Here is a little info for the gay and lesbian traveler; Mr. Hu is famous in these parts. His name appears in my Let’s Go travel guide as the “first stop for every English-speaking traveler,” and he was on MY mini-bus. I showed him where he was in my book and he shrugged me off, as if to say, “Yes, I’m kind-of a big deal.” From this point on, I would hang with Mr. Hu and let him lead the way. He had come to the train station to meet a group of six French tourists who had phoned ahead (why didn’t I call Mr. Hu before I left?) and asked for his assistance. Thankfully, they didn’t mind if I tagged along.

He took us to the “Free and Unfettered Hotel,” which was neither free nor unfettered. In fact, it was both expensive and quite fettered for the price, if I do say so myself. My plan was to quickly drop my bag then regroup with the French people for a bite to eat at Mr. Hu’s restaurant (yes, he has a restaurant named after himself, and he serves French toast, eggs, and French fries for a mere $1.50) followed by a tour of the ancient Yixian villages.