Hong Kong Disneyland (11/10)

And one just has to go and see the local Disneyland (for reasons of comparison only with those in LA and Florida)

Romany got to meet Alice

Susie thought the live performance of the Lion King was worth the price of admission alone (complete with monkeys translating into Cantonese). Great dancing, costumes and imaginative use of vertical stage height including a trapeze and kites.

And the usual Disney completely over the top parades with walking jellyfish and flowers. The evening Halloween parade of lights was even better with Jack the Pumpkin King leading a cast of villains but the bad guys just never show up as well on film.
Best ride - undoubtedly the roller coaster in the dark of Space Mountain. Biggest hit with small girls - an interactive Stitch show. And best show - without debate the Lion King. So much to do, so very tired feet by the end.

Hong Kong (9/10)

High over Hong Kong having gone up on the Peak tram which was once thought to be too hard a route for horses - so the westerners used to get carried up by men in sedan chairs instead.

And we spent a day at Ocean Park - an aquarium and theme park where of course the carousels have pandas not horses. The park is bulit on the side of a steep mountain so the fabulous roller coasters hang out over the bay which makes for great rides.

And having just finished National week the locals are now gearing up for Halloween which seems to be fairly full on here. All the stalls are selling costumes, the parties are being lined up and the theme parks have their displays.

Guilin, China (3)

The 7th being our last day in Guilin was spent (as usual in Susie Lawless' company) climbing hills to temples - in this case the poetically named Solitary Beauty Peak, once the site of a walled city for the Ming Dynasty Princes. And still containing the original stone walls and (reproduction) wooden buildings, the originals having been burnt down by the Japanese.

But they did enable one to attempt the examinations made for their court - Ciaran scored zero being unable even to write his name in Mandarin

And some of the locals were well shrunken from age, towering over 7 year old Romany by an inch at most.

But Romany's likely abiding memory will be of being set upon by enthusiastic local tourists who requested the opportunity to have a photo taken with a small blue eyed pale girl. She took it all in good grace and was always willing.

Longsheng Rice Terraces

Driving 2.5 hours from Guilin into the hills, you can walk up 500m to view the rice terraces developed over hundreds of years to make use of all surrounding ground for the hill tribes. And get fed in their villages at lunch time.

But being 34 degrees and pretty humid some prefer to avail themselves of sedans for hire and get carried around in the manner of the royals. (but as Susie found the sharp edges can be vicious when applied to the upper arm in passing)

Everything has to be carried in by foot (no road access) so the elder women end up pretty bent over. But at least now they are semi-retired selling souvenirs.

And the local women are apparently in the Guiness Book of Records as the long haired tribe given they cut their hair once at 18 and then not again (and will unravel it if paid for a photo). It is piled up atop their heads wrapped up with the length of hair retained from the up to 18 lengths.

Li River Cruise to Yangshuo

Travelling from Guilin to Yangshuo for tourists is by a river cruise and it seems that is what everyone does because you end up as part of a camel train snaking down the river, each boat full of tourists (and Spaniards who fell upon the lunch table as if they hadn't been fed for days).

The river cruised down past the multiple rock formations for which Guilin is famous, past fishing villages and grazing water buffalo (oddly enough in the water)

Yangshuo is one of those towns that 10 years ago was probably quiet and surrounded by mountainous beauty and as such has become a travellers hangout complete with main street packed with stalls of cheap products to bargain over to the point where it is hard to make one's way down the mainstreet at night. And if one is not careful you can find yourself arguing with commitment for a discount of 20 cents.

But if you wander away from the mainstreet and walk the paths there are secluded spots of old temples dating back to the 13th century. And you can see what attracted travellers in the first place. Not to mention an evening sound and light show that looks like an Olympic opening ceremony with a cast of hundreds.

Guilin Golden Week, China (2)

First full day in Guilin was spent at Seven Stars Park built around 7 hills. Fascinating because it was full of Chinese tourists given it is their national holiday week. The Park is huge with underground caves, a (sad) zoo, temples and displays. Inside the temples are demons, buddhas and venerable statues.

Amongst the old and attractive were the gaudy displays of Disney figures (presumably not paying copyright) scattered haphazardly through the trees and grounds.

In the park were women dressed in minority costume who offered themselves for photographs with the local tourists or wanted their own photos taken with small cute pale 7 year olds.

And the entertainment included the spectacle of trapping small (and not so small) children in plastic bubbles and floating them out on a lake where they flail about helplessly trying to stay upright (unsuccessfully). One can see the attraction of temporarily securing one's children from the outside world.

Guilin, China (1)

Travelled to Guilin in China by night train on the 2nd. Being posh, we travelled by soft sleeper which is a term which only has meaning relative to the hard sleepers (given that soft sleepers resemble very firm benches). But a lovely wee air conditioned cabin for the 4 of us (bunks) and being welcomed on by white gloved attendents was very nice. Beats trying to sleep on an aeroplane.

And Guilin itself is a lovely town built on the confluence of several rivers with walk ways along the major banks and a glitzy centre with modern consumer shopping.

With an evening trip thrown in back into old time China watching cormorant fishing on the river - Romany says the birds have sharp claws on their feet though.

But they still transport tonights live dinner around town as simply as possible. And the flash of the centre can't hide the disparities for the under classes who still beg or even eat straight out of rubbish bins. An odd mix for a communist country.

Hong Kong - National Day

Nothing like an early morning bit of exercise - local parks have "playground" areas for the elderly to keep them limber and Romany was no match for this spry old fella, particularly as she couldn't quite reach the handles when the pulleys went up. Unreasonable competition really.

Passed back through the flower markets where they dye the blooms for effect as well as through the meat market including toads and turtles. Unfortunately not snake season (which is winter) so deprived of those sights. Turtle chopping was enough for the kids though to want to move on. And then through the bird market including areas to hang your bird cages which you have brought out for a walk so they get some fresh air while you have a chat. All very sociable for man and bird.

In the afternoon we took the scenic route into Hong Kong Island as it was National Holiday, the annual day to celebrate China on the 1st October. The lanterns were still out from the mid-Autumn festival and there were people everywhere (10 million come over from mainland China during the week) as a prelude to a spectacular 20 minute fireworks display on the harbour including fireworks writing 08 in mid-air for the Olympics, Harry Potter's lightning scar (to the movie theme music) and making smiling faces. Very impressive (especially seen from the 30th floor office window of one of Mhairi and Jean's friends)

Hong Kong (and Sai Kung)

Whereas in Hong Kong there are the amazing malls which stretch over 10 floors with escalators going everywhere (making for an odd image) and anything you want for sale (but especially clothes). We particularly liked the tv shaped as a sheep (which you would as a New Zealander). They do have a fine array of ice cream too.














But over the other side of the island you can go out on a sampan at Sai Kung and come back where all the fisherman have brought in their catches and they are displayed in front of the restaurants in all their variety.
So you ask for the fish you want, to be taken home or cooked on the spot.

Romany is perusing the stock looking for what takes her fancy.
I'm just not sure she will go for Moray eel, starfish or cuttlefish (or the thing that looked like a giant woodlice).

Barcelona

Short trip to Barcelona happily coincided with a festival. In the Gothic part of the town they had multiple tents with displays, dancing lessons (from Bollywood) but the highlight was the Castellars as at left. A typical team would have 20 odd people on the bottom (big blokes) then 10 people on top of them then progressively stacking them up to 8 levels. The top most level was a 5 year old kid who shinnies up over the adults to anxiously raise their hand and get down really fast. To the wild applause of the crowd.

But they did get the protection of a solid black hat in case they fell. (and some towers did collapse with multiple people falling onto those below)




And of course the Sagrada Familia is well worth several hours attention. A great city

Home is beautiful

But the first winter back home for 2 years is ruling out swimming at the beach

Hawaii break - June 2007

So You finish a long world trip and you have to go back to a job and "normal" life. You plan the future long trips (Iran?, Uzbeckistan?, Nepal?) but in the mean time you have to sustain yourself with hit and run trips away. And sometimes these end up in the lack of luxury - The Grand Wailea Resort on Maui where one goes poolside for a week in the middle of Dunedin winter, rides bikes down from the top of 10 000ft volcanoes and swims in jungle pools - it isn't Guatemala but it will do for the moment.