Kolorowa noc

China knows how to party.

The nightlife in Asia is where it’s at. During the day you could take me to just about any of the places I’ve visited, and I’d never give them a second thought. Wait a few hours, until the sun starts to set, and it’s another world. The whole city is out catching cool breezes, strolling, swimming, buying cheap junk at night markets, grilling, having picnics, drinking coconut milk, dancing in the park, kids wearing shoes that have squeakers built into the soles are running around and playing hide and seek with their patents, eating popsicles, screaming their heads off. It’s unlike anything we have going on in the states. I love it.

My new modus operandi, because of the heat, has become to mess around during the day doing things that don’t require me to sweat, and then hit the streets around six and wander until I bump into something that makes me happy. It works. There are a lot of happy accidents to bump into. China’s got everything lit up like a nightclub, city streets, lakes, mountains, parks, trees, bushes. I gotta be honest with you China, that’s just how I like it.

Guilin is a great place for night walks. Tonight I decided to just follow the river to wherever, and I saw all these tents set up on the opposite side. I was trying to find my way over there. I ended up on the edge of another houseboat shantytown, walking through alleyways in an old part of town where all the houses are still just cement walls and floors. It was getting progressively darker and the whole neighborhood was sitting on plastic chairs in front of their doorways. I decided I was going to turn around. I always feel like a total imposter when I walk through these little streets. They’re really intimate. You can see into people’s homes, and it’s obvious everyone knows each other. I feel wrong being there.

I started to turn around and this old guy carrying a basket of fruit was waving at me to go back. I turned to go back and then turned again to give up on going back, again. He kept waving and waving and then finally decided to turn around himself and just walk with me. He walked me to the street that led out to the tents on the river and pointed me in the right direction. He sat and watched me go. When I stopped to take some photos he started shouting, Hello, hello! and waving me on again. OK, OK, photos later then.

I made it down to the water’s edge and there was a whole pop-up beach resort thingy happening. The entire strip was occupied with plastic chairs and folding tables with little hotplate restaurants serving beers and grilled stuff, and tents with sheets hung for dressing stalls next to lockers they brought in, rugs thrown over the big rock pebble beach, selling swim suits and inner tubes, and people frolicking around in the river. Amazing! Chinese people just make their own fun.

On my way home I decided to sample a green pea popsicle. You heard me right, green pea, not green tea. It was alright, I guess. The aftertaste was rather unfortunate. I’m definitely not recommending it. I’m on the move tomorrow, so I’m going to hit the hay. See you soon. xo.