Heritage Tour
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Thursday, July 9, 2015 GUILIN Another early morning departure. We took China's bullet train from Changsha to Guilin. It was a 4 hour journey, but the bullet train was actually quite enjoyable. It was interesting to view the countryside as it flew by at over 200mph. Guilin is beautiful. Our hotel has a tropical but modern vibe. All the teenagers are quite the BFFs these days and are lounging poolside as I write this. We spent the afternoon at Elephant Trunk Hill which is the most famous spot in the city. This famous sight is appropriately named as the hillside looks like an elephant with its trunk dipping in the water. Our photos don't do it justice. Cormorant fishing is a traditional Chinese method of fishing found in Guilin that dates back to about 960 AD. Fisherman tie a snare around the cormorants neck so the bird can't swallow the fish it dives to catch. The fisherman then retrieves the fish. No bargain for the birds. We then took a trip to Yangshuo traveling by boat down the Li River. This is one of the most picturesque places in all of China. This is a place we have always dreamed of seeing in person. We will dedicate all of tomorrow's pictures to the river, but here are a few shots of the girls getting their first massage in the town of Yangshuo - the town has a school for massage so it is well known for great messages at a very reasonable price. A group of 17 of us got treatments at the same time. It was quite a spectacle. Annabel and her good buddy Tessa (pictured) had the giggles the whole time. While Mia took to it like a fish to water....