The next day there was another bus drive from Guilin. The destination was the Li River, a small stream that serpentines its way through some magnificent peak and valleys with great scenery. Several river boats were waiting for passenger like us westerners. But there were numerous Chinese tourists as well. This is a favorite and well known excursion.

The boats have two decks with interior spaces to relax, have a drink and lunch when it is served buffet style. There are also an observation deck on top and a stern platform for cooking the meals. As we pulled away from the dock it became quite apparent that the persistent smog would continue along the river, yet the close up scenery was terrific.

The lime stone cliff formations (and the T-shirt I happen to wear that day) reminded me of our sailing trip in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand. The difference was that this was a river plus there were these 'pirates' paddling their bamboo rafts. They would come right up to our boat, quickly grab the side, tie up and try to sell their souvenirs to those of us aboard.

There were some motorized versions of the bamboo rafts and water buffaloes along shore and in the water. Then we saw some fishermen and two men in their underwear apparently looking for snails in the rushing water. There was a new scene around every bend.

We were served a nice buffet lunch and after several hours of enjoying the scenery, we pulled into Dragon Head Wharf where we disembarked. Then it was some more shopping before the tour bus took us back to the hotel in Guilin.
But wait!
First we took a side tour to the Reed Flute Cave, an underground cavern full of stalagtites and stalagmites.

It had been another full day and we were tired, hungry and ready for a rest.
But, no, we had to pack our gear and be ready to fly to Shanghai the following morning and take yet another bus trip to Sushou. We would visit Tongli, the 'Venice of the East', a town more than 2500 years old with quaint canals and houses along the water front.