Guilin Jinggui New City Hotel

... as the bamboo raft moved gently on the water with no engine to spoil the peace. We even survived when Simon was allowed to drive for a while. We were taken to some local farmers who let you feed their buffalo. The day was rounded off by a display of cormorant fishing, which even if you do know what the trick is, still looks impressive. We made our way home on the bamboo raft (well not all the way, although we would have like to try) and got ready for our next move... the Longji Rice Terraces.

... well, and all of the students participating in the exams would drink from it before beginning. there are several ancient trees in the area and they are very bizaarly shaped. They an banyian trees and the roots that drop down from their branches take on strange shapes. After the well, is another large courtyard and another large yellow building. Originally the building would have been the living quarters of the prince, but now it is the theatre of the univesity. I have seen ...

Bonjour, Me voici rendu dans la campagne chinoise. Nous avons pris de train de nuit a partir de la frontiere chinoise. J'ai relativement bien dormi considerant que nous etions 6 dans un compartiment et qu'il n'y avait pas de porte. Donc, nous entendions tout ce qui se passait dans le corridor et dans les autres wagons. La campagne chinoise est tres belle. Il y a les montagnes qui poussent litteralement de partout. La riviere Li est calme est tres...zen. Je vais y faire un croisiere ...

... ranging from bamboo to conifers together with wonderful caves make ...

... we stripped down to our swimmers, were given non-slip flip-flops and a hard hat, and got on a small boat which took is into the cave... from there we walked through the cave checking out all the rock formations on the way - it was absolutely beautiful... then we got to the mud cave part, where we jumped in and covered each other with thick clumps of mud from the bottom of the pool - natural mud pools - very good for the skin... or so we ...

... for centuries. Standing atop of the mountain one really gets a feeling of the peaceful, quiet and almost idyllic lifestyle that has been shared by the villagers for generations. Getting to the fields is almost as big an adventure as spending time there. To get there our journey began in Guilin. We decided to take public transportation rather than be involved in an organized tour, which I should mention, can be obtained through local travel agencies and guide services ...

... almost an hour. Next I took a countryside tour in Yanggshuo. WE drove by some areas ...

Driving from Guilin to Yangshuo In the shadows of the yawning jade mountains lie neat patches of vibrant, green rice paddies. Slight figures, bent over and wearing pointed straw hats, inch their way through the wet fields. Here and there oxen trudge though the muddy rows, being driven by their masters, as the thick sun beats down. Go another mile and it's a ...

Another short flight (and it was about this time that I first noticed symptoms of chronic sinusitis) and we were dahn sarf, in Guilin. In the evenign, we were taken out to a restaurant serving an intersting soup. Approximately the colour of dishwater and not smelling much better it hadn't exaclt whet out appetities. We were on two tables of six, and the designated taster on out table picked up theladle and gave it a good stir. There ...