Our first destination on our quick southern tour was Nanning. We arrived at night and have never seen a city so beautifully lit up. Lights adorned every free inch as it tastefully painted the sky. Nanning is a young booming place, much like Calgary. What it lacked in historical sites, it made up for with its stunning architecture. After a brief tour of Mr. Chen's traditional Chinese headquarters - with an office fit for a king - it was off to karaoke. After Ken "ganbei" 30 shots of brandy, I'm sure we made Canada proud with our own rendition of "Achy Breaky Heart." After our group's ears had enough, it was time for us to retire back to our five star hotel.
Our personal Audi A8 was waiting for us at 7:00 am, next on our tour is Guilin. In our eyes Guilin was like a cheap reproduction of the "Mona Lisa". Naturally breathtaking, it's a vibrant city set within mountains. Come night fall it looked more like a cheap whore with too much make-up! Unlike Nanning the lights were tacky. It wasn't until our boat ride the next morning that we discovered the simple beauty at Yangshou, an hour outside of Guilin. Here we peddled our way - as best friends do - through the countryside. The farmers, and their traditional Chinese homes (over 400 years old) warmed our hearts.
Mr. Chen kept his promise and more by showing us the true beauty and character of China and its people. Thank you Mr. Chen!
Ken & Jade
Jade, I had no idea that you could write so well. Pictures look great and so do the both of you. Thank you for setting up the blog and emailing me about it. It is a great way to see how your trip is going. Keep it coming.
ReplyDeleteTake care, Liam
Oh Wow! I missing traveling! I miss it in the best way possible though, because your trip feels so exciting. It's great that the two of you have been able to do this. To put life on pause and explore the world together. It'll be an epic story by the time you've blogged your way though this adventure. Thanks for sharing your trip with us, I know it takes time to post these updates, but it's so fun for us to follow along. And the photos! Yes, the photos are great :) Good luck, have fun, and stay safe (or only as safe as you Need to be). And how great are the Mr. Chens of the world, they are the hidden gems of the travelling world.
ReplyDeleteWho is this Random posting comments on our blog?! It's John Webb by the way. Take care guys :)
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