Kate Posts: Guilin

Our first taste of China came on our 6 hour train journey to Guilin which seemed set to be a particularly uncomfortable experience when we realised we didn't have any seats. What we didn't count on was the friendliness of the locals which turned what could have been an awful train ride into a surprisingly enjoyable day. One guy decided to test out his English skills on us (consisting mainly of the words 'hello' and 'beautiful' - the little smoothie) and pretty soon we attracted quite a large group of his friends and neighbouring passengers. We squished up on the seats in between them and took part in a little photo shoot and a mutual and very unsuccessful Chinese/English lesson whilst swapping snacks and struggling to communicate in some very broken English. Giggling is a universal language however and the Chinese put it to good use.

Train party:

China is amazing and beautiful but it is also really rather an odd place. When the Chinese are standing still or sitting down they are seemingly the friendliest, happiest folks on the planet ... But catch them when they're in motion and they become violent human bulldozers - personal space is an alien concept and the previously under appreciated British orderly queue is non-existent. At one point Cata was about to sit down on a bench and a man sprinted over and literally bumped her out of the way before her arse had time to hit the wood - perfectly normal behaviour apparently as no-one else even batted an eyelid. Now that we know the deal though we're getting quite good at the shoving etiquette. The trick is to stick out your elbows and not allow any space whatsoever in front of you. If anyone does try to cut in, give them a swift bump back with your shoulder or place your foot or bag in front of them, then shuffle back in as soon as there is some space. This doesn't always work however as it is also acceptable to wave money and/or whatever you are buying in the shop keepers face in order to get served first even if you are behind in the 'queue'. Haven't quite figured out how to beat that one yet. Perhaps I need to invest in an extendable claw? Chances are I'll find one somewhere because the shops here literally sell everything that you can or can't imagine - and no sooner than you think to yourself 'why on earth would anyone buy that' does a very willing customer or two shove past you waving some of their well earned cash at the vendor. Toothbrush salesmen on trains, women on boats selling flowery headbands, folks whizzing around touting wheels that you can attach to your shoes, shops stocked with every kind of noisy rubber animal you could possibly want, demon eyed battery powered puppies, mini statuettes of Michael Jackson (OK, so maybe I was a little tempted by that one) ... You name it, they sell it.

Eating has been quite the challenge as well as no-one really speaks English and all the menus are in Chinese. First rule before heading into an eatery is to make sure there's stuff that you can point at, otherwise you'll be leaving the place hungry. Even the pointing technique can be hazardous with culinary delights such as dog meat, chicken feet, or 'cold white fungus' as illustrated by one of the few chinglish menus we found:

In a nutshell, this place is totally crazy. It's exhausting but great fun! I suggest if you plan to come that you bring a good phrase book and life might be made a little bit easier! Make sure to learn the word for toilet - there is nothing really more awkward than having to mime it...

China's quirks aside, Guilin is the one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been in, surrounded by two rivers and two lakes and set between spectacular mountain scenery. The real highlights however were to be found outside of town - a scorching four hour trek amongst the stunning Longji rice terraces in an area know as 'the dragons backbone' was easily one of the highlights of the whole trip. The endless ridges of winding tiered rice fields peppered with old wooden houses are so unbelievably beautiful that you get the feeling that you have stumbled onto a film set.

Mountain villages and Longji rice terraces: