1000 steps up Guanzai mountain

Day 2 of our bus trip began early on the bus with a stand up comedy routine by our guide. I will give you a sample: "Deng Xiaoping (famous Chinese political leader) was visiting the US, but he doesn't speak any English. The interpreter left his side for a moment, but he was approached by a reporter, who asked "what are you going to see while you are here?" Not sure what to say, Deng introduced himself "Wo shi Deng" ("I am Deng" -- but sounds like Washington). Then the reporter asked -- "what are you going to do there?". Still not sure, Deng thought for a minute and decided to give his first name : "Xiaoping" (get it... sounds like"shopping?") You have to love bilingual puns. Not to be outdone-- Thomas walked up to the front of the bus to tell a joke of his own, to the delight (I think) of the passengers . Our first sightseeing stop was a lake near Guanzai shan, where we were treated to a scenic boat ride to admire the surrounding cliffs.

The xiao pengyou (little friends) of the trip.

I had to take a picture in the lobby of the restaurant where we had lunch. THE saddest Christmas tree ever...a dead branch stuck in a pot covered with cotton balls and a few decorations.

We began the ascent of the mountain in the afternoon, and everyone was dragging a bit except Sophia, who climbed about half the steps before being forced into the backpack.

It was steep climbing but fantastic views of the surrounding countryside, although a bit hazy.

Helen taking a rest 2/3 of the way up. I was really panting at points on this one.

Finally we reached the ridge with a fine view of the surrounding peaks.

The small pagoda at the top was our final destination. The last flight of stairs was just cut into the rock and with a sheer drop on each side, it was a challenge for me, but Helen wanted to go, and Michael had Sophia in the backpack, so I had to go ahead and just keep my eyes on the steps. It was so worth it once we got there!

Once again, Thomas is happy -- just trying to look cool:)

We agreed that this part of the path looks like a scene from The Lord of the Rings-- the "paths of the dead".

I was so proud of what good climbers the kids were on this day. I told Helen that I would take her anywhere in the world and she replied, "Good, because I want to ride on an elephant's head." Uh oh.

Back at the bus, our fellow traveler Jason was offering us a natural snack of some edible branches. Since he was a bio major in college, we went ahead and tried it -- tasted like apples.

Sophia takes a nap on a weary Daddy.

My last entry marked the 100 post mark. Thanks to everyone who has been encouraged us to keep writing by reading and commenting. A note on comments...the blogger help page can assist you with settings if you are having trouble commenting. Remember -- your comments will not appear immediately because they are sent to me first so I get a chance to read them before they are posted. Hope everyone back in the US is enjoying the holiday craze so far....