Our last day in Hong Kong meant a return trip to China. We had spoken with a Dutch man who said he would not return, as it has completely lost its authenticity. He was disheartened, as he'd first come to China 22 years ago when the villages, fishermen and neighbourhoods were 'real'. He said that one of his favourite villages has been completely moved and "restored" for tourism. As we returned to mainland China, it was with the hope that we might find some of its old spirit, far from Hong Kong's bright lights.

Much of the morning was consumed with packing up at the hostel, catching the shuttle bus, and transferring between MTR and KCR trains. That, and waiting for Barry, while he caught a taxi to Rosemarie's office to retrieve his fleece jacket left behind at dinner the other night!

As we travelled, it was fun to people-watch. The women here dress beautifully, many of them in business power suits. As well, the range of skin tones, shapes, and sizes gives testimony to Hong Kong being Asia's World City. Hong Kong, over the years, has become a magnet for people seeking success, and the tone of the city is one of money. We are sure that Hong Kong would be a great place to live if you're well off, but being poor here would suck! We didn't see the poverty, though. Hawkers and beggars do not exist, save a very few. However, there are plenty of common labourers. Every fast food place is overstaffed by Canadian standards, and every hundred metres, everywhere - and we mean everywhere - there is someone sweeping, mopping, dusting, separating recyclables, generally cleaning. The malls have uniformed security personnel who are helpful and friendly, and ticket/information kiosks are in abundance in the metro stations.

We decided to visit the Ten Thousand Buddha Monastery because it was highly recommended by more than one traveller on the Internet and it was on the way. First we took care of business, got tickets for the 4:30 train to Guangzhou, and stored our backpacks. Then, we took the train to Sha Tin Station. From there, we took a short walk to get to the start of a 432-step climb (the kids counted) to the temple and monastery. Lining the path were an amazing array of life sized golden Buddhas, and it was fun to examine each Buddha's expression and activity as each was unique. At the top of the climb, we reached the main temple where the smell of incense greeted us. Inside the temple, we saw over 13,000 small Buddha statues covering all four walls from the floor to the 30 foot (?) ceiling. Outside, bonsai trees of all shapes and sizes lined the grounds that also accommodated many other statues and a tall narrow pagoda. We climbed to the top of the pagoda and enjoyed some cold drinks in the shade of the courtyard until it was time to go.

As planned, we caught the train to Guangzhou, hoping to connect to an overnight train to Guilin. We decided that if we missed the train, we'd simply stay the night. After all, the other name for Guangzhou is Canton, as in Cantonese food. This place is pretty famous.