Hello!

Just uploading some more photos again, making the most of the free but still a bit slow internet in Yangshou. We are getting an overnight train to Guangzhou which is our last stop on the tour, though all of the group are also going on to Hong Kong afterwards.

The cooking was brilliant, I think possibly the highlight of the trip so far, though it has been so varied it is hard to choose. I lobbied to do lemon chicken and so glad I did, it was great to finally find out the secrets, and we have the recipes written down to bring home so will be able to do it for you all when we get home. We also did the local speciality Beer Fish, which does what it says on the tin and more, and also stuffed aubergines. A couple of the people in the class hadn't wanted to cook raw meat so we also got to see them making dumplings as a bonus!

Yangshou is quite different to the other places we have been on the tour, much more Westerners here (Alex and Emma are no longer the only blondes in the village and are disappointed that people aren't asking to have photos taken with the special blondes anymore!), with Western foods too. The scenery is beautiful, it is like being in a dream the way that the hills are shaped, they are all tall and sheer and utterly stunning, and the lovely River Li below. We went to a wonderful show that used this as the stage and backdrop which was worth the extra money and ridiculous ques to get in.

Love to all,

Debbie and Alex xxx