yangshuo

after a somewhat disappointing beginning to spring festival, things picked up yesterday. taking a boat down the li river, from guilin to yangshuo, i was able to see some of the most spectacular scenery this country has to offer.

yangshuo is a pretty interesting place. a small town with a huge tourist industry, yangshuo is a haven for both chinese and western tourists alike. there are a few streets packed with hostels and cafes, as well as tourists. for me, seeing so many westerners makes me feel a bit self-conscious. luckily, by walking a few thousand meters northeast, i was able to find myself back in china, where i felt much more comfortable.

i spent the whole day exploring. in yangshuo there's book exchanges in the cafes, so i set out with two highly valued books--both literately and monetarily--and set out to find a few good books. the first place had a big sign advertising books for sale, selling, and trading. i stopped there, and it was stocked to the gills with books, but mostly airport novels. i set out from there, hoping to find cafe too, the place my rough guide said had by far the best selection. after three hours meticulously combing the tourist part of town, i gave up and headed back to the first place to settle. this time, checking above the shopfront. sure enough...cafe too. i should have seen it coming. i found a copy of absalom, absalom by faulkner, and because of stupid rules, i had to trade two great books for it. i just hope the travelers who get my books appreciate my sacrifice.

last night, the streets were packed with people...i'm wondering if guilin might have been similar had it not been raining. dragons were running around, beating at doors of shops, hostels and restaurants, demanding sacrifice. the shopkeepers would hang a offering out the second-story window, with a red envelope surreptitiously attached. a human pyramid is built, and the dragon climbs up and eats the offering. everyone claps, and the store gets a bit of publicity. what a wonderful tradition.

so i'll be chilling here and in guilin for the rest of my trip, so unless something wicked cool happens, i'll update next from chengdu.