Li River Cruise

There are some places on earth that simply exceed our ability to adequately describe them in words. We’ve been fortunate enough to visit some of those places in the United States: the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the Rocky Mountains, and snorkeling in the Florida Keys. I mention those only to give you a sense of how unique the place we went today is on this planet. The karst formations (limestone spires) rise hundreds of feet right from the river’s edge and spread out for miles in every direction. The fishermen who work the river often do so with the help of cormorants. The birds are tied on string and sent out to catch fish. When they’ve caught one, they return to the boat and give up their catch (you can read between the lines on that one…we didn’t try the fish at lunch).

The mountains in the background are a 20 yuan dream. 

The flip side of a 20 yuan note in China (equals about $3.40) has a picture of a section of the Li River on it. In a way, that’s part of the reason we are here now. After seeing the back of the note on earlier trips to China, we found out more about the area and decided we wanted to go there when we returned for the heritage trips we’d promised the girls. If any part of this trip was for the benefit of the adults, this was it. There was enough to keep the girls interested…well…kind of. Ally liked seeing the pack horses along the river bank and there is a section of rock known as “Nine Horses Hill” where naturally occurring discoloration of the rock face looks like nine horses. Amanda appreciated the scenery a little more than Ally, but eventually started rolling her eyes every time Dad asked her to pose for another picture.

More Li River pictures...