Yangshuo

I left Guilin early on Monday morning having already booked myself on a early morning river cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo. There were two options, one a tour in English with fellow foreigners or two a tour in Chinese. The price difference was large enough to convince me to take the second option. The very helpful “Libra” has also told me that the were essentially the same and that I’d be better off taking the Chinese tour whilst at the same time saving some cash.

I did feel a little self conscious once I got on the bus to take us to the ferry wharf though. I was the last person to get on and once I stepped aboard the bus everyone suddenly stopped what they were doing and looked up at me, the lone foreigner.

I was a little unsure of what to expect once on board the boat as conditions were a little cramped to say the least and I was praying that this wasn’t going to be the case throughout the journey down the river. There were three young University students travelling on the boat and luckily they were able to translate some of what the tour guide was saying. I was informed that once the boat had got going it would be possible to go outside on deck.

Half an hour past and right on cue we all shuffled outside with our cameras at the ready. Unfortunately once again the weather wasn’t ideal. The sun was out but seemed to be hiding behind some clouds which created a hazy effect.

It wasn’t long before we were cruising down the river at a leisurely pace. This was the Guilin I had been expecting. It’s very hard to describe just how beautiful it was and it really is one of those things that is best experienced first hand. The scenery at times was quite often breathtaking and as the boat wound its way down the river every corner provided another surprise. My finger was working overtime on the camera button. The boat took us past local people farming on the banks, water buffalo’s patrolling the fields and endless limestone peaks. Every so often a fisherman would pass by on a bamboo raft.

Eventually the boat came to a stop in Yangshou, as I was the only person going to be staying in Yangshou I struggled off the boat last with my backpack. I’d already called ahead to a local hostel I’d read about named the “Yanghsou Culture House” www.yangshuo-study-travel.com/ I’d heard great things about it and had arranged to be picked up at the bus station prior to my arrival but the owner Mr Wei.

Mr Wei was immediately helpful and I was introduced to his whole family, non of whom spoke any English. I took no time in asking one of them how to speak some of the local dialect and had them in fits of laughter with my lame attempt at the local lingo! Crazy foreigner they must have thought, but I like to think I made a good first impression. It was also the first place that I had stayed at where there was a good mix of other foreigners. One of the excellent aspects of staying here is that Mr Wei and his family prepare dinner for all the guests and they all sit and dine together. I say dinner, it would be better for me to say banquet as there was so much food on offer and all of it absolutely outstanding.

There are plenty of things to do in Yangshuo but perhaps the best and one of the cheapest is to hire a bike. I was up early the next morning and had arranged with an Australian couple I had met the previous day to take a bike ride along the Yulong River (Yulong He) We decided to go for the slightly more expensive option of mountain bikes (10 yuan per day) as opposed to the local bikes and were immediately thankful once we got on the rock paths along the river bank. The only disappointing aspect was once again the weather which again was hazy.

We biked our way up to the small village of Baisha and took in the Dragon Bridge (Yulong Qiao) The guide book had once again built it up to be something worth seeing but having seen it I’m not so sure.

The ride back though was great as we kept pretty close to the river and the small tracks weaved their way through the green fields. The scenery was pretty special at times and it was just nice to peddle along at a leisurely pace surrounded by this spectacular scenery. The fresh air was also a bonus! The round trip took about five hours and both my legs and more so my bottom were feeling the effects of the ride the next day.

I decided to spend the next day just wandering around Yangshuo. The centre is inundated with people selling various souvenirs and I managed to pick up a few bits and pieces here and there, once again testing my bargaining powers to the full. I’m afraid to say Greg that yes, the song came out on two occasions!

Yangshuo itself seems to be suffering from what all beautiful places in the world do and ever increasing number of tourists. In the city centre construction seems to take place 24 hours a day. The main street in Yangshuo is a horrible mix of touristy shops, loud bars and eager locals trying to entice you with all number of things. The main street ‘Xi Jie’ is also known as ‘foreigner street’ which in itself tells you a lot about the place.

On the way back to the hostel I popped into the local farmers market, I wish I hadn’t. Initially it was okay it was just when I moved to the ‘live animal section’ that it became a little distressing. You name the animal it was probably there. I saw one women purchasing a duck, the loud scream after I had walked past I can only assume was the sound of the duck going to meet it’s maker!

In the evening it was back to Xi Jie and one of other hostels nearby, the famous “Monkey Jane’s” for a few beers on the roof top overlooking the river.

Well people I'm all blogged out for the day and in order to do this blog justice I feel I should put an end to my writing for today. Yes I'm still behind schedule but I'm getting there. I'm off to Fenghuang in Hunan tomorrow but will try to update you on my last action packed day in Yangshuo before then.

I haven't downloaded any images to this website as it just takes so long, if anyone is interested you can try these links to my Facebook and it should let you view some of the pictures up till now.

Xiamen - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41647&l=edfe4&id=665850931
Guangzhou - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41653&l=d3008&id=665850931
Guilin City - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41895&l=f6cb0&id=665850931
Gulin to Yangshuo - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=42061&l=eaac0&id=665850931

Until next time....whenever that may be.....

---

---