I was mesmerized by the Silver Cave.

As usual, we were invited by a group of students to play tourist and visit a popular attraction. They called it 'Silver Cave' and in my mind, I was thinking of a shallow glittery cave where you stay mostly on the outside looking in on a display of Chinese aborginal artworks (Is that even the proper description?) or even a silver mine (the name has to come from somewhere, right?) that's been closed for an age and converted into a tourist trap. But, for want of something better to do on a Saturday, there we were on rented van, heading to the "Silver Cave."

 

Even as we got there, I wasn't  sure if it was a real cave we were going to see or if it was just one of those quirky Chinese misnomers. The entrance to the attraction was not even impressive, it was just one of those typical tourist entrances with red banners and flyers hanging about which meant nothing to me as I can't read Chinese. (I think if you've been to enough tourist attractions in China, you'll understand what I mean.)  So, up the stairs we went and to my surprise, we actually did enter a cave.






It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting and my body to get used to the cooler temperatures after having been outside and being exposed to the bright sunny day and the warmth that goes with it.   

 

But wow! Having no expectations, I was amazed by what I saw. It was to me, wonder after wonder. As we did the 2 kilometer walk that spans the inside of the cave, moving from one formation to the next, I was just awed and dare I say it again...mesmerized by the sight. I couldn't keep myself from exclaiming "Wow!" at every stop. Eventually, I just shut up because I got sick of hearing my voice echoing the same word over and over again. Of course each formation was named with something distinctly Chinese. (Don't ask! lol!) I can't even begin to describe how overwhelming the sights were, I won't even try. I hope the photos are able to do them some justice though.

I don't doubt that there are even more wondrous sights out there that I have yet to see. But in that moment, at that place, I was impressed and humbled all over again by the wonders of nature, only half knowing of those other amazing places that await. 

 

(Note: Though I wish I could take credit for the photos, they are not mine. I just cropped and edited some details out for composition. Many thanks to Yong who took most of these photos. :))

My first Mid-Autumn festival...

was a bit of a blur. I agreed to go without really knowing what  it was that I was agreeing to. I remember a mention of a bonfire and a night picnic and that we were to meet at the school entrance at a certain time and that our group was to walk together to the Li River. No one ever said anything about riding a boat/raft to cross the river. Neither did they mention how huge bonfire was to be lit. So there we were, walking along the "pink district" on our way to West Street and our final stop which  I thought was our side of Li River.

 

When we got there, the students started getting organized as to who was to board which raft to cross. I  pretty much just followed like a lamb since most of what they said were just flying over my head. We crossed the river after a few minutes but as it's been a drizzly past few days, the bank was mushy and muddy, it sucked at our sandals so it was difficult to put one foot in front of another. Not to mention that this was night time so, it wasn't exactly the fun experience I was looking forward to.  

 

 

We walked a bit further until they decided on a spot that looked dry enough to handle the bonfire and immediately set out building one.  It took a bit of time since they were arguing among themselves which was the best way to start one or to  ake it bigger. Whatever the cliche was about too many cooks can also be said about building a fire.

 

 

Finally, the fire was built and we all settled around it to enjoy the rest of the evening. They started passing around drinks and some food and the program started. They told us a brief history of the festival and told us why they celebrated it. Some students recited poetry about the moon. There were stories of legends. There was dancing. And there was singing. All to do with the moon. It was...an interesting evening. Most of what was said, I didn't understand or if I did, I don't remember. But I rememeber the friendly faces. I remember the cold night air and the heat from the fire and the warmth of their welcome.

We met Yulong for the first time...



Our band of happy bikers

on an overcast Sunday morning. A bunch of students and friends from school organized a barbeque along the banks of the Yulong River. We were told the landscape along the bike paths were truly amazing and that there would be time to go for a swim in the afternoon. It's been drizzling the past few days which we were assured was typical fall weather, so it was a puzzle to me how they were planning to keep a fire long enough to cook for 20 people. That wasn't even the biggest problem for me. It's this: I don't bike. It's not something I'm proud of, but it was just something I never got around to learning. I wasn't let off the hook however. Apparently, tandem bikes are a common thing in Yangshuo sooooo...problem solved! Ooops! I have to say that I have never been on a pedal bike, except the stationary one so I wasn't looking forward to the experience of bumping along the countryside. No sooner had we set out for the Yulong then it started to drizzle. But, happy campers that we were, we trudged along quite unaffected by a little rainfall.

 



a view of the karst



 

Yulong definitely delivered. It was amazing! I'm sure it could have been better had the weather been clear but the low lying clouds covering the peaks of the karst gave it an air of mystique. To me, it was all part of its charm. To add a bit of whimsy, it seemed to me like a shy child who was meeting someone for the first time, not quite sure if it wants to come out and play or not. I have to say that I was very glad that I went despite the aches and pains of being on a bike for a couple of hours for the first time. (Okay, fine! Honesty compels me to say that although it felt like a couple of hours, it was actually less than one.)

 

 

 

We couldn't stay by the banks though since the threat of heavier rainfall made cooking anything impossible. Yong, our leader, and therefore the one to blame for the aforementioned aches and pains, had us bike a little further...and then some more...then a little bit more until we reached a cave with a wide opening. Inside, there was a long table made with a heavy slab of rock that made me think of 'The Last Supper' with immovable seats made with similar slabs. Off the left side of the entrance was a low-lying barbeque pit that looks like it's been used on many occassions. It was all very civilized. lol! In short order, the bikes were parked to one side and we started laying the table, putting the meat on skewers and generally made ourselves useful while the guys started the fire. It was big fun because the students were as curious about us as we were of them. 

 



shy Yulong not quite sure if she wants to play

The afternoon passed by in a whirl of activity. We went back to a different part of the river bank to have a swim but the water was too much on the cold side for me so I passed. Before we knew it, it was dark and we had to head back to town. We went back via a different route and I couldn't believe it at first when they started lighting and distributing candles for the hike back. I was so sure it was all a practical joke and that they'd whip out torches and flashlights any time soon. Shows you how much I know! lol! We hiked through ricefields and across rivers holding candles. That's something I have definitely never done before. It's a wonder we were able to keep them lit long enough with the light drizzle and all. Thank goodness it wasn't too long a hike, just around an hour or so before we got to the paved road. From there we mounted our bikes and headed back home. The memory of those lighted candles still crack me up when I remember. That will always accompany my best memory of the shy Yulong.  

 

It wasn't an auspicious beginning



Yangshuo surrounded by Karst Mountains

The day we flew to Guilin via HongKong, there was a storm in the region. We were stuck at HKIA for a few hours before our flight was called so the ETA of 6 or 7 pm became well after midnight. Suffice is to say, we spent a total of 8 hours in 2 airplanes for what was supposedly only a 3-hour plane ride. Argh! We were picked up by our driver who spoke nary a word of English and he drove the hour-long disatnce to get us to our final destination of Yangshuo. On our first few days here, we wanted to just pack up and go home. I guess it's a combination of adjusting to the new place as well as the language barrier. 
 

We were blessed in that we had a gracious host who was also to be our boss. He drove us around West street on our first day, pointed out places of interest and fed us a lunch of  bāozi.

 


The place was really beautiful, a small town surrounded by Karst Mountains. Everywhere is within walking or biking distance. And to quote an earlier blog, "And there, our more than a year-long roller coaster ride of challenges, adventures, and discoveries started to take shape."



This bridge leads to the main park

All the roads looped together to either take your to or from West Street. This was one of our favorite routes. In the summer, you can see the entire lake covered with Lotus plants and flowers. On our free time, we took walks in the park, went trekking on one of the mountains, swam in the river, had coffee or local beer on West street or sampled the local food. The place is progressive in a way that tourists towns usually are. The very, very laid-back lifestyle  took quite some adjustment, but in the end, suited us very well.