04 December 2006
just like the paintings
we wanted to get away for a weekend without spending too much, so we found a package deal to guilin for the weekend. for those of you who don't know, guilin is an hour's flight northwest of hong kong in southern china.
it is known as a beautiful place of spiny mountains - limestone karsts that jut out of a river valley. you can imagine wispy clouds of mist encircling them while an emerald green river winds through whispering bamboo thickets...water buffaloes meander through rice paddies and people float around doing kung fu in the air.... anyway, i digress.
we moved on quickly from the city of guilin down the li river (by bus) to the small backpacker town of yangshuo. much more pleasant, much less polluted and "neon lighted up", yangshuo is a great base from which to explore the surrounding countryside.
we got a tandem bicycle, so that alicia could rest on the back while rick pedaled around the little paths that wound around the river and through the surrounding villages. we followed our guide karen (+86 134 5736 8098 for anyone going up) who sweetly took us through some of the sites.
we explained that she was guiding two and a half people, so she made sure to take us on the smoothest paths.
after a while we got back to the river and onto a bamboo raft with some bamboo lounge chairs, maneuvered by a guy with a bamboo pole down the bamboo fringed yulong river - you get the picture. bamboo goes a long way in these parts.
it was really peaceful, the two of us relaxing and talking for a couple of hours while floating down a lazy river and taking in the beautiful scenery. just what the doctor ordered as a cure for the fastpaced lifestylemia we were suffering in hong kong.
occasionally the quiet was interrupted by another group of mainland tourists, or a guide singing some great chinese songs (i say great as compared to cantonese opera, for instance).
on the way back we caught some of the sunset and remembered how beautiful different parts of this world are and how lucky we are to get to see some of that beauty at various times in our lives.
and with that, it's already december! we heard lots of christmas music on our way back to hong kong and we're looking forward to the season - sorry we won't see most of you, but until then, keep in touch!
it is known as a beautiful place of spiny mountains - limestone karsts that jut out of a river valley. you can imagine wispy clouds of mist encircling them while an emerald green river winds through whispering bamboo thickets...water buffaloes meander through rice paddies and people float around doing kung fu in the air.... anyway, i digress.
we moved on quickly from the city of guilin down the li river (by bus) to the small backpacker town of yangshuo. much more pleasant, much less polluted and "neon lighted up", yangshuo is a great base from which to explore the surrounding countryside.
we got a tandem bicycle, so that alicia could rest on the back while rick pedaled around the little paths that wound around the river and through the surrounding villages. we followed our guide karen (+86 134 5736 8098 for anyone going up) who sweetly took us through some of the sites.
we explained that she was guiding two and a half people, so she made sure to take us on the smoothest paths.
after a while we got back to the river and onto a bamboo raft with some bamboo lounge chairs, maneuvered by a guy with a bamboo pole down the bamboo fringed yulong river - you get the picture. bamboo goes a long way in these parts.
it was really peaceful, the two of us relaxing and talking for a couple of hours while floating down a lazy river and taking in the beautiful scenery. just what the doctor ordered as a cure for the fastpaced lifestylemia we were suffering in hong kong.
occasionally the quiet was interrupted by another group of mainland tourists, or a guide singing some great chinese songs (i say great as compared to cantonese opera, for instance).
on the way back we caught some of the sunset and remembered how beautiful different parts of this world are and how lucky we are to get to see some of that beauty at various times in our lives.
and with that, it's already december! we heard lots of christmas music on our way back to hong kong and we're looking forward to the season - sorry we won't see most of you, but until then, keep in touch!
Comments:
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That's a nice subtle way of announcing the news on the blog!! I've been wondering when you'd make a public announcement. Guillin is beautiful and I think it's so neat you guys get to travel around Asia at this time. Alicia - I think I spot a little bump underneath that coat but I'm not really sure. You look great, as always.
Yes, I noticed it too. Two and a half? Hm.. you'd better just come out and announce. ;) We found out from Nate & Mags. Congrats! You'd better have a little girl b/c the rest of us are itching to set our boys up with. lol!
BTW, Guilin looks really really nice. You got some great pictures.
BTW, Guilin looks really really nice. You got some great pictures.
congrats!
trying to test your readers huh? yeah I caught on as soon as you said you got a tandem bike so alicia could 'rest'. Why else would she need to rest?!
Good luck with the pregnancy! And Rick you're doing a good job taking care of Alicia, making sure she's well rested. Cause you can't get enough of that later! Alicia you look great, hope you feel great too!
Congratulations!
trying to test your readers huh? yeah I caught on as soon as you said you got a tandem bike so alicia could 'rest'. Why else would she need to rest?!
Good luck with the pregnancy! And Rick you're doing a good job taking care of Alicia, making sure she's well rested. Cause you can't get enough of that later! Alicia you look great, hope you feel great too!
Congratulations!
yay for you! we are adding our congratulations to the ones above... i felt that an announcement was coming soon, so i've been checking your blog :) fun, fun, fun. babies are so fun! you 2 are going to have such a beautiful baby.
# posted by 
: 6:39 AM
: 6:39 AM
Ahhh congrats!! What great news! Girl or boy? All three of my sister-in-laws are pregnant... with boys!!! I am a bit jealous you live in HK and are able to make such quick trips to every other destination in Asia! We are hoping to live in Beijing or HK in the next few years, so if you're still there, we can par-tay... or, we can babysit for you while you par-tay :-)
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