The clammy heat of southern China is like a second skin because of the humidity. It's as if my shadow had decided that it was too hot and that it suddenly wanted to stick to me to avoid the sun, raising my body temperature. In Guilin, the streets are almost literally oozing. I sweat no matter what I do, so I still walk around and drink water. Some find refuge under the trees, where the shade is dense and find its freedom. We're all a little haggard, even if the Chinese are more used to it.