Views Galore

Today, like so many of my recent days, started with me and the others getting into a taxi to head off for our first adventure of the day. On our original itinerary this was listed as an option, but an unmissable one: a visit to Sally’s village for a real experience of local life. Sally is Dragon Trips first ever Chinese tour guide, it was her restaurant we ate at last night. However, this outing only works price wise when at least five of the group agree to go and although all of the group would have liked to have done it, because there are only three of us this option wasn’t available to us. Fortunately Ping, our tour guide, has been working hard to come up with an alternative for us. We are heading to the mountains in the Yangshuo countryside. Another day, another hike; lucky I love a hike. This one does not disappoint, other than revealing to me how unfit I am becoming – it is magical. Walking up a mountain side covered in lush greenery, which not only gives the group precious protection from the beaming sun but also a great landscape to enjoy whilst traversing through it. Once at the top we get amazing views of the surrounding mountains, river and fields below. Of course there is a massive Chinese flag at the viewing point which we all take turns to take photos of each other as well as the views.

We take a different route down the mountain. This is the first time Ping has taken a group on this hike and only the second time she has done it herself. This is the one of three mountains that were options for us: it is the middle ground. Option one was a quick 10 minute hike up to a well known view point, which during the holidays is likely to be extremely crowded and the locals have started charging people to walk. Option three was a rather hard climb with no real path, but some choose to do it due to a monument to friendship built upon the mountain by a Japanese man who lives nearby with his family. People climb this in the hope of helping foster better relations between the two countries. We chose option two, a proper hike but with a path and one where the locals only charge sometimes, and no where near as much as option one. Luckily for us we aren’t charged at all today. However, as a path that Ping hasn’t walked many times, we take a couple of wrong turns on the way down before being corrected by some local farmers. To be fair to Ping the paths are not clear at all and often just seem to be taking us through the middle of local orchards and farm yards.

The mountains of Yangshuo

The reason for this different route back is because of our destination – a local landmark, a crossing of the Li river, a view point from which a famous image was taken. This image of some mountains with a flowing river and a single bamboo raftsman is the picture used on the Chinese 20 yuan banknote. For a country that is supposedly communist, the Chinese culture focuses heavily upon the quest for prosperity and financial advancement, so a fascination with the scenes on their money does not surprise me. Once at the crossing it is very busy with many bamboo gondolas taking people to and from each side. We choose to avoid them as Ping says they are rather costly. Instead we walk across a pathway built of large stones placed in the shallows to a rock bed that sticks out of the water. It is not the exact spot of the viewpoint but is pretty darn close, and is free to get to, which the group is very happy with. After getting our photos and videos we head back over the rock path and walk further down the river bank. We are heading for the water bus to take us over to other side of the river, as it is not a gondola and around a bend from the viewpoint the price drops to 3 yuan per person, in other words 30p.

What is waiting for us on the other side is the beautiful town of Xing Ping. Situated on the banks of the Li River, it is a popular tourist spot for Chinese tourists due to it’s proximity to the viewpoint and a location situated in what is known as the Pearl of China, and the natural beauty of this area. It is a town with traditional Chinese architecture and winding narrow streets filled with rows of tourist shops selling different tourist trinkets. More beef jerky similar to what I saw in Macao, photo shops where you can rent traditional clothing and get your make up done and have a professional photographer show you the best spots in the area for photos. These photos in traditional dress are a phenomenon which is apparently increasingly popular with the current youth of China. A fact that is backed up by the sheer number of people I have seen wearing these outfits. However, none of these things are the reason for our group’s detour here. We are coming for a specific restaurant; one of a local chain known for perfecting the local delicacy – rice noodles. Invented centuries ago by an empress to appease northern Chinese armies that had ventured into southern China. North China was known for it’s wheat and noodles and Southern China for it’s abundant crop of rice. The armies used by northern kingdoms to unite China struggled with the local diet and so rice noodles were born. The dish is delicious, Ping has to order for us using local dialect. Foreigners, including non-local Chinese, have to pay the tourist price of 18 yuan a bowl, but with Ping here we are only charged 7 yuan. We get a big bowl of soup with rice noodles and thin strips of meat, as well as an open toppings bar to add as much veg and other toppings as we like, including chilli.

Banknote beauty
(click on the top right hand icon)

Rice noodles

After filling our bellies it is back to the hostel for a rest. When we are back, I am very pleased to find all my clean laundry placed on my bed waiting for me, so after a quick shower I change into my first fully clean set of clothes in a few days. We only have a short time before we are off for our afternoon activity, rock climbing. Tom, Erika and I are met outside our hostel by an instructor from the rock climbing school who will be driving us to just outside of town. After working our way slowly through traffic we get to the spot, an area set up with three climbs ranging from easy to hard. After a quick reminder of the basics – all of us have climbed before at least once – we quickly ascend the first climb reaching the top rather fast and back down. As we all go up one at a time we have ample opportunity to get photos of each other. After the first climb is complete and we are all warmed up Erika straps up for the second and starts her climb, about halfway a group of Americans who where ahead of us finish up and their instructor calls over the other Tom to strap up and climb the hard rock skipping climb two.

I am left with three phones and a camera to take photos of both of them and I try desperately not to miss a shot. Fortunately, Erika is down quickly and I pass this responsibility over to her, and strap up and get ready for the second climb. I feel I am little slower then the others in my climbs, but not for lack of fitness or anything like that, I just feel I am more deliberate with my choice of handles and footing. Even so I am rather happy with myself when I get to the top of the second climb in pretty good time. Tom has failed to reach the top of the third climb which Erika is now strapping up for. It is a harder climb, because about two thirds of the way up there is a massive crevice, which is great to take a break in, but is difficult to climb round to get to the final third. Having said that, Erika makes it look easy and reaches the top after only a quick break. Tom opts to skip climb number two altogether, meaning I can have a rest while he gets the photos of Erika doing the third climb. Once she is done, making it look easy, it is my go. I, like the the other Tom and Erika, get to the crevice with relative ease and take a break. I am tired, sweaty and have already scrapped the shit out of my right knee by time I get there. After what feels like a life time I attempt the climb out of the crevice, but my hands are so slippery, we haven’t been given any chalk, and I slip. After a quick recovery and another attempt I realise it isn’t happening and give up. At least I got to the same point as the other Tom. Although I quickly tell Ping, when we are back, Erika got to the top of all three climbs, I got to the top of two and the other Tom only got to the top of the first. A little annoyed he points out that this is only because he didn’t do the second climb. To which I reply that what I said is still true though.

That evening we decide to take it easy as we are up early tomorrow. We go to a local fried rice place that Ping shows us, for what I have to say, is a rather disappointing meal. Then after a little wander around town and a quick trip to the supermarket to stock up on snacks for our travel day tomorrow, we head to bed early.

Rest in a crevice