Guilin scenery Yangshuo
Bruce woke early with diarrhoea and vomiting, and wisely decided to stay at the hotel. Simone joined the rest of the group for a leisurely walk under blue skies along the Yulong River, taking in the karst scenery and rice fields, and the locals on bikes, motorbikes, and bamboo rafts. Girls were selling flower wreaths (this being National Day Holiday Week) and loads of people were out enjoying themselves. It still felt rural and relaxing, as despite it being "busy" there were a lot less people than in Bejing or Chongqing. After lunch at the Mountain Retreat (yes, Bill Clinton was there) the group pushed for a trip on a bamboo raft. A wonderful time was had by all (but don't expect silence: chattering, shouting by the boatmen, singing from other rafts... the Chinese really don't do silence). Quick "drive by shootings" at the Moon Crescent Hill and the Big Banyan Tree concluded the excursion.
Meanwhile Bruce hadn't fared so well. The D&V continued and no fluids would stay down. At 10 pm Simone rang for the doctor. Weak from dehydration, fever, and continued vomiting, the decision was taken to attend the local hospital and in due course the ambulance arrived. After nearly being dropped from the stretcher on the stairs, Bruce's legs had to be folded to allow the ambulance (a small van) doors to close. A very bumpy but short while later, we were in the People's Hospital of Yangshuo. General hygiene standards were somewhat lower than anything we had previously experienced, but the needles and giving set sterile. The bed was a solid plank with a token thin mattress and plastic pillow. The en-suite loo consisted of a hole in the ground, with no hand-basin or soap, and some interesting plumbing. Simone had to stand in the loo doorway holding up the drip!
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