yangshuo

we set off at 7 plus to rent bikes. 20 rmb a day with a 100 rmb deposit per bike. half my money's getting tied up in deposits! (including for the rooms at didu.) it apparently costs 5 rmb a day in the off-peak season. breakfast at meiyou cafe and then off to moon hill. route was easy enough and scenery along the way was pleasant. the verdant landscape bounteous with karst peaks, undulating agreeably in every direction, and reflected in the padi fields and the streams and rivers. even cycling, there were persistent locals paddling alongside, promoting various holiday activities. the hike up the hill was not too bad. one determined peddler hiked along. reached the top to find a group of french tourists enjoying the view, and fending off an entourage of peddlers.
felt good to have a head-start on the other tourists (american, british, french, german, hk and fr guangdong) who were starting to stream in when we returned to the foot of the hill. tried looking for the backroads for that true rural experience, but it was too far, too hot and my butt was too sore. it was back to yangshuo town proper (according to the signboard) for our cheapest meal yet: guilin noodles at 2 rmb a bowl. it was sold by weight, and you ladled your own soup and added your own garnishing (chilli, pickled vegetables and radish).

decided not to bike back from the end point of the bamboo raft trip, which we booked from uncle sam's travel at 150 rmb per raft (for 2 pax). people there were pleasant and seemed honest as well. had told us that there was no need to hire a guide to get to moon hill.
took a local bus (4 rmb) to jinlong bridge, the start point of the yulong river bamboo raft punt. [check out www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen3/f14.html for a panoramic view of yulong river.] quite happy to do this in the afternoon since most people did this in the morning. had the river pretty much to ourselves save for the odd raft or two, once with a man raking up seaweed from the river. the sun wasn't a problem as the rafts were thoughtfully affixed with umbrella shades. it was a leisurely 2-hour drift, with gorgeous views of the hills reflected in the water. could also see cyclists and villages along the way. have to be prepared to get a little wet though. ended up on motorbikes in order to get back to xijie. bilked for 10 rmb a bike and we were dropped off quite a ways from xijie. though it did mean we had the chance to walk past the fruit market.

made it back in time for our 6pm rendezvous with the roast chicken (40 rmb) that we ordered the day before. it was pretty good but have to admit that the gimmick of limiting supply was a good one. also had pizza, fries and chocolate cake from cafe china. it started pouring halfway through dinner. had to get back to the hotel by 7 to catch the transport for the impressions of liu sanjie show.
warning: rant ahead.
because of the rain, the decision to go ahead with the show wasn't made till very late and we left the hotel at 7.50.
the entire thing was a bloody mess. first off, because of counterfeiting problems, we had to wait for a tour guide to exchange our receipts for actual tickets at a booth. said booth was surrounded by frustrated agents talking loudly and gesticulating wildly. once i got my ticket, had to make my way to the entrance, conveniently located 15 minutes away via a barely lit pedestrian path, save for the occasional flash of lightning. it was also chock-a-block with vehicles which meant that one had to walk off the path and in the mud. by the time i actually reached the venue, it was 8.30 and the show had already been playing for 20 minutes. laid the raincoat provided on the wet seat, hoisted the umbrella overhead and grimly prepared to watch the show. think at one point there was a scuffle in the vip seats and shouting ensued. chose not to focus and pretended that it was part of the show. or maybe it was part of the show. who could tell over the rain?? traffic situation after the show was another mess. with a second performance, there were vehicles both leaving and moving towards the venue. except that at one point, the road was only wide enough for one vehicle to pass. was ripped off 10 rmb for a ride in a mini-van back to xijie with a few other disgruntled out-of-towners.
the show itself was impressive as sheer spectacle. the setting of the looming hills, the immense water stage, the huge cast and the clever use of lighting was surprisingly effective. though whenever the spotlights came on, one was distracted by how heavy the rain the was. some of the effect was rather incongruous though. when the women removed their robes and danced in their skintight skintone suits, the show took an unexpected turn into the burlesque. when the performers emerged from the pitch dark with their silvery glittering costumes, the first though that popped into my head was "pirates of the caribbean." then as the line grew longer and longer, it turned into a line of ghosts, kings and ancestors.