Hey Hey and a Big G'Day to you

On the train on the way home from my coastal adventure I met a very beautiful uni student named Eva who was on her way home from Beijing for Spring Festival. Her English was fantastic and if you were speaking to her on the phone you could almost believe she was American due to the accent left by several American English Teachers and friends. Her stop was about an before mine and after swapping details I accepted her offer to visit her home town.
 
Yesterday morning I joined the endless Spring Festival cues at the Shaowu bus station.

I finally walked away with a ticket to Sunchang Town at midday. A little later than I wanted but looking at the amount of people in the bus station I had to be happy I got a ticket at all. What should have been an hour or so ride turned into a two hour ride due to all the stopping and starting picking up people and dropping them off on the roadside. I couldn't believe the amount of people the driver actually squeezed into the little bus without the help of a Japanese Peak Hour Train helper.

Though I had a front seat I could barely see the road in front of us due to the people squeezed in in front of me.

With two young kids already on my knee and the guy's knee beside me, surprise to me when a family of around seven waved the bus down and the driver actually stopped. I have no idea where they actually found a space each but when we left there was no one on the road side so they actually were all on the bus.
 
Finally two hours after leaving Shaowu the bus arrived in Sunchang Town where I was met with a happy hug from Eva and warm welcoming smiles from her mother, Aunty and Eva's friend Shania.

Sunchang is built along the Min Jiang River which is the same river as Shaowu is set beside. It is an old town with an arch still standing from the Song Dynasty so that makes some of the town around 500 or so years old. To me it felt pretty much like home as it was like a bigger Tianyang. In a huge way I have been blessed by spending my first year and a half in a small and dusty farming town.
 
When I arrive in towns like Sunchang I really do feel very comfortable.
 
First stop was Eva's mothers 'Tourist Guide office' for the mountain 'Huayang Shan' where we sat for the days first 'Green Tea' stop. Eva's mother had organised a car and driver to take us to the mountain so soon we were driving under grey skies that soon began to slowly open. Thankfully the rain was gentle so there was no need to return to the town. We were all in very safe hands for the afternoon as Eve's mother is a local tourist guide for the mountain.

It really was a pity my bus was at midday and that the skies would soon open as I would now miss the long walk and only walk the 'half' walk (maybe less).
 
Huayang Shan (Shan meaning mountain) is only a quick ten minute drive from town. At the moment it is only 5 Yuan to enter but soon it will be added to China's 'National Tourist List' and the price will rise to maybe 20 Yuan or more. Still a small entrance fee to pay for a day of walking and peace.
 
I didn't hear a single car horn or festival fire cracker!
 
The walk was beautiful and the mountain so green. There were vines hanging everywhere and small waterfalls could be heard and seen all along the walk. It's a pity places like this are missed by 99% of tourists, not by choice but the fact is they are just not known about or difficult to get to. They are in no guide books and unless you are Chinese or like me lucky to meet a beautiful English speaking Chinese girl on the train, you will really have no idea a mountain like Huayang Shan exists.
 
So I thank the stars above for my beautiful life. Not only did I spend the afternoon walking the mountain but I got met the beautiful girls mother and spent the night with her friends.
 
After sitting in the Tea House at the bottom of the mountain we headed back into town. Around six I gave Eva's mother a huge thank you for her time and warmth and Eva, Shania and I headed to the open air eating area to meet some of her friends for dinner. As it was raining small waterproof tent like Tee Pees's had been put up. Friends dropped in and all shared several dishes over heaps of photos and conversation.
 
I was then lucky to be included in the 'Yearly Spring Festival Reunion'.
 
Each year after Eva and her childhood and school friends arrive back in Sunchang they will share a night together catching up in a beautiful Tea House. Some friends Eva hadn't seen for four or five years. The tea bar was clean and bright and the tea was poured by a happy guy named Panda. All night he cleaned, brewed and poured tea into our tiny tea cups from a tiny tea pot. I couldn't add too much to the conversation as they found it hard to speak English. They could understand me well enough but like most Chinese, their speaking ability was small due to the fact that they never really have a need to speak English. I spent most of the night talking to Eva and Shania who translated a lot of what was being said.
 
Plus it wasn't my reunion so I really didn't want to interfere or use their precious time on 'me'.
It really was a most awesome day and evening.
 
It's hard to thank a family who opens their arms to someone they don't really know.
I know Eva and her mother will read this sometime soon, so I thank you both so much for your warmth.
Huayang Shan is a beautiful mountain and if you ever do visit hopefully Eva's mother will be your happy guide.
 
This morning after spending the night in the hotel where Shania's mother works, I met Shania for brunch and we then happily chatted our way around the little town of Sunchang. Her afternoon like yesterdays was to be spent catching up with friends she hadn't seen for several years. I said my sad good byes to a pair of beautiful eyes at the bus station and slept my way back to Shaowu.
 
Pity as the drive along the river can be very peaceful while watching the reflections of the mountains opon the water.
 
It is now time to head out in search of the evenings noodle feast. Even though today many in China began their slow and very long journeys back to where they came from I can still here endless fireworks going off all over Shaowu. I thing now though they won't go into the early hours of the morning.
 
Beers N Noodles to you all.....shane