Bad news, bears: A slight setback...but don't worry! I'm OK!

I had originally planned to title this post "Guilin Gabbin' and Yangshuo Yappin'", so that I could perhaps describe to you the awesome beauty of the karst topography of both Guilin and Yangshuo in Guanxi Province. If you've ever seen a "traditional" Chinese shan-shui (mountain-water) painting, you might have an idea of what this scenery might have looked like. Indeed, it was awesome.

Actually, Guilin was just OK - too big of a city...I couldn't see the mountains past the big buildings, but the city parks were pretty nice. Yangshuo, on the other hand, was terrific. I would have described in greater detail about how I rode a twin-bike with my guide (a lovely local woman who lived in the countryside...best 20RMB I've ever spent!) through the Yangshuo countryside, bought flower tiaras from sweet elderly women on the side of the road, how I climbed Moon Hill, how I ate the local specialty of pijiu yu (beer fish!), my boat ride down the beautiful Lijiang River and just what a wonderful time I had in general. And, of course, I would have posted plenty of pictures.

Would, of course, is the operative word.

I'm now in Kunming, where I came to arrange my land crossing into Myanmar/Burma (as you wish...). Last night, happy that everything was arranged (surprisingly easy!), I took a stroll down the main town square, happily snacking on street food and looking at the cute things on sale in the street...all the while taking pictures of course. I usually keep my camera in my pocket, with my hand on it at all times. Yesterday night, however, I must have pulled my hand out for a second too long when I was picking at some of the street goods.

My camera was stolen. Right out of my pocket. And I didn't even feel a thing.

At first, I thought I just dropped it, so I just went back and forth on the square, asking everyone if they had seen something. No go. There were definitely lots of people around me and quite a few street kids, all bumping into me as we were on the crowded sidewalk. It took me a while to accept the fact that the camera was really gone. I just kinda sat in the square for a while, in denial that something so bad could happen that quickly. Maybe it would have helped if I cried, but I was too tired to do even that. If the camera was just gone, I could deal with that, but I was really sad about the wonderful pictures that I wanted to show my family and, of course, you guys! Needless to say, the night was kind of a bummer. This morning I filed a police report for my beloved Canon (yeah, I know my camera is gone, but when there's hope there's possibility!). I had to skip climbing Xi Shan, a mountain with lovely views over Dianchi Lake.

Well, perhaps I've been traveling too long without bad stuff happening to me! Everyone needs a good "I was robbed!" story, and here's mine. Pretty anticlimatic, huh? Anyhoo, it's a good lesson that you can never be too careful. Actually, I feel quite OK now...just trying to maintain a zen-like approach to life. Plus, I can say that I had a good experience practicing my Chinese with the nice police officers. I also got to know Jenny, the local girl who helped me arrange my land crossing permit to Myanmar/Burma, a lot better. We started chatting about my bad day and ended up chatting for a long time about everything else instead. She eventually took me to the lovely city park by her house so that I could take some pictures for some (good) memories and introduced me to Kunming's famous "across the bridge" noodles (guoqiao mixian...yum!).

So gaining a new friend isn't bad, considering I only lost a material thing. Plus, I know that my memories will always remain sweetest in my mind, even if I don't have any pictures to show for it. If anything, this experience provides a good excuse to visit Yangshuo next time I am in China (something I would do in a heartbeat, anyway). At least I still have my health...oh, yeah, and my passport and money! But, of course, I went out and bought a new camera (crappy!) right away, so even the money is slowly disappearing.

This trip is getting expensive! Still fun, though...I think! In any case, I've decided to stay in China for an extra week before crossing into Myanmar. Need to catch up on my picture-taking, of course! I promise that I won't disappoint! :)

RIP "Canny" (July 2005 - June 2006) "Oh, we hardly knew ye."