China - the end

The last day in China was Sunday, March 25th.  We started early going into the heart of city and visited Bejing's Hutongs - via a rickshaw.  This is a network of courtyard homes and narrow lanes linked to the old city - before the wide streets of modern Beijing.  It's like a maze of alley ways - all grey cement with gates to each courtyard/home.  It's not a slum - in fact it's very expensive property - but it's a mixture of old run down homes and shops - and then you come across a beautiful polished red gate with expensive European cars in the same block.  The rickshaws are not pulled by hand anymore - but are bicycle powered.  We looked for a sturdy looking driver - and we found him. 

Dad and me (guess you figured that out)

Going down the alley ways -

Nice cars -

and more typical transportation.

We stopped along the way at a a typical home of a retired Chinese couple -who now are paid to have tourists tour their home.  The man looked a lot like Jackie Chan. Our guide translated as we learned a little about daily life in the Hutongs. 

 The home was a disjointed series of rooms built around a courtyard.  Every thing in it was very basic - a lot of stuff stacked around - old and new.  It's hard to imagine having to go through the outside courtyard to get to the kitchen in the snowy winter - but this was considered a fairly nice home.

The Chinese love birds for pets.  Dogs and cats are more rare.  They like birds and fish.  These birds were in the courtyard of the home.

From there we had a nice lunch and went to Tiananmen Square.  Unfortunately our camera's battery died - so no pictures.  The square was HUGE and very impressive with a tomb commemorating their unknown soldier and a monster video screen showing beautiful scenes of the diverse landscapes of China.

We saw the soldiers marching with their red star hats - and statues commemorating the revolution.  Big posters of Mao still hang and his body lies in state in one of the buildings - but we didn't have time to stand in line to see it.  Our guide really downplayed the questions about the student rebellion that took place there a few years ago.  He said it was not big news there - but what news they did get told of an organized political group that used the students for their own purposes.  He also said they saw pictures of some atrocities that they committed against soldiers - so he wasn't too sure about what we saw.  He felt the media of each county played up what they wanted each group to see.  Interesting. 

We ended our day at the Yashow Market again - (more Cold Stone) and we bought 2 suitcases to bring all our stuff home - and still really didn't have enough room.   The tailor came to our hotel that night  and brought Dad's finished suit - just in time - and we went to bed as we had a early morning ahead with our flight home. And what a flight it was, with Dad sick as a dog - sleeping all of the way (thanks to a blessing he received inShanghai's airport from Bishop Pinson, and a sleeping pill).  We sat across aisles from each other and I felt so bad for Dad - but it worked out.  Getting through customs in L.A. and waiting for our flight home to Salt Lake was hard - but we made it!  TA DA!!

We came home, put stuff away, started laundry, went to bed about 9 p.m. and slept for about 14 hours!!  And it still took almost 2 weeks for us to feel somewhat normal again.  

And that's the story of our China trip - and we're sticking to it!

China # 8.1

Hi gang - This is Dad and we found a minor error in Mom's posting earlier today. The Forbidden City has 9,999 rooms cuz 10,000 would be bad luck.  There is also a "West" gate, instead of two "East" gates.  Otherwise a perfect post of a memorable day.

While I am here, I thought I would share a couple of my favorite pictures.  There are a lot of signs around China that are translated into English for the tourists - but you can tell they were translated by non-native English speakers.  Here are a few example:

I think this means "Entrance".  By the way, there was a "Way Out" sign on the other side of the city, which is better than an "Exit."  I can't find the photo I took where it says "Tourists Get Off" - I wonder if that was a Freudian mistake.

The Chinese are apparently a very modest culture.  I think this means "No Campfires".

Saw this sign a few times.  Not sure why you can't talk on your cell phone during a thunderstorm in China.

And my all time favorite.  In case you can't make it out, it says "Heart cerebral disease sufferer, ascend the Great Wall to please watch for."  Perfectly clear to me. 

PS Note the further warning against "speaking cellphone."  Apparently it is quite the phobia in China.

Thought you would find this interesting.  There were a lot more signs, but these are the ones I took pictures of.  You will want to study the cleaning instructions on your silk comforters to get a first hand feel for the challenges of direct translations!



China #8

On Saturday (3/24 - our anniversary)  we started our day at the Temple of Heaven.  This was once the Emperor's temple but after the revolution the government turned the grounds into a park.  Everyday over 10,000 seniors and others go there to exercise, play games, dance, sing, etc.  It was really a fun place and I wish we had more parks like this in our country. 

When we first walked in there was a large group of people standing in a semi-circle singing and playing instruments together.

  A little further on there were people dancing to recorded music - and though you can't tell from this angle of the picture, there was a lot of dancers.  Kind of like line dancing Chinese style.

There was a lot of adult sized playground type equipment - and you can't believe how many OLD people were incredibly limber and fit as they swung on bars and did chin ups etc.

 Really puts us older Americans to shame.

After going through this part of the park we walked on to the Temple of Heaven.  It is considered the supreme achievement in traditional Chinese architecture. 

While Dad and I were walking around this beautiful place, many in our group saw Regis Philbin and took pictures with him - but we missed out.

We went to the silk factory next and were impressed with the beautiful silk rugs, comforters (which you all know about now) and clothes.  At all of the factories (like the terra cotta, jade, pearl and silk) you don't really haggle for prices.  They are set - which I prefer, honestly.

After lunch we headed off for the Forbidden City. It is walled and has a mote around it.

I have seen the movie "The Last Emperor" several times and was really excited to be here.  That movie is the only movie that has ever been filmed on this location.  Of course for hundreds of years no one entered that city except the emperor's family, eunuchs (they didn't have regular men servants as to not mess with the royal wives and concubines) and other selected guests.  Each door way of these ancient structures (also all the other temples we visited) has a huge bar you have to step over as you enter each gate, doorway, etc. to keep the evil spirits out, which have legs that cannot bend and therefore can't step over the obstacle. 

See?  We were really there!

Obviously, this is one of the emperor's throne rooms. Along with all these formal meeting areas, the families private living areas are in the back of all the official buildings - and there is an official building there that fits whoever is visiting - how high ranking they are determines where they are received.

The number of figures on the end of each of the ancient buildings tells you how high ranking the official is who resides of attends there.  The Emperor's Temples as well as this building in the Forbidden City has 10 animals between the dragons on each end.  Only the emperor has 10.  All others have less.

 Also fascinating is how there are always North, East, South, and East gates to all these sites and always a central gate that only the emperor can go through.  Doorways are also this way.  The emperor always walks or is carried over beautiful ornate carved walkways that no one else can touch as they enter the royal buildings.

These are the gardens that are in the family area. The rocks are unique to China and are called "scholar rocks".  24 Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived in this city of 999 rooms (1000 was considered to be bad luck).  Obviously, we didn't see all that was there - you would need a few days for that.  But it was AMAZING!

We ended our day at the Yashow markets, where haggling is the order of the day.  We were thrilled to find a Cold Stone Creamery there - where I had a Love it sized "coffee lovers" special treat for my wonderful Anniversary dinner!

China # 7

Been awhile since we last posted - so before we forget what we did - here goes ........
March 23rd we started our day at the  Emperor'sSummer Palace.  I didn't bring a warm enough jacket so I wore Dad's.  Naturally, the Palace was very beautiful.

  The grounds feature a lovely lake that was hand dug by slaves and the hills surrounding it are the dirt that was heaped up.  Incredible.



There is also a large marble boat in the lake which the emperor had built to symbolize his security and stability in the uncertain waters.  Of course, it doesn't float - but that's another story.

 The grounds also have a long  covered walkway that is ornately painted and allowed the emperor to see the mountains on the right side and the lake on the left.  These guys had it all - at the great expense of others.

After that we had our lunch at the Pearl Factory where we saw the process of the cultured pearls - and also the beautiful jewelry.  For once, we resisted the temptation to buy - even though the smooth salesman had me put on a beautiful string of golden pearls to model.  He demonstrated how every women has a specific color and length of pearls that highlights her best.  Must say - nothing was cheap.
We ate our lunch upstairs in a large room.  They have the tourists thing figured out.

After lunch we headed off to the Beijing Zoo - just for a couple of hours to see the Pandas.  It was very interesting.  For one thing, the Panda exhibit was put together for the Olympics - not all that long ago - but already looks old and rusted.  It must have been some fast work.  Also, they just don't have the same standards as we do - and even though I realize it was too early for trees and flowers - it still is not what I think we are used to in the U.S.  Still, the pandas were very cute and certainly close to the viewers.

That night we opted to attend a Chinese acrobatic show - and it was amazing.  No way to really explain all the mind boggling acts - but the Chinese are known for this kind of stuff - we weren't disappointed. The girls are all very young when you see them close up and our guide told us that by about 15 or 16 they are no longer flexible enough for these acts. 

One weird thing that happened was that the previous night  Dad had a tailor come to our room and measure him for a custom made suit.  We thought she (the tailor) would meet us at the hotel later for his first fitting - but she came to the theater and Dad had to go the restroom and change there.  OK - whatever.  You can guess that these guys (and girls) work crazy hours.

China Trip - Post #6

This day we started off with a visit to the countryside to reach "The Sacred Way," the path leading to the tombs of the Ming Dynasty Emperors.  The whole area covers about 40 square kilometers, but the path itself is over a mile long.  The path starts at the gate (above) which is guarded by the fourth son of the dragon (looked more like a turtle to me) and then opens into a long path lined by pairs of stone creatures.  Each of the creatures had one standing, one sitting - one on guard duty, one resting.  The day was overcast as you can see, but the whole walk was impressive.

You can see the long path - this photo was taken at the half-way point.  The carvings were very cool.  After leaving this site we stopped at a jade factory for a tour.  We bought a couple of beautiful pieces, one for Mom for our anniversary.

 

Our first view of the Great Wall of China.

The Great Wall was GREAT!  China's most renowned monument, begun 700 BC to keep out foreign invaders (which always came from the north), the entire wall is over 4000 miles in length.  It goes from the Yellow Sea to the Gobi Desert.  The section nearest Beijing was about an hour drive from the city.  As you can see it is quite a walk.  I guess I had pictured a leisurely stroll along a flat surface like the city wall in Xi'an.  Not so!!!  It was steep beyond the ability of most in our group.  The steps vary from about 3 inches to 18 inches and some are slick and sloped.

Mom begins the hike!  We are going to go all the way to the top in the highest peak you can see in this picture.  It then turns down, crosses to the opposite canyon wall and climbs again.  We didn't do that loop!  I was exhausted!  Mom could have done it, but we didn't have time.

Just to give you some perspective on how steep it is!  This is taken while we were still near the bottom.

Proof that we made it to the top!!!!  See the wall winding below us.  I was most impressed that Mom was the first one to the top!  There were younger couples with us (I think only eight of us made it to the top) but they kept stopping and playing in the guard towers along the way.  Mom came in first, I came in a distant third!  She didn't want me to put this part in, but you can tell that I am proud of her!

This was definitely one of the most memorable parts of the trip for us both.  The scale of the wall, and the fact that it was created by an ancient people is entirely mind boggling.  Yes it has needed some repairs through the centuries and has required some maintenance to keep it intact, but it is still for real!

That ended our day.  We returned to Beijing tired but happy and had a McDonald's dinner.  As we sat talking a young Chinese student sat next to us.  I caught his eye and smiled, and he said "You are talking too fast for me to understand."  He sat by us on purpose to listen to English.  It was nice to talk to him.  He was studying to be a pilot at the aeronautical college next to our hotel.  Very nice kid.

China Trip - Post #5

He's back!!  It's Dad again.  Before we left Xi'an we made a quick stop at the Muslim Quarter, a very eclectic, ancient but hyper-active street with a mix of ancient China and modern activity.  Hundreds of little shops like you see all over China (just like I used to see in Brazil) selling everything from goat's hoofs to silk scarfs.  Mom and I really enjoyed ourselves - but the only decent restroom (or Happy Room, as our hostess Grace called them) was in a Starbuck's.  Mom bought a couple of Starbuck's cookies for the train trip coming up.

As you recall, Xi'an was the start of the silk road in ancient times.  Consequently there was a significant population of Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, etc. in the city.  Grace said still about 10% of the population today were Muslim.

This is the start of the Muslim Street.  That is Grace with the yellow flag. At one point she wanted to come up with a name for our group and some of the party convinced her that we should be called the "Cougars."  However, when she said it it sounded more like "cookers" (or worse) so we changed it to "Jazz."

This is the kind of architecture that we saw all around.  Hard to comprehend the ability they had to construct such massive structures 2000 years ago.  This is one of the bell towers or drum towers that sounded on the hour in ancient times so they knew what time it was.  It was also used to sound the alarm whenever there was an enemy or an emergency like a fire.

Mom and our friends the Blake's taking off down the street.  It was a bit nippy and overcast, which I think held down the crowds.

After the Muslim Quarter we were on a tight time table to get to the train station to catch our overnight sleeper train to Beijing.  What an experience!!  I don't want this to sound politically incorrect, but the train station gives new meaning to the concept of a "Chinese fire drill."  Masses of humanity, many of the poorer people cuz others would travel by air, crowding, pushing, and jockeying for position to get in front of everyone else to get to their trains.  And in the middle of that was poor Grace with her yellow flag, trying to herd a group of confused and somewhat intimidated Americans together to our train.  And that is with a wheelchair that couldn't get though any of the gates since nobody planed for handicap access in any part of China.  But we made it - BARELY! - Grace came over the horizon with the wheelchair just as the train was getting ready to pull out.  Whew!

This is the hallway in our sleeper car, just like you see in old movies.  Made me think of "Murder on the Orient Express", but we decided not to talk about that.  By the way, the real Orient Express originated in Xi'an.  The car is broken into 12 sleeper berths, into which our group neatly fit.  What needs to be noted, however, is the woefully inadequate restroom facilities.  They had a western toilet in one end of the car and a Chinese toilet in the other end, neither of which adequately flushed.  Gross!

We got to stay with the Beards in our berth.  Very nice, fun couple from Layton.  He was a retired professor at WSU, I think Biology or something related.  We had a lot of fun and laughed as we "farckled" into the evening.  They taught us a new game, Farckle.  It will be fun to play with grandkids.  Anyway, I slept on the top bunk and Mom on the bottom.  Surprisingly enough, we actually slept reasonably well.  We woke in the morning as we pulled into Beijing's train station, nervous about how to find our guide after our harrowing experience the night before.  Imagine our relief when we opened our windows and saw a guy standing with a Utah Jazz flag on our platform.  Hooray for Henry!

He took us to our hotels where we were able to shower and rest for the rest of that day.  Mom and I took advantage of an in-room 90 minute massage (cost about $30 each, deep tissue - we felt beat up)  and spent the day relaxing.  That night the group wanted to get together for an American dinner.  We walked over to a "Big Pizza", the local name for a Chinese version of  Pizza Hut.  Unfortunately the group was having a hard time communicating what we wanted and most gave up and went to McDonald's.  But Mom and I plus two others figured out how to do it and went upstairs for a very good all-you-can-eat pizza buffet - not quite Craigo's, but tasted very good.  Pizza, plus all the Chinese delicacies you could want.

The next morning we took off for our first stop in Beijing - the site of the 2008 Olympics.  There is a HUGE plaza with several different and very recognizable Olympic venues all around.  I can only imagine what it must have looked like during the Olympics - masses of humanity.  Henry reminded us that they took great steps to put on a good face for the world - they even outlawed cars for a few weeks ahead of time to help with air pollution.  You can see that it was a bit chilly and overcast/polluted this day.

You recognize the "Bird's Nest" from the Olympics. 

This is me on the plaza, with the Water Cube in the background.  Very beautiful at night, with bright blue bubbles in shimmering shades.  Note the cool architecture in the modern building in the background.  You see all kinds of amazing new buildings in Beijing - an architect's playground!

This is the other view of the plaza, with the Media Tower on the left and the Olympic Torch (in red) on the left.  You have to imagine it with the flame.

Closer look at the torch.  It is all carved, sculpted throughout, but hard to tell in a photo.

That is enough for now.  Next up will be Ming tombs and the Great Wall!  Stay tuned!  Dad/Jim

China Trip # 4

This is Mom now - and I wanted to be sure and have a picture of our guide, Steven, as we all fell in love with his sweet personality and sincerity.  He shared a lot of heartfelt feelings about his life and the challenges of the youth in today's China. 

On our way down from the mountain village, we stopped for a program where the Yao minority women danced and showcased their hair.  They cut it once in their lifetime - when they are 16 to 18 years old - then never again.   They save the hair they cut and add it to their hair creating a pretty serious up do.  Dad was coerced into going on stage with a couple of other guys to dance with some of the single ladies - and what a racket.  They made the men buy silver bracelets for the girls - then put them back on the "for sale" rack afterwards.

From here we caught our plane to Xi'an.  We arrived at night and checked into our REALLY nice hotel suite.  Our new guide was Grace - a 28 year old woman - who was so OCD that we loved her!! (Sure glad no one in our family is like that, though - ha! ha!)
 
Xi'an was the ancient capital of China (one of three cities designated as ancient) and really beautiful. In the 10th century this city had a population of over one million!  Xi'an is the beginning of the famous "Silk Road" that carried trade to the Mediterranean.  The wall still surrounds the old city, and the newer part of the city is outside the wall and mote.  The wall is approximately 12 miles in circumference.  You can ride bikes on the wall - but it was a cold morning.  Guard towers like the one below are situated around every quarter mile - with bigger soldier quarters in various spots.  It has booby traps to keep the enemy out and was very interesting.  We left our camera in the hotel room the day we first went up on the wall - and this picture was taken the next day as we were leaving the city.

This was also the day we visited the Star Fish orphanage and felt so badly that we couldn't take pictures of the children and our time there.  Others in our party took lots of pictures with promises to get some to us.  The orphanage is run by a woman from South Africa.  She is not there now - as she is being treated for cancer in Memphis.  A young man from Utah (a returned returned missionary that served in Taiwan and then married a Chinese girl from Xi'an) is acting head of the orphanage and it was very impressive to see the wonderful work there.  There are several sweet Chinese women who also help with the children.  
The children come from other orphanages and  places that take abandoned children -  all with special needs  (cleft palates, brain damage, etc.).  We all brought supplies and wrote checks as they are strictly funded by private donations.  We stayed about 2 hours and just held and played with the children - (infants to 6 years).
That night we shopped in the ancient city's Muslim quarter - again no pictures and so interesting. 


Next day was our day at the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses.  This INCREDIBLE archaeological site guarded the tomb of China's first emperor for over 2,200 years.  It was discovered in 1974 by a farmer digging a well.  The excavation is still in progress and has uncovered over 6000 life sized warriors.  Each one is individually sculpted with the unique features and characteristics of the archers, infantrymen, cavalry (and horses), officers, etc, that they were modeled after.  The farmer is still signing memorabilia at the museum. 

Here is one scary, fierce warrior!! (Actually taken at the Terracotta Factory - where we bought a very cool Emperor statue.)

Just a glimpse of the work completed - (there are several massive buildings)

This is kind of hard to decipher - but if you look closely you can see the pieces like a big jigsaw puzzle that they are still putting together.  Some are more intact than others.  Can't appreciate the scope of this.  The site is massive - and who knows how much is yet to be uncovered. 

Considered the 8th Wonder of the World.

From this place we headed back into the Xi'an train station to board our overnight sleeper car to Beijing.  More to come on that!