It's raining mosquitoes

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Laura - Got up and checked out of our hostel. Then waited for the rain to die down before legging it to the bus station to catch a bus to Yangshuo. Bus journey was the usual scary affair but this bus had seatbelts!! hurrah! First impressions of Yangshuo are very good, despite the rain. There are even more random peaks surrounding Yangshuo than there were in Guilin and because of the rain there were swirls of mist surrounding them, which looked really cool.

Unfortunately the humidity and rain have brought out the mosquitoes and they are eating me alive!! Ouch. This is made even more annoying by the fact that Paul has only been bitten once! I keep telling him it's because the bugs have good taste.

We've checked into a really cheap hostel and have had a stroll around the tiny town. It's very lovely, but very Western - bars and cafes everywhere. I think we'll stay here for a few days though because it's got a really nice, relaxed atmosphere and there's lots of activities to do. Plus it is very picturesque.

I've put my brilliant haggling skills to good use once more and got some water colour prints of various Chinese scenery for less than a pound each. Trying to send these home will be fun...

The touts here are annoying me already - "POSTCARD!!! CHEAP!! 2 FOR 10 YUAN. VERY CHEAP!!!..... "BUS TO GUILIN. VERY CHEAP!!". Go away! If I wanted a postcard I'd flipping well use my intitiative and go and buy one, and no I don't want to go to Guilin, can't you see I have just got off a bus from there?! Grr.....

Anyway we're going to go and burn some photos on to CD now because we have about a million. Hope you are all well!!!!

Paul - Glad I don't have to listen/watch Big Brother this year. Your comment Catherine just reminded me of how ridiculous it is every year. Won't miss it at all! We're sat in this internet cafe looking out at bizarre peaks with mist swirling round them. Place is really cool, though the main street is very "back packery" if you know what I mean.

See the photo of Laura's leg and you'll probably laugh as much as I did.

Going to bike through the countryside tomorrow if the weather is a bit better. The rain is very cooling considering the humidity but not good if you want to go on a bike ride! Also would like to go for a paddle down the river and also a cruise as well. So we'll see how much that all costs and probably do it anyway.

In the main news of the day a hotel in the little town has satellite television and as the sporting event of the year draws closer we're going to check it out tonight to see if it has Sky Sports. Can anyone tell me what channel it will be on??? Sky Sports 1,2 or 3??? The internet won't let me load up Sky Sports sites because of censorship. So later if we can get the football I will be very very very happy and willing to pay whatever price for a night in the hotel.

Off out tonight for some food, not sure where yet. And probably have a wander around because it really is a lovely, idyllic little town. Take care everyone!

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Photos

Laura's entrance to the Miss World contest took a turn for the worst....
My poor legs, I feel like an ogre

Comments

[Katie]

made it to the internet cafe
Paul, what do you mean you're glad you're not around for big brother this year? it has the classiest and most intelligent people I have known on TV, they make the teams on University Challenge looked challenged. Honestly. I love it so much i get up at 4 in the morning every day just to watch them sleeping. and i talk about it ALL the time at work, cos you know, that is by far the most important thing going on at the moment...Loved loved loved your blog about the pandas, made me smile SO much! They looked so so cute, and having seen the episode of the Mighty Boosh where Vince Noir falls in love with a giant panda, i can totally see the attraction now! Poor old Laura though, you looked my one of my kids a few weeks ago when she was recovering from chicken pox. I could relate really well with elephant hill, being from the home of elephants myself. That's red elephants with castle on their backs and subways that stink of wee. Boy am i glad that i'm here...

[Big Bro]

Bites
Even though Laura as your big bro I have every sympathy for your bites you have to ask your self where you often see insects - and its not because they have great taste!

[Marr]

Katie, are you being sarcastic?