Rounding Out Nanjing

One week later, still telling stories of Nanjing. I guess it was that good. This post will be photo-laden to encourage your continued attention.

After the adventures of the first day, we were cut loose for the evening, and I took to the city with fellow CIEE student and CU Boulder undergraduate Meagan. We explored downtown Nanjing, which was conveniently located immediately outside our hotel. The night included such exploits as paddling a boat up a river that runs through the center of the city (see the river, a tributary of the mighty Yangzi, at right), and sharing a few outsized bottles of Tsingtao while enjoying the scene on the street.

The aforementioned scene was, as I suppose ought be expected, a bit absurd. Grown men chased after a dog in the street, trying to kick it (think that's cruel? ready my last post); plastic cups filled with unidentified fluids rocketed overhead from unknown sources, landing in the street; sparks flew-- seriously, honest to god sparks. The source of said sparks was, in fact, the combination of a skill saw and spot welder, which were in use about 3 meters from our table, as a squad of men worked to put an awning above the entrance to a tiny restaurant. This ridiculous process (pictured, at left)seemed doomed to failure, especially considering the (massive) size of the sign and the (pathetic) metal stays meant to hold it up. If nothing else, it made for grand entertainment.

The next morning was way weirder. I teamed up with a few compatriots, and headed to the "famous Nanjing hot springs." The cab ride, we had been told, would be not more than about 15 minutes. Half an hour later and still in the back seat, I was quietly taking the cash out of my wallet and readying for fisticuffs with the driver and his gang. When we finally arrived (we weren't, after all, driven to a warehouse and held up by our driver), we were not in the pastoral location we had expected, but at a massive spa and resort-- kind of cheesy and wildly overpriced. A little disappointed, we hung around for the morning anyway, soaking in the hot tubs and laughing at ourselves.

The afternoon was spent ruining our newly healthy skin and getting sweaty again. I returned to the giant park/mountain that featured Sun Yat Sen's Tomb and went for a hike up Zijin Shan (Purple Gold Mountain). The day was cloudy, and not conducive to good photos, so hopefully this unrelated photo will suffice: it's the view from my hotel room. On my way out of the park, a clanky minibus screeched to a halt next to me, the driver leaning out demanding to give me a ride. After a bit of haggling, I boarded his illegal taxi and crawled into the back, where I sat by an old woman from Xi'an. Also in the van were a pair of college students, and in the front seat, an 8 year-old clad in pyjamas. Needless to say, I survived the trip, though the likely outcome was not so obvious at the time.

Before I knew it, I was on the train, speeding back towards Beijing (speaking of trains, see below). Another overnight trip, this more restful than the last: fortunate, because we arrived just in time for classes on Monday morning.