Yangshuo, China - National Week

My wife and I returned to Yangshuo for the second time in five years. What
a change. While one can retreat to the countryside, which we did, the
center of town and West Street was a zoo. Naturally, the hardcore
backpackers have retreated to less discovered places. We stayed at a fairly
small middle-class family place called the Morning Sun Hotel,
http://www.morningsunhotel.com/ , operated by Ya Piao (Frances) and a
partner. Unfortunately, the hotel is directly across from a major
construction site of what I believe will be the new Paradise Hotel.
Construction has been ongoing for several years due to legal (and probably
local) issues. Our room with a private bath (24 hour hot water and air-con)
was 160 RMB. Since part of our stay was during National Week, the rate
jumped to 360 RMB (480 RMB if you were walking off the street looking for a
room). Construction wasn't a major problem as very little was going on
during our visit. Most rooms in Yangshuo were all booked well in advance.

Good food and drink was in plentiful supply. We took several meals along
West Street. A big bottle of local beer can still be had for less than $1
U.S. at 7 RMB (LiQuen). A couple small coffee house entrepreneurs must have
studied at Starbucks however, where we had some very expensive coffees for
27 RMB each. We also ate at places like Mini Mao's. where we had great
meals for less than 30 RMB each. We also ate at stalls, where a big bowl of
local noodle soup could be had for 4-5 RMB.

For those who choose not to navigate the countryside on your own, there are
plenty of "guides" hanging around West Street that will arrange bicycles (7
RMB/day) for rides out to the countryside. Almost everything you visit with
a guide has an entry fee. For example, to get a good view of Moon Hill from
a distance, one of the best places to view the Hill is from Moon Hill
village. You cannot enter the village without being stopped at a little
toll booth to pay an entry fee to the village. The Chinese seem to attach
an entry or viewing fee for anything they consider worth seeing. Many sites
still carry the two-tier pricing., which is nothing to little for locals and
double or triple for tourists. I'm not complaining, but we refused to pay
20 RMB each to look at a banyan tree. You can probably count on your guide
to make a small commission off each place she/he takes you to. All of the
guides we encountered during our stay were women, and they will generally
ask for 100 RMB per day for guide service. When you consider the daily
labor rate for unskilled labor, 100 RMB could be high.

Yangshuo is a good base to explore other villages and towns. Baisha is a 4
RMB bus ride from Yangshuo and has a large market day a couple times a week.
Fuli and Puyi are interesting towns, the later visited by boat from Fuli.
The trip down river from Fuli to Puyi is more interesting that Puyi itself.

rg