From Grits to Chopsticks

As he was finishing up his visit with us, we continued to keep Timothy busy.  He met a lot of students at English corners (and joined with some of them separately for meals afterwards):

Here he is, teaching them to play “Ticket to Ride”:

Remember the card game “Spoons”?  We learned that some students had played a similar game – only it’s called “Chopsticks”!

We also took Timothy to one more nearby tourist site — JiuXiang Scenic Area.  It was actually our first time there (and is worthy of future visits!).  The entrance to the cave network is massive:

A large volume of water has been working a long time to carve out these deep caverns:

These enormous formations reminded us of the rice terraces on many of the local mountains:

Of course, this is China, and there are things that you probably wouldn’t see in a “show cave” in the west.  For instance, this cave has a “5D Theatre” inside:

We were able to eat our lunch in a picnic area with nearby shops and a museum:

There is also a team of people who will carry you back up the steps on a sedan chair (for a fee):

And even though this is a “national level” tourist attraction, it is fun to see that the ticket booth is displaying “Merry Christmas” decorations in the middle of June: