Rollin’ On the River

Our long anticipated day arrives. We leave the hotel at 8 AM on a small bus, filled with 6 other couples staying at the hotel and we drive about an hour to reach a very big terminal which serves as a ticket office, the omni-present souvenir shops, and about 25 flat bottom boats lined up on their docks on the Li River, each of which carry over 150 passengers. We get herded into rows of benches each separated by a table (for lunch later on). I leave as soon as possible, making my way to the open upper deck where I spend most of the trip. The weather is ideal except for some haze which helps to give the scenery an ethereal enchantment.

The trip is 4 hours long. I enjoyed every minute and took many excellent photos, making very difficult to apply an editing eye for this post. The boats start to peal off from their docks and end up in an evenly spaced line which soon spreads out.

All kinds of smaller boats were seen and a variety of other river sights, including water buffalo.

Here are some of the best.

This picture is featured on the 20 Yuan note of Chinese currency.

We dock at our destination, Yangshuo, and check into a 3-star hotel, just 100 yards away for a one night stay.