Xijiang Hotel Liuzhou

... tourguide. But once we got there I was very turned around and thought I'd get lost on my own. So he took me to a couple more places to take pictures then we were back at the hotel by 3:30. I wanted to explore on my own but he didnt want to let me. I ended up feeling very trapped. I wont go into the grumpy details but I was definitly not in a good state of mind. I told him I wanted to leave the next day so he ...

... the people are incredibly linked to their land and the food it provides, with rice being first and foremost. Everything put onto our tables is fresh from the farm so lots of vegetables and meat dishes to complement the rice. No strange game this time, just pork, beef, chicken and duck as the staple meat dishes. The traditional breakfast usually involves a noodle soup accompanied by an array of self-served condiments: steamed or pickled greens, peanuts, seaweed, chillis, hard boiled ...

... as the bay is just covered in limestone karsts that magically rise out of the water (more to come in China as well). Pictures don't even come close to capturing the beauty. As for food on the island, it was seafood all the way - prawns, calamari, eel and whole fish. Although the dishes were tasty, the service on the island was some of the worst that I have ever encountered with forgotten orders, loads of dishes that weren't available, and the power going out 4 times ...

... at the back, not the most comfortable, as they were a bit short for me. At first Yoong took the middle bed, but then another passenger lay down right beside her, next to the woman in the next bed, who was presumably his wife. There was another passenger with no bed, but fortunately he didn't come to the back. Yoong was very angry about having to sleep in such close proximity to another man, but I quickly changed beds with her and she was okay. I found I could put my legs down ...

... that was more populated, with larger rafts moored in the middle selling beer and barbecued foods, the weirs got taller and taller. We were going over a particularly busy and high one when our boatman misjudged the current and the raft started to go over sideways. The whole raft tipped toward me. Dan and the boatman started flinging their weight to the upward side. I tried to steady my drink. I ...

Ich bin gerade mal vier Tage zurueck in China, es ist bitter kalt( 5*C), ich habe meine richtig warmen Sachen alle von Shanghai aus nach Hause geschickt und fuer viele ist es Zeit nach Hause zu fliegen. Die Stadt in der ich gerade bin ist fast leer und besonders in der Hostel verabschieden sich alle. Ich haette nie gedacht, dass doch so viele einfach mal ueber Weihnachten nach Hause ...

... oblivious to anyone around them. On the roads it's every man for himself, no filtering of traffic. Queuing seems alien to them. As for expecting thanks or even a smile if you hold a door open for someone, no chance. And no one speaks English at all. I guess it's not helped by the fact that they get no western TV at all. So how do I find some food in a town where no one speaks English. The menu is in Mandarin and there are no pictures? Luckily Rob and I found the lady ...

... or a suspiciously new-looking 'original copy' of Chairman Mao's Little Red Book... Back to the hotel and a quick shower later (the unpaved roads had gotten rather muddy after all the rain), I was out into town again, this time for a more formal education. First up was a caligraphy class. I'm under no illusions that I'm ever going to be any good at this, but I always think it's interesting to find out about the basic principles of a popular skill. It's pretty ...

... things that are crucial to learn fast!) and some numbers. I guess it's no surprise really, but I'd love to speak to someone who knows both languages so I could find out just how similar or not they really are. As we were in the classroom, there was a clap of thunder and the heavens opened up with really heavy rain, just like Japan. I'd noted mention of a typhoon on TV last night, so I hope this isn't it! There ...

... how long she had to spend with us or where she had to be or what her plans were in Yangshou. She sat and watched TV intently for awhile then she and Frank played some computer games. Frank asked her how she was going to get home and she said the bus. He then asked what time she had to catch the bus and she said 1 o'clock. Frank asked if she was hungry and she said yes. So we walked over to a place we ate at frequently. Frank and I ordered steamed dumplings but ...