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fuzzbait
Dec 15, 2007, 10:59 AM
Post #26 of 30
(831 views)
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Registered: Dec 27, 2005
Posts: 81
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I have been living here in China now for an unbelievably long time of 5 1/2 years. I cannot understand how I have made it this long.
Cavanaghrock is right about pretty much everything he said but he missed many other 'points'. The smoking here is incredible. The Chinese men smoke anywhere and everywhere. The hospitals and daycare centers are no exceptions. I watched as a man picked up his newborn baby just after his wife gave birth with a smoke in his mouth. He was looking at it while breathing smoke into this brand new babies face. Nobody said a thing.
Also there is the driving. Once they get into a car they just go and could care less about rules or pedestrians. I have actaully lost count of how many times I have been hit by a car for walking with the light across the road.
Anyways that is not the point. The point is, that I think cavanaghrock is slightly missing, that Yangshuo is not like the rest of China. There are so many foreigners there that it is a much more comfortable place than is being made out. Now that is if you are there for climbing. I lived there for quite awhile and everytime I go back it is always for a month or two. It is a great place for climbing and then hanging out with friends in the Lizard Lounge. These guys are great and know how to have a good time. There is also several other lounges that are fantastic for chilling out in.
It is very cheap to stay there as well. You can get an apartment room for 300-400RMB (40-55USD) for a month. Food you can go super cheap like I did when I first went there and lived well on 2USD a day.
You want to drink get a taste for Bei Jiu which is the white wine. At 50 some proof and just pennies a glass this cost in negligable.
If you like putting up new routes there are unending possibilities.
Fly into Hong Kong then walk across the border to ShenZhen. Get the overnight bus right to Yangshuo then walk down west street till you hit the Lizard Lounge. These boys will help set you up in a place and become your best friends and drinking buddies.
As for Tonsai lived there as well for awhile. Most amazing place the first time I went. Been back a few times and was sorely dissapointed. Becoming to commercial and expensive. Line-ups on all the routes, didn't have the vibe at all like in the past. All about making money now.
Yangshuo is the same of course when you deal with the Chinese but you don't need to in this case with so many foreingers.
Not saying Chinese are bad my girlfriend and our child are Chinese. My best friend is also Chinese. The food is amazing, even the German Shepard. I like it cold over noodles myself. My daughter just loves eating it right off the bone.
Anyways enough said. You will have fun in all the places if you are there to climbing as once you are on the wall all else in the background just fades awayyyyyyyyy
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majid_sabet
Dec 15, 2007, 5:27 PM
Post #27 of 30
(807 views)
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Registered: Dec 13, 2002
Posts: 8390
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use condom in all three
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badsanta
Dec 16, 2007, 7:18 PM
Post #28 of 30
(771 views)
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Registered: May 29, 2006
Posts: 83
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that's a genius comment. is that opposed to the US where no condom is needed?
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badsanta
Dec 17, 2007, 5:20 PM
Post #29 of 30
(749 views)
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Registered: May 29, 2006
Posts: 83
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Vang Vieng, Laos also has climbing. Anyone climbed there?
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slopony
Jan 8, 2008, 10:41 AM
Post #30 of 30
(694 views)
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Registered: Jan 30, 2007
Posts: 20
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Hey,
I'm sorry I didn't tap into this discussion earlier, to help offer some info on the Vietnam scene.
I have been bolting new routes here in Vietnam for months now...and yes I believe it could be the next alternative to Krabi/ Tonsai/ Railay. The reason being, it's super cheap here, we have beaches and thousands of little islands, turquoise waters, phospheresents in the water, cheap post climbing massages, etc. Of course China doesn't have the island beach atmoshpere so china as far as geography is a different story.
We all (China, Thailand, and Vietnam) share the same geological phenomena to form these insanely beautiful limestone cliffs - it's called the Ratbury formation. So the rock in all three places is similar in certain ways and then different in others but to the layman - it's all the same.
Of course in thailand (specifically the Tonsai/Railay area) you have hundreds of routes, but mixed with a sad pace of development which has changed the scene quite a bit over the last decade. Now it's a tourist trap, resort filled, climbers mecca, family vacation spot, and sheek honeymoon spot all mixed together...whereas before it was just a climber hangout with bamboo bungalows and the perfect spot to squat for a while and climb. I just heard that all of Tonsai was bought by a large land developer and will knock down everything for a multiple star resort : (
So anyways. It's still fun to climb in Thailand, but it will inevitably turn into Kho Phi Phi or something of that nature that is not conducive for the backpacking or dirtbag climber to veg for a while.
Vietnam now is fresh, new, and exciting. We have some of the best Deep Water Soloing in the world. New dope routes going up all the time of which now we are limitted but soon enough will be able to appease the squatting climber better - and a small scene so there's no waiting lines, overchalked holds, or mobs.
To be honest - we could use a better party scene, but that will all come in time. Come to vietnam now to experience what Thailand was like before the world found out about it - which was of course the best time. We'll try our hardest to protect this place from the big money, resort hounds, but without financial support whether it be by business or donations, we'll eventually get pushed out and what's happening to Railay will happen here. Luckily we're approaching this here in a way that Thailand never did so perhaps this place will remain a haven for climbers long into the future and well beyond the duration of the Thailand explosion.
Come here.
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