China 2013 Day 10

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We sleep well. A light breakfast at the hotel, and we have a free morning. We wander around the village, make some purchases, and stop for coffee at a shop. (Digression: The coffee in China is remarkably inconsistent. Sometimes it is hot and strong–occasionally overly strong, and sometimes it is lukewarm and weak. It is mercifully good this morning.)

The village is a remarkable construction, built essentially on sheer cliffs, most buildings perched precariously on brick or bamboo foundations, linked by an interconnecting web of pathways carved out of or constructed from pieces of bare rock. Wheeled vehicles would be useless, so sure-footed horses and donkeys move materials around. Chickens run free and the crowing of roosters is constant. A few dogs and cats can be seen. There are pigs in cramped pens, destined to appear later on a plate. Live fish and turtles are stored in aquariums. Their future, too, is not bright, and in fact we see a fish summarily pulled from the water and whacked on the head against the stone path to kill it.

It strikes me how important bamboo is. It is used everywhere in the construction of buildings and fences, but it also serves as water pipes, rope, scaffolding, furniture, lamps, cooking utensils, and of course food in the form of shoots and larger chunks.

We check out of the hotel in the late morning and then return to the same restaurant for lunch. More bamboo rice and a nice dish with chicken and bamboo slices.

Time for the descent, Violet in the sedan chair and I on foot. It is definitely easier than yesterday's climb, although I've pulled a muscle in one knee and have to be careful. Because of the porters' fast pace, we are the first to the bottom and so have a chance to poke around the shops.

Back on the narrow bus, back down the harrowing road (thank heaven for good brakes!), then transfer to our own bus waiting at the foot of the mountain.

We drive back to Guilin, stopping on the way at a tea plantation research centre. Our engaging host gives us a whirlwind course on how tea is grown, harvested, processed, and most importantly drunk. We start in the fields, move to a processing demonstration, then end up to a tea room where we sample four different teas: yellow, osmanthus (green tea mixed with osmanthus flower blossoms), ulong and compressed. Our host explains the proper way to prepare tea. The water temperature, steeping time and even type of pot vary with the type of tea. And we learn the proper way to drink tea. You grasp the cup with your thumb on the bottom, your forefinger on the top. Then, if you are a man, you curl your other three fingers underneath the cup, but if you're a woman, you stick the other fingers out. You then examine the tea, moving the cup up and down in C shape, smell the tea, contemplate the aroma, and finally take an initial sip, followed at an appropriate interval by at least two more sips before you drain the cup. Failure to follow this ritual makes you a water buffalo, our host explains.

Our visit to the plantation finishes with a visit to the tea shop. We buy compressed tea (our favorite from the tasting), which is not available, so they say, in North America. Compressed tea was originally developed to maximize space for tea trade during the days of the Silk Road trade route. Compressed tea consists of a blend of premium teas pressed together to form a cake, off of which you chip small pieces to steep for your tea.

Back on the road to Guilin. This is a small city of 500k, the gateway to China's mountain area, which we have just visited. Its cityscape, too, is punctuated by karst mountains that thrust up like stalagmites higher than the skyscrapers, even if slightly less dramatic than Yangshuo's craggy peaks. The outskirts are somewhat dilapidated but the central core is beautiful, an attractive mixture of ancient and modern styles.

We check into Guilan's Shangrila hotel. It is by far the most beautiful hotel we have had in China so far; extremely tastefully decorated with wonderful Chinese arts and crafts. Soon after, we have an absolutely outstanding buffet dinner at the hotel.

That evening, at Tracy's recommendation, we take a night cruise around Guilin's rivers and lakes. The city is surrounded by a natural moat composed of two rivers and four lakes. In the evening, spectacular lighting effects are arranged to highlight the city's pavilions, bridges and mountains. The two main pavillons are in the lake where we start and are called the Pavillon of the Sun (gold) and fhe Pavillon of the Moon (silver). The bridges, each of which emulates a famous bridge in other parts of the world like Paris, Venice and San Franciso, are spectacular with the lights. As well, there are musical shows designed especially for the tour boats; i.e., the performers are facing the river. In the last lake, cormorant fishermen are waiting for us. Right before our eyes, the birds plunge into the water and emerge with from 1-2 fish in their gullets, which their owners dislodge. Amazing stuff. The lineage of these birds is apparently passed down through the generations as one of the primary family assets.

Back at the hotel, we repack for plane and train rides tomorrow. What an experience the last couple of days has been!

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