Wulingyuan Tianzi Mountain Day 2

Hello My Dear Great Ones,

On the second day of our great Avatar forest adventure we hiked up  Tianzi mountain and got a close gander at the rock formations that bring thousands of visitors every day to admire them.  The hike was basically going up endless steps with occasional astounding views.

The first part of the hike was riding a little train for about 15 minutes  from one tourist trap to another tourist trap.  The ride offered some great views though.

At the end of the little train trip there was this incredible natural scene.

There were also several food kiosks at the end of the train line.  Snacks, Chinese style is always interesting.  This plastic thing is an ad for a hotdog.  Why they cut the dog like that is still a mystery to me.

Other samples of Chinese snacks.

There were also some old people, peddling some wares.  Despite having the world's second biggest economy, poverty, especially among the old, is prevalent.  

Once we got past the plastic hotdog and the old peddlers we started climbing stairs up to Tianzi Mountain.  These "sedans' were available, for a cost of course, if you did not feel like climbing.  However the stairs were really step so to be carried by two nimble, but obviously very strong men was kind of scary.  One slip would be a disaster.  Two of these intrepid carriers followed Celia, who was lagging behind me a little during our climb like wolves would follow a wounded deer.  They kept asking, but we politely said no. 

After this day of endless climbing we had buns of steel!

A well deserved rest to have some tea and time to enjoy the view.

After our rest we kept trekking on and were treated to many great vistas.

It was cool to be so close to the rock formations.

After spending several hours climbing through an amazing natural landscape we finally got to the top of Tianzi mountain.  And lo and behold there was a Mcdonld's, a city block long, offering big macs to replenish the calories that we had so laboriously burned off.

The trip down from the mountain was a spectacular 10 minute ride.

A very good day.

Have a great week.  Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Zhangjiajie Day 1 (Wulingyuan)

Zhangjiajie (simplified Chinese: 张家界; traditional Chinese: 張家界; pinyin:Zhāngjiājiè) is a prefecture-level city in the northwestern part of Hunanprovince, People's Republic of China. It comprises the district of Yongding,Wulingyuan and counties of Cili and Sangzhi. Within it is located Wulingyuan Scenic Area which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 as well as an AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration.^[1]

Wulingyuan ([ù.lǐŋ.ɥɛ̌n]; Chinese: 武陵源) is a scenic and historical site in theWulingyuan District of south-central China's Hunan Province. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.^[1] It is noted for more than 3,000quartzite sandstone pillars and peaks across most of the site, many over 200 metres (660 ft) in height, along with many ravines and gorges with attractive streams, pools, lakes, rivers and waterfalls.^[1] It features 40 caves, many with large calcite deposits, and two natural bridges, Xianrenqiao (Bridge of the Immortals) and Tianqiashengkong (Bridge Across the Sky).^[1]

Hello My Dear Great Ones,
Celia and I celebrated our Autumn break by going to Zhangjiajie, China in Hunan province, about two hours northeast by plane.  It is an amazing place, made famous by the Avatar movie.  We spent three days in this impressive place.  Here is day one:

The entrance to the park.  Wulingyuan is a popular tourist destination so to keep control of the crowds they don't allow private cars in the park.  You have to pay an entrance fee and then get herded onto a bus, a crazy cultural experience, and then the bus will take you on a nerve racking ride to where you want to go.  I was a visible minority.  There were very few foreigners and I got a lot of looks from the Chinese obviously not used to seeing a 6'6 white man every day.

At our stop we were overwhelmed by the crowds, but also impressed with the sights.

The above would certainly not pass Canadian safety standards.

Ha ha.

Fantastic natural scenery, but all attention diverted to some garbage eating monkeys.

About a kilometer away from the crowds things started getting real quiet and the scenery was amazing.

Bus madness.  After a great experience checking out the scenery we had to line up in a massive line for a bus to get out of the park.  We were funneled like cattle into one of four lanes.  A gate keeper would release one of the lanes when a bus arrived.  Crazy.  The run to the bus was outrageous as old and young fought for a prime seat on it.  Very Darwinian.

This video shows me in my run to the bus!

A great time.  Next week day two.  Have a good one!

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Jesus Christ

Who is Jesus Christ? Humble Beginnings
Jesus is God's only begotten son, yet He came from the throne of His Father to the womb of a woman. He became Son of Man that we might become sons of God.

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin. He lived in poverty, and was unknown outside of Nazareth. He had neither wealth nor influence.

He laid aside His purple robe for a peasant's gown. He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor. He slept in another's stable; He rode another's donkey; He was buried in another's grave.

Who is Jesus Christ? Miraculous Ministry
History has never known such as He. In infancy, He startled a king. As a boy, He stunned the theologians with His knowledge and wisdom, for His knowledge was directly from God.

In manhood, He ruled the elements and quieted the raging sea. He healed without medicine, and fed thousands from a boy's lunch. Even demons obeyed Him and He gave back life to those who were dead.

Yet He suffered and sustained in body and soul the anger of God against the sin of the whole human race. He was despised and rejected of men. Though He was innocent, He was condemned by a civil judge and sentenced to death on a cross.

Who is Jesus Christ? Life-changing Impact
By His suffering and death, He paid completely for the sins of all who believe in Him. He set us free from the certain judgment and eternal condemnation of God that was to fall on all of us.

Some have given their lives for others, and great men have come and gone, yet Jesus Christ lives on. Herod could not kill Him. Satan could not stop him. Death could not destroy Him. The grave could not hold Him. Having fully satisfied God's perfect justice, He conquered death and rose on the third day as He said He would.

Amen!  

My Dear Great Ones,

It is always great to see images of Jesus throughout my travels.  Here are a few that I came across this year.

 God Bless you all.

Have a great week!

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk