Dreaming of Guilin

Pick a place within your current country of residence to go for a fantasy (or perhaps a real) holiday. Why do you want to go there? What will the trip entail?

Fantasy Holidays are so important. They are as important as the lost hours spent organising how you will divide a million dollar lottery win. I know to the dollar where my millions would be spent. Ah so satisfying and I am so impressed my generosity too!

We have been in lock down this weekend (long weekend here for Buddha's Birthday) with a sick toddler. Over the weekend, as I held him down for the doctor to give him an injection, I promised him a new fire engine. In between screams he asked for a green one. Not so easy! Scott had the more fun task of finding the fire engine (which he did not include colour specificity in his search). Scott came back with a red fire engine and a little toy car for himself! mmmmm A Porsche Cayenne Turbo complete with over-sized Winnebago and little people dressed in polo shirts relaxing on sunbeds! Gone is the humble matchbox in China!

I might add the lady included in the glam caravan party has pert boobs and a glass of wine! Oh I spent my childhood hiding from barbie only to have her track me down as an adult in a miniature Porsche Cayenne, whilst drinking chardonnay urghhh...

So I let Scott have his fantasy holiday, and gleefully watched as Hugo regularly crashed the yuppie campers to put out the fire from their BBQ.

To task: The setting of THE PAINTED VEIL was a part of China that haunted me. It was filmed in Guilin in the Guangxi region very close to here. It is a city built around twin rivers and a lake system. Crustal movements 200 million years ago thrust karst (limestone sites) formations high into the air which have eroded to become the awe inspiring shapes they are today. There is a popular Chinese proverb that goes 'Guilin's scenery is best among all under heaven." My mum described it as the Bellingen of China - that sold me.

My fantasy holiday is travelling along the Li River on its crystal clear water meandering through the rock shafts on a bamboo raft. I travel through the fog in the lamplight of the raft. It is dead quiet. The bamboo ticks. Amazingly there are no mozzies in my fantasy holiday.

I wonder if I should include being married to Edward Norton as part of my fantasy holiday even if he did succumb to cholera. Mmm its tempting, but I look across at my boys, Scott is teaching Hugo how to reverse a caravan between the BBQ and the umbrella. I guess I am no Naomi Watts, but please someone tell me if I start wearing tight polo's over plastic perky boobs whilst sipping my wine!