I just returned from the most incredible vacation.  My head is still swimming with euphoria!  But let's go about things orderly, shall we?
We had the week off due to the National Day holiday (55 years of the PRC and going strong).  I and 4 of my friends decided to go to Yang Shou (and hour north of Gui Lin, where I previously said I would be vacationing).
There are 5 different types of train tickets in China: soft bed, hard bed, soft seat, hard seat, and no seat.  We were stuck with hard seats for the 9 hour overnight train.  There were many interesting people to talk to (every Chinese student is dying to talk with us), but overall it was a very crowded and uncomfortible night.  We arrived in Gui Lin at 5 AM and then took and hour bus to Yang Shuo which, amazingly, was even more crowded and uncomfortable.  We disembarked feeling tired, sore, stinking, and generally unhappy.  But then we saw the view- unrealisticly sharp hills seen only in illistrations by Dr. Seuss popping out of a mist filled valley.  It was fantastic.  We walked to our hotel, the Faulty Towers.
Yang Shuo is like a small mountin resort town you might find in Colorado.  It's very quaint and pictuest, has incredible scenery, is very expensive and towards tourists.  The only difference being the tourists arn't yuppies and ski-bums, but instead Chinese and backpackers.  The main attraction in town is West Street, which like it sounds is a street for Westerners.  It's cram-filled with shops and Kiosks and wandering street venders, like some Chinese bazzar (wait...).  There are many cafes and restarants, all of which make Western-style food, or at least a close aproximation of it.
After a nap, we went on a boat tour.  The scenery- huge green hills, rice paddies, and old men on bamboo boats, one friend described as 'exactly how I pictured China'.  I don't think I would say that, but it definetly filled a whole in the picture.
The next day was packed with activities.  We hired a guide and went on a day long biking trip.  We biked over rivers, through rice fields, and into his home village.  He cooked us food in this hut (his home).  I don't want to make to many grand praises lest they you become numb to them, but suffient to say the food was as delicious.  Then we spulunked throught a cave with much advertised 'mud slides'.  These slides were man-made, but still very fun.  Encased in mud we continued biking, then hiked up Moon hill, one of those Seussian-like formations I was discribing.  The stairs were incredibly steep, and seemed to go on forever, but what was weirder than that was these old ladies, laden with coolers, who followed us step for step up to the top.  When we got up there they offered to sell us cool beverages at quite a _steep_ price.  Amazing!  These white haired old ladies did this everyday, and were probubly in better shape than me!  The view at the top was of course breathtaking.   You could see forever!  And of course my camera had broken the previous day, so I have no direct proof of these assertions.
We didn't bike back until around 7:30 at night.  Amy and Stephanie went to bed, but Michelle, Jason (teacher from England) and I went to hit the night scene.  As most hetrosexual males, I don't like to dance.  But I can tell you I never enjoyed it so much as at some tiny expat bar/rock climbing store in the middle of China.  There were all sorts of people, other foreign teachers on holiday, backpackers, hip Chinese youth, some guy who looked like John Lenin (during the Marharishi phase).  We stayed out until 4 AM and Michelle got very drunk.  All in all a most incredible day.
The next day was rest day.  We basically got up at noon, went to a cafe and sat until dinner.  That evening we saw camerance fishing.  These old fishermen have trained birds that these release rom a boat.  The birds swim and catch fish but their thoats are tied with string so they can't swallow them.  Then the old mangrabs the birds, holds them over a basket, and pries open their mouths.  This method of fishing was so unique and interesting to watch.  But they have to make twice the money from charging tour groups as they make from the fishing itself.  Its sad in its lopsidedness.
The last day was dedicated to shopping and gettign back to Gui Lin in time for the train home.  I have found that I am a great haggler, and very much enjoy doing so.  The group agreed and had me do the haggling in buying everybody silk kamonos.  The starting price varied, but was around 285 RMB.  I got 4 for 300 RMB, or 75 a piece, and one for myself at 40 RMB (not as nice a silk, but that fine by me).  The trick to haggling is to always seem only semi-interested and to NEVER give them a counter price until well into the haggling.  Example.  I wander into a shop, casually look at some item.
Me- How much?
Lady- 100.
I look confused and displeased.
Lady- For you, cheap price.  90.
Me- Its too expensive.  I don't want.
Lady- You say how much.
Now at this point the green haggler would say a price.  DON'T!  It totally puts you at a disadvantage as a buyer.  You are at equal footing now, keep the ball in their court.  I would then look dissatisfied and of course a little confused, as if I didn't understand the request, and say.  Xei xie, Bo yao (thanks, I don't want it).  If they keep asking you to name a price, keep saying you don't want it.  They will then say another price.  Continue this until they brake.  That is start going down but larger intervals.
Lady.  OK, ok, 85.
Me- no.
Lady-  75
Me- no.
Lady- Ok, ok. 50 (break!)
me- no.
Lady- 45
Once the negotiations plateu you can name a price.  Start lower than you think you should.  Do not worry about insulting them.
Me- 10.
Lady- (looks at me indignantly, says something in Chinese, and says she can't do it that low)
Me- how much?
Lady-35.
Me- no.
Lady- 30
Some more stalling, confusion, and an air of impatients like you have grown tired of this and will leave.  If they keep going down, good, otherwise start to leave.  Gage how far you think they will go and keep pushing.  The above negotiation I would guess will end at 20.
 
So that's my lession.  I learned a few other things on the trip, like in pool Austrains call solids 'smalls' and strips 'bigs'.  Most jade gift shop items are not infact made of jade.  I don't mind doing touristy things, but those Chinese tour groups that walk around in little herds are still very silly.
 
That's all for now.  Start up classes in a day (and work over the weekend).  Email me with any further haggling advice.
 
-the Wandering Norseman-