Grand Escapades
Travel Photography & Travel Experiences of Africa, South America, the Middle-East & Asia
In Chengyang, a Dong Village near Sanjiang, Guilin region, China
Since we first entered China, we observed a fascination of Chinese tourists with Western tourists and their children in particular. During a boat ride on the Li River, there was an American family with small boys on board. Everybody tried to hold them, pat them, have them sit on their lap in the overcrowded bus from Xingpin back to Yangshuo. Or at least have their photo taken together with the kids!
Karst Landscape along Yulong River, Yangshuo, China
One of the best ways to see the extraordinary scenery is riding a bike along the Yulong River. Here tourism is presently finding its way into the local farmer communities along the river. This area is undergoing a major transition: you see farmers working their rice paddies or taking their animals home in the evening, while others are building bamboo rafts or taking tourists down the river on these floating devices. Some people try to sell conic hats or fruits and most farmers along the river have added a few floors onto their modest dwellings, probably expecting tourists soon wanting to stay out there, away from the hustle of West Street. Continue Reading →
“Cruises” on Li River, Yangshuo, China
What makes this area a prime tourist location are the amazing rock formations that are especially spectacular to watch from the Li or Yulong River. They are best described as a never ending cascade of pointed hills covered with lush green vegetation, often coming in bizarre shapes given names like Moon Hill, Nine Horse Fresco Hill… Continue Reading →
Gui Lin Train Station, Guilin, China
We decided to describe this first stretch of our trip in “China proper” in great detail, simply to show how easy it is to travel in an environment where communication is rather difficult. It took us about 23 hours to cover the approx. 750 kilometres between Macau and Yangshuo, but it was hardly tiring or boring. The public bus in Macau took us to the border at “Portas de Cerco” where we crossed into Mainland China together with zillions of gamblers who had spent the weekend in Macau. Despite the big crowd things moved smoothly. Continue Reading →