Nanning, China

After Yangshuo, Noel and I decided we would travel by land to Cat Ba Island.  We first took a train to Nanning, China to pick up my visa at the embassy.  Unfortunately, the train was sold out forcing us to stay the night at Nanning Travelers Hostel before we were able to take the bus to Hai Phong.  It did give us a chance to explore the area!

Nanning turned out to be a pretty strange city.  It was the first large city I spent any amount of time in, but it seemed totally different from the China I thought I knew.  Everything was dead quiet and super modern.  The China I knew was load and chaotic with construction and crowded markets. everywhere.  Here there as no construction and even the motorbikes were silent.  It was an eerily creepy silent city.

Selfie in the business district.

The center of the business district.

Noel and a vending machine bookstore.  Pretty awesome idea if you know exactly which book you are looking for.

The street food market.  The largest I've ever seen!

The market sold a number of weird bugs including rice stuffed scorpions and centipedes.  I was almost certain no locals would even come close to touching them and it was for tourists only.  Pretty nasty stuff!

Yangshuo After DF Program

After my first trip to Yanshuo I knew that I needed to come back.  There is climbing to last a lifetime, amazing food, and affordable everything.  After a few hangups with the local authority and a bit of moving, this still remains as a highlight of my time spent in HK/China.  I can't wait to return. Some say it is a bit too touristy, but it was easy enough to distance myself from that.  Yanshuo has the best food and best climbing that I have experienced so far in Asia.

Travel buddies stoping for a photo op while on the way to the crag. 

Ryan and I took a wrong turn on our bikes while looking for our friends and ended up taking a nice trip though an abandoned farm?  The wrong turn made for a nice ride.

Ryan checking out a route while inside treasure cave. 

The crew!

Maybe not the most appropriate, but this is without a doubt the worst toilet I have seen so far in Asia.  Its easy to take for granted what we have in the united states.  This is a toilet located outside of a local school.  

Moo!

Ryan making his way up Eggstreme Eggsposure 5.10b.  Maybe a take on the Gunks classic, Extreme Exposure?  They both have very similar features and are now two of my favorite climbs.

Ryan on Trou En Sec Humide 6c+.  This is the most unique climb I have ever seen.  It passes though a tufa system inside of a save and can't be cleaned without following.  An absolute classic.

Yangshuo DF Program

Sometimes DF staff are sent to help different teams.  This week I was Fortunate enough to visit Yangshuo for a program. 

The border bridge between Hong Kong and China

From the border I took the subway from the border to Shenzen North Railway Station.  Here you can take bullet trains that travel throughout different parts of China at high speeds.  My train would travel at speeds over 300 km/h.  It took only three hours and one transfer to reach my destination.  Unfortunately, the train station is still a 30 min bus ride to the city.  This wouldn't have been a problem if i had the 20 yuan for a ticket.  After a lot of confusion and no one to speak English with, a local finally spotted me the money for a ticket.

The karst peaks seen in every direction.

These single cylinder front wheel drive trucks are everywhere in China.  Pretty functional trucks that look like they could have been around since the 20's.

I watched this boy set up a snare trap for a wild bird.  He proceeded to play with it on a string like it was a toy.  I Felt bad but couldn't help but laugh a bit.

Right after the boy and his pet bird i saw this old man that couldn't have been younger than 70 harvesting something from a tree.  I wish I could have gotten a better picture but he thought it was hilarious that I was snapping photos of him.

First real meal in China.  This was served at Mow Mow's homestay for the DF staff.  Hot pot with many different versions of stuffed tofu and mushrooms. 

Hong Kong Experience (September-November 2016)

Free Time

Days off! During the week, program would usually run Monday-Friday.  Saturday is a prep day for the upcoming week and Sunday is usually off.  This only left us a little bit of time for us to take advantage of.

Zack paddling around Hoi Ha bay after a prep day

Me climbing a buoy after work.

There were not many days to climb on program but this was one of them.  This is me on a rappel down to Devils Peak (Hong Kong in the background).

Not a bad view from the office! Cleaning gear on a prep day on top of the Hoi Ha flat.

Ryan, Noel and I after climbing Gweilo on Lion Rock. 

Typical fish market while walking around near Causeway bay. 

Hostel party at Fortress Hill!

Bored with cabin fever, Zack tries to get pretty with Brett's face mask(Pak Sha O Youth Hostel).

Horse races are a fun and relatively inexpensive way to have a fun night out.

Halloween was a surprisingly big thing in Hong Kong for both locals and expats.  These are some questionable masks I found in the market.

We rented a junk boat in Sai Kung for 500 HKD ($65 USD) and took a trip around the harbor for a couple hours as the sun went down.  Not a bad way to end a long work week!

Brett, Rhys, Sio, Ryan, Zack and I

On the trip a fish flew out of the water and hit Ryan directly in the back.  You can see the fish and the point of impact!  Our driver was more excited than were were, as he captured himself dinner for the night.

The fish!

Strange propaganda poster hanging on a Tai Tan village (witch is actually a bunch of condos with upperclass western people living in them).  It can be interpreted in multiple ways but no matter how you see it the logic seems questionable.

Transportation

Hong Kong has the best transportation system I've ever seen.  It is easy to reach anywhere in the city including the depths of the new territories.  The MTR (subway) and bus routes are super intuitive and cost effective (for Hong Kong Standards).  Signs are everywhere and are written in both Cantonese and English.  Locals are also very helpful and nearly everyone under 30 speaks english well.  The system works so well that there is rarely a time where a taxi cab is ever needed.

Map of the MRR

Pradeep heading to work of a speeding bus (check the speedo up top (Photo by Ryan Martinek). 

One of the few taxis taken late night when the bus routes end (Photo by Ryan Martinek)

A line of private school girls waiting for the bus at Hang Hau Station.  Notice they are all on their phones...Creepy.

Delivering gear to a Wan Tsai Campsite for a program.

Food

On days off the team is responsible for their own food.  Hong Kong noodle bowls are definitely the best deal at only $2-5 USD.  They are also the best noodles I've had so far in Asia!

Homemade beef ball rice noodle soup with a side of water spinach (Fortress Hill).

One of the first restaurants that I visited in Hong Kong.  Tim Ho Wan has been made famous as the cheapest Michelin Stared restaurant in the world.  It has recently been surpassed by Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle in Singapore (wild name for a Michelin Stared restaurant), but it still does not fail to impress. 

Pork dumpling with shrimp

My favorite HK street food. Bought from a dingy hole in the wall, this rice, pork and veggie dish only costs a little over $3.00 and is absolutely delicious.

Work Week

Program with the kids is pretty full on and requires a lot of group/risk management.  A typical day starts at 7:30 and ends at 10:30PM.  During the week there are both Activity instructors and group leaders.  

Group leaders are given a group of 10-14 students and are in charge of teaching various competencies while bringing kids around to different activities.

Activity instructors are in charge of leading various activities such as kayaking, snorkeling, raft building and canyoning.  Usually this is the most sought after position for DF staff.  It usually includes a bit more free time than group leading and is often seen as a less stressful position.

One of my groups on a scavenger hunt!

Training

The two weeks of Dragonfly staff training was tough.  The weather was more tropical than anything Ive ever seen before.  Nearly all of our work takes place outdoors and a good percentage of that is in the ocean.  It felt as though it was raining nearly half the time and the humidity made it difficult to keep things dry.

That being said, it was a great opportunity to get to know everyone in the team.  After only two weeks I knew these guys more that people that i've worked with for months.

This photo was taken on Ham Tim Beach during a two day backpacking trip with the tea.

Halfway up Sharp Peak.

The Summit!