From Beijing to Hong Kong and Everything in Between
 

As I begin to look through the Fodor's forum topics for my next adventure I decided it is due time that I write about a recent China trip that myself, my husband, and 2 friends took this past September.

First of all I would like to send a huge thank you to those who took the time to answer my endless questions and also to those who have written previous trip reports as I found them to be an amazing resource.

I must put it out there, I am a planner, always have been and always will be. I make sure to have Plan A, B, C, and D in my head. I like to know where recommended places to stay and eat are. I like to know what my options are for modes of transportation to get from Point A to Point B (bus, train, and flight times). I also like to have an exhaustive list of things to see and do in an area before hand so time is not wasted while I am travelling. With that being said having travelled to China previously I also realise that Plan A, B, C, and D may not work out and being flexible is key.

As mentioned previously my husband and I have travelled to China before; in 2006 we found an amazing flight deal to Beijing and decided why not! It was our first time travelling outside of North America and it was quite the experience. We visited Beijing and Tai’ Shan and after 14 days were ready for home. It was an incredible experience but an exhausting one and the language barrier we faced at the time seemed insurmountable. Four years later I knew I was not done with China and it seemed like a great way to say farewell to my 20’s!

Our travel dates were from Sept. 9 – 27, 2010 and we had a tentative itinerary that included Beijing, Chengdu, Guilin, Yangshuo, and Hong Kong. We had pre booked our accommodations in Beijing (Sitting on the City Walls Courtyard House), Chengdu (Sim’s Cozy), Yangshuo (Yangshuo Village Inn), and Hong Kong (Stanford Hillview Hotel). We had also pre booked 2 domestic flights on C-Trip (Chengdu – Guilin, and Guilin – Guangzou). We booked 1 private driver while in China and that was to go out to the Great Wall; the rest of the time we relied on taxis, hotel transportation, and the bus.

Our final itinerary looked like this:
Sept 10 – Arrive in Beijing
Sept 11 – Beijing
Sept 12 – Beijing
Sept 13 – Xian
Sept 14 – Chengdu
Sept 15 – Chengdu
Sept 16 – Chengdu
Sept 17 – Chengdu
Sept 18 – Chengdu
Sept 19 – Guilin
Sept 20 – Yangshuo
Sept 21 – Yangshuo
Sept 22 – Yangshuo
Sept 23 – Yangshuo
Sept 24 – Guangzhou
Sept 25 – Hong Kong
Sept 26 – Hong Kong
Sept 27 – Depart Hong Kong

Sept. 10 – It was mid afternoon when we arrived in Beijing and we headed straight to the hostel, via taxi (90 rmb), finally arriving around 5:00 pm. It was our plan to book the next leg of our trip as soon as we got settled in. Because we had been to Beijing before we had decided that we would only stay a couple of days and head out on Sunday, Sept 12 after our day trip to the Great Wall. We soon realised that we would not be catching a train too anywhere in such short notice. So we decided to not worry about it for the time being and head out to see some of the city. We headed out on foot, map in hand, in hopes of finding the Night Market; on the way we passed the Forbidden City which looked amazing all lit up. When we reached the market I decided to go for a wrap that I had the last time we were in Beijing. The wrap included fried beef, cabbage, and bean sprouts and was as good as I remembered. Our one friend went for some dumplings which were not a winner while my husband and our other friend decided to be brave and go for the snake which turned out to be snake skin and was also a no go. After battling the crowd at the Night Market we decided to call it a day and proceeded back to the hotel for the night.

Sept. 11 – We woke up at 4:30 am, thank you jet lag, and slowly got ready for the day. We had decided we would go to the Forbidden City in the morning and the markets in the afternoon. We arrived at the gates of the Forbidden City around 8:00 am and had about a half hour to wait. There were a few people lined up but it wasn`t too bad. Along with the Forbidden City we also bought a ticket to see the treasure hall and the 9 Dragon Screen, something we did not see during our last visit (~90 rmb). We spent the next couple of hours exploring the grounds and enjoying a relatively quiet morning. After leaving the Forbidden City we walked through Tiananmen Square and eventually ended up at a KFC for both food and the washroom. A tip we took with us last time and this time to China was that chain restaurants like KFC, MacDonalds, Pizza Hut, etc. often have western toilets and may be cleaner than alternatives(not sure I believe this tip anymore!). After a spicy chicken burger we headed out to find a silk store that one of our friends had read about. I am not sure that we actually found the store we were looking for but ended up at the China Silk Store which had alot of beautiful options to choose from. After buying some silk we caught a taxi to the Dirt Market where we practiced our bartering and found a few treasures. After the Dirt Market we headed to the Pearl Market which was a shopping frenzy! It was as crazy as our first visit to the market however this time we knew what to expect and were not caught off guard when both arms were latched on to by woman wanting to sell us something. We made out with some eyeglass frames, watches, etc. It was a fun shopping experience however trying to convince a taxi to take us back to our hostel afterwards was not! We quickly realised that it was much easier to ask the taxis to take us to the Forbidden City and walk the few minutes to the hostel.

After returning to the hostel and freshening up we headed to Da Dong Restaurant for Peking Duck. Reviews were mixed on the restaurant but we decided that we would make up our own mind. We had a short half hour wait for a table in which time we watched the cooks in the kitchen prepare duck after duck. Ordering was a bit of a challenge due to the language barrier (english menu helps) but the waitress was patient with us and we ended up ordering duck, fried rice, and bean sprouts. The duck came with a number of condiments (sugar, sauce, bun, etc) and included soup and a dessert that tasted like a corn sorbet. We had no idea how much food there was going to be but it was plenty for 4 people (680 rmb). After our dinner arrived the waitress showed us what to do with the duck and the condiments, who knew duck and sugar could be so tasty! Be aware that they include everything from the duck so make sure if you are squeamish you are paying attention to what you are eating or you may be digging into the head and brain! After another tough search for a taxi we again settled on being dropped off at the Forbidden City. Upon returning to the hostel we decided to book airline tickets to Xian and then from Xian – Chengdu. We found domestic airline travel in China to be considerably cheaper then here in Canada and a great option when you have time constraints. We would have loved to have had the experience and adventure of an overnight train but it wasn`t to be.

Sept. 12 – Up bright and early again we met our driver (600 rmb) for the Great Wall at 7:00 am and headed out to the Mutianyu section of the wall. Now I know that there is alot of debate on the need for a driver, I say decide for yourself. It was nice to have someone who could tell us about the area as we drove out to the wall but I also realise we spent alot more money than the other options would have cost. Keep in mind it was also a benefit to have the 4 of us split the cost. Another reason we had for hiring a driver was that we were not sure what we would be doing with our luggage as our plan was to head out that evening. As it turned out we were able to hang on to our room at the hostel until 6:00 pm and were able to leave our bags there. Another bonus to keeping the room for the half day was the access to the shower after our day at the Great Wall; it was well worth the extra half day charge we paid.

We arrived at the Great Wall around 9:00 am and took the cable car up to maximize time. We had decided to go to the Mutianyu section of the wall as it is supposed to be less touristy than some of the other sections. To be able to experience the Great Wall not just once but twice was an amazing opportunity and one I will treasure. We stayed on the wall till almost noon, walking as far to the one end as one could go. While the walk was tough in some places, including steep steps of varying heights, it was great to be there. Looking back it is the rest breaks that I treasured most, stopping to take the view in, trying to see how far the wall extended, listening to the birds and odd bug we would come across, it was amazing. When it was time to go we took the toboggan down which was as fun as I had remembered.

After the great wall we headed back to Beijing arriving around 3:00 pm. After freshening up we decided to eat at the hostel and had a meal of sweet and sour chicken, spicy chicken and peanuts, chicken and mushrooms, and an order of dumplings; the food was ok. After dinner we checked out and headed to the airport for our flight to Xian (880 rmb pp). Booking through C-Trip ended up being easy, when arriving at the airport we just had to show our passports and we received our boarding passes. We had no concern regarding lack of availability for booking flights last minute however we did get a better deal on the flights we had pre booked.

Sept 14 – Today was a day set aside for travelling. We checked out of the hostel first thing in the morning and headed out to find the ticket office for the airport shuttle. After lugging our backpacks around we settled for a taxi which ended up costing us 150 rmb. The flight was uneventful and we arrived in Chengdu around 3:00 pm. We were greeted with smog and lots of it which was disappointing. We had arranged for hotel pick up at the airport (60 rmb) and a young woman was waiting for us when we arrived, unfortunately she had more interest in her phone than us so our first impressions of Chengdu were not the best. We got to the hostel with no problem but found that the triple room we had booked had been given away (????) so we ended up with a single and a double room. This was a perfect example of how it doesn’t matter how much planning you do somethings are out of your hands. I had even confirmed with the hostel while in Beijing but it didn’t matter. My biggest complaint was that we ended up spending more on the 2 rooms than the triple room and they were not willing to give it to us at the same rate even though it was there mix up (~1000 rmb for 2 rooms for 4 nights). My impressions of Chengdu were rapidly declining and I was beginning to feel that our choice in cities may have been a mistake.

For the rest of the day we stuck around the hostel getting organized and planning our next few days. We booked a ½ day panda tour (88 rmb) for the next day and then had dinner consisting of scrambled eggs and tomatoes and some dessert dumplings, not to bad for 20 rmb.

Sept. 15 – Our tour was to head out at 7:45 am so we gave ourselves 45 minutes to have breakfast which turned out to not be enough time and I had to take my tea to go. 6 of us piled into the van along with the driver and we were on our way. We arrived at the panda centre about 45 minutes later at which time I was having some angry feelings, I was getting tired of the constant smog and the crazy driving. The pandas also left me with mixed emotions; while it was exciting to see the pandas and the babies I found it ironic whenever I would come across a sign saying "respect the animals". It would be at this time that there would be someone whistling, shouting, laughing, and trying to get their attention so a photo could be taken. Along with the pandas the area also had the red panda, coy fish, and black swans to be seen. IMO the panda centre has a long way to go in creating an educational setting that will inform people of the beautiful panda; until that time comes I am not sure I can recommend it. I would like to think that the more people who visit the centre the more it has to invest in the educational side but if they do not even enforce their signs saying to respect the animals, don`t yell at them, etc., I am sceptical of the programs mission.

After getting back to the hostel we booked a driver for Le Shan for the next day (600 rmb + 50 rmb for air conditioning). We then headed out to Wen Shu Temple (5 rmb) which turned out to be a turning point during my stay in Chengdu. The temple was so peaceful and had a number of people either singing or playing games. On the way back to the hostel we come across a great little area with a ton of shops and we took our time walking through it. I decided my first impressions of Chengdu were just that and I was quickly warming up to it. The people in Chengdu were extremely friendly and seemed excited to nod to you or some would even stop and talk (broken communication).

After returning to the hostel we booked tickets to the Sichuan theatre for the following Friday (130 rmb), we then headed out for our first hotpot experience. We went to Chong Qing Qin Ma Hotpot Restaurant recommended by the hostel. Being it was a recommendation I assumed that there would be some English or at least an English menu. Instead of English we again relied on pointing and it came with alot of laughter from both sides. I am not sure the waiters knew what to do with us but it was a great time. We managed to order the double hotpot (a tip I took from a previous forum, thank you) which included the hot oil and a non spicy broth. We ordered beef, pork, potato, mushroom, cabbage, yam, pasta, and another unknown leafy vegetable. The food was fantastic but HOT, HOT, HOT. Thank goodness we ordered the double hotpot, the non spicy broth was a refreshing reprieve from the spicy oil. In total our dinner came to 101 rmb including a large bottle of Pepsi and beer.

Sept. 16 – It had been a week since we left Canada and in that time we travelled thousands of miles and seen so much. What would the next 11 days bring?

It was a rough night, as much as I loved the hotpot it did not love me back, after some pepto and some yogurt I was finally feeling as though I could tackle Le Shan. We hired a driver through the hostel and shared him with a couple from Israel. We got to Le Shan around noon and were given 4 hours to explore. The entrance to Le Shan was 90 rmb and it turned out to be a highlight of the trip. We checked out the Buddha from both sides, snapping pictures along the way, and then headed down to the base of the Buddha where you could get up close to one of his big toes! Since we had 4 hours we decided to venture past the Buddha and check out the fishing village and eventually came across a beautiful bridge. There was also supposed to be a temple further on but we decided that we better head back. On the way back we did made sure to stop and look at the jewellery that some of the locals were selling. We used our bartering skills that we developed in Beijing and walked away with some great bracelets. The sellers seemed happy to see us buy something considering that besides ourselves and a father and son no one else had ventured that far. The heat was surreal and by the time we arrived at the meeting point we were soaked through and through. It was 3:30, half an hour before we were to meet and we were surprised to learn that the couple from Israel had returned soon after visiting the Buddha, they had been waiting for us for the last 2 hours. It seemed like a shame to come all that way for only a quick view but they stated that it was too hot for them to continue. I can only imagine what everyone thought of us – all red faced and sweaty disasters but coming in view of that bridge and interacting with the few locals in the area made it all worth it. In hindsight going out to Le Shan earlier in the day would have been better, allowing us to avoid the numerous tour groups, but very few made it past the Buddha so it really didn`t matter in the end.

By the time we got back to the hostel it was 7:00 pm, the trip back was rather uneventful excluding the fact that our driver was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. I was constantly telling my husband to try and make small talk with the guy so we didn`t end up in the ditch! This was not to be our last experience with a sleepy driver.

Sept. 17 – I felt way better this morning however was beginning to develop a cough. Last time we travelled to China I returned with a sinus infection and bronchitis so this time I made sure to take a well stocked medicine kit to try and avoid getting sick. We took a taxi to Dufu Cottage (60 rmb) and wandered around the grounds for an hour or so. A warning to others, make sure to watch where you walk when it has rained as the steps and walkways can be extremely slippery, this was not just the case in Chengdu but we also found it so in Yangshuo and Moon Hill. My husband bit it going down some stairs while walking at Dufu cottage and felt the effects for a couple of days.

After Dufu Cottage we headed to the Shu Brocade Factory (across the street from 1 Caotang Road), which I had found reference to while searching the internet. The factory had some amazing pieces of work and the staff were wonderful. They even provided us with some history of Shu Brocade in China and welcomed questions. I bought a bed runner for a wedding gift, a piece of brocade for my own wall, and then some smaller items for gifts. The Shu Brocade Factory was a highlight and my biggest regret is not going back and spending more time looking through the work. The day we went was so hot so we didn`t spend alot of time at the factory and we still wanted to see Wo Hou Temple. I would recommend a visit to the Shu Brocade Factory to anyone, whether you buy something or not a visit is well worth it just to look at the beautiful pieces of work. They do have a website and I am anxiously awaiting the day that they offer online ordering, hopefully they will expand their market.

On the way to Wu Hou Temple (60 rmb) we looked for a restaurant that may have an English menu but settled for chips, crackers, and cookies. We decided to take our snacks to the temple and find somewhere to settle. The Temple was amazing, very relaxing, alot of people doing Tai Chi, and had beautiful greenery. We enjoyed our snacks while taking it all in.

After Wu Hou Temple we walked through Jinli Street which had some great looking places to eat however we were still full from our snacks. We then took a taxi back to the hostel getting back in time for the Sichuan Opera at Jing Jiang Theatre. A driver arranged by the hostel took us to the theatre and got us seated at which time we were given tea. As we drank our tea the driver went and got our tickets for us and when it was time he showed us where to go to get to our seats. The show was great and included everything from singing, masks, fire breathing, an artwork auction, hand puppets, etc.

Sept. 18 – We had a late start to the day and didn`t really have much planned. My husband decided to stay in as he was sore from his fall the previous day so us girls decided to head out on our own. Where did we decide to go? Well why not check out Walmart. To this day I cannot believe we decided to go to Walmart over returning to the Shu Brocade Factory. With that said, no point in dwelling on it, Walmart was an experience and seeing all the different products for sale was interesting. The one thing I was hoping to find at Walmart was a birthday card as it was one of our fellow traveller`s 40th birthday in a couple of days, but I had no luck.

When we returned to the hostel, my husband was feeling better so we decided to head out again. In search of AC we found Star Bucks and enjoyed some coffee. After drinks we headed next door to Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut in China is not the same as in Canada, it is very trendy and modern, it was neat to see the difference. The meal was fine, nothing to rave over though.

After walking back to the hostel we cleaned up, packed our bags, and checked out. After an hour, including time to fix a flat, we arrived at the airport for our flight to Guilin. It was an entertaining ride, and we all found humour in the fact that we arrived at the airport on empty, this driver was determined not to stop for gas! Even funnier than stopping in the middle of the street, having us all pile out of the car, taking the tire off, checking for a leak, filling the tire, and putting it back on was when our taxi decided to drive down a one way street the wrong way. Meanwhile he proceeded to honk at everyone else who was coming our way. It was good to get to the airport and be on our way to Guilin.

Our time in Chengdu had turned around and no longer did we wonder if we had made the right choice in which city to visit. There was so much to do we had no problem filling our days. We would have liked to have gone out to Qing Shen Mountain however it was closed while we were there. The Dujiangyan Irrigation project was also on our list of to do`s but we just ran out of time. We probably could have crammed more into our days however taking the time to watch the every day life in the city was interesting, particular seeing the dentist offices with windows allowing everyone to see who was getting dental work done, no little room for them everything was wide open and the audience was any passerby on the street!

> who knew duck and sugar could be so tasty!

I loved the Peking duck at Da Dong! But your description surprised me - when I was there last spring, the duck was carved at my table and did not include any part of the head.

kja the duck was carved at the table, forgot to mention that, but yes indeed the head which had been split in half was there and the brain along with it, sorry to be so discriptive, lol. I am a farm girl so it wasn't a huge deal to me but I must admit I was a bit surprised. Maybe it is not something they usually include, they seemed to be a bit frazzeled as they had just brought a couple of ducks out to some larger tables and when they started carving them they found they weren't cooked completely, they seemed to be getting behind.

The Sichuan Basin has long been known for its fog and mist. So, what you see in Chengdu is normal. In fact, a Chinese proverb dating back to the Tang Dynasty in 9thC says "Sichuanese dogs bark at the sun" since they see the sun so infrequently.

CONT.....

Sept. 19 – We arrived at Guilin airport an hour late but our airport pickup driver was still waiting for us. We had arranged the driver through the Riverside Hostel (400 rmb for 2 nights) and he was by far the best driver we had the whole trip. We got checked in at the hostel which proved to be a great choice. The room we had included a double bed, our own washroom, and was clean and spacious. We immediately arranged for a driver to take us to the Dazai rice terraces the next day. The cost was steep (700 rmb) however it was worth it for the views and we had no time constraints.

The trip to the rice terraces was fine and took just under 3 hours. The road between Ping’An and Dazai was interesting to say the least; the road was narrow and included some steep cliffs along the side. Honking around each bend was a common occurrence and luckily we were seldom met by anybody. When we got to the terraces we were greeted by many women offering different things for sale and then offering to act as a guide. We decided that we would hire a young woman (40 rmb) which turned out alright but wasn’t particularly necessary. She did show us a goat path that cut through half way up the terraces which we decided to take advantage of due to the extreme heat. The views were still amazing and we were able to get up close to the rice terraces. As we made our way through the fields and began our decent the guide made a call which we later realised was to her husband ensuring that he met us at the bottom with her things to sell us. There is always something to buy in China! It turned out to be a great day, even though exhaustion was beginning to set in and what we really needed was a day off.

Our drive back to Guilin was as eventful as some of our other drives, this time because our driver could not keep his eyes open. Luckily he was able to keep awake through the steep cliff section of the road however once we got out of the terraces and onto the flat section it was a challenge for him. My husband had to nudge him twice as the car began to head towards the ditch. Finally we stopped at a washroom and he got some fresh air and had a smoke which seemed to get him through the rest of the drive. For some reason this all seemed ok in China, as is driving without seatbelts or seats for that matter, cramming people in wherever there was space. We were definitely forced to leave our inhibitions at home or we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere! Thank God we got back to the hostel alright.

After freshening up we headed out to find a place to eat and ran into our first scam. Well perhaps our second since our cab drive from the Terracotta Warriors appeared to be also a scam. We were looking for a place called Ren but my husband got talking to a fellow named “Lee” who instead of taking us to Ren took us to a friend/family restaurant. I was extremely annoyed at being “taken” but we went with the flow. The food wasn’t horrible, we ended up having some rice and some fried dumplings which were more like steam buns. But the price (200 rmb) was ridiculous and therefore we paid for being sucked in. Oh well we learned our lesson. On the way back to the hostel we made our way through the market and stacked up on some gifts for home. Bartering was far easier in Guilin than in Beijing and the prices were better.

Sept. 20 – We checked out of our hostel first thing in the morning and headed to the train/bus station which was just a 5 minute walk away. We got our bus tickets for Yangshuo (15 rmb) and we boarded right away. The trip took just under 2 hours and was a great opportunity to take in the beauty of the area. The bus was relatively empty so it was a relaxing and comfortable trip. Once in Yangshuo we took a taxi (40 rmb) to Moon Hill Village where we were staying at the Village Inn.

We ended up with reservations at the Village Inn after our reservations were lost at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat. The loss of reservations ended up working out better than one could imagine. We had 2 rooms in the farmhouse at the Village Inn and after some discussion we were given the rooms at the same rate as our initial booking. We all immediately fell in love with the farmhouse, it was full of character including the layout and decor, and the staff were wonderful. It was also a joy to be staying in a small village where we were able to enjoy the peace and quiet and
take in our beautiful surroundings.

After having lunch at the roof top terrace restaurant “Luna” we headed out for a walk. We walked and walked, crossed a bridge, and walked some more. Except for the odd vehicle we never came across a single person until we reached some gardeners in a field just before hitting a small village. The village was as quiet as the road getting there but we eventually came across a small shop which had a cooler. We had only a partial bottle of water left and we were thankful to have come across it. After picking up some drinks we headed back along the way we had come. On the way back we saw an ox in the field and also came across a number of markers heading up into the hills, we believe they were grave markers. The solitude was a reprieve from the constant shuffle of Chengdu and Guilin. Our walk took most of the afternoon and we decided that we would head back to Luna for dinner. The food was good and the prices only slightly higher then we found in other parts of China during our travels.

Luna would prove to be somewhere we would escape to throughout our stay in Yangshuo. We would often head up to the restaurant, order a pot of ginger tea, and chat while admiring Moon Hill. The weather during our stay in the area consisted mainly of rain so it was a real treat to have an excuse to just sit back and think about how far we had come. I continue to make ginger tea at home however have not been able to master it as well as Luna did.

rkkwan, thank you for that proverb! I am going to pass it along to my travel partners. I will admit we did see a glimpse of the sun while we were at the Pandas and I took a picture of it just in case we didn't see it again!

Great report. Thanks for writing!

Cont.....

Sept. 21 – Today we headed off to see the water caves (120 rmb), arrangements were made through the hotel, and included pick up shortly after breakfast. To our surprise our mode of transportation included a little blue van that already had 4 people, including the driver, inside. The 4 of us managed to squeeze in anyways and we were off. We made it to the caves which were an amazing site. We entered the caves by canoe and then walked for a couple of km’s seeing the different formations. My husband took advantage of the mud bath and we all enjoyed soaking our feet in the hot springs. It was a great morning and considering it was raining outside it was something we could do and not worry about umbrellas and ponchos. We got back to the drop off point shortly before noon with no ride in site. We never bothered to confirm that the van would pick us up but just assumed he would be waiting for us. Just as we were beginning to debate on how we would return to the Village Inn the little blue van pulled up to drop another load of people off and to pick us up.

Something that I found unfortunate during our time in the Yangshuo area was that cameras, computers, printers, and even laminators were everywhere, including inside the cave, waiting to get that Kodak moment and to make a sale. Tours did not provide the opportunity to just look around and take everything in but were always interrupted by someone trying to make a sale.

After we returned from the caves we decided to head into Yangshuo and do some shopping on West Street. We enjoyed dinner at a restaurant right on West Street (sorry can’t remember the name) and had the Jian Jin (?) Noodles and to top it off the most beautiful latte that tasted as good as it looked. After walking the whole of West Street we took a taxi back to Moon Hill Village.

As a side note even though we stayed outside of Yangshuo it was easy enough to find a ride into town and only cost a few rmb. Whenever we wanted to head into Yangshuo we would just go out to the highway that passed Moon Hill Village and wave to a van that was passing by. The first ride we got was with a father and daughter and they dropped us off at the bus station in town. The second ride was with a couple of people including some ducks and chickens, it was most enjoyable, lol.

Sept. 22 – This is when my journal keeping fell behind and I am now relying on patchy notes and memory.

The plan for today was to head to Fuli a local town known for its fans, or so my book said. It was market day in Fuli and catching the bus, which was actually a van, proved to be a greater challenge than anticipated. Since there were 4 of us we of course wanted on the same van however weren’t quite ready to start throwing elbows to get on! We finally got everyone in to the third van that had arrived and we were on our way. When we got to Fuli we were lost and with some pointing from the van driver headed in a direction with hopes of finding the market and the fans. It was raining at this point but we finally came upon the market which was quite the site. Meat was everywhere, as well as produce, knick knacks, etc. It was definitely a local market and was a great experience. We walked some more and hopped in a pedi cab in search of finding some fans. We were dropped off on a side street and were motioned to walk a certain direction to which we did. We found a few shops along the way and bought a couple of pieces of work. At the end of the street we found ourselves at the river and noticed an English sign mentioning river rides. We decided that since we had no idea how to get back to catch the bus to Yangshuo we would take a boat there. The boat ride back was great and the river was virtually empty excluding a number of birds and oxen bathing. It was a nice way to see the country side and we were all glad that we had made the trip to Fuli.

When we got back to Yangshuo we did some more shopping and then decided it was time for a break from the rain. We had read about the vegetarian restaurant “Pure Lotus” and decided to check it out. The food was excellent and I didn’t find the prices to be that exorbitant, one of my favourite dishes was a dessert that consisted of a pastry filled with an apple combination, yummm, it reminded me of apple pie.

Sept. 23 – Today we decided to hire a taxi to take us to Xiangui Bridge and tour around the country, seeing some of the local villages. The bridge was amazing and we got some great photos.

The plan was then to be dropped off and take the river raft back to Yangshuo. In hindsight we should have kept with the taxi and explored the villages more. I cannot express my level of disappointment with the river rafting. We were constantly harassed to buy a picture every time we went over a small drop in the water acting as a bit of a waterfall (only a few feet, not sure the name of it). I had read in a previous report that the person bought a beer for their guide so we decided that we would buy a beer for each of the guides in hopes they would forget about the pictures. We arrived at the stand in the middle of the river and asked for 3 beers, one for each driver and one for my husband and I to share. After the bottles were opened the worker at the stand asked us for 90 rmb for the beer. I was floored, it was the same beer you could get in Xian for ~ 7 rmb and at our hotel in Yangshuo for ~15 rmb, now we were being charged 30 rmb! As I began to express my displeasure my husband reminded me that we were in the middle of the river and did we really want to go for a swim. Realising he was right I forked over the 90 rmb but my views on the day were forever soured. As we finished the raft ride we were even dropped off farther upstream from the bridge than the other rafters. I refused to let the river raft ruin my feelings of Yangshuo however I will never recommend someone to take the river raft on the Yulong. The beauty of the scenery was completely ruined by the constant berating to buy a picture. I much preferred the river trip we took the previous day from Fuli when we were pretty much the only ones on the water and there were no snap shots to be sold.

I made sure to put the river raft out of my head as we only had a short time left in Yangshuo. On the way back to Moon Hill Village we all piled into a pedi cab which to this day I can’t believe it made it the whole way with the 4 of us in it. It was a short walk but we wanted the experience of taking the pedi cab on the highway as vehicles flew past us, lol. That night we decided that we needed to try some local food. We asked the staff at the hotel what they recommended and to our surprise they said that if we wanted to order some local dishes we could have them brought to Luna and eat on the roof top terrace. This is what we decided to do and we ended up ordering beer fish, river snails, rice, and if I remember right an egg plant dish. Today was also our fellow traveller’s 40th birthday so it was a special night. The food was excellent although I think I was the only one who liked the river snails. The beer fish was great as were the vegetable dishes. The staff even brought a dessert for the birthday girl! It was a great way to spend our last night in Moon Hill Village.

Sept. 24 – This morning we decided that we had stared at Moon Hill long enough and it was time we hiked up it. We started out first thing, before the rain, and were met by only one lady who we told we would buy drinks from after we come down from the top. The climb up Moon Hill was spectacular and the views from the top were amazing. We were the only ones on the hill and it was nice having it to ourselves. On the way down it had started to rain again and the steps were pretty slick. We met a few people on the path going up and of course when we got to the bottom the lady we talked to earlier was waiting for us. She was such a sweetheart and we all bought drinks from her. By this time all the other ladies were also out and were quite displeased that we didn't get drinks from them.

After Moon Hill we decided to go check out the Big Banyan Tree which was worth the short walk, although by the time we got there we were met with a huge crowd. After returning to the Village Inn it was time to say goodbye to my beloved farmhouse and the wonderful staff who treated us so well. I was sad to say goodbye to Moon Hill Village but was ready for Hong Kong.

Yangshuo was my number one place to visit on this trip and it did not disappoint. Staying in Moon Hill Village was fantastic and the memories I have of drinking ginger tea, eating beer fish, visiting Fuli, and coming across the farmers in the field during our first days walk, are ones I treasure. While there were some moments that I hated during my time spent in Yangshuo I realise it is at the hand of tourism and finding the solitude I value will be harder and harder to find in time. I would have loved to have seen Yangshuo in the early days before the printers, computers, and cameras but was still able to catch glimpses of what it used to be.

Marija, thank you for reading! I know it is long winded but there is just so much to say, its an amazing country.

Good read. Sounds like you had a great time. How llong did it take you to hike up Moon Hill?

daveoverton - I can't remember for sure how long it took but am pretty sure it was under an hour. We took a pretty easy pace up, stayed at the top for a bit, and had to take our time on the way down because it was slippery from the rain.

Thanks for an amazing report....was very helpful since I am in the midst of planning a trip that includes the same cities!