getting to guilin was actually easier than we anticipated. we wimped out and opted for the "luxurious" and pricier soft-class sleeper for the 24 hour train journey from chengdu. yes, 24 hours. it definitely qualified as the longest train ride either of us has ever taken. we thought of it as "practice" for the upcoming 30+ hour rides we will encounter when we travel through india. additionally, the train was a good 200 bucks cheaper than flying - which counts when you're traveling for as long as we are. soft-class was very empty and we lucked out by having the private compartment for 4 people all to ourselves. instant ramen, jasmine tea, and tangerines paired with too many hours of sleep made for a somewhat effortless entry into touristy and glitzy guilin.
guilin is famous for it's stunning karst topography and has been celebrated for generations by poets and painters. at the top of our list of sites to see are two caves that guilin is famous for. qixing gohgyuan, or seven star park, is one of china's most picturesque city parks. the seven karst formations (or peaks) in the park resemble the big dipper constellation. the highlight of the park is the seven star cave with huge chambers filled with bizarre stalactites and stalagmites colored by flood lights. the cave formations were absolutely stunning. the second cave we visited was reed flute cave. again, the scenery was breathtaking and extraordinary. we hope the photos do the sites just a small bit of justice… alina
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