September 28, 2015 Fuqua to Xijiang Miao Village

It was disappointing to wake up to another drab, misty day.  However, we brightened upon discovering that fellow BMW riders had ridden 130 km overnight to greet us in Fuquan.  The news had gone out over social media that we were in town and they just wanted to come spend their holiday morning saying hello. Wow!  In China, these are rich guys, because the BMWs cost more than the average person makes in five years.

The camera stayed inside my jacket most of the morning because of rain and poor riding conditions.  We once again face muddy roads, construction mud and badly potholed pavement.  We’ve been riding for more than a month in these conditions, and David is at the end of his rope.  Not only is it stressful trying to make sure the motorcycle remains upright, but it is physically taxing as well.

The whole group stopped in front of this pond for a photo.  Even in the rain, the country is pretty.

These guys stopped to gape at us.  Although I sometimes wish we had a motorcycle umbrella, I have to say that what passes for motorcycle helmets cracks me up.  He might as well be as bareheaded as his passenger.

After getting through the worst of the mud and potholes, we stopped for a quick rest break and snack.

 The buildings are built right up to the side of the mountains, and any usable land is planted with crops.

We passed through one small city with a power plant.

Otherwise, the rest of the morning was spent on relatively good roads and the mostly rural scenery, with folks gathering their crops by hand.

 It’s harvest season.  We see the farmers out in the rice paddies cutting down the plants.

Corn is hung and rice is spread to dry.

Our destination today was one of the about 10 natural Miao ethnic villages that exist in Xijiang Town.  They have their own oral language, but the written language is lost.  To get there, we motored along a scenic river valley.

But, as always, there is construction and trucks.

We stopped at the top of a mountain to pay the entrance fee to the village.

The traditional Miao costume for women is fashioned with silver ornaments handmade by native artisans.

The village tries to maintain a balance between cultural events and crafts for the tourists, and being true to their agricultural heritage.  So visitors are trying on traditional costumes and having their pictures taken...

…in the middle of a square covered by drying rice.

Our hotel, Hotel in the Clouds, faced the river and it’s covered bridges. 

The town plays to the tourists, with water buffalo statues in and around the river.

The people have a very distinctive appearance, with unusual facial features and modes or dress and hair treatment.

In the afternoon there is a parade of local Miao people in native dress.

But the real work is done on the edge of town.  Farmers are out cutting and thrashing the rice by hand. 

It’s dried in the town square and on the streets…

And the husks are separated by hand.

Everyone works very hard.  It seems a happy life, poor by our standards, but they know and like it.

I'm little at home, but a monster here.

This lady took some time from her work to have a picture taken with me.  The photographer was a helpful Chinese tourist who spoke English.  David was exhausted and spent the afternoon and evening resting in the hotel room.