We started the trip with a 22-hour train ride from Beijing to Guilin City. After being cooped up on a train for so long, we went immediately to our first activity: a visit to Yao Hill - the highest peak in Guilin. We took a cable car to the top where you could view all of the limestone karsts and then rode down the hill in a toboggan.
After that, we took a long bus ride deeper into the countryside where we had a homestay in an ethnic minority village with Yao people (famous for the women who never cut their hair). We spent two days here hiking through rice terraces, interacting with the villagers, and playing with local children.
The following day, we were taken to a hot spring hotel located in the middle of the mountains. After all of the hiking, indulging ourselves in different hot spring pools was a special treat. Even the drive that ended up taking twice as long as expected due to road construction and rubble (requiring our guys to get out of the bus and move rocks so we could go around corners) couldn't ruin the great feeling of the hot springs.
We were in Yangshuo for the last three days of the trip where we did several very fun activities including a boat cruise along the Li River, riding motorized scooters to mud caves, participating in a cooking class (yes, I actually can cook), and seeing a water show directed by Zhang Yimou (designer of the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony).
All in all, it was an activity- and adventure-filled week and a great way to experience a different part of the country. Instead of being in major, developed cities, we were deeper in the countryside and were able to see the extreme poverty and lifestyles of the peasant farmers who make up most of China's population.
When I am in Beijing, I often reflect on how much I love Beijing and my life here; however, by being exposed to the countryside and the "real" China, I have a much greater appreciation for the challenges and changes that China is facing on its road to modern development.
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