day 98: 虞乡 (yuxiang) - 永济 (yongji) = 20,5km

There’s a foreign photographer (I forget his name) who has published a book about things people sit on in China.

I think that is an interesting subject indeed, and I am a bit jealous that I didn’t think of it first:

There’s not necessarily a deeper meaning to this - most chairs are still just chairs even after you’ve taken their picture:

…but it can still be interesting to think about the people that might have been sitting on them.

And the things that they might have been doing.

Landscapes tell other stories.

Like these mountains:

They’ve been sitting there ever since, protecting the settlements at their feet from invaders for years, decades, centuries and millennia in the past.

Today, they don’t have the same meaning anymore to the people:

Everybody can move so fast these days…

A random house on the way blesses the travelers passing:

The board says: “一路平安” - “have a safe journey”

Thanks, random house!

I took a break in front of a little store, sipping on ice-tea, looking at people doing things in the warm sunlight:

As I was sitting there, I concentrated heavily and managed to put together the pieces:

1) Spring Festival was only a few days ago,

2) it’s getting so warm I’m not even wearing my gloves and beanie anymore,

3) I can hear birds in the trees.

So hear my conclusion: It’s spring again!!

Even the massive power plant short of 永济 (yongji) looked kind of friendly:

Cooling towers gently rising like early spring flowers - generators and turbines, daffodils and crocuses.

I arrived in town in the highest of spirits, and I received a friendly welcoming:

Then there was the 黑白王 (black and white wang), who apparently owns a photo studio and has something interesting to say:

“您不上相就是摄影师的问题!” - “If you look bad on camera then it’s the photographer’s fault!”

I’ll keep that in mind…

Soundtrack: Biz Markie - “Spring Again”

—total: 1282,8km