Ni hao! It was fun checking out Guilin, being a pretty much easy-to-navigate city. Watch out for the little tricycles at night, they will be only too eager to bring you to "small eats" places that lined up a touristy joint and that bus tickets were "too difficult to book last minute". Other than that, Guilin's Mamo Cakeshop packed one of the best "finger-tear-off" bread and custard buns... together now, yummm!
Bus ride to Yangshuo was a tad too long given we had to bear a tv screen that was suspended precariously above the driver's head. Oh yes, he loved to cough and sneeze sprays while our fellow passenger at the back snorted an orchestra of pigs in squeals. Don't worry about tour buses, just get your own bus ticket and it's so brain dead easy and the guys there are super professional, you will love charting your own way and time. Got out at Yangshuo with a gaggle of aunties blocking out exit from the bus. I thought they were going to head up but fact was, they were waiting for us goats to get out of the pen. "Pretty lady, you want a room?"
It was fun too to be asked in the oh-so-indirect-so-as-to-save-you-face Chinese manner regarding my relationship with a non-Chinese looking man. Yes, this is my husband, I proclaimed proudly. They found it amusing to see hubby deftly handling those sweet and sour pork, beer fish on chopsticks. Weather here couldn't have been better. It rained a lot and the humidity brought down a blanket of mist surrounding the funny camel bumps of calcite formation that dotted the Li River. Water in the river is sprightly clean and there were countless options to see the countryside. We did a raft but reckoned that the 20km off trail biking was better. My bones rattled like crazy and we blitzed through rain and sun, ate in a local villager's kitchen full boarded with little squatting chairs and vegetables fresh from Mother Earth. I had never seen chooks this size and excitement, fluttering and fluffing around freely. Made me felt like crying and laughing at the same time.
We'll be starting our "epic" 18-hour train journey to cut towards West to Kunming. Can't wait, will write again and until next, love and hugs.
ps: Don't ask how I got into my blog. All I can say is that it is a blessing to have friends who truly think about you and are super cool geeks. You know who you are and we love you!
