July 30, 2010 - Yangshuo, Guangxi, China

"Flowing water never goes bad."
~ Chinese Proverbs

It just keeps raining.  It's either a torrential downpour or drizzling.  If it does stop raining, within a couple minutes a deafening locus chorus begins.

Giggling Tree Resort

The Giggling Tree Resort is a rural Dutch villa, outside of Yangshuo.  It's almost a meditative travelers retreat, surrounded by jungle, limestone peaks, and the Yulong River.  I've come here to write, bike, and eat salad.  The owners grow some of the resorts vegetables and clean them with purified water.  After India's 2007 Ganges River swim my stomach is sensitive, so I'm really careful with water and raw foods while traveling.  Knowing the Giggling Tree is conscious about clean water, this morning I ate salad and fresh vegetables for the first time in a month.  Tonight, more fresh veggies.

Within meters of The Giggling Tree's entrance is a bamboo boat pickup for floating the Yulong River.  Although the rivers float included dozens of bamboo boats with rainbow umbrella's surrounded me and every Chinese person took the chance to yell, "helllllooooooo" in my direction, drifing down the Yulong River was my seingle most relaxing experience in Yangshuo.  If only I could have spent my entire Yangshuo visit floating the Li and Yulong Rivers.  When the locals greet me with, "hello,"  I usually respond with, "ni hao," and they immediately start up a conversation assume I can speak Mandarin.

The two weeks before coming to China were spent researching and formulating curriculum pertaining to Southeast Asia at the University of Michigan.  A portion of the research project is due August 1st.  Most of yesterday and today has been spent sitting in front of a fan (but still sweating), typing on the computer, sipping hot cappuccino,... and of course listening to the pouring rain.