Xingping for the weekend?

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Saturday 1st November was the 32nd day of our sojourn. It is a day tinged with sadness for me being Anne's birthday, one of the two cousins that left this world too soon. Our birthdays all fell on the same day in November although on different dates, we were close, still are.
Sue and I went out for the day.


















The Li River runs south through Guilin and Yangshuo and in doing so flows past some the most dramatic of the limestone Karst mountains in the region. It is such a landmark that it is reproduced on the back of the 20 yuan (RMB) note.
We took the local bus to XingPing (Shingping) which is about halfway between Yangshuo and Guilin and wandered around the old town before heading out along the river.
There is a spot that everyone will point out to you where you can capture the 20 Yuan view. For a further 130 you can get a raft and smiling boatman to take you along the Li where the rugged limestone peaks tower above you revealing flashes of blue, green and pink strata and numerous clefts and caves etched by the river's persistent flow.












There are several stopping off points some for photos others stretched along shingle spits in the river where a handful of traders have assembled. A collection of colourful umbrellas shading food sellers (BBQ or deep fried); the soft shelled crabs eaten whole off a bamboo skewer were delicious; gift sellers; craft sellers and drink sellers. A man leading a water buffalo nimbly leapt onto its back and a Cormorant fisherman appeared out of nowhere complete with his beady eyed black feathered accomplices it seemed they all shared a look of incredulity that we declined their offers to pose and relieve us of a few yuan for their trouble. It was just too posed; too touristy, I guess we had been spoilt by the natural serenity of the Yu Long.
Our smiles grew to grins throughout the day; we lost count of the amount of passing rafts full of Chinese tourists with whom we exchanged Hello's!

The bus journey home found us squatting on 9” wooden stools at the back of the bus (luxury, some had to stand!) luckily the journey was only 30 minutes and otherwise uneventful.


The biggest smiles were left for after dinner in Yangshuo when we decided to try the cheapest mode of transit in town, the back of a motorbike. After a brief haggle a biker ushered both of us on to the back of his machine and we weaved in and out of the traffic to be deposited safe and sound back at the college about 6 minutes later and all for 5 yuan (50p!)

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Photos

Note
Back of 20 Yuan note (about £2)

20 Yuan pic
Artistic license? This shot is from the middle of the river

Rock
All kinds of colours and shapes

Li and its mountains
A brief hello before disappearing into the landscape

Li food
Fish and Chips on a stick anyone?

Traders
Snack stop en route

5 finger mountain
1 finger mountains more polite neighbour

Comments

[bev]

sue ,hair !
shall i come and do your roots xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Travelwash]

Hair?
Bag! only a sister would dare say that!!!!! Although I haven't dared go to a hairdressers here cos i'll end up with black roots and blond (or yellow! as the chinese kids describe it) hair.