Trembling Knees (A Weekend in Shidu, Part 2)

Breakfast is scheduled at 8:00 and we are supposed to be off to GuShanZhai at 8:30. I woke up at 7:00 and suffered through the freezing shower like I did last night. The weather looks promising.

early Sunday morning

We didn't eat that much last night, so we are all expecting a very heavy breakfast (we are going to hike today after all and we will need the fuel). Well, life is indeed full of disappointments... only hard-boiled eggs and mantou are the ones I recognized, other than those, it's a fair game.

breakfast guessing game

It took us 30 minutes to GuShanZhai (Susy said it means Lonely Hill). The place is amazing! Entrance tickets cost 30 RMB and another 20 RMB to cross the hanging bridge. If you want to save 20 kuai, I think swimming is another option to cross to the other side, we opted to stay dry, though.

GuShanZhai (tickets cost 30 RMB)

GuShanZhai

Hanging Bridge to the park (costs 20 RMB to cross)

From the other end of the hanging bridge, we walked a kilometre to another ticket check area. I'm not sure if this cost us extra because all the tickets are included in our package (280 RMB, all meals, hotel, and tickets). If you want to conserve energy, you can ride a horse - we didn't ask for how much because the horses really do smell...

parang Mindoro lang...

horseback riding

Souvenir shops and ice cream vendors has set up stalls along the way (yes, even along the river, and cliff edges). You can buy small dolls, slingshots (tirador), walking sticks, cowboy hats and different flavored ice-creams (actually, ice-drop yung tinitinda nila).

there's no mountain high enough

We walked and walked and walked... I lost track of how many streams we passed (or is it one continuous stream???) and how many steps we climbed. My knees started trembling whenever I stop walking, I lost my breath several steps ago and I still don't know where we are supposed to go (lagi pa akong nagpapahinga sa lilim sa lagay na 'to).

cold, refreshing water (but no, it's not for drinking)

We passed by several mini waterfalls on the way, the sound of water is very relaxing but I kept thinking how far I'll have to walk to get back to our bus...

Then there it was, a real big waterfalls (well, not that big, I just said it's big because it was supposed to be the highlight of the hike). I felt all the exhaustion draining away for a chance to play under the falls (to take pictures, really...). The water's cold pero sulit 'yung nilakad kong pagkahaba-haba!

I thought that was it. We'll be going back now... but no, signs for the "Thin Crack in the Sky" started appearing on the way. I'm not sure what that is but they said that we should go see it since we are already there. Okay... up we went. We walked at the edges of the cliff, followed the signs, climbed several flights of stone steps, followed the signs again, rested a bit, climbed a lot of flights of stone steps again until we saw the very steep climb to the actual place. (I felt my lungs burning, I swear I am going to sleep for several days the minute I got back to the city).

very steep climb

Thin Crack in the Sky or Yi Xian Tian (literally, a strip of heaven) is crack in the mountain top about a meter wide which is so cool! My friends said it's like a place from the new Indiana Jones movie - Kingdom of the Crystal skull.

thin crack in the sky (worth the steep climb)

Watch out for these areas where jokers put twigs on the sides of the cliff. It really looked like the twigs are holding up the mountain!

twigs holding the mountain up (kaya nyo yan?)

After the Susy and Mario climbed the Mountain of Solitude (Mel and I rested and tried to catch our breaths five minutes from the top) we walked our way back. We stopped at this stall that sells de-stinged (or is it de-fanged?) scorpions, which would make really weird but rather unique souvenirs. I thought of buying them for presents but I can't figure out how to wrap them...

live souvenirs

We also took several pictures while on the hanging bridge. We're not able to take photos earlier because people are running when we crossed and they made the bridge sway.

pitong bundok

waterfalls near the hanging bridge

they have bigger rafts here and larger space to play

After the hike, we went back to our hotel for lunch. Unlike the previous three meals, they went all out. The food was very delicious. We had around ten different dishes to choose from. They even served freshly caught fish!

sumptuous lunch (reward for the very long walk)

After the meal, people from the group exchanged phone numbers and email addresses and business cards. I stayed true to my antisocial self and took pictures of drying laundry outside. (I don't have business cards, anyway.)

commercial ng Tide

And then we are off to the city. Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to it. I missed my hot water shower...

one last look and we're off

Losing My Breath (A Weekend in ShiDu, Part 1)

Shidu is located in the middle-upper stream of the Juma and Dashi rivers, 100 kilometers from central Beijing.

on our way to ShiDu

ShiDu (ten crossings) was named after the ten ferry crossings that were set up on the ten river bends along the river. There are no ferries that carry passengers now, but there are bamboo rafts that we had fun "driving". It is said to be "the only natural scenic in north China that is characterized by karst rock formations".

SiDu (fourth crossing): those blue thingies that are really
out of place have the Olympic slogan on them

Karst mountains

I joined a tour group with three other friends for a weekend in ShiDu. We left the meeting place near GongZhuFen subway stop at 10 o'clock Saturday morning. The trip took about two hours.

hotel entrance

arriving at our quaint hotel at high noon

Our room has two beds, a black and white television (I thought we had a bad reception but all channels are in black and white, so...), an air conditioner without a remote control, and a shower without a heater (think brain-freeze)...

didn't know black and white TVs still exist...

but the view is worth it all. You can see the Karst mountains just by looking out the window.

Karst mountain backdrop

a moon door with a square door

We had lunch - I'm not sure what we ate, rested a bit, then went to the nearby river to try the bamboo rafts. It was fun. The air was cool so I forgot about the sun and that I am wearing a shirt, so I ended up with an uneven tan. It looked like a I am wearing a permanent shirt. (Oh well, I'll lose it in winter...)

training early...

a family-sized raft

raft fights

We barbecued chicken wings and mantou (chinese steamed bun made of milled wheat) for dinner. Some of the people from the group also had garlic barbecue (which was kind of weird). While we are eating, people from some other place were setting off fireworks.

kanya-kanyang ihaw!

spectacular fireworks

After dinner, we have to choose between karaoke and bonfire by the river. Since songs generally don't like me and all the characters are in Chinese, we opted to go with the others to the river, but then they had to play a game wherein losers have to sing... We ended up going back to our room and sleeping the night away.

bonfire by the river

to be continued...

The Big Bang Theory Season 1

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tangerine Factor
Episode 17 (Season Finale)

These guys really brighten up my day! And Howard didn't really look that nerdy and disgusting in real life!

***
Penny (talking to Leonard): I mean not "you" smart, normal non-freaky smart.

***
Penny: Do yo have a second?
Sheldon: A second what, pair of underwear?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Peanut Reaction
Episode 16

It's hard to blackmail someone if you have to explain to them you are blackmailing them. Howard's a pervert but he missed out on the party! hahahahaha

***
Sheldon (on celebrating Leonard's birthday): It's actually based on very sound theories. His mother published a paper on it. ... It was obviously effective. Leonard grew up to be an experimental physicist. Perhaps if she'd also denied him Christmas, he'd be a little better at it.
Leonard: Thank you.

***
Penny: I want to talk to you.
Sheldon: What would we talk about? We have no overlapping areas of interest I'm aware of.

***
Penny (on having a party for Leonard): He just doesn't know he wants one cause he's never had one.
Howard: I suppose that's possible, but for the record, I've never had a threesome and yet I still know I want one.
Penny: Howard, here's the difference --- the possibility exists that Leonard could have a birthday party before hell freezes over.
Howard: Fine. If I do have a threesome, you can't be part of it. ... I'm just kidding. Yes, you can. Can you bring a friend?

***
Customer: Which hard drive do I want - firewire or USB?
Sheldon: It depends on what bus you have available.
Customer: I drive a Chevy Cavalier.
Sheldon: Oh, dear lord... What you computer do you have? and please don't say a white one.

***
Howard: No, you don't understand
Nurse: Oh I understand. Unfortunately this hospital is not equipped to treat stupid.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Pork Chop Indeterminacy
Episode 15

Raj is sooo adorable! Just his luck that the medication wore out when he was about to get the girl! I can't stop laughing!

***
Leonard: Some physicists are concerned that if the super-collider actually works, it'll create a black hole and swallow up the earth. Ending life as we know it.
Raj: Pfft, What a bunch of crybabies. No guts no glory, man.

***
Sheldon: How can you be late? I wasn't expecting you at all.
Howard: Nobody ever expects me. Sometimes you just look and bam! Howard Wolowitz.

***
Missy: That's because you have no measurable sense of humor, Shelly.
Sheldon: How exactly would one measure a sense of humor? A humormometer?

***
Sheldon: They call me a genius, because I'm a genius.

If only we can all be confident like Sheldon!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Nerdvana Annihilation
Episode 14

Miniature time machine indeed!

***
Leonard: Come on guys, push!
Howard: If I push any harder, I going to give birth to my colon.

***
Raj: A time-share time machine!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bat Jar Conjecture
Episode 13

Will there really be a seen depicting Spock's birth on the new Star Trek film? I'll definitely watch out for it! I really liked the scene where Leslie terrorized Sheldon.. so funny.

***
Sheldon: Well, at this point I should inform you that I intend to form my own team and destroy that molecular bonds that binds your very matter together and reduce the resulting particulate chaos to tears!
Leonard: Thanks for the heads up.
Sheldon: You're welcome.

Now, that's what I call a THREAT! :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Jerusalem Duality
Episode 12

Wow, a 15-year doctoral candidate! What was I doing when I was 15?

***
Sheldon: I sense a disturbance in the force.

***
It's like looking into an obnoxious, little mirror isn't it?

***
Leonard: I need to tell you something, and I need you to listen carefully.
Sheldon: Alright.
Leonard: GO AWAY!

***
Sheldon: Engineering, where the noble, semi-skilled laborers execute the vision work of those who think and dream. Hello, Oompa Loompas of science.

***
Raj: Do you what he did? He watched me work for 10 minutes and started to design a simple piece of software that could replace me.
Leonard: Is that even possible?
Raj: As it turns out, yes.

***
Raj (on getting rid of Dennis Kim): We can't send him back to North Korea. He knows how to get out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Pancake Batter Anomaly
Episode 11

Leonard: Drink plenty of fluids.

Sheldon: What else would I drink? Gases? Solids? Ionized plasma?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Loobenfeld Decay
Episode 10

Sheldon (on Penny's singing voice): I would suggest something to the effect of "Singing is neither an appropriate vocation nor a vocation for you, and if you disagree I recommend you have a CAT scan to look for a tumor pressing on the cognitive processing centers of your brain.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization
Episode 09

Leonard: Sheldon, we have to do this!

Sheldon: No we don't. We have to take in nourishment, expel waste and inhale enough oxygen to keep ourselves from dying. Everything else is optional.