Xingping

So it's been awhile since I've done an update, and I apologize about the delay. I've received hoards of E-mails and complaints from everyone, telling me how life doesn't exactly have that kick and flow to it without being able to read my blog. Maybe I should start a suggestion box. I've been pretty busy lately, and have, regrettably, not gotten much sleep over this past week and a half. Everyday is the same but always with something new. Wake up early, stay out late. So the next few blogs should catch you up to now...


Last Saturday a large group of students took a trip to Xingping, an ancient village outside of Yangshuo with beautiful karst and river scenery. So much so that the Chinese government decided to have it put on the back of the 20 RMB note.

I nearly missed the bus that took us all to Yangdi. After a long night of the weekly Friday KTV karaoke, it was hard to wake up for the 9 a.m. appointment at the bus station. But, I made it just in time, probably with a little baijou still on my breath. There were two different groups from Omeida heading to Xingping: our group had around 20 students and teachers, along with Uncle, and we would take the bus to Yangdi, bamboo raft down river, then hike the rest of the way to Xingping. The other group would cycle a differnt route, and take a short bamboo raft to Xingping.

The bus trip to Yangdi was just short of 2 hours, stopping and picking up people every chance there was. It was another old village with yet more breath taking surroundings. We all got on the bamboo rafts and headed down river a ways to start our hike.

About half-way through the hike we ran into someone of a road block, or trail block. There were some people sitting in the middle of the trail, claiming that we should pay 15 kuai per person to pass. This really created a stir amongst Uncle and some of the students. I heard a few Chinese cuss words and thought I might actually see the first scuffle since I've been the country. But, unfortunately, nothing came of it. We decided not to pay the 15 kuai, backtrack a little ways, and take a bamboo raft a couple hundred yards around the people.

The following are a few photos I took along the hike...

Here's me and Jon, one of my 2A students, and Justin.

This is me, Mark, and Justin.

This is me and Darcy...

We had lunch outside at a small restaurant on the bank of the Li River. Because of lack of time, we ended up taking a bamboo raft the rest of the way to Xingping to make it before dark. The trip along the river was amazing. But, a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and the first sunshine we'd seen in a few weeks brought out tons of Chinese tourists. It comes along with the territory though. A spot along the river inspired the idea for the cover of this cigarette box...

When we got to Xingping I spotted a few students from the other group, here they are in their bamboo raft.

We took a quick look around town, snapped a few photos of the area of the 20 RMB, and headed towards the climb. The view wasn't as good as I'd hoped for, the sun was behind the scene making everything pretty bright and hazy. Next time I'll try and make it there before noon for better pictures. Compare this picture to the one at the top of the 20.

So, we proceeded to take a hike to the top of a karst in Xingping that provided excellent views of the surrounding area. Check out the sign...

This picture is what we were greeted with at the top...















I definitely recommend this trip. I think it would be easier if you were a faster hiker, and not in a group of 20 mostly casual walkers. We're thinking about going back pretty soon for an overnight trip- camping, swimming, etc.



More to Come