Over spring break we traveled to Guangxi Province to visit Guilin, Yangshuo, and Longsheng, China. The trip was hosted by individuals from our Chinese language organization, and included about 25 individuals from our team. We Headrick’s left two days earlier than the group in order to enjoy some much needed family time. Michael was in “camera heaven” with all the beautiful scenery.  We  saw blooming azalea bushes, pansies, and green tree-lined streets in Guilin City.   We also celebrated Maddie’s 11th birthday and our 18th wedding anniversary at the Pizza Hut restaurant in Guilin.   Although most of the pizzas on the menu had interesting ingredients, like squid, shrimp, and others.  We did find a traditional Cheese and Pepperoni pizzas that tasted pretty close to our American brand.

Guilin City is famous for it’s beautiful parks, one known as Elephant Hill, below, me and the girls at popular photo spot

Stop for a lunch at a floating snack bar…fried miniature crabs on a stick

Have a  taste, Maddie!!

Sean and the girls at the top of Elephant Hill

Green, beautiful green…it’s been a while.

Below, Jessie at Pagoda Park, which reminded me of the Tidal Basin in Washington DC, a beautiful walking path along a small lake with these two large pagodas arising from the lake.

On the first day of the group tour, we took boats down the Li Jiang River from Guilin to Yangshuo, visiting fishing villages along the way. (We even toured a village that is famous now for President Clinton’s visit during his presidency).   Traveling on a large ferry type boat and smaller, six-seater, bamboo boats, we spent about four hours on the water.  The picture at the top of the page gives you a idea of the views we had.  Michael captured that picture of us, and the ones below, since he was riding in a separate boat. 

Here’s a lady in one of the villages we visited…I’m not quite sure how their clothes get dry, hanging out in the damp air?

In Yangshuo, we stayed at a lodge overlooking the river, and spent the next day on mountain bikes through small farming villages.  As you see below, we spent most of the time riding in the rain…sort of a bummer, but we made lots of memories anyway, including mine and Megan’s crash into some briar bushes.  Megan was fine, but my legs got pretty scratched up…sorry, no pictures of that.

We made it!!!

How best to get the mud off…Michael, Jessie and Sean jump in the freezing river!!

Relaxing at breakfast before getting on the road again…

Sean…my wonderful husband of 18 years, helps with my bags.

The last day of our trip took us to Longsheng, famous for its mountain rice terraces. To get there we rode in our tour bus up, up, up the mountain roads to a small transfer stop. Then we loaded onto smaller vans to climb further up the mountain.  At the final point, we hiked up, up, up stone steps in the dark (at least a 30 minute hike) to the reach the rice terraces at the top of the mountain. Our motel was in the midst of some spectacular views.

To get an idea of the magnitude…see the people on the path at the bottom of the picture above

The clouds rolled in and out, we did see peeks of sunshine, too.  The leader for our devotion that day directed us to James 4:13-15 [Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”]   I was challenged to treasure each day the Lord gives me and to remember to keep an eternal focus.

Shopping during the hike down, Maddie with one of our Pre-Kindergarten teachers, Ms. Ackerman

Me and the girls

Rachel finds some bargains