3 November – 7 November 2013

With Clara too ill to face the subway, we decided the next morning to catch a taxi to the train station. After breakfast in the waiting hall we hopped on the train and discovered to our surprise that it was gonna be a comfy ride – 6 bed open compartments with fluffy duvets, comfy seats and notably well-mannered co-passengers (no spitting or screaming this time). We realised Clara had picked up some kind of bug and she helplessly lay there for the entire 27 hour journey. With constant check-ups from nurse Alby the day and night went by.

We arrived in Guilin early afternoon, hobbled off the train and made our way slowly to the bus station with Clara insistent that she could handle the journey to the rice terraces – about 2 hours north of Guilin. After 2 bus stops we had to ask the driver to let us off because Clara felt so unwell. A gentleman as he is Alby stopped a taxi – actually a few until one was kind enough not to try to rip us off – who brought us to the backstreet hostel, a cosy place with big beds. With Clara knocked out in bed Alby decided to take a wander and explore town, at least the parts they let you explore without paying admission. We concluded the day with plain rice for Clara and a slightly more interesting take-away for Alby.

We started the next day slowly with breakfast at the hostel. Clara was feeling much better, if a little weak, so we decided a second attempt at reaching the rice terraces. After a smooth ride to the bus station this time we caught a bus via Heping to Dazhai, a tiny farming village amongst the Longji rice terraces. After a short walk around the village we found a place to stay (deserted apart from us) and a nice place to eat although we avoided the mountain frogs on the menu. In our cosy wooden hotel owned by a woman with meter long hair we went to bed.

The next morning we woke early and after a tasty breakfast at one of the village ‘Inns’ we made our way up the hill to Tiantou, the next village. Still weak Clara opted to nurse a very strong iced tea whilst Alby hiked up to ‘Music from paradise’, one of the viewing points for the sprawling rice terraces below. After a simple lunch of rice and Chinese cabbage we set off again towards Zhongliu village unaware of the hotel touts we would soon encounter, in semi traditional outfits (their hair, also meter long, is false!), along the way. After a lovely and sunny walk along the sides of the terraces, interrupted only by herds of goats and trickling streams,  we neared the village.


We were immediately spotted by a ‘helpful’ lady who insisted on showing us the way to a local hotel. After several attempts at trying to communicate that we wanted to find our own place to stay (and avoid having to pay her commission) we were whisked away by some far friendlier locals without funny costumes. They guided us through the multi-layered village to a quiet corner and a friendly hotelier. After installing ourselves in our new wooden abode the owner invited us into her kitchen and displayed a great collection of fresh veg and juicy tofu for us to hand pick for our dinner. As we ate, family and friends wandered in and enjoyed a dinner party hosted by the hotelier. After introducing the guests to Euros, Dollars and Mongolian Tugrug which they found very interesting they left, torches in hand, and we headed to bed.

We politely declined breakfast in the morning (which consisted of the same choice of vegetables as the night before) we set off for a second day of hiking, this time to Ping’an, our final destination. We successfully fended off many touts along the way and enjoyed a stunning hike. As we climbed a final hill we saw the village appear in all its touristy glory.


Snapping a few more photos from surrounding viewing points we descended into the village and sought lunch – we tried the local speciality of sticky bamboo rice, steamed over hot coals in a piece of bamboo plugged by a sweetcorn cob. Very tasty. With full tummies we hopped on the local bus headed back to Guilin (via Heping) where we enjoyed a chilled night at the Backstreet hostel.