Cycling Through Guangxi Province

Our ride descriptions give an account of the ride that we completed. As part of the description we also provide links to Wikiloc or Google maps and elevation profiles based on mapping data available through the internet. The ride profiles are smoothed to give what in our opinion is a more beneficial view of the profile. We use paper maps, GPS and on line data to plan and conduct our rides. We are happy for you to use our descriptions, but be aware that we do not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided as situations surrounding any ride change over time.

• Distance            91km
  
• Max Elevation     442m
  

Guangxi -  Wuzhou to Taiping Ride Profile

Feeling rested and energetic we set off across Wuzhou to find our route out of town, stopping on the way to get money at an ATM. One of the counter girls came out with her phone to take a photo of the bikes. We rode along a busy 4 lane highway looking for the way to our chosen exit road. All the signs since entering Guangxi were only in Chinese, but again the GPS came in handy. We took our turning and the road lead through a building area and into a 2 lane road with a rough, pot holed surface which seemed to be deserted. The road began to climb steeply then dropped down the other side to go under the new motorway cutting across Guangxi province, which had no traffic on it, but bikes are not allowed.

There followed another steep long climb to about 200m. For the first time since arriving in Guangxi the sky was clear and the sun hot so we could try out our new wide-brimmed hats. They worked very well staying on our heads and the brims not blowing up.

The only other traffic on the road were small motorbikes which are also banned from the motorways in Guangxi. At the top of the hill we stopped to take a photo and a convoy of small vans with two stroke engines passed us, laden with bricks. As we set off again the convoy was parked up as one of the engines had broken down.

The road continued through the hills, climbing and descending repeatedly. This was the first serious hill climbing we had done since entering Guangxi and infact since we had left Malaysia over four months ago, so it was hard work. We also discovered that Steve hadn't 'toed-in' the new brake blocks enough, so every time we put on our brakes they squealed terribly. At lunchtime we stopped at a small cafe in Lingjiang. Asking for chicken in the local Guangxi style. They produced a whole steamed chicken, chopped up into bits with sharp bones.

In the afternoon we pressed on along the quiet scenic road. At about 55km it started to climb again right up to about 420m. What with the heat and the aching legs it seemed like the roof of the World. As we descended into the next valley our nasal senses were struck by the pungent smell of aniseed. All around the town of Gulong star anise were lay drying in the sun, occasionally being turned by the local workers.

The Illicium Verum tree is grown extensively in Guangxi and the aniseed smell pervaded the whole town as we rode through. Everyone we passed was friendly and smiling and most of the young adults and children shouted "hello".

Another climb took us to the next valley, this time with water-melons as its main crop. There were lorries laden with them heading to Wuzhou.

Taiping is a frantic, noisy, scruffy town with loads of half finished buildings and piles of sand and gravel blocking the pavements. The motorbikes, lorries, bikes and trucks don't seem to be bound by any traffic rules but just seem to manage to avoid hitting each other. After a long hard day of riding it was 6.30pm. It was getting dark and we couldn't find a hotel. A woman directed us up a side road which was all but blocked with lorries laden with watermelons. At the end there were about six hotels, all lit with bright coloured flashing neon lights. We booked into the most modern looking one and got a room with a mattress that felt as though it was made of concrete and stank of cigarettes. But it was modern and clean.

• Distance           82km
• Max Elevation    293m
  

Guangxi - Taipang to Mengshan Ride Profile

With stiff legs and aching glutes we set off for another long ride to the next town that we were sure would have accommodation. Just out of town we saw our first "butcher's" shop, well more of stall really. He was selling real pieces of pork, like chops, not just the chewy bits. It was also a food place, so we ate breakfast there; noodles!

• Distance            75km
• Max Elevation     392m
  

Guangxi - Mengshan to Moon Hill Village Ride Profile

Our bodies did not want to drag themselves out of bed today. Two months of sedentary life style followed by only 6 days of cycling was taking its toll. We both lay awake thinking we should get up earlier, but didn't. On the way out we ate breakfast in Menshang. The ride today was a lot flatter than the previous two days. There was quite a bit of gentle down hill but it was much hotter. Even at 10-00am it was well into the high twenties.

As we were approaching a main transport hub, the roads were getting busier again with many more heavy lorries.

Leaving Mengshang the road rose gradually over 8km to about 200m. It was then downhill and onto the flat. Dropping down into the next valley we were surrounded by spiky karst mountains which in the haze looked as though they were in another world. The difference in terrain as we had cycled through Guangxi was stark.

By lunchtime we were on the outskirts of Lipu (aka Licheng), the source of the quarried stone that we had seen being transported. The town was in the process of replacing its sewerage system so everywhere was more chaotic than usual. After a quick lunch we pushed on to Moon Hill which was mostly downhill.

Stopping to buy a drink in Maling, Tavish McChew wearing a tartan kilt, mending shoes at the side of the road. The surrounding shop owners and locals were hugely amused.

As we rode along we passed women making incense sticks, threshing soya beans and drying persimmons.

The Yangshou Village Inn at Moon Hill Village was recommended in Lonely Planet and the room rates quite a bit more expensive than we have been paying so far. But the relief of arriving somewhere where everyone, guests and staff, could speak English and had an Italian restaurant was immense. It is also a peaceful place (in contrast to Yangshou which we have been told is a backpacking party town) with fabulous views to Moon Hill, a karst hill with a large hole through its centre.

The plan was to spend two nights here so that we could explore the surrounding area of Guangxi on our bikes but overnight Karen got a nasty dose of travellers diarrhoea so we had to book in for another night and Karen spent the day in bed. It gave Steve a chance to catch up on the blog and look for ways to access FB and blogger.

The following day was warm and dry and after having breakfast on the patio we set off on our unloaded bikes to explore the Yulong River. The helpful receptionist at the hotel gave us a free 'Tourist Map' but like most tourist literature it was pretty useless. A few hundred meters along the main road a shortcut took us along a narrow lane through a couple of villages and to the lower bridge across the river. Lots of bamboo rafts were coming downstream each carrying two passengers.

This old fella was happy wallowing in the river rather than crossing it.

On the other side of the river we picked up the narrow but smooth concrete road which runs up the north side. Eventually this road ends at the river. The only option here is to either head downstream on a raft or get a raft ferry to the other side. We gave the little raft lady our 20 Y fare and she shouldered Karen's bike and nipped nimbly over about six other moored rafts to get to the outermost one. Steve was somewhat less agile as he tried to traverse the rocking and rolling rafts carrying his bike. Karen, with no load, fared even worse and was only rescued from certain dunking by the little lady who grabbed her and plonked her into the seat.

It only took about two punts of the bamboo pole to get the raft to the other side and a slightly less taxing disembarking. The road on this side was even quieter and took us through a couple of villages with a combination of old traditional houses and many new ones in the process of being built.

The Yulong Valley is an outstandingly beautiful area of Guangxi. It is a very popular destination for both foreign and Chinese tourists. It is saved from being completely ruined by promoting the concept of hiring bikes to cycle up the river and returning downstream on a raft. This means that the narrow lanes have little traffic on them other than bicycles and the vans which transport the bicycles back to base and the rafts, having no engines, gently and silently glide downstream.

The still, reflective river Yulong meanders slowly along the flat valley floor through orchards, paddy fields and pastures surrounded by massive towering karst pinnacles. The high humidity gives a misty, slightly out of focus view which enhances the beauty.

• Distance             38km
  
• Max Elevation      239m
  

Guangxi - Moon Hill Village to Yangshuo Ride Profile

The morning dawned bright and sunny. Steve was still a bit jaded. Karen decided that rather than just cycle 9km up the busy main road to Yangshou we could go across country to the Li river valley and follow that north to Yangshou. That would sort Steve out.

With only the previous day's "tourist map" to work from and the hotel receptionist's warning of "they've built a new road" but not the expertise of English to explain how this would affect us, we set off.

On the river shore a family were mending their boat, using traditional methods and the woman had the job of sawing the wood planks.

It wasn't easy to find our route out of the village and Steve announced that there was no way he could ride back up the hill that we had just descended as his legs were too shaky. Then Karen spotted a narrow alleyway between two houses and an old lady in a field assured us we were on the right road.

We had decided to try the River View Hotel recommended in the Lonely Planet but the tiny town map of Yangshou was too confusing to make sense of and it took us a full circuit of town to work out where we needed to go. Once we found it we got a room with a huge balcony overlooking the river.

Sitting out on the balcony we noticed a man on a recumbent bicycle on the pavement opposite. Steve had recovered enough by now to go out to chat and have a go on the imaginatively modified bike, complete with wing mirrors, umbrellas, headlight and boom box sound system.

• Distance             89km
  
• Max Elevation      575m
  

Guangxi - Yangshuo to Wangshuongong Ride Profile

This was a real agony and ecstasy day. We planned to go to Guilin, one of the bigger cities in Guangxi. On the main road it was 66km distant but we had heard from Phillipp and Valeska that it was unpleasantly busy. The Guangxi tourist map showed a road on the east side of the Li valley, going to Xingping. From there was a single line road, we assumed similar to the single line roads we had ridden yesterday, all the way to Guilin.

After 8km we arrived at the village of Jiangcun. We sat in the shade inside one of the little stores and as we drank our cokes a lot of the locals came to peek through the door at the foreigners. There wasn't much to eat, just a few factory made cakes and biscuits packed in plastic. The helpful lady owner produced a pack containing a bread bun with a sickly honey/coconut filling with some brown lumps which could have been raisins. Too hot and hungry to care we ate them. The two lady shop keepers sat on tiny stools knitting intricately patterned jumpers.

The road didn't improve and 2km later it began to climb into the mountains.At least by now it was relatively quiet with only a few motorbikes and locals leading their cattle. Steve was still feeling unwell and had to take it slowly.

Halfway up this first hill we met another touring cyclists coming in the opposite direction. This was Chris Capener, from Aberdeen, who had been cycling RTW since February. See our Links page for his web site link

After a quick exchange of web addresses we continued up the hill, and the next one, and the next one...

There were some fabulous views over the karst from the tops but the arduous surface and Steve's problems made it seem like torture. Worse still we were fast running out of water. After about 25km we breasted the last summit giving views, though a bit hazy, into the Li valley far below us.

A long descent followed, we knew we'd climbed a long way.

• Distance             89km
  
• Max Elevation      575m
  

Guangxi - Wangshuongong to Guilin Ride Profile

Guilin is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city. The heavy traffic seems to be kept out of the main town and the avenues are wide and tree lined making it a light and leafy environment. We breakfasted at a nice little coffee bar serving a real American breakfast and then walked along the side of the river, where even in the middle of the city, fishermen were poling their boats along, casting their nets and one was even using a cormorant to fish, (just like the HSBC advert).

The whole city is built in and around the karst rocks and we had to climb one of them at least. A further walk along the river took us to the Bright Moon Hill. We dutifully paid our 35 yuan each, jostled with the hoards of Chinese tour groups and trudged our way up the, god knows how many steps, to reach the top, where we were treated to wonderful views across the town.

From here we could look across the Mulong Lake where we decided to head for next, but not before finding some lunch. Steve managed a bowl of noodles, he was definitely a lot better.

The area around the Lake has been preserved as an example of the old fisherman's village and includes what is left of the original city wall gates, but at 90 yuan each we passed.

Instead, we headed across the road to view a number of street stalls selling the most beautiful Guangxi vases and pottery figures. If only we had a house to put them in...

With tired legs and a yearning for that afternoon beer, it was time to head back to the hotel, shopping on the way to buy in supplies for a long hard ride into the mountains and rice terraces tomorrow. Oh and there was also time for a quick photo opportunity with Ronald...