Rice paddy terraces, Long Ji, Guilin, China.

You would have to have been here to believe the rain last night! Torrential buckets fails to describe it. Potentially lethal gets closer. However only damp as we set off in our luxury, yes luxury, bus for Longji. We were driven gently round town to collect the other victims passengers and set off onto the open road north. That's when our mild and polite driver changed into a suicidal demon, and we had chosen to sit in the front seats, facing oblivion. And it's Friday 13th. Arggghhhh!

Anyway we were eventually, that's 3 hours, brought to a shuddering halt by a traffic jam caused by a broken down truck on a narrow winging road approaching out planned destination. We had suffered / experienced a short toilet stop somewhere back down the road and I have to say these were the most disgusting and primitive facilities yet encountered. So, mad dash to the loo on arrival at the arrivals hall for the terraces. Huge it was as they say in Wales. The ticketing hall, not the loo.

First stop was in a large village hall furnished with bench pews laid out a la church style. The stage at one end was conventional enough except for shuttered windows in the back wall. About a dozen youngish women appeared, clad in obscuring native dress, and proceeded to subject the audience to an unearthly wailing, intended to endear them to all in earshot - about 10 miles I recon. There then followed a mock courtship & wedding ceremony. Male volunteers were extracted from the predominantly Chinese audience but the MC wanted an "English speaking" vulnerable person. I instantly changed my name to Gordo and lapsed into my native Spanish, as several pairs of eyes were trained on me. Fortunately an idiot from the Aussie outback, Melbourne they call it, allowed himself to be appointed. What followed must have been embarrassing to the village elders, or at least it should have been if they had any civic pride remaining, but I suspect that to have been subjugated by the income generated by these shows. Sue did not approve, and that's putting it mildly.

Transferred to smaller busses for the final ascent to the terraces (Sounds like the old days at Easter Road / Tynecastle) driven by the previous guys instructors. I would have had difficulty keeping up in my MX5. So, the echoes of screaming victims ringing in our ears, and grateful for the previous timely stop, we reached our village destination. Shunning the bearers and sedan chairs on offer we hoisted our overnight bags on our shoulders and set off on our 20 minute upward struggle to the lunch venue.

Assailed on all sides by native sales persons flogging ethnic junk we pressed on to this gastronomic challenge. Advice for future travellers: Avoid the bamboo chicken! This is one of, or parts of a foul cut to ribbons in the twilight of it's miserable life, stuffed into a bamboo tube about 30 mm dia, then burnt. To be fair, as chef with cleaver is hovering in the background, the meaty bits tasted great. It was the other bits, as usual unrecognisable that fell short on Michelin standard. Uugh.

After lunching and climbing a further 50 mtrs UP, we checked into our hotel. Another 100 mtrs UP, we reached our room. Now this is not what we recognise as a room in the West, but surely must have been designed, if it was such, by one Mr Heath Robinson. Just use your wildest imagination, and your half way there.

Being intrepid travellers, we spent the remainder of the afternoon trekking up & down the stone clad paths laid out amongst the village homes, and on up into the higher reaches of the terraces. You can but wonder at the stamina of the generations on tribes who have toiled to cultivate these terraces, particularly the womenfolk who do most of the hard labour whilst traditionally the men have the stay at home domestic roles.

Once again hunger drives me from the computer.

Oh, BTW, tried BoS website this morning. Got in instantly, but could not access my accounts. Despite being absolutely sure on the info which I entered, it kept asking for the same 3 characters. There was a strange look about the page, and I just wonder if this was a false site. No need to go back there as alt route established yesterday. Be warned you visitors to this neck of the woods.

BTW 2: Blip 2 days ago must have contained a bad word. Will re-post when better internet available.
G&S