On the Mainland (Guilin, China)

Monday ended up being a rainy day in Hong Kong, so I decided to take the train to Guangzhou. I arrived about two hours after leaving Kowloon, and got to the station in Guangzhou without any idea of where to go next. (In retrospect, I should've taken the next train to some other city, because Guangzhou had very little to offer--it's a large, industrial city located in an industrial province. The city is gray and foreboding, and there's not a speck of English spoken anywhere (save the train station)).

At the station exit, there were several "Information" desks with lots of people pitching hotels and taxis. I needed both. I settled on one of the lower cost options, and then expected the young woman with whom I was speaking to help get me into a taxi and send me on my way. Instead, she and another young woman got into a car (not a taxi) with me, and took me to the hotel. This was necessary, it became apparent, so that they could negotiate the price with the hotel attendant. I paid about half of what the posted price was at the hotel, and paid nothing for the ride over, so it seemed to be a decent deal.

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After less than 24 hours in Guangzhou, I made for Guilin, a much more tourist-friendly spot. I expected to take a 10-hour bus to get here, but after I said the phrase for "bus station" to the cab driver, he took me to an express bus heading straight to the airport. Fair enough, flying is quicker.

The ticket cost about US$45, half of what my Lonely Planet Southwest China guidebook quoted, and saved me a half day of traveling. I was in Guilin by noon; the process couldn't have been easier.

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For all the ways in which I found Guangzhou lacking, Guilin has more than delivered. This is a great spot. I spent yesterday, my first (half) day here, exploring by foot. It's a clean, well laid-out city with tons of restaurants and shops in the city center, which is pedestrian-only, and plenty of great sites in the surrounding area.

I had a quick lunch after checking into a hostel. The waitress handed me a menu and immediately pointed to the beef and broccoli lunch special. It was good.

After lunch, I went to Shan Lake, which connects to the Li River, the main waterway bisecting the city. Adjacent to the waterfront is a long, idyllic, peaceful walkway--better than any other such place I've ever seen--complete with trees and flowers in full bloom. It reminded me of the carousel scene in the movie "Mary Poppins." I took some great pictures, which (again) I'll have to figure out how to upload at some point in the future.

Later, I walked to the Solitary Beauty Peak, an abrupt rock karst overlooking Guilin. The Peak is encompassed by the Jingjiang Prince City, a complex of temples and palaces built in the 14th century which at one point housed the Guangxi (provincial) government. I tried to jump in with some of the tour groups exploring the buildings (there are lots of inscriptions, paintings, and other art inside), but didn't get much out of doing this--everything was in Chinese.

So I climbed the stairs to the top of the Peak instead. It's tall enough (about 500 feet) to get a 360-degree view of Guilin and the city outskirts. And I took more great pictures.

In the evening, I met some fellow travelers in the lobby of the hostel: two Israelis, Uri and Shahak, who just finished their mandatory military service, and a Brit, Vince. After beers and dinner, the four of us came back to the hostel, drank more beers, and sang songs while Shahak played the guitar. (He's an excellent player; he brought the guitar along for his entire 6-month trip).

We also talked Israeli politics. I mentioned that my dad spent almost two weeks in training with the Israeli Defense Forces a couple of years ago. (I like telling people that his experience will forever corroborate our family's pro-Israel leanings). I noted Shahak's passion especially--he consistently referred to Israel by using 3rd-person feminine pronouns: "After she is attacked 7,000 times, Israel has the right to defend herself!"

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Today (I'm writing at about 6 PM on Wednesday), I rented a bicycle to see the rest of Guilin. (It takes a solid two days to see everything here).

Part of the purpose of this trip is to experience new and uncomfortable things. I would probably never ride a bike on the streets of New York, but here it's a great way to get around. Guilin is generally pretty biker-friendly, but you do have to pay attention. I just tried to stay with the flow of other cyclists (bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles) and avoid cars as much as possible.

I rode about a mile northwest of town to the Seven Stars Scenic Area, which includes Qixin Temple, the Seven Stars Caves, and the surrounding grounds. I lucked out and got my own English-speaking guide, Richard (I couldn't spell his Chinese name), for the entire tour. Among the pictures I took, I got a few with me holding a pair of monkeys that would do kung-fu poses upon their master's command. Awesome.

Tomorrow, I'm planning to take a boatride down the Li River to my next destination, Yangshuo. I'll spend a day there and then will head farther south to Nanning, one of only two cities where I can get a Vietnamese visa before leaving China (without backtracking, that is). Until next time...