As I wrote in a previous post, our travels in Southeast Asia took us to the Yangshuo countryside in Southern China’s Guangxi Province, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and finally to Krabi, on the Andaman Coast in Southern Thailand (plus a day each in Hong Kong and Bangkok). All were amazing!! We felt so lucky to have chosen these magical destinations, to have had excellent weather during most of our rainy-season journey, and of course to be able to travel like this at all. We are so very, very privileged to be able to explore our world and gain perspective on it in this way. So without further ado, here is the first round of pictures, from the otherwordly countryside of Guangxi Province:

 

On our first full day around Yangshuo, we took the obligatory bamboo raft ride up the Li River from a small town called Xingping. The area is famous for its karst (limestone) peaks, which provide imagery that is almost inseparable from the identity of Southern China.

 

The scenery is even more stunning and unreal-looking in person . . .

 

. . . and even famous enough to make the 20-Yuan bill!

 

 

 

 

Cormorant fishing is a common method in the area; string is tied around the cormorants’ throats, who then “fish” but cannot swallow their larger catch, which goes to the fisherman.

 

 

 

After our “cruise,” we strolled around the lovely older sections of Xingping . . .

 

 

 

 

. . . and bought a couple paintings.

 

The next day we spent in the Yulong River Valley, this time using a different kind of transportation.

 

The valley is still made up of farms and rice paddies, and, of course, gorgeous and seemingly endless karst peaks.

 

Rafting on the Yulong River is also popular.

 

 

 

Tilling, harvesting and planting is all done using the same methods that have been used for thousands of years.

 

 

 

The staple crop, ready for harvesting.

 

The ancient “Dragon Bridge,” which spans the Yulong.

 

In the afternoon we found an old raft chained to a lovely, spreading tree and cooled off with a swim.

 

On our way back home a thunderstorm approached, but only ended up grazing us with light showers.

 

So we had a cocktail and played some cribbage on the patio of our quiet countryside hostel.

 

And then strolled back out for some late-day pictures.