30th of September - 3rd of October 2015
Introduction:
It was the period of the Golden week, second big holiday in China where there is almost a whole week off. It was also almost the end of my Chinese adventure and I had two options: joining Gutcha and Ala in Cambodia as they have found attractive air tickets or joining the girl I have been dating in Guilin and Yangshou (Guangxi Province). As i have never gone to the real south of China and as on that moment I was really attracted by her and knowing that my time in China but also our time in general was limited, well the choice came by itself: i preferred spending time to know her better in this last trip... we were also supposed to meet one of her closest Danish friend and her mates so we would have been quite a big group...
30th of September - Guilin:
The trip: not so easy to reach Guilin at this period as the round trip airtickets were expensive. Our price/quality solution was going by train and coming back by plane... so here we go:
We left Beijing in the early morning from the West Train Station (always surprised by the size of the station: really huge building). Once inside the train the 11h journey to Guilin could begin ... quite long but we managed to survive and reached Guilin in the late afternoon (around 18h). We checked in the hostel, ate, had a beer and booked a trip for the next morning: The LongJi rice fields!
1st of October 2015 - LongJi Rice fields
It was a day tour which was basically including the transportation and the entrance ticket.
***
An interesting fact:
We met two Dutch guys who were really cool and who made me realize that the education system in France could be better. Indeed, in Holland (but also in the Nordic countries like Denmark) finishing high school, going for a student work and then going to travel for an year in Asia or else where is something which is accepted. This is what those guys where doing. This opportunity was teaching them to manage a limited budget of money but especially discover themselves and find their way if they don't know what to do after they done in high school. Whereas in France, after high school you have to go for university and be able to know what you want to work later. I still believe that if I haven't had the opportunity to go to a business school I wouldn't have the opportunity to go abroad and travel. And considering the % of students who are having this chance in France I must be a "happy few". Maybe if I have done something like the Dutch guys I wouldn't have never gone into the finance field... who knows!?
***
After an hour and something ride we reached the park. I thought that after seeing the rice fields in Bali I won't be really impressed but hell no! Totally wrong !
The rice fields here were spread on the surroundings hills making the landscape looking wonderful. We spent 3-4h walking around and i was increasingly impressed basically on every single step. The best part stands in the top of one of the hills from which an amazing view over the hills has been offered. Really beautiful park and day !
In the late afternoon we came back to our hostel and went out for a dinner with the Dutch guys in the downtown. The city is not huge and the downtown quite small. As we had one more day in Guilin we didn't spend time visiting.
2nd of October 2015 - Guilin tour
We checked out and switch the hostels so we can meet Cathrine's friends and stay at the same place.
The stressing part: booking a boat trip on the Li River... this is one of the main attractions in the region, however during the holidays everything is booked in advance... the main trip was offering a boat trip to the "back side landscape of the 20 Yuan bill". It is basically why this place is even more famous in China. Well this one was booked... so we managed to find another solution which was offering also a boat trip but a bit shorter and we heard that we could go visit the 20 yuan back side landscape from Yangshou where we were about to spend the next few days. So we booked that second option for the next day.
We had all the afternoon to visit the city of Guilin so we went to the Seven Star park ... yes not one but seven :) which was marked as a must do on the tourist map. There was a hill in the middle of the park with a panorama view... After getting lost inside we managed to find it... And I think this is the moment i loved Guilin! Indeed, it was crazy to see how the buildings were married to the surrounding green hills...
In the late afternoon we went for a small boat trip (the famous bamboo boat easy to recognize by the Chinese sellers by "Hallo Bamboo") on the Li River. The main point of it was going on a small island with a village which was offering a view over the Elephant Trunk Hill and in the evening we went for a walk in the city. The downtown was charming:
It was the period of the Golden week, second big holiday in China where there is almost a whole week off. It was also almost the end of my Chinese adventure and I had two options: joining Gutcha and Ala in Cambodia as they have found attractive air tickets or joining the girl I have been dating in Guilin and Yangshou (Guangxi Province). As i have never gone to the real south of China and as on that moment I was really attracted by her and knowing that my time in China but also our time in general was limited, well the choice came by itself: i preferred spending time to know her better in this last trip... we were also supposed to meet one of her closest Danish friend and her mates so we would have been quite a big group...
30th of September - Guilin:
The trip: not so easy to reach Guilin at this period as the round trip airtickets were expensive. Our price/quality solution was going by train and coming back by plane... so here we go:
We left Beijing in the early morning from the West Train Station (always surprised by the size of the station: really huge building). Once inside the train the 11h journey to Guilin could begin ... quite long but we managed to survive and reached Guilin in the late afternoon (around 18h). We checked in the hostel, ate, had a beer and booked a trip for the next morning: The LongJi rice fields!
1st of October 2015 - LongJi Rice fields
It was a day tour which was basically including the transportation and the entrance ticket.
***
An interesting fact:
We met two Dutch guys who were really cool and who made me realize that the education system in France could be better. Indeed, in Holland (but also in the Nordic countries like Denmark) finishing high school, going for a student work and then going to travel for an year in Asia or else where is something which is accepted. This is what those guys where doing. This opportunity was teaching them to manage a limited budget of money but especially discover themselves and find their way if they don't know what to do after they done in high school. Whereas in France, after high school you have to go for university and be able to know what you want to work later. I still believe that if I haven't had the opportunity to go to a business school I wouldn't have the opportunity to go abroad and travel. And considering the % of students who are having this chance in France I must be a "happy few". Maybe if I have done something like the Dutch guys I wouldn't have never gone into the finance field... who knows!?
***
After an hour and something ride we reached the park. I thought that after seeing the rice fields in Bali I won't be really impressed but hell no! Totally wrong !
The rice fields here were spread on the surroundings hills making the landscape looking wonderful. We spent 3-4h walking around and i was increasingly impressed basically on every single step. The best part stands in the top of one of the hills from which an amazing view over the hills has been offered. Really beautiful park and day !
In the late afternoon we came back to our hostel and went out for a dinner with the Dutch guys in the downtown. The city is not huge and the downtown quite small. As we had one more day in Guilin we didn't spend time visiting.
2nd of October 2015 - Guilin tour
We checked out and switch the hostels so we can meet Cathrine's friends and stay at the same place.
The stressing part: booking a boat trip on the Li River... this is one of the main attractions in the region, however during the holidays everything is booked in advance... the main trip was offering a boat trip to the "back side landscape of the 20 Yuan bill". It is basically why this place is even more famous in China. Well this one was booked... so we managed to find another solution which was offering also a boat trip but a bit shorter and we heard that we could go visit the 20 yuan back side landscape from Yangshou where we were about to spend the next few days. So we booked that second option for the next day.
We had all the afternoon to visit the city of Guilin so we went to the Seven Star park ... yes not one but seven :) which was marked as a must do on the tourist map. There was a hill in the middle of the park with a panorama view... After getting lost inside we managed to find it... And I think this is the moment i loved Guilin! Indeed, it was crazy to see how the buildings were married to the surrounding green hills...
In the late afternoon we went for a small boat trip (the famous bamboo boat easy to recognize by the Chinese sellers by "Hallo Bamboo") on the Li River. The main point of it was going on a small island with a village which was offering a view over the Elephant Trunk Hill and in the evening we went for a walk in the city. The downtown was charming:
- the main attraction: two beautiful pagodas (the Sun and the Moon pagodas) in the west lake. Looking like they were floating.
- from there we walked around the canal and managed to get some nice spots from on of the bridge which was offering a nice view over the hills and the sunset.
- a lantern street painted by students.
3rd of October 2015 - Trip on the Li River
The plan: going for the boat trip and then the agency would drop us at Yangshou.
We left in the morning and after an hour driving we arrived in a small village hidden between the hills. The guide told us that there is a small queue for the boats... well this is never true in China... we had to wait for more than an hour. During the waiting we met a French guy and an Italian girl with whom we decided to do the trip. Once this done we had to find our "Bamboo" (the boat). The problem a lot of sailors didn't want foreigners (sometimes it happens - no everybody likes foreigners). In the end we managed to find one... from that moment on everything was the simply beauty of the nature.
We left and the boat was standing in the middle of the river while on both sides we were surrounded by those green hills. One word: speechless!!!
The trip lasted about an hour. Right after we hit the road for Yangshou
The plan: going for the boat trip and then the agency would drop us at Yangshou.
We left in the morning and after an hour driving we arrived in a small village hidden between the hills. The guide told us that there is a small queue for the boats... well this is never true in China... we had to wait for more than an hour. During the waiting we met a French guy and an Italian girl with whom we decided to do the trip. Once this done we had to find our "Bamboo" (the boat). The problem a lot of sailors didn't want foreigners (sometimes it happens - no everybody likes foreigners). In the end we managed to find one... from that moment on everything was the simply beauty of the nature.
We left and the boat was standing in the middle of the river while on both sides we were surrounded by those green hills. One word: speechless!!!
The trip lasted about an hour. Right after we hit the road for Yangshou
* * *
7th of October - Back to Guilin
Our plane was leaving in the early in the morning of 8th so we had to spend a night in Guilin... We reached in the night so we only had a bit of time to eat and enjoy the hotel services. Indeed, few days before going to Guilin I had my contract confirmation for France done and I wanted to spend a night in a nice hotel.
As it was already the end of the Golden Week a lot of hotels were offering very big discounts. And in the meantime, it was also nice to enjoy a bigger and a soft bed, a hot shower and a swimming pool...
7th of October - Back to Guilin
Our plane was leaving in the early in the morning of 8th so we had to spend a night in Guilin... We reached in the night so we only had a bit of time to eat and enjoy the hotel services. Indeed, few days before going to Guilin I had my contract confirmation for France done and I wanted to spend a night in a nice hotel.
As it was already the end of the Golden Week a lot of hotels were offering very big discounts. And in the meantime, it was also nice to enjoy a bigger and a soft bed, a hot shower and a swimming pool...
In conclusion,
what should I say... words are not enough to describe the beauty of this region!
It is of course important to mention that even if we are not together anymore, it was an excellent time spent with Cathrine. It was also excellent to meet the guys which whom we managed to do some parties and nice trips around.
what should I say... words are not enough to describe the beauty of this region!
It is of course important to mention that even if we are not together anymore, it was an excellent time spent with Cathrine. It was also excellent to meet the guys which whom we managed to do some parties and nice trips around.