"It's more fun in the Philippines!"

We have arrived in the Philippines! Now, now, I know what you’re thinking…you thought Beijing was our last leg, right? Yeah, we did too. Until we decided that with still some money left in the account, why not go for round 2? So, we did. We were in the bustling capital of Manila for a couple of days before we headed north to the rice terraces of Banaue. And here we are now, surrounded by the lush green rice terraces, instead of the smog-ridden city of Beijing.  

These terraces were built by the native Ifuago people more than two thousand years ago, and it was nice to see that the people there today still used the same land and pretty much the same techniques as their ancestors to plant and harvest the rice. As we hiked through the enormous terraces and saw the farmers out there sweating under the hot sun, you can’t help but feel more appreciative of each grain of rice that is in your bowl. The village people here lead a very simple life. They farm, they tend to the family, and they always have time in between to have a few laughs with family and friends. We passed by a house in the village where an old man was squatting effortlessly in front of his house. He was missing all but one tooth, but seemed quite energetic and aware. It wasn’t until we were heading off that we found out that he was 95 years young.

But now we’ve had our fill of green rice terraces, and we’re heading off to the south where the thousands of islands of the Philippines await. One of the first things I saw right before we landed on the tarmac in Manila was a sign that said, “It’s more fun in the Philippines!” We’re definitely ready to put that statement to the test. Although we won’t have time to see all 7,107 islands of the country, we will definitely try our best to find our little slice of paradise under the sun.

The amazing rice terraces of Banaue

Featuring...us!

My secret dream of having our blog transformed into a book and then possibly a movie, is one step closer to reality. Okay, fine…it’s not quit there at all, but we were featured in a travel blog! Michael, a guy I met on my first day in Japan started up this blog called Travel Sex Life. (Because really, what is life without the first two?) He asked us if we would like to be featured on the blog as a guest blogger, and we agreed. We did an interview with him, which was quite fun as it got us reflecting back on some of the experiences we’ve had.

Check out our interview here!

 http://www.travelsexlife.com/2012/02/kevin-lily-on-sex-and-romance-on-the-road/#more-754

100 days...and counting

Today marks the 100^th day of travelling for Kevin and I! There have been highs and there have definitely been lows. Who ever said travelling (especially with some one) was easy? 100 days of travelling means enduring over 3 months of grungy hostels, infinite bug bites, getting scammed, and doing all-nighters in trains, buses and airports. But, it does make the beautiful sunsets, remarkable people you meet, and everlasting memories that much sweeter.

So, how do we prevent ourselves from wringing each other’s necks? Here’s goes my list of cheesy one-liners…but I really do believe in them.  

1.       Be able to laugh at each other’s and your own mistakes.

2.       Be flexible – with your travel plans and with each other.

3.       Don’t worry so much – it’ll all work out.

4.       Don’t be afraid to break the rules a little bit.

5.       It really is about the journey, not the destination. Sounds cliché, but it’s true.  

(Of course when I asked Kevin what he thought, he bluntly stated that it’s important to spend time away from each other. That's my Prince Charming).

In China, when a baby turns 100 days, it’s a big celebration because it’s supposed to represent the wish that the baby will live 100 years. It’s a big family affair that involves lots of food. In a way, it’s similar to what my wishes are for us in the future. A life where we can love, travel, and eat good food together for many years to come.  After all, isn’t that what life is all about?

Driving into the most spectacular sunset - Mui Ne, Vietnam

Strength in numbers

We are in the ancient capital city of Xi’an. After a couple of weeks of just chilling in Beijing, we decided it was time to hit the road again, so we hopped on a plane for a couple of hours and arrived at this walled city. Although the historical pagodas and towers still stand tall and unwavering as it did in the past, the city has also seen its fair share of Starbucks and Zara’s pop up in the last few years. Not that I’m complaining, as it does convenience things a lot…especially as I’m taking advantage of Starbuck’s free wi-fi as I type this.

We went to visit the Terracotta Army yesterday, which is about an hour west of the city. The site is one of many, but the largest to date, of terracotta sculptures unearthed in the area. These sculpted army warriors, horses, and chariots were buried with China’s first emperor to protect him in his afterlife. It’s hard not to be impressed with just the sheer size of the pit where these loyal soldiers have stood for over 2000 years. Then you dig a little deeper (pun intended) and realize the meticulous and intricate craftsmanship that went in to creating something as massive as this many millennia ago. In fact, there are no two soldiers that are identical. From there facial features to their weapons, even the tread on the back of their shoes are one of a kind.

Perhaps what the emperor saw for China in the distant future was what he surrounded himself with during and after his reign. From what we have seen and experienced in our time in this country, this is a place where power and money is exuded merely from the sheer size of its population. As small villages turn into burgeoning cities, buildings get taller and the lights flashier. Its economic influence on the world continues to play a crucial role in the world albeit certain basic rights the country turns a blind eye to. Kevin and I have been very impressed with some things we have seen here, and equally disenchanted with others. Maybe this is what happens when a country as large as this tries to develop too quickly at one end, and forgets to build vital foundations in other respects.

The pit is so big it is housed in an airplane hanger sized area

A more up close and personal look

Chilling in Beijing

I apologize to my legions of fans for not keeping you all in the loop the last few days.  It’s hard to remember to blog when I feel like we’re at home, and there hasn’t been anything really strange/stressful/problematic to write about. Things have been quite smooth and worry-free, and we’re definitely not complaining. But do not fret, there’s a long post coming up.

We’ve been swallowing up the Chinese New Year festivities since arriving here. Just like the twelve days of Christmas, there are the fifteen days of Chinese New Year, with festivities starting on the eve of the New Year and special customs and traditions that are followed on each subsequent day, until the fifteenth day. Most of the traditions inevitably involve food, and of course Kevin and I have partaken in these celebrations as much as our stomachs will allow. We’ve sampled some pretty “interesting” things as well as cooking/eating  a homemade seafood feast that went from noon to 4PM.

Since we’re not in a rush to get to our next destination, we’ve either been led around by family to some nice places around the city, or exploring on our own slow pace. Today for example, we spent a good part of the day walking down this historic street where we sampled four different types of yogurt at four different shops. We haven’t spent too much time wandering outside though, because like the title suggests, it’s literally very chilly in Beijing. Being the northern most city we’ve been to since leaving Toronto, we’ve also had to pack on the layers in order to stay warm.

The cold weather hasn’t deterred people from setting fireworks though, which is an essential part of New Year celebrations. Traditionally, fireworks are set off to scare off evil spirits and bad luck so that the New Year can start afresh.  These days, it seems more like an excuse to set off gigantic sticks, scratch that – gigantic crates of fireworks that would make Canadian Health and Safety personnel lose their jobs. On NYE, when it’s almost midnight, neighbourhoods all over China set off super powerful firecrackers that set off car alarms. These firecrackers aren’t set off in open area parks, instead their placed in the middle of the road and the sparks bounce off the walls of apartment buildings. Meanwhile, empty firecracker shells whiz by your body and fragments fall into your hair. Sounds dangerous? Yeah, just a little. You look around and it’s like a war zone. There are BOOMS and BANGS going off everywhere, leaving the streets smoky and misty, as well as littered with debris. It’s all fun and games until someone looses an eye. So far so good though.

Happy Chinese New Year! Hope the year of the dragon brings everyone health, happiness, and prosperity!

Boxes of firecrackers ready to be set off

Firecracker war zone street

Too close for comfort in the balcony section

Sunny Suzhou

They say Suzhou (which is a city about 100 km east of Shanghai) is home to China’s most beautiful women. Although we were not able to prove said statement was true, we were treated to some of the best weather we’ve seen in China so far.

After a somewhat stressful last day in Hangzhou, we arrived in Suzhou looking forward to visiting some of the parks and gardens that the city is known for. The first morning in Suzhou, we stepped out of our hostel, not into a puddle, but into what is deemed to be “clear” skies in China. There were even parts of the day where we could see blueish sky. We got a late start to the day after sleeping in, and after feeding ourselves along the lively pedestrian streets, we headed to the biggest and considered by many to be the most impressive garden in Suzhou. We were quite camera happy as we strolled around the garden, even stopping to set up the tripod along the way.

The Humble Administrator's Garden, biggest garden in Suzhou

 Our nights in Suzhou were spent at our hostel café, where over a pot of tea, Kevin and would challenge each other to games of Gomoku. It’s a game that uses similar black and white stones and game board like Othello, but it’s kind of played like Connect Four, except you have to get five in a row. In other words, it’s Connect Four Plus One More. No, I didn’t come up with that, but it’s quite catchy. Although Kevin fought quite hard, it was still 3-0 for me after our three-night battle. But who’s counting?

We’re heading back to Shanghai tomorrow, but only for a very brief stopover before we board the plane to Beijing! I can’t believe we’re finally going to Beijing. We’ve known all along that we’ll be in Beijing for Chinese New Year, but thinking about that at the beginning of November seemed like it was eons away. And now that our tickets are purchased, and we’re leaving tomorrow, it seems much more real. A little sad too in a way, since that means our trip is on its last legs. But there’s no point in dwelling on that just yet. Our return tickets back to reality still aren’t booked, and I’m pretty content on having our heads up in our travelling clouds for a bit longer. 

Friends

The last three days of our Shanghai stint was made even more memorable because of the good food and conversation we shared with friends from across the ocean. We met up with Michael and Sainan after their trip to Sainan's home town. We knew that they would be in Shanghai from Jan. 8 to 11 way before, but because our plans were so unpredictable, we weren't sure if we'd be able to meet up with them. Luckily, it all worked out in the end and we spent three days doing a lot of walking, chatting, and of course eating.

Kevin enjoyed having an outlet to talk about his tech and research topics to someone who actually understood (thanks, Mike!), while I had someone to ooh and ahh at sights with me and talk about girly stuff. And we were both thoroughly ecstatic to have a Chinese speaker AND reader (thanks, Sainan!). Walking around the city was like the good ol' days when the four of us would go for weekend trips to somewhere, and the highlight our days would be the food. Except this time, we were on the other side of the world, speaking a different language. We're not sure when we'll see Mike and Sainan again...but a little birdie told me that it'll be sometime in August...this time in Toronto.


Kevin and Lily in transit is nice, but meeting friends along the way is icing on the cake. 

The gang at The Bund, Shanghai