The Manicured Paddies of Longji Terraces

For Baby Samuel who made his entrance into the world today.

The unwelcome sound of the alarm goes off.

It's 6am and we've only had 3 hours sleep.

A mini bus taxi picks us up at 7am to take us into town.

Stood at a bus stop, hoping that we're in the right place.

Watching others clean the mess that was left from the night before.

Our coach arrives, it's air-conditioned and spacious.

Standing around in a hall, waiting for our tour number to be called.

Our number flashes and there is a mad dash to get on the bus.

The bus travels at a snails pace up the winding road.

5 hours later we've made it.

But no time to stop.

We are raced up the rocky steps of the Longji Terrace to get to our restaurant.

Rice served in bamboo with some Chinese Pork and Greens.

Food cooked in bamboo is the local delicacy.

It is tasty, but not my favourite food on this trip so far.

Tummies filled, it's time to explore.

It's humid outside.

And simply walking works up a sweat.

The little streets are made of slabs of rock.

Buildings appear to be precariously held up on bamboo.

Chickens roam freely, unintimidated by the locals and tourists. 

The slabs of rock form a little path.

They lead up and through the rice paddies.

This part of the year the rice is fully grown and ready to be harvested.

The paddies up close look wild and overgrown.

But at a distance the paddies look manicured.

It's a field of yellow and green.

By the time we make it to the top, it is time to come back down again.

My legs begin to feel like jelly and shake with every step I take.

I'm only carrying a camera bag, there are the locals walking around with massive loads on their backs.

The little streets are full of workers and traders.

There are 3 men beating the hell out of some grain used to make bread.

Hard work in this humidity.

There are others which sit behind stalls.

Selling cured meats.

Bemused as they catch me taking their picture.

It's 4pm and it should be time to get back on the bus.

But the queues are horrendous.

And we have to wait a couple of hours for our bus to arrive.

There are children waiting with us.

Pointing at us to their parents.

And trying to speak to us in English.

Luckily this makes the time pass by more quickly.

Till we begin the long and winding journey away from the terrace.

To go back to Shanghai.