July 24, 2009
Welcome to a new edition of the Yangshuo newsletter and especially to our new readers. I'm just back (well, already 2 weeks to be precise) from my last 3 week visit to Yangshuo. As usual it was a pleasure to see friends, explore other areas and finding places I had not been before. Yes, that is possible, even after coming so many times to the town and surrounding.
For example, I did a short climb up opposite of the Green Lotus Hotel on a path that was no longer in use. Had I brought a machete I probably would have been able to come down the other side. Now I know why the path is no longer used. Another short hike led me just north of Yangshuo, just a few km away in an area where hardly anyone comes. And Yangshuo can not be visited without a visit to some of the excellent restaurants, Dragon, Cloud 9 and some cafes like 7th Heaven, Drifters and Kelly's. It was as always a pleasure. And I might go back in September but that is to be sorted out.
Contrary to my normal newsletter, this time a good photo from Yangshuo from the TV tower, more in this newsletter.
In this e-zine there's some news of what I did in Yangshuo:
- Pudi Primary School
- Jessie's Tours
- The secrets of Cloud 9, Chinese No. 1 Chinese restaurant in Yangshuo
- Teaching in Yangshuo
- Tai Chi
- Dr. Lily's massage and acupuncture
- Hiking up to the TV Tower
- The local market Yangshuo photopage
- Tropical Spice Garden Penang Malaysia
Happy reading!
Peter van der Lans
yangshuo-travel-guide.com
PS Let me know what you like and what you don't like. All comments are
welcome. Click here to write your comment:
http://www.yangshuo-travel-guide.com/ask-me.html
You can read latest updates in my Blogs:
http://www.yangshuo-travel-guide.com/yangshuo-travel-guide-blog.html
http://yangshuotravelguide.blogspot.com/
or subscribe to my feed:
Subscribe to my RSS feed, if you don't know what this is, please read more here:
Let others know about this site by bookmarking at your favorite social bookmarking system:
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/psychling
====================================
Pudi Primary School
====================================
I ask again attention for the school in Pudi, the tiny village not far from Yangshuo. It's a village forgotten and ignored by tourist and government alike. The villagers are mostly farmers who grow rice and vegetables. They are mostly poor. Jessie Lu, our tour guide, comes from Pudi and although she runs her business nowadays from Yangshuo, she has not forgotten her hometown.
Several months ago, she started a small project to help the primary school in Pudi village. The school has a need for almost everything including books, writing materials. Even basic things like desks and chairs or a library are not available. Recently the school received a gift from a lady in Hong Kong of Y5000. The gift sounds like a lot but in reality it hardly was enough to get the most basic materials in the school available. Much more is needed. Therefore we need your help:
- http://www.yangshuo-travel-guide.com/pudi-school.html
You can help by donating at our Paypal account. We will keep you informed how the money is spend. In the second half of June I will visit Pudi and see for myself and in the next newsletter I will inform you further.
====================================
Jessie's Tours
====================================
I was lucky. Jessie took me this time with a motorraft to Pudi. This raft can be part of one of her tours. Check Jessie's tours to find out if you want to ad this in her tour
- http://www.yangshuo-travel-guide.com/yangshuo-tour.html
Personally I think a visit to Pudi is always worthwhile. But so are all Jessie's tours. I wouldn't recommend her if I wouldn't know what she offers AND I had joined her tours too. Thus I know what she offers. You want to see Yangshuo? You want the best because you might come only once in your life. Book Jessie.
- http://www.yangshuo-travel-guide.com/yangshuo-tour.html
====================================
The secrets of Cloud 9, Chinese No. 1 Chinese restaurant in Yangshuo
====================================
Why is Cloud 9 the best Chinese restaurant in Yangshuo? This time I figured out some answers. Linda Liang was so nice to show me some of the secrets. It's of course the recipes. Linda let me taste Beef in hot chili & numb sauce, which this month is dish of the month in Cloud 9. It's a spicy Sichuan dish. If you can't make it to Yangshuo but want to know what this tastes, check it out. Linda's own recipe:
- http://www.yangshuo-travel-guide.com/cloud-9-recipes.html
- http://cloud9.yangshuotravelguide.com
====================================
Teaching in Yangshuo/China
====================================
Travelers are always looking for a way to increase their finances. Teaching is since long a way to increase the content of your wallet. In Yangshuo there are many schools in need for foreign teachers. If you are interested, please look at this page for more information about the how, what and where...
- http://www.yangshuo-travel-guide.com/teaching-in-yangshuo.html
====================================
Tai Chi
====================================
I don't know about you but I always like to see people practicing tai chi in the mornings. Last week in Taiping Malaysia there's many practicing this slow dance around Lake gardens. It seemed to be the perfect place to do. (see my http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Taiping.html page what it looks like)
In Yangshuo China, Master Mei told me she travels in winter to warmer countries to escape the cold of China. There are resorts in Thailand and Indonesia (Bali) where she teaches tai chi, qigong and yoga. "How about Malaysia?", she asked me, knowing I live there. "Is there any possibility to teach there?" I told her I would ask around. And so do I here.
Master Mei is one of the highest qualified Chinese Tai Chi masters, see for yourself:
- http://mei.yangshuotravelguide.com
====================================
Twitter and Facebook
====================================
For those of you who want to follow us on Twitter or Facebook, here are our Twitter and Facebook accounts:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/psychling
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=636673166
====================================
Dr. Lily's massage and acupuncture
====================================
Dr. Lily has opened her new shop and I admit, she has done a good job. The shop is like the old one located in Die Cui Rd on the 1st floor (Chinese would say 2nd floor). It's really good work. And the results don't lie too. Walking on Die Cui Rd, it's hard to miss Dr. Lily's signs.
And the results? When I was in the shop, a Chinese from Hangzhou came in. He could not be helped by his own (old) TCM doctor in Hangzhou but Dr. Lily was able to give him a relief with just one acupuncture session. Whatever you think, Dr. Lily is the real deal. Visit her when you're in Yangshuo.
- http://dr-lily.yangshuotravelguide.com/
====================================
Hiking up to the TV Tower
====================================
Some told me it was no longer possible, but I am a stubborn old man. The more people tell me it's not possible, the more I want to try, So, I tried to find the path up, which was not that easy..In about an hour I was at the top of the tower and nothing and no one had stopped me.
The sight from above is breathtaking, no other word describes what I saw. See for yourself. The video is a bit rambling, but that's what it is. Next time I will do a much better job, I promise.
- http://www.yangshuo-travel-guide.com/hiking-tv-tower-yangshuo.html
====================================
The local market Yangshuo photopage
====================================
I like markets. Here you can learn more about habits of locals then almost anywhere else. The Yangshuo market is no different. It contains the usual agricultural, dried and live stock products of the area. And in the back of the market there are a few very good Chinese restaurants, cheap, fresh and tasty.
- http://www.yangshuo-travel-guide.com/local-market-yangshuo.html
====================================
Tropical Spice Garden
====================================
Last week I went to see the Tropical Spice Garden. As usual I had not expected much. Not because I didn't think it was worth but more because I didn't expect anything.
I was pleasantly surprised. The Spice Garden is a true oasis in Penang. It might not be a very big garden but it is, like one of my friends said, a small paradise. Kat and her staff have made here a true spice paradise complete with museum and gift shop in extraordinary style. Even if you don't want to buy anything, you have to admit, the soaps sold here are stylish. And the biscuits in the cafe are excellent (some would say.. sure... for RM 3 you can expect something).
And the garden... it's a real wowow thing. Spectacular designed on a hill slop, with small waterfalls and a huge selection of spices. I have to recommend this. It should be a mandatory visit for everyone who visits Penang.
I don't have (yet) a page ready but Nazlina Hussin from pickles and spices.com has a few pages online showing the beauty. Nazlina offers also a cooking class 3 times a week in the Tropical Spice Garden.
- http://www.pickles-and-spices.com/tropical-spice-garden.html
- http://www.pickles-and-spices.com/cooking-traditional-food-class.html
Tropical Spice Gardens website:
- http://ww.tropicalspicegarden.com
-----------------------------------------