Hello again

The Yangtze 3 gorges trip was good, we got put in to 1st class, whoohoo get us! unfortunatly it rained vertually the whole time on board the boat and it was a little chilly. On the second day we left our big boat and boarded a smaller one to go through a medium set of gorges and then a small wooden boat to go through the mini three gorges, still raining though!! after this it is was to the boat for a meal. I can now manage to use the chopstick without dropping too much on the floor, but still not really used to the fact that the locals just chuck food on the floor, split on the floor and generally make a lot of mess. What they lack in manners is made up with there hospitality! Although most cant speak english they love to try to talk to you and make you feel really welcome.

After the gorges we left the boat and had a trip to see the new dam, which was well... a big dam not really a lot to say about it. We then made our way to Yichang and had frog for tea (not just frogs legs but whole frog) then 4 of us went off to a nght market, which was, as Lulu our leader would say "China Experience" and o yes it was, I dont think they had ever seen tourist before so we didn't stay too long and went in to town. We found the main square where dance lessons where under way, ballroom, salsa, chinese folk, everything and they dont care who is watching which is brilliant.

Then it was off again by overnight train again and the worst yet, the beds where like blanks of wood so didn't get much sleep. Arrived in Yangshuo on the 11th, it's fantastic here it's only a small town with a population of about 30,000 and it's beautifull with a mountain backdrop wherever you look. On the first night we went to see a show on the river with 600 performers in it, which was great but we didn't have a clue what was going on! Next day I had a chinese calligraphy lesson which I loved and I can now write a few words in china including my name.

Then came the bike ride, we cycled in to the country side and went for lunch in Lulu's parents in the middle of the paddy fields. The cycling back was not good, by noon the sun was out in full force and my bottom was a little on the sore side (and still is). So due to all the excercise, we decided a good drink was in order, so we hit the town and played a chinese dice game which I lost alot and ended up a bit on the tipsy side. Today my head is a little sore oops not good as we are about to set off again on our 4th and final overnight train in China.

Hong Kong here we come.

Lots of love liz x x x x