Forget Two Chain, this is more like No Chain (Shaxi day two)

(Patty)

The guest house we stayed in last night (and tonight) is beautiful, however we were all discouraged to discover they were unheated. This, however was made better by the boys' discovery that our beds were heated. So, after a warm and refreshing sleep, the group embarked on the task. We left the courtyard where our rooms were set, and wandered to another courtyard(where we were told there would be food for us) and found our way into the middle of someone's home. Although we were very confused, we found the owner of the home, who also happened to work at the hotel, and he directed us into his dining room and treated us to a delicious breakfast. We are still quite unsure if we imposed ourselves on this man and his home, but he seemed happy to have us, so we plan to return again tomorrow morning.



After breakfast we drove an hour to the top of a mountain near the village and began our track downward from the grottoes. The top of the mountain is about 2 miles above sea level, which resulted in very thin air--it took a while to get used to such extreme altitudes but after we acclimated we were able to take in the beautiful views of the mountains and villages in the valley before. I was afraid my fear of heights would restrain me from getting as enjoyment out of the hike, but it was only a problem twice- once when the chain handrail came completely out of the ground, so the only thing separating me from miles of free fall were my unsteady feet, and once again when we were made to cross a terrifying drawbridge that swayed violently with each step.

Quite exhausted from our three hour walk, we spent the rest of the afternoon in a local cafe, which seems to be the group's favorite spot, drinking milk tea and eating fried rice. Yesterday, Brandon and I taught the group how to play Hearts, and Veronica taught us how to play Big 2, so along with lots of snacking, we passed hours playing cards while watching locals come and go, often playing American music we couldn't help but laugh about.

Later tonight, we're heading to dinner with the help of our guide as a translator. Tomorrow, we head to Lijang to explore the city before we go to Xian. Today is the last day of the New Year celebration, so things will be much more quiet from here on out.