Setting off on our bikes for Guilin and a few first in Yangshuo

Bikes, panniers, tent, and other crap we probably won't use but every says its need for a long haul by bicycle. Our first destination will be the bus station, haha. We don't have the time to bike the 500 plus km's to Guilin. Its a 10 hour bus ride on a sleeper bus first time and hopefully our last one. Somebody was smoking, and the bed was tight and short plus someones feet stunk, overall was not the best experience and it cost us $25 each including our bikes. We arrived 5am it was dark, raining and to top it off our hostel wasn't even open yet. We spent a total of 4 days in Guilin, checking out the most popular sites, enjoying the stunning back drops but what stole the show for me was seeing the giant pandas at the Seven Stars Park they are the cutest adult wild animals I have ever seen, totally worth the extra admission fee.

waiting at the bus station in Jiangmen

visited the ancient town of Daxu

riding around the old Qin Dynasty 2000 year old streets, not too bumpy

checked out the Reed flute cave 

240 meter long cave is lite with wonderful colors 

lucky thousand year old turtle

drunken master 

elephant trunk hill

famous birds that do the fishing 

enjoying cheap korean food in Guilin

camel hump hill in 7 star park

giant panda, great to see these amazing animals, so few remain 

not as famous but just a cute the red panda

check out the baby getting in our photo

famous Guilin noodles

After the 4 days we biked to Yangshuo, our first time riding any distance with our bikes loaded up. It was a total of 75 km's and a perfect riding day, cloudy and flat idea condition for our first ride. It took us just over 5 hours that included a stop for lunch. We had set up a couch surfing host in Yangshuo, and would meet our host at the park infront of the bus stop. Zooey, is a rock climber, full time student that was nice enough to share her home and take us. She took us around town showing us her life in Yangshuo. Couch surfing for the  first time has been a enjoyable experience and hope to have more. Thanks Zooey! 

loaded up on our first stretch of payment 75km's to Yangshuo

Yangshuo back drop of hills, ponds and streams

we had this delicious stone bowl of rice and veggies almost everyday for lunch

having a beer with Zooey our first couch surf host 

this is the picture on the 20 RMB minus Jieun

climbing one of the hills

over 200 meters straight up 

made it up to the top and we were the only ones, nice peaceful view

inside the town of Yangshuo

The famous Liu Sanjie Show used the hill and lake backdrops as the stage for this huge production 

check out this mobile police station cool

Yangshuo, is a nice town that seems tourism has helped, the centre of town has loads of great restaurants, shops and cafes for all budgets. Its also a place for biking, trekking and of course rock-climbing. Next we are off to Nanning city, to get our Vietnam visa's.