a cascade of green rice paddies.
We quickly got lost as the path wound it's way higher and higher. Not lost in the sense of needing to be rescued, but rather in the sense that our only chance to find our way home would be to retrace our steps. After an hour, hour and a half, I really felt like we had penetrated unknown territory. The illusion was shattered about then when we reached a lookout point and could clearly see the campus in the distance. About a half hour later, we discovered a side path that took us to a trail which we had hiked before. Oh, well. It might have been backyard discoveries that we were making, but we enjoyed them nonetheless.
It appears that this jaunt was my last China hike. With one week left, I opted to stay home and clean rather than go on the last Saturday morning hike. With some regret I'll be washing off my hiking boots and try not to think of all the trails here that I haven't tried. But I'll also have fond memories for all the trails that I did get to discover. Kind of an apt metaphor for our whole life here, really.
posted by John @ 5:07 PM
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