| Ni Hao, wed 2 march I suppose its time to update you lot. So what have we been doing? where are we? By the way im freezing again.....was so nice and warm the last few days and yesterday it turned on us again.....damn those marshmellow jackets, thinking of them again... Ok back to what have we been doing.. Well for a start we are still in Yangshou. We like it here. It's easy....menus are in english, most of the people speak some english.....beautiful scenery....its a backpackers place so lots of nationalities here, people to hang out and chat to from all over the world. We always meet lots of interesting people staying in places like this. We alls seem to hang out in cafe's....thats what you do when your not off riding around on bicycles...exploring caves...rockclimbing....bamboo rafting and if it was summer swimming....and there's loads more to do. This place is beautiful....the karst limestone peaks that surrounds the town is stunning....to see this place in summer would be great....but being here now is better in some ways as there is not hoards of tourists and finding a room is easy and cheaper.Its a very well known area for chinese artists, as you see these mountains on everything, paintings, ceramics you name it its on it....even the 20 note. The part of the town where we are staying is the old part. No cars allowed and even bikes...its only foot which is realy nice way to get around all day ....no hassles of cars. The streets are narrow and are lined with old buildings which are only about 2-3 story high. These are filled with restaurants,bars, cafe's, shops......there are many skinny alleys that come off the main strip and much quiter and even more accomadations and cafes......we love just geting lost in here....cobblestone streets...makes it a pretty cool place to just hang out at. Thats why we are still here. We are paying $10 a night for our room dble...comes with bathroom,aircon, tv, dvd and free movie hire and free wifi in rooms also...snuggly doonas and also towels...thats exciting having nice towels for this price......we getting alot for the price...and loving the free dvds, so everynight we watch a movie....mind you the latest, ones on at the movies at home. So when we are not hanging out at cafe's all day and watching dvd.s at night or wondering the streets we are actually getting out there and doing things, doing some exploring. yes.... will have to write another time of all the little things that amuse us...things that we see around the place.......not now so...lets see what have we been doing..umm....oh yes we have been hiring bikes and riding around the countryside.....i should say....widing awound the countwyside to willages and eating wegetables.......i love it when that say that to you......you only have to be pushing a bike thru the main street (no riding allowed)....and they say to you..." ""yes yes....you widing to countwyside.....which willage you going to?'"" i tell them" Fuli"....they correct me and say no....its "fwuli" So off we ride into the countryside.....lots of bike paths around which is realy good , so dont have to compete with cars and motorbikes....just dodge the buffalos.....and the buffalo poo.....giant poo's they are!! oh also as watch out for skinny parts of the path....when going thru rice paddi fields. i figured out something...... ""confuscius say....."do not try and take photo's while riding pushbike......otherwise you end up in rice paddi""" stop laughing.....yes down the ditch i went, first the wobbles and then down....lucky....i didnt get wet.....and nobody saw me...even better.......otherwise the chinese would be saying..... """o look....sum dum gai...""" Anyway getting back to our bike ride. So one of the days we went riding, we took a guide...Mikki..she took us all around place we wouldnt of found...was pretty cool. Over beautiful bridges, thru rice paddi's and took us to her home to hang out with her kids. They were suppose to be coming with us. She had a 13 yr old daughter who was taller than Kailani. She was cute as she spoke a little bit of Chinese, and she was asking Kailani questions. I love the name of her brother (who was 6)...Ton Tong....cool name..... We left there and rode more.....she doesnt stop this Mikki, she just keeps on riding.....oh my aching buttocks.....not to mention my legs. Over 4 hours we rode for....i was totally exhausted when we got back and had the jelly legs. Had to have two days off before could get back on a bike. It was fun. Tomorrow hoping to do another big bike ride...this time to the old "willage Fwuli".....This is an old old town, and where they make the famous fans that you see. Will take about 2hrs to ride there. So riding the bike has been good....good to get the cheescakes that we have been eating off me.... .omg.....have put on so much weight.......the cheescakes are so good and Kailani's favourite drink....oreo and banana milkshakes......i dare not get one one for myself...they are huge and taste so good. The food here is much better than in Guilin.....alot more we can order., well know what we are ordering....dont have to point and pray that we get the right one. Eating lots of noodles and fried rices...spring rolls.....mmm what are we having for dinner tonight....off there now....vegie claypot...thats what i had...pretty good, huge but very tasty. No no dog on the menu there...i skip those restaurants. right what else have we been doing??....mm thinking....yes..yesterday...i had a one on one calligraphy lesson....was good, i enjoyed it. I learnt how to write to 10 in chinese and also how to write the words.....love, happiness, buddah, long life and also Kailani and my name....pretty cool. Felt like being back in kindergarten and learning how to write again....even with the special paper with lines on it to help you write. Its kind of strange saying im writing chinese it feels more like im drawing or painting chinese....to me its like an artform, i guess chinese writing it everyday would think of it the same way we would in writing...nothing to it....just writing and not an artform. Anyway so now I will be buying some calligraphy bits n pieces for myself...and play. Have had a couple of accupuncture treatments......holeytoledobatman.......it hurts here....omg...when she stuck the needle around my wrist or wherever it was, i nearly jumped through the roof.....and then in the foot.....ooooouuuch. At home having it done it doesnt hurt a bit. When she said to me ....Chinese accupuncture much stronger than western accupuncture, i thought yeah yeah......and then ...yep she was right.....it went after a bit...i guess it wasnt to bad if i fell asleep lying there. She wants me to go everyday for treatment.....i wagged the past 3 days and went back today......and i dont know if i want to go back......scaredy cat now..... | 