Guilin itself is actually a pretty nice-looking city - with 2 rivers and amazing limestone peaks (large sharp hills jutting up from nowhere) surrouding the city. As I began my search for flights agents to get my flight to Bangkok, I was soon joined by another Chinese student that wanted to practice her English. She translated for me at the agencies, and took me on a guided tour of Guilin's sights. This included a trip around a famous lake, which has bridges across it that are small replicas of famous bridges around the world; such as the Golden Gate bridge, the one that goes across the Grand Canal in Venice, and, bizzarely, the Arc De Triumph.

It was as we wondered around this lake, past one of the numerous street vendors selling live produce in nets or out of bowls of water, that I broached a subject that had been on my mind for some while.
"You see that bag of frogs? Is that for someone to eat?"
She smiled and looked a little embarrassed
"Err...Yes."
"Uh-huh. And what about snails? Do you eat them?"
She nodded, looking a little embarrassed again. But I was on roll. Screw the consequences, I wanted answers. Best get straight to the point.
"Right. What about dogs? Do people eat them?"
Another embarrassed laugh. Followed by a nod! Finally, an admission! Although she was at pains to point out that she had never eaten it, and then pointed out that with our different cultures some things may seem strange to each other, but we should try to understand that the difference is what makes us interesting. All true, but we don't eat man's best friend, and you do.
"And what about scorpions? In Beijing I saw them on sticks. It looked like it's ok to eat anything as long as it's on a stick."
"Scol-pon?"
"You know...", and I began an attempt to create an international sign for Scorpion. This involved using one hand to recreate the body and legs (wiggling fingers to indicate this), and the other to show the tail. I felt it was important to focus on the tail and its ability to sting. I even showed how my hand scorpion might use its tail to attack it's prey.
"....so its tail goes like that, and it kills things with it."
"Maybe if I see it I will know it."
Well I just bloody showed you it! And then it hit me. The pincers. That's why she didn't get it.
"Of course - it's got pincers too." Hands now morphing into pincers. "Pincers...see?"
"Ummm..."

On my return to the hostel, I met an English guy who had actually tried some dog himself in a specialist restaurant in Beijing. He said it tasted like a very tender beef. He'd also tried scorpion, which was apparently just like crunchy fried chicken.

I was just spending the one night in Guilin and was off to Yangshou the next day, where I'd planned to spend the best part of a week chilling out before flying to Bangkok.

written by  olliejohnson on August 24, 2006 from Guilin, China
from the travel blog: A man from Cockshutt.
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You're looking like a quite the adventurer in that photo by the Great Wall. I'll award you the title of city mouse in this case, as the city mouse has always been into adventuring.
After seeing your photos from the Trans-Mongolian, I'd also like to add that although you were hesistant to buy a travel pillow at first, it's a very good thing Zoe & Neil got you one or else you'd have to endure the stained linen of Siberia. And we certainly wouldn't want that.

written by  Angela on August 27, 2006

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