We stopped at a small village along the way and wandered a few of its streets. We came to a small town square where some men were playing cards and women were working on some food preparation. One of the men had his small child with him, and he was pleased when we started taking her picture. (The child was a little less pleased). I have noted before in my travels that parents are always proud when you notice their children. This becomes a great tool for getting pictures of the parent or grandparent. They think I am photographing their little one, when often it is they who have peaked my interest and my shots are mostly about them! (sneaky photo tip #1)
There was beautiful music being broadcast in the square. As several of us walked up one of the side streets, we realized that it was being played by a man on his front porch. He had a small amplifier attached to his erhu, a two stringed musical instrument that is played with a bow. We applauded and began to take photos. At that point he gestured for us to come up on the porch with him and he gathered little stools for us to sit on. As he began to play for us, his wife came out with a pitcher and cups to offer us a drink. Beautiful hospitality towards strangers. I have found this to be common Chinese behavior.
We arrived at the Linden Centre in the small town of Xizhou (See-joe) by mid afternoon and had the thrill of being finished with traveling for a while. Unpacking was incredibly satisfying! Here are a couple of pictures of the centre. You can see that we are roughing it. The second photo is my view as I am writing this. The entrance to my room is on the left:
