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Happy Friday (Thursday where you are), I hope this blog finds you well. Today started off with a stroll along the Li River to two of Guilin's pagodas. There, many people were dancing and doing Tai Chi. Most of them were older. It was very interesting seeing the older people exercise and watching them have fun. The two pagodas, and the lake surrounding them, were featured on the Amazing Race. After we left the park, we set off on our Li River excursion. We were on the boat for four and a half hours. My dad got sunburned, but don't worry Katie, we won't use aloe vera on him. Ha Ha. The picture above is just one of the many beautiful sights we saw along the river. They served a lunch on the river cruise, but none of us ate. We saw the workers preparing the food using the dirty river water and then later we saw them washing the dishes with the river water. The same time we saw them washing the dishes, we watched a water buffalo take a massive dump in the river. We also saw farmers using Comorant birds to fish for them. They were also on The Amazing Race. At the end of the Li River Cruise, our motorcoach drove us to the Reed Flute Cave. On the way there, we stopped for a few minutes for a bathroom break. Our stopping point, was in the middle of a miniscule village. There, a local villager returned from a field nearby. He was carrying a sack that we later found out contained a five foot King Snake. It was shooting venom through the bag that it was in. The villager was going to sell it to a restaurant nearby.
Once we arrived at the Reed Flute Cave, we hiked up about 200 steps to the largest cavern that any of us had ever been in. At first, none of us believed it was real. No pictures could ever do it the justice it deserves. From there, we headed to Elephant Trunk Hill. On the way, we saw a moped with five people on it. There was a mom, a dad, a little girl about three years old, a little boy about four years old, and a baby that looked about five months old on the mom's back. The only person wearing a helmet was the dad. No one really wears helmets. It's a free for all. Elephant Trunk Hill was really cool. It took thousands of years to form out of rock, and it looks like an elephant and its trunk.
We got back to our hotel, and after dinner we went to an outdoor market. It was a very popular place. My dad was like a celebrity because of his height. People would just come up to him and measure themselves up against him, and then they would run off quickly and giggle with their friends. Sometimes, if they got up enough nerve, they would come back and say something. One girl said, "You are very height." :). We are getting tons of great photographs and can't wait to share them with you.
Tomorrow morning, we are off to Chongqing. Tomorrow night, we will board the Century Diamond, which is the ship we will be on for our Yangtze River Cruise. I'm not sure if there will be computers available on the ship. If not, I'll blog again in Shanghai. Xie Xie (Thank you) Tony
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Uncle Bob Tony, What a fascinating trip. You are doing a great job with your blog. I am glad you are also getting great photos. It will be interesting to hear how your interactions in Mandarin are going. I for one can do with NOT hearing about the women's bathrooms. Maybe on one of your excursions you guys can rent a moped and save some Yuan by all riding together on the same one, which of course would make a good photo ... Say Hi to your Mom & Dad and keep up the great reporting! Love, Uncle Bob
Katie It's just because I love you that I warn you about the aloe vera application :D That's awesome that height is such a big deal. Do you remember with the asian girls went crazy over your blonde hair in Hawaii? The Oliverio men do well with Asian attention haha. Hope all is well, I love reading all about what you're doing...can't wait for more! Love you, Kates