Guilin and Yangshuo (2007)

The National Day in China falls on the 1st October every year. Back in 2007 almost everyone in China would get the whole week off, dubbed as the 'Golden Week' (I have a feeling this might have changed). Whilst having the whole week off was great, it also meant that hundreds of millions others were also off work and travelling home to see their families, all at the same time.

We were still relatively fresh in China, and didn't know any better, so we hadn't make travel plans until the week before. We wanted to visit somewhere nice, partly to get out of the polluted north. So Lisa, Jack, Josh and I decided to go to Guilin (桂林), one of the most famous spots in China that I had learnt at primary school (ancient people wrote a lot of poems about the scenery there). 

桂林山水甲天下，陽朔山水甲桂林

Guilin's scenery tops anywhere in the world; but Yangshuo scenery tops Guilin 

But needless to say, most flights and sleeper trains were already fully booked. So our only option was to sit on a modest-speed train for - wait for it - 28 hours. I guess we were grateful that at least (1) we had a seat and (2) it was a direct train journey.

The train was rammed when we got on at Beijing. So full that although we had our seats, we were still sardined by the locals who had to stand / crouch / sit on the floor / lie under the seats / stand in the toilets. After a couple of stops from Beijing, I needed the loo and managed to squeeze past dozens of people to the toilet, where I found two men standing inside. They ushered me in, shut the door, and told me to pee (I was sandwiched between them). I thought it was wise to hold it and make an excuse to leave. It wasn't for another hour or so before the crowd died down a little. My kidneys had never been stronger.

Anyway, the 28-hour train ride was worth it. Apart from exploring the towns and visiting local pagodas, we went on the famous river cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo; hired a bike and round around the nearby villages; and hired a small boat to row/punt along the river. Thrown in were lots of cheap beer and drinking games (which Lisa consistently lost, whether or not she was drinking, which she is still quite annoyed about to this date).

Here are a few highlights :)

Sun and Moon Pagoda at Banyan Lake, Guilin

We hired a small boat to row/punt on the river. It was actually really hard work, especially in the hot weather!

One of the beautiful sights along the Li River

Why would anyone ever build a house like this? #OnlyinChina

Taking a break from cycling around the villages. At the time it was fashionable (I think) to make the peace sign in photos (#SoChinese). Not sure if the boat in the background is stuck...

Sunset