Our Last Stop - Hong Kong

I was up early again this morning. I woke up around 4:00am. Since I couldn’t sleep I edited the photos I took yesterday and then worked on journaling and my blog. By 7:00am I was done with everything and all caught up on my photos and journaling. Then I got up and got dressed and packed my things. Thomas got ready as well and around 7:30am our bags were outside our room for the porters to pick up (this had to be done by 8:30am). After putting our bags out we headed down for some breakfast. We had a quick breakfast and then returned to our room to relax for a while. At about 9:00am we headed down to the lobby to meet everyone. Around 9:30am our local tour guide handed out our lunch boxes and then we got into the bus for our drive to the Guilinbei Railway Station. It only took about twenty minutes to get to the station and there we said goodbye to Christine. Then we went through security and made our way to the waiting area. Our trip number is G2901, we board on platform 11, we are in car 03 and in seats 9AC. We were let onto the platform at 10:30am and the train left the station at 10:55am. We got settled and the train left the station and quickly got up to 240 km/hr. During the train ride they gave us a snack box and we already had our lunch box. We saved both of these until around 1:00pm. We opened one of each box and ended up sharing just the one box which meant we had to carry the other box with us off the train when we arrived in Shenzhen. Thomas read and took a short nap and I read and worked on some journaling. The trip was about three hours and the train reached a speed of 304 km/hr. The train was really comfortable and had lots of room. It was a great way to travel and was much better than spending time in another airport and on another cramped airplane. Also, we got to see more of the beautiful hills in the Guilin area as the train left the station and headed for Shenzhen.

It was just after 2:00pm when we arrived in Shenzhen and we quickly made our way to our waiting vans. We had to split into two groups because all seven of us and all our luggage couldn’t fit into one van. Thomas and I rode with Arnold in one van with some of the luggage and Jeff and Jen rode along with Paul and Mary in the other van. We drove for about 45 minutes from the train station to the border. We first had to get out of the van and walk through customs. We had to show our passports and a departure card to the agent. He then took the departure card, scanned and stamped our passport and then we were good to leave China. Even though we weren’t really leaving China, we were just going into Hong Kong which is technically part of China. Then we got back into the van and drove just a short distance to the Hong Kong border where we had to show our passports and a arrival card. They took one copy of the card and gave us back our passports and a second copy of the card and we were free to enter Hong Kong.

Then it was another 40 minutes drive to our hotel – Kowloon Shangri-La. The drive into Hong Kong was interesting. Lots of tall buildings all clustered together which was similar to the cities we visited in main land China. But then there were lots of buildings and other things that made it seem like we could be in any large city in the world. It just seemed so metropolitan where the large cities in China like Beijing and Shanghai still has a more local cultural vibe. It felt like we had reentered a world that seemed more like ours. The past 18 days felt like we were in a totally different world than ours and now it feels more like home. I am not saying one is better than the other just that it is now more familiar.

Once at the hotel we got checked in and got our room keys – we are in room 1801. We had a little time to go up to the room and get settled, use the bathroom before we needed to meet in the lobby for a walking tour of the area. Our local tour guide here in Hong Kong is Matthew. He walked us down Mody Road to Nathan Road. He talked about shopping, restaurants and bars and gave us an orientation of how to get around. After about 30 minutes we returned to the hotel. We had about a half hour to relax and then we all met across the street from the hotel for dinner. We were on our own for the night so the six of us went to a place called Rocco’s Pizza. It was nice not to have Chinese for a night. We all had pizza and drinks. Thomas and I each had a salad. We had a nice relaxing meal and a good visit and about an hour later we returned to the hotel and called it a night.

Once we were back in our room we took showers and Thomas read while I journaled. It Is now time to get some sleep so we can see more of Hong Kong in the morning. This trip has been a busy one and a long one. We are now ready to return home and have some normal time but I think we can manage one more day before leaving on Sunday for home.

Guilin and the Li River

I had trouble sleeping last night and around 2:00am I decided to edit some photos. So I worked on that for a while and then wrote some blog posts. Even though I was tired and couldn’t sleep it turned out good because I got caught up on all my photo editing and journaling. Finally, around 4:15am I went back to sleep and slept until 6:30am. Thomas and I both got up and got ready for the day. We showered and dressed and got what we needed for our excursion. Then we went down to the Li Café for breakfast. It was a buffet with a lot to choose from. When we finished eating we waited for about ten minutes in the lobby for the group and our local tour guide.

At 8:15am we left the hotel and drove about an hour to our excursion which started at the MoPan Hill Wharf. We got our tickets and made our way through security to boat 168 for our cruise down the Li River. The cruise covered 83km and took about 4hrs. Along the way we saw some beautiful scenery and some special formations. The highlight was seeing the view that is on the back of the ¥20. XingPing Scenery - it is a stunning location. We also saw the following things . . . Bat Hill, YangDi, Crown Cave, the Painted Hill of Nine Horses, Snail Hill and YangShuo County. At YangShuo we got off the boat and walked through a local market. From there we took golf carts to another market – West Street. Here our local tour guide took us to two stores for shopping. I am assuming she get a kick back from taking us there. Thomas and I didn’t shop – we just looked around and hoped this wouldn’t take long. After about 40 minutes we made our way to the bus and started our drive back to Guilin which was to take about an hour and forty-five minutes. Along the way the traffic stopped, we found out that the police had blocked the road for a VIP (don’t know who). Luckily, our local tour guide went and told the police we needed to get to our hotel to get our luggage and then get to the airport so they let us through.

Around 4:30pm we arrived in downtown Guilin and went to Candoing Health Club for foot massages and reflexology. We were there for an hour. First, they soaked our feet in a hot tea bath and massaged our shoulders and upper back at the same time. Then they did massages on our feet and calves. It was incredible and a perfect way to end the day. After the massages we returned to the hotel. Thomas and I went to our room to drop off our things and then at 6:30pm we went down to dinner. It was a buffet dinner and was just okay. Once we were done with dinner we took a walk along the Li River out in back of our hotel. Then we returned to our room and took showers. I thought I might get some photos edited from today but my eyes were closing and I decided just to go to sleep. Tomorrow we head to Hong Kong.

Moving on to Guilin

Today we part with the group and head to Guilin and Hong Kong. Six of us and Arnold are continuing on with our trip while the rest of the group heads back home. Thomas and I were up at 6:00am, we got dressed and went down to breakfast at 6:30am. After eating and saying goodbye to people we returned to our room and finish packing. We still had some time after packing so Thomas read and I worked on photos and journaling. Then at 9:30am we met Arnold in the lobby for our ride to the airport. It took us about an hour to get to the airport and then we checked in and went through security and then on to gate H34. We had some time before our flight and since it was 11:00am we decided to eat our boxed lunch while waiting. At 11:55am we boarded China Southern flight CZ3282 for Guilin. Thomas and I were in seats 45HJ. There was no one else in the row with us so we had plenty of space. It was about 12:40pm by the time we took off. During the flight they serve a meal but we had eaten already so we skipped that. During the flight I read a little, edited pictures and journaled. It was about a two and a half hour flight.

Once we landed we made our way to baggage claim and got our bags then we met up with a local tour guide and got on our mini bus for the hotel. During the hour ride to the hotel the local tour guide (Christine) told us information about Guilin. We arrived at our hotel – Shangri-La Resort about 5:15pm. Arnold got our room keys (574) and we made our way up to the room. We got settle and cleaned up and at 6:00pm we went down to the restaurant for dinner. It was just the seven of us – Thomas & I, Mary & Paul (from Indiana) and Jeff and Jen (from North Carolina) and Arnold joined us. We had a wonderful and filling meal. After eating and some nice conversation Thomas and I took a walk in the garden out back of the hotel. At 8:00pm we returned to our room.

After showers and changing we relaxed and it is now time to get some sleep so we can enjoy our day tomorrow. So far what we have seen of Guilin is beautiful and tomorrow should be fun.

Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City

This morning we were up at 6:00am and down to breakfast by 6:30am. After eating we returned to our room to get our things for the day. Around 8:15am we met the group and got on the bus to make our way to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Today the smog is gone and we were greeted with sunny skies. We also got cold and wind. It was especially cold out in the open in Tiananmen Square. Even with the wind and cold it was still better that having the sky blocked by smog. So we just bundled up and kept going. We walked to different areas of the square and Arnold told us about the history and the buildings around the square. The square contains the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. Arnold talked about each of these as we moved around. I took pictures and thought about the only thing I knew about Tiananmen Square – the 1989 protests that took place here. It was certainly a different scene here today. A beautiful square with people enjoying a sunny day – peaceful.

From the square we crossed the road via an underground pedestrian tunnel over to the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is enormous. Arnold walked us around to different areas and talked about the history that took place here. We spent about three hours walking around, learning history and admiring the construction of the buildings. By the time we left for lunch at 1:00pm my head was spinning. So much information and history – it is amazing. And to compare that to the United States with only a little over 240 years of history. This trip has been amazing, to visit and see so many things I have only seen in pictures and to get a better understanding of the Chinese culture is something I never thought would happen. Being here has given me a whole different understanding of China. I have loved every minute of being here.

From the Forbidden City we headed to a local restaurant for lunch. It was one of our typical Chinese meal with dishes served on a lazy susan that we all shared. Lunch was delicious and after an hour and a half we returned to the hotel. Back at the hotel we had a couple of hours to relax or do what we wanted. Thomas and I packed to get ready for leaving Beijing tomorrow morning – our last internal China flight. I also edited some pictures and journaled.

At 5:00pm we went down to the hotel restaurant for dinner. They had a buffet with lots to choose from. It was a really good meal. Then at 6:30pm a small group of us left the hotel and went to a show – The Legend of Kung Fu at the Red Theater. I thought that the show might be cheesy but it turned out to be very entertaining and beautiful. It was 9:30pm by the time we got back to the hotel. I was sure glad I had packed earlier because now I could just go to sleep and get some rest for our travel day tomorrow.

We also spent time today saying goodbye to most of the group. Today was our last day together. Most of the group goes home tomorrow. A couple of people are staying a few extra days in Beijing and six of us are headed to Guilin and Hong Kong. Everyone on the trip has been amazing and we have enjoyed everyone. There were 33 of us and it worked out great. We even made a couple of new friends. It is kind of sad to be saying goodbye after 16 days.

A Wall and a Sacred Way

Today our excursion started early so we were up at 5:00am and got dressed and ready for the day. Then at 6:00am we went down to breakfast in the hotel restaurant and then after eating we met the group in the lobby so we could be on the bus and headed out at 7:00am. Our destination – The Great Wall of China. And we were heading to the section at Badaling. We drove for about an hour and a half from the hotel to arrive at the section we were visiting. As we entered the town we started to see the wall on the mountains. I really became excited. I remember seeing pictures of The Great Wall as a kid but I never thought seeing it in person would ever happen. But here I am on a trip of a lifetime and a dream was coming true. The bus parked and we got out and made our way to the entrance. Arnold got our tickets for the cable car that would take us to the top of the wall. We all loaded into one of the cars and up we went. In only a few minutes we were standing on The Great Wall of China. The Chinese don’t call the wall ‘The Great Wall’ – they call it ‘The Long Wall’. So we had a couple of hours to walk the wall and from our starting point you could go either right or left. Thomas and I headed to the right and we walked and took pictures and awed at the massiveness of the structure and were stumped as to how it was built. It mostly sits on the ridges of the mountains in the area. Getting the stones up there must have been incredibly hard. The terrain is challenging to say the least. I was like a kid walking the wall – just flabbergasted about being here. We walked a ways and ended up at a battlement and that is where the wall stopped – there are sections that haven’t been restored and we couldn’t go any further without climbing down from the wall and just walking on the mountain to the next part a little ways away. So we turned around and headed back and when we reached our starting point we continued on to the left. Some parts of the wall are steep and there are steps and ramps along the way. The wall follows the terrain so it has many ups and downs. Thomas ended up stopping and waiting for me at one point because it became steep. I wanted to continue on to a spot I saw that looked like it had great views. So I walked for another fifteen minutes before turning around. I was glad I went a little further because the views were amazing and that is with a haze hanging over us – it was a bad day for pollution. It was also cold and windy but with a hat and a jacket you could keep warm with the difficult walking. Our time here was amazing and I am thankful that I got this opportunity – it was worth the time and money it took to get to China just to have done this today.

At 11:00am we left The Great Wall and headed to a place where the carve and sell jade, we were also having lunch there as well. When we first arrived we were given a talk about jade – the different types and colors, where it is mined and how it is harvested. Then we saw a master carver at work and then saw some incredible pieces. Then the high pressure sales started. But that only lasted a short time because it was time for us to eat. The lunch was really good and we got to try a Chinese liquor called Er Guo Tou. It is sorghum based and was really strong and delicious. After eating we had time to shop – but it is hard to look around and enjoy the items because they follow you around and try to push any item you look at onto you. For me this is uncomfortable and I just left the place and went to sit outside until it was time to leave.

After lunch we drove to The Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs. We didn't go to the tombs because they are far out at the base of the mountain but we walked along a path with large sculptures on either side. They were erected to protect the way to the tombs. It was a fascinating talk with Arnold about the Ming Dynasty. 

Finally, at 2:00pm we boarded the bus and headed back to the hotel. On the way we took a quick detour to the Olympic Village. We got to see the ‘Bird’s Nest and the aquatic center. It was beautiful and I love the design. I didn’t get good pictures because of the smog but it was nice seeing the area. We arrived back at the hotel around 4:00pm. We had a couple of hours before dinner so I worked on journaling and editing photos while Thomas read. Then we got cleaned up and ready for dinner.

At 6:30pm we left the hotel and went to Hua’s Restaurant for peking duck. The meal was amazing and the duck was cooked perfectly – it was so delicious. Besides the duck we had a lot of other dishes and by the time we finished we were all stuffed. I have to say that there is no lack of food on this trip. It was around 9:00pm by the time we returned to the hotel. I showered and then tried to edit pictures and get some journaling done but I have to say that we have been so busy that I am having a hard time keeping my eyes open after dinner to get anything done. So it is off to bed so I can be ready for our day tomorrow.

On to Beijing

This morning we woke up at 5:30am and got dressed. Then we finished packing and got our bags outside the room. We finished getting ready for the day and then went to have some breakfast and coffee. After about a 45 minute meal we returned to our room. We had some time before we needed to leave so I worked on pictures and journaling while Thomas read. At 9:00am we met in the lobby and climbed on board the bus. It took about an hour to get to the airport. At the airport Arnold gave us our passports, boarding passes and lunch. Then we went through security and made our way to Gate H18. We are on China Eastern Flight MU2105 to Beijing. I am in seat 44C and Thomas is in seat 44J. We started boarding around 10:50am and took off at 11:35am. About 45 minutes into the flight they served us a meal – chicken rice or beef noodles with a snack box. We only got the snack box since Viking supplied us lunches. The snack box had some crunchy peas that were delicious and a date with a walnut inside which was surprisingly good. There was also juice and bottled water. For most of the flight I journaled and read – I started a new book on this flight. It was just after 1:30pm when we landed in Beijing. By the time we got off the plane and collected all of our luggage it was 3:00pm. We walked to the bus and in no time we were off to our first excursion. We met up with our local tour guide and she walked us a short distance to a small park. Then gave us a small rubber disk (about an inch in diameter) with feathers sticking up on one side. She told us we were going to play hacky sack. It was just like hacky sack at home but not with a small ball. We did have fun moving around and trying to kick this little feathered doodad (which we got to keep). After about 30 minutes we walked from the park to a small neighborhood – a Beijing Hutong. Here we got into some rickshaws (pedal powered by a local) and we took a tour through the hutong. It was a 20 minute ride and then we arrived at a home to visit a local family. We entered and all sat around and had tea while the woman (Mrs. Wong) told us about her family and life. Once she had finished talking we were able to ask questions. Her niece was there and she does painting inside glass bottles. She demonstrated her work and then we were able to buy a piece if we wanted. We spent about 30 minutes here and then returned to our rickshaw for another ride to the Bell and Drum Tower. Our tour guide gave us some history and then we went inside the tower for a tea ceremony. We learned about different types of tea and got to taste about four varieties. This was interesting but as has become the usual it was also a sales pitch. After the tasting we could peruse the shop and buy tea and stuff if we wanted.

 Once everyone had finished shopping we headed out to get some dinner. It was around 5:30 when we arrived at a local restaurant for dinner. It was a lazy susan style meal where they put different dishes out and you spin it around to get what you want. The meal was good and I was stuffed by the time we left. After dinner we headed for our hotel – Fairmont Beijing. Arnold got our room keys (we had room 917) and we were done for the day. Thomas and I both took showers and got settled into the room. I was able to only get a little photo editing done before my eyes started closing and I decided to put things away and get some sleep. We have our first full day in Beijing tomorrow and I want to be rested.

Xi'an and the Terracotta Warriors

Today we were up at 5:30am. Thomas hasn’t been feeling well and isn’t sleeping very much. He has had a stuffy head and is coughing. We showered and dressed, got things organized for the day and then went to the restaurant for breakfast around 6:30am. After eating we returned to our room. We were both playing on the computer and completely forgot the time. At 7:35am we got a call saying they were waiting for us on the bus. It was so embarrassing and as we climbed on everyone clapped. It all turned out fine. So we left the hotel and drove about an hour out of town to the site of the Terracotta Warriors. As we drove Arnold gave us lots of information about the soldiers and the site. When we arrived he went and got our tickets and we headed into the area. So there is an entry gate and there are four pits and an exhibition center. We started in Pit 1 – this is where most of the soldiers are put back together and are standing in formation. It is astounding and I could never do it justice by trying to describe it. The sheer massiveness of the presentation is humbling. We spent quite a bit of time here and again Arnold gave us more information. I took lots of pictures and just stared at the soldiers. It is sad that someone tried to destroy them by setting fire to the area at some time. From Pit 1 we walked over to Pit 3. This pit isn’t as excavated as Pit 1 but it is still awe inspiring because of its size and just having a inkling of what is underneath. They do have some areas excavated and put back together and then they have areas where you can see them shattered. Then we went outside and Arnold showed us Pit 4. It is covered by a glass dome. When they checked this pit they didn’t find anything and they think that the Emperor died before they could make the statues for this area. So we made our way to Pit 2. This pit is even less excavated and you can see the shape of the wooden timbers that covered and protected the soldiers under the dirt. The whole thing was fascinating. After Pit 2 we had a little time to look around the gift shop. Most of us bought a book about the soldiers and a DVD and a set of postcards. Once we had all done that we walked over to the Exhibition Hall. We saw an exhibition about the Han Dynsaty and the we saw some bronze chariots they found near the Emperor’s tomb. One of the highlights of the place is a kneeling archer. They put him back together and he is on display under a glass case. They also have some bronze tools they found in the area. If this is all we had seen on this trip I would have been happy, as it is, this has been the highlight.

After about three hours here we headed out and went to a factory where they make replicas of the statues. They make small ones that are about four inches tall all the way up to life size. They also will make special ones with your face. They take pictures of your face from all angles and they will make a large life size warrior that looks like you. Afterward we had time to shop. I bought an eight inch kneeling archer to take home. Then we had lunch on the third floor of this place. They had set up a great buffet and we could even watch a man make noodles. The only complaint was that there was high pressure to buy and I couldn’t really look around and enjoy the place. Finally, we were back on the bus headed back to the hotel. It was around 3:30pm when we got back to the hotel. Thomas and I relaxed for a while and I started editing photos. Then we walked over to a pharmacy so Thomas could get some medicine and then we returned to our room. We just relaxed until it was time for dinner.

At 5:30pm we met the group in the lobby and we got on the bus and headed out to dinner. We went to the Tang Dynasty Show and Dinner. When we arrived they had five musicians on stage playing music. Once we were seated they started bringing drinks. Everyone had water and then you could order something else if you wanted. I ended up getting a beer. They also brought us a drink called Xi’an rice wine. It was delicious. Then the food started coming. We had courses – chicken in a potato bowl with some vegetables, mushroom soup, fried fish and shrimp with sesame crusted cashews, orange consommé and then an assortment of cookies and snacks. When we finished dinner they started the show. The show is a musical about a 14 year old concubine who made her way up in the palace until she rose to Empress at the age of 67 years old. It was beautifully done, colorful and entertaining. I originally thought that it might be a cheesy dinner theater show but it was professionally done and thoroughly enjoyable.

The show ended around 8:30pm and it wasn’t until 9:00pm when we arrived back at the hotel. Thomas and I showered and then began packing. We needed to get as much packed tonight as possible because our luggage had to be outside by 6:30am. Once that was done we relaxed. Thomas read for a short while and then went to bed and I spent some time editing photos and then uploaded to Facebook. I only got a little done – my eyes started closing and around 11:00pm I went to sleep. Tomorrow we fly to Beijing.

Flying from Lhasa to Xi'an

We are leaving Lhasa this morning and we are heading for Xi’an. We had to have our checked luggage outside our room by 8:00am and we were leaving the hotel at 9:00am. I had set the alarm for 6:30am and when that went off both Thomas and I got up and got dressed, finished packing our bags and put them outside the room. Then we got our carry on things organized and ready for the flight. At 7:30am we went to the dining room and had breakfast and coffee. We returned to the room at 8:30am and made sure we hadn’t left anything and then made our way to the lobby to meet the group.

We left the hotel at 9:00am and drove one hour to the airport. We got our boarding passes, checked in our luggage and then made our way through security and on to Gate A3. We are flying on China Eastern on Flight MU2334, we had seats 49AB, the last row on the plane. The flight was about three hours, they served us a meal and I read most of the trip. I finished the book I was reading during this flight. We flew over the mountains and they were covered in snow and beautiful. At 2:45pm we landed in Xi’an and made our way to baggage claim. They had someone get our bags and transfer them to our hotel. We left baggage claim and made our way to the bus. It was about an hours drive from the airport to the hotel. We arrived at the hotel at 4:30pm. Arnold checked us in and gave us our room keys. We are staying at the Hyatt Regency Xi’an. Thomas and I have room 1061.

The hotel is wonderful and the room is beautiful. After getting settled in the room we decided to take a walk around the hotel. We first did the inside and then moved on to the outside. We ended up walking around the outside of the hotel property along the sidewalk and when we got to the back of the building we came to a park with a lake. Then we found a gate that allowed us to use our room key to get back on to the hotel grounds. Once back in the hotel we headed for the dining room for a buffet dinner. It was a delicious meal with lots of choices. After eating we went back to the room and showered. We are tired today even though we didn’t do much – it was a total travel day. We now need to get some rest for our day in Xi’an tomorrow.

A Palace Visit

For some reason I keep waking up at 4:00am, not sure why this happens. I tried going back to sleep but I couldn’t. So I worked on editing photos and journaling. At 6:30am Thomas and I got up and dressed. At 7:00am we went down to the restaurant for some breakfast and coffee. There wasn’t anything great so we ended up eating cereal and having coffee and then returned to our room. We got our things together for the day and then at 8:45am we went down to the lobby to meet the group for our excursion.

At 9:00am we arrived at Potala Palace. Visiting the palace is an ordeal. I don’t know all the details because Viking handled most everything. But what I do know is that we had to have our passports and a ticket with our passport numbers on them. Then we had to go through three security checkpoints before we could actual start climbing the stairs to get into the palace. Once we were through the third checkpoint we started climbing. There is a series of switchbacks consisting of steps and ramps that get you up to the entry into the palace. So we climbed, and climbed and climbed. Our tour guide told us that to get from the entrance gate to the roof of the top floor of the palace it is about 999 stairs. Not sure if that is true but it was a lot. You climb up to this courtyard and along the way you can take pictures. But as you enter the palace on wooden stairs (there are three stairs side by side, the middle one is only used by the Dalai Lama and he hasn’t been to the palace since 1959) and enter into a small room then you can no longer take pictures. We toured the White Palace and the Red Palace. The place is incredible!!! So many details, so many buddhas, so many paintings, so many chapels, so much history and lots of stairs. At a point it got to be overwhelming. There have been 14 Dalai Lamas since 1391. That is a lot of history. The place is mystical with all the people who come here to pray and give blessings. This has been a highlight of the trip. It was an amazing morning at the Potala Palace and worth the walk up.

We left the palace around noon and went to a local restaurant for a nice meal. I tell you I really love yak meat. After a nice relaxing meal we all returned to the bus for our next excursion. We drove for about fifteen minutes and then the bus dropped us off and we walked for another ten minutes through a market area. We arrived at a nunnery (assuming this meant convent, but not sure) and found that it was closed. The nuns were taking examinations and they wouldn’t open until 5:00pm. The plans were changed and we continued our walk through the market area and arrived at The Temple of the South Three Protectors – a small monastery. We did a quick tour inside and then we walked around the market for a short period.

By 3:00pm we were back at the bus and we headed for the hotel. Once at the hotel Thomas and I got things packed for tomorrow. We have to have our checked luggage outside our room by 8:00am and we leave for the airport at 9:00am for our flight to Xi’an. After packing we read for a bit and I edited pictures. At 6:00pm we went down for dinner. It was a buffet and had a lot to choose from. They came around our tables and offered us turkey for Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful gesture. Thomas and I weren’t all that hungry so we only ate a small meal and then returned to our room. We went through the closet and checked around to make sure we have everything. Looking forward to Xi’an and the Terracotta Warriors.

A Temple and A Monastery

Thomas and I both had trouble sleeping last night. Not sure if it had to do with the altitude or with allergies. We both felt a little light headed but nothing major so I don’t think the altitude is the problem. There is so much dust all around. From the time we left the airport to the time we got to the hotel there was dust blowing in the air. We both sneezed on and off all night. At around 4:00am I decided to work on my journal and edit some pictures. I did this for about an hour then tried to get some more sleep. It worked because the next thing I knew was that the alarm was going off at 6:30am. So we both got up, showered and dressed. Around 7:30am we went for some breakfast and coffee in the dining room. We talked with a few people who had to go to the infirmary during the night and there was a rumor that someone had to go to the hospital. We will see what is actually true when we meet the group for our excursion this morning. We have everything ready for today we are just relaxing until we meet the group at 9:30am.

So we met the group at 9:30am and found out that no one went to the hospital but they did see go to the clinic in the hotel. No one had serious problems but there were some that weren’t going on the excursions today. The rest of us climbed into the bus and made our way to Jokhang Temple. We parked at the end of the road and had to walk about ten minutes to the temple. There is a large open area in front of the temple and there were a lot of people there. They have two large incense burners our front where people put herbs and other plants as offerings. This creates a lot of smoke and a very thick, smokey odor. We walked closer and saw lots of people praying out front. Our local tour guide gave us some history, explained about the praying and lots of other information about their beliefs. After about 30 minutes we entered the courtyard of the temple. In here there was singing, dancing and praying. All very overwhelming to see the extent of their beliefs. Then we entered the temple, you can’t take pictures inside and it was very crowded and the incense smell was intense. There was also the smell of burning candles. People from all over Tibet were here to do offerings and pray at little chapels set up all around the temple. We were inside about 30 minutes and our local tour guide explained the meaning of symbols and statues. Once back outside we walked around a bit more and got more information – more than I can remember.

Then we had some free time to roam around the area and visit the market. Thomas and I spent an hour going into some stores and visiting a couple of smaller prayer houses. The market was interesting – they like haggling and they are very persistent. We bought a couple of small items and mainly just window shopped and people watched. After an hour we met the group again and we all went to lunch at a local restaurant called Lhasa Kitchen. They had a set menu so we couldn’t choose but the meal turned out to be delicious. We had soup, bread, vegetable spring rolls, yak meat, curry chicken, spinach, rice and noodles. It was a relaxing time after visiting the crowded temple.

 After lunch we made our way to Sera Monastery. We learned about the monastery and its history. We visited a few areas but the highlight of the visit is when we watched monks debating. The monks were all gathered in a courtyard and paired up. One was sitting and one was standing. The monk standing posed a question to the monk sitting. If the sitting monk answered the question correctly the standing monk claps his hands palms together. If the sitting monk answers wrong the standing monk claps his hands with the palm of one hand and the back of the other. The whole thing is very animated and it is loud as all these pairs of monks are doing this at the same time. It was incredibly interesting to watch. We spent about an hour at the monastery and then we returned to the hotel.

We had about an hour and a half to rest and freshen up before dinner. We met the group at 6:00pm and all the people that had problems this morning were doing better and joined us for dinner. We ate a restaurant at a different hotel. It was a buffet and they had only a few choices – it was good but not as good as lunch. After dinner we returned to the hotel. We both showered and then Thomas read a bit and I journaled and edited pictures. It was a long day and a good nights sleep will be good. We have another full day in Lhasa tomorrow.

Chongqing, Pandas and Tibet

Our alarm went off at 5:00am, we had to shower, dress, finish packing and get some breakfast before 6:30am. We got our things and met our group in the lobby at 6:45am and then we disembarked the Viking Emerld in Chongqing. A bus then took us to the Chongqing Zoo so we could see some pandas. The zoo opens early and people come to do exercises there. They had people playing badmitton, doing TaiChi and walking. We were lucky and there were about five pandas out. We got to take pictures and watch them eat and play. After about 40 minutes at the zoo we had to leave and make our way to the airport which was about an hours drive.

Once we were in the airport Arnold gave us our passports and boarding passes. Then as a group we headed to security. We are flying to Lhasa, Tibet this morning and you have to have an entry pass. So Arnold had a list of our names and passport numbers which was attached to an entry permit, so we all had to be together. Going through security was pretty easy and didn’t take that long. We are on flight CZ3463 on China Southern [Thomas was in seat 40B and I was in seat 39C]. By the time we reached Gate G16 we only had a ten minute wait before they started boarding. The flight was about three hours and I spent most of it reading. They did serve us a lunch of rice and pork with some vegetables. It wa pretty good. When we landed in Tibet we made our way to the baggage claim and picked up our bags. We then had to wait until everyone had their luggage and then we had to give our passports to Arnold so he could get us through customs. They scanned our passports and then we were free to leave the airport. We loaded onto our bus and our local tour guide welcomed us to Tibet with a white scarf that he tied around our necks. It was a special way to start our visit in Tibet. 

From the airport we drove about fifteen minutes to visit a typical Tibetan home. We didn’t meet the family but we got to see the different living areas and learn about how they live. It was an interesting visit but very quick and a little strange walking around someone’s home when they weren’t there. After the visit we were back on the bus for a one hour ride to Lhasa and our hotel. Arnold has been preparing us for the altitude so that we don’t have any problems and the local tour guide did the same during our bus ride. Lhasa is at 3600 meters or 11,800 feet so they strongly encouraged all of us to follow some simple rules. Drink plenty of water, cut back on alcohol, move slowly and avoid strenuous exercise. So far Thomas isn’t having any problems but I have felt a little light headed. Hopefully we will be okay – our tour guide is slowing everything down while we are in Tibet.

We arrived at our hotel – The St. Regis Lhasa Resort – and we got our room keys and we were free to do what we wanted until dinner at 7:00pm. After settling in the room Thomas did some reading and I walked around the hotel taking pictures. I also spent some time editing photos and journaling until it was time for dinner. At dinner we found that four of our group were already having dizziness and nausea and one didn’t even come down for dinner because she was feeling too bad. We are hopeful that everyone will be okay tomorrow when we go out to explore the city.

Dinner was a buffet in the restaurant and they had quite a large variety of food. We all found things we liked and had a great meal. Back in the room after dinner I showered, edited pictures, did my blog post and journaled. It was long day and I need some sleep for tomorrow so I can enjoy Lhasa.

Shibaozhai Pagoda and Getting Ready for Disembarkation

We woke up this morning around 5:00am so we decided to start getting things packed and organized for disembarkation tomorrow. Then we took showers, got dressed and went down to breakfast at 6:30am. We had a pretty quick breakfast and some coffee and then headed back to the cabin. Once back in the cabin we got things ready for our excursion this morning. At 8:30am we left the ship and met our local tour guide on shore near some people selling all kinds of things. They kept saying ‘hallo’ and trying to pull us to their tables. Finally, we left that area and walked up the street to an intersection and then turned left passing under an elaborate arch. This turn had us entering into a local market area. The gauntlet of merchants was even worse here – they were relentless. But we trudged on making our way to the end of the street and another elaborate arch. Our local tour guide pulled us to the side and talked to us about where we were headed. Our destination was across a hanging, swaying bridge on an small island a little ways off shore. After giving us some history and information about Shibaozhai Temple.

 Then we walked across the bridge and made it to the island. Then we walked around the edge of the island to the front of the temple. Our tour guide talked to us as we walked and then she lead us into the temple and up the 99 steps to the top. Here we had some incredible views and learned a lot about the temple. The tour guide finished her talk and then we had about a half hour of free time to walk around before we needed to head back to the ship. We left the island and traversed the gauntlet of the market to make our way back to the ship. We made it just in time because about ten minutes after we were back on board the ship left the dock to complete our sailing of the Yangtze and dock in Chongqing.

Back on board Thomas and I decided to get as much packed as we could since our check in luggage has to be outside our cabin by 11:00pm. We did really good and only had the necessities left. By this time it was noon so we headed to the dining room for lunch. Today was a special lunch which include some Chinese delicacies. They had lotus root, chicken feet, pig’s ears and tails. I opted not to try these. We had a nice meal of other more normal Chinese dishes and we had a great time visiting with the others at our table. After about an hour we returned to our cabin.

We filled out surveys about the cruise and then I went to the front desk and turned them in. I also purchased some vouchers that we can use for future trips (they cost $100 but are worth $200). The rest of the afternoon was relaxing – we read, watched a movie, did some journaling and edited some pictures. Then we got ready for dinner. We headed for the dining room at 7:00pm and when we arrived we found Justin and Abby (they have been our servers for the entire cruise) and took a picture with them. The meal was okay – Thomas had the beef tenderloin and I had the cod. We ended up sitting with two couples we hadn’t met before. By 8:30pm we were ready to head back to the cabin. We still had a few things to get packed.

It took us about fifteen minutes to finish our packing and then we put the luggage outside our door. I ended up journaling while Thomas read. Now it is time to get some sleep – we have an early morning and a busy day tomorrow.

The Wu Gorge and the Goddess Stream

This morning we woke up at 6:00am and found that we were cruising through the Wu Gorge. Around 7:00am we docked at Wushan where we will have an excursion this morning. We went to the dining room around 7:30am for some breakfast and coffee and then returned to our cabin around 8:00am. I worked on some journaling until 9:30am when we left the ship for our sampan ride along the Goddess Stream. We had to walk for a while to get to the sampans. Once on board (there were 17 of us on our sampan) we started our tour of the gorge with a local guide. We spent an hour and a half floating along. The area was beautiful and full of history. We saw one of the hanging coffins that is high up on the cliffs. I really enjoyed the ride – it was peaceful and relaxing. After our ride we walked back to the ship and returned to the cabin. I edited more photos and then got a few uploaded to Facebook.

At noon we headed to the dining room and had some lunch. The choices today were better than yesterday. Thomas had soup & pasta and I had fish & chips. We didn’t linger in the dining room, we both wanted to get away from everyone and relax a bit. Thomas decided to hang out in the room and read and I decided to go up to Deck 6 and sit in the computer room. I edited all my pictures and then posted some of them onto Facebook. Once all of that was done I returned to the cabin where I worked on some journaling and did some blog post.

Around 5:30pm Thomas and I decided to head up to the Observation Lounge on Deck 5 for a drink. Then at 6:30pm there was a talk about the disembarkation process for day after tomorrow. Then after the talk we sat with our group and talked a little more about our flight and visit to Tibet. Our group ended up staying a little longer than the other groups and by the time we left the lounge and got to the dining room the tables were mostly full. But we found a table with only one couple so six of sat with them.

The meal was pretty good. It was more of a Chinese menu. I had the spring rolls and seabass. Thomas decided he didn’t want the Chinese meal so he opted for chicken. We had a pleasant visit with everyone at our table and one of the guys was celebrating his birthday – so they came out and sang happy birthday to him and we all got a piece of birthday cake.

After dinner we went straight back to the room. Thomas brushed his teeth and went straight to bed. I decided I wanted a shower and then I worked on finishing my blog post for the day. Tomorrow we have one excursion in the morning but then we need to spend the rest of the day packing because our bags have to be in the hallway tomorrow night. Now it is time to get some sleep – I need my rest since we still have two more weeks on this trip.

Headed to the Three Gorges

We were up early again this morning. Not sure why we keep waking up early but I guess our bodies are good with the amount of sleep we are getting. I ended up editing pictures and organizing the room a bit. Then we showered and dressed and were in the dining room for breakfast by 7:30am. We spent about an hour in the dining room visiting and relaxing then returned to our cabin. When we arrive they were cleaning our room so I grabbed my laptop and journal and we went to the lobby to wait for them to finish. While in the lobby I was able to connect to the internet and get some pictures and a blog post uploaded. Thomas ended up returning to the cabin but I decided to stay in the lobby since I had a good connection. After a little time in the lobby the ship stopped. We were getting ready to enter a lock so I went to the cabin and got my camera and Thomas and I went up to Deck 5 and watched as we entered the lock. We ended up staying and watching it fill up and then us exit at the end.

Afterwards, we returned to our cabin and Thomas sat and decided to read for a while. I got my things and went back in to the lobby. The internet works better there.

By going through the locks we were entering the first of three gorges. We are now in the Xiling Gorge. The landscape has changed dramatically and is beautiful with all its hills and greenery. Unfortunately, we are still having overcast skies, with fog and a light drizzle. So our visibility is limited but it is still a bit magical.

At noon we went to the dining room for a little bit of lunch before we headed out for our afternoon excursion. Lunch was just so-so and neither Thomas nor I ate very much. We left the ship around 2:00pm and made our way to the bus for the excursion to the Three Gorges Dam. We had a local guide who joined us on the bus and she told us about the dam as we drove to the entrance and security checkpoint. We stopped at a couple of areas and we learned about how the dam operates and the power it supplies. It is an amazing structure and does an amazing job of helping to control the Yangtze River. We spent around two and a half hours at the dam before returning back to the ship. It was close to 5:00pm when we returned and shortly thereafter the ship left the dock so we could make our way to the dam to begin going through the five stage locks. The process takes about four hours to go from one level to the next. We enter the locks on the Xiling Gorge side and then exit into the Wu Gorge. I spent the time before dinner editing photos and doing a little journaling. There was a cocktail party at 6:00pm but we didn’t feel like going. So we just relaxed in our cabin until dinner.

 Dinner started at 7:00pm and it was not the best dinner we have had. Thomas ended up ordering the beef tenderloin and then I had the chicken. Neither of us ordered from the special menu for the night. We did enjoy the company and had a good time visiting with the people at our table. After dinner we went up to the lounge on Deck 6 and listened to some music and visited some more. We lasted until 11:00pm and then we headed back to the cabin to get some rest. I didn’t have nay energy to work on anything at that time of night so I just went to bed. Tomorrow we have a morning excursion and then we are cruising for the rest of the day.

Visiting Jingzhou

Had a really good sleep last night and woke up around 4:30am. Did some reading and played a little on my iPad. At 6:30am I took a shower and got dressed and ready for the day. At 7:00am the ship docked in Jingzhou and a little after that Thomas and I went and had a quick breakfast and some coffee. Once we were done eating we went back to the cabin to brush our teeth and get our things ready for our day in Jingzhou. We had about an hour before we needed to meet our group so I worked on some journaling.

At 8:45am we left the ship and made our way to the bus for our first excursion of the day. We were on our way to visit a school that Viking sponsors – Genhe Primary School. When we arrived we went to an outdoor stage and the students put on a show for us. After the show we went to visit one of the classrooms. As we walked in the students started grabbing our hands and taking us to their desk. They had us sit in their seats and they were showing us different things. Our group had a class of second graders. They only speak Chinese, they haven’t learned English yet. They will start learning English in third grade. The little guy that I was with was energetic, he was always moving. They recited a poem from the Tang Dynasty and then sang us a song. Then we sang three songs for them – Old MacDonald; Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Hokey Pokey. When we got to the Hokey Pokey I used my hands to guide his arms and legs as we went through the song. I was trying to harness his energy. He was showing me how he writes some of the Chinese characters and then I wrote my name for him and he copied it. This turned out to be more fun than I could have imagined. The kids were so happy and energetic and it was contagious. Finally, around 11:00am we left the school and returned to the ship.

Once back on the ship we had a little time to relax before lunch. So we did a few things in our cabin and then headed to the dining room to get something to eat. It was a pretty standard lunch but it was good. Then after eating we returned to our cabin and I worked on editing pictures and journaling until it was time for our afternoon excursion.

Then at 1:30pm we made our way back to the bus and we headed for the Jingzhou Museum. When we arrived at the museum and the first thing we did was attend a bronze bell musical performance. They performed four songs for us. They used the bronze bells, tiles, the zither, pan flutes and drums. It was actually a wonderful concert. After the concert we had about an hour to wander around the museum and see the exhibits. They had exhibits on bamboo slips, pottery, jade and bronze. We all met back at the bus at 4:00pm and we traveled to a park so that we could see the ancient wall that surrounds the city. We also were able to climb to the top and walk along the top of the wall and see some views of the city. So Thomas and I took a little walk along the top of the wall and I was able to take a few pictures. The views weren’t all that great because the entire day has been overcast, foggy and drizzly.

It was around 5:30pm when we returned to the ship. We went to our cabin and got cleaned up for dinner. We had a little time before dinner so I edited some photos. At 7:00pm we headed for dinner and we had a Western menu to choose from. Thomas had minestrone soup and beef tenderloin and I had scallops and cashew shrimp. It was all very good. We ended up sitting with George and Mario and then two other couples – one from New Jersey and one from Chicago. We had a great time laughing and talking – it was one of the more enjoyable evenings. One of the women was also a physical therapist (and I had met another woman who is a physical therapist). At 9:00pm Thomas and I left the dining room and returned to our cabin. It had been a long day and we both wanted to get some sleep.

Cruising the Yangtze

For some reason I was up at 3:00am – oh, I know the reason, we have a rule at our house that also seems to apply when traveling – ‘When Thomas is awake, everyone is awake.’ So since I was awake and couldn’t for the life of me get back to sleep I worked on editing photos. I am having a hard time connecting to the internet so I am unable to post pictures on Facebook or post any blogs. So I decided to type out my blog post on a Word document and them when I have internet connection I can just copy and paste them. I also did a little reading and enjoyed the quiet that seemed to engulf the ship. Once it got light outside we found our view obstructed by fog. There was also a mist hanging in the air and our balcony was damp. I took a few pictures and enjoyed the hazy morning. I got all the posts typed up and then tried the internet again. This time I got a connection but it was slow and spotty. So I got one post uploaded with pictures and then I decided to take a shower and get dressed. Once dressed I straightened up the cabin while Thomas showered. When he was done we headed out to breakfast. We had a nice relaxing meal with some friends we made on this trip – George and Mario (from Philadelphia). After about an hour we left the restaurant and returned to our room. I was able to get on the internet and upload yesterday’s blog post and also post some pictures on Facebook. After getting this done I did some reading until 9:45am when we had to participate in a muster drill. The drill lasted about 20 minutes and then we returned to our room. I decided to continue reading my book until it was time to go to lunch. So far the fog has persisted all morning and we aren’t getting any views – at times we can’t even see the shore line.

At around 12:30pm we headed to the dining room for some lunch. There was pasta and salad at the buffet and there was a small menu of items you could order. Thomas had pasta from the buffet and I had a salad. After my salad I ordered a chicken quesadilla. We didn’t eat much, we were still full from the wonderful breakfast buffet this morning. After eating we returned to the room to relax some more. There are some lectures and activities this afternoon that we may attend.

I decided to attend a lecture this afternoon at 2:15pm on the Yangtze River. It was a very informative and interesting talk. It was given by Angie who is the program director on the ship. The Yangtze is an amazing river and is important to everyday life in China. When the talk finished I returned to the cabin and worked on a few things before heading out again at 4:00pm for an afternoon tea. Just a little before 4:00pm we headed to Deck 6 and went to the afternoon tea. We had tea with finger sandwiches and some pastries. We visited with another couple and relaxed for about 45 minutes. Afterwards we returned to the room and ended up reading for about an hour and a half. Then we got ready for dinner.

At 7:00pm we made our way to the dining room and had a wonderful Chinese meal. There was a choice of four starters and seven main dishes. Everything was brought out and put on lazy susans in the middle of the table and you could take what you wanted. We tried everything and most of it was delicious – there were a couple of dishes that I didn’t really care and probably wouldn’t want to have again. Dinner lasted about and hour and a half. We then returned to the room. I took a shower and then worked on editing pictures and this blog post.

Today was a nice relaxing day but I was getting a little bored. So I am glad that tomorrow we have some shore excursions but nothing starts until 9:00am so no need to get up early. Looking forward to seeing more of China. The weather today has been overcast with a light mist and a little chilly. Tomorrow the forecast calls for a light drizzle. I am hoping that we see the sun soon.