If you read any guide books on China, they would have you perceive China as a pretty dirty country with millions of scruffy looking old men pacing about, spitting and playing dice, but that could not be further from the truth. Yes, it could do with a good spring clean here and there but other than that its a pretty beautiful country. The people are also really lovely and helpful. During our time in South East Asia and even more so India, we learnt to be very cautious around people who offer assistance. It would nearly always end up as a long con into buying a carpet of staying at their uncles hotel, but here people will happily be of assistance. So far China is nothing like I expected, the scenery in places has been spectacular and despite the odd language problem, things have been thoroughly enjoyable.
After spending 12 hours on a bus yesterday evening, we eventually arrived at our fist destination, Guilin. It was 5am when we arrived but we heard there was a good hostel in town so we made are way there and knocked on the door. An old chap was asleep on the floor but he got himself up, undone the door and without using a work of English explained that we couldn't check-in until 7am. So he offered us a sofa each and we slept there for a couple of hours until the English speaking check-in lady arrived. While she was scanning our passports we booked a bus out to the local rice fields called Dragon's backbone terrace. It sounded pretty interesting and we were not disappointed. We hiked our way up to the tiny village of Ping'an and then stopped off for a bite to eat. The local delicacy was Bamboo Chicken, so we opted for some of that. It was the entire carcase of a chicken stuffed into a bamboo shoot with ginger, lime and mushrooms then cooked over a BBQ. It was pretty simple cuisine but rather tasty. We then spent the afternoon rambling up and down various windey paths along the rice terraces around the village. To farm on such step terrain really is a feat of great agricultural engineering and the staggered effect it has on the landscape was remarkable. On the bus back both Rory and I were in agreement, than China doesn't get the press it deserves.
Then today we arrived in an even the even smaller town of Yangshuo and hired a couple of bikes for the day. We didn't really know where we we going, but we had a hand drawn map which the hotel owner gave us, so off we went. Almost immediately we made a wrong turn and before long we were cycling down tiny dirt tracks trying to find the actual path. In doing so however, we managed to find some spots that were so remote and of the beaten track that we really didn't mind. After a few hours we managed to get our bearings and we continued down the bank of the river Yulong. At one point the track crossed the river but there was no bridge so we had to pay an old lady to ferry us across on her boat. When I say boat, I actually mean 8 large bamboo trunks fastened together side by side. The entire vessel was only about 8 foot long and it had to fit Rory, two bikes, the driver and me on which was worrying. As the fattest I jumped on first and immediately the boat sunk just below the water, but this didn't faze her. She carried on loading and before long we were floating gently across the river with just enough buoyancy as to keep my ankles dry but my feet wet. It only cost 50p, you get what you pay for in this world. Once we disembarked on the other side we set off again through some more tiny little villages and eventually back to the hostel.
I hope the rest of my time in China is as enjoyable as the first few days have been. We are off on the bikes again tomorrow and there is talk of more bamboo rafting, which should be exciting. Ill know to take my shoes off first this time.
After spending 12 hours on a bus yesterday evening, we eventually arrived at our fist destination, Guilin. It was 5am when we arrived but we heard there was a good hostel in town so we made are way there and knocked on the door. An old chap was asleep on the floor but he got himself up, undone the door and without using a work of English explained that we couldn't check-in until 7am. So he offered us a sofa each and we slept there for a couple of hours until the English speaking check-in lady arrived. While she was scanning our passports we booked a bus out to the local rice fields called Dragon's backbone terrace. It sounded pretty interesting and we were not disappointed. We hiked our way up to the tiny village of Ping'an and then stopped off for a bite to eat. The local delicacy was Bamboo Chicken, so we opted for some of that. It was the entire carcase of a chicken stuffed into a bamboo shoot with ginger, lime and mushrooms then cooked over a BBQ. It was pretty simple cuisine but rather tasty. We then spent the afternoon rambling up and down various windey paths along the rice terraces around the village. To farm on such step terrain really is a feat of great agricultural engineering and the staggered effect it has on the landscape was remarkable. On the bus back both Rory and I were in agreement, than China doesn't get the press it deserves.
Then today we arrived in an even the even smaller town of Yangshuo and hired a couple of bikes for the day. We didn't really know where we we going, but we had a hand drawn map which the hotel owner gave us, so off we went. Almost immediately we made a wrong turn and before long we were cycling down tiny dirt tracks trying to find the actual path. In doing so however, we managed to find some spots that were so remote and of the beaten track that we really didn't mind. After a few hours we managed to get our bearings and we continued down the bank of the river Yulong. At one point the track crossed the river but there was no bridge so we had to pay an old lady to ferry us across on her boat. When I say boat, I actually mean 8 large bamboo trunks fastened together side by side. The entire vessel was only about 8 foot long and it had to fit Rory, two bikes, the driver and me on which was worrying. As the fattest I jumped on first and immediately the boat sunk just below the water, but this didn't faze her. She carried on loading and before long we were floating gently across the river with just enough buoyancy as to keep my ankles dry but my feet wet. It only cost 50p, you get what you pay for in this world. Once we disembarked on the other side we set off again through some more tiny little villages and eventually back to the hostel.
I hope the rest of my time in China is as enjoyable as the first few days have been. We are off on the bikes again tomorrow and there is talk of more bamboo rafting, which should be exciting. Ill know to take my shoes off first this time.
