During recess week, we spent 3 days in Guilin(桂林) before continuing our trip around China.
In Guilin, most of our meals consisted of the iconic 桂林米粉(Guilin Rice Noodles). The tangy noodles smeared with spicy sauce and coupled pork reminded us of Bak Chor Mee we have back in Singapore. The price for one bowl of noodles ranges from 4 Yuan (0.80 SGD) to 20 Yuan (4 SGD).
We travel to 芦笛岩(Flute Reed Cave), a big natural cave discovered only a few centuries ago. They added colourful lights in the cave to make the whole experience of touring around the cave more aesthetically pleasing.
It costs 90 yuan per person for the 1 hour of tour inside the cave. The tour mainly consists of the guide pointing out stones which shapes resemble certain items found in our daily lives.
This stone resembles a roaring tiger and it is situated near the exit of the cave. The tour guide made up some story about a family of tigers coming out of their abode and greeting the visitors goodbye after hunting for food. It is amazing how humans can identify with nature’s random phenomenon with their vivid imagination.
We spent the night walking along Guilin Two Rivers and Four Lakes Scenic Area (This is the real name of the place). The walk around the river was free but entry into the temples needed a fee. The vibrant lights reflecting against the river water reminded me of walking along Singapore River at night after a wholesome meal with my friends.
We climbed Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山) on our second day. However, the bridges connecting different parts of the scenic area were flooded due to the monsoon season. We had to take detour around the place to go from location to location. At the summit, we could hear the joyous chatter of the tourists at the foot of the hill.
Guilin is a homely town with both beautiful greenery and urban malls. Continuing our Journey around China in 11 Days, feelings of reluctance welled up inside us as pack our bags and board the train bound to ZhangJiaJie.
