The women make living in this way(warren)
Author:tyt-Guide,Date:2009-12-10
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The women make living in this way(warren)
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I, with my friend, had a very pleasant and unforgettable tour in Yangshuo and Guilin, China. The scenery was absolutely beautiful and unique and definitely worth another visit. And this is just one reason which make me write these words, but the most important reason is the way the women doing business on the Moon Hill in Yangshuo.
It was a burning hot afternoon, we had a Moon Hill tour by bike. Before starting our tour, the local guide, a cool guy, told us that in hot summer people either saw the moon at the foot of the hill from far or hiked up the hill in the morning, but seldom people hiked up in the hot afternoon. We told the guide we liked to hike in the afternoon. As the matter of fact, we surely had a pretty good tour with the help of the guide just because of that hot weather.
After forty minutes cycling we got the foot of the Moon Hill.
“Water, sprite, cola?” When we got off the bikes, about ten women with a cotton bag or a white foam box hanging on each woman’s shoulder came to us and asked unanimously.
“No” My friend replied.
We left the bikes on the parking lot together, and started our hiking.
“Hot hill” Noticing my friend didn’t take any drinks, one woman with bend back and a bamboo hat followed us, pointed up the hill and said.
“We don’t need that now, you needless to go with us.” I said with a bit pity. Meanwhile, the guide told her to wait at the bottom of the hill and probably when we got down there we will buy some.
And later on we heard she talked a lot to the guide. When we asked the guide what she said, the guide told us that the woman asked him to let us buy some drinks for himself or let him don’t care her any more.
It’s surprising.
Then we were all walking without any words probably because of the hot weather and we all wanted to save energy or probably because of the woman’s words. It’s so quiet that we could almost hear everyone’s heart beating. Suddenly, the guide broke the silence and said “ take a break”, then we all sit on the stone bench and I opened my bottle began to drink, my friend who drank a lot before we leaving just sit there and tried to cool himself down by using some tree leaves. The chance was coming for the woman. She came to front of my friend and firstly used her own fan to cool him down, and of course, she couldn’t give up this crucial moment.
“Water?” She took out a small bottle of water from her white box and asked, fanned without a stop.
“How much is it?” My friend asked.
“Ten” She answered.
“No, it’s too expensive.” My friend said.
The woman stood there fanned and didn’t say any words probably because she couldn’t say any more words in English or she knew my friend was right.
It’s a bit embarrassed. Since in that hot afternoon she always followed us and fanned my friend behind him just tried to sell some water but no business till then.
“Ok, let’s move on.” The clever guide broke the silence once again.
Twenty minutes later, the steps getting steeper and we were all almost out of breath and our shirts were already wet. The woman still followed us and fanned my friend behind him as beginning and she seemed got used to it.
“One more break” The guide said with deep breath and the sweat dropped from his forehead to the steps, obviously, he also couldn’t bear this hot weather.
“Thank you” I almost couldn’t walk for any further step and said.
Due to no more stone bench, so we just found right steps and sit on it
“Where are you from?” Before we dried our sweat, the woman seemed couldn’t wait and asked my friend.
“Texas” My friend replied.
“USA?” The woman asked in doubt, her left hand began to bring a bottle of water from her box again and the right hand still fanning.
“Water?” She smiled.
“No” My friend replied and smiled with a little kidding which also made the guide and I smile.
“Let’s go.” I said this time.
Another ten minutes later we finally reached the second top where the most tourists stopped. How breathtaking sceneries! We were all intoxicated completely, and I thought everyone who being there would be intoxicated too. We were busing with taking photos. But of course, the woman also got there. She dried the sweat on her face by her shirt and brought a bottle of water and began to drink but the fan still going on behind my friend. What a great service!
It seems the sun became stronger and our arms and faces turned red on the Moon Hill, but it’s not the highest point. After short minutes break, our water was gone, and still no one wanted to buy some from the woman. But the woman still stood in front of us, fanned and smiled, seemed everything was so natural and quiet. Suddenly, she suggested and pointed with her left hand that there was the highest point and many rock climbers have being there before. What a good news! I knew that was just my friend liked the most. So he stood up straightly as if full of energy again and shouted “Let’s go”. I was already exhausted and no willing climbing further and stayed there.
“Wait” I blurted out
“What?” My friend turned back.
“I want three.” I smiled and said to the woman.
“Ok” The woman replied.
“Get it, it’s too hot there, otherwise you’ll get sunstroke.” I handed the bottles to the guide and my friend.
“Thanks.” It seemed they couldn’t wait and gone.
Another fifteen minutes later they came back with even redder skins and tired legs.
“How was it there? Same thing?” I joked.
“No, it was more exciting and a bit venturing.” It seemed they were proud of it.
Both of them sit a little while for a break and finished the water. Apparently, the water was in short and of course the woman was still there.
“Three more” My friend handed the money to her and said. It was clear that he sweated a lot.
The woman was happier for her business and of course she didn’t forget to fan and say “Thank you”.
“Photo?” The woman smiled and made a gesture to show us the best point of photo.
“ Why not?” My friend blurted out.
Two hours were gone before we knew it. Just before we stood up and got ready to go down the hill, the woman took out a package of postcard handed to us and said “Beautiful.” My friend got it and checked it from one to the other.
“How much?” he asked
“Ten”
“Is everything ten here?” My friend kidding.
“Beautiful Moon Hill.” The woman pointed one postcard.
“Do you need one?” My friend asked me.
“Take one” Considerately, doing business was so hard for the woman, I said without hesitation.
“ Two” My friend picked two from her box and gave the money to her.
The woman put money into her pocket under the shirt, smiled and fanned.
We went down the hill slowly and of course it was much easier. When we almost got to the bottom of the hill, the woman picked a small minority girl doll from her box and said once again,
“Beautiful”
“Do you have a magic box?” My friend surprised and looked into the box.
“How much is it, another ten?” My friend joked.
“Ten”
Both of us laughed out. Considering I need to buy some gifts for my friends and doing something helpful to this woman, I decided to buy two of them, and my friend got another two too.
After saying good-bye to the woman, we were cycling back to the town. On the way, the guide told us that woman was from the neighbor village, has two children studying in school, and they were living on the farming and her business. Due to too many women were doing that business, they were divided into two groups, and only did the business every the other day, therefore, they tried every second to do business with tourists as possible as they could, and each business day, they went up and down for many times, some day the business was good and some day was bad, but they still kept going.
Thanks for God, thanks for our tour guide and thanks for the woman! We had absolutely wonderful tour in Yangshuo and hope more people will go for it and do some favor to those women. |