Chinese River Cruise

Another segment of our tour of China was a boat tour from Guilin to Yangshuo. The tour provides a fairly large cruise boat for a 4 hour tour along the Li River. The main reason to do the boat tour is that the rock mountains along the side of the river are simply stunning. The pictures that one can take along the boat tour are perhaps the best we took during the entire tour. I hope you can see why.

Another reason it is interesting is that the only purpose of the river is for cruise boats and tourists. The weather was absolutely perfect and we were surrounded by hundreds of cruise boats large and small all full of tourists just like us. I shouldn’t say that because most of the tourists are from other parts of China. Let’s not forget that all tourism is run by the government and so basicaly the River Li is owned by the Ministry of Tourism.

Another interesting part of the voyage is called 9 horses. There is a huge mountain wall, and if you carefully, you can see a horse, and then another one, and so on. I was able to see 5, legend has it that there are nine on the wall.

The water is very shallow and very clear. We are way up in the mountains, and so it is very clear fresh water. I saw a few people stopping and swimming which might be a little dangerous since there were so many boats, but I really wanted to jump in and join them. Don’t forget to watch in Full Screen Mode.

The Chinese Farmland

Perhaps one of the most fascinating segments of our trip to China was a small side trip to the Chinese farmland. It as only an additional $20 per person for a 2 hour tour of the farmland. At first, I was quite skeptical but those fears were quickly doused.

The location of this farmland was in Yangshuo China which was located in the southeastern part of China. They said it snows in Yangshuo but we were there in the heat of the summer. This part of China is truly spectacular. These are these very large rock formations that are nestled in the country side. Most of these rocks are rather large and the size of mini mountains. It is called a rock climbers paradise because there are so many of these structures. From my standpoint, it made for some of the best photos that I have ever taken. Hope you like the slide show.

On top of that, I learned so much about the Chinese culture and government through this simple trip. Unlike the hustle and bustle of Beijing and Shanghai, the Chinese farmer lives a simple and uncomplicated existence. They have running water and electricity. Everyone has access to a television, and more recently almost every farmer has a cell phone. The internet however has not yet found its way to this small village near Yangshuo.

Shelter is provided by the government, and everyone had ample food and clothing. The housing is very basic, and does not have air conditioning nor heating despite the fact that it can get quite cold in this area. I was surprised to see the variety of food that they harvest from this land. They grow rice, soy bean, black bean, wheat, and more fruits than I can remember. The farmers are productive parts of Chinese society.

Let’s be clear that the people are in these photos are farmers that are supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, but they are also models. All tourism in the country is controlled by the Ministry of Tourism including the tour that I was on. More importantly, these farmers are part of the tour, and a small part of their compensation is also from being “models” in these tours for foreigners. Wow!

At one point in the tour, they gave us a demonstration of how rice is harvested. I had no idea, but each rice granule has a little husk that must be removed before it can be eaten. This is a very manual process although some basic machinery has been provided by the government. Here’s the kicker and this thought blew me away. The tour guide stated that the government was aware that the farmer’s productivity was not growing at the same rate as the rest of the economy. After all, China has essentially become the world’s manufacturer for very consumable good in the world from electronics, furniture and everything in between. So the tour guide stated that the government planned to transition many of the labor intensive crops such as rice to poorer nations such as Malaysia. That is right, China is planning to begin importing rice in order to further increase the productivity of their population.

Whether you agree with the Communists or not, the Chinese have a plan and a vision to become the largest and most prosperous nation on earth. They are executing on this plan, and China is growing in wealth and productivity each and every day. It is stunning to see and I learned all of this in a little farm in Yangshuo province.

The Great Wall

Just the other day, Solange and I climbed to the very top of the Great Wall. It was not easy, and it was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.

The reason that it was so fulfilling is that I am afraid of heights. As I get older, it is getting more and more pronounced. Climbing to the top of the Great Wall is a harrowing climb and it is even more difficult on the way down because you can see how far you have come. Kind of like the scared cat that quickly climbs to the top of a tree.

The Great Wall is an incredible sight, but to it is very very steep and the climb is very very high. Basically you start at the ground and you go to the highest point on the mountain. Worse yet, each step is uneven. Some steps are small and some are over 2.5 feet in height. So you are always a little nervous going up and even more perilous going down.

On top of my fear of heights, I perspire a lot! To be honest, after I was done, I wasn’t that tired, but my shirt was totally wet. People were laughing because I looked like a wreck although I felt great.

There is a quotation in Chinese at the foot of the climb by Chairman Mao that said (me paraphrasing), “One cannot have success in life without first having climbed the Great Wall.” This is definitely true. It is not physically enduring, but it is a mental drain especially someone that is afraid of heights. As you climb higher and higher, you see less and less people until you get to the top and you are there with the small percentage that actually make it there.

My wife Solange took almost all of the photos, since I had put away my camera to focus on getting up and down. Put the slide show in Full Screen mode, and I hope it gives the feeling as to how high one must climb.