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Published: January 3rd 2009
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I'll try my best to remember.....
June 11 - 15
I remember the bus ride being long but Han-Ming (HM) was good company and he was helping me with my chinese. At one point there was a huge traffic jam but I don't remember why. I think the road was being redone and vehicles had to take turns passing in one open lane and it being China there were no road workers so people were going whenever they felt like it. At least it was a break and I could stretch my legs and take a pee. I followed a bunch of women heading up to this house, where they were pissing in these homeowners barn stall. I pissed next to a peeping cow. In the corner of the barn there were they cute puppies that were totally freaked out by all of us. We finally made it to Guilin, changed to another bus that would take us to Yangshuo. Another 1.5 hours then we were there. HM and I decided to share a room again since it'd be cheaper and we got a fairly decent one, albeit small, the bathroom was pretty nice. Walking on the main strip,
following one hostel worker taking us to their other location, I heard my name being called. I turn back and it was Phillipe! Last I saw him was in Ha Noi, Vietnam. We planned to meet up later. HM and I got settled into our hostel then went to grab some dinner of beer fish. Shit man....it was tasty! After dinner, I met up with Phillipe and Peter. Renaud had already left them to go back home to France. It was good to catch up to hear about what they'd been up to since parting ways in Ha Noi. I could feel some tension between them when I told them that HM and I were going to rent some bikes the next day and tour around. I asked if they wanted to join and Phillipe seemed into it but Peter not so much. They were suppose to do some other tour. Anyway. Phillipe agreed to come along. Later, Phillipe told me that they just needed time apart since they'd been travelling far too long together.
It rained the next day but we still walked around the town, taking everything in. HM found a "tour guide" that took us around
on bikes. She only spoke Chinese so HM had to translate for us. We cycled around the beautiful karst peaks. Much like Halong Bay in Vietnam with it's magnificent karst in the water, these babies were on land. We went to this ancient town...well I can't remember what dynasty it was...wanna say Qing but who knows. That was pretty wicked, seeing the chinese script painted on the walls and Mao's picture inside the buildings. We did more biking around. Following the river which you could take bamboo boats for a cost, of course. We chilled on this bridge to get some nice pics and this woman selling souvenirs made her move. I've always dealt ok with the people pushing crap on you to buy, I mean it's their way of living, and sometimes they take no for an answer and sometimes they don't. I don't no man, I was having a bad day or something because this womans' relentlessness and persistence was pissing me off greatly! She was pushing her knick knack things in my face and touching me and I had enough. I walked up to Phillipe and told him he better tell her to back off or I'm
gonna punch her! I don't know what had gotten into me but I was steaming. The look on HM's face though was classic, like "oh shit...she gonna hit her!" haha. Finally the woman left and I cooled down and that was the last time I ever felt like that...thank god.
I did some shopping. Seeing as how I was going back to Singapore to visit Yang I thought I would get him a pressie. I got him a "polo" shirt which they were asking a ridiculous price for but I used my awesome bargaining skills and got them down to a much lower price! Yeh me! (side note: a year and a bit later, he doesnt' even wear it anymore since it itches his skin..haha). HM was off a day before I was to leave so we said our goodbyes for now but would call him up when I was in Singapore. I moved into Phillipe's room since I wasn't paying for the expensive hotel myself. Like always I had issues trying to decide what is the best method of getting to Macau since I was flying out of their on the 18th. I checked out buses, which were
gonna be sleepers again and I wasn't too keen on that. Or there was the overnight train...longer (if i remember correctly) but more comfortable. Do I go to Shenzhen or Guangzhou? Oh decisions. Decisions. I eventually decided on training it to Guangzhou then taking a shuttle bus to Macau and staying overnight.
Phillipe and Peter left the morning and I was leaving the evening. We said our goodbyes and off again to other places. I had to get back to Guilin to catch the train. So this is where the fun began....should've stuck with the plan of taking the express bus back to Guilin since it doesn't stop for every person along the side of the street like a regular bus does. I was on my way to get a ticket but then stupidly, this dude saw me and asked if i was going to Guilin and I was like "yup" and he said the bus was leaving now. Ya right.....so on the bus....doesnt' leave for another 20 or so minutes meanwhile I saw the express bus leave before us! I was pissed and starting to get nervous. I told the bus driver that I had a train to
catch but whatever to him right...as long as he gets more passengers, more money for him. There were also several stories of bus crashes because of speeding and people dying. This dude was going pretty fast and of course stopping for everyone on the street and letting them off everywhere along the road. I did make it for my train unscathed but a little bit frazzled. Train trip was uneventful, since I can't remember anything a year and 6 months later. I had to be out of China on June 16th and that is what I did...on my way to Macau.
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sean
non-member comment
seanxwong@hotmail.com
awesome travel logs althou i am not sure enuff how I got the email linking to your logs. I was in Yangshuo in Oct for the first time and have been there for three times since then, nice town crammed with annoying vendors selling cheap souvieniors for expensive prices. Rock-climbing was exciting and a bit dangerous for learners like me:). thoese professional climbers went high up too fast when I was still at the bottom struggling myself up.