Return to Kaili

Returning to Kaili, we were already a little bit sad that the trip was coming to an end, but we still had our final festival to look forward to. At a nearby village, the International Miao Lusheng Festival was taking place, and we were planning to be there for the opening ceremony. Another lusheng festival? We were to learn that no two are the same.

This one had the dancing, the buffalo fighting, the food -

but also an opportunity to see the dancers and musicians preparing and practising -

and, in a first for us, horse-racing!

The thing about these festivals is that nobody ever really knows what's going on. We were told, assured and reassured that the horses would race from midday, the buffalo fighting would begin at 2pm and the opening ceremony would start at 3pm. With an hour to wait, we decided to stick around to watch the horses race on the almost-dry riverbed. So we waited... and waited... for almost 3 hours. Then, with literally no fanfare, the first race was going past before I could even whip my camera out! Luckily they were only racing 2 or 3 horses at a time, so more races soon followed.

The races might have been delayed by all the people constantly walking across the riverbed. And perhaps that's why the SWAT team turned up (to stop them)???

In the end we didn't get to see the opening ceremony. The government officials simply didn't arrive. Maybe they were given the wrong time or even date? It didn't matter, as we'd had a lovely day.

And in case you're wondering why it was called an international festival; it was because we - the big-noses - were there! Next year there could well be promotional material with our pasty faces on it.