| SE China: Guangzhou, Guilin and Yangshuo |
| Entering China by train was a thrill. Headed for Guangzhou (formerly Canton), we were immediately able to see the countryside complete with rice paddies and pointed straw hats. We have never sweated as much as we did when we got to the train station in Guangzhou. The place was just a mass of humanity, bustling about, barking Chinese, and battling for a place in the ticket "line." My Mandarin definitely came in handy, but didn't jar the indifferent ticket agent behind the counter, and we were forced to wait until the following day to leave for Guilin. A policeman helped us to phone the hostel, we piled on the local bus for 15 cents a piece, and made our way to ShaMianDao, a little European influenced island near the river. |
| In Guangzhou we explored a few temples, the city gate, and several dim sum venues in between sweating episodes. Bill was so sweaty that his blue shirt was flaking off crusts of white salt. We were the object of intense staring which was quite unnerving and hard to interpret, but we soon learned that a smile and a wave elicited the same in return. Finally we climbed on the night train to Guilin (see photos for Chinese train food!) arriving the next morning to see the characteristic peaks along the Li River. Guilin was surprisingly modern with a central square, tons of neon, and mall-like shopping. At the same time we also saw several classic looking older Chinese people exercising on the sidewalk, playing a spirited game of chess or mahjong, or simply sweeping the street with a straw broom. |
| One day we rented rickety bicycles and visited the parks in the area. Despite the heat, we climbed up to several pagoda look-outs and enjoyed some phenomenal views of the bizarre shaped mountains, or "karsts". We spent two days in a neighboring rural town called Yangshuo (a hotspot for backpackers) and were treated to close-up views of the scenery on two boat trips on the Li River. On our evening boat ride to Xingping and back, our boat driver pointed out that certain scenes were depicted on the 20-yuan bill and his cigarette package!. We also had the pleasure of boating with a young Chinese couple who spoke good english and with whom we were able to explore a little more of the cultural experience of growing up in China. Also, while waiting for the boat, Bill was invited to play a little ping pong on the street with the elder statesman of the area....he lost, graciously. As we biked to meet our bamboo raft trip and later on to moon hill, we saw classic countryside, orderly rice paddies, and swimming water buffalo. While we lounged under an umbrella mounted in the center of the raft, two Chinese fellows paddled us along the river. Somehow on this stiff bamboo craft, we buckled over four 3-foot waterfalls without getting wet. We also got charged a toll of 4 yuan to pass a floating bridge. Of note, Yangshuo is the site of our cheapest meal to date, 4 yuan for the two of us ($0.50) for a streetside bowl of handmade noodles and dumplings. |
| From Guilin we boarded yet another overnight train to Beijing, 30 hours. Luckily we opted for the "soft-sleeper" which entailed sleeping in a reasonably comfortable cabin with four bunks, listening to blaring Chinese "musak" when we were supposed to be awake, and trying to identify the food on the carts passing up and down the aisle. The time actually passed really quickly and we were fortunate to meet some American travelers who live and work in Beijing. We got some tips on Beijing and planned to meet up with them for a trip to the Great Wall. |