Happy Chinese New Year!
I went to Hunan, to my girlfriend's hometown. It was nearly impossible to buy train tickets, most tickets were already sold out before the ticket office opened... (due to corruption). Everybody was stressed, since it is very important for Chinese people to visit their families during the Spring Festival/New Year. We had to buy our tickets from some office that charged nearly double prices. They were delivered by some guy on a motorbike at midnight the day before we left. We were lucky to get tickets at all! We were also lucky to have sleepers in the 13 hour train ride, and it was sort of comfortable. We arrived in Changsha, Hunan's capital city at 10:00 AM, and had to buy bus tickets to the small town we were going to. This was not easy. We spent 1 hour in line to buy the tickets, and then boarded the last bus there.
I went to Hunan, to my girlfriend's hometown. It was nearly impossible to buy train tickets, most tickets were already sold out before the ticket office opened... (due to corruption). Everybody was stressed, since it is very important for Chinese people to visit their families during the Spring Festival/New Year. We had to buy our tickets from some office that charged nearly double prices. They were delivered by some guy on a motorbike at midnight the day before we left. We were lucky to get tickets at all! We were also lucky to have sleepers in the 13 hour train ride, and it was sort of comfortable. We arrived in Changsha, Hunan's capital city at 10:00 AM, and had to buy bus tickets to the small town we were going to. This was not easy. We spent 1 hour in line to buy the tickets, and then boarded the last bus there.
The endless queue in front of the ticket office. There must have been at least 100 people waiting in front of us.
The ticket hall
Almost my turn..
Once in Dong Kou, everything was good. We were welcomed by Chen Yi's family and ate good food and drank home made wine. This picture was taken behind the house, were there is a mountain and forest. We went out to get firewood, since they cook on coals and wood.
A little room is reserved for 'la ruo'; dried and smoked meat and fish. This was the warmest room in the house so we stayed here all day. (We smelled like smoked ham afterwards)
Getting firewood
Banners for the New Year with good luck wishes. People paste them on their front door
The town was very crowded the day before the New Year, with people doing their shopping. It is tradition to give lots of gifts during this time, such as cigarettes, wine, candy and food.
Smoked meat. So delicious!
I learned how to make 'mi jiu'; rice wine. First mix rice and water with yeast...
Then distill it three or four times
Everything made with local products
Cooking on wood fire
Wild deer from the mountains, oh so delicious! We ate dog meat, deer, wild pig, frogs and many, many more delicious things
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