Sep 28, 2010 - Of mountains and chamber pots

The reason why we're in Zhenjiang is that the family of Lan's grandmother (on her father's side - the Dings - 丁) came from here. The Dings go back to the 10th century - they were very wealthy and influential, with many of them having passed the imperial examinations and held office. At the time of the Taiping Rebellion, they left Zhenjiang to escape the conflict, and Lan's grandmother's branch of the family went to Dongtai (which we will visit soon). Sadly, they were one of many families that succumbed to the scourge of opium, which,...

Sep 27, 2010 - A word on food

We should mention that for the past six days we have been eating like kings and queens. Chinese people like to eat well, and eating always involves hot meals morning, noon and night. Meals include a variety of meats, fish, vegetables and starch (either rice or noodles). Our three week tour includes all meals, and our tour guides in each stage of the trip have booked us in to very nice Chinese restaurants which showcase the special foods of the regions we are traveling in. Every meal is a feast, so it is good that we are all walking,...