Yo from Ping An!
Today was a pretty physically demanding day, but was also quite chilled. We had an early start having delicious pancakes for breakfast. After that we prepared for the big hike that was about to commence. Everyone was ready by around 8:30 waiting outside the stairs of the hostel. While we were waiting for Joe, our local guide, to lead the pack, we had a chance to overlook the amazing view of the rice fields surrounded by the early morning fog. Finally when Joe arrived we began a big journey starting off going through our awesome mountain-top village we were staying at.
After passing the village we went across the stone rocky stairs along the grass which lead to the rice fields. The rice fields were quite extraordinary and was so good to get a good glimpse of its natural beauty. The rice fields had layers of water on them because Jacki Chan was filming a movie there. This was the first time in 600 years that the rice fields had been filled at this time of year. The water made the fields look shiny as if they were made out of stone. This was so good to get a photo of and show all your friends and family.
While we were walking down this stony wide path we noticed many dead snakes, which was as close as we got to seeing snakes. We were also joined by a local dog who followed us throughout the early stages of the hike. It was so cute and it reminded all of us of our furry friends at home that we miss very much. The hike mainly consisted of walking on stone rocks which created a path through the grass for people to walk along, and at some points it was very steep. The hike was a great way to discover new areas around the Longsheng as we wondered our way between three other villages. It was also a great way do some exercise, a great way to talk to people in our group, have a good time and support each other to finish the hike. Some great places we went along consisted of a waterfall, more amazing rice fields, village people and different scenic paths. We learnt a bit about the village people, what they wore, how women did there hair and how they worked.
After the long hike everyone was tired out so most people hadn’t had lunch and it was around three o’clock so we were starving. Everyone had a delicious lunch which gave us the energy to play some street soccer out in the village. The man of the match was Robbo scoring five big ones. What a game!
After letting out some energy we went to a Chinese restaurant in the our village and enjoyed a scrumptious dinner with the whole group. When we had finished eating we were heard the sound of some fireworks outside the restaurant in celebration of a a local Chinese wedding that was being held in our village. We got to watch the display, which lit up the sky above the village, and the sound of firecrackers echoed around the valley. It was a great way to end the day.
Today was a great day because it allowed everyone to let out some energy and we all had some freedom to do what we wanted. Tomorrow we leave this amazing place and it will stay in our hearts forever.
By George Hronopoulos and Robert McLeish