Sunday, October 12, 2014

Day 11 New Year's Day Yangshuo


Day 11 Jan 31 New Year's Day 

After distant fireworks for a few hours it was quiet until about6. I got up and sat on the balcony looking toward Yangshuo.  The fire crackers started then and continued for about three hours.  But it just sounds like,  well,  distant fire crackers about 2 km away.  David slept peacefully through it all.  Breakfast,  porridge for me and Mexican breakfast for D. We are unabashedly enjoying some Western food, for the first time in a long while. 

Gary arrived at ten and we walked soon the hill to the bike rental place.  Imagine a small brick one storey building with a side yard full of healthy chickens and a healthy rat.  Phone Ecalls were made and a young couple with soon arrived on a  scooter followed shortly afterwards by an older couple on another scooter.   Doors were unlocked and we were fitted with bikes.  Well used.  David's had a range of high hard,  mine one low heat and Gary's has one speed. 

Then set off into town where we had walked the previous night. As it is a holiday,  traffic was light   to start.  OK,  let me qualify that. Traffic circle, vehicles in every direction. Cars, yes of course,  and bikes too.   Then every imaginable variation on two  and three wheels,  all doing the gentle ballet that is Chinese driving.  David adapted right away,  weaving with ease and confidence past whole families on scooters,  and taxis,  and grandmothers with freight trikes full of mustard greens.    Inspired by his ability,  and because there was no choice, I soon got into the rhythm as well. 

As usual,  sensory overload.  The photos  will help...  They are on the camera and will be downloaded when we get back to Changchun. 

Traffic jam caused by some lion dancers with drums.  They go from store to store dancing until the owners give them a red envelope.  

A man sweeping away piles of red paper,  the remnants of fire crackers,  using a broom made of bamboo. 

Town turning quickly to country..  Biking along roads that reminded me of roads atop the dikes in Germany and the Netherlands. 

Sunny day feeling like midsummer in Ottawa. 

Women washing clothes in almost any available water. 

Older design bamboo tags, of real bamboo,  propelled from the back like a punt,  the driver using a bamboo pole. 

Lots of new year greetings called. 

Amazing views of karst mountains, stretching into the distance, the morning fog burned off. 

Gary leading us into a cattle field,  the inhabitants wearing bells and not disturbed by the three crazy people yelling "sing nyen how" at the top of their lungs to hear the echo. 

Making up stories to go with the shapes of the mountains. 


Tiny hamlets with houses using pumps for water and big screen TV 's visible through the open front walls .... many ground floors have garage type doors leading into a room which can house a business or scooters or a living area or all of these. 

Groups of people sitting and eating. 

Children wearing their new year clothes. 

Many Chinese tourists. 

Gary loves the area and being a guide. He was a teacher for 11 years and it shows. 

After about 3.5 hours we were pretty saddle sore. Back through Yangshuo with  much more traffic this time, but we sailed through. 

Got back at 3and had a drink before staggering the 38 (but who is counting) stairs for a nap and showers. Dinner at the hotel,  Skype visit with Lucy and Nykka,  this writing,  and so to bed. 

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