My world walk blog/ China Part 2/ blog #49
Reaching Anhai it was time to start thinking about my
beauty sleep. I avoided the bypass and walked through the throbbing
town. The first two hotels I tried were mad expensive so I obviously
walked on. In the third after I handed over my eleven Euro and passport,
I was sent away as my passport was not printed in Chinese and she
couldn't be bothered to write my name down in an unfamiliar script. I
wondered what my buddy Confucius would have said to her. Perhaps his
suggestion would be that: "Its easier to hate than to love. All bad
things are easy to achieve and good things are harder to get." So all is
forgiven my darling, I love you.
This turned out to be a blessing in disguise and no doubt it was my karma being returned as you will soon see.
I
walked on and wondered what to do as I had reached the town limits.
While stopping on a traffic island waiting for a break in the traffic
(and it was a long wait) I asked a man where I could find accommodation.
He pointed me up a road to my right and I got the impression he was
talking about a building about five hundred metres away with a red neon
light sign flashing. It transpired that this road was another way back
into the town I had left and he probably meant for me to go all the way
back to the town. Though it was off my route I walked on and reached the
building that I assumed the man was talking about. Hesitantly I walked
up a ramp thinking I was approaching a factory. Actually, it was a posh
restaurant and seemingly without any accommodation. Ah, what to do. I
had my eyes fixed on a car port shelter that I could possibly sleep
under that night as I didn't want to walk any further. Some of my most
solid sleeping has been on my air mattress and tucked up in my sleeping
bag. But it was still early and as I had eaten well earlier that day I
just sat at a restaurant table sipping on a can of Heineken. I had
already broken the ice with the staff and after showing my sleeping
under the car port request by way of Google Translate I had been given
permission by the manager that I could sleep there. For good measure, I
gave him my walking card. I can usually tell when someone is checking
out my website from behind a counter as they are usually looking back
and forth from something they are reading to their mobile phone or
laptop with the occasional glance in my direction. I was just about to
order a bowl of soup when he brought me over a few large walnuts and
another can of Heineken. A kind-hearted man named is Qilg-He.
Then
his waitress served me a stirfry meal and two bowls of meatball,
cabbage and beef soup. A little later when the customers had left I was
invited over to the staff table for a chat and offered a bed in some
accommodation that the restaurant has. One of the men called Kevin
speaks decent English so that worked out well. Then there was a big push
for me to stay for lunch the next day but as it started at noon I was a
bit hesitant as I had to walk across China that day, as you do 
I suggested breakfast, they agreed but I sensed their disappointment so then I declared..
"Ah
feck it! I can walk across China another day and tomorrow will be a
rest day... What would Confucius say to that plan I wondered! Perhaps
what he whispered in my ear at the start of my day. "It doesn't matter
how slowly you go so long as you don't stop." But here mate, this is so
confusing and you are well named. Because I'm stopping, I'm gonna stop
for a rest day on Wednesday and everyone will be happy. Everyone except
Confucius
Please remember that life is precious and early cancer screening saves lives.
26,794 kilometres walked in 777 road days
My website www.myworldwalk.com
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