The Season of Yellow Leaves

Due to a job transfer, I finally have a chance to travel during the off-peak season. Am I happy, or am I happy? The commute to my new job is a bit far, 30 to 45 minutes. I found some audio I like to listen to, and the time spent speeding along suddenly felt shorter. For someone who enjoys driving like me, this is not a problem, so I only felt uncomfortable for a few days. Accepting all unexpected events, sometimes change isn't necessarily a bad thing — like this time.

I booked a group-buy hotel, mainly for the yellow leaves of this season. It came with a detailed introduction to nearby attractions, so I could pick and choose according to my preferences.

After sending my daughter off to school, we set off happily. My grown-up Beijie, we both need to get used to separation. Facing the sunset, speeding along the road, I was in high spirits and feeling excited.

We arrived at the hotel — Guilin Ancient Town Jiangjing Hotel — at around nine in the evening. I changed into a thick hoodie and went out for a late-night snack.

Yes, from the 30°C autumn afternoon in Guangdong, we crossed over to this 15°C early winter season, with night temperatures dropping to 10°C. We arrived at Daxu Town in the dark.

You lose something to gain something. It's so rare to make a trip at such a time. Along the way, I listened to Leslie Cheung's "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter" — ignoring the outside low temperature, he sang like that.

First stop: Ocean Township, Big Tongmu Bay. The morning temperature here was 8°C, a bit challenging.

The view outside the window was hazy and indistinct. Many people love Guilin's landscapes, many have visited this place countless times.

Not yet yellow, but slightly yellow — that's the color seen through different eyes.

Quiet and peaceful, at this moment, still, motionless, still, motionless.

It's rare that tourists stop outside my landscape photos.

I saw a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree. Standing guard for a thousand years, what have you experienced? What have you seen? What have you heard?

My mood at that time: If only I could stay on the road forever — it's an escapist mentality — but such thoughts inevitably keep coming up.

Second stop: Donggu Li Village, a renovated village. Visitors from other provinces get free admission, so I wandered around happily.

If this village were mine, haha, just daydreaming. Again I had the thought that it would be nice to stay here for a month.

I took many photos that I usually can't get — scenery shots with only me in them — and also picked up some small items I liked.

A cute and clean big cat, I photographed it for Beijie to enjoy.

The next day, I woke up naturally. After checking out, I drove along the Li River — could I just keep driving all the way? At noon, I found a roadside restaurant and had fresh mixed fish soup. I also met a couple traveling by motorcycle — really cool.

Following the mountain, turning to the other side — this is a scenario I've always loved. What's on the other side of the mountain? A question I often asked as a child. I also brought back two sugarcane stalks, but unfortunately Beijie didn't get to eat them. They sat until they went bad and were thrown away.

Passion can withstand the long years. This two-and-a-half-day trip satisfied the restless beast inside me.

Looking forward to the next time — it's the person you love who decides how far we can go.

Ocean Township, Guilin City — November 2020