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We are finally in Guilin. It's been a rather comfortable 23 hour journey considering, although we were 3 hours delayed and the grandma sleeping in the bunk below me had an impressive snore which kept the whole cabin up all night. To top it off, I was on the top bunk (out of 3) and the air conditioning decided to stop working through the night. Needless to say it was a very toasty night's sleep...
I did, however, share the cabin with a Mexican called Jonathan Li. I didn't manage to get train tickets for all of us in the same cabin so the girls are together in the carriage next to mine. Jonathan has an interesting story. He is a professional photographer back in Mexico - from a small town next to Tijuana - and he quit his job to travel for 7 months on his own. What's interesting is that behind the facial hair, long black locks and strong Mexican accent he is hiding his Chinese heritage. His fathers side of the family originate from Guangdong province. Something you wouldn't guess in a million years. Or at least not until he tells you his surname. Li (or 李) is a very common Chinese name. I guess if you were to remove all his hair and Mexican accent you may see a Chinese trait lurking in there somewhere. It was great getting to know him either way. We had some good conversations about the Chinese mentality with regards to their economic progression in the modern world. A clever chap.
When we arrive in Guilin we will check into our hostel before exploring the local area. If it is the same hostel as I stayed in last February (not sure as it was the girls who booked this leg of the journey) then I know a fantastic little restaurant that does some deliciously cheap 米粉 (mi3 fen3). It's basically rice noodles with peanuts, chives and spices. Cheap and tasty.
Tomorrow we are going to the rice terraces. I cannot wait!
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