day 156: 隆德 (longde) - 沙塘 (shatang) = 15,4km

There have been times on this trip when my behind was flaming with cold (December 30th 2007, January 29th 2008) - but now as I’m sitting here, I have heat under my butt and a running nose.

What happened?

Well, before it came to this, I had to get out of 隆德 (longde):

I knew I wouldn’t have to walk that far today, so I took it easy on the highway, taking pictures of big things:

…and little things:

Sometime after this tree though, I started reacting allergic:

Pollen, spores, baby trees. Whatever those stupid plants toss at me - I’ll sneeze.

- (unhappy face) -

And it’s weird because it’s so common where I’m from, while a large part of the Chinese population has never even heard of allergies.

Stupid trees, looking pretty and torturing me at the same time:

I sat down for a rest under the trees whatsoever.

Then the donkey appeared:

He was apparently on the run from his master:

I liked him and completely supported his struggle.

But, like many arguably good causes…

…it was lost from the start.

When me and my running nose got back on the highway, we witnessed a nuclear transport that we didn’t photograph.

Then the road and the sky were free again:

Speaking of nuclear power; take a look at this thing:

Can you guess what it’s for? (The only place I’ve ever seen this before was in Tibet.)

…

When I arrived in my destination, I was very happy to get a tiny room with a 炕 (kang - February 16th 2008).

And this time, they were going to heat it up for me:

But first, I had to grab something to eat outside, and that’s how I ran into someone I didn’t like at all.

Yeah, it happens: drunk, in his forties, badteethgreasyhaircheapsuit-combo, a total wanker. I had mistakably taken him for the restaurant owner, mainly because he talked so loud, and thus sheepishly followed him into a back room filled with smoke and drunken friends of his.

There I was forced to sit down and engage in mindless conversations evolving around nationalities and Hitler.

I tried my best to remain polite and correct, while at the same time hating them and liking the noodles.

Once I had eaten up, I got dragged around the main street to a photo studio, where I found myself in front of a flowery background wallpaper posing with my “friend” for a picture:

WTF…

There’s a saying in Chinese: “林子大了什么鸟都有” - “A large forest holds all kinds of different birds.”

So yes, there are wankers in the land of the rising sun too.

And sayings to describe them.

…

Now I’m on my 炕, my nose is running from the allergies:

…and my butt is being warmed from below.

PS: tomorrow is dance time.

Soundtrack: 1. Mai 87 - “Voll Proll”

—total: 1997,3km