Yangshuo, Gulin, Guang Xi

Prior to this trip, a colleague told us that they had planned a massage session for all of us in the marketing department. Due to miscommunication (and lack of an intranet/lotus notes) we weren’t informed. My colleagues and some managers were disappointed that we couldn’t go.
Then again, nothing’s stopping me from going on this trip. As you read on; you’d know why…

Yangshuo, Guilin, Guangxi Province
Weather: Sunny with sparse clouds
Date: 14 – 15 July 2007, Saturday & Sunday

I was fighting a really bad headache, cold, and flu throughout the whole week. Didn’t get better on Friday (the day I had to depart for Yangshuo) I had to force myself to see the clinic doctor. Felt like the virus’s slowing sucking all of my energy bit by bit; and it sucks because I hadn’t been eating well.

Sleeper Bus (Po Bu)




Right, this sleeper bus’s nothing like Ive seen before. When you get up the bus, you have to grab a plastic bag, take off your shoes, dump it in and carry it with you on the bus. The bus has 3 rows of sleeper "bunks" with 2 levels. The space to sleep in is just nice enough for my height! For persons taller than 1.63cm; I reckon you have to sleep with your legs slightly blent. On the ride to Yangshuo, I slept in a bunk near the middle of the bus. THAT would be that best space to sleep in. A word of caution; DO NOT EVER TRY SLEEPING AT THE BACK OF BUS, unless you like your sleep to be doused with flips, turns, constant vibrations, water sipping from a broken air-conditioning socket and the freaking heat at the bottom bunks. Yea~ I’ve said enough. My ride back to Shenzhen was UNBEARABLE, but still I survived the China’s Sleeper Bus! Honestly, for a 10 hour ride, I might prefer a seated coach ride.



*That's QX by the way. One of my fellow travelynn-ers.*

Xi Wen Hotel @ Gui Hua Lu (a stone’s throw away from the popular Xi Jie)

Our tour guide Huang Shifu fetched us at the carpark where we alighted. The moment we got off the bus, some of us spotted a Hot Air Balloon! How fun! Huang Shifu told us that it cost 700 Yuan for an hour and you will have to sign an indemnity form. Ha! After walking for 15 mins in the wee hours of the morning, we came to his Hotel. Xi Wen Jiu Dian. Okay, it was more like a hostel with attached toilets. I wasn’t lucky, so Donna & I got a room with a really yucky toilet; where the place you shower is to stand just beside the squat toilet bowl. Hence, if you lose your footing, you might just drop in. Ha! Not fun after all huh. The beds were really comfy compared to my apartment’s. They’ve got hot water, free internet access, air-conditioning and a TV set. Nope; no towels. Xi Wen Hotel is quite a nice place for 120 Yuan per night (SGD 24). I reckon its rather reasonable. However, while my night there, I experienced 3 blackouts within 1-2 hours. I slept through the night without knowing that my air-conditioning was switched off. Kinda sucked but we only stayed there for 1 night. I cant ask for much. Moreover, Huang Shifu’s daughter was EXTREMELY cute. I really loved her.

Gulin Rice Noodles




This bowl of noodles tasted superb! While slurping the smooth succulent noodles, it really felt like Cloud 9! I liked the nuts and the thin pieces of meat they added in the noodles. You can add soup in it if you like but I’d prefer eating it dry. SUPERB NICE! Ha~ We had this for breakfast.

Beer Stewed Fish & Pumpkin Flowers

We had lunch next to our inn one afternoon. One of Guilin's delicacies you have got to try is their Beer Stewed Fish. The whole fish is steamed and the gravy has a slight tinch of beer. You can't taste the beer but it certainly rid the fish of its stinging fishy smell. The fish was fresh and the meat practically melted inside your mouth. Another interesting dish the chef whipped up was Pumpkin Flowers wrapped with tofu and meat. It was such a treat! I couldnt believe you could steam its flowers and prepare something edible with it! Amazing and of course we left happily with our tummy filled to the brim. Tho' it was a simple meal offered by the people in Guilin; it was a full 10 course!

Lime Stone Cave

We sat on this 20 min coach ride to the cave while this really nice lady spoke about the Karst Mountains of Yangshuo. Each of them had a story to tell and she warned that people would usually say its 30% truth and 70% imaginary. Ha!

I should say I’m not really a fan of was stalagmite or a.k.a. limestone. There were some structures within the cave which caught my breath. Took lots of pictures so I’d let them speak for themselves. This tourist spot won some AAAA award; I guess the quadruple As meant that its NOT-TO-BE-MISSED attraction. But I beg to differ. Perhaps I just don’t appreciate such nature. I can only say Nature is amazing. For every 100 years, they will only increase 2cm in height. Remarkable huh!

The temperature within the cave is about a really cool temperature of 18~20 degrees. While strolling inside; the trickling of water down the stalagmite was really enticing. I wondered how Mother Nature molded such a magnificent structure within a mountain. It was totally unbelievable.

Li Jiang

We went drifting along Li Jiang on this 4-seater sheltered bamboo raft. When in Yangshuo, one HAS to go drifting along the "Jiangs" and "Hes" a.k.a. rivers. The peaceful river waters and the greenery indeed revitalizes one’s soul and mind. Totally relaxing. Left my feet in the cool waters and leaned back to enjoy the amazing Karst Mountains. I heard that these trade of drifting is slowly fading because the town commercializing all water drifting into these huge ferry boats which can carry about a hundred odd people. Then again why is it that this little town is sooo modernised? what happened to nature?

Yu Long He
A little different from Li Jiang, this rift was a 2 seater and our boatman was sooo cool! He chatted with QX and I most of the time and we got to learn that those Ang Mos loved Yang Shou and even rented some of their houses to stay in. Now I really wonder who really are the "xiang ba laos" or "xiang xia ren" (country bumbkins)! The long river had 4 separate short falls; each fall became more and more excited. Along the river, I managed to take 2 pretty shots and had my photo taken with a Monkey! =D

Cycling


Well, SY was nice enough to ride with me; him sitting at the front. Without much burden, I took on the role as the photographer and took a lot of photos! I can say he’s a great cyclist coz the journey we had to cross had cars, trucks and motorcycles passing by us here and there. It’s crazy; just crazy to cross. I wonder how he does it. I just close my eyes and let him to all the navigation while I only had to rotate my legs. PHEW!

West Street


Drifters
A western café selling really cheap americanised food. From breakfast to dinner. Amazing.

Mei You Café

Interesting style of promotion of the café as they tell you all the "Mei yous" of the café. Eg: Mei you bad food, Mei you bad service etc… I tried the spaggetti and its was yucky. Not sure about the others. And I found the place a little dirty (coz I was seated next to a drain! Gosh!!!! Yuck! It had a certain funny smell as well. Twasn’t a good place to eat in my opinion. The only good thing is that they have a live band in there and it is not recommended to sit just in front of the stage unless you have "super" invincible ears!

Bars
Man, West street boasts a wide array of BARS at night! We didn’t go to any bars that night. (coz I was sick) But the music and the people breathes life into you! Amazing huh! Just try it =)

Other Shops
I liked it that some shops paint art on shirts. They adapted them from my favourite cartoonist Jimmy! I bought 3 shirts which cost like SDG$6 each! =x I might sound like a bird now. They also sell lots of barang barang from musical instruments, jewellery to the famous Ginger Malt Candy; which I fancied alot.

Karst Mountians

Yangshuo, Guilin is THEE place to see many many many many mountains in one single place. So the locals gave most of the odd looking yet nature mountain heads a story behind it. Their 20 Yuan currency note is the picture of the karst mountains there! Simply breathe taking and I think it’s a sight of a life time. You wonder how Mother Nature did all this is one day? *shrugs* but its for REAL!