To Guilin

• Up at 5:30 to pack my last few toiletries and chargers.
• Went downstairs to find Yu in the lobby. He and the receptionist both looked really tired.
• They inspected the room and gave me a to-go breakfast which I ate in the car - ham+cucumber sandwich, 2 slices of bread, a yogurt (with a straw instead of a spoon...), an orange (clementine-sized, but definitely an orange), and a small banana.
• We drove about 10 minutes to get to Christina's apartment, and once we collected her it was another 30 to the airport.
• In both Beijing and Guilin, every person who entered the airport doors had to go through a quick pre-security. Sony didn't understand when I asked him what this was for, but Christina said they were checking for explosives. The one in Xi'an made us wait in a corral for a certain amount of time at the door (I guess to throw off any timers) before we could go in.
• There was no problem printing my boarding pass at this airport. Not sure why Beijing was being so finnicky.
•      When I checked my bag, I had to wait while they scanned it with an X-Ray. I think it makes s lot of sense to do this while the owner is standing there so they know whether or not there was a problem. The TSA can just throw some of your stuff out and replace it with a note.
• I said goodbye to Christina, and after I handed her an envelope with her tip she asked me to fill out a feedback form.
•      Checked excellent for all the driver, guide and hotel things except for 'services' because the wifi had been so shoddy.
•      Not sure if Sony had made a fib when he said all the guides in China would expect a tip, or if this pair were better actors, but both Yu and Christina looked like they were pleasantly surprised when I pulled out those envelopes.
• The security line filled up as I filled in the feedback, so I had to go to another one, and it was SLOW. But I had over an hour before my boarding time so I wasn't worried.
•      When I made it to the front, I understood why it was so slow. Every single person was getting a pat-down. In every airport I've looked for whether or not they have the body scanner or the metal detector to know whether or not I have to remove my money-belt. I didn't do it this time and they were not pleased, which made them rescan and hold the line up...
• Apparently I was as far away from my gate as possible, so it took a 15 min hike to get there but I was still there 30 mins before boarding.
•      This gate was like the one in Beijing - we loaded onto a bus that took us to the plane. Unlike Beijing, this driver was able to drive the bus without tossing everyone around.
• At first I was the only person on my row, but apparently the 2 girls sitting next to me had just been late and missed the bus. I had seen this happen with some other boarding procedures, and they were probably driven out in a van...with seats...for both of them. Maybe being late is a strategy (but without my western-society head I'm not sure I would be able to see it that way. Everyone else is always so driven to BE FIRST on the bus and FIRST on the plane and FIRST off the plane even if you have to push other people out of the way. Is this necessary? I don't get it).
• The flight was relitavely smooth. Descent was a little weird because the pilot did a stair-steppy sort of thing instead of using s gradual angle, so it's a good thing I had emptied my bladder beforehand.
• The Guilin airport is larger than the one in Siem Reap, but it's still just one building. Crowds in here weren't bad at all and I had a really easy time getting my bag and finding my guide (only one of 3 signs waiting in arrivals).
• This guide's name is Bing, and he speaks English almost as well as a native. The driver was not introduced to me, but Bing had lots of leading questions ready to go that filled the 30-minute drive in to the hotel.
•      Like Sony, he said he hasn't really travelled much outside of China. He's a native of Guilin (like the other 2).
•      One of Bing's questions was "what are you planning to do tomorrow?" I was surprised because the other 2 guides had been doing everything with me and Bing wasn't even clued in to the fact that I had already booked the cruise. This made me a little nervous so I asked if we should call to confirm and he said no. I pushed a little more and he said he would call them himself to let them know I'll be waiting in the lobby tomorrow at 8:20 for my pickup.
• When we got to the hotel and I said bye to Bing (until day after tomorrow when he gets me for the airport), there was a bit of an awkward break where it looked like he was expecting something else. Was I supposed to tip then? Am I reading too much into it? I dunno.
•      When I asked Bing what he recommends for things to do today  he said to try walking along the water to the Li River, then find a coffee shop and people-watch. My kind of fun!
• I went up to the room to connect to wifi for about half an hour, then went back down to go walk around the town.
• In contrast with the other cities I've been to, Guilin is so calm! I'm about an easy 10 minute walk away from the Main Street, along the water in a winding path. Along the way there were tons of little spots to sit just off the path and face the water. I saw lots of older people, a few young couples, several fishermen.
• When I made it to the Main Street, I crossed and kept walking until I got to the smaller part of the lake with 2 tall pagodas in it ("the sun and the moon," according to the ads I passed). I wound around the east side of this water then cut to the right to head towards the Li River. I followed along until I made it to elephant trunk hill (a park with an entrance fee just because it's popular). My goal was to see the city, so I went back to the Main Street (never did see those coffee shops...oh well). I walked up the Main Street and stopped at the central square for a bit, then continued that direction until I jigged right because I saw some activity at what is apparently an outdoor mall area. I continued north until I came to part of the original city wall, walked through, and was transported to a much slower pace with fewer cars and less noise. I came up to the gate for the Solitary Beauty Park, which I didn't buy a ticket for but stood and looked at from the outside for s few minutes. Then back east toward the river (through another of the gates) and south along the water until I came across the Library Bridge.
•      Next to the bridge was a big 3-story pagoda behind a wall. I saw people on the 2nd floor balcony so I assumed there was an entrance fee, but didn't see a gate so I walked up the steps to the fort. Passed 2 policemen at the front door on my way in the building and they didn't stop me...
• Came down after enjoying the view of the bridge for a bit (it was getting a little crowded with all the people coming up and trying to take selfies).
• Meandered through the nearby streets which had a bunch of shops and a smaller open area with a glass floor covering what I guess we're original steps to some important building.
• Eventually came to a small street with several food vendors and spent 10 of my 25 yuan on 5 skewers of meat (also, I've now learned how to read those signs that say __ yuan for __ pieces, and am 100% sure that the vendor in Xi'an had a sign that said 10 for 4 but they just gave me 1. No wonder there was so much side-eye going on between the cook and the money guy. Crooks.)
• One of the beggars came up to me while I was standing there waiting for my food to cook and tried to snatch my money. She did this after doing what all the others do where they ask, you say no, and they lean into you and grab your arm, but I hadn't had one try to take my cash before. Then again I haven't really been standing on the road with money out either.
• Walked to the west end of that street and boom, I was suddenly at the central sauare again.
• Sat down here again to eat, then went down the steps I had seen others go up/down. All over Guilin I keep seeing these run-down steps descending into tunnels like they used to have a subway and no longer do, but these were actually being used.
• Apparently under the central square is a mall! But not a glitzy one, more like the one Ron tried to take me to in Hanoi.
• Came back up on the other side of the road and headed back south on the main road. When I got to the intersection where I needed to turn, I saw the big building that said "Guilin Department Store, an international shopping destination" on it and thought I'd stop in to see if it was a big crowded mall like the other ones I've seen. It was certainly more glitzy, but it looked like it was just one story of lots and lots of glass jewelry counters (one for each brand), with some perfume companies on the outer parts.
• Left and headed back to the hotel along the road that runs parallel to the water.
• I passed a school that had a gate all around and all the kids (with matching yellow backpacks...wonder if the government buys those for every student?) were trying to get out while the parents were arriving on the outside. The teacher came and opened the gate to release them one-at a time to the parents and the streets filled with them all heading home.
• Made it back to the hotel and napped for a couple hours (it was only supposed to be 10 minutes...)
• Since then, I have been writing bullets (needed to finish yesterday's and al of today's).
• Got a call at 10pm on my hotel phone...some guy on the other end said "hi I just like to confirm for you mister William Mills you have one to join on the Li River cruise tomorrow morning." I said yes and he said "ok please meet in the lobby at 7:45. Not 8:20. Okay bye bye."
• Now getting ready for bed and making sure to set my alarm so I can be in the lobby 40 minutes earlier. Guess this means I need to be at breakfast by 7...