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After a 22 hour journey from Shanghai to Guilin, in Guanxi province, I decided to skip the city of Guilin and come straight to Yangshuo - after all, what's another 2 hours on a bus after 22 on a train (having to entertain a Chinese todler for several hours to boot). On the bus some guy sat next to me for the whole journey, asking about England, and repeatedly telling me how beautiful the area is. Then he told me to come to see his hostel. Stupidly I humoured him, and then ended up having to stay in his shoddy damp hostel for 2 nights. Only saw about 4 people the whole time I was there, and the bed was actually just a box. Nevermind. After a bit of research I found out about a place called Monkey Jane's - strange name, but good hostel, with a roof top bar, lots of people around all the time and friendly staff. A little damp, but then the weather here is just that - damp! It's rained torrentially everyday I've been here, and although pleasantly warm, it's not really sunny or hot enough to dry the place out!
The country side around Yangshuo is amazing. I'll put up some photos later, but they don't really do the place justice (the picture above is not one of mine). Weird spikey rocks jut out of the earth and tower hundreds of feet into the air, and they're covered in trees and shrubs - the whole place is so green, due to the rain and the river Li which runs past the town. The town itself is a little weird. Everything down the main street is for the benefit of the tourists (Chinese, Japenese and Western). Cafes serving American and Continental breakfasts, tacky souvenir shops, bars that play happy hardcore music (which the Chinese love) etc. But cycle for 5 minutes and you're among the paddy fields and karst. It really is refreshing after Beijing and Shanghai. You never really escape the tour buses, dropping people off at this river cruise or that unusual cave, but the two days I've been out on my bike have been great. My legs and gluteus maximus are a little sore but it has been worth it!
Incidently I went on a tour to a cave with a group from my hostel, and after wandering around through little nooks and crannies for 40 minutes, you get to have a good old fashioned mud bath. They probably shipped the mud in from outside, but it was still good fun.
I'm hopefully catching the train to Kunming in Yunnan tomorrow, although it looks like there may be more problems with the tickets - the trains are good but the ordering system is a mystery to me. Another 22 hour journey to look forward to!
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