Spare tourists from excessive guides
<p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="traveling">traveling</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>, <span word="visiting">visiting</span> <span word="places">places</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="historical">historical</span> <span word="interest">interest</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="beautiful">beautiful</span> <span word="scenery">scenery</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="famous">famous</span> <span word="tourist">tourist</span> <span word="attractions">attractions</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="prefer">prefer</span> <span word="traveling">traveling</span> <span word="alone">alone</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="joining">joining</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tour">tour</span> <span word="group">group</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="package">package</span> <span word="tour">tour</span> <span word="arranged">arranged</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tour">tour</span> <span word="agency">agency</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="enjoy">enjoy</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="freedom">freedom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="staying">staying</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="places">places</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="appeal">appeal</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="skipping">skipping</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="interesting">interesting</span>. </p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="arrive">arrive</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tourist">tourist</span> <span word="spot">spot</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="resident">resident</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="accost">accost</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="of">of</span> "<span word="guide">guide</span> <span word="services">services</span>", <span word="which">which</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="decline">decline</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="service">service</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="am">am</span> <span word="unwilling">unwilling</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="spend">spend</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="grudge">grudge</span> <span word="spending">spending</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="precious">precious</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="listen">listen</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="garrulous">garrulous</span> "<span word="introduction">introduction</span>" <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="place">place</span>. </p><p><span word="Last">Last</span> <span word="month">month</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="invited">invited</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="academic">academic</span> <span word="forum">forum</span> <span word="held">held</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Anhui">Anhui</span> <span word="province">province</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="venue">venue</span> <span word="naturally">naturally</span> <span word="prompted">prompted</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="visiting">visiting</span> <span word="Mount">Mount</span> <span word="Huangshan">Huangshan</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="famous">famous</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="Natural">Natural</span> <span word="Heritage">Heritage</span> <span word="site">site</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="province">province</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="day">day</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="free">free</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sightseeing">sightseeing</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="gracious">gracious</span> <span word="host">host</span> <span word="arranged">arranged</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="package">package</span> <span word="tour">tour</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="forum">forum</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="participants">participants</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="visit">visit</span> <span word="Huangshan">Huangshan</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nearby">nearby</span> <span word="Hongcun">Hongcun</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Xidi">Xidi</span> <span word="villages">villages</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="Cultural">Cultural</span> <span word="Heritage">Heritage</span> <span word="sites">sites</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="unique">unique</span> <span word="architectural">architectural</span> <span word="styles">styles</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="times">times</span>. </p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="villages">villages</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="guide">guide</span> <span word="herded">herded</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="labyrinth">labyrinth</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="alleys">alleys</span>, <span word="making">making</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="nobody">nobody</span> <span word="strayed">strayed</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="group">group</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="building">building</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="guide">guide</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="woman">woman</span> <span word="wearing">wearing</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="headgear">headgear</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="microphone">microphone</span> <span word="connected">connected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="hung">hung</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="waist">waist</span>, <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="detailed">detailed</span> <span word="explanations">explanations</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="building">building</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="history">history</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="official">official</span> <span word="titles">titles</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="successful">successful</span> <span word="businesses">businesses</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="owners">owners</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="attained">attained</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="function">function</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="component">component</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="premises">premises</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="special">special</span> <span word="feature">feature</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="guide">guide</span> <span word="narrated">narrated</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="prepared">prepared</span> <span word="text">text</span> <span word="regardless">regardless</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="listeners">listeners</span>' <span word="reactions">reactions</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="recitation">recitation</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="uttered">uttered</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="even">even</span>, <span word="insipid">insipid</span> <span word="tone">tone</span>. <span word="What">What</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="worse">worse</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="hardly">hardly</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="ushered">ushered</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="inner">inner</span> <span word="room">room</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="tourists">tourists</span> <span word="entered">entered</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lobby">lobby</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="guide">guide</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="blared">blared</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="recitation">recitation</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="place">place</span>. </p>
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