Wednesday 22 June:
We arrived here in Yangshuo (near Guillin, Guangxi Province) yesterday morning after a night train ride from Yichang. As seems to be our group's custom, we arrived in the driving rain, but the weather has since dried up (it's very hot and humid). The area has experienced loads of rain in the last few weeks, and there's been quite serious flooding all around. So we consider ourselves very lucky to have dry weather today.
This area boasts some of the most enchanting scenery we have ever seen, with emerald-green, pointy hills - called limestone karsts - being the predominant feature. They rise up all around the small town and in the surrounding farmland of rice paddies and vegetable patches. It's the China of picture books - lush green as far as the eye can see, dotted with rustic mud huts, farmers in wide brimmed straw hats working the fields or leading their water buffalo along small paths. And all framed by the jagged karsts.
Yesterday we explored the little town itself. This is backpacker central - loads of dreadlocked white kids who look like they just got stuck here, and plenty of Aussie bars offering pizzas, burgers and other 'Western' dishes. Despite the un-Chineseness of it all, the place is very quaint and well kept.
Eight of us took a cooking lesson yesterday afternoon at a cooking school on a farm outside town -very rustic. The style of cooking is very different from the Sichuan we cooked at our lesson in Chengdu - here's it's light stirfries with lots of homegrown veggies and oyster sauce... yum yum. And of course we got to scoff all five dishes as well.
Today we explored the surrounding countryside by bike - a leisurely way to take in the amazing hilly scenery and get a feel for the rural way of life. All of us girls were in bikinis (our tour leader insisted on swimwear in case it rains, and so she could get some cool photos of her mad group!) and along the way we were given wreaths of wildflowers to wear on our heads - so we were quite a spectacle, much to the delight and amusement of the locals!
We broke off for lunch at a farmstead - a wonderful banquet of fresh veggies and beer fish (barbel/catfish caught in the river, cooked in beer.) Got back to town at 3pm this afternoon. In an hour or so we're going down to the river for a spot of cormorant fishing - a local practice which involves fishing with the aid of tethered cormorants, their necks ringed so that they do not swallow their whole catch. Should be interesting but maybe a little cruel? We'll see and report back in the next blog!
Thursday 23 June:
We have a little time to kill before boarding our bus and train to Hong Kong, so we're taking the opportunity to update you on the cormorant fishing and today's activities, as well as add some pictures. The camera is playing along again now, so we've uploaded some snaps.
Went out on the Li River at about 8pm yesterday evening to watch the cormorant fishing. We both found it very interesting, even though I have my reservations about the (ab)use of the poor birds. However, it was a fascinating insight into a practice which local fishermen probably relied on in the past to make a living. The river was flowing very strongly indeed - effectively still flooding - so we're pleased the boat trip went out at all.
A small boat took about 12 of us a little up the river and over to the opposite shore, where an old man with a bamboo raft and six birds was waiting. Our motorised vessel cruised alongside his raft as he poled his way upstream, hugging the river bank. With nudges and the occasional shove, he encouraged the birds, perched on the raft, into the water. They would swim alongside and dive occasionally (again 'encouraged' with the use of an oar). The birds are not tied to the raft, but the secret seems to be the use of two gas lanterns - they don't seem to like straying far from the light.
Once a bird has made a catch (two of them did, and quite large fish at that), the fisherman plucks it from the water and pulls the fish from its throat. A thin cord is tied around the bird's neck to prevent it from swallowing large fish (it is still able to eat small fry to stay alive!).
We puttered alongside the raft and birds for an hour or so before going ashore for a photo session - see piccies attached!
This morning six of us went caving - there are many water caves in the area (caves with underground streams) and a few of them are open to the public. Access to this particular cave was by rowing boat - we were all given heavy torches and hard hats, and hopped into the boats wering our bathing suits. Within minutes we left the bright sunshine and were whisked into a dark watery world full of stalagmites, stalagtites and other rock formations. Our guide pointed out recognizable shapes - a toad, a fairy - after we'd left the boat and started walking through the cave on foot.
A few of us, brave enough to feel the cold for a change, took a lovely swim in clear blue spring water in a natural pool formed by the accumulation of minerals. We walked on a little and reached the highlight of any Yangshuo caving experience - the mud baths! Got nice and dirty, scrubbed ourselves and slid down a muddy bumslide. Yuck but soooo gratifying!
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