Hello Guilin

Well, I read an article from a guy Murphy who said he had seen Guilin. He was complaining about rubbish along the river banks ands smog so thick you had to climb to the top of a mountain for a breath of fresh air. All things considered he was there in winter, and I am just back (26.05.05). I didn't see any rubbish, on the contrary there are always people sweeping up keeping the place tidy. We had a fair amount of rain though. It came in short thundery downpours and left the air nice and fresh afterwards.

We booked through a Chinese travel agent and went on a tour. Everything was of course in Chinese, but if you read up a little before you go, it's not so bad. The tours are well organised, packing a lot into your day and combining everything with reasonable/good accommodation, and three meals a day fit for an Emperor, if thats what you want. Some opted out and did their own thing.

The first impressions were influenced by what Murphy said, but in a way I knew
what to expect. It was a rainy foggy day. What Murphy missed out on was travelling through the amazing surreal Karst/ limestone countryside (in the sunshine), visiting the plethora of caves, including one of the biggest in Asia which can only resemble crystal palace in size and it's spectacurlarly flood lit from
one end to the other displaying it's magnatude and splendour to the lucky traveller.

Other items on the agenda included an antiquated rickety mono rail trip above the paddy fields where you could get a real impression of life in that region. Water buffulo and farmers blend into the countryside giving you a feeling of timlessness
as though nothing had changed in 1000 years. Ok yes, bumpy concrete roads, carrying everything from big trucks to old men towing a cart behind them. I imagine you see that all over China.

We went on numerous boat trips, one on the river Li, one going through the paddy fields, through a cave and visiting an ancient local tribe which actulally resemble the Maori of New Zealand with their dancing and antics,totem poles, threating you with spears etc.

I could go on and on but don't want to tire you out before you get there. Do it, experience Guilin, see the beautiful landscape, learn about the locals their stories and traditions, taste their food and enjoy. It was only 2 and 1/2 days actual touring, but I'll never forget them and will probably be back for more, once I've seen the rest of China that is! Have fun!

Zuzu