• Destination Unknown
  • Destination Unknown

China

14-päiväinen seikkaillu — Destination Unknown Lue lisää
  • Loving those Pagodas

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    I love this style of architecture! I wish that we could have the roof of our house made into this style but I know that it's not possible. We own a co-op and one of their first rules about construction is that all of the buildings in the development have to be the same. I understand that they want a uniform and cohesive look but would some originality really be so terrible?Lue lisää

  • Netting

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    The nets that are strung up under the roofs of the pagodas are a bit distracting but I can understand why they are there. If something were to crumble and fall, would this thin netting really be able to catch, and hold, it though? Maybe for a moment, or two, but I don't think that it would hold for very long.Lue lisää

  • What Knockers!

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    I still remember that knockers line from the movie Young Frankenstein, in which Dr. Frankenstein said it, about the castles big door knockers, but a busty looking Teri Garr thought it was about her and replied, "Thank you, Doctor". I think of that movie whenever I see big knockers like these.Lue lisää

  • It's Me

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    I think that I've had more pictures taken of me on this trip than any other time that we've gone away. I'm finding that I enjoy having my picture taken. It helps me remember all the places that we've been to and all that I've seen. I just wish that I was a bit more comfortable with my posing. I'm guessing that will, hopefully, come in time.Lue lisää

  • Where is Everyone?

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    I'm still surprised to see such a popular tourist destination so empty, especially considering what a populous country China is. I'm guessing that the local people don't visit here very often. It's kind of the same way as, back home, we are so close to the Statue of Liberty but we never really go there. I think I've been trying there just once in my whole life.Lue lisää

  • Kathy

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    That guy on the left was one of the Canadian people in our tour group. I'm noticing that he's trying to work himself into the background of nearly every shot that I take of Kathy. Is he stalking her or something? It's starting to annoy me. If anything, he should be staying close to his own wife, not mine. We've noticed that they seem to be somewhat distant with each other. If they are not getting along, why go on a trip together? We'll, it's not our business, I suppose.Lue lisää

  • Looking Down

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    I like this photo of me a lot but that yellow caution sign on the left is bugging me. I wish I could have moved it but I wouldn't dare. I don't know what the rules are for things like that, since it's government property, and the Chinese police seem very no nonsense and firm. It's better, and safer, just to leave things as they are.Lue lisää

  • Bright and Colorful

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    I'm thinking that the Temple of Heaven might have gone through a restoration recently. Things here look so clean and bright when compared to the Forbidden City. I'm sure restoration work is done sometimes on all of these ancient sights but I'm not sure how often. I'm glad that we're seeing this site looking it's best!Lue lisää

  • A Last Look

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    It's nearly time for our group to get together at the assigned meeting place. I'm shocked by how quickly the time flew by. I'd really like for Kathy and I to visit China on our own some day. It would be great to be able to take our time at sites like this. Like at the Forbidden City, I'm feeling a bit rushed.Lue lisää

  • Group Photo

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    Once we were all back together someone suggested a group photo which was a great idea. It's nice to have a shot with everyone in it so that we can remember our time exploring China together. I'll have to check with Kathy to get everyone's names. She much better with that sort of thing than I am. I remember Lisa, our tour guide, being a bit aggravated and impatient because all of us wanted a group photo with their own cell phone camera. I understand that she has a schedule to keep but she should understand that most of us will probably never get a chance to be here again and really want photos to remember it. This shot is from Kathy's phone.Lue lisää

  • The Way Out

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    This exit pathway looks nice, with it's covering looking like it was taken from the architecture of the buildings in the Temple of Heaven but it's obvious that it was built much later. Strangely, this area looks older than the original temple grounds. I'm guessing that this area doesn't get the same level of care as the temple itself.Lue lisää

  • On Our Way

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    Once again, I'm lagging behind everyone but there's so many fascinating things to see, and photograph, that I just can't help it. That's Kathy walking ahead of me with Fiona. Despite them being quite a bit older than us, Fiona and her husband, Peter, seem to be the tour group members that we've become the most friendly with. They are very nice people. It's more enjoyable to have people to share these great experiences with.Lue lisää

  • The Game

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    This is a shot that I felt like I had to stop and get. Two locals, playing Chinese Chess, so intent on their game that they aren't even aware that they are being photographed. This is the sort of shot that really captures some local flavor and, in my opinion, is what street photography is all about. I dabble in this genre of photography sometimes but it takes a special mindset to really do it well.Lue lisää

  • Back to the Hotel

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    We're back on the tour bus and headed back to the hotel. It's been a very long and busy day and we've seen such wonderful things. Kathy is so exhausted that she couldn't even wait until we get back to the hotel before she fell asleep. I think that the time difference has a lot to do with everyone feeling tired also.Lue lisää

  • Wanda Realm Beijing

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    After we got back to the Wanda Realm Hotel everyone from the tour group went their separate ways. I'm guessing that most of them went up to their rooms to relax. As for us, we decided to walk around a bit while it was still light out. We got some water from the convenience store and decided to visit the Wanda Realm Mall again.Lue lisää

  • Food Shopping

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    We stopped in a grocery store, wanting to get some snacks to eat, but everything we saw seemed to be past the expiration date. We couldn't figure out why everything this store was selling was stale so we didn't buy anything. We learned later that that date on the food isn't an expiration date, like it is back home. The date stamped on the product here is the date that it was manufactured. So, everything here was actually fresh and quite recently made. It's so easy to make the wrong assumption when you're expecting things to be like they are at home but, honestly, what else could we think? Everywhere else we've ever been to treats that stamp as an expiration date. Well, we learned something new today.Lue lisää

  • The New Order

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 63 °F

    There's a movie theater inside the Wanda Realm Mall and I was surprised to see that they were showing one of the Star Wars movies. I wish that the theaters back home set up figures like this to promote what they were playing. It's a great idea and makes for some wonderful photo ops for the theatregoers.Lue lisää

  • Stormtrooper

    27. syyskuuta 2018, Kiina ⋅ 61 °F

    I was curious to see a movie in China, especially if it was going to be something as good as a Star Wars film, but Kathy was too tired for a movie. She's not a Star Wars fan anyway so she wouldn't enjoy it, especially when she's so tired. It turned out to be a moot point because the theater was closed anyway.
    I used to work in a movie theater so I'm always curious to see what they are like in other places. I've been to theaters in Hong Kong and the Philippines already. I was was hoping to add China to the list but it's not going to happen tonight.
    Lue lisää