I got up; showered; packed up my belongings; broke my computer charger (the hotel broke by computer charger); breakfasted; and got on the bus. We were going to see the Great Buddha of E’Mei Mountain. I read a copy of Henry James’ Ghost Stories as we coasted through the countryside.
Around 11:30, our bus stopped in front of a dubious looking restaurant. It was as I feared. ACC had organized this trip through a travel agency, out of a desire to shirk planning such a trip as this, cutting costs, or simply spite for the students. You see, travel agencies in China are run only by the most vile and miserly of the Chinese people – making you eat at horrible restaurants, stay in leaky and electrically faulty hotels, and rushing you through ancient sites at lightning speed while at their disposal. As soon as we sat down at the tables (covered in a fine layer of questionable moisture), odious waitresses emerged from the kitchen carrying dishes of the most repulsive Chinese cuisine. I was appalled. I voiced my concern to the other inmates of the restaurant. We were helpless. I ate rice.
For the rest of the afternoon, my alimentary canal was plagued by the most excruciating of pain. We then bussed to our destination, and we milled around the area for some time, while our tour guide was dispatched on some obscure errand. The situation grew worse as my stomach learned more about the unsavory food that I had consumed. One of the other students came over to me in the persistent rain, and in a matronly tone asked:
Jamey, are you enjoying this trip? You look like you’re not having too much fun…
I’m fine.
Sometimes the truth is too much. We entered the park and I excused myself. The group had disappeared when I began the trip up the mountain, and I trekked up alone. Halfway up, I was again attacked by the unsavory meal. I broke into a cold sweat, shed some clothes, and continued upwards. I was safe. Oh China…
After averting this disaster, I proceeded to take in the surroundings. I looked around the Buddhist temples at the peak of the mountain and examined the largest Buddha statue in existence, sitting at an imposing 200+ feet tall. I met up with Wes and Hannah on the other side of the Great Buddha, and we walked around a lot of the park. We found a “secret” temple and barricaded area, and crossed the fence to look around. I am very glad that we did jump over the stone fence because we saw the most interesting architecture and sculptures there.
From there, we took the bus to the Mount E’Mei Grand Hotel. We were dismissed and directed to our rooms, oh glorious rooms that they turned out to be. The window to the dorm was open and everything in the room was coated with a layer of moisture from the outside. The rooms were also approximately 50 degrees, as they received little sunlight from the small service walkway onto which our hotels looked and due to the fact that we were 1, if not 2, stories underground.
It was time to get some supper after a little while. I supped with Wes, Hannah, and Laura at a Chengdu-style restaurant. The food was amazing after what we had been prompted to eat earlier in the day, and we dined on Bacon with spinach, rice, eggplant, egg and tomato, and spicy beef slices.
We walked back over to the dorm, and I separated from my companions, who intended upon bathing at the “natural” hot springs of the Mount E’Mei Grand Hotel. I doubted the authenticity of the “hot springs.” I declared that I would rather visit the hot springs in Iceland, as they were free. I’m adding Iceland to the list of countries that I need to visit.
I ended up watching a movie with Christina, Alex, and Lee. We sat in Christina’s room and watched a horrible American movie. Before said movie, we caught the tail end of another movie. When the film ended, the screen went blue, and we realized that the TV station we were watching was wired to a DVD player somewhere in the recesses of China, broadcasting cheesy American movies all over the country. I laughed. What was this place?
After the movie, I went to sleep. I am missing my computer, dear reader. I need to write.
I’ll write soon!
Love,
Jamey
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