That's one Biiig Buddah

Outside of Hong Kong we took some public buses to see the Tian Tan Buddha, which I just read, is also called the Big Buddha (important fact for the next paragraph). The statue was built to symbolize the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. Surrounding the Buddha there are six smaller statues known as "The Offering of the Six Devas" Presenting buddha with flowers, incense and fruit. Symbolizing what's needed to enter the state of nirvana: charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation and wisdom.

While walking around I could not stop saying "that's one biiig Buddah", which now seems like it might be a popular trend. We thought I was just going delirious from all that we had experienced in mainland China. One never really knows when they are losing it while traveling, it just sort of happens over time, or maybe it was my own personal chant on my way to becoming enlightened.

Am I walking on a dragon?

After exploring Yanghsou for a few days we took a mini bus to the famous Logji Terraced Rice Fields aka Dragons Backbone. Once you've hiked to the top you see why this nickname has stuck. We arrived in the planting season when the terraces are filled with water and workers spend everyday from early sunrise to sunset planting young plants for the coming season.

This work seemed hard and it made me happy that I spend most of my time these days only writing blog posts in the comfort of a bed or sitting along the beach. Most workers had extremly arched backs from working low to the grown their whole lives. It was especially sad to see all the old ladies who's bodies are so contorted that their natural position is now looking at the ground.

Not a lot of things are similar with working the rice fields and blog writing, but one thing is essential for both: lots and lots of beer. If there is one thing that's rewarding after a long day we can all agree that an ice cold brew is the way to end a day, or in my case… start the day.

Home sweet somebody elses home

The next day we agreed that biking was going to be the best way to see all that surrounded us. We set off for a famous bridge a few hours away on old dirt roads surrounded by mountains and farms all along the way. About half way to our destination, that we never found, the rain stopped us in our tracks. We quickly took cover under a roof waiting for the rain to pass.

Surprisingly, an old lady poked her head out of her front door and invited us in to her lovely home. We immediately took her up on her offer and sat on her couch for five minutes smiling and laughing while she spoke Mandarin to us. Once the rain passed, we tried to continue our ride only to leave too early. The rain started again and the sweet lady invited us back in, once agin we stepped back into her house to wait out the rain.

After a few more hours on bikes we finally had our fill of the magnificent beauty and headed back to town for a much needed shower and dinner. We were blessed to have a clay pot restaurant only steps away. This place was unbelievably good and super cheap, we ate there three nights in a row.

The only moon you'll see in China

While China is a pain in the ass to travel through, every once in a while you get to a place that makes it all worth while. For us, it happened to be in Yangshou. Surrounded by the Karst Mountains, adventure and otherworldly nature is at your doorstep. We set off on a bike ride to Moon Hill quickly after settling. 800 steps later the views at the top leave you speechless. Luckily, I took photos. 

Party Rock!

We're not always visiting temples and national parks, sometimes we lay in bed all day recovering from nights of drinking and dancing. On our flight to Guilin from Shanghai we met another American who recommended this club, and it did not dissapoint. This made most clubs in America seem lame. Live performances and no closing time provided everything we needed for a fun night. We even made some friends and exchanged notes on napkins throughout the night.