day 133, Xingping

didn’t have the best nights sleep as the air con wasn’t on and was a bit hot, though woke up earlier then expected, sorted meself out with breakfast and went to get on a bike and do a ride. Unfortunately the only bike they had was shit so gave it a miss, so went for a wander instead. I decided to go where there would be less people, so headed for a cave in a village about an hour away. Just as I left the hostel it started pissing it down, and going through a little village this Chinese woman beckoned me into her house, where she fed and watered me and watched Chinese total wipeout. I was in there for about 45 mins, she didn’t speak a word of English, so we sat there smiling at each other while watching Chinese people fall in the water (Charlie brooker reference for you there). I left her a pack of Oreos (the only western biscuit things they have) and she handed me an old small umbrella, so gave her some money (funnily enough the 20rmb note where the view is 3 mins down the road) I moved on, through crops and trees, not encountering a soul part from the odd one working the land, and came to a big village, with the help of people pointing, I got directed up the hill and into the cave. Finding the cave was a bit of a challenge, pretty hard to find as no real path, had to do a lot of climbing but really enjoyed it, and once reached the cave was mightily impressed, it was huge, I threw my apple core in the air as hard as I could and didn’t reach half way. It was pretty eerie verging on creepy in the cave, as there were duvets on the floor and it was huge, so I shouted “echo” as loud as possible when I was done and hastily retreated. Put me music in on the way home, sat down by the river in a quiet spot and read more of my book, met alan and Bjorn and a French bloke, had a chat and a game of pool and went out to dinner. Back at hostel now, watching moon though super tired so may be off to bed soon, it is five past nine after all, gonna leave for Yangzhou tomorrow me thinks.