Ready. Set. Go... Our first China trip together. Guilin, Guanxi Province.
(Us leaving home).
We were SUPER excited and couldn’t wait to try out our new phones (Huawei, Nova 3e) the camera on these phones can leave a person in awe.
(Chengdu airport, T1,domestic).
(Chengdu airport, gate 161 to Guilin).
We had been delayed 2 hours but this didn’t dampen the mood at all. We were still excited about what the trip had in store.
(Guilin airport, Guilin, Guanxi Province).
From the airport to the city, it’s a little bit of a trek but the final destination is
SO worth it!!!
(Exhibition Hotel, Guilin)
The hotel we stayed in was 5 star
All you can eat breakfast, buffet. Fruit bar.
Its been a while since I last had a proper English breakfast with REAL bacon.
(Hotel room view).
The view from our 10th-floor suite was spectacular. You could see the city and mountains for as far as the eye can see.
(Mountains on the horizon).
Guilin is really a special city, standing in a class of its own. If I had to live another year in China, I would definitely consider moving there.
(Werner capturing the city).
After gawking at how laney the hotel is… The curtains and blinds open at the bedside, flick of a button. We decided to go and explore a little around the city, near our hotel.
(Local woman on her e-bike)
(Busy inter-section).
The number of scooters definitely outweighs the number of vehicles. It's quite a sight to see, how the streets become alive at the change of a red light to green. Like blood rushing through veins.
The city is clearly marked with both Chinese and English signage. It makes it so much easier to find your way around.
Every street corner and just about every open space tells a beautiful story. Your eyes won't know where to wander first
(16th floor, cocktail bar). (16th floor, infinity pool).
The humidity during the summer months in Guilin is not for the faint-hearted. We were immensely grateful to be able to take a dip in the SO inviting water. Our goofy faces say it all.
(Business lunch with other investors and blockchain enthusiasts.)
(Partnerships - MIot.Ai Medical blockchain project)
(MIot.ai summit/ launch )
After the long day we had, filming and taking photos of the launch we went back to our hotel to bask in the coolness of our air-conditioned room. Even at 19:00pm we were dying of the heat and rushing back to wallow in the pool.
It had been a busy, grueling day and after not really having a big a lunch we decided to splurge a little and order room service.
The food was tasty. Beacon and egg beef burgers with a side order of french fries, chocolate chip, almond slices and fruit ice-cream. A REAL SALAD and a bottle of merlo.
What’s a meal, fit for a king without a glorious tub to relax in with bubbles up to your chin, while sipping on your glass of red (HEAVEN)
If you can get passed the humidity, the hair sticking to the back of your neck and the beads of sweat running down your spine Guilin is a small yet underestimated gem. There aren't too many foreigners around so you still get that “old China” vibe. The locals are out of their way helpful and friendly.
We then headed back to the hotel where we got on a bus with a few other hotel guests to make our way through the city to two main attractions of Guilin.
(Bus trip through the city.)
We arrived at our first destination. Elephant Hill scenic spot. Really a beautiful thing to see in person.
If you look, you will notice the caves are shaped like elephants with
their trunks submerged in the water.
And of course, you have to have that individual, cleche photo taken with the scenery as the background.
(Soul of Lijiang river)
(Panorama of the sight)
(This trip will be one to remember and being able to share it with one heck of a man makes it just THAT much cherish able)
We made our way INTO the caves..
if you have ever traveled
to South Africa and visited the Cango caves then
you kind of already have an idea.
The stalactites and stalagmites are all beautifully lit up with different color fluorescent lights.
The caves were formed thousands of years ago.
There is a pre-recorded light show on the roof of the cave that tells the story of how the caves were chizled and formed.
If there is one place in the world I would recommend anyone to visit...
After a definite RELAXATION FILLED escape we had to wave goodbye to the mountains, fresh air and beautiful scenery. It was time to touch base with reality again and head hone, back to Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
"The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual."