We started the day with a meeting about booking a hostel in Shenzhen, our next stop. We booked it quickly enough and the boys headed out while the girls stayed in (Don't worry Peter, I locked Sara in her room to ensure her safety!) The girls stayed in because they wanted to save money for their trip to the circus later on.

We went to Chinese Pavilion which is the scene of the architectural building for the World Expo, it were a stunning red beams stacked on other each ( Google it) but disappointingly, it were closed but we managed to get in the vacant car park for some photos of it.

We then headed to a temple based on the recommendation of our new founded English friends Rachel and Mary (the students that I mentioned previously) but to our increasing annoyance it was closed!! We saw a market nearby so we wandered into one of the most amazing moments of our travelling so far.

Deeper that we went into the market, the poorer that the buildings get, there is no electricity and the houses, far as we can see inside which is a challenge considering there is no electricity is composed of one room with a ugly looking ladder leading to the upstairs. The washing and drying of the clothes is done outside and by the hand.

The market contains many vintage items such as VW campervans, old war airplanes, original Chinese coins and many other amazing stuff. We bumped into a street that loads of the men were playing a fast paced version of the chess and a mother/son playing badminton (The mother was winning like you when we played badminton my dear mother). They played badminton amongst the people walking past so their reactions were very sharp to avoid whacking people with their racket. I persuade a reluctant Ashley who is quite good at badminton to have a game with the mother which then proceed to give him a beating.

Today, I learnt that the best part about the travelling is not when you are seeing famous landmarks but it is sometimes when you wandered off the beaten path and witness a moment such as the badminton match that the famous landmarks cannot create. Expect the unexpected.

On the side note, my beard is coming along quite nicely, it just stopped itching now.