Eventually, we decided we should get out and explore the area so we rented out some bicycles and rode around the rice paddies and villages amongst the beautiful limestone pinnacles. Really stunning! Earlier in the week we had met some teenagers on the main street who wanted to practice their English, and they had invited us to their school. What a great experience! We disrupted things a bit, and were greeted to a class of 40-50 screaming, cheering and clapping kids. We talked to the class for a while so they could practice their English and then had a tour of the school (the dorm rooms sleep 14 people - some 2 per bunk!) Anyway, it was all a lot of fun. Next, we headed to the home village of Xiao Mo - the lady who ran the guesthouse that we stayed at in the Rice Terraces. It was a small village and it didn't take long for someone to show us where her family lived. It was a brief visit as her brother (and nosey neighbours) didn't speak any English so we 'talked' for a few minutes in my broken Chinese, then spoke to Xiao Mo on the phone, took a quick photo and off we went. I think she was pleased that we went to say hello to her family anyway.
We had a great time riding around that day. Unfortunately, it had a miserable end when I took a bit of a tumble going too fast on the gravel (and following Martin's bumpy route - which I knew was a mistake, but it was too late). And I still had 10 miles left to ride back! So, now I have some new cuts and grazes and soon-to-be scars on my hands and knees. I suppose, I have been bruise-free for a few months so I was probably due for some new injuries! Oh well. *Mush
No comments:
Post a Comment