After waking up to a cloudy, foggy day, patience was rewarded by the weather clearing a little, allowing a lovely view of this impressive landscape with wisps of cloud sifting through the valley….
Then it was time to hike back down to the waiting taxi at the entrance to the park. This was a pleasant stroll, culminating in meeting our porters at the base of the hill. I relieved the little old man of my backpack (he must be 80 if a day) that he gleefully ran down the hill with, and got firmly ensconced in the car for the trip to Guangxi.
More after the break……
After a terrifying car journey (all car journeys are terrifying in China), and finally finding the hotel, we were delighted to meet up with our guide for the next few days. He got us lined out with visits and hikes over the next few days, but as ever, I’m praying for the right weather.
Our first stop the following day is a little village outside Yanshuo. This place has lots of old homes and a public hall that is over 500 years old. Wandering around, we got to meet some locals and another little old man showed us his home and bedroom / kitchen.
Seeing these living conditions, I promise I won’t whine about staying in a Holiday Inn again.
Futher on I saw this very cool room that is used for processing all of the villages rice. How many HSE rules are broken? But it works and has worked for a very long time…..
The afternoon was spent on a hot and sticky hike to a stone village that was being rebuilt in brick as fast as the villages could do it. Not much fun. After an offroad aventure in the minivan, a drive down the road gave up this sunset scenery….
End of Day one in Guangxi. Exhausted, but satisfied…..
More to come…….
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