We have to force ourselves to leave Yangshuo, but not before a day of cycling in the Yangshuo countryside—alongside rice farms and families harvesting their crop, and the lazy Yulong River.
Our road trip with Christian and Christine is fraught with some of the most dangerous drivers we've seen in China. When you see buses driving in the middle of the road, or passing on blind curves on mountain roads with sheer drops, or a police car flipped onto it's roof, you know you've encountered a whole new standard of indifference to road safety. Christian, a diplomat with postings in various developing countries, gives China his vote as the worst drivers. How he remains calm on the road is superhuman.
Ping An is a village in the Longji area, several hours from the Guilin airport but a world and vastly different culture away. The final ascent up to the terraces was a treacherously sharp winding road, eventually reaching 1000 meters. Then we faced a 30min vertical hike to the roadless village. We stimulated the local economy by hiring little granny porters who carried our bags effortlessly to the top.
The rice terraces began in the Tang Dynasty, reaching its present structure during the Ming Dynasty (600yrs ago). Thank God they are the incredible site that they are, because Trish all but killed me at the sight of our mountain village digs. No hot water, leaky toilet that didn't flush, unlevel floors that made you feel like you were sailing, dingy and cramped and likely last cleaned during the Ming Dynasty. Not even the stellar view could save it. Christine and Christian had a functioning toilet but no heat. The next day we moved next door where we had no heat but some hot water, but the experience was worth every discomfort.
The pix of the rice terraces speak for themselves. Though they were harvested several weeks ago, their beauty and backdrop are absolutely stunning. That we were there off season all but assured us of a solitude rarely found in China. One morning we got up early to see the morning mist and village fires floating among the hills, and the sun reflecting off the terraces.
We hired a Yao minority women to guide us.
Where Shangri La was a Pioneer Village of minorities, this area was a functioning and working village of several of China's dwindling and endangered minorities. The mountain homes are all wood with clay tiled roofs. Smoke detectors are of course non-existent, this is China. Our guide barely stood more than 4ft, was likely younger than her 50 something appearance, but had youthful charm and ageless grace. Along the trails, she'd snatch grasshoppers, de-wing them, then string them up. Part of a chicken dinner to follow, she assured us with a beaming smile. Turned out Christian was even more adept at
grasshopper catching than her and before long, she had a nice string of grasshoppers going.
Alas, the boisterous, day trippers from the city would rudely interrupt our silence but by then, Chris and Chris were getting massages and Trish bravely fought a nasty gastro bug with a good read (one of us were due to get sick, given our propensity for local eats). How she soldiered on with the hike is beyond me, but she had to admit it was worth it all.
Our French mates drove us to the Guilin airport where ironically we shared with our epicurean friends one of the worst meals we’d had in China. We’d seen many wonderful things in this province, but getting to know Christian and Christine have to be highlights. One forgets travelling isn’t just about what you see, but who you meet. The smaller inns are far more conducive for this and we hit a grand slam. It isn’t IF we will see them again, but WHERE…France? Canada? Or the Philippines, where they plan to winter yearly,
Favourite Food: None---grease city, but honourable mention to goes to the pomelo fruit that Christine is addicted to. They are sold all over the province. They look like giant pears but taste like grapefruit.
Favourite Translation: Hot water in 24hrs
By the Numbers: 40,000—number of fingers lost in factories in accidents in Pearl River delta area, 2004
Next: Yunnan Province—Kunming, Lijiang, Dali, and weather permitting---Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-La
