Day Three: A trip to the Yellow River

This morning Andrew and I decided to venture into Lanzhou to find breakfast. Regrettably we left a little too late and the places we knew of were not serving breakfast. Instead, we found a Cake Shop where the most elaborately decorated cakes sell very cheaply. I decided to buy a savoury bread roll from there, which cost 3 Yuan. Andrew was a little more adventurous and chose to buy food from a street stall. He found something akin to naan bread which was also cooked in egg, making it also like an omelette. This meal was 2 Yuan, and described as "very yummy".

The afternoon we met Stephen to take a bus to visit the Yellow River. Stephen showed us where to catch the bus and how to read the schedule which shows the stops along the way, and buses travel past every 10 minutes. Usually. We waited for a good while and never saw the bus we were looking for. Instead, we took another bus to meet his wife, Echo, and then travelled together to a spot by the Yellow River. At this place we met with his friend, Roy, who is an English Teacher and had two of his students with him -- Alice and Lisa. We found a picnic table by the River and bought some beer which we slowly drank while passing the day. The Yellow River certainly lives up to its name, coloured by silt that is washed into the river, and with two days of rain it was silt-laden. By this particular spot was an Exercise Park containing many brightly coloured exercise machines. Echo explained that these parks had been developed in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics, that there were many about and that they were use by all people, young and old.

After a good conversation, we left Roy and his students, and went for a walk across the footbridge spanning the Yellow River. This bridge was made in 1907 of iron and is open to foot traffic, bicycles and motor-bikes. Facing the bridge is the White Pagoda Mountain. The architecture on the mountain is fantastic and we will be shown around this area in the next week so will be able to take more photos then. Stephen and Echo then took us for some traditional Lanzhou fare which we found at a restaurant down an alley. This restaurant was over one hundred years old, as attested by a plaque above the door. Our meal included spicy noodles, a rice and date ball, and bowls of a sweet white soup containing wheat.

Next, we started walking up through the parks along the Yellow River. A little way along was an amateur performance of Chinese opera. A good-sized crowd gathered around to listen as several singers took turns with the microphone. Several enthusiastic dancers strutted their way around the circle in great performance.


Further along in another park, a man was setting up a sound system. We sat around for a few minutes, and the music began and a Tibetan dance or exercise session organically formed. There was a clear leader who danced around the area in a wide circle, and one-by-one people joined in. It seemed that everyone knew the dance moves, and it looked like a great deal of fun. We tried to join in, but as soon as we got the hang of the current set of movements, they changed again!


We carried along the Yellow River, coming to the motor-bridge. From here was a spectacular sight of the buildings along the river lit up in bright colours. Unfortunately our cameras could not do the scene justice -- it truly is a sight to be seen. A number of water wheels run along a section of the river as well, but these are only ornamental now. We came across several more public performances -- it is wonderful that firstly performers (amateur or not) are willing to perform in public, and secondly that so many take the opportunity to come along to watch and participate.

Finally we decided to head back home. It was planned to take the bus, however once again we waited and waited for a bus that never came. Taxis were not forthcoming either. Eventually an empty taxi was pulled over and we were dropped back at the university. We thanked Stephen and Echo profusely for their kindness -- it was once again a wonderful day.