Day 117 : Yangshuo

Most of today was spent in transit, getting from Point A (Ping An) to Point B (Hong Kong). I had my first sleeper bus experience. Three rows of bunk beds on one bus = pretty impressive. The experience was relatively pleasant minus the bus driver and his buddies chain smoking the entire time. I head to Egypt tomorrow!

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Day 116 : Ping An

Today I set out for a 4 hour walk across these beautiful green hills from Ping'An through several other villages. Along the way the path became rather unclear at which point a local woman offered her services to me. She was a real charmer. I couldn't resist, not to mention I was bound to get lost without her help. At a certain point along the way she handed me off to one of her two sons. He guided me to the next village which happened to be his own. He invited me in for lunch. I considered this to be my Fair Trade Exchange No. 4. I agreed to join him, his brother, and his wife for lunch. I would offer money for the meal and in exchange have the to opportunity to see them live and work in their private home. It was the best lunch I have had in a long time!

Near the end of my journey I ran into another friendly Chinese Lady. She wanted to feed me (again). I was still stuffed from lunch, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to get to know her and her home.

I was wondering what he was doing, lifting up loose floor boards and all...

Upon a closer look I learned that he was serving dinner to our dinner, Little Miss Piggy.

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Day 115 : Ping An

I spent most of today taking a number of bus rides north from Yangshuo to the Longsheng area (More specifically to the village of Ping'An). This area is know for its rice terraces. Now I know why. They are absolutely stunning. This was the view from my guest room. The green hillsides are laced with small villages.

Lunch at the Longsheng Bus Station.

After settling into my room I took an hour long walk to the Old Village of Ping'An.

These villages are full of children. Large families are essential in order to have enough man power to maintain the thousands of acres of rice fields. I came across this cute little clan during my walk through the old village. They were eager to pose for me. So eager that they couldn't maintain steady footing for the photo. I can't help but include this following sequence.

My dinner. Tofu = Yum!

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Day 114 : Yangshuo

Yangshuo and the surrounding area is ideal for cycling. This morning I grabbed my rental bike and headed north for the village of Xing Ping. The scenery was pretty spectacular (I can't help but sound like a broken record...). The 2 hour bike ride took me through several small towns, villages, and rice fields.

An old factory that seemed to be under going some renovation work.

Once I reached Xing Ping I chained my bike to a tree and set out to explore the village.

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Day 113 : Yangshuo

You can't walk for a second around Yangshuo without some one blurting the phrase 'Hello, Bamboo Boat?' in your face. The Li River is over crowded with these vessels and tourists. I decided to go for the alternative and walk along the river. It was a 5 hour walk from point A to point B. Along the way I passed through a number of villages, rice fields, and of course, phenomenal landscapes.

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Day 112 : Yangshuo

I spent today wandering around the small city center of Yangshuo and walking along the Li River. I came across more breath taking landscapes and an interesting wet and dry market.

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Day 111 : Yangshuo

I am staying at a nice little bed and breakfast in a small village just outside of Yangshuo. This morning I hopped on a bike and took a long ride up and down the riverside. The path took me through several interesting villages and rice fields. The spaces, textures, and people were wonderful.

Many of the dwellings are centered around exterior courtyards. They seem to function similarly to those of the Hakka Houses. I found many locals in the courtyards simply socializing, washing clothes, and preparing meals.

Even the ducks (real and artificial) hang out in these spaces...

They make sure these kids learn the ins and outs of the rice fields at an early age.

Getting lost proved to be part of the fun! I found myself wandering into the homes of locals more often than not, asking for directions once the dirt paths lacing rice fields together became more and more unclear. This lovely lady was among the many that helped me get back on track.

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