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Darn biorhythms ... I am cursing my family doc right now, :)!
China is very much a cash society; unfortunately the hotels where we've been staying, transportation (train or plane tickets) plus tours require RMB's, credit cards are not an option. I assume mainland China doesn't trust the use of credit cards & has stuck to the ways they've traditionally done business.
We took the night train (hard sleeper) from Wuhan to Guilin (12 hrs). Now that I know what to expect, the experience was not as annoying as the first. I still would not recommend it, but the soft sleepers sell out so quickly, during peak season & it's a lot cheaper than flying (217 vs 1000 RMB), plus we are going to fly to Guangzhou on Thursday. My nephews, Kim & I shared one sleeper whereas, Rafael & May shared the one next to us.
We immediately booked a Chinese cruise down the Li River (Guilin to Yangshuo) by small boat (holds six). A foreign cruise is more than double the price of a Chinese one & more importantly (we had our own boat). Despite the cost being lower, you are required to make several tourist stops to different shops and sit through some annoying sales pitch (although in Mandarin).
Our first required stop on the tour bus was a Jade manufacturing plant. We got a brief tour of the different gems found in China. Yes, I resisted and I did not purchase anything, but was tempted to purchase a small jade horse pendant (my lunar horoscope year). Next stop was lunch and then to the small boats. The entire cruise takes about 2 hours.
I'm sure most people have seen the movie Star Wars? The limestone karst hills in Guilin were used as Chewbacca's home world Kashyyk. It's hills have inspired many Chinese Poets and Painters. Have you ever meditated? I've taken Spiritquest courses with Maureen Landry & I remember visualizing this area during meditation sessions. It just takes your breath away, words cannot describe the true beauty of these hills, especially when the sun strikes the trees illuminating different shades of green. You feel tranquil & those things that have been weighing on your mind disappear. I highly recommend this stop if you are going to visit China.
May's family have been to Cuba & seen the karst hills there, but in her opinion, these are more spectacular since it is surrounded by a river and you get to enjoy a nice boat ride vs driving. The energy of the area just makes you feel so relaxed & you want to soak it all up ... Or take a quick power nap, ;)! I have taken lots of pictures & I will show them to you when I return to Canada.
Locals try to sell boaters a plastic water shooter. As you travel down the river you can spray other boats. May was annoyed when a little kid sprayed her. We witnessed two boats in full attack, as we passed, everyone was totally drenched! Not a bad way to cool off from another hot August day.
Parts of the Li River are very shallow & it's the first time I've seen wildlife near the water. Not only did we see ducks, pelicans and seagulls, there were some water buffalo's enjoying a nice swim to cool off from the heat. We also observed a couple of water caves located on the river. You can hire another small boat adventure tour to explore them. The boat operator was pointing to us several key hills: a woman yearning for her husband's return, the eight immortals and a cluster of markings that resemble fish, among a few.
Our cruise ended at Yangshuo, it's become a very popular biking, hiking & mountain climbing excursion for many people. In fact you can bike to various mountain caves and take boat trips further down the Li River.
After a long day beginning with the long train ride to the boat cruise, we relaxed a few minutes in our hotel & headed out for supper. The specialty for this area is fish cooked in beer & spices. A live fish is brought to your table for your approval since it is sold by weight. The same thing was done when Bryce & Rafael ordered Kermit (again). No, I did not have this tonight and stuck to Daffy Duck, :)!
These smaller cities have very limited wifi. The kids go around with their iPod to try and scope out the free spots. So far no luck in Yangshuo.
Next stop is Guangzhou on Thursday - it will be our final week of vacation.
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