Hey Hey and a Big G'Day toya,
 
Well hidden gems!
Don't you just love finding things that you weren't actually looking for!
 
After spending all Friday night and Saturday night trying to fix my damn laptop, downloading Linux and another thirteen hours worth of updates I thought it was time for a huge walk along the Shangzhou River.   As I was walking I was talking to Luo Wei on the phone and crossed over the road I was supposed to take to walk back into town.
 
I'm here now I thought.
Why not simply continue and forget about the computer!
While walking beneath a huge ocean of blue, forget about the computer is exactly what I did!
 
Soon a huge dam wall came into view and I thought that would be the end of the road. Luckily I noticed some people climbing some stairs to the right of the wall so I thought, 'hey while in China do as the Chinese do and simply follow the person in front' (especially when it comes to tourist areas) and thankfully I did, as when I reached the top I was greeted by the breathtaking view in photo number twenty five on this page.
 
Isn't it strange what you find after asking what there is too find and being told there is nothing to find!
 
I spent the first half of the afternoon walking along the foreshore and debated taking a small ferry across to a small island (in photo number twelve). In the end I decided to save the island for next time and to find a way to climb the huge hill behind me so I could visit the temple that I had been watching for most of my walk. I spent the next hour talking small trails through the trees and finally emerged almost exactly where I wanted to.
 
The end of my track was about ten centimeters to the left of the stair case that took me up to the temple!
 
Before climbing the stairs I stopped to play with a small child who was helping his grandmother fill a bag full of corn that had been drying in the sunshine.  I then carried the bag inside their little house (photo eighteen) and was rewarded with a cup of water which was just what I needed after my hill climb (see photo seventeen, I came through the trees from around the back. This is the land right next to their little home).
 
I won't carry on and on about the view from the temple.
We all know that temples were the original Mc Donald's and always get the best real estate in town!
 
I simply made it to the top of the stairs and once I saw the view that is where I stayed for the next few hours before giving in to what I thought was the best thing to do. That was to leave before it got dark because now it is much too cold to sleep outside. Slowly I descended the mountain using the road and was greeted by stunning view at each snaking bend.
 
I must say, it was hard to tare myself away from the farmers ploughing the field with cattle!
 
Though it's not something most people would come across every day, maybe even once in a life time, living, travelling and riding where I do I come across it quite a lot. I can't say though that I often come across it on the side of a mountain with such an awesome view with all being belittled by the towering cliffs beside.
 
Beers N Noodles toya.....shane
_______________________________________
 
The soundtrack to the entry was by World Party
The album was the incredible' Egyptology'
_______________________________________