is there poodle in my noodle

We woke up with serious climbing-related aches and pains, which were definitely nothing to do with middle age or rice wine. So, instead of cragging, we went on an adventure on our scooters to find out more about the geography of the area.

Yangshuo’s extraordinary hills were made in much the same way as the Peak District was created. The land was once covered by a sea, and the skeletons of dead sea creatures created a calcium-rich deposit on the seabed, which built up over millions of years and became limestone.

The uplift of a seabed and the lowering of the water table exposed the limestone. Over time, rainwater and rivers, slightly acidic, dissolved the rock, creating the area’s signature topography.

Our scooters were fantastic steeds, with a top speed of a whopping 15mph. Yesterday proved almost too much excitement, so I opted for a helmet today, and my kevlar La Sportiva trousers. It turns out that we are pretty nifty on our bikes except when going forwards instead of backwards and very nearly toppling over an entire line of bikes like a set of dominoes.

Last night, we sampled some local vintage rice wine. It tasted fairly innucuous but was like rocket fuel, and very quickly, we were almost fluent in Chinese. It seemed timely then that today we witnessed the birthplace of the wine; Yangshuo’s paddy fields.

China is the largest rice producer in the world, with an output of an estimated 200 million metric tonnes of rice per year, much of it from this region. Rice in Yangshuo is grown in irrigated paddy fields, where tracts of land are flooded with water and carefully managed to keep the plants submerged for most of the growing season. The area is also known for agricultural products like maize, wheat, soy bean, and sweet potatoes.  

The day was filled with such highs and lows. The high: presenting the snack crown to the fried jiaozi, which blows the competition out of the water.

Other highs:

Such highs must be balanced with deep sorrowful lows, and today was surely the saddest when Jem backgammoned me. Those who play the game will know that I must hang my head in shame until my next victory.