Hey Hey and a Big G´day to you all

Well what can I say, it was time to visit the Big Bugger!

After breakfast we headed to the river side to grab our tickets for the ferry to find there actually was no longer a ferry. We tried again and then asked some of the locals Tuk Tuk Riders. It seems in the name of tourism the one Yuan ferry has been taken out of action leaving you with a choice of a Tuk Tuk around to the park gate way or paying 80 Yuan for a large tour boat but. Bugger that for an option we chose the Tuk Tuk. The ride took about twenty minutes and he actually took us all the way around to the main ticket office. We would have been happy to be dropped off outside the Grand Buddha gates.

I guess he figured `you´ve come all this way, why not see the rest of the park´.
Good thinking 99! The ticket that gives you access to the entire park costs 100 Yuan and it actually is more than worth the money. The place is huge and it´s beautiful. In some places there are too many Chinese Tourists but pass them by and come back later. I´m not even going to try to write about each part of the park as the map we got in no way matched the Lonely Planet map. I had taken some notes as I didn´t want to carry the book just for a map and some descriptions.

We spent the day on Lingyun Shan and never ventured across to Wuyou Shan. It really does end up being a rather tiring day. Poor Jude was complete exhausted and a little snappy by the end of the day.

The Dongfang Fodu Gongyuan or Oriental Buddha Park was fantasic. It was quiet and set amongst grass and trees. This is where you will find the worlds longest Buddha. Mate, he´s 170 meters long and I nearly missed him. We were looking everywhere for him. I actually though he´d be near eye level but it wasn´t until we walked back to a little bridge and I looked up and I said;

Mate, he really is a Long Reclining Bugger!

You´ll find him carved into the hill way up top above all the other Buddha´s. The other section that was cool was the section that housed the other several huge Buddha´s. You have to climb a heap of stairs to reach them. The huge laughing fat bugger was the coolest Buddha there. From there you head out back and up the hill and finally you reach Dafo Si. Here is where you can check the Big Bugger for nits! Yes, you´re right at head level and it´s only here that you say:

`Fark, he really is a Big Bugger!

After taking many photos that will all look the same as he really is that big head around to the other side of his head. The line might be long, the Chinese will push their way in but it really is worth the wait to walk the stairs to the Big Buggers feet. It is only when you reach his feet that you say to yourself:

Fark, the Big Bugger has huge feet, imagine how big his....shoes must be!

Seriously, it truly is hard to comprehend how big this Bugger really is until you stand at his feet. When you stand next to his feet you don´t even reach the stone block his foot is mounted on. Mate he´s freakin 71meters high, his ears are 7 meters long and his toe nail is 8.5 meters long. Imagine cutting those bastards and cleaning his ears. I remember reaching the bottom and looking up and saying to Judy:

Mate he really is a big bugger!
Seriously, I did!

From his feet you then take a million stairs around the mountain. Depending on which way you take you´ll probably have to take a Tuk Tuk back to the ticket office and decide whether to walk back to Leshan or continue in the Tuk Tuk. Your best option is to get out of theTuk Tuk at the Main Ticket Office and take Bus No: 13 back across to the city.

The night was spent walking around eagerly trying to find where the New Castle Arms had gone to. Still no sight, no find and time to find another place to drink beer. We found the Yang´s Family Eatery. What it actually is someone´s kitchen. She cooks and talks and you eat and talk. We decided after a year anda half in China we had that experience more than enough so we opted for a little eatery just down the road. This place had the best sweet and sour pork I´ve eaten in China to this date! It was more pricey than we thought but well worth it! * written 4th October

Anyhow, time to head out for noodles and a beer....so, Beer N Noodles to ya...shane