HAPPY NEW YEAR

Yay...I finally have gotten on to my blog. The internet is dreadfully slow since the earthquake in Taiwan somehow affected the telecommunications cable I presume somewhere in the ocean, and bad weather is hampering progress in fixing it. It's New Year's Eve, and if I get this posted I might post some more as we are home all evening here at Selina's parents.....so you might be reading this retrospectively as I put the pics up.....so HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone. Like Christmas , New Year here is no big deal, as the emphasis for the Chinese is on their New Year according to the lunar calendar. Today we went to a Chinese temple, and a Zen Buddhist monastery. We have plans tomorrow afternoon to drive up to the mountains. Chengdu is surounded by very high mountains....hence the mist in all of the pics. We hope to see some snow and will stay up there overnight, swim in some hot springs and have a good look around.
Selina leaves for home tomorrow as she has has to study for an exam, so we are here until the 5th with Sam.
This is a temple behind Kevin where a lot of people clad in brown cloaks were kneeling and chanting a very monotone mantra.