Day #3: Boat Trip Down the Li River from Guilin to Yangzhou

The river winds like a blue silk ribbon

While the hills erect like green jade hairpins

(Han Yu Poet in the Tang Dynasty)

Eric tells us the upcoming boat trip down the Lijiang River will be the “highlight” of our trip, a 10-mile art gallery of spectacular views. The map shows it like a ribbon of jade winding among thousands of peaks. Unfortunately, we have another day of fog and rain so we are unable to see the mountains in their full beauty. I am disappointed not to have pictures of this place in its perfect beauty.  Still it is a meditative experience to see the mist among the karst peaks, farmers working by the river edge with their water buffalos,

 

and the fishermen rowing with long poles on their small bamboo boats. We pass some idyllic Muslim minority communities along this river. Truly we are traveling in a kind of painting.  

Because there has been so little rain the Li river is very low and it takes us 5 hours to reach our destination rather than 2 hours when the water level is higher.  John naps in the boat listening to political pod casts and music.

 I take a picture trying to replicate the picture on the back of the 20 Yuan bill at the Li River near Yangzhou (Mao is on the front).

Yangzhou 

The termination of the Li River cruise is Yangzhou, south-east of Guilin, a clearly very touristy place with a population of 300,000 and over 11 minority nationals with Han people representing 87% of the population. 

Cormorant Fisherman 

This town was introduced by ‘Lonely Planet’ in 1980 to foreign backpackers because of its breathtaking beauty and later was packaged in tours in the late 90’s. John and I are sorry we didn’t come to visit this place back then or along with Clinton. Now domestic Chinese tourists by far out number foreign tourists.  We search for a non-Chinese restaurant on the renown West Street, a somewhat less busy street this evening because of the rain. Eric tells us the silver lining is that this street is usually packed solid and difficult to navigate. It reminds me of Nashville main street with bars, restaurants, music and shops. Signs are written in English and Chinese and many locals speak English that is uncommon for most Chinese cities. Indeed, we find a place to order pizza but I am disappointed as this pizza tastes more Chinese than American. Yikes, I remind myself. “when in Rome do as the Romans do”.  I am feeling entirely too nonadventuresome in my taste and must take more risks with my eating choices. My children would be disappointed in me. Where are those chicken feet and caterpillars to eat?

Through the internet John has picked a small hotel in the countryside named Yangzhou Tea Cozy for our two nights in Yangzhou. This place reminds me of our backpacking hippie days with organic food and an entirely different clientele than the Shangri La hotel. We talk with other guests about biking, scooters, rafting and rock climbing.  It is especially nice to be out of the frantic hustle bustle pace of large cities.  

View from our room 

John is in Heaven

We bike into the rice fields along side a river. I stop to take pictures and to talk with a woman my age who is carrying huge stacks of heavy grass on her back. I have noticed so many older women whose backs are bent over in a C-shape and I shudder to think I might have been born here to experience this back breaking work. 

Getting grass for the water buffalo

Cleaning the duck

Washing Clothes

I feel this is the art gallery of amazing views and want to stop constantly to take pictures.  We watch a fisherman who is catching fish by use of an electronic pole that he zaps fish with. On his back are the batteries for the charge. Eric is upset about this because netting fish is the traditional way to fish and he says this method is destroying all the fish.  

We bike for 90 minutes enjoying the sun setting, listening to the birds and pausing for pictures. We arrive back at Tea Cozy just as a rainstorm arrives with thunder and lightning.  Another magical day but the one feels more authentic.