Almost Famous (Yangshuo, China)

I woke up early yesterday to catch a motorboat heading south along the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo. The trip took a bit under four hours, and it rained on and off the entire way. In certain spots, at least, the clouds lifted enough so that we (there were seven of us on the boat) were able to see some impressive karst formations in the background, including the one shown on China's 20 yuan note. We passed dozens of other slower-moving riverboats along the way--ours was the only motorboat--and each time caught pleasant smells of dumplings, which the staff were frying in giant woks in the rear of the boats, along with the unpleasant tinge of exhaust fumes.

Yangshuo is another backpacker mecca, like Guilin, but a bit more off the beaten path. The city center reminds me of the Chinese version of an alpine village, and there are plenty of Europeans around to help seal the resemblance.

I caught up with Uri and Shahak, my Israeli friends from Guilin, who were a day ahead of me in getting here. Yesterday's highlight by far, and the inspiration for the title of this post, was the rock 'n roll gig that Shahak and I performed at one of the local bars last night. Shahak played well enough the night before my arrival that the bar's owner asked him to come back again for a second night. Shahak needed a singer, and I am generally comfortable with the classic rock set he played--Sweet Child o' Mine (an octave lower than the GNR version), Purple Haze, Ring of Fire, House of the Rising Sun, Hey Jude, and a few others--so it actually worked pretty well. Shahak's solos easily covered me when I forgot the lyrics, and we even got free beers for our efforts. Friendly crowd, too; I think they just appreciated a Western presence. We've got another gig tonight.

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This morning, I rented a bike to explore the countryside west of town. Absolutely stunning. Rice fields, more karst formations, and an overcast sky that created a surreal, "Gorillas in the Mist" sort of backdrop. (I really do need to get my photos saved somehow. Easier said than done: There are no English program icons / commands on these computers).

The Yangshuo cooking class I signed up for begins in about an hour. The region is known for its fried noodles and "beer fish" (duck, etc.). Everything I've had so far has been pretty good, so I'm looking forward to learning how it's done.

And while I'm on food: At night, when everyone hits up the bars, tons of street-side BBQ stands open up for business. Chicken, beef, whole fishes, squid, and other mystery meats are skewered and cooked over charcoal, and everything is super-cheap. It sounds (and for the most part looks) like similar setups you'd find all over New York City. But here, nothing is refrigerated; the raw meat just sits there in the steamy heat. The end product looks pretty tasty, but I'm still afraid to put my Western stomach to the test.

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I'm off to Nanning tomorrow morning, and will be in northern Vietnam by Tuesday afternoon if my visa suffers no delays. (Typing that sentence seems to be remarkable commentary on how far we've come in the last 35 years).