Got back from our weekend trip to Lianyungang yesterday around dinner time. I thought for some reason in went until Sunday, so I was pleasantly surprised.
I spent about half the weekend completely drenched. About as soon as we got there Thursday , the weather started to get bad. For some reason every time we got on the bus to go somewhere, it would start to rain.
It started the first night when we were walking back from another KTV for yet another birthday. This particular KTV was in a hotel that our program assistant led us to. It was pretty much the shabbiest place ever, and we quickly discovered it was primarily a front for a brothel. Still fun though.
The next day we went to Hua Guo Shan, the highest mountain in the Yuntai Range. We took vans up to the top of it, and I was pretty terrified about rolling down the side of the mountain. I don't think I've been so terrified about the roads since I went to Irealand. As soon as we got out, it started to rain. We all bought chinsey ponchos. Mine had a whole in the butt, which was admittedly pretty hilarious.
We stood around at the top, but we couldn't see much because visibility was maybe 50 yards. It still was pretty cool and felt like we were floating in the middle of nowhere. After about 10 minutes at the top, the program director informed us that we had to walk to the bottom. Probably two hours later we got to the bottom, pretty drenched. And for being the home of the monkey king, I only saw 2 monkeys, and one was on a leash at the base of the mountain.
Some of the many stairs on the way down the mountain. My roommate, Jerry, is in the foreground.
We then went on a boat tour which pretty much meant riding down a river toward the Pacific. With the rain and everything, the whole environment seemed pretty post apocalyptic.
After that we walked up the road to the Pacific. It was really pouring, so we couldn't actually go swimming. The water was really warm, so I waded in anyway. It was actually a lot of fun.
Me in the Pacific. Despite the poncho, I was completely wet.
We retired to the 5-star hotel we were staying in. The fact that we had instant hot water was probably the best part; the nice beds being a close second.
On Saturday we went to another scenic spot, the weather once again rainy. They let us wander in the valley for a couple hours. Once again rainy, but overall the waterfalls and everything made by the river in the valley were very cool. The rain probably made it even better, only fueling the river more.
At the head of the waterfall. I had to climb hundreds of steep, wet, uneven stairs to get here. I decided not to cross since it would have meant being even more wet for the bus ride back.
The trip was worthwhile and fun as a whole. I can only imagine how great it would be in good weather.
The Prices
Right now, I'm probably overstaying my welcome in a cafe using their internet. It is so heinously overpriced. I had to pay 25 yuan for a sprite. But the internet is out in the dorm, so I guess I had to make due.
For less than the cost of this sprite, I bought the first season of the Sopranos on DVD. While I know the DVD store probably does something illegal, it can't be any worse than illegally downloading shows and movies.
Class
I switched my reading class from the C section (easiest) to the B section. I'm in one of those tough situations where I have to choose between a class that's too easy and one that is very difficult. The teacher is pretty much brutal. She purposely talks fast, and just says to deal with it. I couldn't understand much of what was going on. She also does this thing where she goes around the room, and criticizes something about everyone. In my case, it was the way I was saying my "x." I have another week to switch around classes, so I'll give this one another day or two. I may go with the harder class and not worry about my grades. I only need a C to get credit, and it doesn't influence my GPA.
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