Itinerary 2008 - China (Yunnan, Guangxi) UPDATED

Date(s): Location(s): Transport
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3/2: Luang Nam Tha, Laos -> Mengla, China : Bus
3/3: Mengla
3/4: Mengla -> Mandan: Motorbike taxi
3/5: Mandan -> Mengla -> Jinghong: Walk 10km, Minibus, VIP bus
3/6-7: Jinghong (Xishuangbanna)
3/8: Jinghong -> Jianshui: Overnight Sleeper Bus
3/9-11: Jianshui
3/12: Jianshui -> Xinjie (Yuanyang County): Bus
3/13-15: Xinjie
3/16: Xinjie -> Gejiu -> Kaiyun -> Yanshan: bus, bus, bus, bus
3/17: Yanshan -> Guangnan: Bus
3/18: Guangnan -> Bamei Village: Bus, walk, boat through cave
3/19: Bamei Village -> Guangnan: Boat through cave, walk, boat through cave, walk, bus
3/20: Guangnan -> Baise: Bus
3/21: Baise -> Beihai: Express Bus
3/22-26: Beihai
3/27: Beihai -> Wuzhou: Bus
3/28: Wuzhou
3/29: Wuzhou -> Hezhou Hot Springs: Bus
3/30: Hezhou Hot Springs -> Huangyao: Bus
3/31: Huangyao
4/1: Huangyao - Yangshuo: Bus
4/2-6: Yangshuo

Qingming

Last weekend we were in Yangshuo during Qingming, the traditional Tomb Sweeping season. This year, Qingming was a national holiday for the first time, and on Saturday the muddy roads and waters around Yangshuo were packed with tombsweeping locals and biking, hiking, and floating Chinese tourists enjoying the 3-day holiday weekend.

Both Sun-Ling and I had never seen real tomb sweeping. In Yangshuo, we obseerved the locals go as a 3 generation family unit to the hillside tomb(s). They walk, motorcycle, or drive. Usally one of the older men carrys a shovel, hoe, or machette. The others carry a cooked chicken and other food, a few hundred small incense sticks, 2 red candles, paper money, red paper, and a string of fire crackers.

After the tomb is cleaned up (weeds removed and stones straightened) incense is lit and food is offered. The more affluent may pay for a Lion Dance. Some burn paper money, others attach it to a flag atop the tomb. Rectangular red papers are pasted on the front of the tomb. Finally, the offerings - including cooked chicken - are taken away, and everyone leaves as the string or three of firecrackers is lit.

In addition, the locals make and eat zongzi, sticky rice squares wrapped in bammboo leaves.

Cleaning the tombs.


A cleaned tomb.


Floating tourists. Checkout their footgear.


Zongzi at lower left.

Big birthday, but no cake

I have been getting birthday wishes from family and friends in the forms of email and SMS.  I love it!  It's good to know that I'm remembered, even though I'm so far away.  

It's a big one, but we happen to be in a village - Chengyang, Guangxi - where a handful of guesthouses serve up country cooking.  There is nothing that resembles my idea of a cake.  It's a small price to pay for being on the road.

Chengyang Village: famous covered bridge at left.

The Vegetarian and the Water Buffalo

You would think that a water buffalo and vegetarian could become good friends. But no. The water buffalo in the left foreground below, head butted me in the side of my left knee just a few seconds after I took the pic. Ouch! He knocked me on my butt, dirtied my clothes, and left me scratching my head. Three days later my knee is still a bit tender and Sun-Ling is keeping a watchful eye on me.




A few more photos from the Yangdi to Xingping hike which crosses the Li River three times. The third crossing is at the famous Nine Horses Mountain.

Looking downstream.


Nine Horses Mountain


Just the two of us.

Essentials for a cold and rainy week in Yangshuo, China.

A cozy hotel room with:

Heating and cooling (it may get hot and rainy).

Plenty of room for two. This keeps the fighting to a minimum. Two beds is best.

Hot shower.

Friendly staff.

A floor to ceiling view. Specifically, a view of the Li River and some street activity. A balcony is OK but you can only use it when/if it warms up.

A small water heater and lots of instant coffee.

Free Internet as you will spend lots of time drinking coffee, Internetting, and looking out the window.

You need to have:

Good rain gear since you will go outside at some point.

A list of things to do inside your hotel room like reading your camera manual, studying a local map, writing blog posts, watching snooker on CCTV 5, and listening to the House of Mirth audiobook.

A list of things to do outside your hotel room like using the Bank of China ATM, trying every veggie burger in town, becoming friends with the lady at the bus station Information Desk, finding the location of every bakery in town, and of course buying more instant coffee.

Return to Yangshuo

We have returned to Yangshuo almost exactly 14 years to the day after our previous visit. While somethings have changed, some have stayed the same.

In 1994, we arrived at the boat docks at the end of Xi Jie (West St)after cruising the Li River from Guilin. The weather was hot and sunny. Sun-Ling remembers that she was wearing shorts.

In 2008, we were dropped off on the outskirts of town after riding the bus from Huangyao. We walked the 2 kms from the dropoff to Xi Jie in a chilly light rain with umbrellas up and raingear on.

In 1994 we stayed at an “under construction” hotel a few blocks from the river. John remembers getting a few flea bites. Today we are staying at the Yangshuo Overseas Chinese Hotel on the riverfront in a room with a balcony and a riverview. More on the hotel in a later post.

In one sense, Yangshuo hasn't changed at all. It's still a backpacker hangout. The Li River cruiseboats still unload tourgroups who then walk up to their hotel or to their return bus to Guilin through a gauntlet of souvenir shops and touts.

However, everything seems 10 times larger, newer, and slicker.

Instead of walking from the docks through Xi Jie, you can now take an electric cart on one of three routes to the bus station. The docks themselves have been upgraded and moved farther north to allow for more souvenir stands.

Young Chinese backpackers now outnumber their western counterparts.

The first store one sees on Xi Jie sells golf clubs.

Watching the local cormorant fishermen is not the only available night activity. You can check out a bar or disco or the local outdoor theatrical extravaganza directed by Zhang Yimou.

In '94, the few English menus we saw were handpainted on wooden signs and mainly offered breakfast. Now, there are dozens of large and small restaurants with English menus and/or English speaking staff serving all kinds of dishes both Chinese and Western. Last night we had dinner at a small place near the main road to Guilin. The owner did not speak much English but had a well translated menu - with prices.

Of course Yangshuo still has the awesome natural beauty of the rivers and limestone peaks. The changes reflect a more prosperous city. Judging by the number of hotels, many more visitors base themselves here, not in Guilin as in 1994. We hope the rain will let up so we can get out and enjoy.

Sun-ling drinks a cup of coffee on our hotel balcony.


Tour boat traffic jam at the docks.


Souvenir stands.


Electric cart routes.



Bamboo rafting on the Yulong River.


Awesome scenery.

Hezhou and Huangyao

After enjoying a pleasant evening and morning at the hot springs in Hezhou, we are now in Huangyao where The Painted Veil was filmed. The weather has turned damp and colder - mid 50's - but we still managed to enjoy our morning coffee on the hotel terrace.

Sun-Ling enjoys the hot springs in Hezhou.


Morning coffee on the terrace in Huangyao.

Silver Beach - Beihai, China

We had planned to bag some beach time at Beihai.  I originally had my eyes on Weizhou Island, 36 nautical miles off the coast of Beihai.  It turns out it would cost us $85 US just to make the roundtrip, due to the government ferry monopoly.  And it wasn't certain whether there is lodging right on the beach.

We opted for a hotel right on the beach at Silver Beach in Beihai.

We are pleasantly surprised!  The beach has a lot of activities: wildlife viewing, clamming, fishing, night shrimping, jet skiing, speed boating, swimming, umbrella lounging, beachcombing and tourist watching.  Since it is HUGE L-shaped sandbar, there is plenty of room for everyone and lots of shells for Sun-Ling to pick up.

The view from our hotel room.


The touristy part of the beach.


A local foraging for shellfish.


Sun-Ling shelling.


The tropical waters.


Wildlife.


Sand dollars.

Yunnan to Guangxi

We have left Yunnan and arrived in Baise, Guangxi.  We did so with some trepidation.  While we enjoyed our travels in Yunnan very much, we were uncertain about Guangxi because of our previous experience in 1994:

1.  I stopped eating meat, as I witnessed too much consumption of non-domestic animals and inhumane treatment of animals in general.  I have since become an ovo-lacto vegetarian.
2.  I vowed to not return to China for the next 10 years.  On a daily basis we experienced unpleasant encounters where people either took advantage of us or scammed us or tried to, in their unrelenting pursuit of financial gains.  I did break my vow and returned 5 years later.

2008:If our bus ride into Baise is any indication, things have not changed on either accounts.  The bus carried 8 dogs wrapped like flower pots in the luggage compartment, despite of our protest.  After 5 hours, the dogs were finally unloaded - on their way to be someone's dinner.  

The driver decided he can now get on the expressway, but not until he collected 5 RMB each from the passengers.  Most of the bus goes along, but we made a call to the station.  The office verified that our tickets were supposed to have taken us on the expressway 40km ago.  Money was returned.  The driver was persuaded into taking the expressway.

Our bus.