Nankai Musings

Escaping Tianjin - Jixian Excursion

During the summer Samantha and I took a little get-away for expatriates living in Tianjin, Jixian is a mountainous heaven of fresh air, lakes and mountains covered in trees It’s easy to find a bed and breakfast on any one of the mountains and there are plenty of fun things to do even if you don’t want to spend a lot.

(Don’t worry, that’s not a UFO at the top right)

Upon arrival of our 农家院 (Farm House B&B) we were immediately greeted by several locals serving tourists, riding a horse for around 12 minutes will cost you 30元 and a two lap trip on a quad will run you another 30元. This particular horse ride wasn’t very special, I was simply led by the owner on a trot around the village and back, no running or lesson but it being my first time I was satisfied with getting a feel for the animal, you can probably find a better ride in one of the farming areas where an entire track has been set up, just look for the sign 跑马场 (Horse Race Track).

Before unmounting the man asked me one of the strangest questions I’ve been asked yet.

Local man: “你是哪个国家？” (Where are you from?)

Me: “美国人” (America)

Local man: “你是白人或者黑人？” (Are you black, or white?)

Me (a little confused): “我是白的，可是我奶奶是墨西哥人“。(I’m white, but my grandmother is Mexican)

Perhaps his eye sight is starting to go, or he was just making conversation, either way it was one of the more interesting questions I’ve been asked in a while! Although I do have a tiny bit of Mexican ethnicity in me, I look white and definitely not black. But maybe he was just making conversation.

Here are some phrases you may find useful when traveling in Jixian, try and translate them yourself.

你觉得那个山适合徒步？

这个地方附近有可以钓鱼的湖吗？

最近的跑马场在哪儿？