Karin called at 4:30 pm our time Saturday but it was 5:30 AM Sunday morning and she hadn't yet had any coffee. She and mom were able to share about their Saturday.
They were taken to the Mopanshan Pier for a 4 hour cruise on the LiRiver. That was beautiful, the landscape was mountains.
They were given lunch on the boat and were pleasantly surprised at how good the food was. They were served a rice and chicken dish along with some fish. This meant the food they smuggled in could be saved for their supper later. After the cruise they were taken to a local family for an authentic rural China experience. They visited a widow lady in her 1 room home. Mom said it was very old and looked like a hovel Her son and daughter-in-law had a little bit bigger house right next door. They do not sleep on mattresses or have any pillows or covers in the summer. The bed is just a board. The interpreter explained that they believe sleeping on anything soft is bad for your back. They store a years worth of rice in big bags. They eat dog, in fact the interpreter told them dog meat is the most delicious meat. Curiously, mom and Karin didn't see many dogs at all in the country. There were a few in the cities but those were not for food, those seemed to be pets. They also eat cat but that is more sour tasting. They eat mice and rats too basically anything that moves except their water buffalo. Those work for the family usually around 18 years and when they die they are buried. Good thing Our Emma is never going to visit China.
From there they were taken to a small town where the Drum people were putting on a light show on the water. IT is very impressive. The amphitheater in this town holds 3000 people and all during the summer they put on 2 shows a night. It is always the same show and has always been the same show since the beginning. IN the winter they only put it on once a week.
What is interesting is the Chinese government saw how well the local villages were doing with bringing in tourists and now charge the people putting on the show 70% of what they bring in leaving only 30% for the villages. The Drum people have been given a little more freedom from the regular population in China. They are allowed to marry at 16 instead of 19 and are allowed 2 children instead of 1. They stayed quite late at the village and were only taken to the hotel around 9:30 pm, ate their smuggled croissants and hard boiled eggs and went to bed. This morning (Sunday) they leave at 6:40 am for the 2 hour drive to the airport where they are getting on a flight heading to Xi'an. They are going to explore the ancient Xian City Wall which is the best preserved part of the wall around this city.
In the middle of Xian stands the oldest and biggest Islamic mosque in the country. Karin said that the guide told them that Muslims are kept apart from the regular Chinese.
They are not allowed to mix.
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