China - Guilin & Yangshao

We didn't have too many expectations for China, at least positive ones. We had heard that the people would be austere towards Westerners, the majority of the country would suffer from pollution, and there is a 50% chance of getting traveler's diarrhea; not exactly the idea for money well spent.The pollution part was right on the money, the runs is still a crapshoot, but the people we found to be surprisingly kind and helpful.
     Don't get me wrong, they have their quirks and cultural characteristics (as do all of us). Without tissue, men (and women) propel snot from their nose at supersonic speeds. Hacking up throat phlegm and distributing it on the street is common. And the all important personal space? Simply does not exist. Shoving, pushing, and line cutting is the norm and isn't considered rude; merely a way to get from point A to point B as efficient as possible.
     Sounds like a drearily painted picture eh? At first glance maybe, however you seem to adapt rather quickly because you'll either drown in thick mucous or get left in the dust of a Tuk-Tuk.
     We arrived in the famously beautiful city of Guilin.  It's surrounding areas are the main attraction where we took a scenic bamboo raft and floated the always twisting and turning Yi river. This famed river feeds , not only the luscious greenery and tourism trade, but also the stomachs of the locals. Snails, baby eels,  prawns, frogs, turtles, crab fish, and crabs are caught and distributed to the local markets daily.
     Unfortunately there are a lot more to the markets than first meets the eye, or nose. We had ventured into the produce section at first and, what looked like a normal farmer's market, turned ghastly and nightmarish in the blink of an eye. NOTE: If you are easily squeamish, please do not read the rest of this paragraph. Passing through a hallway into the next section of the market led us into a where-house packed full of dead animals and soon to be dead. Only, these weren't the typical animals you buy and certainly not packaged fresh from your local grocery store's meet department. It only took a millisecond to realize we were in the wrong place as we saw a duck have it's neck slit and hung out to dry. Jerking my head to avoid anymore eye contact with what just happened, we came upon a dog having the entrails removed. YIKES! Below the dog, and next on the chopping block,  were the cats. WHERE IS THE EXIT!!!!!! Finally seeing the light of day, Erica and I made a mad dash towards the exit almost slipping on cow skins and bloody organs left for the pig scraps.  The smell was overwhelming, the stomach acid now in our throats burning, and the images forever seared into our retinas were all a bit too much to take. This was a day that I wish I could forget, and yet, I most likely never will.
     Later that day we drove up the mountainside and went kumquat picking. For those of you who are not sure what a kumquat is, it can be summed up like this: a kumquat is to a tangerine as a tangerine is to an orange. Make sense? Anyways, it is a huge seasonal industry that provides great pride and wealth to the local villages and has been a family tradition for centuries. After our fruitful harvest, (no pun intended) we continued on to catch the sunset over the very well known hills of Yangshuo, but not first having bought a roll of fireworks that lasted over 25 seconds long. While I thought it was some of the most fun I've had yet, Erica rolled her eyes, lovingly laughed at my kid-like excitement, and politely apologized to the other individuals enjoying the once peaceful sunset.
     We learned a lot our first few days in China and we were ready to press on to the next province of Anhui where we would settle in Tunxi for our base of excursion.

Bangkok Airport

Funniest Russian Erica and I have ever met, invited us to drink with him and stay at his condo in Koh Samui

The elderly here are so fun to photograph, so much character

Sickle wielding goat herder

Waiting....

Pano of the Li River

Getting some work done on the Li River, the locals were so impressed that Americans would pitch in & help

The elderly carry their grandkids everywhere, despite their age

The road less traveled

If I didn't know better, I would think we were in 1955 during the height of Chairman Mao

Boss man

Bamboo pipe and the most photogenic person in this village

All of the walls in this village are original and several hundred years old

The grandparents are so adorable with their grandkids

Guarding the entrance

People mountains of the Li River

These birds spot fish for the fisherman enabling them to drop their nets and catch their food

Erica and I think the babies here are some of the cutest in the world

The bridges here are so beautiful because the surrounding bamboo and brush constantly try to take over

Most doors in the village are open allowing small glimpses into the personal lives of the locals

Gambling and card playing is crazy popular

Such beautiful and happy children

Village House 1

Village House 2

Village House 3

Yellow fields blanketed the valleys in Yangshao

Scenery is endless in Guilin and Yangshao

Workers in the field

Yangshao Mountains

Moon Hill Pano

 Chickens outside of the elementary school

 Cutest kids in a elementary school we visited

 High fives and weird faces never fail

 The girl in the foreground loved Erica and followed her around everywhere

 Saying goodbye to the local kids of the remote village in Yangshao

 The stone village where all of the buildings are made of stone with no cement filler

Stone bathroom that smelled unlike anything ever experienced :)

 Another example of how it takes a village to raise a child

 Serious kumquat harvesting

 Hottest kumquat picker ever

 Another example of the Yangshao mountains

 Local Harvester

 Sunset in Yangshao

    Bridge in Guilin