Village hopping around China is great for relaxation and even better for the budget but not so good for the whole website updating thing. Some places I visited had the internet but none had wifi which made getting much work done pretty hard for me.
So I arrived in Fenghuang (a large village in Hunan under siege by Chinese tourists) not expecting there to be any wifi but still hoping for the best. My Chinese friend I have been travelling arrived a few days before me and, fortunately for me, she’s also got a computer and is always on the hunt for wireless internet. She combed the streets for two days before finally finding a bar called Greenstone along the river with a dubious connection, terrible coffee and a menu consisting of peanuts and popcorn. Not really an ideal choice but better than nothing.
With nothing really keeping me in Fenghuang, I was ready to head straight to Hong Kong to catch up on some work, drink Frappuccinos and figure out a way back to Beijing. But my Chinese friend didn’t give up on her hunt for a good wifi connection in a nice setting and two days ago she stumbled onto a place called Bingo, a cafe and guesthouse set in a supercool, old wooden building and, most importantly, equipped with a great wifi connection. The food is pretty average and the milkshakes are inexplicably warm, but the six bed dorm is empty besides us and there are workspaces aplenty for me to hide away in and get stuff done.
I’ve decided to stay a few more nights because I’m being uncharacteristically productive here. It’s bizarre. I think I got more done yesterday than I did all of July combined. When motivation rears its head at the same time as I find a great place to work, good things can happen so I’m in no rush to move on, especially since I know how terrible hostels in Hong Kong are.
So for the next few days I’m going to be a hermit and I’m not going to feel guilty about it. I’ve found a great place to work so I just need to hope my motivation sticks with me.
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