Mudanjiang and Jianpohu Dragon Boat Festival weekend trip Part I
So I've been promising to write a report about the trip I took with my friend, Aiden, to Mudanjiang and the Jianpohu Underground Caves, and today I have a stack of work that I need to get done but don't really want to do, so of course now's the time to waste an entire afternoon and evening writing a trip report instead of grading students' papers. Hnyeah! So, here's the trip report!
I met Aiden and we decided to go a little farther south to Bowuguan, which is an underground mall a few blocks away, for a late lunch. Well, rather, we ended up at a buffet near Bowuguan. The Rodizio he recommended said they had a 25元 tax for American visitors, and I decided I wasn't going to pay that, so we instead went to the buffet I had visited before. It's ok, but I was excited to see how Chinese people handled a Rodizio. Oh, well, some other time, when I'm feeling more generous to the central government's tax plans.
Being as it was the day before the Dragon Boat festival, the traditional food for the festival was also available. Zhuzi are (very) sticky rice wrapped in grape leaves folded triangularly and tied with string. In the northeast, there's usually dates pressed into the rice. Aiden scolded me for eating them and said they weren't good (even though he didn't try them). I asked him what would make it good, and he said, "It should be made at home!" I guess, being hand-made isn't good enough; they have to be made by your mother. Which coincides with what I've been told by other Chinese, too. I can confirm that the frozen ones I bought at the grocery last year were pretty disgusting, though. The one I had at the buffet was pretty good in comparison.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62195165_842685322775280_2191603497684697088_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQkGCeT7wZgjoHCpgfrL2xZoNCQOVWnZBsV8wPN2y8u-ZobeSDYxOmRWICZC3YrmS7g&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=8b228d0c879149fbfa40bb000c06f729&oe=5D7F18CC
Yes, that's an octopus tentacle next to it. I really like octopus and squid.
After we ate, we still had a good two hours before the train, which Aiden had scheduled against the idea that I would be teaching until 3:00. So we meandered back to the station slowly, and then decided that it was a good thing we were early, because I don't have a Chinese ID, and therefore couldn't use said ID to get my ticket electronically. The ticket windows downstairs were almost empty and I was grinning when I walked up because I had never seen the line so short at any station I've yet been to... until they told us that we had to go to the ticket window upstairs. When we got up there, it was a long sea of people! Fortunately, it was moving quickly, so we got to the front pretty fast... except that Aiden couldn't find the online receipt for the tickets on his phone, and the lady wouldn't print mine without it, passport or no. Aiden couldn't remember his password to the app he used (you don't need it to buy tickets, just to prove that you've bought them, because China), so he had to sign up for a different app to get them to show up. Fortunately, the lady let us stay at the front of the line and just serviced other people while he searched for them.
So we got the tickets and then went to the platform waiting room. If you've never been inside a Chinese train station, there's really no way to describe the sea of people there. It's all extremely orderly (right up until the moment your train actually begins boarding, at which point the lines crush up and all order disappears), and yet feels moderately chaotic just because it's so huge. There are literally thousands of people all sitting and waiting for trains in one big room, with announcements on the loudspeaker every few moments as another train rolls through underneath. When the train before yours on your platform goes out, people begin to line up for your train, three lines wide, and stretching all the way across the waiting room. When the three lines reach the half-way point, two more lines appear on the outer edges of people who wish they had gotten in the line earlier, and intend to press in when the ticket agent says "go." You have to crowd up right against the person in front of you, or someone is going to cut in. But avoid eye contact at all costs. Then the ticket agent appears and people crush in on the booths, yet go through orderly one at a time, because they must each send their ticket through the machine to make the little gate open so they can walk through. Then everyone pushes and shoves to get on the escalator down to the platform, while I smile at them all as I run down the actual stairs and get ahead of all of them. Hahaha!
Aiden said the main cars were all sold out, so we got the cushy, big seats in First Class. On a short trip like the train to Mudanjiang, it's actually not that much more expensive (about twenty US dollars), so I didn't mind much. But honestly, I don't think the seat was that much more comfortable than the second class seats. The only real difference was a little more leg room, which never felt inadequate where I was. But it was fun to do, and this high-speed line to Mudanjiang is only a few months old, so the train is still pretty shiny. The only problem was that our seats were a row apart. Once the train started to empty, we moved together, but we started our journey unable to chat.
![]()
https://www.crosstimecafe.com/download/file.php?id=2372&t=1
Woo, woo, first class seating!
We arrived just as the sun was setting, and walked the ten minutes from the train station to our hotel. Aiden's mom is a travel agent, so he also booked a really nice hotel for us - the Oriental Pearl, which is home of Mudanjiang's No. 8 Hot Spring (I still don't know what the number means). We were told that we could have two free tickets to the baths, providing we spent at least 10元 while we were inside. No problem! I could think of lots of (perfectly legal, non-sexual) ways to do that. We decided that would be fun to do the following night. First things first, it was time to put down our gear. This is one of the more posh hotels I've stayed in since coming to China, and it has the classic "porno shower" that is becoming quite popular here - the shower is walled in with glass and even there's a frosted glass facing the bedroom area. In fact, the toilet is also separated by a clear glass door, which neither of us was really keen on, though I figured out that if you left the light off inside the toilet, and turned on the one over the sink, the reflection off the glass' decoration made it hard to see in. However, I was highly amused by the bank of "for sale" beverages - a range from water to liquor - and other for sale items: a small men's manicure set, a box of one-size-fits-all men's briefs and a matching set of women's panties, playing cards, fancy slippers (the simple slippers were free), and two different types of condoms. We both got a good laugh out of that, and wondered what it communicated to children who might stay in the hotel. The basic toiletries were available in the vanity area for free, along with two bottles of spring water which were replaced each day.
I had brought a backpack of clothes and gear, and a bag full of train and trail food (the Chinese way - you bring your food with because the stuff on the train is really not that great, and quite overpriced), and we ended up munching on that while I read FaceBook and he watched the Paris Open. The following day promised to be long, so we went to bed pretty early. Neither of us is really great at sleeping in hotels, so the extra time was greatly valued.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/64322275_842639886113157_1551143618092204032_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_oc=AQn0j7xR6bVFHIz7Gp8Nq0mHGlh5YqkTmq7tPYWIsp3fJJ9CpTuW0UUfajBmNN4H2sQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=eb25b59af892b5c02f74447d624b9575&oe=5DBAE399
Mudanjiang isn't yet as tall as Harbin.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62196796_842646872779125_6642392318852726784_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_oc=AQnvXF2xi7enl6VBPQIlzZQdEt_aDgmPEk3ZGEJ8usQ22g08VztrAUD4EHD1H464hZs&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=b69ee698a732350e1899d4a4c0b92650&oe=5D850AC8
I dubbed this the Tetris Building. It's the only building I've seen in all of China that has discrete windows, that doesn't use the standard format.
The following morning we discovered the free breakfast area. Being down on the seventh floor and therefore just above the hot springs, it was quite steamy on the whole floor. But the breakfast itself was tasty enough, a wide-spread buffet that provided a good sample of dongbei food, including of course, more zhizi for Dragon Boat festival, and then an array of basic Chinese foods, and some things familiar to those who know what a real Continental Breakfast™ should look like. I also found a dispenser of warm coconut milk, which was quite a treat and I imbibed more than one cup of it.
After stuffing ourselves, we walked back to the train station and found the neighboring coach office, where we purchased basic tickets to Jiangpohu, a UNESCO World Geoheritage site about an hour and a half south of Mudanjiang by highway. Tickets to the lake and local transport to the underground forest, my desired destination, plus entry to the underground forest park, was about 200元 for each of us. No problem, that's about what I anticipated, so I paid it and we headed out shortly thereafter. On the bus, the guide shared with passengers about the things to do on the lake itself, which was a decent distance from the underground forest. So Aiden and I discussed it and decided that we would like to purchase tickets for the lake, too, when the lady came around and offered them.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62360071_843721346005011_6195303218524717056_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_oc=AQndn0WqsY3qB4zc6jkJHaz-NALP_fsSzCxiAZ8B3lENozhugiAa2QsKjwHfGrM8-Jw&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=0dec00a87840590b254ebebf9ea94f47&oe=5DB304F9
A map of the whole area, showing the underground forest in the far upper-left, and the entrance to the park at the north end of the lake, to the right.
We got to the transfer point at the entrance to the park, and were told to wait while the tour guide got the people heading to the lake to go to the lake. Then she came back for us and took us to another bus which took us at breakneck speed to the entrance to the underground forest. There, we got out and processed our tickets while the bus drove through the gate, then we walked through and presented our tickets to the guard at the gate, and reboarded to go on to the actual trailhead.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62076139_842638266113319_281682359206543360_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_oc=AQlkJbPhQfiFrj6bWPH18rDRk69zyhrr6Jdu80VPonQo_TS7FZJhgD5Cej_mASahhOc&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=948f662fab3e9140d9f066f3eede3004&oe=5DC68F39
Everybody out! I'm going to hand you your tickets; present them to the guard, then get back on the bus!
The sign reads: 火山口国家森林公园, huo3 shan1 kou3 guo2 jia3 sen1 lin2 gong1 yuan2, fire mountain mouth nation home woodland forest public square, or "Volcanic Crater Forest National Park."
This felt almost like something you might see in a US national park; there was a large lodge with high-peaked roof to shed snow, and probably an overpriced restaurant. The trail was off to the side, but amusingly, before we went down the trail, there were several wooden sculptures to take pictures of, which were immediately mobbed by Chinese tourists. I waited until most of them were done to grab a shot of one.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62589765_842639949446484_5362986080373047296_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_oc=AQkfN05hyMOSatt-AVv0hEiP5xq6BbU6wACktYlFuTqGZqNhRY3PE7yP8kUmCjh9XVk&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=8c9347492991bfbce2e376c7805e8672&oe=5D80D919
I still have no idea what these have to do with the underground forest.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62080507_842635386113607_5959713563575582720_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_oc=AQk-lGbGgA2H28nb-x0idyTCyy72ISz2jv0SgvxUeBxcGxJUV56NisGcUpdJ915Djfg&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=5a95f27cc6e96b679172540d27806d29&oe=5DB26F6B
After we go down a kilometer and back up, the rocky area behind the trees opposite have the exit into Crater No. 3, known as the Lion Cave.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62240544_842636226113523_2266547932515794944_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_oc=AQk2CHPA4mBubA-jRbrf6hu4oWniC32saflYMANMOrv9vwDCMGCpQvykyiQEZHIBmY0&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=fdc54aa432f021e16968f7d66f2a35c2&oe=5DC1C1ED
Then I went into a hole; a deep, dark hole. But there were no rats in that hole, so I didn't go crazy.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62201862_842635546113591_8239841985112834048_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_oc=AQmkzUbpHfaqOWxVGy5jDVtmA2gl26T0qDRQchE8u1bqhW6pM3zYxDAbXTYIbzLaUXU&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=6d727b4bae0785fb104b896aca3ce3b2&oe=5D7BF3B3
This is the very bottom of the crater... and I really needed to adjust my camera settings!
There are two small caves to be encountered on the trek. Slightly up from the bottom of the crater, the trail comes to "Looking Up from the Crater to the Sky" Cave. We're allowed to walk off the trail and enter this place, where the temperature immediately dropped about 5ºC, much to Aiden's alarm, but I found it quite refreshing. The air smelled like cave air, not like the stale dirt of a shallow depression, so I'm guessing that it actually goes much deeper than what we could see. Of course, because everything that is different on a mountain is holy and has gods in it, there was a shrine containing Past, Present, and Future Bhuddas, as well as the mountain god whose shrine it was, alongside the trail. And because Chinese are very enterprising, there were people there selling incense sticks and prayer slips and ribbons to tie along the trail.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62046792_842635282780284_3123981816076173312_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_oc=AQmWJ7xwdrnu8s7ZKOjjNU5sAdenwbmleHnV0nTI1HgxWrTustbn_4GNo6X7sNHKXQs&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=1aa4b5f71177bd49bae3fab3be5d2f9d&oe=5DBBBE32
The sign just says the name of the cave, though it seems to be somewhat shorthand for the English version.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62052415_842636472780165_6768471719481966592_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_oc=AQlJekmnQ2QAFxliBkAaSMmSMGpzsIfTTTYYjSkGMmfuj8HPb2l7rOjkUUIXkDzi2eE&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=b8bc57b2ac693a000a7f5ea8ee1d0dc5&oe=5D7C3695
The lava in this area cooled rapidly, shown by the rough formation of the basalt. There was also a lot of twisting as it cooled, because there's a huge disconformity in the cave roof.
Here are a couple panoramas of the small cave.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62353252_842672422776570_3286131219640614912_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_oc=AQmFW4HeOKOoDuoR07HxqYnL8UxUtApqx1n-37PneoTZJ4Nh3qNfR0y44BqBQX85yjg&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=4b90bf321aeb68b5ff6ce92722186756&oe=5DB39E7C
I started this one form the inside and panned out, so it's quite overexposed by time I get to the opening. But I still like how it turned out.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62364557_842672546109891_8862292809135161344_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_oc=AQmrwdV518roMIgrEkpSTV6JMA9p-hHUcMuHO9x0nuku8HxUhBjwyFmEQQd48LB_sMU&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=9f7fc32cadb20ead183f302883ab73aa&oe=5DB7E49A
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62424437_842672596109886_458570995314196480_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQlz69LulGPSOrSk4KlDe1POLF8DyUBv4xnTIUgwhG_bfEd_t136-7D4aNzBqr9C-eg&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=8dd571d1800e45e75f83c25147458f3a&oe=5DC3416B
The Lion Cave has a stone in the entrance that, when viewed from the right angle, looks like a giant fudog looking up at the heavens. What it is in reality is a lava tube where the hot rock bored its way from Crater No. 3 into Crater No. 4.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62066023_842639806113165_3813162795357175808_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_oc=AQmhw4O3vo9DEyPe9mQLkWosJ47iU2Dv9QR8J1PB_XIsf3U-r4JNOYMCY-ED3rPlXfs&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=08e5db017fe3a3f39747a5834a32dbc7&oe=5DB6B234
This is the back of the Lion's head. You can just see the tip of his nose at the top, but the lighting makes it hard to see the ridge of his forehead.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62515052_842637182780094_471862475986305024_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_oc=AQnlBfqli0Q3vAJVRojFvAMaSi3f2ixUsztgwMn21eJEes6Km9-Ye3YCOtYfzeyT1w8&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=406a723da62721c357f6c90294891a8e&oe=5D844989
This way to Crater No. 3.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62151589_842642929446186_4894807561045278720_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&_nc_oc=AQnya86I_s6RCmhXCq7TmKiQxYet4bsevjfmjisimJCsvtNewtOAvmewso8-2DZI0sk&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=a04e91cda60340ed08009a2bbfb19e0d&oe=5DBD989C
Crater No. 3 is all light colored Rhyolite, and had much less twisting, so it looks like brick work on the walls above the lion cave.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62224582_842646112779201_4092011141868290048_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&_nc_oc=AQl7i_tLknlWIyD0KoTWIFOWLNzHKa-YDK9-2DWpDEbMAinwob5Ik_b4Cd1k5JN89Y4&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=43d387792694b156979a3b267dfe37ed&oe=5DBD12AA
Looking out over the top of Crater No. 3.
At the crest of the No. 3 trail we came across a gift and snack shop. I decided to be strong and not buy myself the stuffed tiger which I was certain would be overpriced, but I did buy my mom the wooden turtle, which was only 20 Yuan, and Aiden grumbled the rest of the trip was also overpriced. But it's for Mom, so hush!
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/64281539_842685586108587_918234621718560768_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_oc=AQkOFGVqJeUzZQKQj1yQLZnzn_9eL6jNqjtIGEpmrgF2eo6RpxYKm2sVOnGyY9bZMvg&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=97bb64e7214025351317c359dd82045f&oe=5D832684
Snacks and souvenirs mid-trail... proof that this really is a tourist trap.
Near the shop was a polite reminder to please keep the park clean. Unlike any other park I've been to in China, these signs were actually obeyed. I think it's because tourists are accompanied by a guide the whole time. It's also the reason I didn't mind paying the extra price to get here and get in. These ones were translated pretty well, too. Usually they say things like, "Please have mercy on the grass."
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/64267014_842647192779093_4571700431247376384_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_oc=AQkhACk2XFb4TUD_DzlTVkoeSFfG0a6eLUi4QUliKr6LZs8Lmc_npSUxqC0YLSmciWI&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=c98698ca80789b7f37c554034d6db8cd&oe=5DB8F77E
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62062497_842659979444481_3193705314432057344_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_oc=AQnzCAk3zuvwayshOc3hSldVcRrdm6x9xzLuHR0In9jDdLYWBrrpQfdftU7ZhmEjXXs&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=83f13da4560eadd2f0fb34c55a78eef4&oe=5DBA78B0
After we left the craters we headed back to the main junction, where we found out that the diving show Aiden wanted to see was already over, so we opted to come back the following day to see Lake Jianpo, and instead set out to find some food in the extremely overpriced tourist trap town at the junction. Just about every place was offering fresh fish from the lake. Well... freshly killed. They were kept in dirty tanks out front of the restaurant. After you got your table, you were invited to head out front and inspect the fish to see which one you wanted them to kill... for a modest price of 三百元一斤, three hundred yuan (about US$50) per half kilogram - and the fish were quite large, at least two kilograms, probably closer to three! My prey empathy was already bothering me, and I found the price totally unacceptable, so we found a Korean place that also had bibimbap and noodles for normal prices, and ate there instead.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62202860_842685479441931_2730420201668476928_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&_nc_oc=AQmvFVsaNu3hiiB8LPXVqg3NeBMPDBZmvmkd4gjbXdd_ysKGX40n44Gk7h1S7nXyqew&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=7dc8ff1f08a24bbbb8a58e1d08f08430&oe=5D88C9A3
You can see the fish tank out front of the restaurant, under the red canopy.
![]()
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62226155_842646239445855_1731149919420416000_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_oc=AQnOHWO03_ftOnOy7dKE-OQoAQQm2TmCl_2Nm3PvnF9TmlkEM1WygnL8-Eixc0Q81h8&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=9d91012c1a24f6c1fc08758144d61cc1&oe=5D7862DD
Not everything about a tourist trap is ugly. I actually really liked this stage/water feature.
Anyway, from there we had to find and register to get on the bus back to town, which was a bit of a rush because there was only one bus left, and we had to go quite a ways towards the lake (about 250 meters) to get to the proper pavilion to register. But fortunately, they were still there when we arrived, and registration took but a moment, then they gathered the whole group of us there, and walked us out to the bus (which we had been standing beside when we learned we had to register). Both Aiden and I napped on the way back to Mudanjiang, which sort of became our thing to do on the bus, but left us ready to explore when we got back to town... but first, he had to watch the next game of the Paris Open, because his guy was up for semifinals. So while he watched, I used Chinese social media to chat with people around the downtown area. It turns out there was another tourist in town in a hotel nearby, and decided to meet him at the night market near our hotel then and find a place where we could all get some chuan (Chinese barbecue; the name 串 literally means strung together - similar to shish kebobs, but tastier; each skewer only has one type of item on it and is rolled in a dry rub before cooking). After dinner, Aiden and and I wanted to get on to the hot spring, so we parted ways and went back to the hotel.
There is no linguistic difference in casual conversation between a natural hot spring and a public bath house, in China. But they are functionally quite different. Hot springs are usually outdoors, whereas this was a bath house, and as is common, is separated for male and female visitors. In this case, men went to the second floor and women to the third, and it was much like what Pete described in Japan... after you check in and get your sandals, you strip down and store your things in the lockers, then head to the bank of showers where you can clean yourself thoroughly. From there, this particular bath had three large pools with, most courteously, small signs telling the current temperature. Aiden went for the pool that was 35ºC, while I skipped past the one that read 39º and got in the one that said 41º. Ahhhh.... When Aiden decided he'd warmed up some more, we decided to try the steam room. He hadn't brought the proffered mini-towel thinking it was too small to dry one's self with, so when I sat in the hottest part of the sauna by laying my towel on the hot cedar, he burned his rump. Then I spied yet a fourth pool inside the sauna... I went to test the temperature and found it was room temp... for the sauna! Meaning that as I stepped in, the only way I could feel it was there was that I could feel the water lapping at my ankle, because my skin was already adjusting to the temperature of the room. Aiden is a happy resident of Heilongjiang province for nine months out of the year - the cold months - so he didn't stay in the Sauna long. I wanted to get in a good sweat so I remained until he came back looking for me to make sure I hadn't passed out, and we both went back to the pools for a bit. The temperature had gone up, so we got in the middle pool which was now at 41º, then he proposed that we get a scrub, in order to spend the money that would make our admission to the spring free.
If you've never had a scrub, it's something you should experience at least once. It feels good, unless you got a sunburn that day, which I had burnt my shins a bit, but only a little, so it was just a little uncomfortable. The technician has you lay on the bed face up and offers a few options. You can get scrubbing salts, and scented oils, which raise the price some, or you can just have a wet scrub. I opted for the salts because there were none to use in the sauna, and because I wanted the exfoliation anyway. So he salted my front and got to work. (Keep in mind, visitors to the sauna are completely naked, so he has access to everything. The technicians are usually in decent shape, and wear small, black shorts for modesty's sake.) Usually they begin with the limbs, spreading salt on your body and then pressing hard with the cloth as they scrub you down, moving your limbs as needed to get to the spaces where your body folds together, from the shoulder to the spaces between fingers and toes. You can tell them not to mess with any part you don't want them to touch but I'm usually pretty passive, though I discovered the sunburn mid-scrub and wish I had told him to stay away from my calves.
For men, they do scrub absolutely everything except the genitals themselves, though they do lift them up to scrub beneath. The first time I had a scrub that rather alarmed me! But I was expecting it this time so I just rolled with it... and spent the time not thinking about the fact that this stranger was putting his hands all over my naked body. It was a relief, though, when he splashed the remaining salt off and told me I was ready to roll over. Then he scrubbed down the back side. At this point, there's another offer for an additional service (again, nothing sexual, but the final stage more than doubles the cost). I turned it down but Aiden told his technician to tell mine "yes." My guy had figured out that I wasn't good at Chinese, so through a series of grunts and waves, he communicated to me that Aiden said I should do it. Ok, sure.
I'm glad he did! The next part was not quite a massage, but it was definitely extremely relaxing! He proceeded to cup his hands and slap my tired muscles with them all over my body, making a hollow slapping sound. Unlike the other techs, my guy actually had a good rhythm that had me counting and humming along, which increased my enjoyment. Then he completed the process with a gentle rub of a scented oil that re-moisturized the skin after stripping it all away with the salt scrub, and sent me on my way. Both Aiden and I got in another quick trip to the steam room and sat in the pool again before one last shower each, and as it was now nearly one in the morning, headed up to the beds that were loudly calling our names. The whole process cost a mere 88 yuan, after we were discounted the entry price, so it was a really good deal. And that's the end of day one of my Dragon Boat Festival weekend trip to the Underground Caves.
I met Aiden and we decided to go a little farther south to Bowuguan, which is an underground mall a few blocks away, for a late lunch. Well, rather, we ended up at a buffet near Bowuguan. The Rodizio he recommended said they had a 25元 tax for American visitors, and I decided I wasn't going to pay that, so we instead went to the buffet I had visited before. It's ok, but I was excited to see how Chinese people handled a Rodizio. Oh, well, some other time, when I'm feeling more generous to the central government's tax plans.
Being as it was the day before the Dragon Boat festival, the traditional food for the festival was also available. Zhuzi are (very) sticky rice wrapped in grape leaves folded triangularly and tied with string. In the northeast, there's usually dates pressed into the rice. Aiden scolded me for eating them and said they weren't good (even though he didn't try them). I asked him what would make it good, and he said, "It should be made at home!" I guess, being hand-made isn't good enough; they have to be made by your mother. Which coincides with what I've been told by other Chinese, too. I can confirm that the frozen ones I bought at the grocery last year were pretty disgusting, though. The one I had at the buffet was pretty good in comparison.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62195165_842685322775280_2191603497684697088_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQkGCeT7wZgjoHCpgfrL2xZoNCQOVWnZBsV8wPN2y8u-ZobeSDYxOmRWICZC3YrmS7g&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=8b228d0c879149fbfa40bb000c06f729&oe=5D7F18CC
Yes, that's an octopus tentacle next to it. I really like octopus and squid.
After we ate, we still had a good two hours before the train, which Aiden had scheduled against the idea that I would be teaching until 3:00. So we meandered back to the station slowly, and then decided that it was a good thing we were early, because I don't have a Chinese ID, and therefore couldn't use said ID to get my ticket electronically. The ticket windows downstairs were almost empty and I was grinning when I walked up because I had never seen the line so short at any station I've yet been to... until they told us that we had to go to the ticket window upstairs. When we got up there, it was a long sea of people! Fortunately, it was moving quickly, so we got to the front pretty fast... except that Aiden couldn't find the online receipt for the tickets on his phone, and the lady wouldn't print mine without it, passport or no. Aiden couldn't remember his password to the app he used (you don't need it to buy tickets, just to prove that you've bought them, because China), so he had to sign up for a different app to get them to show up. Fortunately, the lady let us stay at the front of the line and just serviced other people while he searched for them.
So we got the tickets and then went to the platform waiting room. If you've never been inside a Chinese train station, there's really no way to describe the sea of people there. It's all extremely orderly (right up until the moment your train actually begins boarding, at which point the lines crush up and all order disappears), and yet feels moderately chaotic just because it's so huge. There are literally thousands of people all sitting and waiting for trains in one big room, with announcements on the loudspeaker every few moments as another train rolls through underneath. When the train before yours on your platform goes out, people begin to line up for your train, three lines wide, and stretching all the way across the waiting room. When the three lines reach the half-way point, two more lines appear on the outer edges of people who wish they had gotten in the line earlier, and intend to press in when the ticket agent says "go." You have to crowd up right against the person in front of you, or someone is going to cut in. But avoid eye contact at all costs. Then the ticket agent appears and people crush in on the booths, yet go through orderly one at a time, because they must each send their ticket through the machine to make the little gate open so they can walk through. Then everyone pushes and shoves to get on the escalator down to the platform, while I smile at them all as I run down the actual stairs and get ahead of all of them. Hahaha!
Aiden said the main cars were all sold out, so we got the cushy, big seats in First Class. On a short trip like the train to Mudanjiang, it's actually not that much more expensive (about twenty US dollars), so I didn't mind much. But honestly, I don't think the seat was that much more comfortable than the second class seats. The only real difference was a little more leg room, which never felt inadequate where I was. But it was fun to do, and this high-speed line to Mudanjiang is only a few months old, so the train is still pretty shiny. The only problem was that our seats were a row apart. Once the train started to empty, we moved together, but we started our journey unable to chat.
https://www.crosstimecafe.com/download/file.php?id=2372&t=1
Woo, woo, first class seating!
We arrived just as the sun was setting, and walked the ten minutes from the train station to our hotel. Aiden's mom is a travel agent, so he also booked a really nice hotel for us - the Oriental Pearl, which is home of Mudanjiang's No. 8 Hot Spring (I still don't know what the number means). We were told that we could have two free tickets to the baths, providing we spent at least 10元 while we were inside. No problem! I could think of lots of (perfectly legal, non-sexual) ways to do that. We decided that would be fun to do the following night. First things first, it was time to put down our gear. This is one of the more posh hotels I've stayed in since coming to China, and it has the classic "porno shower" that is becoming quite popular here - the shower is walled in with glass and even there's a frosted glass facing the bedroom area. In fact, the toilet is also separated by a clear glass door, which neither of us was really keen on, though I figured out that if you left the light off inside the toilet, and turned on the one over the sink, the reflection off the glass' decoration made it hard to see in. However, I was highly amused by the bank of "for sale" beverages - a range from water to liquor - and other for sale items: a small men's manicure set, a box of one-size-fits-all men's briefs and a matching set of women's panties, playing cards, fancy slippers (the simple slippers were free), and two different types of condoms. We both got a good laugh out of that, and wondered what it communicated to children who might stay in the hotel. The basic toiletries were available in the vanity area for free, along with two bottles of spring water which were replaced each day.
I had brought a backpack of clothes and gear, and a bag full of train and trail food (the Chinese way - you bring your food with because the stuff on the train is really not that great, and quite overpriced), and we ended up munching on that while I read FaceBook and he watched the Paris Open. The following day promised to be long, so we went to bed pretty early. Neither of us is really great at sleeping in hotels, so the extra time was greatly valued.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/64322275_842639886113157_1551143618092204032_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_oc=AQn0j7xR6bVFHIz7Gp8Nq0mHGlh5YqkTmq7tPYWIsp3fJJ9CpTuW0UUfajBmNN4H2sQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=eb25b59af892b5c02f74447d624b9575&oe=5DBAE399
Mudanjiang isn't yet as tall as Harbin.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62196796_842646872779125_6642392318852726784_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_oc=AQnvXF2xi7enl6VBPQIlzZQdEt_aDgmPEk3ZGEJ8usQ22g08VztrAUD4EHD1H464hZs&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=b69ee698a732350e1899d4a4c0b92650&oe=5D850AC8
I dubbed this the Tetris Building. It's the only building I've seen in all of China that has discrete windows, that doesn't use the standard format.
The following morning we discovered the free breakfast area. Being down on the seventh floor and therefore just above the hot springs, it was quite steamy on the whole floor. But the breakfast itself was tasty enough, a wide-spread buffet that provided a good sample of dongbei food, including of course, more zhizi for Dragon Boat festival, and then an array of basic Chinese foods, and some things familiar to those who know what a real Continental Breakfast™ should look like. I also found a dispenser of warm coconut milk, which was quite a treat and I imbibed more than one cup of it.
After stuffing ourselves, we walked back to the train station and found the neighboring coach office, where we purchased basic tickets to Jiangpohu, a UNESCO World Geoheritage site about an hour and a half south of Mudanjiang by highway. Tickets to the lake and local transport to the underground forest, my desired destination, plus entry to the underground forest park, was about 200元 for each of us. No problem, that's about what I anticipated, so I paid it and we headed out shortly thereafter. On the bus, the guide shared with passengers about the things to do on the lake itself, which was a decent distance from the underground forest. So Aiden and I discussed it and decided that we would like to purchase tickets for the lake, too, when the lady came around and offered them.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62360071_843721346005011_6195303218524717056_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_oc=AQndn0WqsY3qB4zc6jkJHaz-NALP_fsSzCxiAZ8B3lENozhugiAa2QsKjwHfGrM8-Jw&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=0dec00a87840590b254ebebf9ea94f47&oe=5DB304F9
A map of the whole area, showing the underground forest in the far upper-left, and the entrance to the park at the north end of the lake, to the right.
We got to the transfer point at the entrance to the park, and were told to wait while the tour guide got the people heading to the lake to go to the lake. Then she came back for us and took us to another bus which took us at breakneck speed to the entrance to the underground forest. There, we got out and processed our tickets while the bus drove through the gate, then we walked through and presented our tickets to the guard at the gate, and reboarded to go on to the actual trailhead.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62076139_842638266113319_281682359206543360_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_oc=AQlkJbPhQfiFrj6bWPH18rDRk69zyhrr6Jdu80VPonQo_TS7FZJhgD5Cej_mASahhOc&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=948f662fab3e9140d9f066f3eede3004&oe=5DC68F39
Everybody out! I'm going to hand you your tickets; present them to the guard, then get back on the bus!
The sign reads: 火山口国家森林公园, huo3 shan1 kou3 guo2 jia3 sen1 lin2 gong1 yuan2, fire mountain mouth nation home woodland forest public square, or "Volcanic Crater Forest National Park."
This felt almost like something you might see in a US national park; there was a large lodge with high-peaked roof to shed snow, and probably an overpriced restaurant. The trail was off to the side, but amusingly, before we went down the trail, there were several wooden sculptures to take pictures of, which were immediately mobbed by Chinese tourists. I waited until most of them were done to grab a shot of one.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62589765_842639949446484_5362986080373047296_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_oc=AQkfN05hyMOSatt-AVv0hEiP5xq6BbU6wACktYlFuTqGZqNhRY3PE7yP8kUmCjh9XVk&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=8c9347492991bfbce2e376c7805e8672&oe=5D80D919
I still have no idea what these have to do with the underground forest.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62080507_842635386113607_5959713563575582720_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_oc=AQk-lGbGgA2H28nb-x0idyTCyy72ISz2jv0SgvxUeBxcGxJUV56NisGcUpdJ915Djfg&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=5a95f27cc6e96b679172540d27806d29&oe=5DB26F6B
After we go down a kilometer and back up, the rocky area behind the trees opposite have the exit into Crater No. 3, known as the Lion Cave.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62240544_842636226113523_2266547932515794944_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_oc=AQk2CHPA4mBubA-jRbrf6hu4oWniC32saflYMANMOrv9vwDCMGCpQvykyiQEZHIBmY0&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=fdc54aa432f021e16968f7d66f2a35c2&oe=5DC1C1ED
Then I went into a hole; a deep, dark hole. But there were no rats in that hole, so I didn't go crazy.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62201862_842635546113591_8239841985112834048_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_oc=AQmkzUbpHfaqOWxVGy5jDVtmA2gl26T0qDRQchE8u1bqhW6pM3zYxDAbXTYIbzLaUXU&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=6d727b4bae0785fb104b896aca3ce3b2&oe=5D7BF3B3
This is the very bottom of the crater... and I really needed to adjust my camera settings!
There are two small caves to be encountered on the trek. Slightly up from the bottom of the crater, the trail comes to "Looking Up from the Crater to the Sky" Cave. We're allowed to walk off the trail and enter this place, where the temperature immediately dropped about 5ºC, much to Aiden's alarm, but I found it quite refreshing. The air smelled like cave air, not like the stale dirt of a shallow depression, so I'm guessing that it actually goes much deeper than what we could see. Of course, because everything that is different on a mountain is holy and has gods in it, there was a shrine containing Past, Present, and Future Bhuddas, as well as the mountain god whose shrine it was, alongside the trail. And because Chinese are very enterprising, there were people there selling incense sticks and prayer slips and ribbons to tie along the trail.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62046792_842635282780284_3123981816076173312_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_oc=AQmWJ7xwdrnu8s7ZKOjjNU5sAdenwbmleHnV0nTI1HgxWrTustbn_4GNo6X7sNHKXQs&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=1aa4b5f71177bd49bae3fab3be5d2f9d&oe=5DBBBE32
The sign just says the name of the cave, though it seems to be somewhat shorthand for the English version.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62052415_842636472780165_6768471719481966592_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_oc=AQlJekmnQ2QAFxliBkAaSMmSMGpzsIfTTTYYjSkGMmfuj8HPb2l7rOjkUUIXkDzi2eE&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=b8bc57b2ac693a000a7f5ea8ee1d0dc5&oe=5D7C3695
The lava in this area cooled rapidly, shown by the rough formation of the basalt. There was also a lot of twisting as it cooled, because there's a huge disconformity in the cave roof.
Here are a couple panoramas of the small cave.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62353252_842672422776570_3286131219640614912_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_oc=AQmFW4HeOKOoDuoR07HxqYnL8UxUtApqx1n-37PneoTZJ4Nh3qNfR0y44BqBQX85yjg&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=4b90bf321aeb68b5ff6ce92722186756&oe=5DB39E7C
I started this one form the inside and panned out, so it's quite overexposed by time I get to the opening. But I still like how it turned out.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62364557_842672546109891_8862292809135161344_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_oc=AQmrwdV518roMIgrEkpSTV6JMA9p-hHUcMuHO9x0nuku8HxUhBjwyFmEQQd48LB_sMU&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=9f7fc32cadb20ead183f302883ab73aa&oe=5DB7E49A
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62424437_842672596109886_458570995314196480_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQlz69LulGPSOrSk4KlDe1POLF8DyUBv4xnTIUgwhG_bfEd_t136-7D4aNzBqr9C-eg&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=8dd571d1800e45e75f83c25147458f3a&oe=5DC3416B
The Lion Cave has a stone in the entrance that, when viewed from the right angle, looks like a giant fudog looking up at the heavens. What it is in reality is a lava tube where the hot rock bored its way from Crater No. 3 into Crater No. 4.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62066023_842639806113165_3813162795357175808_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_oc=AQmhw4O3vo9DEyPe9mQLkWosJ47iU2Dv9QR8J1PB_XIsf3U-r4JNOYMCY-ED3rPlXfs&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=08e5db017fe3a3f39747a5834a32dbc7&oe=5DB6B234
This is the back of the Lion's head. You can just see the tip of his nose at the top, but the lighting makes it hard to see the ridge of his forehead.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62515052_842637182780094_471862475986305024_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_oc=AQnlBfqli0Q3vAJVRojFvAMaSi3f2ixUsztgwMn21eJEes6Km9-Ye3YCOtYfzeyT1w8&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=406a723da62721c357f6c90294891a8e&oe=5D844989
This way to Crater No. 3.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62151589_842642929446186_4894807561045278720_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&_nc_oc=AQnya86I_s6RCmhXCq7TmKiQxYet4bsevjfmjisimJCsvtNewtOAvmewso8-2DZI0sk&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=a04e91cda60340ed08009a2bbfb19e0d&oe=5DBD989C
Crater No. 3 is all light colored Rhyolite, and had much less twisting, so it looks like brick work on the walls above the lion cave.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62224582_842646112779201_4092011141868290048_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&_nc_oc=AQl7i_tLknlWIyD0KoTWIFOWLNzHKa-YDK9-2DWpDEbMAinwob5Ik_b4Cd1k5JN89Y4&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=43d387792694b156979a3b267dfe37ed&oe=5DBD12AA
Looking out over the top of Crater No. 3.
At the crest of the No. 3 trail we came across a gift and snack shop. I decided to be strong and not buy myself the stuffed tiger which I was certain would be overpriced, but I did buy my mom the wooden turtle, which was only 20 Yuan, and Aiden grumbled the rest of the trip was also overpriced. But it's for Mom, so hush!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/64281539_842685586108587_918234621718560768_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_oc=AQkOFGVqJeUzZQKQj1yQLZnzn_9eL6jNqjtIGEpmrgF2eo6RpxYKm2sVOnGyY9bZMvg&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=97bb64e7214025351317c359dd82045f&oe=5D832684
Snacks and souvenirs mid-trail... proof that this really is a tourist trap.
Near the shop was a polite reminder to please keep the park clean. Unlike any other park I've been to in China, these signs were actually obeyed. I think it's because tourists are accompanied by a guide the whole time. It's also the reason I didn't mind paying the extra price to get here and get in. These ones were translated pretty well, too. Usually they say things like, "Please have mercy on the grass."
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/64267014_842647192779093_4571700431247376384_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_oc=AQkhACk2XFb4TUD_DzlTVkoeSFfG0a6eLUi4QUliKr6LZs8Lmc_npSUxqC0YLSmciWI&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=c98698ca80789b7f37c554034d6db8cd&oe=5DB8F77E
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62062497_842659979444481_3193705314432057344_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_oc=AQnzCAk3zuvwayshOc3hSldVcRrdm6x9xzLuHR0In9jDdLYWBrrpQfdftU7ZhmEjXXs&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=83f13da4560eadd2f0fb34c55a78eef4&oe=5DBA78B0
After we left the craters we headed back to the main junction, where we found out that the diving show Aiden wanted to see was already over, so we opted to come back the following day to see Lake Jianpo, and instead set out to find some food in the extremely overpriced tourist trap town at the junction. Just about every place was offering fresh fish from the lake. Well... freshly killed. They were kept in dirty tanks out front of the restaurant. After you got your table, you were invited to head out front and inspect the fish to see which one you wanted them to kill... for a modest price of 三百元一斤, three hundred yuan (about US$50) per half kilogram - and the fish were quite large, at least two kilograms, probably closer to three! My prey empathy was already bothering me, and I found the price totally unacceptable, so we found a Korean place that also had bibimbap and noodles for normal prices, and ate there instead.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62202860_842685479441931_2730420201668476928_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&_nc_oc=AQmvFVsaNu3hiiB8LPXVqg3NeBMPDBZmvmkd4gjbXdd_ysKGX40n44Gk7h1S7nXyqew&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=7dc8ff1f08a24bbbb8a58e1d08f08430&oe=5D88C9A3
You can see the fish tank out front of the restaurant, under the red canopy.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62226155_842646239445855_1731149919420416000_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_oc=AQnOHWO03_ftOnOy7dKE-OQoAQQm2TmCl_2Nm3PvnF9TmlkEM1WygnL8-Eixc0Q81h8&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=9d91012c1a24f6c1fc08758144d61cc1&oe=5D7862DD
Not everything about a tourist trap is ugly. I actually really liked this stage/water feature.
Anyway, from there we had to find and register to get on the bus back to town, which was a bit of a rush because there was only one bus left, and we had to go quite a ways towards the lake (about 250 meters) to get to the proper pavilion to register. But fortunately, they were still there when we arrived, and registration took but a moment, then they gathered the whole group of us there, and walked us out to the bus (which we had been standing beside when we learned we had to register). Both Aiden and I napped on the way back to Mudanjiang, which sort of became our thing to do on the bus, but left us ready to explore when we got back to town... but first, he had to watch the next game of the Paris Open, because his guy was up for semifinals. So while he watched, I used Chinese social media to chat with people around the downtown area. It turns out there was another tourist in town in a hotel nearby, and decided to meet him at the night market near our hotel then and find a place where we could all get some chuan (Chinese barbecue; the name 串 literally means strung together - similar to shish kebobs, but tastier; each skewer only has one type of item on it and is rolled in a dry rub before cooking). After dinner, Aiden and and I wanted to get on to the hot spring, so we parted ways and went back to the hotel.
There is no linguistic difference in casual conversation between a natural hot spring and a public bath house, in China. But they are functionally quite different. Hot springs are usually outdoors, whereas this was a bath house, and as is common, is separated for male and female visitors. In this case, men went to the second floor and women to the third, and it was much like what Pete described in Japan... after you check in and get your sandals, you strip down and store your things in the lockers, then head to the bank of showers where you can clean yourself thoroughly. From there, this particular bath had three large pools with, most courteously, small signs telling the current temperature. Aiden went for the pool that was 35ºC, while I skipped past the one that read 39º and got in the one that said 41º. Ahhhh.... When Aiden decided he'd warmed up some more, we decided to try the steam room. He hadn't brought the proffered mini-towel thinking it was too small to dry one's self with, so when I sat in the hottest part of the sauna by laying my towel on the hot cedar, he burned his rump. Then I spied yet a fourth pool inside the sauna... I went to test the temperature and found it was room temp... for the sauna! Meaning that as I stepped in, the only way I could feel it was there was that I could feel the water lapping at my ankle, because my skin was already adjusting to the temperature of the room. Aiden is a happy resident of Heilongjiang province for nine months out of the year - the cold months - so he didn't stay in the Sauna long. I wanted to get in a good sweat so I remained until he came back looking for me to make sure I hadn't passed out, and we both went back to the pools for a bit. The temperature had gone up, so we got in the middle pool which was now at 41º, then he proposed that we get a scrub, in order to spend the money that would make our admission to the spring free.
If you've never had a scrub, it's something you should experience at least once. It feels good, unless you got a sunburn that day, which I had burnt my shins a bit, but only a little, so it was just a little uncomfortable. The technician has you lay on the bed face up and offers a few options. You can get scrubbing salts, and scented oils, which raise the price some, or you can just have a wet scrub. I opted for the salts because there were none to use in the sauna, and because I wanted the exfoliation anyway. So he salted my front and got to work. (Keep in mind, visitors to the sauna are completely naked, so he has access to everything. The technicians are usually in decent shape, and wear small, black shorts for modesty's sake.) Usually they begin with the limbs, spreading salt on your body and then pressing hard with the cloth as they scrub you down, moving your limbs as needed to get to the spaces where your body folds together, from the shoulder to the spaces between fingers and toes. You can tell them not to mess with any part you don't want them to touch but I'm usually pretty passive, though I discovered the sunburn mid-scrub and wish I had told him to stay away from my calves.
For men, they do scrub absolutely everything except the genitals themselves, though they do lift them up to scrub beneath. The first time I had a scrub that rather alarmed me! But I was expecting it this time so I just rolled with it... and spent the time not thinking about the fact that this stranger was putting his hands all over my naked body. It was a relief, though, when he splashed the remaining salt off and told me I was ready to roll over. Then he scrubbed down the back side. At this point, there's another offer for an additional service (again, nothing sexual, but the final stage more than doubles the cost). I turned it down but Aiden told his technician to tell mine "yes." My guy had figured out that I wasn't good at Chinese, so through a series of grunts and waves, he communicated to me that Aiden said I should do it. Ok, sure.
I'm glad he did! The next part was not quite a massage, but it was definitely extremely relaxing! He proceeded to cup his hands and slap my tired muscles with them all over my body, making a hollow slapping sound. Unlike the other techs, my guy actually had a good rhythm that had me counting and humming along, which increased my enjoyment. Then he completed the process with a gentle rub of a scented oil that re-moisturized the skin after stripping it all away with the salt scrub, and sent me on my way. Both Aiden and I got in another quick trip to the steam room and sat in the pool again before one last shower each, and as it was now nearly one in the morning, headed up to the beds that were loudly calling our names. The whole process cost a mere 88 yuan, after we were discounted the entry price, so it was a really good deal. And that's the end of day one of my Dragon Boat Festival weekend trip to the Underground Caves.