Return to Shenzhen.

Reunions are good.

My two bff's in my grad program came back to visit, so I went down to Shenzhen to see them. They were my traveling partners for 2 years and as per tradition, we decided to take a little trip. Our "little trip" turned into a 6 hour bus ride to a city called Dan Sha Shan that was seemingly empty when we got there.

Our 24 hour trip included foot massages, hitch hiking back to our hotel because there were no taxis, hiring a tour guide to take us through a national park, a boat ride, and paying homage to two giant stones that look like male and female genitalia. I'm not kidding. Chinese people are weird in what they build parks around. We had no idea we were going to the genital capital of China. I'll spare you the pictures, but trust me, they were giant in size and scarily true to anatomy books. God has a sense of humor to put those rocks in China.

We also saw a strawberry field and a rock that looks like a panda (top right). Can you see the panda?

The town seemed deserted except for the children walking to and from school.

Back in Shenzhen our time was filled with eating, KTV, shopping, massages, and more eating.

and babies. I love yellow babies. I want to make/buy/steal one. And they love me in all my redhaired glory. They either cry or stare when being held by a red-headed monster. This one was a starer. So much more peaceful of an experience than the cryers.

Shopping for shiny things, picking out food at the seafood bazaar, and just being together...

After this trip I am completely broke and missing my friends all over again. But I am so glad they came back. It's weird that they have "moved on" to America and I'm still here. But alas, we'll always have "the good ol' days."

"The Crew" as we call ourselves has traveled together to Thailand (Phuket and Bangkok), T.ai.wan, Hong Kong, Macau, Xiamen, Beijing, Harbin, Guilin, Yangshuo, Ma Ping, Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Shaoguan. We've been to HK Disneyland, across borders, jump roped fire (them - not me), been through an earthquake in Tai.wan, stayed with villagers, pet wild water buffalo, stayed in sketchy hostels, shared a double bed, ridden dirty overnight buses playing questionable videos, lit fireworks for Chinese New Year in Beijing, scuba dived in the Thai Sea, and countless other random memories.

That's a lot of traveling togetherness. I miss those doodies.

Thanks for the new memories. Crewunion 2012, same time, same place.

walk slow. xoxo.