Ni Hao from Yangshuo -
Boy, do we have a jam-packed itinerary. Yesterday was another full day, and though I think we are all abut tired, we are also energized by the fact that each day brings new and unimagined a experiences. 

Yesterday we began the morning with a visit to the Seven Stars park in Guilin. It was a perfect day to walk through a park. We saw a waterfall, some local musicians playing traditional instruments in a gazebo, and a few monkeys. I'm not sure I expected to encounter wild monkeys in China. You can tell, though, that we've moved further south, as the greenery is thicker and more lush and the weather is far more humid. Though it's not a jungle exactly, we are clearly closer to that type of climate than we've been before. 

We also visited the Tea Research Institute. This is another of those "museums," though because we were able to enjoy a traditional tea service and to spend time outside exploring the actual tea plants, it wasn't quite as intense as some of the others. 

After lunch we had a few minutes to walk through an outdoor market area before boarding the bus. A few folks picked up some trinkets while others opted to let "kissing fish" nibble the dead skin off of their feet. Whatever folks did, though, I think that the consensus was that it was fun to walk outside that much. 

We left Guilin in the afternoon and began our trip to Yangshuo. This town is far more removed from the more urban settings we've seen thus far. The drive was a fascinating experience in and of itself. The countryside was pretty empty other than farms, and we'd occasionally pass through a small town. Our driver seemed to have no fear, though, as we sped down a bumpy country road. 

After dinner in our hotel in Yangshuo, we took a short ride over to an outdoor amphitheater to watch an epic performance called impressions. Staged on the Li river with the limestone hills as the backdrop, Impressions told an ancient Chinese folk tale using an impressive array of lights, music, and a cast of hundreds of local performers. It was quite the experience.  At one point a young woman is shown dancing on a large crescent moon, which, though there was some debate as to whether it was the moon or a banana, was a particularly stunning moment in the show. 

Today we have the chance to explore Guilin a bit more and to learn about traditional Chinese painting. We even get to stay in the same hotel for a second night!

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