We got to Jing Hong the last day of the Water-Festival which is celebrated in mid April. It was fun to see trucks and pick trucks with so many youth on the street pouring water on everybody that they saw. Unfortunately, we had our baggage and we didn’t want our clothes and computer to get wet. It didn’t matter people started to give us a shower, it was a hot day and it felt good. The Dai people believe that the water cleans away the dirt, the pain, and the demons of the year bringing happiness for the new year.
We are still in China in Jing Hong which is in the south of Yunnan. It is a lovely place to be with palm trees along the streets; it feels relaxing, but still crowded to my standards. I was dreaming of resting and enjoying a quiet place; so far I haven’t found it here. I am still thinking of Tiger Leaping Gorge where I hiked 13 miles enjoying three days of peace and quiet. Anyways, here from our hotel I have been watching the street market at night where one can buy jewelry and all kinds of jade ornaments. The market is an interesting place to find antique art craft and wooden carving ornaments.
Yesterday, we took the local bus to go hiking along the Mekong River; we got off the bus and we could see a lot of garbage around the city. As we walked towards the river we continue seeing so much garbage everywhere, I was really sad and depressed. I could see some of the channels transporting dirty water and garbage going straight to the river. The river is so beautiful with palm trees along, yet with so much garbage along the banks and some piles of garbage stacked on the rocks. It reminds me of my hometown where I grew up near San Salvador, El Salvador. The river where I used to go swimming or get water to drink doesn’t exist anymore. It is a shame, we humans are destroying our beautiful planet. I know that China already has implemented the policy of one child per family, but she still need to educate the population about the importance of keeping the river clean.
No comments:
Post a Comment