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Published: September 1st 2008
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My favourite place in China so far.
Stayed in 2 different places in Yangshuo, the first in the town, in the 'Fawlty Towers' hotel, a short walk from the shopping markets and restaurants. And the river. The second in a small guesthouse called the 'Outside inn' around 5km outside the town and in the most beautiful setting.
So, as we arrived into Yangshuo relatively late, our guide gave us a bit of time to get sorted and then took us out to a little restaurant along the market street where for the beginning of a bit of a crazy night - my first experience of chinese rice wine with some kind of fruit - that had no english name - pickled in it for a year. It was comforting to find out the next day, after I had been very unwell, that this was the weak stuff - the strong drink was aged 7 years!
Whilst in Xi'an the boys bought fake ray bans from the market, so the aviator glasses made the rounds, and by that time everyone was finding it pretty amusing, including the family having dinner behind us. It appeared that a group of crazy westerners
with a number of pairs of stupid sunglasses was quite fascinating, it also provided the kids an opportunity to practice their English, a situation that was becoming a regular occurence for us. The night progressed to another bar, where a late happy hour was negotiated, due to the fact there were so few people in the bar, I think they were just too eager for the custom.
It was here that the beginning of my camera problems commenced, and have plagued me for the rest of the trip. Due to being slightly annebriated and prone to putting things down, Steve (the grown up of the group and the only person with a decent size bag with him) was given my bag and camera to look after so I wouldn't lose it. This was fine, until the camera couldn't be found, and I was in need of stumbling back to Fawlty towers to hit the hay! I think I was the only person not panicking at the time, saying 'I'm sure it'll turn up' and 'these things happen, its only a camera'. All I wanted to do was go to my bed - not feeling so great.
It took 24 hours
to find the camera, and after the biggest hangover in the world - ever! (the first of the trip so far). I was feeling slightly less chilled about the situation. Having spent an hour on a bamboo raft in the sunshine and then going for a chinese calligraphy lesson - in which I wasn't very good (not particularly expert with a paint brush) it was off for a quiet dinner, no alcohol involved! And a camera hunt through the bars visited the night before. Then, around 11pm, much to my surprise, there was a rather loud rap at my door and as I gingerly opened it a beaming Steve stood before me with fabulous pink camera in hand, it had been at the bottom of his bag all along, trapped under a fan.
The next day was cookery course day, I was so excited, child that I am. We were taken round a local market, to look at all the exotic foods, which was fine in the fruit and veg sections, but then came the meat section. It was noisy and had a rather pungent aroma. The livestock in cages - not only chicken, ducks and geese, but rabbits
and dogs too. You chose what you wanted, and could either take it home to slaughter yourself, or took it to the slaughter rooms where it would be done there and then and butchered as requested. A different section for each type of livestock. Then there were the butchers tables for pork and beef. Slightly disconcerting was the amount of flies around, the meat laying on the table, just covered in a cloth, no fridges here and knowing that the market opened very early and it was now 3.30pm. And finally the fish section with its wonderful array of live fish, eels, terrapins and other assorted seafoods in tanks and baskets. It was an experience to remember, if not all that fondly. In some ways I would have liked to shop for the ingredients we were to use in the lesson, but it was just an exploratory tour to give us an insight to local produce in all its bizzare arrays.
Cooking school was great, and dinner that evening all the more satisfactory knowing that I had made it - traditional chinese food. Whether I will ever be able to reproduce my masterpiece cuisine is another matter, but I'll give
Dinner out
I can't believe I ate Dog. Thats worse than Scorpion anytime. it a go when I have a kitchen to practice in.
This was also the day we moved to the second guesthouse, surrounded by mountains and rice paddies. And the scene of an early night for all, as we were preparing for an early rise to cycle through the countryside before the stifling heat of midday. We set off at 6am, having breakfasted in the dark, and as we cycled past the already hard at work locals tilling the fields, we caught the sun rising ahead of us. Around 7.45am we had cycled to a place called moonhill. And as we started the climb to the top it was already hotter than you could imagine possible for that time of day. Upon reaching the summit, there was 3 young girls playing, they stopped what they were doing, just to watch (and giggle at) the crazy, sweaty and red westerners that had stumbled into their playground.
The cycle resumed, and we were soon at our local guides house, where she introduced us to her husband and set us off to wander through her garden (more like a small farm), to the river, to return within half an hour when she would
Dinner- and drinks!
with Pat (from my group) have our lunch ready. And what a lunch! It was possibly the best meal of the trip so far, with most of the ingredients freshly picked that morning from her garden and each dish cooked to perfection. I have very easily gotten used to the banquet style meals.
And again back to the cycling, through the hills and mountains, and into the town before back to the guesthouse for a well earned break and short walk to the river to the natural swimming pool and wonderful cool waters. It was at that moment I felt the happiest I have in a very long time. Completely contented with not a care in the world.
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