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Well well well...I made it! I have a love hate relationship with blogging, but as I have such a joy telling travel stories I really should just get on with it! So here I am...having returned from CHINA!!

The experience leading up to being chosen as a semifinalist in the best travel job ever has been overwhelming and exciting. I've already mentioned the re-connecting with old travel buddies and learning the ins and outs of social networking in trying to get the voting stats up, but there was no way I could have prepared myself for the experiences IN China. Everything that I hungered for, I got. And then some.

Whenever I return from a trip, people always ask what my favourite part was, and I re-emphasize the difficulty in responding with just one answer. Do I go with the food? Do I mention the shopping? Shouldn't natural beauty get in there? What about the company? I can over-analyse and write the story from start to finish as I usually do, or mention a few of the most memorable moments or locations. The latter wins....for now!

*Schezwan food in Chengdu was the ultimate for those who love spice. In fact, it was unlike any spice I have ever experienced. I'm not a die hard triple chilli sweating buckets kind of girl, as I still like to taste the food, which is partly why I loved the unique flavours in this part of China.The peppercorns that they use, are not black or white or red, but Sichuan. The pepper has a citrus aftertaste in addition to a numbing effect in larger doses. So that's what did it for me. After tasting the veggies and meats that had been cooking in a spice infused brine, I had the perfect excuse for slurring my words-my lips and tongue were slightly numb!


*Seeing animals that differ to the racoons in my backyard, have always been a draw for me to certain locations around the world. So it was with great delight that the Panda Breeding Center was on the itinerary. Leading up to the excursion, the guides spoke of how lazy these creatures were. I felt slightly defensive as if the locals were backstabbing the bamboo crunching creatures that share their geographic region. Having toured the grounds for myself, I can whole heartedly agree, these animals are more than lazy. They eat. They sleep. And they are incredibly adorable. The research centre has done a lot of work to build the population so I felt proud that my visitors fees contributed.


*Visiting the town of Yangshuo was a breath of fresh air. Having explored Hong Kong and being cooped up on a train for far too long I felt refreshed by hiking in the limestone kaarsts. There are so many adventurous activities to do in this area (caving, bike riding, rafting, climbing) in addition to experiencing more of the Chinese culture through cooking, painting and best of all-shopping in the markets! Though we stayed in town for a couple of nights, it wasn't long enough to unwind and taste everything there was to offer.


*Temples are an immediate insight into life past and present. I find studying the detailed paintings and sculptures as I inhale the aromatic insence, to be an incredibly uplifting experience. Trying to step into the mind of the worshippers as they silently unite in their surroundings, is an experience that all travellers should attempt. On the first day in China I had the opportunity to visit the Man Mo Temple in Hong Kong. Although I had been there before, seeing the insence coils hanging and burning from the ceiling was a reminder of how far away from my own daily life I really was. Yet, past all the tourists this location was part of the daily life of many locals. Fascinating.


*Travelling companions can really make or break a holiday, which is why I've often chosen to travel solo. Selfish as I may be, I like choosing my company rather than sacrifising my own choices. Being partnered up with an unknown travelling buddy can therefore, be slightly nerve racking. Having seen Sonja's Best Travel Job Ever application video, I shouldn't have had any fears. We shared the same sense of humour and drive for adventure which made every day in China, a smiling experience.

But Sonja wasn't my only travelling companion. Being part of a tour meant that I saw 11 other faces on a daily basis. Personalities can always clash and following akward silences can certainly hamper an individual travelling experience - another reason that I've preferred solo travels in the past. So what happened on the Hong Kong to Shanghai tour with Intrepid? Laughter, respect and enthusiasm to start with! Originating from 7 different countries and covering an age spectrum of 50 years, our group hit the nail on the head. Or perhaps, Intrepid found the golden ticket. Being part of this tour stressed to me the importance in putting your trust into a company that represents your same ideals; it's critical to finding the perfect travelling matches as we did.


So there is a taste of China...and what does all of this mean to you? I hope you're slightly inspired to experience the same AND inspired to keep me on track for my dream job at the best travel job ever. Please check out the Best Travel Job Ever site and VOTE DAILY! My videos are filed under Team Asia and I only have until Aug 11th to fastrack voting totals towards first place. I had so so so much fun on the trip with my travelling buddy Sonja, and I really do think we deserve the 'fan favourite' title. So help us out!! Each registered email address can vote on three different videos per day (funny how it works out so perfectly as I have three videos to vote on!

Please & thank you everybody,

HAPPY TRAVELS!!

-Fiona

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