Hey guys!

As the title proclaims, it's about time that I should fill you in on the nitty bitty details of our whereabouts and the so-called 'journey of a lifetime.' Latest decision on the blog is that we will all write first person, hence the English language (still translatable with Google translate for those of you who prefer another language). So here goes my take on 'living at the hands of the Lonely':

It's been two months since we first set off and our trip has led us from the Northern Indian plains, through the Himalayas to the Middle Kingdom. Matthijs and Lis were already so kind to update you as to our findings of India and Nepal. Just to add a small note, Nepal was definitely one of the most magical destinations I have ever been to. Those of you who know me a tiny bit better know how much I love the mountains, hiking and how I like to pretend that one day I will climb one of those peaks that we beheld about a month ago. Hiking in the area brought me one step closer to this aspiration. The sheer size of the mountains, the awe-inspiring scenery and the sense of insignificance that the forces of nature beget are indiscribable on paper. Perhaps the anecdote that we got stopped on our tracks by some massive avalanches conveys some of what I mean. I don't say it often, but this is definitely a place where I see myself coming back more than once...

A flight later we found ourselves in Chengdu, Gateway to Tibet. Having climaxed myself in Nepal, Lis got to the anticipated peak of her trip in Chengdu. Indeed, holding a panda was an unforgettable experience as I later heard from her. Wasn't there myself though as I was going 'round town to find a good Sushi place for that night. Matthijs and I conspired to make it Lis's day, which would not be complete without Sushi. Only unfortunate thing was that two of our anticipated climaxes have already transpired. Luckily, Matthijs is waiting for his in the Australian outback.

After seeing the largest Buddha in the world, Matthijs and Lis set off for Beijing. I stayed back in Chengdu for a while not only because I had been to Beijing multiple times already, but also because I had sort of found a new affection to the hostel I was staying in and its people. Essentially then, I spent my evenings in the cafe/bar in the hostel hanging out with other travellers and the hostel staff. Even got to celebrate good old Saint Patty's! At daytime, I made some random outings including an artsy fartsy experience to a Picasso exhibition.

Bored by the prospect of staying in the hostel all the time, I did visit one national park: Jiuzhai national park. In the absence of foreign tourists, I really got to do some soul-searching among the blue emerald lakes and snow-peaked mountains. I must really put the pics online once I get Matthijs's camera; it is one of the most beautiful places that I have been to in my life...

After returning from the park it was about time to reunite with my fellow travellers that I had left behind a week earlier. Had to decline a job offer as bar tender at the hostel in order to get away :) Together we travelled to Shanghai and Guilin, the place with all the pointy mountains that looks like a fairy-tale. Matthijs and I introduced Lis to the wonderful world of rock-climbing among these Karst mountains, which left us outstripped by a superior climber. According to the epxerts, Lis just had 'the right attitude.'

Again a flight, and now we find ourselves in Hanoi. A trip to Halong Bay and all the rest of the journey has left us all battered, so we have taken some chill-days to regain some umph. Next destination is Sapa, but that will be for next time's story!

Cheers cheers and hope you are all doing well!

Maurits