And Now We Head Home

I woke up around 5:00am and couldn’t get back to sleep so I just laid there and at 5:45am I decided to get up and get things ready to head home. Thomas got up as well and we both showered, dressed and finished packing. Once we were done we went down to breakfast and relaxed, ate and had coffee. After eating we went up to our room and read until about 8:20am. Then we decided to go and look for a letterbox that I thought might be close to our hotel. So we followed the clues and we found some of the landmarks but some were gone. They are doing construction in the area that won’t be complete until February 2019. We couldn’t get close enough to check the final landmark but looking at the construction I doubt if it is there. So we returned to our room and I worked on pictures and journaling. Then at 9:15am I went to Starbucks to get some coffee since we still have a while until we go to the airport. On the way back to the room I saw Arnold, Jeff and Jen in the lobby, they were getting ready to head out. So I said goodbye and went back up to the room. I continued working on photos and journaling until around 11:10am we got our things and we headed down to the lobby. When we got there Paul and Mary were already waiting. Thomas got us checked out and shortly thereafter Matthew showed up with the van to take us to the airport.

It took us about 35 minutes to get to the airport – thankfully it was Sunday and no traffic. At the airport we said goodbye to Matthew and then got in line to check in. The line was moving slow, there was only one person working at the time. Finally, a second person came up and things went faster. We checked in our bags, got our boarding passes and headed to security. Security went pretty fast and the first thing we did was check the board for our gate number. None was assigned yet. We had been in the airport for about 45 minutes and we decided to find a place to sit and wait for the gate to be announced. Thirty minutes later a gate number appeared on the screen. We are on American Airlines flight AA126 (seats 39AB) departing from Gate 40. We had to ask for directions (the signs were so confusing), down the escalators two flights and a train to the first stop. Finally, we arrived at the gate and we got settled for the hour we had to wait until boarding. The time went fast – we both read and before we knew it we were boarding. This time we didn’t have the row to ourselves but that wasn’t too bad. But the flight might have the worst we have ever had. There was turbulence (at times really bad) for most of the trip, the food was horrible and the flight attendants were anything but attentive. I read for a while, watched three movies (Christopher Robin, Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy 2) and then I slept for a while. Thomas was really uncomfortable for most of the flight but thankfully he was able to get some sleep as well.

Fourteen hours later we landed in Dallas and I have never been so happy to be off a plane in my life. Once off the plane we stopped at the bathroom then headed for customs. We stood in line for a while and finally got to a kiosk, where we scanned our passports, filled out a questionnaire and got a printout with our picture on it. Then we had to get into another line and go through an agent. He looked at our passport and took the printout. Next, we had to pick up our luggage at baggage claim and then wheel it fifty feet and then turn it in again – stupid! And finally, we had to go through security again, thankfully, we had TSA Precheck and then we were into the terminal. It only took us an hour and a half – it was a good thing we had a four hour layover. The departure board said our flight was departing at Gate 31 so we headed there. No sooner had we gotten settled they changed the gate to 36 – not too far so we headed there. Then we decided to get something to eat. We had a quick meal at McDonalds and then returned to our gate. I did some pictures and journaling and got some things uploaded to Facebook and my blog. We are on American Airlines flight AA2698 (seats 23DE. We are both ready to get home and all this flying is tiring. We boarded and got to our seats and when boarding was complete we were happy to find that we had the row to ourselves. So we spread out and we both went to sleep. This made for a quick flight and before we knew it we were landing in Albuquerque. We got off the plane and stopped at the bathroom, then went to baggage claim. Our bags were there and first thing is we took our jackets out and put them on – colder here than in Hong Kong.

Then we made our way out to the shuttle and then to our car. We paid our fee and we were off to Santa Fe. It was around 11:00pm when we arrived home and we were both hungry so we had something to eat and then we showered and it is now time to head to bed. This trip has been a dream come true and the trip of a lifetime. But as is usual with our trips we are always glad to be home. We didn’t get to see the dogs tonight, it is cold and Bruce kept them at the other house. Tomorrow hopefully we can get back to normal.

A Day in Hong Kong

Our alarm went off at 6:00am and we immediately got up and got dressed. After organizing the room a bit we went down to the restaurant for breakfast. We had a nice relaxing meal and drank some coffee. Once we were done we returned to our room and got our things for the day. At 8:30am we went down to the lobby to meet our group for a day out in Hong Kong. Leaving the hotel we drove through a tunnel under Victoria Bay over to Hong Kong Island. We made our way up to Victoria Peak. Up at the peak we had time to walk around and get some views of the city. There was a haze so it wasn’t the greatest of views but it was nice. After about 45 minutes here we headed back down and went over to Stanley Market. We only had a short time here but is was enough – Thomas and I weren’t really in the mood to shop but we did end up getting a couple of t-shirts. From the market we made our way to the harbor and we took a 20 minute sampan ride and then ended up at Jumbo Floating Restaurant. We had a dim sum lunch which was really good. After lunch we headed back to the hotel.

Thomas and I went to our room and put some stuff away and then decided to go for a walk. We walked along the harbor for a while and then made our way to the Hong Kong Museum of History. We spent about an hour at the museum and then returned to the hotel. Once we were back in the room we decided to take a nap and we ended up sleeping about 45 minutes. Then we spent a little time packing some things and getting organized. Then at 6:00pm we went down to the lobby and met the group and we all went out for dinner. We ate Enjoy Bar & Grill outside and had a great last visit with the group. After we ate one couple went back to the hotel but we went with another couple and to the ferry platform and watched the ICC Lightshow and Music. This was a short ten minute light and music show that was okay – nothing spectacular. After the show we decided to take the ferry over to Hong Kong Island just to see the skyline at night from the harbor. So we had to go over to the other side and get off then get back on again to get back to our side. It cost about one dollar each for both rides.

By this time it was around 9:00pm and we made our way back to the hotel. We needed to get some last minute things packed. After taking showers we packed everything we didn’t need in the morning and now it is time for bed. We fly home tomorrow and it will be another long day of airports and airplanes.

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.

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.

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.

Flight to Wuhan & Boarding the Viking Emerald

This morning we woke at 6:00am to get showered and dressed and to have our checked baggage outside our hotel room for the porters. We are flying to Wuhan where we will board the Viking Emerald. Once we had our bags outside the room we got a few other things organized and then we went down to the restaurant for breakfast. I really loved the breakfast buffet – lots of choices and all delicious. After eating breakfast we returned to our room to get any last minute things done. Once our carry on bags were packed, Thomas read and I worked on editing photos and writing blogs.

At 8:00am we went down to the lobby to meet our group. At 8:30am we left the hotel and headed to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA). Viking handled all of our flight details and Arnold handed out our boarding passes. Once we had our boarding passes we had to go through security and then make our way to Gate 63. Going through security was quick and easy. First, they checked your boarding pass and passport, then, you went through the metal detector. You didn’t have to take off shoes or belts but you did have to empty pockets and put any electronic devices in a basket. It was so easy! Then we made our way to the gate. We only had a 20 minute wait before we started boarding flight MU2506 on China Eastern Airlines [We were in seats 51AB]. The flight was to be one hour and fifteen minutes. It was a short flight but they still served us a light meal consisting of fried rice, some vegetables and a cookie. I read during most of the flight and Thomas ended up visiting with the woman sitting next to him. We landed in Wuhan at their new airport [Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH)] – it was enormous, clean and beautiful. We made our way to baggage claim but we didn’t have to handle our bags, Viking did that for us. Once all the bags had been collected we made our way to the bus. We couldn’t board the ship until 4:00pm so we had a little outing before heading to the ship.

When we left the airport it was drizzling a bit but it wasn’t bad. We were taken to Qingchuan Pavilion Scenic Area. We learned a little history about Wuhan and the park and then we had free time to explore the area. We spent about an hour at the park and then headed back to the bus so we could make our way to the port.

The line to board the Viking Emerald was short and it didn’t take long to get through security. On our way to board the ship we were greeted by drummers and a dancing dragon - a wonderful way to start the cruise. After security we checked in at the front desk (where they took our passports) and got our room keys. We were escorted to our cabin [212] and give a quick orientation. We then unpacked and organized the room and relaxed for a bit before heading out to explore the ship. At 6:15pm we left the cabin and made our way to Deck 6. We walked around checking out the areas and we went out on deck to marvel at the light display on the buildings of Wuhan. While we were doing this the ship left port and we began our cruise on the Yangtze River (the longest river in China and the third longest river in the world). We slowly made our way down to each deck, checking our the area on each one before continuing down to the next. When we reached Deck 2 we found a place to sit and relax while we waited for the dining room to open for dinner. When they open the doors we waited for the small line to clear and then we entered and found a table. It is open seating at round tables that seat eight people. We found an empty table and eventually it filled with six other people. We had a Western menu to choose from and Thomas had a beef tenderloin with vegetables and I had roasted pork. The meal was delicious and the company was enjoyable – we all raved about how Viking has everything organized and ready and all you have to do is sit back and enjoy. Around 9:00pm Thomas and I left the dining room and returned to our cabin – it had been a long day and we needed some rest. Tomorrow it is a full day of cruising as we make our way to Jingzhou.

A Day in Shanghai

After yesterday’s grueling airport and airplane adventure we arrived in Shanghai and were exhausted. Finally, around 9:30pm (Shanghai time) we went to sleep. I don’t know if I am excited, nervous, energized or whatever but I was awake at 3:30am. I couldn’t seem to get back to sleep so I started a new book (I finished my other book on the flight to Shanghai) and have already read about 35%. So at 5:15am I got up and got some things organized for the day and straightened up my suitcase and backpack. I am trying to keep things organized because we are going to be moving around a lot and we have six internal flights in China so I need to make sure everything fits and that my luggage doesn’t weight too much.

At around 7:00am we went down to breakfast. They had the most amazing breakfast buffet with traditional Chinese foods and Western foods. The choices were overwhelming. So we had a nice relaxing breakfast and prepared for the busy day ahead. We tried some fruit we had never heard of – dragon fruit and longan – they were both delicious. After eating we returned to our room to brush our teeth and wash our hands. We then gathered our things and went down to the lobby to meet with Arnold (our tour guide for the trip). Before we boarded the bus Arnold handed out the QuietVox. These are receivers with earbuds so that you can hear what he says without having to be right next to him. Then it was time to head out for a day in Shanghai.

The bus took us to Old Shanghai – what our tour guide called their “Chinatown”. We got off the bus and walked a few blocks while Arnold told us some of the history and explained the culture. He pointed out things with daily life (like hanging clothes out to dry on pipes hanging in courtyards) and architecture and adornments. It was interesting and overwhelming (so much history for thousands of years). He also stopped at a food shop and pointed out some “street food” that they pick up as they go about their day. Some of it looked delicious and some of the things I was skeptical of whether I would actually eat it. We spent about 45 minutes walking around while at the same time heading in the direction of our next destination. Eventually, we arrived at Yuyuan Garden. To get there you cross a bridge that has nine angles (they believe that ghost can only travel in a straight line and so this prevents them from crossing the bridge and the number nine is good luck). So after crossing the bridge we entered Yuyuan Garden (or Yu Garden as the locals call it). The garden was actually the home of Pan Yunduan who created the garden over his lifetime. We saw some amazing ponds filled with extremely large carp, beautiful architecture and some interesting rocks placed around the five acres. The time we spent here was relaxing and so enjoyable. After the garden we had about 40 minutes of free time to walk around and explore the area. At 11:10am we met up with the group and went back to the bus which took us to a silk embroidery gallery. At the gallery they showed us a demonstration of how the separate the silk threads and how they use different thicknesses to do the embroidery. Then we got to look around the gallery and enjoy the amazing work on display.

After the gallery we headed to a local restaurant for lunch. They served the dishes on a large lazy susan in the middle of the table and you just took what you wanted. We tried everything and we loved most of it. There were two dishes we tried but we didn’t like them at all. It was a great lunch and we enjoyed the family style sharing. Then after lunch we headed out to the Shanghai Museum. The museum had four floors of collections. We started on the fourth floor and worked our way down. We visited the collections of jade, currency, minority clothing exhibit, sculpture and furniture. They had some items in the collections that dated as far back as 4000BC. We were given an hour and 40 minutes but after an hour Thomas and I had enough. So we left the museum and went hang out on a bench outside and just people watched until it was time to return to the bus.

From the museum we headed back to the hotel. But before heading into the hotel we walked across the street to the river for a talk about The Bund which was across the river from us. Then we had some time to walk around and take some pictures. Thirty minutes later we were done and we could do whatever we wanted until 5:00pm which was dinner time. We decided to return to our room and freshen up and relax before dinner.

At 5:00pm we made our way to the eigth floor for dinner. It was a set menu of garden salad, roasted chicken with steamed vegetables and cheesecake. It was a good meal, delicious. Then at 6:30pm we met in the lobby to out to see the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe. The show lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes. Some parts of the show were excellent and other parts kind of hokey. But overall it was a fun outing. It was about 9:30 when we arrived at the hotel. We finished packing and got our checked baggage ready to be put out in the morning for the porters. Time for bed so we can be ready for our flight to Wuhan in the morning.