So, it strikes me that I owe a post, lest I leave Claire’s at the top of the screen forever as testament to her obsession with an automated commode. Which is tempting.
Last I spoke, I was comparing the eccentricities of Hong Kong to that of Japan; since then, we’ve entered mainland China, experiencing Guangzhou and two nights and two days thus far of Yangshuo. While the stark differences between China and Japan are still on my mind, I’ll try my best to stay away from that familiar descriptive mode and try and give you an idea of how I see China.
As far as Guangzhou goes, I’m a little light on pictures, for several reasons. First of all, there really isn’t much in the way of sights that thrill in comparison to what Yangshuo and even Hong Kong offer. Secondly, some of the sights that approached “thrill” level were indoors in non-photo territory. Thirdly, and possibly most importantly, it was excrementally hot in Guangzhou, and sightseeing was somewhat limited due to the rapidity at which my body became water. Here’s a typical Guangzhou 5-day forecast for some context.
Notwithstanding the heat, we did manage to enjoy some pleasant walks around town, along with some first-class food. I’m actually surprised at how the general themes of Cantonese food approximate that of the ubiquitous Anglo knock-offs in the states, except at a far higher quality (and with far less goopiness). To my knowledge, I also have thus far avoided eating pigeon, dog and rat, which I have seen on menus. And I’ve also learned, thanks to our travel buddies Kristen and Ben who have spent the last two years in China doing admirable work with the Peace Corp., that the small amount of meat found in the fish cheek is the tastiest part of the fish. In China, this morsel is usually reserved for Grandma, and though Claire may be closer to that distinction than I by virtue of her gender, I’ve been allowed to share in the morseldom. Thanks, Claire.
Anyway, much more to share about Yangshuo, which has been the high-octane thrill-ride of the summer so far. And of course, the usual partially-formed insights on the culture are bound to follow at some point. ‘Till then.
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3 comments:
Aaron and Claire, I just remembered your blog and caught up in one sitting. Good stuff. Aaron, you've got a Hemingway-esque writing style.
While the cheek meat may be the most sumptious part of the fish, the tail is the most delectible part of the cat. Once you've tried it you may never look at Munch the same way.
if by Hemingway you mean drunk and sitting around a bar, yup, that is about right
@Jeff: Munch is already hard enough to look at without a wide angle lens.
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