August 08, 2007

Yangshuo (CHINA)

Hiking 13 Miles Along the Li River

Having wasted an entire day yesterday, I wanted to make sure I made up for lost ground today and so I decided to hike roughly 21km along the charming Li River. If I had given it more thought I may have decided against such a trek - my body still hasn't fully recovered - but some of my best adventures have come from winging it. Annie, my hostel owner, introduced me to several locals around Yangshuo who did their best to advise me on the route, but the general gist was to stick as close to the river as possible and to stay well hydrated. This was exactly the kind of advice I was hoping for as I figured I wouldn't die out there, and anything that happened would be worth remembering.

I rode in the front seat of a public bus for about an hour and a half before getting off at the small town of Yangdi, which was where I started my hike. The bus ride itself was a sign of things to come as locals, laden down with baskets of fruit or live animals, were hopping on and off as we bounced from small town to small town.

The town of Yangdi did not have much to offer, but I was able to buy several bottles of water before boarding a small boat that took me across the river. Supposedly, there was a small trail I could follow for six kilometers, but in truth the trail died off after two kilometers. Soon, I was crossing fields and rice paddies trying to maintain a path roughly parallel to the river. Every half an hour or so a farmer would poke their head up and I would try to hold down a conversation, but most of the locals spoke a dialect that I could not follow. Nevertheless, all were very helpful in pointing me in the direction of the next town, and often I would turn around only to see them still staring at me as I walked away.

By 1:00 in the afternoon I began feeling the heat, and I took my shirt off to stay cool. Sweat was running off my body, and although I bought water at every town I came across it was never enough. This didn't worry me too much as the views were remarkable, and I was happy to have them to myself with no timetable to follow. Here are some pictures of the surrounding scenery...

And here are some pictures of the villages I passed en route...

The various trails I followed died on several occasions (usually because of a natural obstruction), and at such times I cut down to the river where I waited for a local to pass by on a bamboo raft. The locals were always happy to help me, but I still tipped them a bit of money as the surrounding area was obviously quite poor. The picture to the right shows one such man who helped me across the river, and at times like this I wondered why I didn't just pay him to take me the rest of the way - there was an umbrella and a chair for me to sit on - as it would be much easier than the itchy shrubbery and swarming heat. The answer is obviously quite simple: the adventure is always more worthwhile than the destination.

At around 3pm I reached a small bamboo hut that was literally in the middle of nowhere, and inside were two men relaxing over a hot pot of tea. They invited me to sit down with them - appearing as if my unexpected arrival was nothing strange - and I was more than happy to join them. By this time I was becoming somewhat lethargic from the heat, but they served me cool green tea and charged me a pittance for it. Although I was somewhat nervous about drinking the water (it was obviously from the river), I didn't want to pass up this kind of experience.

Only 30 minutes after I said my goodbyes the sky opened up and I was caught out in the middle of the forest. I ducked under a cluster of bamboo trees and broke off a large leaf for head cover, but as soon as the rain lightened I began jogging upriver. Soon I passed a small overhang where a Chinese man was resting on a reclined chair smoking a cigarette. I motioned under the overhang with a look of longing and he immediately popped up to offer me a seat. For the next twenty minutes we sat listening to the raindrops and watching over his flock of ducks (he claimed there were roughly 1,000). I was thankful that he spoke Mandarin because I was able to make out 50% of what he was saying - it might have been a bit awkward otherwise.

When the rain finally lightened I set off. It was already quite late in the day and I still had two more cities on my map before I reached XingPing, so I did my best to maintain a solid pace. Fortunately, when the sun finally came out it made for great views as the entire countryside was sparkling after the downpour.

I finally reached XingPing at 6:30pm, and by now I was desperate for food and water. I found the first Chinese restaurant I came across and ordered a large bowl of rice, two liters of bottled water, and a spicy chicken dish. By the time I finished eating I wanted nothing more than to lie down and rest after the exhausting day, but I still had to catch a minibus back to Yangshuo for the evening.

At around 8pm I met up with Francesca for a final dinner together, and we ate at a small market in the center of town. We were searching for a good final meal so we obviously passed up the rat that was on offer (see left). I cannot believe some one would actually eat such a thing, but then again people will eat just about anything in China.

Here is a perfect example: in the Canton region there used to be (and according to second hand reports there still is) a style of eating whereby people sit around a table and feast on live monkey brains. Supposedly, there is a hole in the middle of the table with only the monkey's head showing, and after the skull is cracked open everyone uses a spoon to shovel out a helping of the delicacy. Although I have never seen this first-hand (it is supposedly outlawed), I have many friends who claim to have heard of their elders eating it at certain reputable establishments.

Anyway, for our dinner we shied away from monkey brains and rat, but we did go for fish cooked in beer (啤酒鱼). It was served piping hot and mixed in a large platter with both spices and peppers. Most importantly, both Francesca and I loved it!