7th June I got the MTR from HK to the Chinese border and crossed over into Shenzhen. Apparently, there were no trains to Guilin, not that I actually checked, so I ended up on a bus. It was all a bit nerve racking. I was sitting in the bus booth waiting and a guy signalled for me to get my bag and follow him. We walked out of the train/coach station, crossed a dual carriage way, went to stand on a traffic island and waited. Eventually a mini bus pulled up and I was bundled into the back. We drove for 10mins or so and then stopped for at least 10mins whilst both men made phone calls. I had no idea where I was and was somewhat concerned that this didn't look like a coach to Guilin. They made me get out the minivan and follow another guy who told me to give my bag over to what looked like some kind of baggage collection place. We went though a door and opened out into a bus park - I was so relieved because from the outside it didn't look anything like a bus station! Anyway, so I was happily but on the correct bus which was a sleeper bus, so no seats. I'd never seen anything like it: 
There was a French couple on my bus but they had zero chat so I listened to music the whole way. We stopped quite regularly for toilet but I was rather concerned about the food situation because I had a packet of fake oreos to last the whole 19hours. About 10.30pm the coach stopped at a place with food and I went straight in and barged through Chinese style to get my food. It didn't even occur to me that 9 months ago I would have stayed on the bus because I would be too nervous to get off and investigate let along battle with hand signals and locals to get some food. I have completely lost that timidness.
There was a French couple on my bus but they had zero chat so I listened to music the whole way. We stopped quite regularly for toilet but I was rather concerned about the food situation because I had a packet of fake oreos to last the whole 19hours. About 10.30pm the coach stopped at a place with food and I went straight in and barged through Chinese style to get my food. It didn't even occur to me that 9 months ago I would have stayed on the bus because I would be too nervous to get off and investigate let along battle with hand signals and locals to get some food. I have completely lost that timidness.We arrived in Guilin around 5am and I used my limited number knowledge to bargain with a taxi driver and get to my hostel. By "my hostel" I mean I picked it out the lonely planet and hadn't thought to book it let alone consider that I would pitch up at 5am. The porter wasn't entirely pleased and unfortunately he spoke no English so he had to ring a receptionist and wake her too. Eventually we determined there was in fact one bed free and they gave me a key and I went to sleep - yey!
I was up around 10.30am for some reason so I wandered out to look over the famous Li River. I was watching the locals swimming and a Chinese guy approached me and spoke English. He turned out to be a local called Ting and he was very keen to practice his English with me. He took me to a park with two pagodas in it. I bought a ticket and went around the pagodas and met him outside 1/2 hr later.
Afterwards he tried to take me to quite an expensive local restaurant. He wanted me to try Li river fish, personally it didn't appeal especially at £7 and he didn't want to eat so I kindly explained it was out of my budget and we left. Instead I bought some kebabs: vegetable and meat with loads of chili. It's a great meal, very cheap and simple! We went to a tea house and I ate my lunch and tried various teas. Eventually I decided my favorite was the Guilin tea (a.k.a Ladies tea) which I got pressured into buying. I honestly don't think he was trying to screw me over but it was quite expensive for tea by european standard. Tea in China is expensive though. I paid for his tea ceremony as well but that was only 10Y (less than £1). Tea:
From there he decided I should go and see a park with a cave and view point which wasn't on the western tourist route. It was called Chuanshan Waterfall Park. He paid for his own bus out there which was 15 mins and then walked a futher 20mins to get me in the park and joined to a Chinese tour group to go around Tunnel Cave. He then left me there and said goodbye. I was completely mystified, he was so nice and completely sorted me out for the entire day and he wanted nothing in return. It was so nice and such a great, and fitting, introduction to China.I went around the cave which was quite interesting except I actually wasn't feeling very well and following a tour guide with a microphone in a cave who didn't stop talking in a language I couldn't understand didn't help. I was more than ready to leave that cave. I went to sit by the lake and contemplated climbing the hill but couldn't gather the energy. These are the views over the lake: 
I headed back and found some food and then went for a nap. In the evening I wandered the streets and eventually plucked up the courage to try a restaurant - it worked out, I got spicy beef and rice without too much embarassment. Next job was ordering a lemon tea from one of the street booths. I'd seen so many people with them and I really wanted one but it was harder than anticipated to get my request across. I failed once and second time found a girl that knew the word lemon (evidently very similar in Mandarin) and so I got my ice lemon tea. I found the central square, which is huge, I thought Guilin was supposed to be a small city. I quickly learnt small takes on a new meaning in China! In the square there was dancing and comedy which I watched for a while before going back and discovering facebook in banned in China!!!! Rubbish.
I had a rather indecisive morning. I sat and had a hostel american breakfast which is very unlike me. In the process I got talking to a French girl who was nice enough but I had absolutely no connection with. She was getting the bus to Yangshou that afternoon and I agreed to go along with her. I went to the train station with Laure so that we could both book our onwards journeys before we went to Yangshou. On the way into the station we got swamped by bus ticket sellers for Yangshou. Unfortuately Laure's train had sold out so she went to the long distance coach station to get sorted. I half heartedly tried to find a bus to Yangshou but all the sellers had vanished. I was doubting my decision to get a bus when I had really come to Guilin to get the boat down the Li river. The guy I had met yesterday had put me off the bamboo raft (cheap) option because apparently it is dangerous. The other cruise options were so expensive I had put myself off but that morning I had see about 15 people leave for the bamboo raft trip organised by the hostel. I decided to go back to the hostel and book that trip and stay another night. It was also ridiculously hot. When I got back I had to have a nap! 
to the hostel where I settled down in the lounge with a Tsingtao beer. I chickened out in the evening and went back to the same place for dinner because it felt safe but I did manage to order something different! Around the square there was a big night market but I didn't buy any of the rubbish they had on offer.
I headed back and found some food and then went for a nap. In the evening I wandered the streets and eventually plucked up the courage to try a restaurant - it worked out, I got spicy beef and rice without too much embarassment. Next job was ordering a lemon tea from one of the street booths. I'd seen so many people with them and I really wanted one but it was harder than anticipated to get my request across. I failed once and second time found a girl that knew the word lemon (evidently very similar in Mandarin) and so I got my ice lemon tea. I found the central square, which is huge, I thought Guilin was supposed to be a small city. I quickly learnt small takes on a new meaning in China! In the square there was dancing and comedy which I watched for a while before going back and discovering facebook in banned in China!!!! Rubbish.
I had a rather indecisive morning. I sat and had a hostel american breakfast which is very unlike me. In the process I got talking to a French girl who was nice enough but I had absolutely no connection with. She was getting the bus to Yangshou that afternoon and I agreed to go along with her. I went to the train station with Laure so that we could both book our onwards journeys before we went to Yangshou. On the way into the station we got swamped by bus ticket sellers for Yangshou. Unfortuately Laure's train had sold out so she went to the long distance coach station to get sorted. I half heartedly tried to find a bus to Yangshou but all the sellers had vanished. I was doubting my decision to get a bus when I had really come to Guilin to get the boat down the Li river. The guy I had met yesterday had put me off the bamboo raft (cheap) option because apparently it is dangerous. The other cruise options were so expensive I had put myself off but that morning I had see about 15 people leave for the bamboo raft trip organised by the hostel. I decided to go back to the hostel and book that trip and stay another night. It was also ridiculously hot. When I got back I had to have a nap!I had steam buns, kebabs and lemon ice tea for lunch (all the things I had learnt how to buy yesterday) and then I wandered around the city. I walked around Baoxian Lake and sat for a couple of hours and read. I then walked back via Reng lake:
to the hostel where I settled down in the lounge with a Tsingtao beer. I chickened out in the evening and went back to the same place for dinner because it felt safe but I did manage to order something different! Around the square there was a big night market but I didn't buy any of the rubbish they had on offer.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment