Rice of the Region
Today we had to be up and out the door early for our trip to the Longji rice terraces, a two-hour drive north of Guilin into the countryside. Our guide, Hill, picked us up at the hotel and we got to experience morning rush hour as we drove through the city to pick up the one other guest who would be joining us for the day. Scooters are a popular mode of transportation here and there doesn’t seem to be much order when it comes to driving. It was fascinating to watch the scooters criss-cross going all different directions as they darted around each other and the moving cars… Pure chaos!
The woman joining our tour is from Estonia and speaks very good English, so we enjoyed learning more about her country, as well as the scenery, during our drive north.
Our first stop was the village of Huangluo Yao, known for the Yao tribe women who have the longest hair in the world (apparently it is in the Guinness Book of World Records). We watched their folk-custom show, in Chinese, which seemed a bit touristy… But then again, if you’re one of seven westerners in the audience, I think it counts as a cultural experience, right? They demonstrated how they wrap and unwrap their hair, showing its full length, which was interesting to see.
Before leaving the village, we had an authentic lunch featuring rice cooked in a bamboo stalk, local bacon with green beans, eggplant and potatoes. Everything was delicious! Then Hill drove us up the hill (sorry, couldn’t help myself)… He navigated hair pin turns on the edge of steep cliffs as we climbed 885 meters to the top of the mountain. For those of you who know Dawn, you know this was her favorite part, lol… But I have to say, she handled it like a pro! Hill dropped us at the Nine Dragon’s and Five Tigers scenic area and gave us directions on how to navigate ourselves down through the village below where he would be waiting for us.
We were nervous we wouldn’t be able to see much because a misty haze of white blanketed the mountainous scenery, but no need to worry. It was a stunning view looking out over the green terraces and the Ping’an Zhuang village spread out below. We walked the narrow path along the top of the terraces to the second lookout point of Seven Stars with the Moon, before heading down the mountain through the village. It’s fascinating to think people live here… How simple life must be.
Two and a half hours later, we arrived at the parking lot where Hill was waiting to drive us back to Guilin. Once back, we hurried out to grab a quick bite to eat before our boat cruise of the city’s four lakes. We stumbled upon the first lake last night, but had no idea they were all connected and didn’t realize how far they meander through the city. We cruised under beautiful bridges, 
each a different style reminding me of iconic bridges from around the world and lit in bright colors. Illuminated pagodas and colorful tree lined paths ran along the edge of the lake and we saw several musicians and street performers attracting audiences. This city is charming! I’m so glad we had the opportunity to visit, especially because most people just use Guilin as a jumping off point to explore the beautiful scenic areas in the surrounding countryside.
This blog entry was originally posted on www.DawnandKristenGoToChina.blogspot.com