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If I wrote before that we fried like Chinese pancakes in Yichang, then we became Sichuan twice-cooked pork on the train to Guilin. We were jealous of the water buffalos that cooled off by submerging themselves in rivers and rice paddies. However, our surroundings made it worthwhile. As we neared Guilin, we saw the most dramatic scenery yet. The Guilin area is known for towering limestone karsts, which are rock formations that rise abruptly, surprising and delighting a first-time viewer, and lending a ghostly quality to the landscape at night.
 
(Above) Karst castle views from the train (Below) I was petrified of this buffalo (who didn't seem to like me either), then embarrassed when two little kids had no problem leading this beast around.