Yangshuo

We'll never forget our time in China and the multitude of jaw-dropping newness (new sights, new sounds, new smells, new tastes, and new experiences) we took in every day.  But, if we're being completely honest (as we try to do here), we came to China for a few sights and experiences in particular.  And one of the most iconic things to us, the one that stuck out in both of our minds when we first started tossing around the idea of visiting China, was the rugged karst scenery of the Yangshuo area.

These mesmerizing karst rocks can be seen in the film The Painted Veil, with Naomi Watts and Edward Norton.  Also click here for some very pretty images.

The path to the rural areas where the karst rocks are most spectacular goes through the hot, sticky city of Guilin.  Many travelers stop here for just a few days before pushing on, often by a four and a half hour cruise, to the smaller and more charming town of Yangshuo.  We spent one night in Guilin, ate a few tasty things, checked out the city's most famous karst sculptures, and just kept on going.  Less than 24 hours in Guilin was plenty for us.  We were really after the rural towns and farming areas where we stayed for four nights outside of Yangshuo.  And our hikes and bicycle rides around these areas were some of the most unique and memorable moments we have had on this trip, or any other.

Yangshuo, like Guilin, is a very touristy town.  Actually, the rivers and caves we visited as we explored the alien scenery near our sanctuary (The Giggling Tree) were awfully touristy too.  But it makes sense.  Tourism has exploded around this area and as a result there are pushy hawkers everywhere.  There were even platforms installed in one river for selling food, beer, and photos taken and printed of raft-riding tourists (like us) snapped as they splashed down small drops. So it wasn't as if this was a raw, untouched haven, free of all tourist traps, gimmicks, and kitsch.  It had plenty to go around.  But (and this is a but bigger than Bertha's) if you hopped on a bicycle and rode for a while you were guaranteed to see some authentic rural farms, people, and Chinese daily life.


We partook in some of the more touristy activities while staying in the Yangshuo area, and enjoyed them very much.  We shopped a fair bit, buying plenty of gifts and items for our home.  We took an excellent cooking class where we learned about some mystery foods that had us scratching our heads since Japan at the Yangshuo market and how to use a wok with some (limited) skill.  We took two river rides, one on a raft made of thick plastic pipes and another made from bamboo.  We rolled in mud while trekking through caves we're pretty sure are actually man-made tunnels created for tourists.  We did all the touristy things, but we also had some of our most authentic moments of our travels through Asia so far.  We encountered toothless old men smiling from ear-to-ear, cycled past farmers and water buffalo hard at work, and got the chance to peek into the villages and homes of folks who lived out in the country.  Not people who worked in the tourist industry, but just normal country folks living their lives.

 One of our favorite encounters was with an old, wrinkled, leather-skinned man, standard straw hat included, and his two water buffalo.  One of the buffalo was obviously older and the other still quite young.  The larger one took off running just before we passed, clearing a small ditch and sprinting up a slight incline.  The smaller buffalo took off in pursuit but stumbled and took an awkwardly hilarious spill as it tried to jump the ditch.  It got up and tried to look nonchalant.  We laughed at the cuteness and clumsiness of the small buffalo's fall and looked to the old man as we did.  He looked from the buffalo to us and gave an amused chuckle.  We shared a moment with the man, all three of us briefly bonding over the adorable mishap.

We crossed paths with many villagers as we hiked and biked the roads and trails connecting small clusters of homes and farms in the rural region we grew to love.  No matter how grumpy or distrusting some of the villagers looked at first glance, they invariably brightened up when we offered a friendly "Nihao" as we passed.  Their guarded expressions would drop and their faces would widen to make room for genuine, and often toothless, smiles as they responded wholeheartedly: "Nihao!"

Many of the homes along our journeys were just basic brick dwellings, usually with a large open front room filled only with a Buddhist alter, a few seats, a light bulb or two and a TV.  Every home we could see into had a TV, but normally there wasn't much else.  We really felt lucky to see so many people doing their normal daily thing.  And it was refreshing since most Chinese people that talked to us, in cities large or small, usually wanted to sell us something.  Often in South Korea people approached us with their children, eager to try to give them a chance to practice English.  We loved talking to Koreans young and old whether the conversation was as brief as saying "Hello, how are you?" or more complicated, involving our ages, occupations, and marital status.  In both South Korea and China people approached us for photos.  But in China there was often less explanation.  Usually people just sidled up to us with large grins, glancing from us to their friend with a camera and back to us.  But most often if we were approached by a stranger in China it was because they wanted to sell us stuff.  Strangers in big cities whispered offers of bags, iPhones, and watches.  While strangers in smaller cities and towns shoved food and small trinkets at us, eager for us to make a purchase.  In the rural areas outside Yangshuo though, people just said "Nihao" out of kindness.  There were some hawkers and tourist bits, like we mentioned, but it was marvelous to feel like we were exchanging words and sharing moments with other people.  The forced sales transaction doesn't feel personal.  Our encounters with farmers and villagers below the magnificent karst did.

Our cycle and walking trips through the small villages were fascinating, but we never forgot to look up and around at the astounding karst.  These stone monoliths pushed ever upwards all around us.  And they seemed to go on forever!  The villages and people were amazing alone, but experiencing both while surrounded by such immense natural beauty was truly special.  Our time in the Yangshuo area is something we'll never forget!