Blogs from Yangshuo, Guangxi, China, Asia

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Asia » China » Guangxi » Yangshuo October 7th 2018

Well, this is the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Today we travelled out to Yangshuo, which is about 450k from Shenzhen where we've been staying, or about 2 hours on an awesomely fast train - I think it got up to 320 early in the trip but slowed down to an average of 250 for most of it. We wanted to get the most out of the day so the train we were on was the one that left at 7:20 in the morning, which meant leaving at 6:00, which meant waking at 5:30. Some of our party were less enthusiastic about this than others. But we made it with a mere 10 minute delay. It's all a bit non-eventful. If you're trying to guide yourself around without any mandarin, I don't know how it ... read more
Balcony View
Another Balcony View
Took this on the drive to our accommodation

Asia » China » Guangxi » Yangshuo September 24th 2018

To avoid the shuttle bus - bus - taxi - bus - taxi - shuttle bus combination required to get from Ping'an to Yangshuo (required due to a national park being declared on the direct route between the two places apparently), we splurged on a taxi which would cut the commute down from about 6 hours to 3. We were picked up from our hotel in Ping'an just before 2pm. Our driver was quite friendly and spoke reasonably good English. We made our way down through the mountains and then onto a highway. Midway through the trip he pulled over at a service station to have a power nap and get some coffee before continuing on towards Yangshuo. As we got closer to Yangshuo we were surrounded by the beautiful but strange karst scenery the region ... read more
Yangshuo
Yangshuo
Fuli Bridge

Asia » China » Guangxi » Yangshuo September 7th 2018

Pobudka o 3.45 w nocy to cos, do czego powinnismy byli przywyknac po zeszlorocznych wakacjach w Indonezji. Jednak dzwiek budzika o tej porze, po kolejnej dobie z niewielka iloscia snu, zawsze rozpoczyna jednoznaczny lancuch reakcji. ''Co sie dzieje? Gdzie sie pali? Aaaa to budzik zaraz sie bedzie palil...''. Zanim jednak wstalismy dzis o tak typowej, dla nas, porze byl dzien wczorajszy i rejs trzygwiazdkowym wycieczkowcem po rzece Li. 80 km droga rzeka z Guilin do Yangshuo to jedna z najwiekszych atrakcji w calych Chinach. Li leniwie przelewa sie pomiedzy jajowatymi, wapiennymi skalami, obrosnietymi podzwrotnikowa flora. Gdzieniegdzie zerwie sie ptak, Odpoczywajace wolu chlodzi sie przy brzegu a karawan trzygwiazdkowych statkow tnie wode nieustraszony, mknac z predkoscia 20 km/h. Owszem, rzeka jest piekna, jej okolica takze. Poczatek jest okazja dla fotografa amatora z komorka i se... read more
Sangri La.
Chińczycy
Sangri La.

Asia » China » Guangxi » Yangshuo August 14th 2018

August 10th -Yangshuo3 - Dia 50! Today's plan was simple. Try an easy multipitch climb up a tower called "The Thumb". The climb was called New Years Eve and it is considered a classic around the area. Due to the heat we were looking to climb it in the shade so we had to wait until 11am. Having the whole morning by myself I did some Yoga, I am trying to do it every single morning now days. Feels sooo good! ?? The thing I was most excited today, apart from the multipitch was try my new motorbike. A bit nervous of how everything was going to go with the traffic. Had never ridden a motorbike before, good thing this one was automatic jeje. Going quickly on a test run before letting Claire jump in the ... read more
Crossing a bridge to head to Bayun Crag
My new travelling buddy ?
The towner we wanted to climb

Asia » China » Guangxi » Yangshuo February 26th 2018

I often heard about Yangshuo, during my first trip to China, but I missed that out because I had so many places in my mind to visit and I did not make it up to Guangxi Province. Finally, the time has come and I will never forget the day I arrived in this ancient town. It was a pretty cloudy day but the scenic, craggy mountains covered in lush green and the clouds encirling the peaks welcome the foreigners with outstanding breathtaking views of stunning karst mountain formations and the gentle Li river making its way through them. That was all to enjoy, I rerely remember such a beautiful scenary at my arrival in one place. "Yangshuo is also on the 20 yuan banknote". But, as it happens in all the beautiful places, even here the ... read more

Asia » China » Guangxi » Yangshuo August 29th 2017

The foreigners who travel through China tend to be older, and/or are couples, or have been studying, working or volunteering in China and are now travelling around. It is a hassle to get a visa to come here, it is difficult to get around without some Mandarin and it isn't as cheap as say, South East Asia, so it isn't the most popular destination of choice for young backpackers. That's been my experience anyway, as my show rolled into Yangshuo. There were a few more white faces here than I had seen previously. Nearby Guilin used to be the poster child of Chinese tourism, one perennially promoted by the Communist government to the outside world, showcasing the natural beauty of China. By all accounts however, Guilin is now past its prime and has handed over its ... read more
Yulong River
Fuli Bridge
Moon Hill

Asia » China » Guangxi » Yangshuo May 8th 2017

Where finally in China. The plane flight from Hanoi, Vietnam to Nanning in China took as long to eat a packet of peanuts and fill in the passenger arrival cards and we touched down at the airport. Culture shock as we felt like we just entered another world. Aliens on a new planet. The Chinese of Nanning appeared to love neon lights, which, filled the night sky from every high rise building. The streets seemed quiet, with more cars than motorbikes (How wrong I was, check out the photo of the motorbikes; all are electric). Checked into our $45 accommodation, and, YES you get what you pay for. As we opened the door, a selection of business cards fall to the ground, advertising 'Call me, I'm yours for the night or by the hour'. The room ... read more
Nanning
Nanning
BBQ street in Nanning

Asia » China » Guangxi » Yangshuo March 17th 2017

It’s Thursday morning. One more English Corner. The end of our fourth week here at Zhuo Yue (meaning excellent ) college in Chaoyang, a small village about five kilometres from Yangshuo. It has long been an ambition of ours to spend a month volunteering to teach English in Asia. I envisioned small children in a poor rural school beaming up at us with gratitude but instead we are learning more about Chinese culture than I ever thought possible. Every evening the students, ranging from seventeen to mid- thirties in age, gather in a classroom with us for English Corner, a two-hour conversation session discussing topics as widely diverse as Happiness and Youth and Old Age. We discuss the colour of food, annoying things and ‘what if’ scenarios. We learn about their home cities, what motivates them, ... read more
In the college courtyard
Sitting and talking
My UK presentation

Asia » China » Guangxi » Yangshuo March 6th 2017

China is full of progress. Mostly this means new concrete buildings, concrete roads and large cars. We are fortunate to find ourselves in Yangshou County, Guangxi province in the small village of Chaolong where we are volunteering at Zhou Yue English college where although concrete hotels abound there are some tastefully renovated mud brick houses which hold in the heat and keep cool in Summer. Not so the concrete, uninsulated, single skin brick or concrete monstrosities popping up all along the Yulong valley. ‘When I came here 15 years ago there were only a handful of hotels along the whole Yulong valley. Now there are over 150 with many more under construction,’ Ronald, a local hotelier tells us. He has converted some beautiful old mudbrick buildings into the welcoming Outside Inn where we like to go ... read more
Fuli Bridge - a perfect moon
Pomelos and peanuts
A quiet nap

Asia » China » Guangxi » Yangshuo February 23rd 2017

For me, the love affair began in Vang Vieng, Laos. Or even before. Many moons ago the breathtaking scenery of Huangyao in the movie, The Painted Veil, left an indelible imprint on my retina. Yes, I admit, I am a sucker for karst mountains. Phong Na, Ba Tu Long Bay, Cat Ba and now Yangshuo, Guangxi province. I am close to Huangyao, I can even smell it. Here in Chauyang we are surrounded by them as they parade themselves down the Li and Yulong valleys. A small parcel of river flat extends in front of you bursting with yellow mustard seed lettuce and warmed by the unseasonal sun peach blossoms unfurl against the next karst mountain. Small villages resplendent with newly built hotels loom over the few remaining mud brick houses. Winding concrete paths lead down ... read more
Spring flowers
Cherry blossoms
Ba Tu Long Bay




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