October 22nd: Dianbai 电白 to Huangpo 黄坡 – 31.53 miles
Day 9
Finding ourselves on a bustling highway with no shoulders and nowhere to retreat, we pounded the pedals and by 1pm had already gone 30 miles. We stopped in the nearest town, Huangpo, which reminded both of us of a little Hanoi. Every type of industry was being conducted there. Stores specializing in welding, gates, hardware, solar water heating and storage, live chickens and doves and intricately woven baskets for carrying all manner of fowl. Not to mention the ubiquitous vegetable stalls, and a street dedicated to pickled garlic selling. Cher later pointed out that a “white dove con-gee” is a specialty of the village. Through and around this buzzed an exceptional amount of scooters, motorcycles and people. It was a surprising sight coming off a highway with little more than fields surrounding us to be dropped into such a busy town.
We once again attempted to gain access to the internet, but we were denied because we don’t have a Mainland Chinese ID card. The internet access is regulated by a censoring device which works with only the newest Chinese identity cards. The regulation aims to prevent under-aged teens using the internet cafes, as they are believed to be the culprits of a decrease in productivity. Never did the law-makers nor us expect this to be a problem for foreign travelers as evidenced by the amount of locals taking my picture while we were strolling around town.
We have pass through such a variety of towns everyday and we are able to get a better feel for them as we go. One thing I’ve noticed is the receptivity or openness of many of the faces we encounter. Since I understand nothing of what is said to me, I spend a lot of time reading faces and body language. One thing immediately noticeable in this town was the amount stares without the normal friendly curiosity. Many people stared from far off and when we looked directly at them fled. As my cheery self, I tried to greet people who stared at me but none returned my smile and hellos. We are often followed by people smirking or waving, but once we got in this town, I noticed someone in my mirror following at a distance even as we made a circuitous route looking for a suitable hotel. There were also numerous groups of teens just hanging about, and it was 1pm on a Monday. Despite the numerous businesses here, the population is still greater than the demand of the job market.
