Once I got back from Huangshan I decided that it was a good day for a lazy day so I took a shower, did laundry and sat in bed… for h...

Hongcun

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Once I got back from Huangshan I decided that it was a good day for a lazy day so I took a shower, did laundry and sat in bed… for hours!


In the late afternoon a girl came into the room and we started talking, she was an opinionated 19 year old German. A Chinese girl walked in and the German asked her what she was doing, and she responded “dinner” so the German girl invited herself and looked at me and said “Here is my pomelo, you take care of it while I go out for dinner!” I laughed! Who does she think I am? I immediately told her I was not taking care of her pomelo and that I was also going out for dinner.

Dinner was… interesting! The Chinese girl (who I had “talked” to several times before) had really poor english so it was amusing to see us have a full on conversation!
Up to now I hadn’t really had a proper meal so I was glad I was with a local that could make sure I wouldn’t get any meat.


The next day I had planned to go to Hongcun, a UNESCO heritage town, an hour or 2 away from Tunxi. The German decided to join me.

We took the bus and arrived to Hongcun to realize that there was a $15 fee as the entrance. The German girl was on a tighter budget than me and she said she didn’t want to pay the fee, I said ok and that we should go walk around the village.

I love exploring so I had a great time just walking around and looking at houses and the way people live.
Hongcun... Hello from the other side!!!!



How cute is this little village?

Oh! More legs drying in the sun!

After an hour or so she decided that after all she did want to go into the village and pay the fee. I followed.

And I am so glad we went in, the town is so beautiful and charming!

We entered through the main gate and there is a river that reflects the town and the bridge in the water! There are hundreds of young people painting all over the town. Some of the paintings are really really good, some other not so much. I think all these people are art students doing their projects. 




First things first... some food!


What I loved the most about this village was seeing people doing their everyday activities! Hanging their clothes to dry, taking care of their gardens, cooking etc. The mountains on the back of this little town makes it even more picturesque! All the photos don’t even begin to do it justice!!!










Plants growing from the roof


Tons and tons of artists


some cane sugar



We spent a couple of hours walking around the village and then went back to the hostel. 

By then I had had enough of the German girl and it took a lot of patience to be with her for such a long time. This was her first time traveling outside of Germany and she is a vegan (who ate meat during dinner), who only eats produce that are locally found, and is doing this trip only on trains and buses to be nice to the environment! Oh, and also she doesn’t take pictures.
The last couple of characteristics I mentioned made her better than anybody else, and also smarter! She thought she knew everything about the world, including the fact that all Americans are fat, eat McDonald’s and fast food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! I tried to share my experience with her and explain how the US was more than fast food and fat people but she seemed to have her mind made up and told me that maybe my experience was “the exception” and the fact that in Marin/ SF you could find a lot of local food, farmers market, and live a healthy was the problem with America: “It’s eaither black or white, you either do something or you don’t”… Her thinking made no sense to me!… Whatever! Educating ignorant people is not my thing! I started to ignore her!

Once we got back to the hostel we met a couple of Chinese girls and we decided to go out for dinner with them.

After dinner we walked around town and looked at the beautiful lit up bridge. We were all looking at it and the German girl said “Such a waste of energy” and I thought energy walking here because she didn’t like it and I don’t know why I asked “What do you mean?” and she started on a rant why they shouldn’t have a bridge than has too many lights… I wish I didn’t ask!

One of the things that I really like about China is how everywhere you walk where there is a park or a plaza you will find people dancing or doing some kind of tai chi looking exercise! This time we all joined in! So much fun!


We ended the night back in Tunxi old town looking at stores and I stopped to see a guy making a Chinese fan and the German girl, of course, said loudly “It’s so stupid to buy things when you can’t read what is written!” Come on!!!! Did she really say that?!?! 






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About Post Author

Hi! It's me... Andrea! In 2016 I decided to drop everything and take a year to enrich my life and travel around the world. It turns out the world is just too big for 12 months! Still on the road and sharing my experience as a solo female traveler around the globe!

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About me




Hi! It's me... Andrea!

In this blog you can live vicariously through my journey around the world!

Please feel free to share tips or places to go!
Contact me: andreaheartstraveling@gmail.com