Ducks ducks ducks ...

(Lianna)

Being the ambitious people we are, Mark and I decided to get up at 7 in order to go on a bamboo raft before leaving the hotel at 11. We went down for breakfast around 7:45. We left the hotel at 8:45, and headed down to the river. West Street was pretty much empty, except for the early-morning walkers and people setting up shops. On the way to the waterfront, we came across the CUTEST little puppy, playing with a twig or something. We wanted to play with it, but we couldn’t go near it in case it had rabies… it was sad. The dogs here are SO cute and there are so many but we have to stay away. It’s incredibly hard.

When we arrived at the waterfront, a lady came up to us and said “bamboo raft?” We figured we’d be safe to go with her, so we paid the 60 Yuan and boarded. When the engine fired up and we didn’t move, due to the incredibly strong current in the opposite direction, we became a little skeptical, and wondered if it was worth the amount we paid. After a few minutes, we realized that we had no idea what we’d gotten ourselves into; we didn’t know where we were going or how long it would take. We decided to just relax and enjoy the scenery. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, we saw people capturing ducks and I decided I am never going to eat duck again. The way they capture them is utterly cruel. They stuff tons of ducks piled on top of each other into tiny cages. I decided to call it the duckocaust. The ducks were so cute. Ducks ducks ducks

We passed a boat full of people whom we think were going to market to sell their products. It was confusing though because they were all dressed really well and one had an ipod. But they were kind of creepy because they started at us, and not in the way that most Chinese people stare at Westerners. It was a more intent and lengthy stare.

As we walked back to the hotel things were starting to liven up on West Street. We chilled in the hotel for a little while, then we drove to the Guilin airport… where I got sick… very sick... For 24 hours (but I didn’t feel the effects until we got to Kunming)… and it sucked… So we had dinner and went to the hotel, and that’s when my life spiraled into hell. I’m still getting over the sickness and I’m afraid of food, but I feel much better.