Big Buddhas and Buddha Bellies

Kellen Smetana
We took a rest day in Leshan (Lughhh-shan, practice with me) so Ben could renew his visa and we could pay a visit to Dafo, the tallest Buddha in the world.  The Grand Buddha was carved out of a rock face between the Dadu and Min Rivers to protect local fisherman and it was quite a sight; like Mount Rushmore, only 1214 years older.  We’re hoping he’ll bring us some good luck as we continue northward.

That's a BIG Buddha

The landscape has certainly changed as we have entered the grand Sichaun basin.  Green, green, green: fertile land everywhere.  You may not know this – as I certainly didn’t before this trip – but this basin centered on the city of Chengdu is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet (check out the red spot in the middle of China).  Fertile land brings people, and we’re sure to have more many more encounters in the next few days in the basin.

Fertility

I also wanted to use this post to highlight two customs here that you would think I would find annoying but I actually find very amusing: Buddha bellies and flying phlegm.  On hot days, many men roll up their shirts or tuck them into their collar to flaunt what I like to call a Buddha belly.  I haven’t quite deduced the reasoning yet because I don’t actually think you lose that much heat through your stomach; so maybe it’s to cool off or maybe it’s just to prove they’ve eaten.  Either way, it’s awesome.  Truckers, shoppers, farmers, pedestrians – all showing some tummy.  Watch out later this year, I may try to bring this fashion statement back into the US.

Buddha Belly 2K12, watch out!

Hot days or not, another ever-present sight is spitting.  Riding, we’ll often see a beautiful woman in vibrant flowing dress, hair newly done, walk out of her house and give us a smile.  A second later she takes a rolling suck in through her nose, works all that back up her throat, and shoots it to the ground right in front of you.  Nothing unusual here; everyone spits and they spit a lot.  People spit on the ground here like they were putting out a fire without any water.  Even yesterday in a supermarket I rounded the corner to see a guy leave a big one right in the aisle, no one seemed to care.  It might sound gross but it’s just more accepted, and I’m down with it (though not in the supermarket of course… could be a bit slippery).  In fact, I’ve probably even spat twice since you’ve been reading this, seems like a fun enough way to fit in.

Bellies out, spit flying, we’ve now turned directly north to start climbing like crazy.  It’s gonna get cold.