Beautiful Yangshuo

Yangshuo was wonderful. I stayed two days longer than I intended and was still reluctant to leave. Admittedly, it is set up especially for tourists. Some travelers call it a backpackers paradise, and I can see why. The town has a welcoming and laid-back atmosphere, in addition to being surrounded by stunning scenery. Almost all hostel and restaurant staff speak English, there's plenty of Western food to be found, and lots of outdoor activities. My routine didn't vary much while I was there. I'd eat a late breakfast at one of the several cafes around town, then hike around for the afternoon, taking pictures. All the bars and restaurants have a "happy hour" that lasts about four hours, so most travelers gather at one of these places in the evenings when it gets cold.

On my last day I finally rented a bike. I hesitated at first because, well, I don't think I've ridden a bike in ten years. Fortunately, the bike I rented was in good condition and riding through the town was much easier than it looked. Even the rocky paths in the countryside were easy to manage. By the middle of the day that old false sense of security was back and I was riding over rocks and cycling through traffic with the greatest of ease. And, no, I did not fall once..... I was sore for about a week though.

The original plan was to bike to Moon Hill, but that changed quickly. Just ten minutes on the highway and I couldn't take it, so I cut onto the first path I saw leading into the mountains. Inhaling bus fumes was not what I had in mind. I suppose I could have gone with a guide, but I was still unsure about my cycling ability and didn't want to embarrass myself. Better to get lost than laughed at, eh? Luckily, my newly invented route turned out to be a great ride. In the villages I passed through, all the people were nice enough to point me in the right direction. Grant it, I didn't know where that would lead me, but I trusted they new where to send the foreigner. The only difficult part was hiking up and over a small, but steep, pass carrying the bike. The view at the top was spectacular though. The whole trip was spectacular. I wanted to stop every 100 yards to take pictures.

After a few hours I wandered onto a paved road where I saw a blond haired couple cycling by, so I knew I was getting closer to Yangshuo. I stopped at Merry's cafe for some doufu and pijiu, tofu and beer, on the way back. The waitress's sister came by with her little boy while I was eating. It was maybe 55 degrees outside and sunny, but by the way this poor child was dressed, you'd have thought it was below freezing. The picture was taken after his aunt, the waitress, had already taken off one layer of clothing. So that left him with a sweater vest, a sweater, a shirt, an under shirt, and, I'm guessing, three pairs of pants.

This isn't just a rural practice. My kindergartners in Beijing were dressed similarly beginning in October. In the afternoons at the school I taught at, the windows let in the sun and, since we have no control over the heating, it gets pretty toasty. The kids would look up at me, pulling at their shirt necks and groaning that it's too hot. When I told them to take off their jackets and sweaters, they were stunned. It's not that they didn't understand me, maybe the thought had even crossed their minds once before, but I don't think they're allowed to do such a thing. Immediately, the whole class started stripping. I taught them the word "layers" and then they began counting how many layers they each had. "Teacher! Teacher! I have three layers!" "I have four!" The winner was a sweaty little girl with one coat, a vest, a sweater. a turtleneck and an undershirt. They were genuinely surprised when they realized the teacher only had one layer. One little girl who can't speak hardly a word of English, (but she's my favorite anyway because she tries so hard and is so sweet), offered me her jacket.

For me, Yangshuo was the perfect getaway. The leaves were just beginning to change and the weather was cool and sunny. I know that region is known for cloudy, rainy weather, but only one of the six days I was there was it ever like that. I definitely recommend traveling there in early winter. And, the Hotel Explorer turned out to be a great place to stay.