Dear reader,

If things in this world were only skin deep, visiting the Longji Rice Fields might bring me one step closer to cultural fulfillment.  Bad joke aside, it seems appropriate that I should finally see how and where a food I’ve been eating all my life is actually grown.  We traveled two hours today away from Guilin and up into the tall, terraced mountains home to several different minority groups.  The Ancient Zhuang Village we saw was quaint, although the stories our tour guide told us beforehand about Zhuang customs and lifestyle set me up to expect something a little different.  I did spot some older women with the traditional Zhuang hairstyle worn on the forehead to indicate marriage status, but when one of these women yelled after us that you could take a picture with her hair for 10 RMB, it made the whole hairstyle thing seem more like a tourist act instead of a true custom for custom’s sake.  It’s not that I doubt the authenticity of the stories I’ve heard about Zhuang customs, but I did not see strong evidence of these traditional lifestyles persisting today.  Glaringly, I did not see any young people dressed in local attire, and I suspect it’s because if any young people did grow up in that village, they’ve probably left it for the city.  I’m just speculating now, but seriously—who wants to stay in a rural town sustained by tourism?  Please. 

Anyways, the terraced rice fields alongside the ancient village were indeed beautiful.  I love hikes and nature, so today’s itinerary was something I was really looking forward to.  The higher I went, the more beautiful the rice fields became.  They unfolded before me.  In the distance were untouched, tall green mountains, and it really brought out the contrast between how much energy man has to expend to tame even a small portion of land and how nature on the other hand can just run its course effortlessly.  I’m very grateful to have seen what I did today.  I do love cities, but it’s beautiful outside.

Out,