Yangshuo - Day 2 Part 2: Kayaking

After cooking school we hurried back to the hostel. They offered a kayaking trip down the river which we really wanted to do but they had initially told us that there wouldn't be time. We had hoped to convince them we could make it work, especially since it was our last day in Yangshuo. 

Alas, after a little persuading they said, "okay!" And we had ten minutes to change and go. Our driver from the kayaking company came to pick us up. We had a 40 minute drive to the best spot to start on the river. He had excellent English and answered our many questions about Chinese culture and customs. He explained the layout of Chinese farm homes, their attitude on children and child rearing, marriage culture and even about which family the grandparents live with. It was a very educational ride. At the river we hopped in two nice, albeit very basic, kayaks. We had a three hour journey ahead of us. 

Because of the wet nature of kayaking, I opted not to take my camera. Nancy had a waterproof bag for her iPhone so we used that for photos instead.  

There wasn't a single other kayak on the river for the entire three hours. We passed a few tour boats, some fishermen on their bamboo rafts, many water buffalo and their farmers, and some of the most amazing scenery. It was peaceful and interesting. Thankfully it was pleasantly overcast and so although it was warm we didn't roast in the sun. 

Nancy took this that morning. Can you imagine a better place to spend a day on the river? I can't. 

We thoroughly enjoyed the kayaking trip. Then we headed back to our hostel for some dinner and to pack up. Off to Hangzhou in the morning!!