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Published: September 1st 2011
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Guilin – My re-entry back into "Real China"
After nearly two weeks of civilisation in Hong Kong re-entering “real China” was always going to be tough because it’s so easy to fall back into your old ways when surrounded by places and people you feel comfortable with. Although it’s very strange to say this but I did actually miss the noise, the semi organised chaos and the many Chinese special character traits that are a part of everyday life here. On the train from HK to the boarder everything was really relaxed and the journey was so easy, but as I stamped out of HK and crossed the border it was like someone flicked a switch in my fellow passenger’s brains to engage auto-spit mode and to increase the volume of speech by at least 50%. It was quite incredible to watch and I’m bemused how you can sit on a train for one hour and be so reserved but when you hit your home city again you turn back into a spitting animal. I guess I will never truly understand this side of their culture but it made for some interesting people watching along the way.
Whilst in
Guilin I stayed at a hostel called Wada, I mention this because I cannot rate it highly enough, the staff were fantastic, it was clean and tidy and nothing was too much trouble. In my first day there I visited the Reed Flute cave’s which were a great example of how not to use neon lights within a natural wonder, I guess I might have been spoilt a little by the caves in South Korea and coupled to this I also had to join a Chinese speaking tour group to go round so it was in no way similar to the wonderfully displayed caves in Korea. Having said this some of the stalagmites and stalactites were very impressive and the pools within the cave made for some stunning photos. After the tour of the caves complete with tour guide, flag bearers and mega phones I headed to a nearby lake and after a brief negotiation I embarked my first bamboo raft for a trip round the lake, I was carrying my bag complete with my laptop, iPhone and various other electrical items so I was a touch apprehensive about falling in or the boat sinking. Once on board my trusty
vessel it was clearly apparent it was very stable and my nonstop giggling Chinese navigator was in full control. To finish the day off I went to a place called the solitary beauty peak which stands within the grounds of a Princes mansion, it is very much like the rest of the peaks in the area they just appear to spring up from nowhere and are completely stand alone, it makes for some very interesting scenery.
That evening the hostel hosted a fantastic all you can eat BBQ where I met up with several people who were going on a tour to the Dragons Back Bone Rice Terraces. This is the scene found on many postcards, so the following day we headed for the terraces. After a couple of hours trekking and purchasing various things such as fresh dried honey comb we reached the peak and the views were breath taking as the photos will hopefully show. After our hard work and effort we stopped for lunch where I somehow ordered chickens feet, I just couldn’t eat them and I’m sure you will feel the same when you look at the photo.
My time in Guilin was quite
Guilin - Reed Flute Cave lake
My driver for the next 15 minutes short because this was an interconnecting point to my next destination, a city called Yangshuo. Whilst in Guilin I met up with Steffi and Carol who were also heading to Yangshuo and we all travelled together towards the tourist mecca. Hopefully seeking the sublime scenery and majestic river views that the brochures proclaim.
All in all it was a very quick visit to Guilin but worth every minute of it, I met some fantastic people there and it was a great way to spend my first few days back in China. I now feel fully readjusted and ready to commence with the final parts of my journey in China towards Lijiang and the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
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