Yangshuo: Part One

Taking the bus to Yangshuo was funny- the lady at the hostel told us to wait on a curb for the bus. So we were waiting and thought we were in the wrong place until a bus came slowly towards us, with a woman hanging out the open door yelling "Yangshuo! Yangshuo!"

Our hostel here, the Giggling Tree, is really unique and is owned by a Dutch couple that bought a farm village 4km outside the main town and converted it into a hostel. We're in the middle of a field and
surrounded by the karst peaks. It's a refreshing change from the tourist trap that is West Street.

Last night we just walked around West Street, where I had an amazing veggie burger (with cheese and fries was only 18rmb!) and drank some crappy local beer. We had a hard time finding a cab afterward so we bargained and hopped on the back of a motorcycle to come back!

Today we met a woman who teaches in Shenzhen and her parents who are staying in the hostel. We took a bus up to Yangdi and then walked a trail for 3 hours along the Li River. It was beautiful and surreal. Pictures don't do this place justice. Then we took a bamboo river raft down to Xingping, which has the Karst scenery that is pictured on the back of the 20rmb note. No, we didn't have a 20rmb note.

Tonight we ate at a really great vegetarian restaurant and are just hanging out at the hostel now. I love staying at hostels because you meet the nicest people that make great day trip buddies. Tomorrow we're going to hike another trail nearby that ends at a great Karst mountain but will probably use bikes for most of it.

On another note... something is wrong with my iPod and the volume up button is jammed so the annoying square in the middle of my screen won't go away and I had to lock my sound. I miss my pals at the apple store.