Floating the Li River on a Bamboo Raft

Another epic train ride (we opted for a sleeper this time! glorious!) brought us to southern China to the heart of its karst landscape. And what better way to experience the endless limestone hills covered with lush green vegetation....than to raft lazily through them on a bamboo raft. Of course, this all perhaps sounds a bit more romantic than it turned out to be. Rafting the wide lazy Li River is the star attraction in the region, so the touts know exactly what you came to do...I can't tell you the number of times we heard a stacatto "Hello! Bamboo!" yelled in our direction, again and again and again! We booked a trip through our hostel to avoid the countless touts. We ended up on a 'bamboo raft' made out of PVC pipe, almost resembling the real deal! Along with several other backpackers we settled into our bamboo seats, and at this point the scenery really did steal the show, and you started to just ignore the other rafts sharing the river with you. Crazy formations jutting up right along the river's edge, a bumpy blanket of green stretching out in every direction. The murky water a sign of the daily afternoon showers that keep the region so lush and vibrant. It was a beautiful afternoon drifting down the river...even if it wasn't quite a 'bamboo raft'!