Yangshou and Xiangping

Bamboo raft down the river Li

Moon cave - just outside of Yangshou

Meal in Xiangping

Yangshou

We spent 3 nights in Yangshou, the 'traveller's mecca' in China. We visited some caves with hot springs and mud pools - unfortunately no photos cos we (stupidly) didn't bring the camera - and met some people there who we went out to dinner with. Our mode of transport to the caves was fun - we got on the back of two mopeds (without helmets - they didn't think to provide them for driver or passenger) and zoomed off at about 40mph down the main road, dodging bicycles and buses. I was clinging on for dear life, but Nick really enjoyed it!

The next day, I went cycling in the morning with Sarah, Max, Harry and ____, (the people we met in the caves) whilst Nick had a lie-in. In the afternoon, we all went to Xiangping, which is a tiny village further down the river Li from Yangshou. We had lunch there (35p per meal!!) and experienced plumbing in the Chinese villages - simple is not the right word! It was a slit carved into the floor, into which the 'waste' ran out into the river. There wasn't even a door - there was just a low wall surrounding the 'slit', and it was in a back room. Interesting!! We then took bamboo rafts back up the river Li to Yangshou. It was idyllic - Nick, Max and Harry all fell asleep!

There are a lot of these limestone hills carved into the countryside surrounding Yangshou - quite similar to Halong Bay, but on land. It was my favourite place in China, because it wasn't a city!!