Most people arriving in Guangzhou are there for just one reason: business. But even for the busiest businessman, a walk through one of the parks could make the little (needed) difference on a hectic day.

What to expect.

Even before breakfast, early in the morning, the parks develop into a little city themselves. Lots of activities are happening: Groups are getting together for some Tai Chi – mostly accompanied with some soft Chinese music; others use their spare time to take a run through one of the parks, or a little morning game of Jianzi (a traditional Asian game in which players aim to keep a heavily weighted shuttlecock in the air using their feet) with friends. Also, if you follow the sound of music, you’ll come across gatherings of people who get together to sing … and they take their singing very serious (they even have a conductor). While walking through Yuexiu park, we detected a group singing “Freude schöner Götterfunken” by Beethoven. Somehow it was a bit unreal to listen to Chinese pensioners singing such a classical song …

The parks.

We’ve been to two major parks in Guangzhou: Liuhuahu park and Yuexiu park. Yuexiu park is opposite the China (Marriott) Hotel. It  has some little hills and a jungle like vegetation, so you’ll find some great hiking trails – yes, we’re talking about the bustling city of Guangzhou. If you prefer water more, Yuexiu park (as well as Liuhuahu park) also has a huge lake. You can either feed huge Koi fish with leftover bread, or take one of the paddle boats on a little spin through the water veins.

People from Guangzhou flock to their parks and for an interesting experience, visitors should do as well at least once.

Easily one of the most beautiful spots in Guangzhou is the Liuhuahu Park. This massive park encircles the Liuhua Lake.

Liuhuahu Park is split into three major areas, the first being the Sightseeing and Resting area. This area is a wonderful place to have a picnic or go for a walk or run along the edge of the lake, and is particularly beautiful in the evening when the sun is setting.

The second area of Liuhuahu Park is the Entertainment and Activities area, which has playgrounds for kids, as well as occasional public workshops or music performances.

Especially the older generation is seen at Liuhuahu Park, who keep fit with table tennis, Tai Chi or Badminton.

The last area of Liuhuahu Park is the Aviary and Botanical Garden area. The aviary houses a wide variety of birds and the botanical garden is pleasantly fragrant and well kept.

Tai Chi is an internal Chinese martial art practised for both its defense training and its health benefits.

Some of Tai Chi’s training forms are especially known for being practiced with relatively slow movement.

Many gardeners keep Liuhuahu park clean.

Feeding Koi fish at Yuexiu Park is just one of the many things you can do here.

Yuexiu Park is the largest park in downtown Guangzhou. Covering an area of 860.000 m2, it’s made up of three artificial lakes and seven hills of Yuexiu Mountain.

Yuexiu Park is a perfect combination of cultural relics and ecological tourism, reputed for its pretty water and hills as well as cultural relics.

Anyway, enough of that. Since the weather is pretty shitty in Vienna as well, I wanted to post something to cheer me (and maybe you too) up. So here are a couple of our best surfing photos from Tahiti, Brazil & Indonesia. Wanderlust caution for all you surfers & water rats out there!!!

Perfect wave riding at Teahupoo, Tahiti.

Dennis Tihara surfing at Teahupoo, Tahiti.

Small but fine waves in the north of Brazil.

Up for the next one at Teahupoo, Tahiti.

Surfing in Indonesia is heaps of fun.

Tuber rider Dennis Tihara at Teahupoo, Tahiti.

Can this surfer make it look any easier?

The sun is shining, air flickers over the pavement, and with every single move sweat breaks loose. As soon as it gets hot, the sport-performance literally melts. A route that we normally reel off easily suddenly becomes more difficult and seems to be endless.  Believe me; I’ve been there…many times. You’re head turns tomato-red; you breathe heavily and sweat stains are all over your cloths (yummy). A positive thing: At least sweat shows that we’re doing something. The sooner you start sweating the better (and fitter are you) because then our body tries to keep a constant body temperature.  Anyway, try not to stress your body too much during high temperatures. It has enough to do with trying to keep itself cool anyway.

First tip: Ideal Timing.

Ambitious summer athletes should be smarter than the sun. Don’t go running during your lunch-break but wait until dawn or use the early morning hours for your active drive. Red area on the thermometer: 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit). As soon as the mercury passes this mark, doctors advice against exhausting exercise. Why: The hotter it gets, the more ozone concentration is in the air. Exhaust fumes and fine dust increase stress even more.

Second tip: Dress code.

“Less is more” is the motto during summer. Be sure to buy the right equipments with special UV-protection. Black is a “no-go” (even though it might conceal those nasty fat pads better) – light colours a hit.

Third tip: Sunscreen.

The sun can literally be a burner. It’s not enough to just apply a bit of lotion. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to apply one teaspoon full of sunscreen on your face and nine teaspoons on for the rest of your body. Sweat or water washes away the UV-filter, so if you decide to run a marathon (and you’re not exactly a marathon world champion), you should apply a new layer of sunscreen every two hours.

Fourth tip: Pool rules.

Water rats are often distracted. Whether you’re snorkelling in tropical waters, surfing the waves in Tahiti or just swimming in the local open air pool it’s important not to forget about sunscreen. Also, UV rays occur during shade. Umbrellas or trees only absorb 70% of those. So if you’ve ever woken up with a red nose and didn’t get plastered the day before, you might consider putting on some sunscreen when sitting on the beach with friends next time…

Fifth (and last) tip: Filling station.

Sweat-inducing summer sports raises our liquid need. Our body loses up to one liter of water and also minerals like sodium every hour! This raises the risk of muscle cramps. A look on the scale before and after the training (hell I wouldn’t want to step on a scale if I had to…) helps to know your own body’s water consumption. If you’re thirsty, it’s almost too late. Thirst is an indicator of dehydration.  Headaches and dizziness are even more alarming! Start drinking (mineral)-water before you decide to go for a run. If you hate water (how can you hate water? It’s 90 % of our body so you should love it J) you can also use fruit juices but diluted. ¼ juice, ¾ water if the rule here. If you’re really really crazy enough to work out for more than one hour, isotonic drinks are a good alternative because they compensate your mineral loss.

Personal end note:

If I look around in the subways, trains or just for fun wait outside a McDonald’s, it’s simple to say that 90 % (at least in Austria) of people need to do something. And no, by that I don’t mean order another burger! Get out there and move your ass people! Life is far too short to just sit around.