We were first really able to travel from Macau during our December break. Popular holiday destinations in Southeast Asia book quickly and without knowing too much about how or when we could travel due the processing time of my work visa, we were unable to book a trip any earlier. We decided to avoid the holiday travel crowds and head to mainland China. We could take a train and avoid crowded airports.
One of the many great things about working at an international school is that most of the staff are well-traveled and have great recommendations. Several people recommended Guilin because of the scenery and the activities. It was about a three hour train ride away, so it seemed like a good choice. The weather would be questionable as it is often cooler (around low 50s F) and rainy. We took our chances and it paid off.
Michael and I did a trial run at the border a few days before we left. We did not want any surprises traveling with two teenagers at an early hour. We easily got to the border crossing on the far end of Macau. The Chinese city on the other side is Zhuhai which is where we needed to pick up our train tickets. We could have picked them up on the day of travel, but again we didn’t want any surprises or delays. This was right around the time of the 20 year celebration of Macau being handed back to China. We did not account for the excess of people crossing the border that day so the border crossing took quite a while.
Thanks to our pre-travel preparation, getting to Guilin went smoothly. We arrived on time and had made arrangements to be picked up at the train station. A friend had found a highly rated boutique hotel with great rates, so the kids got their own room.
After settling in, the hotel manager invited us to come downstairs and learn how to make dumplings. We couldn’t get the kids to join us, so Michael and I went on our own.
It was Christmas Eve and we had to prepare for Santa’s visit to China. We’ve had some interesting Christmases and I am glad the kids are flexible in celebrating wherever we are in the world. In the morning we had a lovely little celebration together The kids seemed to like their gifts. Michael and I treated ourselves to massages in our room. The women giving the massages did not speak English, but it was obvious they were displeased with the knots in my shoulders. They were very strong and I had a few bruises the next day. It was still a nice treat.
Later in the afternoon, we went for a walk to check out the area. (Make sure you click to see all of the photos in the carousel.)
The next day we took a tour of the local caves with the kids. We were able to walk there from our hotel.
The boutique hotel had a restaurant. We were not in a location that was near the main town, so dining options were limited. The following day we planned a trip to Yaoshan Mountain. I got an earlier start and went for a walk near our hotel on my own. Due to my curiousity and the intrigue of the colorful path, I ended up hiking up the largest hill there to take in the views.
A nice panoramic view from the top of the hill.
I got back to our place just in time to meet our taxi driver. He drove us to a very traditional Chinese diner for lunch first. He made sure we were able to order food, then he waited for us outside. We did invite him to join us, but he declined. The waitress dropped off a large bowl of hot water. We had no idea what this was for so I looked around to see what other diners were doing. We concluded that it was used to rinse your plates and spoons. This was our first time seeing this, but I have seen it many times since then. The plates are clean already so it seems to be more of a ritual.
Our driver was also a great guide. He even helped us at the pharmacy after lunch. Maeve and Liam had travel tummies and we had no idea how to get some proper medicine. Finally we were off to Yaoshan Mountain. It was a lovely day and we were hoping for some great views. We bought tickets and our driver joined us on the ski lift to the top. It was gorgeous below, but more hazy at the top, so our views were limited and not as great as I had hoped.
On our last night in Guilin proper, we spent some time downtown. The kids didn’t want to join us, so Michael and I went for a walk to see the pagodas at Riyue Shuangta Cultural Park. It was a lovely evening and there was a nice path around this small lake. Afterwards, we had dinner within the pedestrian walkway. There were many street vendors and shops.
Guilin was a nice city to spend a few days. The temperatures were mild and we managed to avoid most of the rain. Next we were off to spend several days in Yangshuo to see more of the unique Chinese countryside.