I can’t believe it has been two months since I lasted posted anything here. Where have the days gone? What with doing more freelance writing, working on several websites and going on the occasional trip, the first two years of retirement have flown by!
Last week, I took a quick one-week jaunt over to China to visit with old friends in Wuhan and my son in Changsha. In the two years that have passed since we left China, both places have completed citywide subways. What used to be a 150RMB taxi ride in each places has turned into a 4RMB metro ticket. A completely new school complex has been added to the Maple Leaf campus along with several dozen new skyscrapers in the surrounding landscape.
After a couple of days in Wuhan visiting friends, I jumped on the bullet train and headed to Changsha. 500 km in about 1.5 hours at an average speed of over 300 kph. What used to be empty train stations only a few years ago are now crowded with masses of people. And these things leave several times each hour all day. I walked into the station and was able to get on a train within twenty minutes. North America has a long ways to go to catch up!
Once I arrived in Changsha, I just hopped on the subway that left from under the train station and was within a block of my son’s bar and apartment within a half hour. The last time I visited only two years ago, I had the choice of either a long bus trip or expensive taxi ride. It really is easy getting around from city to city.
Although he started as an ESL teacher several years ago after leaving his job in Canada to see the world, he has been the co-owner of a small bar and deli in this small city of several million for the last couple of years. It has become a popular hangout for expats and was definitely very crowded on the Friday night I was there. Having a kid own a bar is probably not the best thing when visiting! I woke up the next morning feeling a little the worse for wear :).
We headed for the city of Guilin the next morning by regular train and then took an hour and a half bus ride to Yangshuo. Even though we lived in China for almost six years, we never visited this well-known tourist destination. For those that get to this country, it is definitely one of the most scenic and spectacular regions to see, especially if you are not a big city kind of person. Guilin is built around its two rivers and lakes that are inter-connected. Many distinctive bridges crisscross the waterways. Those who enjoy walking can spend many hours wandering the beautiful river and lakes make Guilin what it is. Although Guilin is an interesting place in its own right, Yangshuo is even more spectacular.
Although there is plenty of relatively inexpensive and high quality accommodation, those looking for great western dining experiences will be disappointed. Despite the number of foreign tourists, the best food in town is still authentic Chinese cuisine with a very small number of decent foreign restaurants. We stayed at the Yangshuo Hillside Garden Hotel. It is literally built on the side of a hill and has many steep staircases joining the floors. The location was excellent and the rooms were beautiful. I would highly recommend the place.
Although the city and surrounding area are full of tourist sites and activities, we shunned them all and headed out into the mountains with a couple of scooters. It only cost us about $20 per day for each scooter that we rented from the DMZ Bar. They were brand new and came with free gas, which in itself is unusual for scooter rentals.
Once we were out in the mountains, the road traffic was non-existent. We wound our way along small roads that passed through hundreds of orange groves that covered the steep hillsides and villages full of curious residents. It was one of the most beautiful days of riding that I have experienced. Not to mention the food we had along the way was also incredible.
Ten years ago I would not have believed I would be living in Thailand and visiting my son and his girlfriend in China. Life certainly takes its twists and turns!
I will let the photos speak for themselves. These were all taken in Yangshuo and the surrounding countryside.
many thanks
looks as if you had a good holiday
Really nice pictures. The mountains are all so different looking. Nice holiday.