Hey Hey and a Big G'Day to you
What a beautiful weekend it was.

Friday, 25th November 2005

After a brilliant day with my Grade 3's I caught a road side bus to Tiandong where I spent the evening with Kylie, Leeanne and Judy. We all stayed at Judy's apartment in her school. We spent the evening at BBQ and sharing beer and then went on a little town walk before heading home to sleep.

Saturday, 26th November 2005

We rose too early and caught the 7am bus to Jingxi. The journey took several hours. Another beautiful bus journey in the south of Guangxi. The road wound its way through the limestone karst hills that populate most of the south of Guangxi. It was just beautiful! Kylie had been there once prior and wanted to say in the same hotel. We found the hotel and after dropping our bags off we headed out into the little city to find the bus that would take us to the waterfalls for they day. When we arrived at the Waterfall Park we began the beautiful walk alongside a very clean and running river. Everything was so clean, green and beautiful. When we finally made it to the waterfall we sat for a time to listen to it gushing over the side of the mountain. The track made its way behind the waterfall and into the mountain cave. It wasn't a long cave walk. We then made our way back. The evening found us at BBQ Street and walking around the streets.

Sunday, 27th November 2005

After breakfast we hired a lady and her comfortable cab for the day. We were soon heading to Jyo Pin which is a most beautiful little village. It was so clean and set amongst the karst peaks. Kylie was so happy to be our guide. She took us to what is supposedly one of the most sort after pagodas in China and when it came in to view I understood why. It was just stunning. I won't even begin to write about it. Please look at the photos to this entry. Maybe it won't come across as it did on the day but it was just amazing. The sky was blue, the little bridge before it, the limestone karst peaks in the background. Stunning, just stunning!

The village is known as Love Ball Village. The people whom live there make and sell thousands of what are called Love Balls. They are cloth balls in all different sizes and shapes. The story is this without going into detail. At a certain time of the year (I think, maybe it's at any time) women purchase or make these balls and throw them at males of their choice. It the man catches the ball then it means he loves her and is interested in her. If he doesn't I guess she has to throw it at the next man whom walks on by. The girls were so funny. They wanted to purchase many of them and hang them from their sun visors and revision mirrors in their cars back in Australia. When they stop at traffic lights they'll begin to fling them at random at the men crossing the road.

All too soon the afternoon came and went finding us on a bus back to Baise. Once in Baise I caught a roadside bus to Tianyang. Well I didn't end up there. The driver must have just nodded his head at anything I said and not understood me. I was woken by him in some tiny village about an hour away from Tianyang. Luckily he found someone returning to the highway and I caught a lift with them. Maybe the village has a name that sounds just like it. As when he woke me I said Tianyang and he still said yes.
When I realised we were not in Tianyang I said it again and he still said yes.
It was such a strange ending to a beautiful weekend.