In the afternoon after visiting Lijiang River we headed underground to a fascinating limestone labyrinth known as the “Silver Cave”. Running through 12 mountains the subterranean tour covers approximately 2 km and takes about 1 hour to complete with a guide giving copious information about each rock formation (great if you understand Chinese, not so great if you don’t!).
The cave has been well adapted for tourists with concrete floors and stairs so the able-bodied will have no problem getting around. Creative lighting has been used to highlight the cave with its many stalactites (the ones hanging from the roof) and stalagmites (those built up on the floor of a cavern). There are a number of natural pools which are so perfectly still that they act as giant mirrors and make the enormous space appear even larger.
Funnily enough one of my Chinese colleagues commented during the tour “do you think these are real?” which I think pretty much encapsulates a lot about China right now. They were of course the genuine article but as with so much in China it’s always hard to tell!
Some hilarious news I came across tonight - Emma Clarke, the voice on the London Underground announcement system has been fired for recording and posting some spoofs on her own website. Although the site has been crippled by people trying to access it I found them elsewhere and here are a few I found particularly funny -
“We’d like to remind our American tourist friends that you are almost certainly talking too loud.”
“Passengers are reminded that a smile is actually a friendship signal, not a sign of weakness.”
“Passengers should note that the bearded gentleman’s rucksack contains the following items only: Some sandwiches, a library card and a picture of a bare ankle and is no cause for concern.”
“Would the gentlemen in the pinstripe suit and £1000 glasses who obviously works in the media, please take one step forward on to the track as the train arrives. Thank you.”
I think instead of firing her they should commission some more to be randomly played between stops - it would certainly make the hellish nightmare of tube travel a little more bearable!
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