Yangshuo

What a civilized place to be in after the other areas we have travelled through. A relief to have western toilets, hot water oh the luxury and to be able to hand over our washing for $1.50 p kg and have it returned clean and folded. Loving the town, restaurants, bars and shopping it seems such a treat to be here. We have had to move hotels -no bother at all -all complete with Internet, air con and HOT WATER. Yesterday we hired bikes and headed out to explore the local area, in true Les style we just kept on going and going it wasn't until 9 hours of cycling had passed did we return via a bamboo raft to the town tired but full of such a fun day. We had pedalled between paddy fields on tiny 30 cm wide walkways through forest areas, around the Karsts formations originally underground amazing scenery found a great restaurant in the middle of nowhere, stopped for a beer and coffee at a flash hotel on the banks of the river and spent two hours on a raft with our bikes at the back being pushed down the river before pedalling like crazy to get back to town before dark really took over. We climbed up to moon hill a spectacular formation like a half moon where the view is through this hole in the rock and out to the karsts and over the valleys and villages. When we arrived it was extremely hot and two local women took us on as their challenge to get some yuan out of us and followed us up the 880 steps fanning us and carrying cold drinks for us to buy at the top- how could we resist we were easy targets and parted with our yuan the fanning on the way us was worth every yuan. After showers and a late dinner headed home about mid night from West Street the bar , market and madhouse area of this popular tourist destination.
Today we aere kicked out of our hotel as it was fully booked found a new room across the road just as good and moved in. Heard there were Chinese cooking lessons on so tagged along with a group and spent 5 hours water is used int he cooking. We made 5 different recipes and we can't wait to have gas at home so we can try our new found culinary skills out. Les is very enthusastic!! Spent the rest of the day walking ad doing a little shopping befor eating again at a new restaurant and new food. Les is playing Chinese chess with the locals while I do this. Loving Yangshuo here for a another couple of days before we head to Beijing.