Waitomo Caves

This last weekend I took a bus out to visit the Waitomo Caves. Even before I came to New Zealand I had heard that this was a must see spot in the Waikato region. Since it was only an hour bus ride from Hamilton, I decided to take the trip.

The cave complex at Waitomo is extensive and includes both dry and wet caverns. However, the reason they really became famous was their population of glow worms. I learned while I was at the caves that the glow worms are actually a variety of maggot. They live on the ceilings of the caves and emit a dull bluish-green bio-luminescence that is said to be spectacular. I have to admit I thought it was quite beautiful myself.

I decided to take a tour with the Legendary Black Water Rafting Company. They specialize in adventure tours through the caves, but there are other companies you can go through if you're interested in a more mild approach. We started by getting all dressed up in skin tight wet suits, boots, helmets and harnesses. 

Then we took about a 10 minute drive up the road from the tour station and parked at the side of the road. From there it was a short hike until we reached the starting point of our trip. There we had a quick lesson on how to use the abseiling equipment we would need to make the 35 m drop down into the caves.

It was a tight squeeze through the entrance, but as you dropped down further into the caves it expanded out into a beautiful, cool, damp cave.

Here I will mention to you that the BWRC does not allow you to take cameras on your trip because of the danger of things getting dropped and damaging people or the delicate cave system. So all the pictures I have from inside the caverns are from the company themselves.

After everyone was inside we walked a short distance down the passageway before reaching a ledge looking over a dark abyss. Our tour guides then strapped us onto a long rope and asked up to turn out all of our head lamps. This was when I realized that I was going to be taking a zip-line through the caverns in the pitch black! Once I was strapped in and ready I pushed myself off and went flying through the dark caves. I looked up and saw hundreds of glow worm lights twinkling all around me. The ride came to a stop far before I wanted it to!

The next leg of our journey would take us into the black waters of the underground river that runs through the caves. We each got our own inner tube and had to jump off a rock ledge into the water below. It was freezing cold and I was very glad I had that wet suit! We let the current take us down the river until we reached a spot where we hoped out and climbed up a short way to visit a cavern filled with beautiful mineral formations.

We soon left the tubes and went on down the rest of the river on foot. It wasn't too shallow most of the way, although I did take a couple of dips into some unexpected holes! As we went along our guides told us some more about the glow worms. I learned that when they hatch and attach themselves to the ceiling, they let down a bunch of sticky strings that hang down and catch insects as they go by. I got to check out a couple up close and I have to say they were definitely a bit strange looking!

Shortly after our guides also pointed out a strange object in the water that we all stopped to look at.

After a few incorrect guesses they told us that scientists had been down to the caves to test it and it turned out to be a whale bone that had been stuck there for thousands of years and slowly uncovered by erosion.

Shortly after we came to a deeper section of the river where we had to swim for about 100 meters before coming to a ledge where we could exit and continue along a dry section of the cavern. We got a chance to see another large mineral deposit cavern.

Here we were given some delicious hot orange juice and chocolate to rejuvenate us before we continued on. I was very grateful to get warmed up after that cold river! To get to the section of the cave where we would be able to get out we needed to make our way through a muddy bypass. It was small enough that we had to make our way on our hands and knees. We all got quite filthy by the end!

That was OK though because in order to get out of the caves we had to climb up through two small waterfall which got us all clean and completely soaked once again!

As we climbed back out into the sun I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that it was over. It had been such a fun and exciting trip and I wish that I could have spent a few more hours inside! We spent 3 hours inside the caves and barely saw a small portion of it. If I ever come back to New Zealand this is one experience I would be willing to do all over again!

Rotorua, New Zealand - Day 2

We spent the evening in Rotorua at Rock Solid Backpackers. I found this hostel on Hostelworld.com which has always been a very reliable source. They had a 98% rating at the time I looked them up and it cost us about NZ$19 each to stay in a 4-bed female dorm room. I have to say I was really impressed by their accommodations. 

 To start with their customer service was excellent. We were greeted right away upon entering and were quickly set up with everything we needed. They had a ton of information on things to do in the city and their receptionists were very well acquainted with what was good to do and how to get around.

I also felt very secure in their facility. They had a lounge area that was open to anyone with a pool table, TV, free movies, a book exchange and couches to hang around on. However, to get up to where the living areas were you had to open one door with a code then a second door with a key and then finally your bedroom door with a second key. In addition, they had strict policies that only paying guests were allowed anywhere up in the living area. Honestly, I've been fine in hostels with far less security, so I was confident that my stuff was safe at Rock Solid.

We woke up bright and early the next morning to continue our adventures in Rotorua. For our second day we decided to do some nature and culture touring. In the morning we went out for an adventure with the Rotorua Canopy Tours company, and in the afternoon we spent a few hours exploring the Whakarewarewa Maori village.

     

Rotorua Canopy Tour

      

      Sunday morning we were picked up outside our hostel by the large white Rotorua Canopy Tours van. As I stepped inside to find a seat I was greeted by our tour host for the day and 4 other guests that would be coming along with us.

      

      The van took us to the RCT main building where we met another 4 guests to make a total of 10 people in our touring group. What were we signing up for you may ask? Well maybe this picture will give you a clue...

     

       If you didn't guess from the picture, Rotorua Canopy Tours is a company that takes groups of people out for a zip lining tour through the treetops in the nearby Dansey Road Scenic Reserve. It is one of the last remaining untouched forests left in New Zealand and RTC has been raising money through their canopy tours to aid in their conservation efforts.

We started the tour by getting set up in our harnesses and helmets and then hopping in the van for the 20 minutes ride to the reserve. As soon as I stepped out the van and turned towards the forest, I was greeted by a huge thick wall of green.

 A small path snaked away from the road into the dense foliage. The air was thick with the musty smell of forest and plant life. As we walked along the path, we were surrounding by huge thick trees rising into the sky and creating a dense canopy above while ferns and palms filled the gaps at the forest floor. Our tour guides informed us that this was one of the only forests on NZ with untouched trees. Most other forests had been cut down long ago and replanted later. Some of the trees we walked by were hundreds of years old.

Surprisingly, the forest was actually pretty quiet. As I later learned, before people started arriving on New Zealand it was an island almost entirely composed of birds and reptiles; there were no native land mammals. Therefore, many of the native New Zealand birds had not evolved the usual defenses against those types of creature. In fact a large percentage of their natural birds were flightless and lived in burrows in the ground. When people started coming over however, they brought many land mammals with them such as rats and possums. These animals quickly decimated the native bird population and caused many species to go extinct. The Dansey Reserve is one of the few places where they are attempting to revitalize that population, but there are still shockingly few birds given how big the reserve is, so the normal forest noises you might expect to hear are often absent.

Soon we reached the first platform on our journey. There they gave us a rundown of the safety procedures. There were ten platforms total throughout the tour with 7 zip lines and 2 bridges to cross.

 One of the tour guides was always in front of the group to help each person onto the platforms and one was at the back of the group to hook you on to the line and make sure everyone got across.

It was a beautiful and exciting journey through the tree tops. The harness hooked you to the rollers on the group using two thick ropes. Other than those points of contact you were free to swing your arms and legs freely as you flew through the canopy.

   

The highest platform was about 70 feet off the ground and the longest zip line was 220 meters.

The whole tour took about 3 hours. It was extraordinarily beautiful and very exciting. I was able to get some really gorgeous photos and even got to see a couple New Zealand Silver Ferns which stand as the national symbol. 

I would recommend a trip with Rotorua Canopy tours to anyone who loves to mix in a little adventure with some nature sightseeing. The tour was fun and informative and we got to meet a lot of really cool and interesting people.

Nothing like swinging through the treetops to bring a bunch of strangers together!

      

Whakarewarewa

After being driven back to our hostel we had a quick stop for lunch at The Brew café and bar (where I had a delicious BLT and chips) before catching the #2 bus out to our next stop for the day. Getting off the bus we had to walk about two blocks before arriving outside the gates of the Whakarewarewa Maori village.

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but as you cross the first bridge into the village you will quickly notice that it is very different than the usual tourist stop. A group gathers at the edge of the bridge with a tour guide to take you around the village. You don’t have to go with the tour, but I would recommend it as it is the only way to really understand the history and importance of the area.

       

Crossing the bridge you can instantly see that you are standing on top of an active geothermal area. Large steam clouds rise from hot bubbling pools just on the village’s edge.

Old worn houses are perched just feet from the hot pool which are fenced off for safety.

The tour guide took us through the different hot pool and explained their history with the village. Whakarewarewa calls itself a living Maori village. As the tour guide explains all of the people in the village actually live there and use the natural resources, and many of them work during the day in normal jobs and careers in Rotorua. Every house in the village is owned by a family who can trace their lineage back to the original tribe.

Perhaps one of the neatest things to witness in the village is the fascinating blend of traditional and modern. The villagers love to continue to use the natural resources of the geothermal area they sit stop. The tour guide showed us how they use wooden boxes over hot steam vents to cook their meat...

and can boil various vegetable in the hot pools.

I even got to try some of the delicious corn they boiled in the hot pools right before my eyes.

In addition they will siphon off water from the pools into large concrete holes that they use for bathing. The minerals in the water are supposed to be very good for the skin and health and the villagers use the natural baths often and regularly.

Very few people need to pay for heating or appliances because they have the natural heat from the Earth for free.

Yet, the villagers still work normal jobs, drive cars, watch TV and do other modern everyday things. I love and recognize the beauty in how they've chosen to live their lives. They keep their heritage, speak the Maori language and use the resources at their fingertips, but still take advantage of the conveniences of the normal world. I think it is inspiring to see people who recognize that being modern doesn't mean you have to give up the uses of the world around you.

After the tour, we continued to explore different parts of the village. Everywhere we had the chance to see the signs of the slow moving Earth beneath us.

A bubbling hot mud pool that we found just to the side of one of the houses.

It may not look it, but the water in this lake is actually boiling hot!

The brief eruption of a geyser just off of the Whakarewarewa village borders.

 As we left the village it was time to head back to where our bus would pick us up to go home. It was a short but exciting weekend. It provided me with a much needed break from my studies and while I wish I could have had more time there, I appreciate the things I did get to see and experience. I hope that if you ever come to New Zealand you’ll take the opportunity to see the variety there is in Rotorua.

Rotorua, New Zealand - Day 1

This last weekend I took a trip with another student teacher, Camylle, to Rotorua, New Zealand. It is a city just a little south from Hamilton that is built on top of a large geothermal area. It isn't a very small city, but it kind of had that vibe to me. Most of the buildings were only one story high and were full of shops and restaurants. 

There is also a local art club called RAVE which hosts art events in Rotorua and as you are walking around you can find many examples of art pieces that have been created by them. I was very intrigued by the interesting details and shapes, and you can definitely feel the Maori influence in many of the pieces.

As you walk around the main section of Rotorua there is definitely the feel of a place that makes most of its money from visitors, but if you venture towards the outer parts you can find some very interesting features. Looking around there are signs everywhere of the geothermal activity bubbling just below the surface of the city. Journeying past one of the various parks in the area you might see steam rising from one of the countless fenced off hot springs and mud pools. As the air changes directions, you'll occasionally would catch a whiff of the potent sulfur smell steaming out of hot vents. 

Rotorua has many activities available for people of all types. Since I’m a little more adventurous and I like culture and nature, those drove my choices for what to do while I was there. We had a limited time and Rotorua has so much to offer so I couldn't have even scratched the surface of possibilities, but I will share with you the four activities we did do.

 1) OGO Rotorua

For those of you who have never seen one this is an OGO ball:

Essentially it is a large ball with an outer plastic layer, a layer of air, and then an inner plastic layer. The idea is to crawl (or jump) into the ball and then get pushed down a hill!

It’s quite a fun activity and it turns out the inventor of the ball is from right here in Rotorua. There is another place  Rotorua, ZORB, that offers the same activity, but they came after the OGO people. You may have also seen these in other countries since it has become quite a popular activity since its invention.

This was our first activity in Rotorua and we headed out for it immediately after getting our stuff settled into our hostel. It was a quick ride on the #1 bus from the local bus depot which drops you off right at the front gate. As you approach along the path you can see people rolling down the various tracks in their own little plastic balls.

You have a few options to choose from. There is a straight track you can ride, or the Sidewinder track. You can be a single rider, or you can have two people. You can ride with a harness or free flying. Also, you can choose whether or not to have them fill the ball partially with water or not. Camylle and I decided to do individual rides with water inside and we picked the package that allows you to take one ride down each of the two types of track.

We chose to first ride down the straight track which was much faster, but which, of course, meant it ended quicker. When you go with a friend you have the option of racing them down the hill. However, it honestly becomes into more of an uncontrolled tumble since it turns out it is actually very difficult to stand up and control a large plastic ball falling down a hill that has been made slippery with water

The second track we did was the Sidewinder track which is filled with switchbacks and hills. We ended up having to wait about 15 minutes in between rides though because they have a strict wind speed limit. If they have a gust over the limit then you have to wait until they can confirm that the high winds won’t continue. (Wouldn't want to get blown away from the track in a large uncontrollable ball that is shut from the outside would you??) However, the facilities include a nice warm hot tub to stay warm in while you wait.

The Sidewinder track is definitely a different experience. You are not going as fast, but you end up tumbling around a lot more! I found it hard to figure out which way was forward as the direction I was travelling was constantly changing. However, it was a lot easier to stay standing up and I was able to push the ball around a bit more (although that’s still not saying much!)

Overall, it was a really fun activity and a wonderful way to cool off from the hot summer sun. I would recommend a visit to OGO if you are ever in Rotorua and are brave enough to see what a hamster really feels like inside those little plastic balls…

2)  The Polynesian Spa

After a stressful week at school, Camylle and I decided that for our second activity in Rotorua we would take advantage of the fact that we were in a geothermal area and visit one of the several hot spring spas in the area.

The Polynesian Spa is definitely one of those built up touristy places, but regardless the water is natural, warm, and relaxing. They have several different areas at the spa that you can choose to enter. They have their Lake Spa which features more natural surroundings, a great view of the nearby lake, and 5 pools of varying temperatures. You can alternatively pay for one of their private spas. It is cheaper of you’re just looking at dollars, but there is a time limit and the spas are less natural feeling. There is also the option of entering their Adults Only pool where clothing is optional.

We opted for the Lake Spa. We didn't want a time limit and we wanted the more natural surroundings. You could tell the pools were still man-made and the temperatures were highly regulated, but the company did a very good job of surrounding the pools with lots of natural plants and rocks to make it feel more natural. Plus the view of the lake really was quite good.

We spent our time there going through the different pools. The coolest one was 35 C and the hottest was 40 C. I found that my favorite one was the second to hottest pool. While they were a lot of people there, it still didn't seem too crowded. The pools were a decent size and oddly shaped so there were generally little niches you could go to for more privacy.

It was a very nice experience and offered a great way to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle. We even got the chance to see a rainbow form over the lake.

I would recommend a visit to anyone who enjoys soaking in hot water and doesn't mind that it has been piped into fake pools. If you are looking for a more natural experience, there are hot springs you can drive and/or hike to out in the nearby area for those who have the inclination, transportation, and time to get there.

New Zealand Trip Announcement/ENZTA Scholarship Motivational Statement

Hey there fellow travelers! Today I am writing this post to let you know that I am once again undertaking an exciting journey to a new destination! In early February 2015 I will be heading out to spend 8 weeks in Hamilton, New Zealand! Why, you might ask? Well, this next semester is my final semester at Utah State University which will consist of my student teaching.  I have chosen to spend my second block of student teaching in New Zealand instead of in Utah.

Many of you are probably wondering why I've decided to make this trip. I have many goals in life, but one of the most important to me is my goal to become an international teacher.  I believe very strongly that every country and every culture has a plethora of wonderful things to offer and great insights in the field of education. I want to spend time teaching in foreign countries and familiarizing myself with the great variety of teaching methods, strategies, and theories that different countries use.  Later on, I hope to compile the best of what I've learned into new strategies that can be used to strengthen the education of students in an increasingly globalized world.

Through studying abroad, I hope to gain a greater insight into a different type of school system and into a different type of culture.  I also hope to learn more about how students from different backgrounds learn.  This would be the first in hopefully many experiences I will get to have learning from different people.

When it came time to chose what country to go to for student teaching, I had the choice of either Norway or New Zealand. Norway was the cheaper option and so a lot of students chose to apply for that program.  However, despite the difficulty it might present, I still chose to apply for New Zealand.

You might ask why I chose to go there when I knew it was likely no one I knew would go and when it would be so much more expensive. The choice was simple for me; I have long been fond of their beauty and culture.  From the opportunities I've had to learn about the Maori culture that is at the roots of New Zealand’s past, to the beautiful vistas that have long been sought after destinations for some of Hollywood’s greatest film, I believed that New Zealand would offer me an exciting and wonderful opportunity to explore a culture that is a mix of old and new, of tradition and innovation.

While in New Zealand I hope to meet as many new people as I can.  I hope to learn about its culture, government, school systems and more.  The world is full of bright and vibrant people with ideas that no one has ever heard of and I hope to see what it is New Zealand is doing that the rest of the world needs to know about.

There’s a world of a million colors out there, and I’m ready to discover what the vibrant tapestry of New Zealand.

lkjbdvljbdvmsndvljwbev...... ??

As you may have deduced from my clever title above. I. AM. EXHAUSTED. haha. I don't know how I am even writing this right now, but seeing as I am making a valiant effort to not fall asleep too early, I decided that this was as good a way as any to occupy myself for a short while.

Today has been the longest day that I never got to live that I have ever been through. Did you follow that ;P All I can say is that this 16 hour time difference may just be the death of me upon my return to the good old USA.

The journey began as all my long trips seem to: me not getting any sleep. Wed night I was blessed enough to be working until 10:30 after which I still had to pack because, typical of my behavior, I left it all until the very last possible moment. My mother, bless her soul, picked me up and drove me down to Salt Lake in the wee hours of the morning, where I got to say hello and goodbye to my dear family and board my 6am flight to LA.

Our plane hadn't even left the gate by the time I fell asleep in my airplane seat.

As I groggily marched out of the gate in LA I glanced sideways at one of the notice boards, laughing inside at how ironic it would be if I were to find a DELAYED notice next to our flight out to Japan. To my delight however our plane was scheduled to leave on time..... in four hours. It was a quick jaunt to track down our gate, where we all quickly collapsed into our seats.

I guess I should mention that I finally did get to meet some of my fellow travelers. There are nine of us total and six of us were on the same United flights. I hadn't been sure how I was going to tell who was who since I'd never met any of them before, but alas someone had done their homework, because when I got to the gate is Salt Lake I was approached by a groggy looking woman who says "You're one of the Tsukuba people right?" When I nodded a little perplexedly, she laughed and responds with, "yeah I may have Facebook stalked you all a little" :)

So anyways back to our main story-line.....

The ride to Japan was every bit as long as I was expecting. Although I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that the plane we were in was one of the ones equipped with a small screen for each seat. Muahahaha.... I thought to myself as I fiddled with the little touch screen. Alas, I was only able to enjoy tapping my foot along with Happy Feet 2 and hiding behind my airplane pillow for Paranormal Activity 3 before I passed out in my seat for pretty much the rest of the flight, only emerging from my slumber when sustenance was necessary.

Walking through the Tokyo terminal and out through immigration and customs was one of the oddest experiences. My mind was whirling through memories of China, that at once seemed to both correspond and conflict with the experience. Perhaps most odd was looking at all of the signs, because one thing I had not expected was to see several familiar Chinese characters mixed in with all the Japanese ones. It really kept throwing me off haha.

After clearing the bureaucratic tape we were please to meet up with the rest of our group and the representatives from the school who led us out to our bus. It was a charming little thing. And I mean little haha, it was short and stout, and well, honestly the only word I can think to describe it as is..... adorable haha. As we all pile in I snagged the very front seat so as to provide myself with the best view. Although I quickly discovered that due to the dark and the rain I wasn't going to be able to see much beyond car headlights. A girl named Nicole sat beside me and we quickly struck up a conversation, during which I learned that her grandma was Japanese and had met her grandfather during the war. That of course led to much discussion that helped pass the time during the hour and a half long ride to the University.

At one point I became curious and turned to our Japanese professor and the following conversation followed:

"How big is the population in Tsukuba city?"

"Oh about 200-300 thousand I think."

"And would you consider that a bigger city or a smaller city?"

"Actually Tsukuba city is in the top three cities as far as the population in our prefecture."

Now when I was in China, our dear Changzhou had a good 3-4 million people, and it was barely considered a blip of a city...... I just love finding these comparisons :)

We stopped at a supermarket just a short distance from the school and my favorite part of the day began: the shopping guessing game :D

As I meandered through aisles full of who knows what I found it extremely hard to keep a perspective on the prices. As I grabbed a bottle of water for 87 JPY and some yogurt for 130 I shuddered just a little, until I reminded myself that the exchange was about 80 JPY for a dollar, and then I didn't feel quite so bad.

As I passed the hot food case I shocked one of the Japanese students in our group when I excitedly grabbed a plate full of little fried fish (I'm talking WHOLE fish) "You like this?" she asked quizzically and I saw a huge smile break across her face when I nodded. "Very good!" she said and gave me a thumbs up. I laughed as I bought my stuff, thinking back at the delicious little fried fish my dear old Tsing Ying would serve us.

When we got to the school they handed out our keys and out internet passes as they talked through all the little formalities with checking into the University. I admit my mind was elsewhere as I zoned out in exhaustion and watched the three rather attractive Japanese guys doing break dancing at the other end of the common room. However my interest did perk up slightly when they began talking about using the showers, and the public bathhouse that was available to us on campus. I looked sideways at Nicole who had a mischievous look in her eye as she whispered, "We're totally going to go use that." I smiled back, "Well duh!"

They showed us up to our rooms after that and after making sure we were all good they all left to their own rooms and I collapsed face first onto my bed for the next 10 minutes until I could will myself to get up and do something so I didn't fall asleep.

Now my dear friends, I have stayed up long enough and shall retire to my slumber until the rising sun brings me new adventures ;)

Oh wait wait! I almost forgot! :O When we were in the airport I went to use the restroom, and in one of the stalls I found........ A SQUATTER!!! :D :D And of course I had no choice but to use it! Ah how sweet the joy :D

In The Hills

Our second day in Beijing was a day filled with beauty and nature. Heading an hour out of the city center we began our journey at the expansive grounds of the Summer Palace. Here is where the Emperors and their family and servants would retire to when they wanted a summer respite from the confines of the Forbidden City Palace. I wish I could have had more time in Beijing so that we could have spent longer at the Summer Palace, but I think you could spend a couple days there and still not see all there is to see. Pagodas, temples, statues, courtyards, living quarters and a huge lake are scattered across the 2.9 square kilometers that make up the palace grounds.

Wandering through woods and grass and along dirt paths we were able to find countless numbers of these hidden treasures. It was like being in a storybook or a movie. It really was beautiful.

Nearing the lake from the north end we came to the long corridor; a wooden walkway stretching the length of that section of the lake. The ceiling was painted with countless murals each unique. We found a lot more people nearby the corridor than we had the wooded hills northward.

Dragon boats floated along the lake, taking passengers to various docks.

Walking along the edge we found the seventeen-arch-bridge. Made of marble and spanning the distance to a nearby island, it was a sight to be seen It was decorated with numerous Chinese lions each one unique from the rest.

We also came across a man playing with some toys that I recognized from home. I can't remember what they're called, but I had played with them before, and attempted to again.

I think my skills may have dwindled however haha ;)

Every building we found was so colorful and decorative. It really showed how much more open and relaxed the Summer Palace was.

It's a place to wander among the trees and feel a cool breeze. A place to sit and paint or write. To just enjoy life.

After leaving the Summer Palace we went trekking through the street looking for a bus stop to catch to our next destination. We got a little turned around and couldn't figure out where it was. We ended up standing there for a few minutes wondering what to do until we finally saw the bus we needed go by. We began following it, hoping that it would lead us to the stop. However, when we were still walking a few minutes later we realized that we probably should have gone the other way. However, we ended up being pretty content with our choice since we eventually did find a bus stop and along the way we got to see a lot of cool things.

It was kind of a run down area with people mulling around doing odd jobs. Children were playing in doorways, and each place we passed we got quick glances from the people inside. It was a different side than most tourists get to see.

After riding the bus for about half an hour we were dropped off a short walk from Xiangshan Park. One of the reasons I really wanted to see this place was because I heard it was one of the best places to see the fall red leaves. It was something I really missed about home. As we walked into the park it did not disappoint.

It was a sea of red, yellow and orange. As we walked along the trail, for the first time I almost felt at home. It was eerily similar to walking through the mountains back home and it brought a smile to my face to know that my two worlds could be connected by something so simple and beautiful.

One tip when it comes to names in China if the park has the word "Shan" in it you can count on there being a mountain to climb since Shan in fact means mountain. So I was expecting it when we came to a trail map that showed how far it was to the peak. From where we were to the top it was about a mile and we had to get back down as well. We needed to get back to our hostel by 6:30 to get our ride to an opera show we were going to so we only had about an hour and half left in the park. Nick, Kareena, and I looked at each other, smiled and knew that a challenge had been issued that must be taken. So we left the others to explore at the base of the mountain while we began our sprint for the top. Now normally walking two miles in an hour is easy to do, but you have to understand exactly what we were up against. Not only were we going up a mountain, we were going almost STRAIGHT up a mountain. It seems the Chinese have an affinity for stairs taller than they are. The majority of the hike was spent climbing as quickly as we could (and as quickly as we dared) up stairs that at some points I had to practically use my hands to get up.

Eventually Kareena and I had Nick go on ahead while he kept working our way upwards. We weren't sure if we'd have time to make it up before we had to begin heading down and we wanted him to at least make it. But don't worry, Kareena and I are a couple of stubborn headed girls who would not be denied. When we got to the point where we could see the top within reach, we just started scrambling as fast as we could. I startled a couple of Chinese coming down, with my monkey like climbing up those ridiculous stairs.

All our hard work paid off when we were standing on that precipice looking down over that sea of trees. Nothing has ever made me so happy as knowing that I had made it up that mountain.

At the top almost every tree and railing had red ribbons tied around them with names and messages from Chinese who had been up there.

It reminded me of the locks on all of the chains on Huangshan. I wish I had had time to put one of my own on but alas we had to get back down that mountain and time was ticking. Getting down was almost as hard as getting up. Especially since we were in a hurry.

I was basically clutching the cold metal railing with both hands as I ran/jumped down those same stupidly steep steps that I had just been clambering up, while Chinese yelled at me (probably to slow down and stop trying to get myself killed). It was kind of scary, but I think that made it even more fun for me. Kareena was behind me attempting not to roll her bad ankle.

Finally we made it back down to the relatively flat area and we had about 10 minutes left and a good half-mile to go. So the two of us put our heels to the wind and started running. With the steep stairs behind us we were really able to get some speed up. I'm pretty sure some of the people we passed must have thought we were a little cuckoo. It was the first time I had had a good run in a while and it felt so good! As we rounded the last corner and met back up with Nick and the others we were elated. We had made it!!

Basically we were the coolest people ever and we so knew it ;)

Leaving the park we attempted to get on a bus back to the metro, but for some reason the one we wanted to take wasn't working so we went sprinting down the road further to a different bus stop where we hopped on and immediately got stuck in a horrendous traffic jam. We hadn't accounted for something like that happening and it took far too long to get back to the metro. Then it still took us a good 40 minutes to get back to the hostel and by that time it was already after 7. We had missed our show but the hostel was really cool and said that we could go the next day instead, but they warned us if we didn't make it back this time they would only refund part of our money (although honestly I'm surprised they would refund us at all!)

With the show out of our minds we all immediately realized how hungry we were. A couple girls we met in the lobby told us to go next door where there was a restaurant with an English menu and really good fried rice. So we followed their advice and ate some super yummy food. Afterwards a few of us decided to go get some ice cream and began wandering down the street when we ran into some of our other teachers. About half of us were in my group who decided to do things on our own, while the other half had decided to do a three-day guided tour of Beijing instead. They told us of a cool street not to far away and so we followed them and explored around the city for awhile before ending up at a McDonalds where we got our delicious ice cream.

On the way back to the hostel an epic idea was formed. Earlier the previous day Ashley and I had both proven that we could piggy-back Nick and walk with him (we are the two shortest girls in the group). So we decided to have a piggy-back race!!! With Nick poised to jump on my back and Louis ready to hop on Ashley I was confident in my abilities to win. I had done this a million times and had no problems carrying around big guys. So Kelly ran ahead and counted us off.

Tragedy struck when, as soon as he hopped on, my legs crumpled beneath me. I hadn't exactly accounted for the physical feat I had accomplished earlier that day, and I hadn't realized just how tired my poor legs were. Laughing hysterically we reorganized and decided to try it a way that made more sense. With me and Ashley on the boys backs. Now I had complete faith in Nick. He was a solid , strong guy and should have no problems carrying me. So as Kelly counted off once again I knew we had it in the bag.

#3.....I was poised ready to jump on 2.....I crouched ready to spring up....3! I jumped on Nick's back, he took a step and suddenly I was falling head first toward the ground. I managed to tuck and roll rather than slam my head into the ground and ended up face down on the ground laughing so hard I couldn't breath. Nick jumped up quickly convinced he had killed me. As soon as he knew I was all right we were surrounded by people and all of us just sat and laughed for a good while until we could compose ourselves.

Due to extenuating circumstances we decided to reconvene the match when Nick and I were in a proper physical state to compete. Our beds were more comfortable than ever before that night.