CONSPICUOUS LAOWAI

For those of you who don’t know what a “laowai” is, the term refers to foreign visitors or expats, and literally means “old outsider.” Whether it’s an insult or an endearing term continues to be debated.
On Tuesday, June 22nd we left Xining for X county town. We walked from the Pentok headquarters to the long distance car terminal, where we were immediately surrounded by hoards of drivers asking us where we were going and offering a range of prices. As laowai it’s assumed that we’re wealthy, so drivers were shouting numbers up to 3,000 RMB (around $450). Suddenly, a T driver approached T Fishy and said he would take us for 260 RMB total. We happily agreed. Without T Fishy we surely would have been royally ripped off.

With T Fishy's cousin

When we arrived in X we were again surrounded by curious people. As a welcome relief from all the stares and followers, we took refuge in T Fishy's cousin’s home. After lunch we visited three motorcycle shops. We learned that basic training would take one month, and we would need 10,000 RMB ($1,500) to import initial tools and parts from Xining. The altitude and weather exposure make engine and electrical problems common.


The last shop we went to was run by a T mechanic with seven years of motorcycle repair experience. We asked him how much we would have to pay him to train two or three people. Since he usually has to pay people to work in his shop, he said he would be happy to teach M villagers free of charge.


Later, while we waited on a sidewalk for a friend of T Fishy's, we were approached by a well-dressed, friendly woman who asked us where we were from and what brought us to X. Caught off guard, it took us a minute to notice the burly policemen behind her. Since the T riots in 2008, the police have been increasingly wary of foreigners visiting remote areas in Western China. Apparently, we will be watched at all times while we’re here.

T Fishy's cousin's dog Little Abu

Next up: Hitchhiking to T Fishy's village.