Day 10 - Rainy Day at Guang Xiao Temple

After staying up till after midnight lastnight we were a bit tiredtoday, this was compounded by a very early wake up call (6am) from Liv's family back in NZ. Despite our groggy state and the time of daywe were ecstatic to hear the familiar voices of loved ones. It madeLiv's day! Emotions running high we did our best to catch up on the going ons back home and fill them in on some extra details of our travels. In a place were you are a spectical and no one knows your name it can be so reassuring to speak to people who understand what you are saying and to hear about the normal routines of a familiar life.

After a brief return to the land of slumber we got up and into the day. The mornings are hard for us in particular as the spicy and greasy Chinise food never really goes down or sits well once eaten for breakfast, so Adam ran off to a corner store and found some bread and bananas to make toast at the hostel.

Right now its the rainy season in China, the rain can be idy bity little drops or a full fledge thunder storm, we are getting plenty of both! The rain is also at its worse in the South of China were we aretraveling for the next few months! Why did we come at this time? Well,with our job starting in September its was really our only chance to see the south. We have been told that the rain should decrease near the end of June so fingers crossed everybody! With the rain attacking our plans for a stroll around Foshan's ancient pottery sites we decided to make new plans and stay closer to our current home in Guangzhou. So we bought an umbrella - very helpful - and headed off in the rain to the metro station, which we are now very happy using. Todays destitnation was the Guang Xiao Temple - The oldest temple in Guangzhou dating back to the 4th centry, a truly beautiful area to wander and think. Guang Xiao Temple was a centre of buddhist learning and the place where many prominent monks came to teach including the founder of Zen Buddhism.

From here we attempted to find the Temple of the Five Immortals, after some excellent navagition and Liv's Chinese sucessfully getting us directions, we found the temple - only problem was that it was closed. So slightly wet and feeling tired and hungry (also by this stage Liv was not feeling very well) we headed back to the metro and home to the hostel to rest. Adam also had his first taste of Chinese beer: Pearl River - very fitting considering Shamian Island is surrounded by the Pearl River.

Heres hoping that tomorrow the rain takes a break so that we can go and see some of the great sites that Guangdong has to offer. Should the rain continue, tomorrow you will hear all about our adlibing plans for the day!

Peace out from Adlibing Asia