Ta Ta For Now and an obituary

This morning we saw the biggest Buddha in the world. It was carved into a cliff below which three rivers meet about 1400 years ago. Now, thanks to the second piece of over-and-above-the-call-of-duty kindliness we have received in only twenty four hours, we are making ready for a two day ascent of a holy mountain, Emei Shen, whose peak tips 3000m.

So long as the weather holds, we should behold views even more fabulous than the one pictured here!



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Bad news, phone fans: today, at roughly 1:43:47 pm, I left my blue Nokia 5140 in the back of a Chinese taxi.

Go ahead and remind yourself of its feature set here: http://www.nokia.co.uk/nokia/0,,53413,00.html. Many amongst you will remember its indispensable compass, torch and thermometer functionalities; a lucky few may also recall its uniquely useful decibel counter - many times that little gadget got me out of a tight spot!. And who could forget how resolutely it brushed off a long drop from a chairlift in the mountains (well, was it pushed or did it fall?), or the many hardy flights it took to prove its hardiness.

We will remember it as a sturdy, blue Nokia with buttons in all the right places.

ttftntd - ta ta for the next 3 days,

Marky