We got up early and got on a bus that took us out of the city of Guilin. 
We rode for about 40 minutes and arrived at the embarkation point of our Li River Cruise. Our local guide was not only very well informed and knowledgeable, she was also very cute.
Frank thought she was exceptional since she was undergoing Orthodontic treatment and still wearing her braces ;-) 
As I said before, this place has fascinated me since I was a little girl and I couldn't believe that I was going to actually have the opportunity to visit this amazing place. We saw things along the road that took us back in time.
The scenery from the bus was wonderful but paled in comparison to what was lying ahead of us.
The 5 hour boat trip was better than I had ever dreamed of so far as the beauty of this place is concerned. 
The Garden of Eden couldn't have been lovelier. 
The limestone peaks that surrounded us were absolutely breathtaking. This was a combination of enough Kodak moments here to last for a lifetime!
We saw ducks and water buffalo,
sampans along the shore where people were living, 
rafts with fishermen with Cormorants
... everything that you think about when you mentally envision China as it was centuries ago. The trip down this river was a lifelong dream come true for me. I didn't want it to ever end.Once we got settled on our little boat, 
the cooks on board started to prepare our lunch. This would be a long process as they were catching the fish that we would be eating right here in the river. These tiny soft-shelled crabs were delicious.
They cooked on the back of the boats so the smell of the frying fish would not be offensive to us. 
the cooks on board started to prepare our lunch. This would be a long process as they were catching the fish that we would be eating right here in the river. These tiny soft-shelled crabs were delicious. They cooked on the back of the boats so the smell of the frying fish would not be offensive to us. We decided to top the meal off with a glass of snake wine which is considered to be a real delicacy here in China. 
When you are in China you should do what the Chinese do.
After all, this is a special time and a celebration!!!
As we continued down the river after lunch, we still had many new sights to see. 
There were more Water Buffalo and cows 
and of course the limestone peaks that have been depicted here on the local currency which we spent on our wine.
Once we completed our river journey we were first greeted by an old gentleman who was letting you take photographs of his Cormorant. In Guilin, cormorant birds are famous for fishing on the shallow Li River. 
A snare is tied near the base of the bird's throat, which allows the bird only to swallow small fish. When the bird captures and tries to swallow a large fish, the fish is caught in the bird's throat. When the bird returns to the fisherman's raft, the fisherman helps the bird to remove the fish from its throat. The method is not as common today, since more efficient methods of catching fish have been developed. Consequently, these birds are not only the fisherman's friend, they also contribute to his trade and source of income. They are his livelihood.
He graciously allowed Frank to take a picture of me with him for a small fee. I wish I had his hat! 
And then, of course, there were more Hello Hello people. 
We then we went to the local market. It was another treat for the eyes. So colorful and serene, nestled there among the peaks.
They were selling a little bit of everything there and the prices were excellent. A real good value. You could even bargain with the vendors. It's probably where the man selling that fan on the side of the boat bought his. 
I bought a wonderful silk scarf that had a design by Picasso on it. After all, I AM Patti Picasso :-) I also tried on one of the hats, but I didn't even look as good in it as the old gentleman looked in his, so I opted to pass that bargain by.
When you are in China you should do what the Chinese do.After all, this is a special time and a celebration!!!As we continued down the river after lunch, we still had many new sights to see. There were more Water Buffalo and cows and of course the limestone peaks that have been depicted here on the local currency which we spent on our wine.Once we completed our river journey we were first greeted by an old gentleman who was letting you take photographs of his Cormorant. In Guilin, cormorant birds are famous for fishing on the shallow Li River. A snare is tied near the base of the bird's throat, which allows the bird only to swallow small fish. When the bird captures and tries to swallow a large fish, the fish is caught in the bird's throat. When the bird returns to the fisherman's raft, the fisherman helps the bird to remove the fish from its throat. The method is not as common today, since more efficient methods of catching fish have been developed. Consequently, these birds are not only the fisherman's friend, they also contribute to his trade and source of income. They are his livelihood.He graciously allowed Frank to take a picture of me with him for a small fee. I wish I had his hat! And then, of course, there were more Hello Hello people. We then we went to the local market. It was another treat for the eyes. So colorful and serene, nestled there among the peaks. They were selling a little bit of everything there and the prices were excellent. A real good value. You could even bargain with the vendors. It's probably where the man selling that fan on the side of the boat bought his. I bought a wonderful silk scarf that had a design by Picasso on it. After all, I AM Patti Picasso :-) I also tried on one of the hats, but I didn't even look as good in it as the old gentleman looked in his, so I opted to pass that bargain by.I love to see the people and the local culture.
The way they live in foreign countries and carry on their day to day activities is so different from ours. Apparently this is an easy way to carry heavy things. I can't imagine leaving the grocery store with this on my shoulders.
We saw many street vendors on our walk back to the bus. 
They were selling everything from fruit to Leeche Nuts.
They even had mobile "stores" to try to sell you something as you were getting on the bus. Their motto should be "Have cart ... will travel". Talk about marketing!!!
The way they live in foreign countries and carry on their day to day activities is so different from ours. Apparently this is an easy way to carry heavy things. I can't imagine leaving the grocery store with this on my shoulders.We saw many street vendors on our walk back to the bus. They were selling everything from fruit to Leeche Nuts. They even had mobile "stores" to try to sell you something as you were getting on the bus. Their motto should be "Have cart ... will travel". Talk about marketing!!!We had a little time to spare while the others were still shopping, so we decided that since it was after 5:00 p.m. it was cocktail time. We stopped in a nice little hotel and each had a martini with olives, shaken .. not stirred. Frank said that he felt just like James Bond. I just wish he had Sean Connery's accent!
After a very exciting day and a long bus ride to the airport, we boarded the plane and headed for our final destination in China ...Hong Kong. We had to make one pit stop along the way and I saw a very remarkable sight. For once, there was a line outside of the MEN'S room. That doesn't happen very often and it does a woman's heart good.
After a very exciting day and a long bus ride to the airport, we boarded the plane and headed for our final destination in China ...Hong Kong. We had to make one pit stop along the way and I saw a very remarkable sight. For once, there was a line outside of the MEN'S room. That doesn't happen very often and it does a woman's heart good.Once we arrived in Hong Kong, they had ordered a wheelchair for me as this is a huge airport. They detained us for nearly 40 minutes on the plane as we waited for my "transportation" to arrive. We were actually waiting on 3 wheelchairs. The cleaning crews were really upset because they couldn't get board the plane to do their job until we got off.
They then took me, Frank and 2 other passengers in wheelchairs and their spouses off of the plane on a fork lift since we had to deplane on the tarmak. Here is the series of photos that were taken. As you can see, it was quite an experience.
And now ... here comes Papa and the carry-ons!
And now ... here comes Papa and the carry-ons!
He's carrying his own stick, as my Mother used to call it. Looks like he needs it almost as much as I do.
We literally went through the bowels of the earth to get to customs. Since the airport is so spread out, we went through all kinds of underground security. At one point they even had to get a guard to unlock the elevator so we could get upstairs. By the time we finally joined the rest of the group, we were all having fits of the giggles because it had been such an outrageous experience. Fortunately we hadn't detained the others since they had to walk all that way and the buggage hadn't arrived yet. It took nearly 45 minutes after we left the plane to get to the baggage area and we then had to go through passport control and customs again. Thank goodness they didn't put a "Heavy" baggage tag on us or I have no idea where we might have ended up.
One an interesting note, even though Hong Kong is in China, even when you fly there from another airport in China it's considered an International flight and you have to go through customs and passport control again. It's rather like Washington, D.C. Even though it's part of America it's a separate entity to itself.
We are staying on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong at the Kowloon Shangri-La. It's a beautiful hotel. One of the first thing that greeted us was this lovely mural in the lobby which is enormous.
Our room is great ... large and very comfortable. Clean, crisp Egyptian cotton sheets are always a welcomed sight.
I highly recommend the Shangri-La chain of hotels. They are all five-star and wonderful. We even have electric drapes that can be operated from our bed. 
There is a beautiful view of the city and we can't wait until morning to see what we can see out of our window.
Our room is great ... large and very comfortable. Clean, crisp Egyptian cotton sheets are always a welcomed sight.I highly recommend the Shangri-La chain of hotels. They are all five-star and wonderful. We even have electric drapes that can be operated from our bed. There is a beautiful view of the city and we can't wait until morning to see what we can see out of our window.It's nearly 1:00 a.m. and we're tired but happy campers. It's been a wonderful day. Tomorrow we'll enjoy the familiar sights, sounds and smells of Hong Kong.
Pcasso
2 comments:
Do they also have this kind of bottle in China?
http://www.snake-wine-cobra.com/
Thanks for reply.
Pat, I don't think I could have eated those soft shell crabs. I am not at all interested in eating something with the legs still attached. Loved all the other pics and sights.
luvu,
maw
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