I have to say, I think yesterday was by far the best day here yet. Not that everyday here is great and brings me a step closer in understanding this unique culture, but yesterday I was able to spent the whole day with my Chinese friend Eleven (love her name!) on my side, walking arm in arm, experiencing the true China, away from all the tourist crowds. After meeting at Tianfu Square early in the morning (and yes, I consider 9.30am on a weekend early in the morning regarding the 1,5 hours it takes me to get there!) we hopped into a taxi - please only do that one if you feel confident with giving directions in Chinese (I already have my problems with left and right in German) or you are 100% sure about the correct spelling of your target destination - or even easier, you are Chinese. Check on this one. 10 minutes and 11¥ (people, just over a buck!) later we arrived at Xinnanmen Chezhan - Xinnanmen Bus Station - where we got ourselves tickets for our 1 hour bus ride to Luodai - an ancient town with Hakka - a Chinese minority - influence and popular destination for Chinese craving delicious and cheap street food in an original atmosphere with plenty of opportunity to purchase some tacky souvenirs and - you won't believe it - Cinderella looking like wedding dresses. Very much a breach of style with those shiny and badly made copies of little girls halloween princess costumes sold in a couple hundred years old houses. Good that you wear wedding dresses only once, I guess you would not be able to get a second time our of those pieces of clothes anyway ;-)
But I must tell you, from the moment I put my first step onto this long and narrow street framed with food and little shops, I immediately fell in love. Eleven insisted hardly on paying the whole trip including all the food and souvenirs for me - and after the 10th time I complaint I decided to give up and just enjoy her generosity. It was great. First thing she bargained me a beautiful flour head piece that almost every female Chinese in Luodai was wearing. Then she led me straight to the darn good food and made sure I got to try everything authentic Chinese out there on the street of Luodai, which included great and spicy seasoned potato wedges, spicy lamb kebab, sticky rice pieces covered in caramel, grass jelly - ultra spicy rice flour strips with a jelly like consistensy (which Luodai is famous for - and I really don't like but Eleven LOVED), deep fried cornmeal and chive pancakes on a stick, Chinese peanut and melon candy, EVEN the ultimate Sichuan delicatesse - rabbit head (yes, you wonder where the meat is hiding and how to get there - the trick to this is to let some bones crack ;-) ) People, I was in heaven, and sooo happy having Eleven right next to me showing me the good stuff, the right way of eating and sharing her love to food with me. I couldn't be more thankful! After strolling down the whole street and with my backpack full of local candy and my wrist covered with a colorful wooden bracelet Eleven decided to bring us to Chengdu's version of the Great Wall of China (which can be found in Beijing) called Golden Dragon Great Wall. It was breathtaking in many ways - I got an idea of what the Chinese accomplished by building a defense so wide and solid, the view of the beautiful and untouched nature around and the many many crazy steep steps we had to climb in order to get to the Buddha temple that marked the end of the 1,5 hour long way up the mountain. Yes, I do feel my legs today. But definitely good to get some exercise after eating like a pig. And it was worth every step. The view, the temple, the smell of the incense that surrounded you after arriving your target - both Eleven and I got the great feeling of accomplishment up there. Can't buy that anywhere!
As Luodai is not a typical spot for foreign tourist to go to (I guess because it's pretty far out from Downtown Chengdu and requires the know for Chinese bus traveling) I pretty much was the only Western looking like person in between all the Chinese visitors and having pointed out this, you can imagine I had the undevided attention and fame factor again for a whole day. This time I asked people coming up for pictures to also take one for me, just so when back in Germany I can still feed my ego with the fame I experience here ;-) One of the pictures reminded me of Jesus surrounded by his disciples, especially with the flour ring on my head. :-D
After our trip to the "Great wall of Southwest China" we headed back to the main street - which meant Chinese tourists wedged in the back of a mini van and me sitting comfortably on the only front seat getting complimented on how smart and glorious the German nation is - haha, I couldn't help but grin the whole car ride - Eleven treated us to some Milktea before we made our way back to the bus terminal and by entering the bus back to Chengdu ending a great day in China that's worth memorizing forever. I took tons of pictures, and tried to upload as many as possible up here, so you can be part of what I want to call my best day ever yet. And the best thing about it - I'll meet Eleven again next week - with the plan to experience the ultimate Sichuan specialty - Hot Pot !