Got up early after an ok nights sleep and came downstairs to find the gang either eating or waiting for their breakfast.

Mandy and John (something going on there we wondered) were heading out bamboo rafting so we wouldn't see them again, but the rest of us were up for the bike riding!

We ordered our mountain bikes (not toooo bad for rental standards) and as they arrived said our goodbyes to Mandy and John with a hug and a 'have a great rest of your trip'

The rest of us headed out. Liam was clearly used to the bike, standing up and bunny hoping to test its merits, Gian also looked fairly confident, while the rest of us tentatively moved out into the yangshao streets.

It was ok actually, once we figured out where we needed to go, as bikes have their own lane which the craaaaazy Chinese drivers rarely seemed to venture into. We peddled along, stopping very occasionally, through fairly pretty scenery, past other tourist spots like caves or mud baths, and on down the road over rivers. We stopped at butterfly cave to use the toilets and were immediately besieged by lots of Chinese people trying to sell us tours, and by others who just wanted to pose wih us and have their picture taken, like we were exotic creatures of something!

We carried on and finally came to Moon Hill, a hill with an arch of rock at the top clearly visible from the bottom. We paid out 15yuan entrance fee and dodged the vendors and set off up the 800 steps to reach the top.

What a bloody climb. Obviously not as fit as the rest, they all got to the top much faster than me, hardly it seemed, without breaking a sweat! I had a nice chat with Susie on the way up about travelling and her job as a drama teacher but she soon left me behind.

The view at the top was stunning, rolls of green karst hills as far as the eye can see as we sat under the dripping rock arch of the Moon Hill. There was a further path that lead under the arch to more stunning scenery (and a group of annoying English travelers who seemed to be doing every conceivable activity they could, calligraphy included!)

I walked back to the others to tell them to go have a look and I sat down and had a fag while I waited for them. They came back and we began the 800 stair descent back to the ground.

Mission accomplished and legs shaking from the stairs, some of the guys bought postcards from the vendors who were hassling us and we headed off again onto the streets, Jenny and I cautious of the time as we had to get back, then to guilin to catch our train to xi'an.

It was a nice gentle ride back with lots of chat and laughs and as we got back, we went a different route, pushing our bikes down west street toward the hostel. Almost ready to say out goodbyes, we decided one last beer and some
Food (at Dynasty Dumplings of course) was in order.

We ate the tasty food and backpacks at the ready, gave the guys a hug and promises were given on both sides to keep in touch, maybe in Indonesia where we should all be by may, but I don't know if that would happen.

Jen and I walked to the bus station, just in time to catch the bus, and had a pleasant ride back to Guilin where we still had an hour before our train left.

Our train was called and we boarded, making our way to our carriage and beds. These were triple bunk beds, which if you were not on the bottom bunk gave you get little room. There was no luggage space left so we chained our bags to the tables in the aisle and squeezed ourselves into our neighboring middle bunks. There was absolutely no bloody room and the beds were hard as Rick, but it was 27 hours and it was abed after all.

We got down and ate our pot noodle things and had a bit of chat, but after a hike up the hill and a 10k bike ride, we were tired so it was off to bed (at 8.30pm)

10pm and I was awoken by the screams of the child belonging to the family in the bottom bunk and once they quietened down, by the loud parents or they could have been grandparents. It was going to be a loooong night!