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Amongst the Karst Peaks

Yangshuo, China


The weather here started bad too but it doesn't take away from the scenery. Yangshuo is a fairly small town very popular with tourists there's a whole section of the town devoted to them but its not too bad quite noisy and comparatively expensive but its nice and relaxed. I had planned to do a hike on my first day here but the weather was dreadful so i jumped on a bus to my destination instead. The little fishing village of xingping, it was suggested in the lonely planet for its old town, which was tiny , but certainly worth a look, everything you would expect from a stereotypical old chinese town, rows of small houses with lanterns hanging down and bicycles strewn in the street. It was nice to wonder around and i was the only western tourist there, the chinese tours where present too but they seemed more interested in getting the extortionate ferry trips.
I had intended on getting a boat back down the Li river but it was too expensive to hire one alone so i got the bus back instead. Its definitely the main problem with being a single traveller, trying to get on tours and certain modes of transport can be really worthwhile if there is 3 or 4 of you but its just not viable if your alone. Can be a bit frustrating.
Yangshuo is famous for its scenery, in particular the karst peaks. The best way to see them is to hire a bike and venture out. On my second day i joined with a chinese speaking malaysian and we both hired bikes for the day and headed out. The route should apparently have taken us about 3 hours but it stretched out to 6 due to a combination of photo stops a shoddy map and 2 punctures, neither of which i suffered i'm glad to say.
The scenery is spectacular (i'll post up some pics when i've got a slightly quicker computer) The mountains rise from nowhere like big green teeth. They look like the kind of hills you draw when your a kid, ridiculous rounded lumps with vertical sides.
Was walking through the touristy part of town that evening in search of some dinner when i bumped into a chap from uni, wound up having dinner with him and the rest of his tour group which was ace! They where in town for a couple of days as part of a whistle stop tour of China.
Getting a bus back north tomorrow morning so im off to bed.


permalink written by  Dan on March 19, 2008 from Yangshuo, China
from the travel blog: Been there, Dan that!
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Bumping into people you know in unlikly places is a family trait Dan!
Bill


permalink written by  Bill Atherton on March 20, 2008


It was indeed ace bumping into you Dan!
Sorry to stop your Chinese t-total experience, but it had to end sometime. You should be glad that you didn't come out for my birthday night out. You'd have got plastered! (I know I did)

Brilliant though.

I'll keep checking this to see how you are getting on with your trip. Especially with the Tibetan troubles.

My blog is at the bottom in case you missed it.

permalink written by  Sam Dear on March 21, 2008


Sounds awesome mate, you've got some stones on you tackling it with just a travel guide! You whupping them touts 2-0 made me laugh. Looking forward to more installments. Take it easy :)

permalink written by  Andy Stevenson on March 21, 2008


I can't believe how much bigger Yangshuo is, its exploded. When I was there it was a big village/small town, though as Karl pointed out that was 13 1/2 years ago in a country with the fastest growing population in the world. I thought the photos were of Guilin at first, they were just about to build their first 4 star hotel when I was there.
Reckon that's the same guy cormorant fishing though, I recognise the bird!
Kunming looks lovely, didn't manage it there and the funky terraced place looks fab.
Have fun!


permalink written by  Carol on March 30, 2008

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