Ok, well we are now thoroughly into China, currently in Lijiang, close to the Burma border (but not close enough to worry Mums!) in Yunnan province. Internet access is a little more limited and our activities are a lot more intense, so we cannot tell you everything we've been up to. Instead here is a top five funny/interesting/stunning list of things we've been up to (in no chronological or preferential order though):

1. Staying in a monastery at the foot of Emei Shan (Famous mountain) We arrived to the slow burning of large candles and calming insense. The whole place oused tranquility and we were soon pretty chilled. Most of our tour group decided to attempt to climb the mountain for sunrise leaving just a few of us to stay the night with the monks. We decided to reelax a bit more so we headed for a local hot spring baths (communal and clothed this time, unlike Japan!). All lots of fun. Our Chinese tour leader, Andy almost got obliterated as a huge tree branch smashed into one of the pools just seconds after he decided to get out-good timing! Then the girls decided to have a 'back scrub'. To Jen's surprise her pants were quickly pulled down and she was spanked! After this initial violation, and in fits of laughter with Sara, our tour's Canadian representative, her WHOLE body was scrubbed to 'cleanse' her! The next morning we got awoken at 4am by the gentle bells and drums of the monk's prayers. we just watched as the prayed and chanted to Buddha- a truely inspiring experience!

2. Trekking the Great Wall (Famous wall) Thankfully we headed out early for this one as the temperature was due to get into the high thirties. We went to Mutianyu, a two km section of the wall way up in the mountains, 90km outside Beijing. We did a lot of walking along up a lot of steps, with occasional restbite from the already sizzling sun at the watchtowers. I'll let Richard M. Nixon's quote sum this one up: "This is a Great Wall and only a great people with a great past could have a great wall and such a great people with such a great wall will surely have a great future." Yes, that's what I'm getting at too!

3. Chinese food (Famous grub) This is a collective entry for all the food we are experiencing, because it is all delicious (except for the fried sour melon I had last night). After Korea, where Jen's salvation was when she found a sandwich shop selling balsamic cheese and tomato panini, and that's the only thing she managed to finish (infact she finished two!), China was food heaven. On our first day we ate out on this crazy busy street, with red lanters hanging and where we had to collect a number and wait 45mins (with rice tea and nuts) for a seat. Ordered some tastey looking stuff, but avoided the ducks head, chicken foot (which i have since tried) and ducks blood noodles. Out came my beef on abed of chillies! that was hot but lovely. Then out came the Pez monkey's bowl of prawns, which actually could be used by the military, they were so explosive- you at the whole king prawn too. Jen decided she was not going to let it go to waste so she proceeded to peel all the prawns (not as easy/clean as when uncooked)! Other delicious items include sweet and sour fish (a whole huge fish), noodle soup (with raw meat and quail's eggs to cook in the soup) and Peking duck with one zillion side dishes to add enjoy with it.

4. Bird and Flower market in Kunming (not a famous market at all) This is a bit of an odd choice. We were in Kunming for a very short day after flying from Chengdu, and the monastery, and in a bit of a ropey hostel. We decided to head into town so went for a walk. There was a market mentioned in the rough guide so we headed for that. We walked to where it was on the map and came accross this street being dug up. Motorbikes betting stuck, large trenches to jump accross and lots of women wielding pick axes (as roadworkers, not angry wives). we ventured our way down it and came to the 'bird and flower' market. it sounds very nice, but infact it was officially nuts. it sold turtles, snakes, lizards, mice, rabbits, beetles, fish, and then birds and flowers. also a lot of large swords, knuckle dusters, flick knives and a lady even asked if we were interested in guns (or i assume that's what she meant when she flashed us a picture of a large arson of pistols, rifles and sub-automatic machine guns)! Jenny was interested in the bunnies!

5. Climbing Tiger Leaping Gorge (Famous Gorge) Just got back from a two day trek up, along and down Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. It was high up in the mountains and lots of breathtaking views to marvel at along the way, looking both up and down. Up- the stunning snow-capped peaks, the highest being 5600m and guarded by clouds, with many sheer cliff faces and waterfalls. Down the awesomely turbulent Yangtze River, chocolate brown in colour flowing all the way from the Tibetan Plateaus of the Himalayas and headed towards Shanghai. We stayed in a fantasticly placed Guest House over night, with the view of the entire mountain range on the opposite side of the gorge. I got up at sunrise this morning to see the stars dissappear and the mountain peaks starting to glow- well worth the early start. We walked through a beautiful waterfall on the way down, past a few hairy rockfall points and i got to see some pretty spectacular rock formations (I think Jen got into it too, or she is a very persuasive fibber!). Loving the great outdoors!

Ok, so we have not just done 5 things in the time we have been in China- we have in fact been very busy bees! Not included in the top 5, largely due to their largely self-explanatory nature are: The Forbidden Kingdom in Beijing; Tian'anmen Sqaure in Beijing(including seeing Mao's frozen corpse!); the Bird's nest in the Olympic area with some pretty cool night kite flying; The Terracotta Army in Xi'an (a lot beheaded); seeing Pandas in Chengdu's Panda Reserve; Jen beating me at Chess more than times than I have beaten her (current score 3-1 Perry, 1 game void); slumming it on night sleeper trains travelling at slow speeds along seriously ropey track; and getting used to local customs, largely hacking up and spitting all over the place(men and women).

There is so much more to say about China, but you probably don't have the time, nor patience to read any more of this waffle, and I am now bored of typing. The pictures will follow but we have come accross some frustratingly slow computers, which really aren't keen on uploading, and we are equally as unkeen on them after wasting hours trying to do so. Anyway, got to go now as it is starting to rain and I am currently on a computer in an open courtyard in our guesthouse- i dont think my fingers will work so well with Chinese electricity pasing through them.

Bye for now, Monty.