A day wandering round Jinghong. This is what we saw.
Covers on motorbikes (it’s much colder here than in Laos):
ATMs that you put your hand into to get money out:
Shops that are open to the street:
A park with a zoo:
… and peacocks:
A dragon:
Ducks (not looking too happy about the situation):
And an impressive bug:
Mah-jong (they invited me to play):
Apartments…:
… one of which turned out to be a hospital:
And then into the market to buy pants (someone didn’t bring three pairs ;):
. And a bra mountain (which Rudy pretended to dive into, to the amusement of the sales girls):
Siesta time:
A fish stall:
And a meat stall. Yes, every part of the pig. And yes, they’re snouts:
Asia is not a good place for vegetarians.
China, or Jinghong at least, is an interesting mix of American (infrastructure, road signs, cars) and Asian (street food, chickens being held upside-down by their legs from motorbikes, vendors with their goods in baskets on each end of a long pole).
A proliferation of slogans spotted today:
- Superlative conspiracy
- Iuicy girl
- That’s ban
A couple tried talking to us in the park. They spoke very basic English. It took them a while to realise that we wanted to learn to count in Chinese (always useful), but when they did, their faces lit up and they proceeded to teach us 1 to 10 enthusiastically (when the husband heard me play back my recording of his wife counting, he wanted to be recorded too!).
I’ve saved the worst to last, though, I’m afraid. Gobbing. Spitting. Hocking. Call it what you will. Either way, it’s disgusting. And it’s not just a quick “tuh”, but a long-winded moisture collection routine ending with a street puddle. Did I mention it’s disgusting? She was dressed in a smart suit, with accessories. As we waited to cross the road, she deposited a significant amount of bodily fluid on the pavement. We both looked at it. “That’s disgusting,” I said.
“Yeah, and that’s not even a green one.”
Y.U.K.
