Originally, we had only planned on Hong Kong being a visa stop, but it turned out to be a really lovely place to spend a couple of weeks. It was insanly useful for taking care of our Chinese visa (twice) and it was also a good “work” location giving us some time to give the website a face lift.

We really enjoyed Hong Kong and while it probably wasn’t very interesting to read about it, provided us with a nice rest before jumping head first into China.

(Hong Kong photos will be included in the China Photo Gallery)

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August 19, 2009 – Day 238 – Hong Kong

It’s our last day in Hong Kong and since we are about to go stir crazy being inside the entire week, we wanted to get out and see the last little bit of Hong Kong that we could! So we went to see the city from Victoria Peak, the purported highest scenic point in all of Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong

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August 15-19, 2009 – Day 233-237 – Hong Kong

Well, as you all know, we were without access to our blog for the entire time we were in China. We have been working furiously for the past four days to update the site and catch everything up so that if we can not access the site in China for another month, you will still get some schedule new posts. So we have been working like mad to bring you this fantastic content!

August 11-14, 2009 – Day 229-232 – Chengdu, China

Spent two days resting our weary legs and working on our Tibet plan. Then the next two days on a train to Hong Kong via Shenzhen, China. Still no luck finding a group for Tibet.

Yeah, It's kind of like that.

August 10, 2009 – Day 228 – Chengdu, China

After a horrible night that made us want to die, we got up at 5AM to an orchestra of more spitting, snot rocketing, smoking, and shouting. It was still very dark and still raining outside but after 15 minutes, we could take no more. We were near delirious from having exhausted our bodies to the max yesterday, neither eaten nor slept since the day before we climbed the mountain, and on top of it, we were freezing.

Good Morning!

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August 9, 2009 – Day 227 – Mount Emei, China

Well, not much to report today as we spent 11 hours climbs stairs.

Ok, ok, so there’s a bit more to it than that but from 7:30AM until 6:30PM we were climbing the stairs toward the top of Mount Emei (Emeishan, said in Chinese). Our morning began with the first bus of the day at 7AM from the tiny town just at the base of the mountain to our chosen starting point, Wuxian Temple.

Qingyan Pavillion

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August 8, 2009 – Day 226 – Leshan, China

It’s surprising how people behave in the midst of one of the most grand and sacred Buddhist sites in the world. I mean, all the kicking and shoving, the elbowing, the near stampeding conditions after waiting in line for 2 hours before getting to go down the rather perilous carved stone stairs, stairs that are perilous on a day when you descend them alone, not to mention having 200 pushing, shoving, kicking, elbowing Chinese people at your back. It is not the most serene, peaceful feeling that one would expect from visiting such an important Buddhist site. Strange thing, indeed.

The stone Budda of Leshan

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August 7, 2009 – Day 225 – Chengdu, China

We are so happy that we switched hostels! Last night was spent at the amazing Sim’s Cozy Garden Hostel and it was awesome! Anyway, light post today because we stayed in to work out our Tibet plan, which is quite a mess! Note: Sim’s has a great posting board for trying to find other travelers for Tibet groups.

Lindsey enjoying some lunch

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August 5-6, 2009 – Day 223-224 – Chengdu, China

Spent most of the hot, humid and uninviting day at the People’s Park. It is a nice park but rather small compared to so many other parks of China. This heat just saps the strength and will to do anything right out of us!

So happy together.....

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August 3-4, 2009 – Day 221-222 – Chengdu, China

Had to leave lovely Dali this morning and head back to Kunming to catch an ongoing train for Chengdu. We are due to arrive in Chengdu tomorrow…

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