summer2009 roadtrip day 5

山西-陕西(ShanXi-ShaanXi border): 壶口瀑布(HuKou Falls)
河京(HeJing): hotel

# # # mini book review # # #
Spent most of last night reading The Strangler. It's kinda addicting, a novel that's grabbed my attention hasn't happened for a few years now...The plot seems to be all over the place, but that's kinda refreshing since each brother is caught up in a different facet, facing their own problems...it's like reading separate stories following each brother (the demoted cop patrolling an area slated for demolition, the lawyer working on catching the serial killer, and the master thief dealing with the local mafia) that all somehow relate to a cumulative evil plan or something.
Each brother is also sorta equally suspicious for somehow being a "bad guy" since each has their quirks that is touched upon (gambler cop, lawyer with migranes/black outs, master thief that disappears on occasion and is detached from everything), but no details or clues are slapped in anyone's face.


# # # rocks (don't really) fall # # #
Today's roads were pretty dangerous, mostly since there's lots of construction going on and rocks were falling/hanging dangerously and roads are blocked by giant trucks.

And because I promised wingstodust photos of yellow soil:
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# # # donkey riding # # #
Today's main attraction was the HuKou Falls on the Yellow River that serves as the border between ShanXi and ShaanXi.

Got to ride a donkey around the rocky ledges (15yuan). Had to hold on to the saddle since the dude was leading, but it was really rocky...got the hang of going uphill/vice versa after a few bumps though.
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Otherwise, not much to see except the yellow-soil mountains slowly transitioning into rocky ones.


# # # caves of death # # #
Mom was talking about how the old civilizations that lived in the area used to trap the elderly in caves (called 老人洞/Old People Caves) and leave them to starve to death once they become a burden to the family...

People now still live in some of the caves, or use them as storage for apples (apparently THE fruit of LuoChuan).