Admittedly I don't have very fond memories of China, but this area of south-west China is breathtakingly beautiful, the people are very friendly and welcoming, and the children treated me like a film star (teachers invited me to schools) and I would get happily mobbed in the playground by hundreds of happy, excited kids asking for my autograph!!! Ok this was ten years ago, and steadily China has opened her door very wide for the tourist $ and because of my 6 months traveling in south-west China, I have been able to send many tourists to this region myself, where they too have has the expierence of a lifetime!
What I saw on the news was horrific and devestating images from an area of the world I know so very well...the thing is, I know it so well I know that many of the more remote area's in the moutains may not be accesable to the rescue workers, and there may be people and children trapped...many area's are not acessable by road even!! (or wern't when I was there) my only hope is that the Chinese army gets to these regions quickley and save those who desperatly need help. China has a superb army, and so far 15,000 troops have been deployed to help with the rescue effort...I hope and pray for the vistims of this horrific earthquake!
China is many things I hate!!
Animal rights are a huge issue with me, and China has a terrible Animal rights record. Certain areas have a huge fur trade, which is grotesque, and so cruel its impossile for me to belive these people are capable of such crulety! Fur isen't sexy or trendy, and recently I saw a picture of Madonna dressed in a real fur coat that just made her look like an aged cave-woman!! I instantly lost all my respect for this singer for indorsing the fur trade! Also at the time I was in China certain authorities I encountered were so annoying!!!! Like the time I was unable to buy "People Class" train tickets at a train station simply because I was a white westen woman, I was told I had to travel first class, which is about as expensive as flying, and when your on a budget, not justifiable! So I had to hang around the station for nearly two days before I befriended a Police officer, by offering him one of my cigarettes (the best way to make friends in China) and he purchased me a People Class ticket for me! Now this IS what makes China such a special place! The friendlyness of the people! When your traveling in China its not uncommon to be invited to someone family home for a meal!! To me, China is definatly a land of extreams! and I learned to expect the unexpected, which seems to be the best rule...I was involved in a bus crash in a remote mountain area, where I (and my fellow passengers I am relived to say) were unhurt, and all got out with just cuts and bruses...was defriended by a student from Tibet called Xhau Tzong in the mountain village of Lijiang, when I had desentary, and she took me to see the Doctor and helped me get back on my feet again. When I had to leave both she and I were very upset, and we said a tearful goodbye at the bus station (photo below) OMG I hope she is safe!...Oh and the time after the bus crash, another bus driver picked me up for an overnight drive to the next town and dident chage me a penny!! (a Yuan) which was so generous of him! so I gave him a packet of cigarette's instead which he accepted very happily! My heart and thoughts are so with these lovely people at the moment....I swore I would never go back to China, but at the moment I wish I was there at the moment, to offer what little help I am capable of....
Below are some pix of me in South-West China where I spent 6 months traveling!
The maginificent Hauongoshuo waterfall!
Playing pool with the local kids just outside Cheungdu!
My back!!! me from the back out shopping!! Vicky the Westen Oddity!! LOL! I love the expression on the man's face sat to the right of me!
