Hangzhou

Walking by West Lake, visiting the wetlands, visiting an old home, walking the streets, visiting the University where Claire starts in just a few days, and then riding the high speed train to Shanghai. That was our Monday!

We were celebrities. People wanted pictures with us.

Lotus

China Tour 2012 - Hangzhou

Our guide, Tony

Self Portrait - Happy Buddha, Happy Colby

Cute!

Green tea bushes

Green Tea

Green Tea

This city has such a different feel from the others we have visited. More western, almost European. We had a wonderful day here.

The western breakfast in the hotel was great and then Tony picked us up at 9:00am. We were off to a tour of the West Lake including a boat ride to the garden island in the middle. It was lovely. Pictures below! Then we were off to look at pagodas and Buddhas. they were beautiful and interestig

After lunch we headed to the tea village and a tour of a government owned tea factory and another well rehearsed infomercial. Needless to say, we bought tea. It IS very good quality green tea but it was not cheap. But, if I drink it daily I will lose weight, lower my cholesterol, become more beautiful, avoid cancer. and have clearer pee.

Finally, cocktails in the Sofitel lounge then pizza and wine for dinner in an Italian restaurant with a Filipino 50's to 80's cover band. A wonderful day!

China Tour 2012 - Where are we?

Oh, I know! We are in Hangzhou but I have to write about our last day in Guilin and Yangshuo and then get us to Hangzhou. Breakfast at the hotel in Yangshou and then we went to see a hill with some Buddha statues inside, Elephant Trunk Hill which is supposed to look like and elephant drinking and then to a cave. I can't say that we really enjoyed any of them but lunch was a hit with all of us! After lunch we went to a government owned silk factory. After showing us the basics we were subjected to a classic infomercial. It was so cool to be there and see what they were doing, the sale techniques are classic. I suppose we fell for it because Sharon and I bought a silk comforter, cover, and pillow cases. They are pretty and we will use them,and we paid more than we normally would on a comforter, but it is crystal silk and beautiful, and how often to you think we will be in China?

Our flight was almost on time and they walked us through security and into the VIP lounge right by our gate. But, on the flight they blew hot air out of the vents just as on our other two flights, and the served us dinner. Dinner was not like anyything you would see on a U.S. flight. Choice of noodles or rice. Noodles included some pork product and with rice, some sort of beef. Hey, at least they fed us,

We arrived in Hangzhou and we met by Tony who escorted us to the Sofitel West Lake. Lovely hotel and rooms. Sharon and I did laundry (much needed) and then crashed.

China Tour 2012 - Guilin to Yangshuo

It is 10pm and the day seems as if it started yesterday - this has been another long day. We left the hotel after a nice western breakfast and drove about 40 minutes to catch a river boat for our Li River cruise. For the next four hours we were treated to beautiful views along the river on our way to Yangshuo. The photos don't really do it justice. We had a great time though it was hot and humid and some of us got a lot of sun!

We arrived in Yangshuo, walked to our hotel and checked in then had about an hour to cool off before our bicycle adventure - and indeed it was. You have not lived until you have navigated a bicycle on the streets of a city in China. Oh my god! This is for people with no fear. I quickly learned that you just go and don't give anyone else an inch, be they pedestrian, bicycle, scooter, car, bus, or truck. Imagine a traffic circle full of all of the above, then imagine yourself in it with horns honking and no one backing off. I am amazed that no one is run over! Even when we got out of town you had to be very careful on the country roads not to get run off the road.

Our guide Jenny taking our picture

Rice

We stopped on our ride to allow some of our group to ride bamboo boats down the river. Sharon and I elected to continue on the road. The rest of the crew took the boats and their bicycles went ahead on a truck. We met them all down the road and then biked back into town where we all showered before dinner.

Dinner was in a local spot close to the restaurant and was quite tasty. The centerpiece dish was fish with tomatoes. We had our usual drinks of Coke and beer. And then it was on to the evening spectacular show! the show was a spectacle but it was god awful hot and we were all sweating like crazy next to 3,000 other hot and sweaty people. The show itself was very pretty but we were all glad to get out of there and back on the air conditioned bus and then back to our hotel.

Good night!

China Tour 2012 - Xi'an and on to Guilin

My Chinese Zodiac Sign

We got a bit of a respite this morning. Though we had to have our bags to the lobby by 8:00am we had no plans until 9:30. We all had a leisurely breakfast and then strolled the area until we met our guide. We needed a bit of a rest.

I realized this morning that all the food here has basically the same flavors. Breakfast, lunch, dinner are all similar. I'm feeling a need for something different, perhaps more western?

This morning we visited the Wild Goose Pagoda which was pretty and relaxing. This is a Buddhist site, the simple, elegant brick Pagoda stands in the grounds of the attractive Da Ci'en Temple. Most of the crew chose to climb the pagoda while Sharon and I wandered the grounds. I found a place where people hang prayers. They were fascinating in that they were in different languages and from around the world. In addition to the prayer, they included names and addresses. I saw requests from Brazil, France, Spain, Russia, United States, Korea, and of course, China. Wonderful.

Next stop the Shaanxi History Museum. This museum covered China from pre-history though all of the Dynasties. I was particularly taken by the pottery from the earliest periods. Most of the styles and designs of the pottery were similar to what I know of similar pieces from early man in what is now Europe and the middle east. Separately developed but similar solutions to common problems. The development of bronze seems to follow a similar path.

We had a tasty lunch in a very local restaurant and then off to the airport. As I write this I am on a Hainan Airlines 737 on route to Guilin.

Later... It took us four hours to get to Guilin even though we left Xi'an on time. Our flight was a one stop - pretty much two one hour flights on the same airplane. However, the first leg took close to two hours and then we had to get off the airplane, reboard, and then sit and wait. We were all so ready to get off!

In Guilin we found our guide quickly, Jenny and were off on a 40 minute rife to the Sheraton - nice hotel! Once there we went out looking for dinner and by about 11:30pm we were having some dinner. Western style. Sharon and I had salads, There were some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and Audra had pizza. An interesting meal but a very late night.