AAAA Scenic Spots

We know we haven't written to you for a while. As we are due to be leaving China in two days we decided to at least give you a taste of what we have been up to in the country.
Since leaving Beijing which can, in short, be described as big, hectic, friendly, modern and varied. We have headed down to the south of China. We took a 28 hour train journey to Guiyang in Guizhou province. We travelled hard sleeper, equivalent to third class. The bunks are three high with the top one stuck up in the roof of the train. We had experienced this once before on our trip to Datong and decided this time, we would opt for the middle bunk. You may still not be able to sit up but it is less claustrophobic as you can actually see out of a window. The train, as usual was jam packed with smoking and slurping Chinese men and families with screaming kids. The train journey was pleasant though, the countryside changed from the more rugged, harsh scenery which surrounds Beijing to the the lush green hills and rice terraces of the south. We really felt like we were in the tropical regions now!
Arriving in Guiyang was the start of our trip down the Vietnamese boarder. The following day was the ascent of the Olympic (One World, One Dream) torch to the summit of Everest, or Mount Chomolungma as it is called in China (this is the Tibetan name). We watched this for a bit, enduring the painfully amusing live interviewing. Not the easiest thing to do, interviewing two Chomolungma mountaineers on live tv as the torch makes it's slow progress to the summit. We had to get going.
We were heading to the nearby town of Anshun. On arriving at the bus station we were sold a ticket for a bus leaving in four minutes, after a mad dash to find the bus we were on our way. It was a hair-raising bus journey, which means the driver didn't like driving on his side of the road and strictly obeyed the rule of tonnage. After finding a hotel and grabbing a good breakfast of dumplings and red rice porridge we jumped on another bus to the 'World Famous AAAA Scenic Spot Waterfall'.
Huangguoshu Falls, after the farce of getting overly complicated and expensive tickets, were really lovely. Walking through a scenic Bonsai tree garden, with lots of very cool big-little trees and little-big trees you come to the top of the escalator, yes that's right, an escalator which takes you down the side of the valley. We hadn't brought a ticket so took the stroll down to the various viewing areas. The route, went behind the waterfalls, we got very wet but standing behind a big noisy waterfall is great fun! We also met a Chinese couple, the husband could speak a little English and they were very keen to have a chat, where had we been, he recommended some places to go, got very excited about the Olympics (as all Chinese people do when you mention it - 'One World, One Dream!')jobs and the weather in England, They were both really sweet. We do have one confession, we took the escalator back up the valley, making sure we adhered to the strict, no photos, no sitting, hand on the rail rules - Beat walking back up!
Next on our trip was the Longgong Caves, after a slightly later than planned start we hopped on a local bus and headed out of Anshun again. What we didn't realise at the time was the motley crew on our bus would actually become vital to our trip and by the end of the day we would be a team. The bus consisted of four students of varying excitability and a middle aged couple, the couple seemed normal enough until the husband produced from the depths of his clothing, jars with live bugs in. The largest one being what looked like a locust, which started chirping away. After getting passed round the insects disappeared from whence they came.
The Longgong caves covers a a massive area. You start your day overlooking rice paddies and limestone karsts, it's beautiful as the karsts are really dramatic and the rice paddies act like flat mirrors on the valley floors, so you get some great reflections, interrupted every now and then by women planting or water buffalo ploughing the muddy waters. Though only a small section is open to tourists the whole area is made up of karst caves stretching 15Km running through about 20 hills and has 90 interconnecting caves. The largest cave on the trip was about 80 meters high and 50 meters wide.
We didn't realize we were supposed to be moving as a group and were happy when the Chinese bus people rushed off in normal Chinese fashion, snapping pictures of the scenery to enjoy it at a later date. We ambled along, getting some pictures and watching the people at work in the fields. By the time we were close to the Chinese again we got shouted at, in an excited, friendly way "We are waiting for you!" We then saw we were all needed to fill up a river boat. The boat which had, what can only be described as bright orange, square rice cakes for buoyancy aids, chugged us through the fields to a tiny village. The village only seemed to be inhabited by very agile old women and chickens. Walking up the street they would come running at you holding bright pink incense sticks. I managed to side step/run away from one and after a walk through a bamboo wood we got to a large Buddha cave. I did buy incense from a cute child on the path who was selling them for her blind mother, so a good deed. The Buddha cave was very tranquil, monks were there to offer prayers and fortune telling. You could pay them to say prayers for you and could buy incense sticks the size of people. After been moved along by the Chinese again we climbed up the side of a hill and went into the first of the caves networks. The caves are garishly lit by lights of all colours, but they are really impressive, steep and winding walkways take you around large stalagmite formations and through narrow gaps. The stillness in the caves interrupted every now and then by chirping coming from the Chinese mans clothing. We ended up at the top of a large and jungly looking valley. With no clear markers on where to go we all ventured down. Then, much to our delight there was a zip wire! The Chinese students got us a slight discount off the price. Unfortunately non of them could afford to do it (though it wasn't expensive at 20RMB), so they cheerfully said goodbye to Sam and I, planning to meet up further down the valley and asked us to wave at them as we went by. The zip wire looked a bit more rickety than the one we took off the great wall and after being told to read the safety instructions in English, started to panic as it said to make sure you apply the break at the end... what break? when? what will happen if we don't? with no further explanation we were strapped up, shown where to pull on the break and told not to touch the wire. Sam went first, speeding off into the distance, yelling, and stopped like a rag doll being thrown in the air at the other end, which created some chuckles from the people attaching me to the wire. So, after seriously thinking about backing out, off I went. The zip picked up speed pretty quickly, I managed a wave to someone below me, but my attention was soon turned to, when do I pull the break? The red flag was being waved at me, I was pulling as hard as I could, I wasn't slowing down! The slightly padded wall was fast approaching and all my weight was now on the break, it might as well not be there! I then shut my eyes, prepared for the worst and screamed, a scream of pure fear, I got thrown into the air... I then opened my eyes to Sam and the two zip attendants wetting themselves laughing. Of course, the little Chinese man was there with the spring loaded wire to stop me. Forcing my legs to stop shaking, laughing for being alive and regaining composure we then ventured into their tiny office and got pictures printed of both of us coming into land, we both look really worried, even Sam has the fear in his eyes and arm muscles, pulling on that break which does nothing expect scare the big Jesus out of you!
We finally managed to find the Chinese guys again, waiting for us in another huge cave, even more grotesquely decorated with a large 'light waterfall' streaming down a section of the massive cave. After a long and Chinese style hurried walk through the caves we came out and, after getting more directions from locals, debating about which choice of route to then take, went round to some boats! Finally, this is what we had been waiting for, boats through caves! It had an adventurous and surreal side to it. Luckily, we had hardly met any other tourists all day and we were the only ones in the caves and on the boats so it felt like we were on our own which added to the adventure feel, silently being punted along the narrow tunnels and across cavernous halls. The purple, red, green and blue lighting added to the surreal side of things casting strange shadows and light across the cave walls and still water. We then changed boats and headed off into the cave network again. This time meeting a orange and white baseball cap tour group coming other other way, but the caves instilled a sense of serenity in the Chinese and they were all really quiet (apart from the Chinese chirping locust) which was great! Emerging into daylight again we headed off, on the home stretch now, we had been walking/trekking for about five hours, this area is massive. We separated from the Chinese for the last bit, they went off to see yet another cave, but Sam and I were exhausted so started to find our way back. It was then we really appreciated having the Chinese around as it took us ages to figure the right way out of the scenic area. Ironically the bus we found to take us back to Anshun had to be full, so we sat around and ended up waiting for the Chinese guys to finish their sightseeing. It created some giggles when they realised, for once, we had been waiting for them! It was a fun day, getting lost in the jungle valley, zip wires, boats through caves, it really did feel like some sort of big team building exercise.
We then spent the rest of the day getting to Kaili, to the east of Guiyan. From here we wanted to visit some minority villages, there are over 13 different minorities living in this region. We chose to stay in greatly named Petroleum Hotel. At 80RMB it was the cheapest stay so far, and it showed. After lugging our stuff up 6 floors of dirty green carpeted stairs and dumping our stuff in a damp ridden room we headed off for some much needed food.
Now we are further south, the food has taken on a more spicy flavour. Even our breakfast dumplings in Anshun were served with a dish loaded with finely ground chilies and spring onions, the locals mix in a small amount of soy sauce to create a fiery paste for a hot morning blast. Our dinner in Kaili was probably one of the hottest things I had eaten so far, including Sams spicy home cooking! Sam also had a really spicy dish. Described on the menu as 'medium-spice' I wouldn't want to see what horror 'spicy' would produce!
As a result we both got off to a slow start the next day with dodgy stomachs. We went to CITS (China International Tourist Service), in most places they are useless and want you to pay lots of money for tours, but this one had a good rep and told us about events happening in the surrounding villages. It was market day in Taijiang, not far outside Kaili, so we hopped on a bus to go and check it out.