M-whY

"Sleep well?" I asked an Australian girl and her mother in the bunks above me.

"No," smiled the older. "When you get to my age, you usually need a bit more comfort." She looked like she was in her 50's, and I have to give her credit for having the spirit to travel China backpacker style.

The two of them weren't planning on staying in Guilin -they were off to Yangshou as soon as possible - so probably won't see them again. Outside the train station, I was met by a woman trying to sell me her hotel. 50 yuan a night, she advertised, which is darn cheap. Cheaper than anything my guidebook said I could find. The walls were grimy, the faucet in the bathroom didn't work, but at least there was a "Disinfected" sign on the toilet. As always, it's just a place to sleep, so I went back to reception to check in.

The woman actually turned out to be a pretty nice person, warning me about scams to watch out for on the streets and stuff. She also helped arrange a sightseeing driver. I had arrived too late to sign up for the 35 yuan group tour, but for 50 yuan, she got me my own private taxi that would take me around Guilin's sights. Mr Chang, who thought I was a university student from Hong Kong or something (I corrected him later), turned out to be a relative of hers.

"[First stop today is the Chengyun palace]," he said, dropping me off at the gate. A mandarin speaking guide was included in the price of admission. I think she dumbed down her talk when she learned I was American, and though I understood her perfectly, any mention of historical figures still went over my head. Behind the palace was the number one peak in Guilin, Solitary Beauty Mountain. Numerous stone inscriptions were carved on its walls.

Nearby was a courtyard lined with booths where students used to take their exams. In the past, students would be 'imprisoned' here for three days, eating, sleeping, and 'taking care of business' in their assigned cells. I'll bet the place reeked by the end of the third day.

My guide left me to climb to the top of Solitary Beauty Peak, from which there were great views (picture above). A town surrounded by limestone pillars is really something to behold. As a saying engraved in the cliff 800 years ago says: Guilin scenery exceeds all.

"[Our next stop is Lu Di Cave,]" announced Mr Chang when I had descended.

"[Can we stop for lunch first?]"

"[You haven't eaten yet? Sorry! What would you like to eat? Have you tried Guilin noodles?]"

I indicated I hadn't, and so he brought me to a tiny shop where the local people take lunch at. Something like pad thai, Guilin noodles can vary from shop to shop. Each chef has their own recipe and style. Three yuan a plate is actually expensive - most places charge only two and a half - Mr Chang told me, but the ingredients used here were supposed to be top notch.

Lu Di Cave translates into Bamboo Reed Cave, and a guide led a group of 40 through the immense cavern. Again, I had no trouble understanding, but after about ten minutes, I got tired of picking out dragons, lions, and old men that the rocks were supposed to resemble. The token white guy in the group wasn't really missing out on anything.

My driver was an outgoing fellow, and talked nonstop on the way back to town. I didn't mind, as it allowed me to practice my chinese a bit. He took me to the banks of the Li River, where I got on a boat to see some of the other famous peaks of Guilin.

"[Did you see Xiangbi Shan?]" asked Mr Chang at the end of the excursion. Elephant Trunk Hill is one of Guilin's better known sights, and is supposed to resemble an elephant dipping its trunk into the water.

"[I did, but it really didn't look like an elephant to me.]"

"[It's just one of those things everyone comes to Guilin too see,]" he admitted.

Guilin receives a lot of attention as a center for tourism, and its a very popular place for chinese tourists to visit. Prices reflected its popularity, and even though I scored cheap accomodation, at the end of the day, I was hurting from the steep admission fees. Each stop ran between 40-60 yuan, and in my opinion, it wasn't worth it. Given the chance to do it all over, I probably would've headed straight to Yangzhou, just like those two Australian girls had done.

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!