The end of China, the travelling begings.

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Well since my last installments lots has happend. I enjoyed New Year. We went for a meal and then to a roof top bar which was good. I was able to see across the town so saw all the fireworksbeen set off, very nice, especially with the back drop of the limestone hills. Although there were some slight embarassing English lads there, nothing to do with me or my group, it was funny to see one puking his guts later.
The next day was petty cool, the weather was gorgeous, about 20 degrees and I learnt Kung Fu. A group of us went to a Kung Fu school and were taught the basics of Sholin Kung Fu. When I say basics I mean about 10 moves, but it was pretty difficult to master, but I did ok, not going to kick anyone's arse just yet, but was ok.
The rest of the day was pretty chilled, I actually didn't feel to great so had an early night, as a fun and exciting day was ahead. The next day I was up at 7.45am, got some brekky and the Tai Chi. It was cool, really difficult too. Their are 24 basic moves, but they're not a single movement i.e. a punch like in Kung Fu, it maybe a whole body movement, arms, legs etc. We learnt the 1st 5 movements, which is pretty cool as the guy said it would take about 6 months to learn all 24 properly. I can't rememeber any now though.
After the Tai Chi, more active things to do, the 1st of a number over the next couple of days. A bike ride was ahead. I was worried that I'd have a really crap girly style bike (like when I was a kid), but luckily it was an ok moutain bike, although the gears didn't all work properly. Anyway, the bike ride was cool, we went into the countryside, through little villages to a place called Moon Hill. It is one the limestone hills, but through erosion a half moon has been created in it, it looked amamzing and I climbed up to it. Got some stunning pics, if I can get them uploaded.
After all that physical exercise the eve was pretty chilled and we had an early start the next day for travelling. We were going to Longji to see the rice terraces, the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Not too much intresting happened as the day was mostly bus journeys, we got to our destination about 5pm, across a few ropey raods, well roads in the vaguess sense. It was worth it as we end up at this village in the hills, about 800 ft up where all the houses were made out of wood, expected Heidi to come running down. That was just the beginning though.
The next day we had a 15-20km trek through the hills and the rice terraces. It was amazing. We woke to fog everywhere, it was really errie. The fog cleared pretty soon and off we trekked, it was like Rivendale, I half expected Orcs to coming running over the hills. After about an hour we'd trekked to the tops of the hills, about 1200 ft and it was just amazing. It's hard to describe so best to wait for the photos but I'll give it a go. All around us, on the side of the hills little terraces about 3 meters across but running the length of the hillside had been dug, they were about 2-3 meters apart going down the hills and it was for miles around, they were all rice paddies. Absolutley amazing. To top it there were little villages inbetween as well. One we stopped of for lunch.
It was a little odd as we just went to some locals house, the guide we were with just asked someone to cook for us, it was one of the nice meals I'd had. We had chicken, which had been killed before us, not by me so still trying to complete that task Will. Actually the chicken wasn't that nice, but the smoked pork we had was absolutley gorgeous. It was also really cool to be a locals house and see how they live. It was basic, but seemed ok, they even had pigs under their house. A world away from back home.
After that we finished the trek and ended up at another guesthouse in a small village. Again wooden, it was pretty cool, but I'd twisted my ankle about 45mins from the end and was being miserable and moping because of that. I wasn't much fun and just rested up in the eve.
The next day we headed back to Guilyn to get the train to Hong Kong, all was pretty uneventful for the next 36hrs, mainly just buses and trains. The highlight probably was an accident was saw and the way the Chinese dealt with it. Two cars travelling in opposite directions hit each other, nothing major, danaged the frount of the cars and scrapped the side, but as they were going in opposite directions they now blocked the road. The simple thing would have been to just take pics and move a car to the side till the police turn-up, meantime people can get passed. This is China, they couldn't do that, instead people started to get rocks to fill in the gutter at the side of the road which was about 2ft deep, it was crazy. They managed to do it and a couple of cars went passed then the police came and moved the cars and we were able to pass.
So after another 20 odd hours travelling I've ended up in Hong Kong, this place is cool. It's just the carziest place going with stuff going on all the time. The hotel we stayed in originally was off Nathan Rd which is the main road and is massive and full off shops. I was a little dissappointed that the electric goods weren't that much cheaper then back home, but sports stuff is pretty cheap and there's loads of coool trainers, sadly I don't have too much room in my bag and as the locals are quite small they often don't have my size.
The first night there was the last offical night of the tour, so I meet up with people for desert at a Vietnamese place for cocktails and desert. Hong Kong is pretty cheap for most things, cheaper then the UK, apart from drinks, man they're expensive. After a couple of cocktails everyone was in the party spirit, so we head to an Irish bar and had a few more, again over 4quid a time. It now became clear we were going to be out for the duration and so we hot a clun, which was pretty weird. It was mainly local people, but the music was weird, they played rubbish Euro trance stuff, sounded like the Vengaboys, then R&B and back to the Euro stuff. Also round the edge were Kareoke booths too. Oh and loads of the kids were leightweights puking and needing to be supported to stand-up. Even with this it was still a laugh, but spent lots of money, which was a shame and wanted to see Paul Van Dyke who was playing on the Sat, I couldn't afford it now.
Next day we checked out of the hotel and had to move to a hostel we'd storted. 5 of us were staying for a couple of days, 2 girls who stayed for 1 night and me and 2 other lads who were staying for 2-3 nights. I wasn't sure how long I'd be staying for as had to sort my Vietnam Visa and tickets, the tickets looked pretty simple to sort, but the Visa was looking like it would take a few days.
A stroke of luck occured though, we eventually found our hostel which was in a big block of various different offices and flats, just not marked so it took nearly an hour to find and we were basically stood outside all the time. When I found the hostel another one next door was able to sort the Vietnam visa and they could do it on the same day, just I'd have to wait till Monday, so atleast I new I can leave Tues.
The highlights of my time in Vietnam were going to see the Bronze Buddha. It's the biggest seated bronze Buddha in the world. It's pretty impressive. It took an hour or so to get there from the main part of Hong Kong. It was very impressive, the setting is in the hills and it's about 50ft high so you can see it at the top of the hill from quite far off and when you get there you really just how big it is. There is also a monastery there, were some youg monks did a Kung-Fu show which was cool. The other hightlight (sightseeing wise) was the tram ride to The Peak, the highest part of Hong Kong island and overlooks the city. The tram is like a crazy themepark ready. It speeds up the side of The Peak at 45 degree angle and is pretty quick, quite mad really. At the top the view is amazing, your about 800 ft up and have a view over all the city and can see all the huge skyscrapers.
Apart from those 2 things there's not too much touristy stuff to do, spent most of the time just wandering round the city checking out some of the bars and shops, bought a few things. It's a cool city and would love to go back, just with a decent amount of cash to go out properly.
Well that takes me up to Hong Kong, it's Vietnam next and I'll see what further adventuers I'll have there, it's also where I have to start looking after myself.

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Comments

[Martha]

Wow it all sounds amazing, glad you're enjoying yourself,shame about the ankle, can just imagine you being twisty faced too!Only kidding, i'm sure you didnt sulk for too long...have fun x

[Spade]

I sulked ok, got as much attention out of it as possible.

[Col]

Loving your swish waterpoofs ;o)