Jun 18, 2013 - After a whirlwind

It has been a while, but now we are back in Shanghai after finishing up the ship cruise, having 2 days in Shanghai with the tour, then meeting our Chinese friend and her husband and taking a 6 hour trip on a Chinese bus to Wuhu,spending 4 days there touring, including a side trip to Nanjing, and taking another 6 hour trip( by ourselves this time ) back to Shanghai. Now we are back at the Ritz Carlton where we stayed before, and are going to take nap. I will try to include some photos. The highlights of this part of the trip was the birthday...

Jun 10, 2013 - Nineteenth, Twentieth, and Twenty-first Week

So the last couple of weeks have been that hardest weeks by far. Even though morning trainings have gotten easier, we go a quick run and Qi Qong in the morning rather than running and excersicing. But the overall fitness of the other classes have increased. Buckets are no longer just carrying water up stairs. We carry water up 353 stairs 6 times, then sprint up 130 stairs twice, hop up twice, hop up twice on one leg, frog jump up twice and then crawl down the stairs we just frog jumped up. Each step and hop has to be two steps, we are never...

Jun 8, 2013 - Terra cotta warriors

This is clearly a highlight of the trip. Xian is located on the Yellow River, and has a long history. It has seen 31000 years of civilization and reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty. From 618-907 AD the Tang Dynasty managed to unite the country under one ruler who wanted to have an army to protect him and keep him ruler after he died. In the 1970's the terra cotta army was found by accident, when some farmers began digging for a well. Today the site Is UNESCO World Heritage site and consists of several buildings, housing thousands of...

Jun 6, 2013 - Shanghai, China

6/6 – 6/8 In the morning Yoyo took us to the Big Cien Temple to see the Big Wild Goose Pagoda which was built in 652 AD. This Pagodas was built to house Buddhist scriptures. After the visit Yoyo took us to lunch and then to the airport for our flight to Shanghai. Again we were escorted to the ticket counter and helped procure our boarding passes. Our plane arrived on time and we were met by our final guide, Shawn. He took us on the high-speed train into town. This train is really fast, it has a high speed of over 248 mph but on our short...

Jun 6, 2013 - So much to see

Yesterday was another busy day. First a "pedi-cab" ride (the old word was rickshaw, but that was when the porter ran and pulled--now it is a fellow on a bike in front who pedals along) into an older part of Beijing. Older homes from the 1800s, and really interesting. These areas are real villages, in the big city, where everyone knows everyone else and everyone's comings and goings. And into a local food market, where there were 100?year old eggs and vegetables, etc. Then we flew to Xi'an, and last night went to an amazing "cultural show"...

Jun 5, 2013 - Two busy days

Yesterday was probably the busiest day of the trip. In the morning, we visited Tianamen Square. By an odd coincidence, it was the 20th anniversary to the day of the student uprising and the tanks coming down on the students. To be in the same place on such an anniversary was almost disconcerting. There were lots of people, but (happily) no incidences, though the Chinese papers tell of some minor riots in Hong Kong. Then on to the Forbidden City which is fascinating, amazing, and huge. To think that it was build to house just the emperor and...

Jun 4, 2013 - Back to Datong

We got back to Datong without incident and hoped that we had tickets to Beijing waiting for us. Initial signs were not good as the travel agent had told us he would meet us off the train and there was no sign of him. We walked over to the office (down the side street, round the corner and third door down). The office was locked up with no lights on. We knocked twice and waited. We were starting to get a little anxious when finally, the door opened and there was the agent. We went inside and he gave us what we hope are the tickets. I say...

Jun 4, 2013 - Xian, China

6/4 – 6/5 On the Morning of June 4th we visited the beautiful Summer Palace (just outside Beijing) which was the lake front summer home built for Empress Dowager Cixi, the Dragon Lady. If it were not for all the tourists it would have been a very restful place. After lunch Ann and Sun dropped us off at the airport. Ann went inside to insure that we had our boarding passes and knew where to go before she left. She was an outstanding guide and we are quite grateful for her assistance. Because of lightning, our flight to Xian was canceled and...

Jun 3, 2013 - Shanghai provides good vibes

Hi all Well it was a shame to leave bifenxia, my beautiful pandas, lovely clean fresh mountain air and the lovely family we stayed with who were so hospitable. I used to see the kids off to school on the bus in the mornings and they were always so pleased to see me again in the afternoon when they returned. I doubt my beautiful pandas will miss me as all they worried about was their next loaf of panda bread and more bamboo. Felt good vibes on arriving in shanghai by plane from bifenxia, really cosmopolitan modern city with a little bit of...

Jun 2, 2013 - End of the line -part 1

For the last week Ive been in Beijing which is the end of the line as far as the trans -Mongolian part of my journey is concerned. So that's part one done ; now I'm onto part two as I have left Beijing and headed for Hong Kong, again by train. But first some observations on China's capital. What's your image of Beijing? Hordes of cyclists 10 or 12 abreast? Or chairman Mao in Tiananmen square? Well the cyclists exist but along with every other form of two wheeled transport you can think of. And Chairman Mao's mausoleum in Tiananmen square...

Jun 2, 2013 - And so it begins...

No photos yet, but today we are planning on going out exploring with the Olmlands and Cohens, and I will take pictures and attempt to put them on the blog. Our trip this far has been great. After 2 days in San Francisco during which we saw Adam and his friend Molly, we had a MOST pleasant flight to Beijing. I have to tell you, flying business class was wonderful--especially on an 11+ hour trip. Our seats actually reclined to flat, and it was like sleeping on a very pleasant small bed. The Ritz Carlton where we are staying is spectacular....

Jun 2, 2013 - Beijing, China

6/2 -6/3 We arrived in Beijing on June 2 at 12:15 AM missing one suitcase (it was delivered to our hotel in two days). Our guide Ann and driver Sun were there to meet us and take us to our new home, the Penta Hotel where we were asleep by 2:30 AM. Our stay in China was arranged through China Odyssey Tours. We paid in advance and their fee covered private tours of Beijing, Xian, Suzhou and Shanghai with both a driver and guide, all meals, lodging, all entrance fees and flights from Beijing to Xian and Xian to Shanghai. Before we tell you the...