379292 5 Location 468690 <p>For 10 yuan per person (about $1.30 US) on the main street of Yangshuo you can rent bicycles for a day. Since we were there with a very well known company and had a business card, we didn't have to pay a deposit. Otherwise it would have been about 200 yuan per bike, refunded when it is returned. We did this twice to go explore the countryside and go swimming in the river, first on a tandem (so much fun!) and then on separate bikes. The Guilin-Yangshou area is the most beautiful place I have ever seen, even on TV or in books. The veritical karst mountains are green and lush. They are surrounded by farmers' fields and water buffalo. On our first trip, the river was warm and full of local people swimming and bathing. We could float on our backs and look back at the mountains. On our second trip, after a big rain, it was much cooler and very refreshing. After swimming we ate at a place across the street with the English name written as "Small Restaurant in Village." We ordered beers, lots of vegetables, chicken, and duck. The waitress warned us that it would be a half hour because they had to catch and kill the birds! One of our friends volunteered his help and picked out the fattest chicken. Of course you don't have to watch your lunch butchered but we were interested so they let us. After it was cooked, Jesse ate one of the chicken's feet and Carrie sucked the brains out of the duck's head. Yum! These bike rides are the best thing we have done in China so far.</p> 2007-08-30T14:44:15-07:00 281018387 2007-08-25T17:00:00-07:00 0 -9223372036854775792 171085 5426427 379292 0 217578 0.0277820617838256 2007-08-17T17:00:00-07:00 Published 25.0 2007-10-16T02:24:55-07:00 94872 0