Ine Helvik

Red Flute Cave. This is a spectacular place. Stalagmits and stalactits making the most beautiful landscape. Photo by Alison Chang

I am sorry, I got it wrong. It is Women 9 Ball World Championships that is the correct name for the tournament:)

So, I have arrived and all is good. The flights were on time, the luggage came, the hotel is good, we found the venue and today we also got to practice a little. We do have the normal problems: People do not speak much English, not enough information, only four practice tables, if you do not know how to reserve a table your in trouble, if you get to the list to late you do not get any practice, the cloth is suuuuuper smooth and slippery, the balls Cyclop (some of the players have never seen them before), the venue a sports gymnasium, it is humid, no facebook, JETLAG! and so on. OH, and we have no western toilets….. This is a Challenge:(

BUT, I have had 1 hour of practice today and will og back tomorrow morning for more practice, I have the Cyclop balls back home and I have Alison Chang that speak Chinese. Also I have got wordpress and facebook now  and also the jetlag is letting og so I am ok:)

Yesterday we went seightseeing. Ina Kaplan, her mother Doris, Jasmin Michel, Kristina Schagan and Alison Chang and I. We went to the Red flute Cave (which was beautiful) in the morning, Elephant Trunk Hill and then the Li river small boat cruise. Today we are going to Four lakes for night cruise after dark. For the first time we actually have a lot of things to see here in China, the scenery is very Nice and even the city of Guilin is full of Places to see:)

Tomorrow we have two rounds of practice and at 16:00 it is press conference, Draw and opening dinner I will post the Draw when I get it. We start play wednesday at 13:00. I am told there is no livestream this year, but if I get a link for score updates I will post that to:)

Here are some photos form the sigthseeing, enjoy:)

Ine:)

Li River, photo by Alison Chang

In the boat, Li River. With Ina Kaplan and her mother Doris. Photo by Alison Chang

The tourists became the attraction. To many blond haired women in this Group:) Photo by Alison Chang

The mountains behind me is pictured on the 20 Yuan bill:) Photo by Alison Chang

Red Flute Cave

Red Flute Cave

Elephant Trunk Hill

Trained Fishing birds

Li River, boat With Alison Chang, Jasmin Michel and Kristina Schagan

Our hotel:)

Our room. And yes, there are blinds to pull down so we actually have some privacy in the bathroom:)