10/18/98: We went down to the river to watch the boats and the people… I asked one villager if she would take us out on her long bamboo raft, but one of the touts for the tourist boats intervened and would not let the villager do so because it infringed on their business… Capitalism is on the rise and the free market economy is ferocious… Later we rented bicycles and road the 10km to Moon Hill… The ride through the countryside was fantastic, as if we were in one of those famed silk paintings that seem to have made into homes all around the world… On our way out there, we came across some ladies on the side of the road sewing brightly colored and delicately tasseled ornaments. While Ruth did some haggling, I backed my bike up and snapped a few photos… The ladies told me I would have to pay them for having taken their photo. Yet another sign of the embracing of capitalism… However, I explained that I was taking a photo of my wife, which satisfied them… We hiked up the trail to opening in Moon Hill and enjoyed the views of the valleys tremendously… We met a woman from Paris named Marine, and road back to town with her for some dinner and fun conversation…
NOTE: The photo above shows Ruth with Moon Hill in the background, a natural rock arch formation in Yangshuo, China.
