"Hello. Bamboo?", Yangshuo, Guangxi Province, China

Throughout our travels there have been various, different noises and sounds that have stood out in our memories: the obnoxious warning noises before doors close on the metros and trams of Europe; the bellowing snorts from the frogs, and funky kazoo-like noises from the geckos in Koh Samet, Thailand; the high pitched clicking noises of the pedestrian crossings in Hong Kong; and "Taxi! You want taxi?" and "Tuk Tuk! You want Tuk Tuk? Where you go?" shouts from the drivers in Bangkok. Well, China has its noises too and believe me, it has a lot, and loud! From the high decibels while speaking to one another whether in the same room or on the phone, to the hacking-type spitting in public, to the roads filled with horns constantly beeping:- in our little town even the scooters and bikes beep before they overtake each other.

Well, today we had a new sound... "Hello. Bamboo?" . This came from absolutely everyone we passed in the local river villages- from kids to grannies. We took a beautiful bike ride along the local Yulong River where we passed little farming villages and rice paddies with the stunning backdrop of limestone pinnacles that this area is famous for. What "Hello. Bamboo" really means is: "Do you want to take a bamboo raft down the river?". And after about 20 miles of riding along lumpy, bumpy dirt tracks in the unrelenting sun, I was ready for a 'Hello. Bamboo'! So we did, bikes and all!

Bamboo rafting down the river was wonderful, and we could sit back, relax and admire the view. It was so serene and peaceful (at least, no one could ask 'Hello. Bamboo?' now!). Our 'driver' Man Chu Foo, punted us down the Yulong for 3 hours in the lazy late afternoon sun. Every once in a while we would have to cross over weirs and would have to heave the bamboo raft over the ledge until it see-sawed down to the water on the otherside, and then we would hop back on just in time before the raft slid into the water. We arrived at our pull-out with the glow of the setting sun gone, and only the light of a slither of moon and a big fat juicy star. What a great day! Even though I was worn out from the ride and the heat, it had been good to get up close to see Chinese rural life, and what a great way to end the day on the water! *Mush