Beautiful China
Needless to say China is very different than the world we know and ive in. Their customs, their sense of humour, the food, the smells, the scenery...and the list goes on.
Destinations like these make me so excited being in the travel industry though.You really feel an explorer and it enriches your life by travelling through these places.
I flew from Brisbane direct to Guangzhou with Cathay Pacific Airines. The lining of the seat moves forward if you want to recline your seat. So the actual seat doesn't move just the inside. Being a bit taller, this comprimised on my leg space so an aisle seat is definitely a must!
Guangzhou is a labyrinth and I travelled with my English/Chinese speaking personal guide from one subway into the next. NO IDEA WHERE I ENDED UP ABOVE THE GROUND !If you ask me where have you been in Guangzhou I could honestly not tell you!
Visited parks where people danced in late at night in the open air under the watchful eye of the local police. Can't have to much fun people! To bad...we did. The Chinese were very curious to see what these foreigners where doing and their weird dance moves.
Tea ceremonies, BBQ Street and great funky restaurants galore!
After a while I needed to escape from the busy city life of Guangzhou and my guide and I flew to Guilin (to the west). There we stayed in Yangzhou in a beautiful retreat by the water.
Beautiful pristine scenery with high peak mountains, and the Li river. Bamboo rafts with colourful umbrellas and water buffalo's seeking refreshment are dominating.
We went for a bicycle ride of 4 hours (ouch...not the easiest saddles in the world) through rice fields and traditional Chinese villages. On the way we came across a small hostel owned my a Dutch couple, and I immediately spotted their Dutch menu. Yum !! Frietje oorlog !
At the end of our bicycle journey or at least what I considered to be the end, we put our bikes on the back of a bamboo raft and took our seats. The tranquility of floating down this gorgeous river is something I can't explain..you simply have to experience that for yourselves.
The next day we went for a market visit with cooking class attached hosted by a lovely enthusiastic young Chinese woman. We went to a market where they sold all sorts of animals and kid you not, no part is wasted.
Our western stomachs and habits are not on the same wavelength as the Chinese...brrr!
If you like to hear more and get some great inside info on this destination, please feel free to contact me. I can help you discover this awesome part of the world!
Need shopping tips or would you like to travel with a personal Chinese/English speaking guide (and you definitely need someone that speaks Chinese in order to travel there) I have the perfect contact for you.
Che Che,
Amy