Zhaoqing Day 2

Hello! I'm back:)

This week I'm gonna share some pictures of my second day in Zhaoqing for my birthday. I'm sorry I'm so slow at this blog. I do want to keep a record of all the places I've been to though so someday I can remember it all fondly. It just might be slow in the updating process.

My second day I ended up going to Dinghu mountain. It was a ways outside the city so I packed up my stuff from the hotel, had breakfast in town, and then took a bus over to the mountain. 

 Walking up this mountain was definitely one of my favorite places. I think it's one of the most beautiful places I've been to still...

This temple at the top was really old, and really famous. It had amazing views of the tropical forests and mountains and just had an amazingly peaceful atmosphere. I really loved it.

Then I walked around the back of the temple and down the mountain to see this beautiful waterfall. 

 There were lots of little waterfalls along the way.

 A nice Chinese man took my picture:)

So that was Dinghu. Catching the train back home afterwards and getting caught in a flash storm was less fun, but I loved every minute of my hike.

My birthday... in China

My birthday was about a month after I came to China. I was glad to get it over with. Holidays and special days can make you kind of sad and nostalgic so I was happy to plan a little evening for myself that wasn't too crazy. 

I got some dollar store bling and went to the local Hello Kitty Café with my coworker Laura and another coworker and friend Teacher Wu. Her English name is Leslie and she is the sweetest friend and one of my first Chinese friends. 

 Everything was really cute inside, but I think these two were the cutest. 

After my birthday I made plans for my first weekend away. Zhaoqing is a city not far from Foshan. I took the train for the first time and it was a very short journey. 

 My first Chinese hotel experience. It wasn't anything to write home about... yet here we are...

 Zhaoqing is so lovely. It is famous for it's crags. Mountains that rise right out of the water. I spent the entire first day walking around the lakes to see every crag. It was a dream come true. 

 I also stopped by one of the caves nearby. It was weird. Sometimes Chinese light them... and there are always a lot of carvings and statues. 

 I hiked up to the top of one of the mountains and the views were amazing. 

Anyway, I really really loved Zhaoqing and even though I ran out of food at one point and it rained nearly the whole time, I still think of it fondly. I think for my first weekend away, it was the perfect place. And it made my birthday extra special.
Check out part two of my weekend trip next time!!!