Yangshuo

I spent a week in Yangshuo and in more ways than one, it lived up to my expectations. The drive from the Guilin airport to Yangshuo was through krast hills and rice fields, unlike anything I had seen in China This appeared to justify my choice for a holiday. The Li River Retreat, which I had bookmarked nearly a year ago, also did not disappoint.

I had been looking for a PLA cap ever since I saw Haba, my guide in Lijiang, wearing one. So I happy to get one in Yangshuo, although the first street hawker demanded Yuan 50 for a cap worth only 10. But, it was the only time that I almost got ripped off. Despite the many visiting foreigners, the locals did not appear to cheat.

The Li River Retreat was a 20-minute walk from town and the walk itself was pleasant and refreshing because it bordered the quietly flowing Li River. Although it flowed quietly, the river was chaotic till about 2 pm, when riverboats arrived from Guilin to disgorge thousands of day trippers. Returning to the hotel after lunch in town, we would be shunted aside by a sea of local tourists who had alighted from the riverboats and were walking to town for lunch. Tourism apparently was a money spinner for the locals as seen by the comfortable houses they built and the flashy cars some of them drove.

The Li River Retreat at night. My only complaint here is that we were charged too much on the first night for a tiny room because it was Easter. But, the staff were energetic, enthusiastic, and gregarious, and the meals were very good. The staff only spoke Chinese and English, so i was happy to see snooty Germans and French guests being compelled to use English, a language many of them refuse to speak in their own countries, even to help tourists.

Of course, I couldn't help but compare Yangshuo with Lijiang. Yangshuo was no UNESCO site, so there was no requirement to preserve old buildings or any semblance of sanctity. Yangshuo had more Western restaurants, al fresco dining, raucous night clubs with pole dancing, and, to my delight, more massage places. Almost every day, I got either a foot or body massage, costing only Yuan 60 and 100 respectively. I tried Dr Lily Li's place, well known and highly recommended, but her employees were disgruntled and their service suffered. But I found other, smaller places which were better.

During the day, the streets were crowded with local and foreign tourists, and I was amused to see Western tourists being herded thru town behind flag-carrying guides.

I also bought high quality DVDs at Yuan 10 each and music CDs at 35.

As I mentioned earlier, many riverboats bring day trippers down from Guilin, and, as the boats maneuvered, the scene on the river could be chaotic and noisy. When sailing single file, the boats looked nice with the hills in the background. At the Li River Retreat, with the river flowing below, the boats would begin sailing past noisily towards the Yangshuo pier around 2pm, with the day trippers lining their roofs and crowding their decks. Then, one by one, they would begin the upriver journey to Guilin, often without passengers.

Two scenes from town. One of a funeral procession, the first I had seen in China, and the second of women doing their washing on the Li River. In Lijiang, too, I had seen women washing along the numerous streams in ice cold water. But here, they squatted in a line, happily chatting among themselves as they worked.

On the numerous walks in to town, we had meals at a number of Western/Chinese restaurants, but the best were the exquisite Chinese vegetarian meals at the Pure Lotus Vegetarian restaurant at the Magnolia Hotel. I didn't know that vegetarian meals could be prepared in such a tasteful and appealing manner. On our last day, at lunch, the Chef sent along this Phoenix carved out of carrots.

The aim of every eating place was to get into Lonely Planet, and they advertised this loudly when they did. But Kelley's Place, which was on Lonely Planet, lived up to its reputation. I had a nice vegetable burger along with a bottle of Great Wall wine. I took a risk, because the last time I tried Great Wall, in Lijiang, I ended up with a violent stomach upset. That bottle must have been fake.

Magnolia Hotel, where we spent the last night in Yangshuo, disappointed. The noise from nearby bars kept me awake till 2am (the windows needed better sound proofing), and the A/C didn't work.

The view from the Pure Lotus Vegetarian restaurant. The stream rekindled memories of Lijiang.

We stopped by Nature's Cup coffee bar for breakfast (walking early morning all the way into town) and a chat with the genial hosts Rauri (pronounced Rory) and Sunny. Rauri is South African and had taught English in China for 3 years before starting Nature's Cup. Sunny, always with a smile, was from Hainan. Rauri told me that business had tripled recently.

Nature's Cup is on Binjiang Road facing the Li River, quite close to the Yangshuo Primary School.