I can’t recall when our bus changed from a 12-passenger to a full sized for our tiny group of eight. (Yangshuo or Guilin?) Honest. A full-sized bus! Made us feel special I suppose. After lunch, we headed to Elephant Trunk Park. It was a good day for a slow walk around but soon became boring as we stayed longer than we needed. This time, Chinese girls took a particular liking to Ernesto and begged to be photographed with him. By now we knew they like to have pictures taken with the foreigners.

© 2015 All Rights Reserved Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles

Quick Facts:

Guilin is not a big city: population only about 1 Million
Guilin has 2 rivers and 4 lakes
International football academy is here
Known for strawberries and Calamondin (I think). They look like tiny oranges)
Lots of foreigners have come to Guilin since 1980
Plenty of open spaces / large parks (pay fee) and small ones (free)
Many nurseries along the highway/lots of peach trees
90% who come, like it
The River Li divides the city into east and west
Taxi costs 10 Yuan anywhere (about $1.66 USD)
Garbage is collected every single day
Biggest pollution from cars and factories, not from garbage

Recycling done carefully
Some garbage incinerated
Government provides rat poison if required
Rats not a problem in the city
In the countryside, rats are still eaten
Welfare for people who cannot work, but a tiny amount
Chinese Welfare Lottery is illegal but people buy tickets
Selling lottery tickets only allowed if portion goes to social/charity endeavors
Ticket sellers probably give just enough to stay under the radar
Income taxes: 5% for regular people / 10% for the rich
No land taxes because you don’t own the land, but must pay to renew 70-year lease
Farmers trust their wells because it’s free
Wells do not get tested at all
Water supplied by government/cost per amount used like in Canada

After the park, we finally unloaded our luggage and checked out the new hotel. My apologies for the fuzzy pictures. The girl is from a particular ethnic minority, but I’m not sure which one. Our guide was no help.

More Quick Facts

Banyan Trees
Streets edged by Camphor trees (smell nice and keep bugs away)
Cannot make money in this city
Government pays to keep out pollution and manufacturing

Dinner:

Ying and Yang soup (egg white and green tea for design)
Dumplings
Panko dipped spring rolls
Soy and chili sauces for dipping
Carp with celery, water chestnuts, and cucumber
Celery, water chestnuts, and pearl onions
3 large (pork balls surrounded by sliced cucumber (center uncooked)
battered and spiraled eggplant
Batter-dipped chestnuts, deep-fried
White rice
Orange wedges in skins

Our dinner restaurant had many rooms for patrons. The waitress wore something like Bluetooth technology and carried on a conversation with someone as she delivered food. The farther south we went, the angrier the conversations sounded.

Someone cut a piece from one (of three) of the huge pork balls for a taste. The next person cut through the center, revealing raw pork. We all looked at each other. What to do? Finally, the waitress came back serving a nearby table. We waved her over and explained about the raw meat. She continued her funning conversation in the sphere and stopped long enough to inform us it was not raw. She picked up a fork and mashed the pork ball till it flattened. “Is okay. Is okay. Is okay.” Her voice escalated until it sounded like yelling (maybe scolding). Smacking down the fork, she left in a huff. Needless to say, no-one touched the pork.

No doubt about it, the pace has slowed from the initial fast pace 19 days before.

~ * ~

Next on November 3^rd. Flight to Guangzhou

FYI: This is a re-blog of the best parts of my trip in 2014

~ * ~

I am currently on an unplanned sabbatical. I hope to return but when is the question. Thank you for reading. I DO appreciate your kind and continued support more than I can express. Please bear with me.

October 20, 2017
by Let's CUT the Crap!

Guilin: Out and About

Image Courtesy of Sally Cronin

Next stop: South Sea Pearl Museum

Upon arrival, we were whisked through a five-minute presentation on the color of pearls. Glassy-eyed, the husbands trailed behind. A runway fashion show followed with five formally dressed beauties displaying pearl earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Afterwards, we were whisked with a flourish, through double-doors into the salesroom. The room was divided into three sections: good, medium, and best. One of the ladies in our group bought river pearls for 1,500 Yuan (about $250.00 USD. “A bargain,” she said. I don’t wear pearls when I write. No bargain for me.

Quick Facts:

Freshwater pearls are an irregular shape (not round)
Seawater pearls always round, only white, black and gold
Lots of iron in the water = black color
Lots of copper in the water = purple, pink
Chinese females don’t wear gold pearls as they don’t look good against their skin color
North Americans wear pink, white, and black

The store glittered with enough brilliance to blind a stone statue. Hordes of sales staff—all young females—materialized out of nowhere. A sales assistant seemed to be available for every person through the door. The French group had arrived ahead of us and were already engaged in energetic persuasion. I wasn’t interested in pearls and wandered about, but returned to the front of the room where the husbands waited. A bar stool, facing the sales floor, presented an empty seat. I climbed on, a latte and wine bar at my elbow. Free? Not a chance. A convenient price list (in English) hung in full view. I’m grateful I wasn’t thirsty and didn’t bother checking out the prices.

Health Care:

A combination of Chinese and Western medicine
Western Medicine is faster
Chinese medicine has no side effects (so it’s thought)
You never want to drink the ‘healthy’ soup (I heard it’s worse than what ails you)

Lunch:

Corn soup (the most delicious from all others since arrival in China)
Chili and soy sauces
Rice with corn, pieces of carrot and egg
Celery and chestnuts, stir-fried
Sweet and sour chicken with chunks of tomato wedges
Hot beef with green peppers and onions in a skillet (awesome)
Spring rolls
Bamboo chicken ( deep fried, on stick, spicy and delish)
Eggplant with tomato wedges and green peppers
Soft cooked (egg?) noodles with slivered red peppers and green (?) leaf and stalk vegetable
Watermelon slices
Tea

Today the plates are the largest we’ve had for any meal; bigger than a saucer and larger than a bread-and-butter-plate. Lots of oil used as in most all dishes and restaurants in China, but most delicious lunch I’ve had since arriving in China. Again, I’m stuffed, having scooped only one spoonful of each of the offerings.

After lunch, and for the first time, a liquor was offered at 14 Yuan a shot glass (approximately $2.30 USD), but there were no takers. As well, a bit later, ice-cream and cappuccino were offered. Carolyn thought it was free so she ordered one of each. It turns out it wasn’t free. She turned it down and no-one else was interested either.

Laughs

When your wife catches you with another woman, you are completely finished.

If your wife likes to shop a lot, you are finished completely.

~ * ~

Next on October 27th: Guilin: Elephant Trunk Park

FYI: This is a re-blog of the best parts of my trip in 2014

~ * ~

I am currently on an unplanned sabbatical. Please bear with me. I hope to return but when is the question. Thank you for reading. I DO appreciate your kind and continued support more than I can express.

October 13, 2017
by Let's CUT the Crap!

Yangshuo to Guilin

Image Courtesy of Sally Cronin

Breakfast was meager, the second bad one and the worst of the two. We packed our bags and were downstairs for breakfast by about 7:20. The fried eggs were tough and rubbery; sausages were fine; baked beans (I didn’t try); rolls were hard as in stale. For fruit: only halved bananas (cut ends black); sliced white bread; cereals as usual and milk. Coffee and black tea were good.

Lily admitted breakfast at this hotel wasn’t great. “It is the best hotel in Yangzhou and it is a small city; they try their best.” She added this hotel is large and caters to many Chinese travelers as well in another room. Tourists are in separate rooms or there would be a big mess. Really? What kind? In all previous (and larger) hotels, Chinese and foreign travelers had breakfast in the same area—no problem—with countless buffet choices for everyone.

Our luggage had to be outside our room by 8:30 a.m. and was picked up at precisely that time. I snooped when I heard activity in the hallway. We’d packed before breakfast and still had about 40 minutes to read and wait for the bus.

Before we leave this hotel, I must share a discovery. Instead of a sink, the bathroom had a wonderful bowl on the counter, but the faucet wasn’t arranged properly and water splashed all over the counter when in use. I heard a strange sound as the water disappeared down the drain. I turned the water off and on again. Same sound. I had to take a look beneath the sink and laughed my head off.

My apologies the picture is somewhat dark: regular pipe leads from the drain as well as through the floor. See the loose plastic tubing in between? It’s just long enough and not secured. I pulled it out for you to see and wonder if our room was the only one with special plumbing.

The bus ride from Yangshuo back to Guilin again took 1-1/2 hours. “The ride will be bumpy,” Lily said. She grinned and called it a back massage. Thank goodness the bus had padded seats, not bare wood planks.

As well as our tour company, Lily also works for another one, which caters to Americans who come to adopt Chinese children. She likes being freelance and enjoys meeting people and hearing their stories.

While on the bus, I caught sight of a woman riding her bike in stocking feet. Her boots were tied on the handlebars. I also noticed my first set of twins alongside another sibling. Till now, we’d seen only singular children and mostly boys. I watched a man wash the dirt off his bike with water from a mud puddle, scooping it up with his hands. It wasn’t a fancy operation but appeared efficient. As well, several times I noted a female driving a scooter with a male passenger. Yes, believe it, or not. I wonder if this means she makes better money or is a better penny Yuan pincher? It’s obvious she owns the wheels.

I noticed only a couple dogs during this trip and a pampered few, tightly held, in the city. In the country, we passed several dogs sleeping in the dirt on farms as we made our the way to the River Li cruise the day before.

Approximate Costs of Electronics in USD:

($416) iPad mini – 2500 Yuan
($333) Samsung iPhone – 2000 Yuan
$833 iPhone5 (very popular) – 5000 Yuan
$333 Regular bicycle (a farmer might use) – 2000 Yuan
$100 and up Scooter – 600–700 Yuan
Hong Kong has best prices for electronics (and cosmetics)

Of course, farmers are still behind the times with old washing machines or none, and no freezers. They don’t have electricity anyway.

~ * ~

A Couple Chuckles, Chinese Style:

When a husband likes shopping, his wife does not.

When you marry the right woman, you are complete. When you marry the wrong one, you are finished.

~ * ~

Next on October 20th – Guilin: Out and About

FYI: This is a re-blog of the best parts of my trip in 2014

~ * ~

March 27, 2015
by Let's CUT the Crap! 47 Comments

Guilin, Day 19, Part 3 – Elephant Trunk Park

I can’t recall when our bus changed from a 12-passenger to a full sized for our tiny group of eight. (Yangshuo or Guilin?) Honest. A full-sized bus! Made us feel special I suppose. After lunch we headed to Elephant Trunk Park. It was a good day for a slow walk around but soon became boring as we stayed longer than we needed. This time, Chinese girls took a particular liking to Ernesto and begged to be photographed with him. By now we knew they like to have pictures taken with the foreigners.

Quick Facts:

Guilin is not a big city: population only about 1 Million
Guilin has 2 rivers and 4 lakes
International football academy is here
Strawberries and Calamondin (I think). They look like tiny oranges)
Lots of foreigners have come to Guilin since 1980
Plenty of open spaces / large parks (pay fee) and small ones (free)
Many nurseries along the highway / lots of peach trees
90% who come, like it
The River Li divides the city into east and west
Taxi costs 10 Yuan anywhere (about $1.66 USD)
Garbage is collected every single day
Biggest pollution from cars and factories, not from garbage

Recycling done carefully
Some garbage incinerated
Government provides rat poison if required
Rats not a problem in city
In country, rats still eaten
Welfare for people who cannot work, but a tiny amount
Chinese (Welfare) Lottery is illegal but people buy tickets
Selling lottery tickets only allowed if portion goes to social / charity endeavors
Ticket sellers probably give just enough to stay under the radar
Income taxes: 5% for regular people / 10% for the rich
No land taxes because you don’t own the land, but must pay to renew 70-year lease
Farmers trust their wells because it’s free
Wells do not get tested at all
Water supplied by government / cost per amount used like in Canada

After the park we finally unloaded our luggage and checked out the new hotel. My apologies for the fuzzy pictures. The girl is from a particular ethnic minority, but I’m not sure which one.

More Quick Facts

Banyan Trees
Streets edged by Camphor trees (smell nice and keep bugs away)
Cannot make money in this city
Government pays to keep out pollution and manufacturing

Dinner:

Ying and Yang soup (egg white and green tea for design)
Dumplings
Panko dipped spring rolls
Soy and chili sauces for dipping
Carp with celery, water chestnuts and cucumber
Celery, water chestnuts and pearl onions
3 large (pork balls surrounded by sliced cucumber (centre uncooked)
battered and spiralled eggplant
Batter-dipped chestnuts, deep-fried
White rice
Orange wedges in skins

Our dinner restaurant had many rooms. The waitress wore something like Bluetooth technology and carried on a conversation with someone as she delivered food. The farther south we went, the angrier the conversations sounded.

Someone cut a piece from one (of three) of the huge pork balls for a taste. The next person cut through the centre revealing raw pork. We all looked at each other. What to do? Finally, the waitress came back serving a nearby table. We waved her over and explained about the raw meat. She continued her funning conversation in the sphere and stopped long enough to inform us it was not raw. She picked up a fork and mashed the pork ball till it flattened. “Is okay. Is okay. Is okay.” Her voice had escalated until it sounded like yelling (maybe scolding). Smacking down the fork, she left in a huff. Needless to say, no-one touched the pork.

No doubt about it, the pace has slowed from the initial fast pace 19 days before.

~ * ~

Next on April 3^rd. Day 20, Part 1 – Flight to Guangzhou

For more related posts, click on China tab at the top of the page

March 13, 2015
by Let's CUT the Crap! 45 Comments

Guilin: Day 19, Part 2 – Out and About

Next stop South Sea Pearl Museum

Upon arrival, we were whisked through a five-minute presentation about the colour of pearls. Glassy-eyed, the husbands trailed behind. A runway fashion show followed with five formally dressed beauties displaying pearl earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Afterwards, we were whisked through double-doors into the salesroom with a flourish. The room was divided into three sections: good, medium, and best. One of the ladies in our group bought river pearls for 1,500 Yuan (about $250.00 USD.

Quick Facts:

Fresh water pearls are an irregular shape (not round)
Sea water pearls always round, only white, black and gold
Lots of iron in the water = black colour
Lots of copper in the water = purple, pink
Chinese females don’t wear gold pearls as they don’t look good against their skin colour
North Americans wear pink, white and black

The store glittered with enough brilliance to blind a stone statue. Hordes of sales staff—all young females—materialized out of nowhere. A sales assistant seemed to be available for every person through the door. The French group had arrived ahead of us and were already engaged in energetic persuasion. I wasn’t interested in pearls and wandered about, but returned to the front of the room where the husbands waited. An bar stool, facing the sales floor, presented an empty seat. I climbed on, a latte and wine bar at my elbow. Free? Not a chance. A convenient price list (in English) hung in full view. I’m grateful I wasn’t thirsty and didn’t bother checking out the prices.

Health Care:

A combination of Chinese and Western medicine
Western Medicine is faster
Chinese medicine has no side effects (so it’s thought)
You never want to drink the ‘healthy’ soup (I heard it’s worse than what ails you)

Lunch:

Corn soup (the most delicious from all others since arrival in China)
Chili and soy sauces
Rice with corn, pieces of carrot and egg
Celery and chestnuts, stir fried
Sweet and sour chicken with chunks of tomato wedges
Hot beef with green peppers and onions in a skillet (awesome)
Spring rolls
Bamboo chicken ( deep fried, on stick, spicy and delish)
Eggplant with tomato wedges and green peppers
Soft cooked (egg?) noodles with slivered red peppers and green (?) leaf and stalk vegetable
Watermelon slices
Tea

Jokes

When your wife catches you with another woman, you are completely finished.

If your wife likes to shop a lot, you are finished completely.

~ * ~

On March 20^th: No posting (on March Break)

Next up on March 27^th: Guilin, Day 19, Part 3 – Elephant Trunk Park

For more related posts, click on China tab at the top of the page

March 6, 2015
by Let's CUT the Crap! 30 Comments

Yangshuo: Day 19, Part 1 – to Guilin

Lily admitted breakfast at this hotel wasn’t great. “It is the best hotel in Yangzhou and it is a small city; they try their best.” She added this hotel is large and caters to many Chinese travelers as well in another room. We are in separate rooms or there would be a big mess. Really? What kind? In all previous (and larger) hotels, Chinese and foreign travelers had breakfast in the same area—no problem—with countless buffet choices for everyone.

Before we leave this hotel, I must share a discovery. Instead of a sink, the bathroom had a wonderful bowl on the counter, but the faucet wasn’t arranged properly and water splashed all over the water as turned on. I heard a strange sound as the water disappeared down the drain. I turned the water off and on again. Same sound. I had to take a look beneath the sink and laughed my head off.

While on the bus, I observed a woman ride her bike in stocking feet. Her boots were on the handlebars. I noticed my first set of twins alongside another sibling. Till now, we’d seen only singular children and mostly boys. A man washed dirt off his bike next to a mud puddle, scooping water up with his hands. It wasn’t fancy, but appeared efficient. As well, I noticed several times, a female driving a scooter with a male passenger. Yes, believe it, or not. I wonder if this means she makes better money or is a better penny Yuan pincher? It’s obvious she owns the wheels.

I noticed only a couple dogs and a pampered few in the city. In the country, a few dogs slept on a farm we passed on the way to our River Li cruise the day before.

Approximate Costs of Electronics in USD:

($416) iPad mini – 2500 Yuan
($333) Samsung iPhone – 2000 Yuan
$833 iPhone5 (very popular) – 5000 Yuan
$333 Regular bicycle (a farmer might use) – 2000 Yuan
$100 and up Scooter – 600–700 Yuan
Hong Kong has best prices for electronics (and cosmetics)

A five-cubic foot freezer is about 2200 Yuan (approximately $360 USD). Back home we can buy one that size for half that amount. Yes, people in the cities have money to spend, but I didn’t hear a reason why it’s so expensive if this popular. Of course, farmers are still behind the times with old washing machines or none, and no freezers. They don’t have electricity anyway.

~ * ~

A Couple Chuckles, Chinese Style:

When a husband likes shopping, his wife does not.

When you marry the right woman, you are complete. When you marry the wrong one, you are finished.

~ * ~

Next on March 13 – Guilin: Day 19, Part 2 – Out and About

For more related posts, click on China tab at the top of the page

February 6, 2015
by Let's CUT the Crap! 107 Comments

Chongqing: Day 17, Part 2 – to Guilin Tea Plantation

I felt rushed through the zoo and we were. Next on the agenda was a local flight to Guilin. We had to get our luggage checked and be ready to board by 11:10 a.m. for an hour flight. There were no unexpected surprises at the airport this time: no wands shrieked, nor gongs rung; no high-pitched voices nor thumping feet. Everyone had packed properly and wore no heavy metal.

A boxed lunch was served on board again, but I don’t recall what had been on offer.

Upon landing, our new tour guide, thirty-something Lily, met us at the airport. She was an attractive young woman, who appeared reserved, but approachable.

Population Guilin: 1 million, includes 5 urban districts. Total equals 4.7 million
Lots of Limestone mountains
Yao Mountain only earth mountain, also the highest

Small buildings only up to five storys high
Lakes and two rivers
Have 4 seasons
Living standard is okay
Tourism main source of revenue
Tax-free for business
Minority regions, tax tree
Good transportation
Major fashion manufacturers: Shanghai & Kenton
Southern port of China

We were surrounded by limestone mountains from the airport to Guilin. What a sight to see.

Specialty chili paste: local taste is hot
Herbal medicine
Fermented tofu
Persimmons, kumquats, oranges
Local wine (53% made from rice), named: Three Flower
Natural wine quarry
Local beer: Lee Cham
Hometown of local painting
Ocean pearls about 300 miles (km) from Guilin
10 army bases present because close to Vietnam border
Rice has two crops a year. Ninety percent of rice farmers suffer rheumatism and arthritis

Frolicking in a tea field. I couldn’t balance the hat on my head.

Tea Quick Facts:

Guilin area known for Chinese Tea
Tea Institute does research on tea properties (founded in 1965 near Yao Mountain)
Same tea bush, different tea from different parts of the bush
Tea picking is in the morning
Osmanthus tree, a relative of cinnamon (use only flowers not bark for tea)
Flower tea: Jasmine, Osmanthus
Green tea has caffeine, radiation-resistant for people use computers for long hours
White tea regulated and produced in limited quantities for export
Oolong tea, you must have clay pot (colour is red but like black tea) but different taste

Tea Disruption

Most popular tea? Depends on age and type of job (social standing)
Tea for modern people: “Puer” tea compressed into a hard block
Puer tea (expensive) you cut off a piece to make tea
Puer tea: good for stomach, detox high cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, rheumatism and good for losing weight

We were invited to a tea tasting after the tour. I wasn’t fond of much of the tea. One couple liked the Puer tea and bought a box.

~ * ~

Additional Information:

Tea farm outside Guilin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Bzr8s45i8

How do they make it? Puer Tea Production:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6mewXlWlmY

~ * ~

Next on February 13^th, To Yangshuo: Day 17, Part 3 – Countryside

For more related posts, click on China tab at the top of the page

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How the Cookie Crumbles

Life and scribbles on the far side of SIXTY-FIVE

Tag Archives: Guilin

Guilin: Elephant Trunk Park

Quick Facts:

More Quick Facts

Dinner:

Guilin: Out and About

Next stop: South Sea Pearl Museum

Quick Facts:

Health Care:

Lunch:

Laughs

Yangshuo to Guilin

Approximate Costs of Electronics in USD:

A Couple Chuckles, Chinese Style:

Guilin, Day 19, Part 3 – Elephant Trunk Park

Guilin: Day 19, Part 2 – Out and About

Yangshuo: Day 19, Part 1 – to Guilin

Chongqing: Day 17, Part 2 – to Guilin Tea Plantation