dude. if wrapping up work wasn’t fun enough, the hoop-jumping involved just to enjoy a simple little trip on the roof of the world is kind of silly. I understand the need to impose a bit of order in an area you might consider sensitive, but implementing that order shouldn’t be chaos itself. At least, it shouldn’t be if you are serious about an open, integrated economy.

I am talking about the permit system, which dictates where and when you are allowed to travel within the confines of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Here in Xining, the only place to purchase this permit is, according to a sign at the train station, the Provincial Tourism Bureau. Of course no one at this bureau knows how to arrange the permit, but will be happy to point you in the direction of room 202 at the Xining Hotel, where some enterprising soul has completely monopolized the scene and is charging $200. All this trouble for a piece of paper that, according to many who have used it recently, is ignored once you are safely on your bus/train/airplane.

That this is little more than an exercise in lining the pockets of lucky permit arrangers is beside the point: it is annoying and symptomatic of the larger problems in western China. I hope this changes before two aught aught eight brings the expected goldmine of novice travelers. I suppose the Tibetan tourism confusitron certainly dovetails nicely with any hypothetical, hidden agendas to slow development and modernization in the area. But, as the official party line is that opening the area is a Good Thing, obstacles for curious foreigners should not (politically speaking) abound in such numbers.

Anyway, call Mr. Lin at 13519705578, 09718245548, or 09718247377 if you are in Xining and would like to arrange a permit for 50 bucks (400 RMB).

Other logistical challenges on the horizon: changing my salary from RMB to dollars, getting my laptop stateside via friendly frequent fliers, obtaining a permit for Nepal, negotiating with Maoists (should I decide to trek, see this encouraging item) and of course selling my bike and cleaning my chamberpot. I can take pictures of the last item if you’d like, yum

Volunteer search and rescue groups have had a peppered history regarding funding. In the semi-closed circles, much money has come out of the pockets of both private citizens and organizations, as well as public and federal funding.

While many rescue groups have difficulty acquiring funding across the nation,
the group I’m working with in AK has what seems to be a rather unique method of funding. Much like the way the VT education fund is given all profits from scratch and lottery ticket sales, a percentage of pull-tab sales (much like scratch tickets and the only legal form of gambling in the state) goes to our group, providing reliable, steady income. Having a steady funding source is rare except for federally funded (read: military or forest service), or municipally funded (usually sub-divisions of fire depts) groups.

Military search and rescue (SAR) is usually reserved for their own, and often operate overseas. The exceptions to this rule are the Coast Guard patrols, which are restricted primarily to maritime regions. We are fortunate enough to have one of two AK USCG helibases within 70 miles. These pilots are the best in the business, as they fly regularly in some of the harshest conditions the country has to offer. In fact, the flying is so difficult up here, that every USCG pilot is required to do at least a 1yr tour in AK, either in Sitka (near us) or in Kodiak, in the Aleutians. While its great to have the mobility of a helicopter, there is also a strict limitation in terms of flying weather, available manpower for ops, and in situational circumstances (i.e. helis: they’re great, fast, and convenient, but they can’t do it all). These guys are career professionals.
Forest service SAR teams are restricted to areas of USFS jurisdiction, and are found only in park areas where an extremely high liability is perceived: Denali, Rainer, etc. These are often seasonal, paid climbing rangers who are able to call in additional help if needed, but primarily operate within their own organization using nearby climbers to provide fast response (mountaineers are usually trained in self and group rescue techniques specific to the glacier and mountain environment). Perhaps the one exception where there are paid climbing rangers on a state level would be the rangers of the Shawnagunks near New Paltz, NY (an amazing place!).

Municipal/Country SAR teams are usually fire dept. branches, and operate under the NFPA (national fire protection association) standards, which can be limiting, as they are designed with a more urban setting in mind. In fact, in Juneau we have one through CCFR, which overlaps with our mission somewhat, though they tend to stick to the road system, while we operate more in the back country and do all the searches. Municipal teams are usually all volunteer, but often have a paid director. JMR strictly volunteer, funded only by the pulltabs (only 5 other organizations in the state have this deal, and only one of those is SAR), and fueled by many generous donations from businesses and individuals.

There is effectively no direct compensation for teams, all that time, training, and execution in a callout. However, there is compensation for gear lost in the so-called ‘line of duty’ (how much duty is assumed when you are a volunteer? That is a whole other legal, ethical, and personal debate for another day).

The reason this comes up is I had the pleasure/pain of participating in my first full blown technical rescue the other day. I’m not going to launch into the details, but it was a great experience to put under the belt (you can read the articles below, the press got it sort of right). I basically tore up a bunch of gear in the process, and its all gotten replaced, which feels weird. The biggest thing to go was a pair of Mammut goretex pants, ~$350. All of a sudden, I’m getting materially compensated by the state (through which we are authorized to act) for something that was previously considered, well, not a big deal. We just had a big debrief tonight, rehashing the whole operation, critiques were made, lessons reviews, etc. I started this post a few days ago, when things were pretty intense, but now I seem to have run out of steam on it,

so cheerio,

News Links:

KVTA (anchorage news brief)

JNU Empire (you may have to make a free account, but this is the closest thing to the full story; also, Jrad is wearing my jacket; also, it may have be 8h for him, but it was 12h for Jim and I: first in, last out baby!)

What happened to the Onion? That bastion of procrastination, that beacon of silliness, that reliable razor on which ridiculous happenings in this nation go to be skewered… All gone. Why? Because they started posting right-wing nut job racist editorials.

I don’t get it. They had me coming back week after week, ever since Matt told me about this totally tubular satirical newpaper he got in Chicago.. and now I’m never going back. Seriously (probably). And this is despite the fact that they pulled one of the greatest pranks of all time, when the Beijing Evening News published a fake article from them about Congress moving to Memphis.

Now all I’m left with is overheard in new york…

Just skimmed a position paper entitled China’s Illiberal Challenge. In a nutshell, the authors argue that the real threat to American foreign policy is China’s appeal to developing countries as a model for fast, impressive economic development. This is more of an ideological threat than radicalized Islamic states.

Why? Because if these sucker nations follow through with the Chinese model, they’ll be sacrificing democratic ideals for cash, at the expense of an open and fair governance.

A few quick reactions:

First, how likely is it that other nations could repeat China’s success, if they don’t have that hard-to-copy comparative advantage, a massive supply of labor. If the economic gain you hoped for doesn’t appear, you might think twice about the equalities and freedoms you’ve sacrificed. Which is not to say some won’t try, only that it’s not a model for concrete success if your silenced masses don’t get rich in the same way that the influential growing middle class in China has

Second, The authors could have thought through their recommendations a little more. They basically recommend doing more of the same: increasing the influence of multilateral economic cheerleaders, and pouring more money into development. If America continues to become a force for democratization the way that we’ve been doing it, we’ll continue to get mixed or bad results.

We have to think through why China is being successful in the developing world, and adjust any democratization strategy to match or surpass their appeal. That is, again, if we really want to frame this as a ideological competition. There must be room for a creative synthesis at some point.

Last, the idea that “us right, them wrong” is, I think, at the root of a lot of America’s international policy problems right now. I don’t see this perspective as moving the overall thrust of American interaction with the world any further.

Productive or not, the warning bell rung here is sure to resonate for a while. I’ll sure we’ll be hearing more later.

At the last moment, and against my better instincts, I traveled to Guizhou province last week for some R&R. My instincts advised me not to do this because I am mere weeks away from leaving sweet, sweet Qinghai province. However, the opportunity to ride around on a bike in some place I’ve never been was too much for me to resist.

Highlights (pictures here, if you don’t want to bother with my written noodling):

Day 0 Flight from Xining to Chengdu. Security guards laugh at me.
5 hour layover in Chengdu, just enough time to ride the 18k into the city, have a massage, eat some egg-fried tomato noodles, and purchase 4 rmb dvds

Flight to Guiyang. Bike ride into the city. Adventures in hostel locating, culminating in the overzealous local cops kicking me out of a hostel. Forced to stay in nice hotel, “for your own safety”. This is an oft-quoted rule, but the first time I’ve encountered it. Lowpoint: JC and DD arrive at 2am. Thanks guys

Day 1
Ride out of grimy Guiyang and into countryside. See baby defying laws of gravity and pooping upside down. On steep uphill, two-stroke Chinese tractor truck poops dense cloud of exhaust on DD and JC. MF is un-exhausted.

Pass a factory where they make glass bottles for baijiu (grain liquor). Spend the night in scenic Baisheng, farming hamlet and motorcycle repair stop. Toilet is located next to pigsty. 70k?

Day 2
Leave Baisheng. MF miraculously locates QQ gummy bears in random store (QQ is a piece of Chinese instant message software – slap it’s name on anything and watch the sales soar). Leave pavement and head up steep dirt road. Terrain changes from rolling farmland to steep forested hills. After river, MF wins massive uphill. Lunch in Stone Dragon village, take bus to Duyun city. DD and JC find legit massage parlor. MF passes out from food poisoning. Hostel turns out to be place of… leisure. Pimp argues with DD about room costs.

Day 3
Late start. Tag along at a pokey speed, as MF still sick. Covered ~40k, found ourselves at the bottom of a hill and decided to wait. Crummy ice cream. Had to continue as no buses would stop. Rode to Bagu. Buses full and wouldn’t stop to pick up even grandma and her chickens. DD eats three bags of gummy bears. Rode on. Monster 9k, alp-like hill? Or was that later? Downhill. Up again. Arrived in Danzhai. Forced to stay in foreigner hotel again. Pretty loud. Eat spicy chicken and potatoes yum, the hill cured me

Day 4
DD sick, apparently from gummy bears. JC and MF have good baozi (stuffed breadlings), internet, wait for DD to snap out of it. Decide to take a rest day, wait for bus on the side of the road. Catch one to Sandu. DD even sicker. JC and MF eat take-out noodles out of a bag. MF witnesses popcorn thief. Bus to Rongjiang. Stay in ostensibly nice hostel, but later turns out to be unbearably loud. JC unphased.

Day 5
DD well enough to ride. 90k gradual downhill to Songjiang. Drafting is denounced by JC. DD says he is sick so he can draft all he wants, thank you very much. MF either has short cranks or short stubby legs, can’t keep up on downhills. On arrival, catch a bus to Sanjiang. Road under construction for 110km, glad we are not sucking dust. Hostel loud

Day 6
Slow morning. Hostel still loud honking honking. JC eats pavement on slippery patch. Start the last 60k to Shenglong, but immediately encounter dust. Why? Why would you rebuild your road, all at one time instead of piecemeal repaving. Several inches of dust and heavy traffic force us to return to town and catch a, wait for it… a bus. Boo. Takes 3 hours to travel 60 km. Wouldn’t have survived on bikes. On arrival, immediately bust out for Guilin. Cover 40k before darkness falls, catch another bus. Quiet hostel on river near Guilin bus station. Massages food beer. MF startled by giant, aggressive cockroach. DD and JC almost die from unnecessary laughter

Day 7
Slow start. Rice noodles for lunch. Decide to bike to Yangshuo. 60k on map, all flat. Cover the distance in two hours, drafting in a pack. Pizza finally. Slacker rockclimbing backpacker town good for something after all. Midautumn Festival, so fireworks, mooncakes in the evening.

Day 8
MF rides pirate bus back to Guilin. 5 hour layover in Xi’an, bikes around airport and eats dumplings with airport workers near dormitory. Flight delayed, arrive Xining 2am. Meet GH in airport, returning from Shanghai. Apparently Shanghai is developed

Day 10
JC sends MF message saying that they rode to Guilin airport, almost missed plane. MF knows this is cockroach karma

Final notes to self:

Avoid eating pork in rural motorcycle repair shop-type places.

The ethnicities in Guizhou seem to really like their traditional clothing, or at least the womenfolk do. But, the trip was a good lesson in Hanification – everyone along the route was devoted to the standard Chinese pastimes of farming, traveling to big towns to sell ducks, or building up the big towns and selling things there. Of course, we didn’t really get to know the Miao or Shui people too well.

Our route below, you can plug in the lat/long and check out the terrain on Google Earth if you have it sitting around

Opposite and equal reactions:

some GRE stylings:

hunger : harlem burritos :: kim jong-il : godzilla