Hello,

I hope you all had a good weekend. I think I had!


My weekend started with an unexpected visit to Secret Beach. I bumped into Adam on Friday after lunch and he asked me if I felt like going to Secret Beach. Sure! I had never been to Secret Beach, but I'd heard great stories about it, so I was curious to find out what it was like myself. Adam went there straight away, but I had to go home to get my bathing suit and towel, so Adam gave me directions and told me he'd be waiting for me at th end of the road to guide me to the beach. I rented a bike for 5 RMB - a pink bike! - and rode along the Li River, according to Adam's directions. He was waiting for me at the end of the road, so I could follow him along a sand path and through the bushes. The beach isn't secret, since a lot of people know where it is, but it sure is hidden - and beautiful. I went for a swim in the crystal clear water - you could see and feel (!) the fish - and I met a few more foreigners. I couldn't stay very long, because Belgian Kathy and her Chinese boyfriend Jack were taking me + some other people out for dinner that night. Naomi was also at Secret Beach and also invited to Kathy & Jack's dinner, so we rode our bikes back together. I had a quick shower, dressed up a little and hurried back to the place where Jack was going to pick us up. Kristen (from the U.S.) was also invited, so Jack had a car full of foreign ladies!

Jack drove us to a restaurant and lead us into a private dining room where four Chinese men were already waiting. It was a bit uncomfortable, since Jack's friends didn't speak English and we only spoke a little bit Chinese. The Chinese men smoked during dinner, they were constantly on the phone, they ate with their mouths open and they still expected to make one of us their girlfriend - NO WAY!!! Of course, my diet caused some problems. 'Are you sure you don't want to try duck tongue?', Jack kept asking. 'Excuse me?!?' Fortunately for me, the other girls preferred vegetables as well, so I mainly ate rice and vegetables. Dinner was finished around 8 pm and I think we were all a little bit relieved. One of the Chinese guys drove us back to the center of Yangshuo where Jack joined us a little later. Kathy, Jack and I went to the Cavalier Bar to go dancing. The music was horrible again, so Kathy and I just moved to the music in a funny way and laughed a lot. We didn't stay very long, though. We went back to some other bars where we talked to some other people for a while. Around 12.30 am Jack bought Kathy and me a cup of hot coconut milk. It tasted like liquid nougat. I think it was supposed to help me sleep, but I didn't sleep all night....

On Saturday, Kathy and I went to see a Chinese herbalist. Naomi and Adam went with us, because they want to learn from this Chinese doctor. Two of Kathy's Chinese students went with us to translate, so we were with a big group. According to this Chinese herbalist, there's someting wrong with my blood (that's what the doctors in Holland have told me several times as well) and my kidney's don't function properly. He's given me a big plastic bag full of herbs that I need to boil for hours every day and then I need to drain it and drink the dark liquid. This morning, I had my first sip. It tasted more disgusting than you can imagine and that one sip made me light-headed. Terrible. How is this supposed to help me?!? I need to do this for 7 days and then I need to go back to the doctor for another consult. I was (am?) a little sceptic about the healing powers of these herbs, but my Chinese room mates are true believers. 'If you don't feel good, you drink herbs' - it's very normal to them. I need to drink about 1.5 liters of this witch potion every day. Yikes!

Saturday night, there was a barbecue at Tom's roof terrace. It was very special to prepare our own food and eat it under the stars. I met some new people there as well. Afterwards, Kathy and I went to a bar to go dancing, but I was extremely tired, so I left at 11.30 pm. I also left early, because I'd agreed to skype with my mother. I'd never done it before, but what a great invention! My father and brother were there as well. It was good to see them and to talk to them.

Yesterday morning, I went to yoga class. Since no one else was there at 10 am on Sunday morning, I had a private lesson. Cool! I spent the afternoon brewing my herbal drink and resting. I had dinner with Kathy at the Rivierside Hotel. Great place with a relaxed atmosphere, good food and on the water. We were supposed to attend a free Chinese class at 7.30 pm, but we got so caught up in talking that we completely forgot about it. After dinner, we walked to Monkey Jane, a backpackers hostel with a great roof terrace. We had a drink there - under the stars, overlooking Yangshuo - and we both felt very relaxed and good.

And now it's Monday again and I have to brew another bottle of my herbal drink - and I need to drink the one I made yesterday... Brrrr!

Have a great day!