So my friend Jean, her daughter Rae, JiXiang and I headed out to the mountains of Fujieda for lunch.

We wound along a single lane mountain road through beautiful scenery. It could have been the Fraser Valley if there weren’t so many bamboo trees.

This area was called Fudo Gorge and it twisted along a beautiful river.

The tiny restaurant that we went to was near the end. It was a very popular Soba noodle house. Their tempura was beautiful.

We ate lunch sitting on a beautiful hard wood floor over looking the river and a very old water wheel.

We visited the wheel after when we went on a little stroll. I have seen many water wheels before but this was the first time I have seen the mechanisms that make it work on the inside. Very interesting.

The main hut was made with a thatched roof that looked amazingly strong.

We then slowly meandered our way back while the kids slept in their car seats. (Jean gave me a car seat for JiXiang for those just in case days like today.)

On the way we stopped at this shrine that has made the Gorge famous.

You pray at the shrine and one the other side of the river, carved into the rock wall, is a Giant carved god face. It was very wild looking.

Here are some pictures.

Fudo Gorge.

….

When we got back to my house we found Li being accosted by the local missionary boys. He was politely trying to tell them to piss off but it was not working.

I am not sure exactly where these boys are from but I do know they are all related. They are all VERY tall and VERY blond.

Most of us try to avoid them as much as we can. They are only able to talk about one thing.

Jean and I had stepped out of the car when they walked down the stairs, looked at us and went

-Ahh the mother tongue. Haven’t heard that in a while.

Jean and I looked up and both went

-uuuuu Hi.

Then continued talking. Li practically sprinted to us to get away from them.

I guess the two boys discovered him having a smoke on the stairs and started to give him their speech. (yet another reason to quit.)

He politely went

-I understand what you are saying but I am sorry, I don’t believe in religion.

They immediately started telling him another bible story about how if you join their religion you will go to heaven.

Li went

-so basically you are saying that good people go to heaven but you have to be part of your religion. What about Buddhist people. They are good people will they go to heaven?

Instead of answering him they started telling him yet another story.

This went on for a while till finally Li went

-I am sorry but religion makes me angry because religion always causes war.

They went

-God does not say that war is ok it is just that some people want it.

This made Li’s eyes curl

-So your religion has many branches but they all go to heaven. I am confused and still do not want to join your religion.

He politely took their pamphlets and then put them in the garbage.

Li looks at me after he tells me all this

-I never said I don’t believe in a god or heaven.