13 January 2011 Perhaps, if I had paused in my run to the station to haggle for some oranges I could have cut it a tad closer. I started out this morning in Fenghuang. Overall, I found the historic town sadly over developed. At least the domestic tourist was the prime target so the touts usually ignored me. I rolled into the bus station a little before ten this morning. My train to Shanghai was to depart from Huaihua, a nearby rail hub city, at 2:20pm. The guidebook mentioned that buses left every half hour. The one I was on didn't rumble to a start until after eleven. Then, with road construction and stops to buy produce, the two hour trip stretched into three dropping me a kilometer from the train station with 15 minutes to go. I know few Chinese words but "train" and "station" are two of them. "Huoche zhan?" I asked the driver as I was deboarding. He gestured straight and then left. I yanked my pack from the innards of the bus and took off at ...

12 January 2011 Traveling in the developing world can be disorienting business. Every few days you're dropped into unknown territory with little more guidance than the poorly photo copied map in your pirated guide book which doesn't even cover the part of town you're in anyway. As most of the denizens were born in your new environs there's been little emphasis in the signage department. Such was the case with my arrival in Fenghuang. My guide book bills Fenghuang as a fairly well preserved 16th century era riverine town. Included is a nice map of the town. I guess I glossed over the fact that it is surrounded by a sprawling, modern city in the midst of which I was deposited yesterday afternoon. Finding the river easily enough I furtively examined my compass to determine which direction to follow it. 45 minutes later I was on the map. Bearings acquired I hoofed it another half hour to a youth hostel where I splashed out* for the dorm room with the view. Besides shelt...

...That on the day I decide to leave Dehang the sun comes out. I had to make one more run out to the waterfall before taking off. "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief That thou her maid art far more fair than she." Methinks that what they call my shadow here on earth is my true substance. Methinks that in looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oysters observing the sun through the water, and thinking that thick water the thinnest of air.

10 January 2011 In wardrobe preparation for the wintry climes of China the one area where I failed was footwear. I am still cruising around in my Teva sports sandals I've worn almost everyday for the last eight months. They're closed toe but have large air vent holes along both flanks. Layered up and boarding a train in Nanning In Nanning, I checked out a few shoe stores. I would write my shoe size down and inevitably be met with great guffawing. The clerk would then flag over a colleague or another customer to join in the merriment and both throw their heads back in laughter. Just like this old lady in the noodle shop was laughing at me now. To quote John McClaine, "It's better than getting caught with your pants down." Nanning was a twelve hour overnight train ride behind me and it was half past six in the morning. Neither the sun nor my connecting bus would make an appearance for another hour.The mercury had dipped considerably over the traverse. I had...