Yangshuo was a culinary experience, believe you me.
After “Losing Face” in a drinking game with our hotel host, Larry, we all decided to take a stroll and have a look for a bar.
Pretty pissed, we arrived at the market and it was buzzing. Some of the smells were a bit funky but you have to be open minded in places like this. The stuff on show was bizarre. Massive snails, fish I didn’t know existed, Dodgy Oysters, Bugs…….. James had a go at one of the snails. He wouldn’t be much of a fussy eater at all. Fair played to him, he kept it down but with plenty of resistance. Leo was a different matter. It came straight back up. But none of this was anything compared to that rat. It was totally skinned and still had his front teeth. It was cut right down the middle and you could see through its skin. Reminded me a bit like beef jerky, but with claws and an ugly head. Whole Ducks were being chopped up (webbed feet, beak and all) and thrown into some sort of broth. All this, normal diet for a Southern Chinese man.
The next day we all took a mountain bike ride. We met that morning for some noodle soup. Tasted a bit like ass dripping but noodles are supposed to be good for you. And who knew what lunch would be after last nights episode. We all cycled up mountains and through valleys until we came to a river. Local Farmers put our bikes on homemade bamboo rafts and pushed us along the river, stopping off at floating bars for a well overdue beer.
