恩典之路

Name: Choo Mun Yoong & Chan Pee Ven

My China trip – Malaysia (马来西亚) – Macau (澳门) - Zhu Hai (珠海)- Gui Lin (桂林)– Yang Shuo (阳 朔)-Guang Zhou(广州).

          On 13-12-06, we took 6.30am flight from LCC to Macau airport. We took 3.5 hours flight from KLIA to Macau, so we reached Macau at 10am. One China student was accompanied us, she leaded us how to take the bus from airport to Zhu Hai. We took APT1 bus from Macau airport to the custom, the bus ticket was $3.30( Macau dollars), the bus driver only accepted Macau dollars. We changed the money with the local people. We did not change the money in airport because we heard someone said that they accepted RMB but the driver didn’t. The bus took 40min to reach the main bus station which was near custom. When we reached Zhu Hai, it was raining. The China student together with us to ask someone to drag our luggage to Kong Bei Ke Yun Zhan .  拱北客运站, it took 10 to 15 minutes walk from custom to 拱北客运站. It is just opposite of the custom.

          At the 拱北客运站 bus station, we bought a bus ticket to Gui Lin. The price of the ticket was RMB 220 per person at 6.30pm. After buying the tickets, we walked around Zhu Hai to take some photos and also to find a place to eat our lunch. This was my first time in China, so I felt excited, the weather in China at this moment was cool, I liked it very much. We wore four to fives clothes. In Zhu Hai we walked through the streets, the price of the things was cheap. Many people sold the newspapers near the bus station. Nearby the 拱北客运站 bus station, there was an other bus station, here you can take the bus to Guang Zhou, and other province. I bought a map of Guang Zhou, it cost RMB 6, but you can ask them to lower the price to RMB 5. After having our dinner at 6pm, then we took 6.30pm bus to Gui Lin. We can sleep all the time in the bus because the seats were special designed for sleeping.You were required to take off your shoots before you entered the bus.  We took 14 hours to reach Gui Lin.     

         On 14-12- 06( Thursday) , we reached Gui Lin 桂林 around 8.30am. We were excited about the mountains in Gui Lin. There were a lot of mountains along the roadside. When we reached there, I contacted the tourist agent so he can ask someone to fetch me to the hotel. Many agents were standing nearby the bus station. Our  program only started on the second day. So after we checked in, we went out for our lunch near the roadside. The mix rice was very cheap, the price was RMB 5.At 2pm, a taxi driver fetched us to a harbor. We sailed along the RiJiang river in the city of Gui Lin, it cost RMB 40 per person. We can take photos on the ship. 

         After finish the journey, we went to seven-star-rock cave garden at 4pm. In the garden, we went into the cave, we took around 45min to come out from the cave. After we came out from the cave we took some pictures in the garden. The entrance fees for the garden and the cave was RMB 68 per person. There were more than 30 noted scenic spots within the boundaries of Guilin Peak. Among them were a hill standing in solitary loftiness in the center of the city; the Elephant Trunk Hill, the city's symbol, so named because of its resemblance to an elephant’s sipping water from the Lijiang River with its trunk; the Piled Festoon Hill that was broken here and there with its rock strata exposed on its sides like piles of fancy festoons; and the Crescent Hill that was named after its moon-shaped cave opening. There were two fantastic caves in the area--- the seven-star-rock cave, which derived its name from the arrangement of surrounding peaks resembling the pattern of the stars of the Great Bear constellation, and Reed-Flute Cave, named after the reeds growing around the cave mouth. They both contain spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.The city also boasts other beautiful hills, such as the Fubo Hill, which was supposed to restrain the waters of the Lijing River, and Nanxi Hill that stands magnificently like a huge screen.

          On 15-12-06 (Friday), the tour guide was coming to fetch us to Rong Ji 龙脊 at 8.15am. We took van to Rong Ji which was on the mountains.  Before we reached Rong Ji, we passed a village. The women or ladies in the village may leave their hair as long as possible. We can see the beautiful scenes on the mountain that we had ever seen before. I loved this place very much. The air was fresh.We had our lunch on the mountain. The food cost us RMB 78 for two persons. After eating lunch, we went down to the mountain. When we passed by the villages, we can see the wooden houses in the villages and the life of the local people. The people here were very poor. They planted the vegetable themselves. We took 45 min to go down from the top of mountain. From the mountain, we took another hour journey driving to reach Gui Lin. We reached Gui Lin around 5pm.

           On 15- 12 – 06( Saturday), we were assigned to a different tour guide to bring us to a special  caves 冠岩.  We can experience three different types of transportations: lif, ship and train, to travel along the caves in the mountains. We took one hour to finish this journey. After we came out from the cave, we took a boat to go back to our tour bus. The to and fro transportation was not included in our tour fees we had to pay RMB30 per person. In the afternoon, we went to waterfall 古东瀑布. We walked through the mountain. 

           On 16- 12- 06, (Sunday) We checked out from Gui Lin hotel because we will take a boat to Yangshuo from Gui Lin through Lijiang River. We took four hours to reach Yangshuo. The journey downstream to Yangshuo offers 30 miles of breathtaking scenery. One of the first points of interest was the pagoda-capped Elephant Trunk Hill, or Xiangbishan, long used as the symbol of Guilin. A little further downstream we will pass, on our left, Baotashan with a Ming Dynasty pagoda on top. East of it stands Chuanshan, or the Hill with a Hole. Then began a series of beautiful scenes that unfold as we glided away from Guilin on our journey south. When we came close to the Erlang Gorge, a huge cliff came into view. This was the famous "Picture Hill" that resembles horses of different colors in different positions. I tried to figure out the houses, but I was success to see one or two houses. My wife Pee Ven was able to figure out seven houses. On the right, after passing Picture Hill, is Huangbu (Yellow Cloth) Beach. Here the river was wide and flew gently. Seven graceful peaks were likened to seven quiet young girls standing shoulder to shoulder. The fabled Xingping Wonderland began here. Xingping was a famous, ancient town. Caishi Hill looms high in front of the town, with thick bamboo groved in the back. We act our lunch on the ship. Even the lunch was free because it was included in the ticket but we ordered an extra meal to think that we can have a special meal on the ship. The meal was cost us RMB 100. The fish was small, and everything just a little bit. The cruise ends at the colorful market town of Yangshuo. In the evening , we walked  through the street called Xi Jie . You can buy a lot of things at this street.

              On 18- 12- 06 (Monday), this was the last day we stayed in Yangshuo. A tour guide was assigned to us. He brought us to float the YiRong River. We went there by bicycle. We took one hour to reach to the bank of the river. We had a chance to visit his house on the way to YiRong river. In that afternoon, we took our lunch near to a road side. The meal was cost us RMB78 but it was very delicious. We can experience the home dishes (Jia Xiang Chai) in China small village. After lunch we took one hour cycling back to Yangshuo city. We took 8pm bus from YangShuo to GuangZhou. The bus ticket was RMB 150 per person. The journey took 12 hours to GuangZhou.

             On 19-12-06 (Tuesday), we reached GuangZhou around 8.30am. I called up the hotel people to ask for direction. He asked me to take the metro train and to stop at Dong Shan Qian Xu station. We stayed in GuangZhou for two night. My wife Pee Ven falled sick in GuangZhou. So on the first day in GuangZhou I just walked  around the street without going anywhere. After eating the medicine that I bought, she recovered on the next day.

              On 20-12-06, we visited a few places like : Zhong Shan University, Shun Zhong Shan memorial and a garden in the city of GuangZhou. At night we met KJ. He shared his life with us in GuangZhou.   

              On 21-12-06, we took a bus from Chun Fang bus station in GuangZhou to ZhuHai. The bus ticket was RMB 55 per person. This was VIP ticket, if normal price bus ticket was only around RMB 35 per person. It took 2 hours to reach ZhuHai . The bus will stop at a station which was opposite (KongBei Ke Yun Zhan) bus station. This bus station was near to the custom.We stayed one night in Zhu Hai because staying in three star hotel in Macau will cost us RMB 350. However, you can get a promotion price in the Guang Chang (underground between custom and Kong Bei bus station) for RMB 350 to stay in 5 stars hotel in Macau. At the evening, we went to Macau to visit some places. We took taxi to the St.Paul Church because it will be closed at 6pm. It was cost us RMB40 only for 15 to 20 min. When we got into the taxi, they will start the meter from RMB11, then they will look at the meter to determine the payment of the journey. The price of food in Macau was expensive than Zhu Hai. We came back to Zhu Hai around 9pm because the custom will close at 12am. However, the custom people stopped us to enter to Zhu Hai because our China visa was only one entry to China so we had to do a temporary visa to Zhu Hai. It was cost RMB 160 per person. We can get it just a few minutes at the first floor of the building. We learned something from our experience.

              On 22-12-06(Friday), the next morning we packed our bags and luggage early in the morning. After passing the custom, we took APT1 bus to Macau airport. In the bus, they provided some empty space in front for you to put your luggage but they will charge you RMB 3 for each. Finally we took 10.45am flight from Macau to LCC airport. We ended our first journey to China.           

               Thanks the Lord to provide us a good weather in China during these 10 days. And I learned a lot of things in preparing this trip from Malaysia to China trip. The followings were my preparation before we visited to China.

a). I accessed to Air Asia .com to look for the date and the price of the return flight so I can get the cheapest price of the flight.I bought the flight ticket in KLCC since I did not have credit card can direct access to internet.

b)  I need to determine how many days we had to visit China and where to visit. To determine the place to visit, I had done some     researches through internet for Gunagdong tourist places. I called up the tour guide to get more information. Plan everything is better than not plan anything.

c)  I went to get the visa in embassy of China near Ampang road. You can take a LRT from KL centre and stop at Ampang Park. The office will open at 9am(Not sure) and close at 11am(Not sure). The fees for China one entry visa is RM30. Two entries are RM60,  And many entries are RM120 for one year and two years. You can get the visa after five working days.

d)   I needed to book the hotel in advance in GunagZhou so I can get a cheaper price.

e)   I needed to contact my friend whom I needed to meet in China. 

f)    I needed to learn was: after i went out from Macau or Hong Kong , we were out from China.It is better for me to apply many  entries visa to China if i visit China again.

f)   I needed to prepare few clothes for winter, exchange money ( bring enough money), one extra empty bag .

       We had a wonderful trip to Gui Lin, YangShuo, GuangZhou and Macau, we will visit China again. God Bless! 

Thank you,

Mun Yoong & Pee Ven

[ 9-01-2007 by 11.20am ]