Last day in Yangshuo

Yes, I am sad to be leaving, but we will be heading to Shanghai tomorrow.

Today started out with an early morning (and I do mean EARLY at 7 a.m.) bicycle ride through the countryside and bamboo rafting. Again, words cannot do justice to the beauty in this part of China, but I did take plenty of pictures to prove it. We stopped for lunch at the Moon Hill Cafe, which is at the foot of the famous Moon Hill here in Yangshuo. The rock is formed with a crescent-shaped hollow. There were a number of caves along the way that we did not stop to explore. I bet there are bats!

I went for yet another massage this afternoon. There is a group of us that are just hooked on it, and we've even begun planning our day around this. It was my friend Juan's first professional massage ever, and all he could say at the end of the session was "more!" After the massage, we all went for foot reflexology baths and foot massages.

We came back all limp from the massages and went straight to catch our boat for a cruise down the Li River. Once again, breathtaking, lots of pictures and videos. At one point it seemed there was something stuck in the propellor because the boat kept revving up but we were not moving, but in the end we all made it home safely. That gave us a bit more time to enjoy the scenery.

We dined al fresco on snails (well THEY did, I just watched - I am vegetarian after all) and delicious Chinese food. Our tour guide arranged for a trio of farmer musicians to come and play traditional Chinese music on traditional Chinese instruments, such as the bamboo flute (di zi) and this two-stringed lute (erhu). The third musician played an accordian, which probably isn't very Chinese, but it did add a great deal to the melody. The music was amazing, and the locals stopped to listen to it as well. Sadly, the Chinese have not nurtured their culture in preserving traditional music.

I did not mention this, but our first dinner here was in the home of some local minority farmers. We were actually in their homes, eating in their living rooms! The food was freshly prepared and included lots of roasted peanuts, a soup made of fried peanuts and wheat puffs, fried vegetables, green beans, and other ethnic dishes. It was delicious. Our guide constantly reminds us what it means to engage in responsible tourism, which means to experience local culture and by doing so, helping to preserve it economically. I agree.