April 27; Iron Pagodas and Yellow River

Day 82

Goal of the Day: See the Yellow River Area and the Iron Pagoda Park

On our way to the Yellow River Area, a lady on the bus started talking to us. The lady on the bus was kind enough to give us a free city tour, pointing out all the places around the area and the significance. Surprisingly, I could understand what she was saying – but only in bits and pieces. I think my Chinese is improving at a very minuscule rate.

The Yellow River Area was off the beaten track so there were virtually no tourists there at all.

 

It was actually a pretty empty park. Besides us, the foreigner/student/expats, there were:

Chinese teenagers having fun and hanging out on the beach and bathing themselves in the questionable yellow river…

a group of Chinese men eating meat on a stick - perhaps a company picnic?

Grandparents and grandson

Workers 

us.

The grandpa came and talked to us a bit. All conversations with Chinese people usually end up the same. They are obviously curious about the foreign faces (i.e. Tanjin and Kristie), and so they usually turn to me asking some basic questions: if I’m Chinese/sometimes they just assume I’m Chinese, where they’re from, where I’m from, are you students. NO matter how many times this conversation happened I have yet to be bored of it.

Back at the farm! Papa John approved.

path to see the yellow river.

The Yellow River

Trying to create wind

success

ghetto change rooms

 

After seeing the Yellow River with our very own eyes, we headed out to the Iron Pagoda Park.

Entrance Fee = 25 RMB with student discount

The main attraction: The Iron Pagoda.

You could climb the pagoda with an extra fee and a whole lot of energy.

Shaolin monk statues doing their thing, while I try to do mine.

 

My favourite area: the pond.

After a day of exploring, we headed back to the hostel for a delicious linner (who knew hostel food could be so delicious) and then hit the night market! To me, it was pretty much a street meat market… not my scene but it was still pretty interesting.

Meat and other things on sticks

You can choose your own ingredients.

Locals love it.

Special flat breads which are cooked by sticking the dough on the ceiling of the big stone oven.

Back at the hostel, we tried to finalize our plans for tomorrow. I never realized how complicated and even stressful travelling was until then. At that moment of realization, Tanjin and I broke into hysterical laughter. It was time to call it a night. 

Otherwise, today's goals were met with great success.