Adventures in Zhangjiajie - the AVATAR Mountains

It´s been a long time since our last post. And you may have even wondered if we are still in Shanghai? Sure, we still are, and still we are having a great time over here in the middle kingdom.
But time been a bit short since I started working as photographer therefore this blog has fallen a bit behind. I´m terribly sorry!

There are still so many little adventures in our ever day life in Shanghai. All would be worth sharing with you.  Like yesterday when we went to the park for Hannah to play and over sudden had to make sure that she would not have her head chopped of by "Tai-Chi-with-sword-practicioners".appearing over sudden on the pit.

But today we want to share with you our most recent BIG one.

Last weekend, in honor of Paul´s 40th birthday, we decided to explore the middle of China and booked short notice tickets to the Zangjiajie mountains in Hunan province.
It is a national park (Wulingongyuan) and about a 2 hours flight west from here. The area got some fame when the movie "Avatar" came out: The director got the inspiration for the Floating mountains from this landscape. If you know the film:You actually find the "Halleluja" Mountains" there!

It´s been the most amazing trip we did in China! We haven´t seen that much nature in the entire time we have stayed here.
We spent 3 full days hiking around in the area there and wish we could have stayed on longer.

Only couple of things made our trip a bit of a challenge.

For example that despite we went TO a Tourist attraction, we actually turned out to BE the Tourist attraction. I was almost about to write a sign: "No Foto! No Touching! I´m not a Monkey in the Zoo" and attach it to Hannah´s carrier.
Yes, we are very proud of our sweet little daughter. But even as mother you can hear only so many times "Aaaahhh, soo sweet.."Ahhh so cute"...beautiful.."..and that times hundrets a day - usually involving groups of Young Girls shrieking out when they saw our Little Girl on one of our backs.
It was simply impossible to be in a crowd of People and to enjoy the view. But after 3.5 years living here we have learnt how to cope with it. And the only strategy is HUMOUR.

Luckily on our second day we found a track where we didn´t meet anyone for about 2 hours! (It felt almost a bit scary) Why? Well, if we would have been able to  read the map we probably wouldn´t have taken it either.  It was a two hour down hill climb on stairs, covering 4000meters in length and, about 600 meters in hight (a sign told us in English once we had reached the bottom with our worn knees and leg muscles and met everyone else who had just taken the bus from where we had started)

Nevertheless, not beeing able to understand and read can also bring the most fun adventures to you. This way we got to enjoy an amazing quiet walk, right next to the "Hallelujah" mountains. And the day before we found ourselves in the most amazing cave we had ever seen. A 2km Underground walk, 800meters boat ride, waterfalls and a fantastically lit Underground world.

Enough words I think. Time to Show you some of our pictures

Click HERE  to see our photoalbum

Return to Hongkong

Beginning of this millennium Paul and I decided that we try out backpacking Asia. Our first ever trip took us short notice to Thailand via Hongkong because we had only stand by tickets and all planes to Bangkok were overbooked.

I still remember the excitement when we arrived in Hongkong  after our first long distance flight. We had no idea what was expecting us as we had no guide book and smart phones with internet where you could have done a quick "google" about the place were still an invention of the future.

It was like entering a different world. Every thing was different to what we knew: The climate, the smell, the hustle and bustle, all these people and most of all - the skyscrapers!

Backpackers we were, we were on a tight budget.  Hongkong seemed super expensive so we ended up staying in a cheap charity hotel right in the heart of Kowloon the old district.

I remember walking down famous Nathan road with all the Neon lights and will never forget the moment when we arrived at the harbor and the skyline presented itself like magic. It was just WOW!!I had never seen anything like it before!

I unpacked my camera and tripod and tried to capture this moment for us.

Just as overwhelming as standing at the harbor was the moment when I picked up weeks later my developed pictures and saw how they came out!  (we are talking pre-digital times!!). This is still one of my favorites!

Ever since Paul and I had the dream that one day we would return and - if we could ever  afford it - stay in one of the hotels down the harbor front where we would be able to stare at the skyline all night long.

Ever since we had moved to Shanghai I wanted to go back and look again at this megacity. I wanted to see the difference between Shanghai and Hongkong which back then seemed ever so Chinese to us. We had heard from many people that once you have lived in China, Hongkong is a whole different world simply because it was under the British for nearly 100 years.

And it was true. The Hongkong People are a totally different crowd to what we know from here. Much more organized, most people speak English, the noise level is much lower and over all it seemed much more European than Shanghai.

What still impressed us was the city itself. Less than 1/3rd of the population than Shanghai but living on much smaller space gives you the feeling of having entered mega city. The skyscrapers for residents are much taller than in Shanghai and the mountains and water surrounding give the whole place a much more dramatic appearance.

So here we are. 14 years later.. we made our dream come true: on a revival tour of Hongkong..this time with a slightly better budget and with the three of us.

I  pass on now to Hannah who will show you some pictures ;-)

Ni Hao everyone!

For Easter this year my mommy and daddy took me backpacking (yes I have my own little backpack now!!). We went to a place with houses that reach up to the moon!  There were mountains and rainforest, and lot´s and lot´s of big boats floating on the sea. My parents wrote in my flight log book: Destination Hongkong!


On our first day we all went up Hongkong Island to  the Peak…my daddy was too lazy to carry me, so we took the convenient escalator and taxi to get up there.

 

Daddy was saying how easy and great it is to be in a place where the taxi driver understands straight away where you want to go! Just when I say something no one ever seems to understand me??

View of Hongkong Island on the way up:

It is great to ride on an escalator all the way up a hill.

This way we got to see Soho without getting too sweaty.. it was quite hot...

On the way we said "hello" to hundreds of Philipino Ayi´s who 

were enjoying  a picnic on their day off:

First thing I did up on the hill was investigating the playground

and than we enjoyed the view .. 

WOW!!!!…Shanghai is so flat and boring compared to this!

My doggy liked the view, too!

Of coarse Mommy had to do her Yoga thing….

She said one day she will make a great collection of her

Yogi trees from all over the world...

In the afternoon we went back to the hotel for a splash in the pool and relaxing  in 

our room with a view!!!

I think my parents spent all night long staring out of it!

Not only the room was great - 

Breakfast was like a culinary "round the world trip"

Whilst daddy read the papers I enjoy my picture book.

..or keep the waiters busy by throwing my fork on the floor...

For the real revival tour my parents

had to go out to the night market in Kowloon

It is still there and as crazy as they remember...

just shopping is a bit boring because we get the same stuff in Shanghai..

a REAL Chinese dinner!…

costing as much as a chocolate from the minibar in the room ;-) 

When we got back I fell asleep under the lights of the Hongkong skyline..

Easter Sunday we went once more across to Hongkong Island and visited

a Taoist temple:

It was  a real great trip and I have heard mommy and daddy saying that

they are not going to wait 14 years again until we go back!

This is Shanghai!

Today I just want to share some moments captured during various photoshoots with Expats in Shanghai. This is why I love living and working as photographer in China!

for more stop by at my website:

www.AngelikaLincolnPhotography.com

You got to be kidding!.. and not be sick of hights!

I have to share this video with you!

Whilst all of Shanghai was celebrating Chinese new year - and those who didn´t enjoyed a nice holiday abroad - two Russian guys managed to break into the construction site of the new "tallest building in China to be".

With 650 meters it outstands the latest addition to the Pudong skyline, the famous bottle opener (495meters) by far. But therefore gives some fantastic views from the top.

You got to be pretty insane to do this! But see for yourself:

The building is supposed to be finished by end of this year.. not sure if we will ever make it up there..
We have heard rumors two years ago that the foundation has a crack!!

Hopp Hopp! What will the horse bring?

 

It is middle of february and two weeks ago all of us jumped with big bangs all over China into the year of the horse. Our 4th year in China, Hannah´s 2nd year of adventure.

 

The year is only a couple of weeks old, but so much has happened already!

 

First of all Hannah and I spent a real long holiday back in Europe. Celebrating Christmas all together  with our family in England and later on also Hannah´s first brithday in Germany.We actually only came back end of January -  just in time to unpack our 7!! suitcases full of goodies from home and to repack slightly lighter to spend most of Chinese New year in nice sunny Thailand:

 

Hannah has become a REAL traveller and seems to enjoy all the events involved like boarding a plane, flying, picking up luggage and seeing new places all the time. That she crossed the globe, and experienced a climate Change from 0 - 30degrees Celcius within 1 week didn´t seem to bother her. Our Little girl is growing up so fast, learning something new almost every day.

 

 

This time on Holiday she discovered that she has a BIG love for Dogs...

 

and that Daddy is great for a ride.(to the next beach bar..).

 

 Every morning she had to have a coconut for breakfast

 

in the afternoon she enjoyed playing on the beach - and eating the sand..

or splashing along in the pool  - and drinking the pool water..

after all this effort it was time for more coconuts...

 

 

10 wondeful sunny days we had in Phuket. But every Holiday Comes to an end and so we find ourselfes after intotal nearly 2 months away back in Shanghai City. We feel recharged - it feels great!

 

And we have big plans for this year! We have decided to stay in this Apartment in Gao An lu.Even  though we could do with a bit mor space. But our "Guanxi"here is just great! The location is still fantastic, the landlord is very friendly and helpful and how could we abandon now Mr and Mrs Jing who have become somewhat like Hannah´s Chinese Granny and Grandad.

 

We also have now a nanny for Hannah. Her name is Keri. She is a lovley young Lady, from the Philipines and will look after Hannah now 3 afternoons in the week. The two of them are getting on really well.

 

And I for myself have decided that my "latte- Machiato - mommy- excistence" comes to an end.

I feel ready to take up work again - but this time as freelance photographer.

Lot´s of things to prepare still. But Several inquiries in the pocket and a very good Feeling about where it will take me ;-)

 

 

So big (and tiny) steps this year for us  ahead....

 

and we are all really looking forward to it!!