VOC's Travel BLOG

Yesterday I went to Longsheng with two German friends, Basti and Fabian, and Bastis parents to see the Longji Rice Terraces. They are located approximately 27 kilometers southeast of Longsheng County, a vast region of rice terraces and are the most amazing terraces in China. The construction began 700 years ago during Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and continued until the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The Longji Rice Terraces are the culmination of both the profound wisdom and strenuous labor of the Zhuang people and cover an area of 66 square kilometers....

Details>>

On Friday 5th June it was my 21st birthday.Actually I feared the fact of getting older and did not expect anything spectacular to happen. Being far away from home and my family and friends I got up and simply was looking forward to the evening with my German friends. But already during the first hours of the day I got calls and messages from friends home and in China....

Details>>

Last week I went to Sanya to visit my best friend Alina, who I had come to China with. Sanya is the southernmost part of Hainan province, and at the same time the southernmost part of China. Hainan province is made up of about 200 islands in the South Chinese Sea and thanks to beautiful beaches and blue sea it also enjoys the reputation of being Chinas Hawaii. ...

Details>>

One of the best things about life in China are the prices! The prices for food, for transportation, for renting houses, for entertainment, for MASSAGE! Being part of Chinese traditional medicine and culture, massage is not a luxury, it is a necessity! Many Chinese people go to the massage more often than once a week, to relax, and indulge ones body and mind with it. Most common are body massages and foot massages, which cost 25RMB 50RMB per hour. All in all one can say that the more expensive ones are often done by more professional studios. Ask your tour guide for a good address, which is not tourist driven, as many in the center are.

Details>>

From my predecessor Romy I had gotten the address of Sharons Coffee. Sharons Coffee, located at Chuanshan South Road (street to Chuanshan Park), is a cozy and pleasant western style coffee opened 2007. It serves different sorts of coffee (including freshly brewed coffee, espresso, Mocha, Cappuccino and coffee with Alcohol), cocktails and various kinds of liquors, as well as German style western dishes such as salads, burgers, schnitzel, steaks and pizza....

Details>>

Last Thursday my colleague Sandy came to me and asked if I were interested in acting in a TV-advertisement for Guilin. A friend of her had asked her for a foreign actress. Of course I agreed to this idea, because I thought it could be a funny thing to do.

Details>>

If you come to Guilin, you should not miss one thing: to taste Guilin Mifan Guilin Rice Noodle. It is mostly served in those small places which remind me of garages, and which do not look very clean for western standards. The price is very low, usually it costs 2,50RMB. Then you get a metal bowl with typical rice noodle. They have the same appearance as Spaghetti, but are brighter. The cook will ask you for the style you want to have it: with Jiurou (Beef), Zhurou (Pig) or sometimes even horsemeat (Marou). You will get some thin slices of this meat on top of your noodles. Then two different sauces and fried peanuts are added. When you receive the noodles, you can add chili, green beans, beet and chives....

Details>>

On Sunday afternoon I met my colleague Robbie to take the bus to Fubo Hill, which is located at the bank of Li River. After you enter the front gate you find yourself in a small park is dominated by Fubo Hill, which soars above the whole surrounding area.

Details>>