China Day Six (aka the day I almost turned vegan!)

Trip to Guilin was relatively uneventful ... now I have worked out that there are 3 or 4 domestic flights assigned to each gate, none are announced and suddenly you notice that the word 'boarding' is now next to your flight number on the ticker tape instead of 'waiting'. Theoretically absolutely fine, unless of course, you're whiling away the time reading the latest Tess Gerritsen. Lesson learnt.

Lesson number 2 is basic and, warning, I may offend some people; use your hotel bathroom and wait until you reach your next hotel. Sanitation isn't China's strong point. Memories of toilet stops on the autoroutes in France during our childhood holidays in the 80's where Mummy had to persuade Kate and I that going to the loo in a hole in the ground was acceptable ... only in China, not only does a lady give you a few sheets of toilet role before you enter a cubicle, there's an open bin in which to place it afterwards!! Did anyone else see that episode of CSI where Sara Sidal (sp?) arrives at a crime scene grinning and explains to Grissom it's so she doesn't have to breath through her nose? Well, any reports you hear of a mad blonde englishwoman grinning manically in Asian toilet facilities - it's me.

Another very smooth pick up at the airport and arrival at the Sheraton in Guilin. Hotel isn't as nice as Beijing and Xian so as soon as I'd received a call from guide confirming times for tomorrow morning's pick up (8.30am and I have to be checked out - goodness me!) I was out exploring.

Now, exploring conjures up pictures of lush greenery (tick), lazy rivers (tick), pagodas (double tick - found two) and air thick with humidity (tick) - what I didn't expect was my usual walking pace would ensure that within 90 minutes I would be entering a local hostelrie looking as if I had just run a marathon. Not my proudest moment it has to be said!

The choice of restaurant was always going to be easy I thought, and boy was it .... let's just say I chose one of the few restaurants in the street that didn't have your main course swimming in a bucket outside ready for you to choose it :-((

Now, I expected fish and shellfish (courtesy of my companion Mr Rough Guide) and maybe the odd chicken. However, what I did not expect were snakes (!), ducks and turtles! Turtles! and then just as I thought it couldn't get any worse, I saw these cute furry little animals that must be cane rats; similar to beavers but with smaller tails, just sitting there, grooming themselves and nibbling on cucumber... Needless to say a) have fired off an email to the cat-sitter today to check my 'boys' are ok and b) had pork and beef for dinner as I hadn't seen any pigs or calves tendered outside. Gulp.

One last word of warning, to anyone travelling in this area, if the menu reads szcheuan spices - they have two; peppers and chillis. That's all I could see and taste. I have never seen so much red food in my life. Suddenly the dried apple rings and bread roll provided by China Eastern for lunch on the flight didn't seem so bad after all and now I know why there was a complimentary packet of tissues on the restaurant table.

Have a lovely weekend everyone, hope the sun shines for you. x