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.
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.
A highly soggy mountain and an extremely busy panda sanctuary.
16.11.2024 - 16.11.2024 20 degrees Celsius
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.
I'm still trying out my knee, so I visited Zhou "garden" (which isn't really a garden) and Wenfeng pagoda. It was impressive but tough for me to climb.
One thing that surprised me about Chengdu was how similar it felt to Beijing and other major Chinese cities we had explored. While we experienced some interesting nightlife spots, the city overall seemed quite generic. I initially thought this might be due to my limited Western viewpoint, but Mei Ling concurred that Chengdu didn't truly embody Sichuanese culture. We resolved to venture beyond the city borders during our remaining days in Chengdu.
Historic town and caverns.