Guiyang in the Guizhou

Guiyang in the Guizhou provience we are now further south in a city plonked in the strangest of landscapes, mountain's straight out of Chinese paintings. It's also were a lot of the ethnic minority's have retreated as there is less farm land and the Han Chinese did not want it as much. Yesterday we went to a Ming Dynasty village, beautiful buildings and roofs.

One thing you really notice in China is that they have a one child policy in the city's, so when you are in the city's you see people cooing over their child. never a bad word is spoken to them, in the country side you can have more children as they are required to help their extended family with farm work and it is here that you start to see children looking a little less cared for. Dirty clothes and dirty noses. A few harsh words here and there.

Everywhere you see women sweeping the streets, I even saw one working sweeping the streets with a baby on her back. How's that for childminding? Down here there are less people able to speak English, although all of the younger ones seem to . Apparently they start at 7 years old, if any other language is available it's English so at least that. We have managed to navigate our way on the buses, someone always helps us along.

There is something that is strange, you can ask for something and they will say yes, yes, then half an hour later they will come bad and say no they don't have it. It's quite frustrating but they don't want to loose face so they keep agreeing with you.

Since we have been in Guiyang we have to seen any other westerner, you do get looked at where ever you go. Last night we went for a walk along the river and there were loads of people doing ballroom dancing in the park it was quite a spectacle. The city we are in has the same population of the whole of Northern Ireland and they all beep their horns when driving.

We are taking it easy today amybe just do and see something close buy.