Ahhh... the south

My second year in China seems to be slipping by so slow while seemingly so fast at the same time. The combination of continually improving weather, being able to pull up a plastic stool at any little chuar place (Chinese BBQ, most often on the street), and knowing that Canada is just a few short weeks away is enough to make it fly by and disappear. But the days... sheesh. The days just seem to drag on until 3:40 when the freedom bell tolls. But then, before I know it, I'm in bed.

However, one of the most obvious perks of my job is definitely the holidays. I'm spoiled.

I arrive back in China in late August. I begin teaching around September 1st. By October 1st, I'm on my first week of holidays. Then, alas, I'm in for a long haul of no holidays or long weekends at all until Christmas/New Years, where I get a total of 1 extra day off. However... January 15th arrives and I have 5 WEEKS of holidays for China's "Spring Festival", also known to most westerners as Chinese New Year. The new semester starts after this (late Feb), and before you know it, it's the start of May and I have ANOTHER week of holidays. Then 7 weeks after this, I'm off for the entire summer! Amazing! And since it's early May... you guessed it! I just finished a week of holidays. This time in Yangshuo, in the southern Chinese province of Guangxi.

The south is simply breathtaking.

Last May, I spent a week in central China in the city of Xi'An, home of the Terracotta Warriors. Then in July, I spent 10 days in the glorious greenery and mountains of Yunnan. I also spent a few days in Hong Kong before my winter trip last year. And now, I just finished a week in Yangshuo, and I can't get over how much I love the southern half of China. The scenery is breathtaking, it's warm, the food is great, and did I mention it's breathtaking?

The week was full of rock climbing, cycling, hiking, kayaking, drinking coffee, eating, and reading. If I could describe a perfect vacation, this would pretty much be it. It was so beautiful down there, even in the rain, and I felt like I could just sit and look out onto the landscape and be perfectly content for hours. Roadside stands offered fresh watermelon and strawberries and good coffee was normally only a few minute walk away. The nights were spent on restaurant patios in the city or playing cards, looking over rice fields and mountains off the deck of our hostel. I got in more time taking pictures and trying out random features on my camera and sleeping late, thinking of how much I'm going to dread the following Monday when my alarm erupts on my bedside table at 5:15am. 

I added a couple of pictures above and am thinking about how I'm gonna get back down there.  Amazing.

But now the countdown is officially on. My feet will be firmly planted on Canadian soil in 46 days. Until then, Jianada. Until then.

T