Dark alley

My brother walking carefully ahead of me in one of the approach alleys to the abandoned village in China where our grandparents once lived. The original "village" is now completely swallowed up by newer buildings, many of which (like these) are also abandoned except for squatters.

The alleys were rather narrow, with dubious puddles and occasional rats. Or so he said. I only saw one rat myself in there: large, dead, and slightly squashed. I didn't take a picture of it.

The decorative brickwork on the right side is fairly common in the area-- the dark diagonal stripes are molded into the body of the bricks, not painted onto the surface. The overall look can be varied by how the bricks are laid, but this herringbone effect seemed to be one of the most popular versions.

I don't know what the mottled grey components are. They could be another type of brick-type baked clay, or they could be molded concrete or worked stone.