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Jessica's Kayak Slalom Photo Album

11/21: TRIP REPORT FROM XIASI

THE CULTURE

Together with the team, we are having the biggest culture shock of our lives! When we were in Beijing we toured the city. We saw the Forbidden City and I snapped some shots of the Communist guards all around the main sites. We practiced our bartering skills in the Pearl Market on Silk Street. I purchased souvenirs there. I constantly use all the Chinese that I know. It is so cool!

The other day, we visited the local school. Wow, was that amazing! All the kids crowd around us eager to practice their English. The teachers gave us the opportunity to teach during English class. We were able to observe firsthand their lives are as Chinese children, this being a boarding school, most of them sleep here.

I would talk to ALL the kids and I got to know so many. We gave lessons to them in English, but I always love it when I ask them to teach me Chinese as well. Some little girls asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told them that right now I kayak but later on in life I don’t know at this time. The girls said they wanted to be a painter and an English teacher and so on. Many kids gave me little gifts such as a hand made bracelet, a drawing, or a necklace. All the kids were from 13 - 16. So they were about OUR age.

What privileged lives we lead in comparison! Their school is rundown, the paint is peeled, the doors rusty, but despite these conditions, they all are extremely happy! Each student has a pile of books on their table and they have little stools for chairs and chalkboards. Many kids gave me their phone numbers because their homes do not have addresses. We aren’t very certain if mail operates here. It is such a small rural town.

The food is absolutely not a problem whatsoeever. The only problem is eating too much because I might be too full for the next meal. It is delicious. There is always an array of vegetables and different sorts of meat like chicken beef, and...dog! They also serve dumplings containing bread and chicken as well as dishes with green beans – always a lot of rice. Each meal is a feast – yummy!

THE COURSE

The Chinese provided each member of the team a boat to use for the duration of our stay. I received a Prijon design with a lot history of repairs (I call her “Patches”). It is alright – while not a high-end boat, just a old-school four-meter boat, it fits me perfectly. I outfitted it with foam on the thigh brace and under my knees I used the hip pads I brought along. It’s quite dry despite the patches. Sarah and I have the same boat and ours are holding up the best out of the group. Everyone else is using these brand new Chinese boats that look pretty but are falling apart on the course – the seams are splitting! Luckily Sarah and I were given the sturdy German boats. I've gotten used to Patches pretty well. I just can’t get the stern under for pivots which is unnecessary on this course anyway.

The course is pretty amazing. It’s not nearly as huge as Charlotte but it is certainly very busy. There are countless features and it never slows down. I actually get scared going over a couple of drops due to very sticky ledge holes. As Cathy Hearn mentioned, it is about as narrow as South Bend Indiana’s course, maybe narrower, but significantly prettier. The water is blue, not as blue as the Kananaskis in Alberta or the waterfalls of Mexico, but a beautiful shade of turquoise.

The Chinese provide us with two training sessions a day, one hour each session; however, they are not too strict about it. For example today we stayed on the water an extra 45 minutes. However once the next group’s session is on, it gets more crowded – which is difficult on such a narrow course. This may very well be one of my favorite courses! It’s not gnarly big like Charlotte but it is very technical.

INTERNET ACCESS AND HOTEL

Access is pretty easy now that we have Jeff Gette's laptop hooked-up. It is in a room downstairs of our room. The computers are dial-up (So that answers the question of the speed). This hotel is extremely gorgeous. When we arrived the first time we were overwhelmed by the whole scene. The hotel is grand in an elegant way. Only paddlers are allowed to stay in the hotel, which is where the Chinese National Team resides. There is a giant statue dragon going across the steps to the hotel and it is so beautiful.

We put-in from our hotel, which is on the river. We paddle downstream a very short distance to get to the slalom course – sweet!

THE WEATHER

The weather is relatively on the cool side and it rained occasionally. On the water I wear the Patagonia vest, the IR shirt, and a UA long sleeve over that.

Well that is all I have for now. Another trip report coming soon!

Love you

Jessica