Ni hao from Shaolin!

It’s been a long day of travel – beginning with an early (very early for some) meetup at the Taipa Ferry Terminal for our trip to Hong Kong International Airport.  After a slight delay, our plane took off without issue!  It was smooth sailing for the duration of our 2.5 hour flight to Zhengzhou.

Once we were all cleared through immigration, we met the team from The Hutong organization, who will be leading us through our activities over the next 5 days!  First impressions mean a lot, and these folks have impressed us mightily so far!  It’s clear that we are in good hands with this team of professionals.

After we all made our introductions, it was time for the last leg of our journey for the day – the 1+ hour bus ride to Shaolin.  The sky may have been a bit hazy at times, but there was no denying the terrific landscape that could be seen along our journey.

Once we arrived to the hotel we were whisked to the top floor where the kung fu gym was located.  We wasted no time in getting on the mat and having our first taste of real kung fu.  The kids were enamoured by the skills and humour of our Shaolin kung fu master, some even dared to be his demonstration dummies. I’d say they were brave, but the lightning quick speed of the master meant that there was no time to think.  We learned a few combos that we will be building upon as the week progresses.  Everyone is excited to see what they will be learning next as the smiles have yet to leave their faces!

After our brief introduction to kung fu, it was dinner time.  The meal was plentiful and delicious and it was capped off with a birthday cake for our birthday boy, Mario!

It will be an early night for us tonight as we have a full day tomorrow.  We’re all very excited to see the sights and learn more from the master!