Seeking a break from the busy streets of Hong Kong, we took an hour or so flight to the Guangxi Province, which borders Vietnam, to explore the lush green landscape and limestone mountains around Guilin and Yangshuo. Our first stop, Guilin, a town of 740,000 on the west bank of the massive Li River, is a popular destination for Chinese nationals. Since it is the low season (and getting cold - we bought jackets), we found it relatively sleepy and fun to explore. We spent most of our time wandering around the Li River and Guilin’s pedestrian shopping area, taking in the interesting sites, people-watching, and, ahem, Scott waiting patiently while Krista explored many shops.
Our next destination was Yangshuo, a beautiful smaller town of 310,000 surrounded by stunning topography and skyrocketing limestone mountains. We really enjoyed this place and stayed for a few days. Beyond its natural beauty, which you’ll notice in the photos, the village area was teeming with shops, great noodle restaurants and cafes. Although we were asked if we wanted a ride on a bamboo raft thousands of times by the local “entrepreneurs“, we found the area very charming. We liked the prices, too, paying just $9 US for a night in our hotel, $8 for a delicious authentic meal with drinks, and $.87 for a large beer. We definitely stuck out like sore thumbs here. In fact, Krista kept saying that she felt like we were in a Social Studies video. 
Following Yangshuo, we flew back to Hong Kong for a night, where we stayed on Lantau Island. Next, we’re off to Beijing.
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So very cool!! That province is where either "The Joy Luck Club" or "Memories of a Geisha" had scenes. I can't remember which book but I loved them both and the atmosphere they invoked. I am loving traveling vicariously with you guys!! xoxoxo-Joanne
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