19.9.2013
Today we met our guide, Kevin, at 9 am after our first "Asian" breakfast. I stuck with "congee", which is a rice stew like concoction made palatable for me by the addition of sugar. Also some watermelon and their strange yellow sweet bread as toast. Some pretend orange juice (yuk) finished things off. Keeps body and soul together but that is about all. Kevin whisked us along the streets at a great rate. We did so much today it is hard to remember everything. A rather hot day and a long walk through the busy thronging streets until we reached the museum. It is the mid Autumn Moon holiday here and everyone seems to be out enjoying the break. We waited in line for an hour before going through the security check and being given another hour to explore the museum. A beautiful well done museum with rooms devoted to jade items and furniture as well as many other rooms. We were delighted to discover that there was an exhibition of French Impressionists showing Renoir, Degas, etc.etc. A beautiful display but we didn't have a great deal of time left to savour it. Collapsed into the café and had an icecream before rejoining Kevin. Took numerous taxis (which are all Volkswagons to Bill's interest) and walked many kilometres. Saw the Old Town, the French Concession, the famous "Yu Garden" (you haven't been to Shanghai if you don't visit it says Kevin), the Bund etc. Kevin took us to a fabulous old restaurant for a dumpling lunch. Later we also went to a tea house for the tea ceremony and sampled many different types of tea. Fascinating and a welcome cool sit down. We also saw the building and the room where Mao etc sat to plan the birth of the Chinese Communist party. Kevin is a most informative and knowledgeable guide. Plied us with endless facts on the history of Shanghai, its various areas and buildings. Back to the hotel for a much needed rest and a shower before meeting Kevin for dinner. A short walk to an excellent restaurant on the 18th floor of a 5 star hotel. Many dishes, lemon chicken, prawns with peas, cabbage and lettuce salad, (delicious and different), bok choy, tomato soup, fried rice, and strange purple squares of something (but tasty) followed by watermelon and cantaloupe. An excellent meal. A long and fascinating day chock full of new experiences.
Monday, 25 November 2013
Saturday, 2 November 2013
18.9.13 To Shanghai
Jenny picked us up at 9 am and we drove back to Guilin airport. We used a new tollway that was an excellent road but, surprisingly, had almost no other cars on it. After the usual queueing and passport showing we boarded 1/2 an hour late. Arrived Shanghai at 3pm and were met by Kevin, our guide here. Kevin is a well informed and very voluble guide. 1 1/2 hours in awful traffic to the Nanjim Hotel which is just off the main boulevard, very well located. Surprisingly, no WiFi here. Kevin picked us up at 6pm and took us by taxi to a restaurant. Beautiful food. Chinese cabbage (delicious!), a chicken dish (delicious) and a beef dish. Afterwards we took another taxi to the harbor where with zillions of others took a cruise up the river to see the city lights. Impressive city. The Chinese seem to love coloured lights.
17.9.13 Caves
Guide Jenny collected us at 10 am with a car and we drove to a cave system outside Yangshuo. We had a tour through the "Gold Water" cave which has been illuminated with spectacular coloured lights highlighting the stunning formations. Very pretty but not something that would be done in cave systems here. After lunch we had a free afternoon so went walking through areas we hadn''t already visited. Saw some fascinating shops including a "fish kissing" shop where you can have your feet nibbled by small fish. Cards and gambling are popular here and we saw many groups playing in a park we walked through and also in buildings open to the street. An amusing incident occurred when a water seller tried very hard to give us the wrong change and all bystanders laughed heartily when we insisted on the correct amount. Yangshuo is a picturesque vibrant town with hordes of bicycles, tandems, tridems (is that a word) electric and pedal, electric and petrol motor scooters carrying many people and huge loads. In the evening the streets are thronged with people, well dressed, strolling and eating. Colourful stalls and restaurants everywhere. There is no industry here so the air is clean. The people live in small apartments in town. The countryside is very fertile and grows many things so is intensively cultivated with rice, lotus, fruit trees, osmanthus, pomelos and much else.
Lighting in the Gold Water Cave
Evening 16.9.13
Portion of the crowd
Actors standing on rafts in the waterWednesday, 30 October 2013
Yangshuo
16.9.13 in Yangshuo
Today we had a cooking lesson. Three dishes, sweet and sour pork, a green bean dish and a chicken dish. The green beans were the most interesting and different dish and best to eat.
"Chef" Bill
Straight from there to a cruise on the Li River. We went down and back up the river on another bamboo raft but this time with a motor on the back. We passed a lot of fish farms, men collecting weed from under the water to feed animals, lovely scenery etc.
Li River
Collecting sea grass
Limestone peaks and Li River
Today we had a cooking lesson. Three dishes, sweet and sour pork, a green bean dish and a chicken dish. The green beans were the most interesting and different dish and best to eat.
Straight from there to a cruise on the Li River. We went down and back up the river on another bamboo raft but this time with a motor on the back. We passed a lot of fish farms, men collecting weed from under the water to feed animals, lovely scenery etc.
Li River
Collecting sea grass
Limestone peaks and Li RiverMonday, 28 October 2013
Hong Kong to Shenzen
This morning we had a big breakfast then went out to the wet market to stock up on some fruit etc. for snacks on the train journey tonight. Our guide "Mango" turned up at the appointed time and informed us that we had to walk dragging our cases to Mongkok East Station. This proved to be an exhausting task as we battled the teeming thronging Saturday crowds. When we eventually got to the station we were forced to lug our cases up staircases and then down again. Made it at last and got on the train to Shenzen. Off the train and our first experience of going through immigration in China. Once that was done we walked for a long way through the station to a waiting room where Mango left us. At last the boarding announcement and we fought more crowds and stairs and found our compartment. Thank goodness we had paid to occupy the whole thing as it was minute. However we got ourselves organized and went off to the dining car to find some dinner. We chose what others were eating because there wasn't any English spoken. It was a fish dish and FULL of tiny bones. I ended up eating the rice. No hot drinks either. A banana and an apple from our snack pile completed dinner. The beds in the compartment were very narrow and very hard. Like sleeping on a rock platform so what with the noise and the rocking it was a fairly uncomfortable night. Fortunately there was a western toilet at one end of the carriage. No breakfast service so a banana and an orange for breakfast.
At 8.20am we arrived in Guilin and our guide for the next few days, Jenny Chen, was waiting for us with a comfortable car and we drove to Yangshuo. After she sorted out a little difficulty with our hotel she left us to get settled and go and find some breakfast. Wandered through the city and found a pizza place at 11 am for breakfast. Then found KFC, where we were to meet Jenny, and had an orange drink. A bike ride was on the programme and we discovered it was to be a long one out into the countryside. It was very hot and humid (35) so it was decided that I would go pillion on Jenny'e electric scooter and Bill would ride along behind! Set off through the milling thronging traffic and eventually cleared the city. We then went through some lovely countryside, past crops, rice, fruit trees etc. The scenery was very picturesque as the road threaded its way between tall limestone peaks. All very lush and green. Our first stop was at a 350 year old farmhouse where we met the two little old ladies of the home. They took great pleasure in showing us around, the water wheel and pump in the courtyard, tofu making, their kitchen etc. In one of the rooms there was a coffin all ready to go when it was needed. The building was of stone and wood and truly charming. Further on, we passed a pretty clear river with bamboo rafts. Decided to take a raft down the river and the bike was transported to the end point. We sat on the raft in chairs and were poled gently down the river, over little weirs and past some delightful scenery. Keep your feet up as you go over a weir as the nose of the raft buried itself in the water. A lovely interlude. Continuing on we reached Moon Hill for lunch at 3 pm. Moon Hill is a high limestone Karst with a crescent shaped moon through the centre. A delicious lunch of sizzling duck appeared. By the time we got back to town Bill was rather hot and tired so a shower and a rest before we hit the evening town. Crowds everywhere! The streets were lined with stalls and restaurants all had tables on the footpath. A colourful happy scene. So ended our first day in Yangshuo, a nice city with no industry so no pollution.
At 8.20am we arrived in Guilin and our guide for the next few days, Jenny Chen, was waiting for us with a comfortable car and we drove to Yangshuo. After she sorted out a little difficulty with our hotel she left us to get settled and go and find some breakfast. Wandered through the city and found a pizza place at 11 am for breakfast. Then found KFC, where we were to meet Jenny, and had an orange drink. A bike ride was on the programme and we discovered it was to be a long one out into the countryside. It was very hot and humid (35) so it was decided that I would go pillion on Jenny'e electric scooter and Bill would ride along behind! Set off through the milling thronging traffic and eventually cleared the city. We then went through some lovely countryside, past crops, rice, fruit trees etc. The scenery was very picturesque as the road threaded its way between tall limestone peaks. All very lush and green. Our first stop was at a 350 year old farmhouse where we met the two little old ladies of the home. They took great pleasure in showing us around, the water wheel and pump in the courtyard, tofu making, their kitchen etc. In one of the rooms there was a coffin all ready to go when it was needed. The building was of stone and wood and truly charming. Further on, we passed a pretty clear river with bamboo rafts. Decided to take a raft down the river and the bike was transported to the end point. We sat on the raft in chairs and were poled gently down the river, over little weirs and past some delightful scenery. Keep your feet up as you go over a weir as the nose of the raft buried itself in the water. A lovely interlude. Continuing on we reached Moon Hill for lunch at 3 pm. Moon Hill is a high limestone Karst with a crescent shaped moon through the centre. A delicious lunch of sizzling duck appeared. By the time we got back to town Bill was rather hot and tired so a shower and a rest before we hit the evening town. Crowds everywhere! The streets were lined with stalls and restaurants all had tables on the footpath. A colourful happy scene. So ended our first day in Yangshuo, a nice city with no industry so no pollution.
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