Karsts, Karsts, Everywhere Karsts

Spending New Year surrounded by spectacular scenery

Before we left the UK, I had never heard the word karst. Had someone asked me, I might have suggested that a karst was some type of German sausage.  Yet since we set off ten months ago I have seen more of them than I could reasonably be expected to shake a stick at.

Karsts are jagged limestone peaks that have formed over millions of years due to carbonic acid erosion on the sides of mountains. The effect is dramatic and awe inspiring: it actually looks like a fantasy movie set (the mountains on the planet Pandora, if the Chinese tourist board is to be believed, are based on a karst landscape in China. They have even gone so far as to rename a region after the movie – and who said they were censoring Avatar in China?).

In Malaysia I was attacked by monkeys climbing into a karst based temple; in Laos we floated past karsts in inner tubes while drinking beer: in Vietnam we boarded a sailing junk and kayaked round the scenic karst filled waters: and in China, enjoyed several days of cycling and walking through karst filled rice paddies and farms in Yangshuo and Guilin.

Ringing in the Bells

Following on from our time in Fenghuang, our next challenge was to find somewhere decent to ring in the New Year. We decided that somewhere full of Western tourists, something we tend to avoid, would be mean more fun for the big night, and we were right. And so we found ourselves bus bound to the karsty Guilin (via the uninspiring town of Tongdao) and onwards to Yangshuo.

Our karst extravaganza began in Guilin, a hugely popular destination with Chinese tourists. Our first encounter there was with a clumsy would-be pick pocket that tried to relieve Scott of his wallet (which was located far from danger – but even if he had managed to take it, he would have been sorely disappointed with the $1 and credit cards that have already been cancelled), followed by a taxi driver determined to rip us off. But after a fairly dodgy start things began to get better.

Guilin is a modern town that is surrounded on all sides by the dream like karst scenery: the tall buildings, shopping malls and highways are all punctuated by amazing karsts rising out of the ground. Unfortunately, to get to the top of any of the peaks to enjoy the view costs an arm and a leg, and so we only made it to the top of the very cheapest.

But forget Guilin, for a really over-the-top karst experience, Yangshuo is the place to go. Snuggled nicely between the Li River and hundreds of peaks, filled with backpacker cafes, bars, and small tourist shops, the small tourist town of Yangshuo might be a tourist trap, but my god, is it lovely. It is a haven for rock climbers, many of whom say it has the best climbing in the whole of Asia, there are enough bike routes and hikes to keep you occupied for days, and enough bars to keep you nicely lubricated for your whole stay.

We spent two days cycling around, trying (and failing) to find the Dragon Bridge, and managing to get to Moon Hill for a short climb and some magnificent views.

But, in truth, we spent most of our time, including New Years Eve itself, stationed in Bar 98: a cosy Australian run bar with a pool table, cheap beer, live music and a great atmosphere.

And the night itself? We managed to get happily drunk, meet some crazy French people, watch some fireworks, and sing Auld Langsyne (although it turns out that no one knows the actually words). The next day, as per tradition, was spent mostly sleeping and indulging in pizza and junk food. Not too dissimilar to home!