We went on a trip with Joseph’s colleagues to the town of Ninghai. To get there, we took a broken down bus to a dilapidated port, where we rode a boat, which in all due respect, was in shambles, to a deserted island, with buildings in disrepair. We then went to a village in Ninghai, which taught us a lesson in humility and was very unspoiled in many ways — no commercialization, just raw living standards. In many villages outside of the major cities, the local Chinese have very little amenities — their clothes are washed in the same canal in which they fish and in which the drinking water comes from. The young wives, children and older parents live in the villages, while the able men live in the city and work. The villagers eat off the land in which they farm and sleep in one-room studios, with only a few necessities. It’s a very difficult situation.
We then checked into our hotel, which was not too far from the village. We laughed at the accommodations, as it was a one-star hotel, with a toilet that was barely useable. As we sat on the seat, it bit us! — there was a crack in the seat and depending on how you sat on it, it pinched you. Further, the flooring was uneven and if you weren’t careful and if you walked around the room late at night without any lights on, you ran the risk of falling. It was very funny…..
The next morning, we went to the Ningbo Water Preservation area and it was very serene and beautiful. We walked about a mile in and experienced the beauty of the area — crystal blue waters!! A big surprise, expecting that we’d see water full of silt and grime.
Even with the broken down items, it was a fun trip nevertheless.
