Video Montage

My very talented sister-in-law, Rebekah, made this incredible video documenting our two weeks traveling through China together. Sometimes videos can show you what pictures can't. She did a great job. Enjoy!



Oh and I can't finish my vacation blog posts without mentioning the dear friend we made on the 33 hour train ride from Haikou to Shanghai. Before boarding the train in Haikou a few of us walked across the street to the food carts set up to get some dinner. It was a popular hang out for the train conductors and this is where we first met our new friend who was chowing down on a chicken's foot. He started joking with us and we told him what train we'd be on and then learned we'd be traveling together.

He was so friendly to us the entire time and would come and sit on our bunks with us to take a break. We'd try to teach each other how to speak and write our native language. We shared laughs at our inability to communicate with each other properly. He was so patient with us and truly wanted to help us speak Chinese. He was also really funny and sang a great rendition of Happy Birthday in English. He was very proud of that.

We were only able to purchase five beds for the six of us which meant one of us would spend two nights and one day sitting in a chair. We decided we'd take shifts. After Wayne slept the first night in the chair we decided to take shifts all during the day and following night but Isaac figured we could just sneak everyone into the five beds we did have and it would all work out. Hannah and I were scared we'd get in big trouble and didn't want our new friend to get mad at us. When it was Isaac's turn to take over my two hour shift sitting in the chair alone with crowds of Chinese people staring at the one blonde headed, white girl on their train he decided he'd come for a little while and then join us back at the beds without any of else taking over his spot. The seat was probably taken by someone who had a standing only ticket in a matter of seconds.

We think because we had become such good friends with the conductor that when they came to check our tickets that night and saw two people in one bed they let it slide. Phew! It was a relief and a risk I probably wouldn't have taken on my own. I was grateful our new friend didn't get offended by our actions or think we were trying to take advantage of him.

We snapped this picture once we arrived in Shanghai after being crowded on a train together for 33 hours without showering. Not our finest moment but sometimes you sacrifice beauty for memories.

Rain on Our Parade

cloudy.damp.muddy.

cold.drizzly.grey.

These six words describe our final day

in the little village of Xingping

along the Li River.

With not much to do in 

such crummy weather

I took it upon myself to try 

to capture life in Xingping

through my camera lens.

I was able to walk from both ends of the 

town and photograph all along the way. 

Join me on my walk!

Show Me the Money

We might have a slight addiction to renting motor bikes and riding them around remote places in 

China but it really is the best way to explore and see the most. We rented bikes yet again in Xingping from a guy up the street from our hostel. The Chinese language here is a lot harder to understand because they 

don't speak as clearly and they don't understand our Chinese as easily as up north but we 

negotiated a price to have the bikes the entire day. 

Our first stop was the river to throw more fireworks  into the water and watch them explode.

They were far more powerful than we imagined and throwing them into shallow water was been the best way to enjoy them. People would even stop along the bridge to watch to water shoot up from the explosion.

It's all very exciting.

We didn't really have a plan for the day other than driving around to see what was around Xingping.

We stopped at what looked like a perfect spot and saw some other people standing around with money 

taking pictures. It was then that we realized we were looking at the actual image

on the back of the 20 RMB bill. Now we are inspired to visit all the landscapes found on the money. 

Two down, four to go! 

(100 Yuan bill has the image of The Great Hall of the People in Beijing)

We all paid to take pictures with a cormorant fisherman. He trains his birds to dive into the water to fill their mouths with fish. It is a unique way of fishing that is popular in this area.The bamboo pole with the birds was much heavier than I expected. 

I don't know how everyone around here carries things from food to children around like this. 

He was a nice man who was happy to pose with us when we asked. 

I'm pretty sure they've also been trained to strike a pose. They were all business when the cameras went up.

We took our motor bikes on a ferry across the river to drive around on small area that seemed like

an island even though it wasn't completely surrounded by the river.

We saw this area from on top of the mountain yesterday. It felt even more remote than any other area 

we've visited with nothing but bumpy roads, orange orchards, little alleyways that lead to peoples homes,

and all the best views of the mountains. 

Andrew and I each found a heart-shaped rock to remember the best view we've had yet on the river road.

Oh, and this is just one of Andrew's master pieces he drew in the Cafe's "memory book" where we stayed.
They had drawings all over the walls that travelers hung, depicting where they came from.
We found one from Palacios, TX and some in FL too. He wanted to leave our mark in a unique way :)

A Bird's Eye View

We left Yangshuo Wednesday and took the hour long bus to the remote village of Xingping

where we would be staying to the next three nights. We drove away from the tourists and straight into

the mountains. Andrew found a trail that lead all the way up to the top of a very HIGH 

mountain. Looking up at the mountain from the ground I still can't believe I was 

that high or even more that I walked up so many steep stairs.

I wasn't expecting to hike and poor Rebekah was wearing flip flops

but she's a trooper and we made it to the top.

It provided us with the best possible view of Xingping. It was nice to just sit up there and take in all 

of that beauty. There is nothing that makes me happier than when I am out in nature.

The world really has some beautiful places.

I hope I am able to see many more of them. 

We descended the mountain right as the sun was setting and it was starting to get dark

 making it harder and harder to see the stairs that were already converging as one in my mind. 

But by some miracle we made it both up and down the steep mountain. 

Rebekah and I both agreed that our legs felt really funny and shaky afterward but it was totally worth it.

You just don't get to see breathtaking views like this everyday and sometimes you have

to hike up a mountain to see it. I'm sure there is an analogy in there somewhere. 

We ended our night the only way one does in China and that's with fireworks! 

They're a regular occurrence everywhere you go in the country but more so around the new year.

So we bought some off the side of the street and put on a little show for everyone.

We let Xingping know, "We have arrived!"