Old Town and Caves
Monday, 24 July 2023
On Monday, 24 July, we enjoyed two breakfasts: one from McDonald's and another of noodles. Following our meal, we took a taxi to Silver Cave (银子岩), a large cave located approximately 18 km from Yangshuo. Inside, there is a lengthy 2 km concrete pathway that winds through numerous stalactites and stalagmites, all illuminated like a theme park. It was extremely hot inside the cave, making the large pedestal fans quite welcome.
We took a moment for photos at the cave entrance.
Outside the Silver Caves, the café's coffee was quite unsatisfactory. We then took another taxi to Xingping Old Town (兴坪镇), which was about a 90-minute drive north of Yangshuo. This historic town is picturesque, boasting breathtaking river views.
After exploring Xingping, we returned to Yangshuo by the same taxi and enjoyed dinner at a nice restaurant, although some dishes appeared quite unusual. Walking back to our hotel was challenging due to the large crowds along the main street, which could have posed a risk in a panic; however, we managed to return safely. I held onto Hung's hand tightly as we navigated through the crowd. Once we moved away from the main street and started walking toward the hotel, the number of people decreased.
We encountered some clever advertising and an intriguing restaurant along the way.
Yangshuo Town.
The trip's sponsors.
Stirring the chili.
Declining down the hill toward the main shopping area.
I recently had the amazing chance to visit the Great Mosque in Xi'an, China. It was genuinely an unforgettable cultural experience. Situated in the vibrant Muslim Quarter of Xi'an's downtown area, this mosque is among the oldest and largest in the country.
This month, I've been extremely lazy due to my knee not feeling completely right and the inconvenient location I reside in. Traveling to the south end of the city requires me to take two light rail trains, which takes at least 1.5 hours. I live in Gaochun, south of the airport, so I first take the local rail to the airport, then switch to the airport train to finally reach the south end of the city. My tourist card now only has destinations on the north end of the city left, and I lack the motivation to visit more than one each weekend. Without further delay, here are the photos I took during the weekends in December.
We spent two weeks in Beijing. The day after our arrival, we visited Chao Yang Park (Sun Park) and rented a duck boat. It was quite slow, but we enjoyed navigating it around the lake.
Along the Yangtze River, there are several caves featuring Guanyin, but since most of them are inaccessible, I simply walked along the cliff.
I recently had the amazing chance to visit Guilin, China, thanks to an invitation from a friend. I have to say, this destination surpassed all my expectations with its stunning scenery. I'd like to share some details about my experience in Guilin and provide some useful tips for anyone considering a trip to China.
I was very let down by my location once more this semester. It took me 2.5 hours to reach the train station on the teacher bus and then 3 hours to return from the train station on the light rail. Not to mention the 1 km walk back to my apartment from the train station. It's just as bad as it was last semester, if not worse, because there are no longer any trees or stray cats. It's simply a vast dusty campus on flat ground, with a lot of wind and currently, the sun is quite uncomfortably hot.
Historic town and caverns.