Tribasia Blog

(picture by Babasteve)
After four months spent on improving our Chinese vocabulary and hand talking, we were able to say 'hello, 'bye', 'no', 'no need', 'no have', 'how much is it?', 'thank you', 'where do you go?', 'room', 'bus', 'bus station', 'train', 'water', numbers and hand talk them (which is is quite confusing since the sign for '6' looks like the sign we use for 'telephone/calling' in Europe, the sign for '5' ressembles the one for 'shut your mouth' and the sign for '7' looks like your finger got broken, etc).

The language barrier was indeed an obstacle but it did not prevent us from meeting and communicating with locals. We met lovely people along the way as well as disgusting ones (the ones spitting on bus floors and puffing in their kids' faces -and ours).

We got frustrated with the state's Big Brother's stance and its paranoia. The clampdown on many Internet sites made blog posting difficult, if not impossible. We still -sarcastically- laugh at CCTV9 (China Central Television, THE 'International' channel of China)'s comments that 'China is developing Human Rights from a collective and economic perspective whereas the West is focusing on individual and political rights.' As if Human Rights were a dish which could be prepared with different ingredients,depending on the Chef's whim, regardless of his customers' identical needs.

China is indeed booming and our guide book could not cope with the rapid changes and growth it is undergoing. However, freedom of speech is still in its infancy and will only improve if Chinese citizens slowly -but surely- rise to the challenge.

Some people might ask us why we spent so much time in China? Because Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces are treasures of natural and ethnic beauty. Despite the huge distances we had to cover and other logistical challenges, we were happy to come across minorities we had not encountered before and travel through stunning landscapes.

We are now leaving China for a smaller and more relaxed country with a wealth of history and nature: Laos. And -sigh of relief- we will now be able to blog freely!! :))

Labels: China, Guangxi, Guizhou, human rights, Laos, Sichuan, Yunnan

Sorry for the interruption in our 'tribal' adventures but as we feared, the Chinese authorities are not fond of free speech, even on the net!
We have been in Mongolia for over a week now! We have already explored the Gobi desert and its wonders. We are hoping to also see the central or northern part of the country before we cross again the border to go back into China.

The last two months (July and August) spent in south-west China, mainly in the provinces of Guangxi and Guizhou were difficult at times but also very enriching. We came across different ethnic minorities such as the Miao, Dong, Shui, Zhuang, Bouyi, Yao and Gejia people. We even got invited to a 'tribal' wedding and got drunk with our hosts on the local rice brew.
Too many stories to sum up in a single blog entry and we are trying to find a way to blog from China next time round so you don't loose anything :))

We will write a couple more entries for Mongolia as we also hope to visit some ethnic minorities here. However, transportation can be quite critical and internet access , outside of Ulanbataar, the capital, is virtually impossible, so thanks again for your patience :))

Don't hold your breath but keep your eyes peeled!

Send us your comments and suggestions if you have any for Mongolia and China :))

Labels: China, desert, Gobi, Guangxi, Guizhou, Mongolia, southeast Asia