Howdy from Yangshuo!
Our day started early with a healthy and scrumptious breakfast. We were given 15 minutes to walk around the market, where we had been given a tour yesterday. We bought fresh fruit that was bursting in flavour and colour. The prices were much cheaper compared to Australian fruit as we bought a whole bag of mandarines for the equivalent of $1. The strong smell of fish filled the markets as well as the different variety of fruits. With a crowd of people filling every corner of space available we hurriedly went back on the bus to make our way to Silver Cave.
Our journey to the Silver Cave let our eyes explore the magical scenery that surrounded the road on our bus trip. It was amazing to see all the pinnacles of rock stretching as high as skyscrapers, creating a jagged outline of the mountainside as it surrounded us on all sides. A view one would never get to experience in the countryside of Australia, let alone in the middle of a city.
As we finally arrived at the Silver Cave we were met with a 15 minute walk to the actual cave itself. Many stalls were set up, trying to take advantage of the popular tourist destination. As we walked through the entrance,we were greeted by many large limestone formations illuminated with multicoloured lights which made it clearer to see. It was 50m from the lowest point to the highest point of the cave and the trail we took through it was almost 3km long, with amazing rock formations down the entire snaking length. We were mesmerised by the vibrant lights on the rocks of every colour, contouring the rocks edges and the spectacular, natural shapes which they formed. The lights made it easier to see the rocks and made them even more alluring to our eyes. At the beginning the cave was quite cool and refreshing, but the higher we got within the cave the more humid it had become, causing a desperate need for water afterwards.
Perhaps one of the best sights we have seen was a large rock pillar formation in the centre of some shallow water. The water reflected the formation creating the illusion of deep clear water and creating a hypnotising sight for all to see as it seemed to be endless within the pool. It was properly the most memorising thing we’ve all seen throughout the trip.
Lunch soon came around as we left the Silver Cave and drove back to the West Street markets for lunch. We went to a local cafe to see how the Chinese cooks interpreted our own culture. We all warmly welcomed the presence of Western food and the soccer game which was being played on the nearby TV. There was a comforting aura around, that makes it so hard to believe that only a few weeks ago we were all strangers to each other. With the ending of lunch we went out for one last quick look around the markets, absorbing everything we could and stretching our legs before we got back on the bus and left for the trip back to Guilin airport.
With darkness taking over outside and us awaiting for the plane to Shanghai, we began to realise how far we had all come through the trip and reflect on everything that we’ve done and discovered in this country as we only have one more night left here. Here in China we have discovered that if you give a simple gift like a rubber, toy car or skipping rope, you’ll make a kid smile, while back home they would throw it away without a second. It is a country of extremes, from the immaculate cleanliness of Beijing to the dirty streets on the outskirts of Xi’an. Overall this has been an inspiring, at times jaw dropping, culturally insightful and mind-blowing journey through China, and when we return, we’ll come back with more knowledge of the world than before and hopefully be able to act upon it.
By Sophie Tegg and Peter Kouroulis.
