My first trip to Xingping...



walking the block of
old town Xingping



yes, he actually did go up inside
one of those old houses

 ...was hush-hush. Rachel, a student of both my sister's and mine told us about this old town, not too far from Yangshuo. She said she wanted to take us and a couple of friends there, without the usual 'field trip' of about 25-30 students tagging along. So, it was one early Saturday morning that we found ourselves on a mini bus heading to old town Xingping.

Angie, with Janie,
our Mandarin teacher

Me and Janie

The bus ride was quite pleasant, the scenery was all countryside. It took us all of 40 minutes to get there, what with all the stops and starts of loading and unloading passengers. That first visits, we walked the old block which boated of really ancient looking houses, most of which seemed uninhabited. It was a long block with a lot to feast your eyes on. We walked the short clock, pausing now and then to ham it up in front of the camera 

David the ham

a couple of locals making 
a local snack



this is what they were haggling over

our guides, David, Janie and Rachel,
haggling for a snack

 

and yum!

this was a longish hike to get to the 'pier' 

sunset aboard our bamboo raft

the Nine Horses Fresco,
nope couldn't see them either

the picture on the 20RMB bill. I think

took the photo just because it looks nice :)

can't remember if this was before or after the hike

heading off to our first bamboo-raft ride in Xingping