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Dream of China

March - April 2018
A 15-day adventure by Betty Read more
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  • TravelerDream of China
    Day 10

    Walking tour to the red Pagoda- Shibaozh

    April 2, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    This morning’s tour to the Red Pagoda has been postponed as there is dense fog. It has lifted slightly since early this morning but not enough for the tour. Tour began at 8:40, only 40 minutes late. To get there we passed women doing laundry in the Yangtze River, walked along a street lined with vendors and had to cross a swinging bridge. The pagoda is 10 stories high. Climbed the whole thing. It contains statues of various gods. Thankfully the way down is outside on stone steps. Much easier going down.

    Had time to shop on the way back. The barter system is alive and well here. I paid 40 yuan for something that later a vendor offered to me for half the price even though I had bartered considerably.    Read more

  • TravelerDream of China
    Day 10

    Fengdu on our own

    April 2, 2018 in China ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    It is not encouraged to leave the ship on your own. I fact you have to sign a waiver that says you will not obey the docking safety rules by leaving the ship on your own. We were told we would have to wait an hour past the time of the paid excursion departure. When we arrived to receive our boarding passes, the story changed to 1.5 hours because the tour was delayed.

    As it turned out that tour returned to the ship after 7 pm, the time the Captain’s dinner was supposed to begin.

    There seem to be many itinerant workers or perhaps immigrants from the provinces who sleep in dormitory-like rooms where the cots are lined up one after the other. They have built a tourist centre and a new ‘ancient village’ that are to be populated by various types of shops. Some are already with the Usual souvenirs and noodle shops. Would be interested in trying the soup they serve but don’t want to chance it. Lots of rules posted in various locations. Doesn’t seem to stop the littering.

    The food photo is from the final dinner onboard. Mystery meat at its finest.    Read more

  • TravelerDream of China
    Day 11

    Chongqing to Xi'an

    April 3, 2018 in China ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Chongqing means double happiness, population 33 million people. Covers 82,000km. City centre alone has 10 million people. 80,000 buildings in this city are over 33 floors tall. Weather is humid and hazy because it is surrounded by mountains. Temperature in the summer is regularly 38 - 40 C. They sell 2,000 cars every day. The subway is over 90 m underground and there is only one subway line. However there is a very efficient monorail system.

    The oldest panda they have found was 38. They do not reproduce u til they are 5 years old. If they are sent to zoos abroad and have babies, they must be returned to China when they are two years old.

    The zoo covers 48 hectares. The pandas eat all day long. I think the red pandas are cuter. Also saw hippos and rhinos and various monkeys.

    People along the Yangtze eat more noodles as wheat is more prevalent than rice. People in the mountains eat more potatoes.

    The city has 25 bridges and they are building 10 more at the moment.

    Mortgage interest is 5% and an apartment costs 1.5 million yuan (5 yuan per Cdn $)

    Lunch at a Sichuan restaurant as Chongqing used to be part of Sichuan province.

    Another hour bus ride to the airport where we arrived at 1:15 for our 3:40 flight. We are able to go through a group check in so that gives us seats together if we wish. They don’t air condition the airports as for them it isn’t hot yet. We are quite warm as for us 31C is pretty darn hot.

    The fight was to have left at 3:40, but didn’t until 4:30. Arrived in Xi’an at 5:30 but are still sitting in the plane. Their rules are very strict but it seems no one obeys them. Snack provided was dried peas and fruit leather. Thank goodness they handed out whole bottles of water as we had been rather thirsty after lunch. The Pringles Vic bought smell like lard and the flavour slightly sweet though they are labeled ‘barbecue’.

    Luggage retrieval is wonderful. By the time we arrived at the terminal, our luggage was on the carousel. Our local guide Mary met us and led us to the Golden Dragon bus.

    Xi’an is a city of 10 million people. It is the city of noodles or food made with wheat, people don’t really like rice here, also not good place to grow rice.

    King Yo 11 centuries ago began the use of chopsticks by using his wife’s hair sticks to eat. Too hungry to wait for the food to cool down.

    Xi’an is the beginning of Silk Road.

    47 universities in this city. Holiday Inn has their reception area on the 5th floor as well as the breakfast area.    Read more

  • TravelerDream of China
    Day 12

    Xi'an

    April 4, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Last night we walked after dinner. We saw people burning paper in circles on the sidewalk. It is for the spring grave sweeping ceremony to give the dead enough to send them in their way to the afterlife. One is supposed to return to the burial place of their ancestor to do this but if you can’t you do you it where you live.

    If you are hospitalized, you have to have a family member with you to care for you since there are too many people for the doctor and nurse to do it.

    This morning we visited a jade workshop. We purchased a kneeling archer of medium quality jade. This was a good choice as the kneeling archer is the only one found completely intact.

    The terracotta warriors were built by the first emperor of China. He died when he was 49 years old. Each warrior is different modelled after real people. The Emperor is buried nearby but is surrounded by mercury so it has not been excavated, there are also booby traps so one cannot get to the burial place.

    Many flowering pawlonia trees, also called Empress trees.

    Toured the terracotta warrior workshop where they reproduce the warriors. Bought a family ball and a gift. We also toured the furniture workshop and a showroom where we could buy furniture and jewel boxes. There was a buffet lunch with a good variety of food.

    There had been a sand storm during the night so the visibility is poor as we drive through the countryside. The sand has come from the Gobi Desert.

    We visited the terracotta warrior area. The first building is two football fields long and has many restored statues and horses. In the second building
    was an active dig snd the kneeling archer and a general with his horse and the third building was the military planning room and chariot and horses.

    A one and a half hour bus ride brought us to the dumpling banquet and show at Hung Dynasty Opera House. Dumpling are the national food. The show is about an emperor and his concubine in the Golden Age, 600 to 900 AD. Beautiful costumes and lovely music.    Read more

  • TravelerDream of China
    Day 13

    Xi'an to Luoyang

    April 5, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌫 8 °C

    Wake up call at 5:30, checked out and luggage at the concierge by 6:30. On the road before 7:15. Today begins the tomb sweeping holiday. The rain overnight is a blessing for this holiday as it represents the tears for the dead. We are grateful as well because it has washed away the dust that blew in from the Gobi desert.

    The bus ride to the train station and the walk through security and to our gate took only 75 minutes, so much shorter than to the airport. We need to line up by 8:45 for our 9:23 train.

    Boarded easily and are travelling through lovely green farmland and small cities. Many greenhouse structures covering vegetables. Many flowering trees as well.

    Arrived in Luoyang and on the bus by 11:15. A smaller city, only 7 million people, the capital of Hunan province, the birthplace of China.

    We visited the Longmen Grotto which is a Buddhist Mecca. Various Buddha statues are carved into the side of the mountain with one small section containing 15,000 carvings. There are a total of 100,000, the smallest is 2cm tall.

    Tallest is 17m finished in 675 AD is called the Mona Lisa of the east. Her ears are 1 m tall.

    Because there were so many people at the Grotto due to the holiday we spent an extra hour there so we went directly to dinner so we would spend less time driving around.    Read more

  • TravelerDream of China
    Day 14

    To Zhengzhou then Beijing

    April 6, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    Up at 5:30 for a 7 o’clock departure. We were happy to be able to What’s App all our children and grandchildren.

    Today we will go to the Shaolin Temple for a demonstration of Kung fu. It is also known for Zen Buddhism.Zhengzhou has 10 million people. In the 7th century there were 1,000 monks there. During Ming dynasty in the 17th century, there were 3,000 monks.

    In 1928, there were 2 warlords who fought, burned the temple. The fire burned for 49 days.

    Now there are 35,000 students at the temple. People send their boys here in order to give them the opportunity for a better job, as security guards, bank guards and personal guards.

    There are two trees planted by an Japanese monk and a Chinese monk to represent harmony between the two countries that are 800 years old. Unfortunately that harmony has not lasted as long as the trees. One can light incense and pray to the gods.

    There is a forest containing 200 pagodas that are the burial places of zen monks. The larger the number of tiers, the bigger the contribution of the monk. They always only contain an odd number of tiers as odd numbers represent celibacy.

    After a lovely lunch, the best one of the trip,we began the 2-hour bus ride to the train station, at least we hope it’s only 2 hours as it is the holiday weekend and there are many people travelling back to their hometowns to honour their dead relatives.

    Our train leaves at 6 so we need to be there with timely spare because of all of the other travellers. Arrived at the train station at 4:30, with time enough to have good old western food for dinner. McDonald’s and KFC were the only western food choices so that’s what we had. Good to eat familiar food for a change.

    The bullet train travelled at speeds up to 301 kmph and got us back to Beijing in 3 hours. Many people want to have their photo taken with members of our group. We do stick out with our white skin and grey hair.

    This is our last night in China. It has been an amazing journey and it will be good to be home again.    Read more

  • TravelerDream of China
    Day 14

    Rollkuchen in Beijing

    April 6, 2018 in China ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Rollkuchen in China are called youbing. It is eaten with pickled vegetables here but I still prefer watermelon with it!
    We four were the first to go to the airport so Risa travelled with us to get us through check in. We have appreciated her very much and will let her know we have arrived home safely.

    Had lunch at a place called O’Leary’s, thinking it would be pub food. Had quite a selection so Vic had a burger and I had a quesadilla and Corona!

    Our flight boarded late and we are expected to land at 11:37 in Vancouver and the next one is to board an hour later. Let’s hope we get through customs in time.    Read more

  • TravelerDream of China
    Day 15

    Goodbye Beijing

    April 7, 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Had a lovely sleep and breakfast complete with rollkuchen and watermelon. Walked a bit in the gardens surrounding the hotel. They were part of a large exhibition some years ago and now are a place for the people to get away from the concrete jungle that is Beijing. In few weeks the gardens will be full if colour. Now just the flowering plums and magnolia trees provide a welcome break from the brown grass and tree trunks.

    We are grateful to have been here two weeks ago to clim the Great Wall. We saw a video of people climbing it yesterday. Extremely treacherous because of a heavy snowfall.

    Now ready to board the bus for the airport. No wifi again until we reach YVR. Hoping to sleep well on the plane tonight.    Read more

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