Guilin/Yangshuo in China

Hey everyone, sorry it's taken so long to blog, and our posts have been so irregular but internet access is bone dry in this town. Let me give you my version of our 2nd, significantly better day at Guilin. Let me reiterate that our first impression of this place was when we landed and looked around a deserted airtrack, and felt totally fish out of water like we were on Mars:



But our second day we went on a river boat tour that went from Guilin to Yangshuo, which was pretty/boring. It was an hour and a half boat ride down a gorgeous river that was overshadowed by towering, immense rocks that thousands of years ago were below sea-level. When we reached Yangshuo, it was totally a tourist trap. The second you walk off the boat you get mobbed by locals playing "theme from a summer place" on traditional chinese instruments.

So we decide to take the bamboo boat tour, where 2 people sit on this bamboo raft, approx 5' x 20' and this guy peddles you downriver:





Like all things in China, this is a complex experience. One the one hand, there's beautiful scenery/you-are-there-rustic-authenticity, and on the other hand, there's dozens of tourists around you having the same exact experience. Also, there's a woman standing behind you with a husky voice singing chinese river songs, through a loudspeaker.

After a bit of this unsettlingness (hearing live chinese folk music through a loudspeaker 2' behind your head is not unlike standing in front of a banshee, or for that matter, listening to reggaeton in a club), Simon in true Simon fashion, somehow gets the megaphone and sings his renditions of famous Chinese standards, video to follow...

On a completely unrelated note, SOMEONE END THE "FLATTEST CREWCUT EVER CONTEST"... WE HAVE A WINNER:


In other news, while walking around in Guilin last night Simon's "Realness Radar" goes into overdrive and detects the following:



ROLLERSKATES AND PINGPONG, SON!!!

OK, I will let Ctown and Simon let you in on their perspective. Also, let me note that this blog is slowly taking over our lives. We in fact now plan our schedule around the availability of internet and schedule entire blocks of time to blogging/editing. Even as I type this Cynth is uploading a music video she shot in Hong Kong. Also, we now have a Vachina bug! It will make its premiere on Cynth's video...