. . . LAND ROVER OVERLAND EXPEDITION

The next morning on the way to the Buddhist caves with low morale and lower expectations we drove past this sidewalk kitchen that seemed to be catering to truckers. Allen jumped out and promptly started ordering. Two cooks were hand slicing noodles into a pot of boiling water, another deep frying donuts in a vat of oil, and several others sold an assortment of odd breakfast foods (dirt covered eggs, rice gruel). Some of the more adventurous dishes were too much for our westernized stomachs but the noodles were great - and so were the donuts. The best part was watching these two chefs slicing noodles rapid fire.

The Chinese government has decided that by 2008 it will be the top tourist destination in the world, and they are investing substantial sums of money into roads, public facilities, and changes to the regulations to achieve this goal. For example, it used to be that foreigners could only stay in one or two 'tourist' hotels - these days in China you can stay in any hotel in town which means competition is up and prices are down. Even so, getting used to the western sensibilities is taking some getting used to. Bathrooms are a prime example. Most Chinese have grown up with outhouses in the back and a bucket bath once a week. That is normal. So virtually all hoteliers invest anywhere but the bathrooms. The feeling is that if there is a hole and a bucket of water that's all you need. You have to go to a new three star hotel before toilet seats appear and the odour goes away. 

That was the last straw. Fortunately Allen was on our side and after haranguing the ticket clerk for fifteen minutes we were allowed to bush barge down the side of the mountain bypassing the monastery back to the main path down. On the way down Allen had to listen to three MBAs tell him in no uncertain terms why the menu pricing system was flawed, what defined deceptive advertising, and how truly pissed off we were with the whole experience. He survived and we went off and found a hotel that did two things the Chinese do very very well - great food and cheap sauna (with massage).

Wutai Shan is a group of five mountain peaks that surround the little village of Taihuai. Another of the holy Buddhist mountains, the place was undergoing a dramatic revitalisation. Domestic tourism is huge in China, a growing middle-class pile into the family car and drive down one of the new highways to experience a bit of the country with the kids. It reminded me of cramming into the family station wagon with my six siblings when Dad took us across the US to see Disneyland. Taihuai's hundreds of Buddhist temples offer an even more compelling lure to the locals (despite the lack of roller coaster rides) and each May the city is flooded with thousands of nationals. 

We were fortunate to visit just before the onset of the tourist stampede and were able to drive the Land Rover up the muddy track to the very top of the mountains, where several of the most sacred monasteries were wreathed in blowing snow. 'You receive extra blessing for coming all this way', we were assured by the monks in their spartan, freezing chapels. They must have been right because that night we found a genuine Brunswick bowling alley in town complete with tacky rental shoes. After three frames we were all feeling the touch of home. It was a nice mix of the new and old, the sacred and mundane, though I suspect that a Space Mountain ride isn't too far in the future for this booming little alpine village.

As with most things that cost you a great deal of money or effort, you ascribe extra value to the experience - and Huashan is no exception. The cliffs are indeed spectacular but for the love of mercy if you visit take the cable-car.

Our mid-China tour finished in Xi'an which once vied with Rome and Constantinople for title of greatest city in the world. In antiquity it was the capitol of China and terminus of the Silk Route. Even today Xi'an retains an exotic flavour in its alleys and courtyards not often found in the rest of China. We visited some sights but mostly just took it easy, staying at a western style hotel and filling up on fast food. Bargains were easy to find in the alley markets overflowing with souvenirs, so of course we bought way too much. It was a good end to the middle part of our tour.

For most of the week we definitely had the feeling that we were special. Tourism hasn't penetrated very far outside of the major attractions and quite often in smaller villages fascinated crowds would gather to watch us eat noodles or pump diesel. We were likely some of the first white people they had ever seen. It's a rare feeling that we all enjoyed, the sense of being some of the first outside eyes to see the sights. Previous visitors to China described it as a 'struggle just to survive' but with the new emphasis on tourism we had a much easier time (despite the bathrooms). So there is a unique chance available right now to benefit from the new ease of travel as the government flings the doors open to visitors, and beat the coming hordes of foreign devils.