Friday, April 22, 2011
Some of the People I Encountered During Our Voyage.....
As we come to the end of our incredible journey, I want to add one last entry to our blog showing some of the people we encountered during our voyage as we immersed ourselves into the culture of the ten countries we visited. What was reconfirmed to me, was that no matter the country or culture, we are ALL more alike than different. THANK YOU DAVE AND JEAN FOR GIVING US THE WORLD!!!!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Taiwan
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Dave and I and John and Carol left Taiwan for Hawaii about 3:00 PM on Wednesday, April 6th by way of a three hour flight to Tokyo. After a 2 ½ hour wait in that airport we took a seven and a half hour flight to Honolulu trying to get comfortable and sleep the time away. Having crossed the International Date Line we got to Honolulu in time to catch an 11:00 AM flight to Maui on the same day we left and even earlier in the day than when we left Taiwan. Once we found out the ship would no longer be visiting Japan and we would be spending two extra days at sea the other three mentioned above wanted to jump ship and head for Hawaii to spend more time here. So here we are at our condo a week and a half earlier than we had planned. It will be nice to get rested before John’s kids arrive in another week. We have already had a night’s sleep and been to the Gazebo for breakfast this morning.
On Monday, April 4th our ship pulled into Keelung, Taiwan not too far from Taipei. Taiwan’s official name is Republic of China but they prefer to be called Taiwan so as not to get confused with The People’s Republic of China. Our guide said the weather here changes like a step mother’s face. It was raining when we arrived and the forecast was rain for our entire visit but we lucked out and the next day was cloudy but not raining. She said it rains about 200 inches a year and they get very little snow. They depend on rain to grow rice and say that water brings money. I was surprised at how lush and green the country is. Very pretty! About 2/3 of the island is covered by mountains so there isn’t a lot of livable land and most of the people live on the west coast. The east side is covered by mountains and that coast feels about 200 earthquakes a year. The east side also gets damage from typhoons. She said the country is shaped like a sweet potato.
There are about 3 million people living in Taipei and about 6 million if you take in the area surrounding the city. I don’t remember the total population of Taiwan. We took a tour the day we arrived that first took us to Taipei 101, the second tallest building in the world. It has 101floors and it towers over everything in Taipei. It was built from 1997 to 2004. A taller building has been built in Dubai so Taiwan lost out on the distinction of having the tallest. We rode the world’s fastest elevator from the 5th floor to the 89th floor in only 37 seconds or about 60 miles per hour. It took 45 seconds to go back down. The world’s largest wind damper is enclosed in this building to help with swaying from wind and earthquakes. The damper weighs 660 metric tons. The first six floors of this building contain a shopping center filled with very expensive shops. It is so clean and new and looks like it belongs in New York City. The rest of the building houses offices.
Next we went to see the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and Liberty Square. The people of Taiwan love this man and the memorial hall is huge. They have his complete office housed in a museum just as the way it was the day he died along with two of his old Cadillac’s, one of which is bullet proof. There is a wax figure of him sitting at his desk where he is supposed to look like the age of his death of 89 years. I think the figure looked too good for 89 years. The memorial is open each day from 9 to 6 and they have guards standing at the base of a huge figure of him during those hours. We saw the changing of the guards which was quite interesting. The guards stand completely still for 50 minutes at a time without even blinking an eye. Amazing!
Next we went to see one of the oldest and most famous of Taipei’s temples called Lung-Shan or “Dragon Mountain.” The temple is a mixture of Taoism and Buddhism. When entering a temple they always go through the entrance with a dragon which brings luck and happiness and leave out the exit of the tiger. You should never enter through the mouth of a tiger. People coming to pray at the temple bring offerings of flowers or fruit. They leave the flowers but take the fruit blessed by the gods back home to share with family and friends. The worshippers all burn incense to take their prayers by way of smoke to the gods.
The day we arrived in Taiwan was children’s day and the next day, April 5th, was tomb sweeping day, so most people were off work and celebrating the holidays. People go to the cemetery to clean their ancestor’s graves and leave paper money for them as they believe the ancestors need money and everything they needed in real life for the afterlife. We saw people burning paper money on a corner in the city believing the smoke will deliver the money to their ancestors. Most people are cremated these days as land is too expensive and precious to bury bodies.
After this we went to a Mongolian Barbecue where we selected ingredients from a wide array of uncooked meats, vegetables, seasonings and spices. As you watch, the food you chose is quickly fried on hot iron plates. There was a pot of broth in the middle of our table which we could add vegetables or meat to that was very tasty. The food tasted great and I’m glad I was done eating before someone saw a rat run down one of the walls nearby. Makes one wonder what kind of meat we ate. The restaurant was pretty dirty and my feet stuck to the floor in a few spots.
Next we were off to see the night market and snake alley where we saw large snakes in tanks and food stalls selling snake dishes. There were several foot massage parlors along this street. Carol and John each had ½ hour foot massages for $15 each. Our tour today went from 1:30 to 11:00 PM and we packed a lot in that amount of time.
The following day we took a tour to the villages of Sanshia and Yingge. We thought they would be little charming towns in the country but found them to be just like other big cities. Again we visited another temple known for its intricately carved stone and bronze columns and statues. There are going to be 156 stone pillars in this temple when finished. Each pillar takes three years to complete so it will be a while before all are done. I find the temples to be very interesting but think I have seen enough to last me for quite some time. After the temple visit, we walked through the narrow winding streets with brick buildings at least a century old. All kinds of pots were bubbling with unknown foods along the way and we tried horn shaped breads that the town is known for.
Next we visited the village of Yingge which is the pottery center of Taiwan. We visited a museum where 1000 year old ceramic pots are displayed. Next we had a chance to shop for pottery along a cute street where there were plenty of tea sets, pots, vases, etc. to be had. Then we went back to the ship to finish packing for our journey to Hawaii the next morning.
My next blog will be about life aboard the MV Explorer.
Dave and I and John and Carol left Taiwan for Hawaii about 3:00 PM on Wednesday, April 6th by way of a three hour flight to Tokyo. After a 2 ½ hour wait in that airport we took a seven and a half hour flight to Honolulu trying to get comfortable and sleep the time away. Having crossed the International Date Line we got to Honolulu in time to catch an 11:00 AM flight to Maui on the same day we left and even earlier in the day than when we left Taiwan. Once we found out the ship would no longer be visiting Japan and we would be spending two extra days at sea the other three mentioned above wanted to jump ship and head for Hawaii to spend more time here. So here we are at our condo a week and a half earlier than we had planned. It will be nice to get rested before John’s kids arrive in another week. We have already had a night’s sleep and been to the Gazebo for breakfast this morning.
On Monday, April 4th our ship pulled into Keelung, Taiwan not too far from Taipei. Taiwan’s official name is Republic of China but they prefer to be called Taiwan so as not to get confused with The People’s Republic of China. Our guide said the weather here changes like a step mother’s face. It was raining when we arrived and the forecast was rain for our entire visit but we lucked out and the next day was cloudy but not raining. She said it rains about 200 inches a year and they get very little snow. They depend on rain to grow rice and say that water brings money. I was surprised at how lush and green the country is. Very pretty! About 2/3 of the island is covered by mountains so there isn’t a lot of livable land and most of the people live on the west coast. The east side is covered by mountains and that coast feels about 200 earthquakes a year. The east side also gets damage from typhoons. She said the country is shaped like a sweet potato.
There are about 3 million people living in Taipei and about 6 million if you take in the area surrounding the city. I don’t remember the total population of Taiwan. We took a tour the day we arrived that first took us to Taipei 101, the second tallest building in the world. It has 101floors and it towers over everything in Taipei. It was built from 1997 to 2004. A taller building has been built in Dubai so Taiwan lost out on the distinction of having the tallest. We rode the world’s fastest elevator from the 5th floor to the 89th floor in only 37 seconds or about 60 miles per hour. It took 45 seconds to go back down. The world’s largest wind damper is enclosed in this building to help with swaying from wind and earthquakes. The damper weighs 660 metric tons. The first six floors of this building contain a shopping center filled with very expensive shops. It is so clean and new and looks like it belongs in New York City. The rest of the building houses offices.
Next we went to see the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and Liberty Square. The people of Taiwan love this man and the memorial hall is huge. They have his complete office housed in a museum just as the way it was the day he died along with two of his old Cadillac’s, one of which is bullet proof. There is a wax figure of him sitting at his desk where he is supposed to look like the age of his death of 89 years. I think the figure looked too good for 89 years. The memorial is open each day from 9 to 6 and they have guards standing at the base of a huge figure of him during those hours. We saw the changing of the guards which was quite interesting. The guards stand completely still for 50 minutes at a time without even blinking an eye. Amazing!
Next we went to see one of the oldest and most famous of Taipei’s temples called Lung-Shan or “Dragon Mountain.” The temple is a mixture of Taoism and Buddhism. When entering a temple they always go through the entrance with a dragon which brings luck and happiness and leave out the exit of the tiger. You should never enter through the mouth of a tiger. People coming to pray at the temple bring offerings of flowers or fruit. They leave the flowers but take the fruit blessed by the gods back home to share with family and friends. The worshippers all burn incense to take their prayers by way of smoke to the gods.
The day we arrived in Taiwan was children’s day and the next day, April 5th, was tomb sweeping day, so most people were off work and celebrating the holidays. People go to the cemetery to clean their ancestor’s graves and leave paper money for them as they believe the ancestors need money and everything they needed in real life for the afterlife. We saw people burning paper money on a corner in the city believing the smoke will deliver the money to their ancestors. Most people are cremated these days as land is too expensive and precious to bury bodies.
After this we went to a Mongolian Barbecue where we selected ingredients from a wide array of uncooked meats, vegetables, seasonings and spices. As you watch, the food you chose is quickly fried on hot iron plates. There was a pot of broth in the middle of our table which we could add vegetables or meat to that was very tasty. The food tasted great and I’m glad I was done eating before someone saw a rat run down one of the walls nearby. Makes one wonder what kind of meat we ate. The restaurant was pretty dirty and my feet stuck to the floor in a few spots.
Next we were off to see the night market and snake alley where we saw large snakes in tanks and food stalls selling snake dishes. There were several foot massage parlors along this street. Carol and John each had ½ hour foot massages for $15 each. Our tour today went from 1:30 to 11:00 PM and we packed a lot in that amount of time.
The following day we took a tour to the villages of Sanshia and Yingge. We thought they would be little charming towns in the country but found them to be just like other big cities. Again we visited another temple known for its intricately carved stone and bronze columns and statues. There are going to be 156 stone pillars in this temple when finished. Each pillar takes three years to complete so it will be a while before all are done. I find the temples to be very interesting but think I have seen enough to last me for quite some time. After the temple visit, we walked through the narrow winding streets with brick buildings at least a century old. All kinds of pots were bubbling with unknown foods along the way and we tried horn shaped breads that the town is known for.
Next we visited the village of Yingge which is the pottery center of Taiwan. We visited a museum where 1000 year old ceramic pots are displayed. Next we had a chance to shop for pottery along a cute street where there were plenty of tea sets, pots, vases, etc. to be had. Then we went back to the ship to finish packing for our journey to Hawaii the next morning.
My next blog will be about life aboard the MV Explorer.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Beijing
Sunday, April 3, 2011
On Tuesday, March 29, I woke up well rested in our hotel in Beijing in time to have breakfast and head out for another long day of touring. Laura had a stomach problem during the night and wanted to stay in the room to rest for the day which turned out to be a good idea. Two things she really wanted to see on this trip around the world was The Taj Mahal and The Great Wall of China. She had already seen the Taj and I really wanted her to see the Great Wall too. We had another day before that was scheduled for us to see on our itinerary.
This morning we went to visit Tiananmen Square which is considered the “Window of China” according to our guide. He said it is the largest public square in the world and can hold a million people. Looking over the square from the Tiananmen Gate is a portrait of Chairman Mao which our guide said everyone still admires. This is where the balcony is located where he proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China. On the left side of the balcony it is written in Chinese “Long Life of Peoples Republic of China” and on the right side it says “Reunification of Whole World People”. It was very crowded in the square with tourists from all over the world but mostly from China.
The Forbidden City or Imperial Palace is located right behind the square so that was our next adventure. It has been home to 24 emperors from 1420 to 1924. The palace covers 170 acres and has 8700 rooms. It is estimated that 8000 to 10,000 people lived here including 3000 concubines, 1000 eunuchs, maids and family. The Forbidden City is very well maintained and was repainted for the Olympics. The colors are vibrant. Yellow was the color reserved for only the emperor. Red means happiness and blue means heaven.
By the time we finished walking through Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City it was time for lunch. This time our guide took us to the Hutong area of Beijing where we got into trishaws for a ride through the narrow streets of this area. Thirty of us were dropped off two by two at a little house that is over 300 years old. The family that lives here now is the fourth generation of this family. The husband and his wife are the only ones living in this house as their daughter is married and has moved to her husband’s house. The furniture they normally had in the living area had been pushed to the walls to make room for 5 large round tables set up with little plastic stools around them for us to sit and enjoy the lunch. There must have been a bathroom and bedroom but we didn’t see them. The house was very tiny and was very crowded with all of us in there. We had a great experience and will always remember the hospitality of this unique family. The husband is an artist and had a studio set up for him to do his painting. One of the students on the trip with us bought one of the paintings. There was a very small kitchen where the wife and daughter (she came over to help her mother out) had prepared the meal. It was the best meal we had while in China (at least 10 different dishes). Home cooked is always best, isn’t it? Once lunch was over the wife and daughter gave us a demonstration on how to make dumplings. We learned that Chinese dumplings are traditional Chinese food and is essential during holidays in northern China. Members of families often get together on New Year’s Eve to make dumplings. Sometimes they hide a coin in one of the dumplings. The person who finds the coin is supposed to have good fortune in the New Year.
Next we were picked up again by our trishaw and driver and taken back to the bus and we then went to see the Bird Nest Stadium used in the Olympics. It was an amazing site to see and so much fun to realize we were really standing in the place we had all seen on TV. The swimming cube was across the parking lot but we didn’t have time to go in and look at that. I understand there is a great water park inside. That would have been fun to see. Instead we visited a government owned silk factory where we were shown cocoons of both single and double type. Few enjoyed this stop and wished we were still back looking over the Olympic stadium and swimming cube. But this was a government tour company we were dealing with and they wanted us to buy some of the very expensive items in their store. A lot of us went out to the bus to wait for our ride to dinner where we had Beijing duck for dinner. Nice dinner with all the dishes laid out on the lazy susan again but too much food.
On Wednesday, March 30, Laura was feeling better. She got up, dressed and had breakfast. She was a little weak but had slept most of the day before and all night long. She was a good sport still feeling a little weak and hopped on the bus with the rest of us for another long day of touring with the Great Wall ahead of us. On the way to the wall we stopped at the Beijing International Kong-fu School. Another name for Kong-fu is kung-fu or martial arts. It is sometimes called meditation of energy. This school has 250 girl students and about 900 students in total but we didn’t see any girls. They come from all around China and also different countries and live at the school for 3 to 5 years until they graduate. They have one student who has been there 7 years. Some students from this school performed at the Olympics in 2008. I didn’t know that kung-fu was developed by Buddhist monks in temples long ago as a form of meditation. It is a sport that uses both brawn and brain. The men and women are able to direct all their energy to the part of the body where they need it. The men are very strong but don’t have the look of a body builder with huge muscles. In fact, most of the men weren’t very big at all. But what body power they have. We watched an amazing show. One of the men was able to jump rope lying flat on his back. The master of the school took a long piece of rebar and held one end at his neck while three or four other men at the other end held the bar still. After making some loud strange noise the master began to wrap the bar around his neck one time after the other. What an amazing feat. He unwrapped the bar the same way. I asked our guide what a student would do with a degree in Kong-fu and he said that would either compete and perform or go back to where they came from to teach.
After lunch and a stop at a government owned and expensive jade shop, we finally made our way to the Great Wall. We learned that the first sections of the wall were built as early as the fifth century BC. It wasn’t until 221 BC that the various sections of the Wall were linked up. At one time the wall stretched 4700 miles across mountain tops from the China Sea NW to the Gobi Desert on the other side of China. Today only 1/3 is left. It really is a wonder of the world. We went to a different section of wall than Dave and I went to in 1997. This time there was a cable car to take us up even though there was still quite a walk up very steep and uneven steps to reach the top of the actual wall. It is an amazing view from the top to see the wall snaking across the mountain tops. Carol, John, Joe and I walked on the wall and up and down steps for an hour before riding an alpine slide back to the bottom. The rest of the group took the cable car back down.
After another lazy susan dinner we went to a fantastic Chinese acrobatic show. The women who do contortions are amazing and are always my favorite part of the show. The positions they take look impossible. Their mothers must start putting them in these poses when they are babies and never stop. The last act was eleven ladies riding around the stage on one bicycle stacked up on top of each other. It was a great show to top off the long day of touring.
The next day, March 31, we headed back to the airport for a flight to Shanghai where our ship was now waiting for us. After 6 days and 5 nights in hotels it was great to get back to our home on the ship. This night I woke up with an upset stomach and didn’t feel very good for a few days. It must have been the same bug that Laura caught. Now I’m as good as new again.
Tony who was our tour guide belongs to the Communist Party and he works for a government owned tour company. He doesn’t have a choice in changing any of the itinerary such as skipping the jade or silk shops that we might have enjoyed missing. Here are some facts about China he hold us.
- China’s total population is about 1.3 billion.
- Between 18 and 19 million people live in Beijing and there are 12 million bicycles in the city.
(I felt like we saw hardly any bicycles compared to when we visited in 1997. Maybe the tour didn’t take us to areas of the real Beijing.)
- There are 4 ½ million private cars and there are 200 miles of subways around the city. If a person wants to buy a car they first have to register with the government and then wait in line until their time comes up as only 20,000 cars are permitted to be sold each month.
- The city of Beijing has sunny days but no clear days and we sure did notice the pollution.
- It is against the law to gamble in China and there are no casinos.
- Beijing is the cultural and political center of China
- Shanghai is the financial center
- Burials aren’t allowed. Cremation has been the law since 1949
- The people are not encouraged to buy motor scooters as they are too dangerous.
- Four inventions of China are: 1. Paper 2. Gun Powder 3. Printing 4. Compass
Tony said this is an example of how fast things have been changing in China. In each of the following years this is what the people have wanted.
1970’s - Watch - Bike - Sewing Machine
1980’s - Washing Machine - Refrigerator - Color TV
1990’s – Cell Phone – Air conditioning – Home Video
2000’s – Computer – Car – Private House
2011 – Travel (Europe-Paris, Germany, Italy) – Health – Education
I can’t believe how far China has come since we visited in 1997. There are high rises everywhere and the roads are filling up with cars. The people have smiles are their faces and are living a better life. There has been lots of progress and they are trying to reduce the gap between the rich and poor.
On Tuesday, March 29, I woke up well rested in our hotel in Beijing in time to have breakfast and head out for another long day of touring. Laura had a stomach problem during the night and wanted to stay in the room to rest for the day which turned out to be a good idea. Two things she really wanted to see on this trip around the world was The Taj Mahal and The Great Wall of China. She had already seen the Taj and I really wanted her to see the Great Wall too. We had another day before that was scheduled for us to see on our itinerary.
This morning we went to visit Tiananmen Square which is considered the “Window of China” according to our guide. He said it is the largest public square in the world and can hold a million people. Looking over the square from the Tiananmen Gate is a portrait of Chairman Mao which our guide said everyone still admires. This is where the balcony is located where he proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China. On the left side of the balcony it is written in Chinese “Long Life of Peoples Republic of China” and on the right side it says “Reunification of Whole World People”. It was very crowded in the square with tourists from all over the world but mostly from China.
The Forbidden City or Imperial Palace is located right behind the square so that was our next adventure. It has been home to 24 emperors from 1420 to 1924. The palace covers 170 acres and has 8700 rooms. It is estimated that 8000 to 10,000 people lived here including 3000 concubines, 1000 eunuchs, maids and family. The Forbidden City is very well maintained and was repainted for the Olympics. The colors are vibrant. Yellow was the color reserved for only the emperor. Red means happiness and blue means heaven.
By the time we finished walking through Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City it was time for lunch. This time our guide took us to the Hutong area of Beijing where we got into trishaws for a ride through the narrow streets of this area. Thirty of us were dropped off two by two at a little house that is over 300 years old. The family that lives here now is the fourth generation of this family. The husband and his wife are the only ones living in this house as their daughter is married and has moved to her husband’s house. The furniture they normally had in the living area had been pushed to the walls to make room for 5 large round tables set up with little plastic stools around them for us to sit and enjoy the lunch. There must have been a bathroom and bedroom but we didn’t see them. The house was very tiny and was very crowded with all of us in there. We had a great experience and will always remember the hospitality of this unique family. The husband is an artist and had a studio set up for him to do his painting. One of the students on the trip with us bought one of the paintings. There was a very small kitchen where the wife and daughter (she came over to help her mother out) had prepared the meal. It was the best meal we had while in China (at least 10 different dishes). Home cooked is always best, isn’t it? Once lunch was over the wife and daughter gave us a demonstration on how to make dumplings. We learned that Chinese dumplings are traditional Chinese food and is essential during holidays in northern China. Members of families often get together on New Year’s Eve to make dumplings. Sometimes they hide a coin in one of the dumplings. The person who finds the coin is supposed to have good fortune in the New Year.
Next we were picked up again by our trishaw and driver and taken back to the bus and we then went to see the Bird Nest Stadium used in the Olympics. It was an amazing site to see and so much fun to realize we were really standing in the place we had all seen on TV. The swimming cube was across the parking lot but we didn’t have time to go in and look at that. I understand there is a great water park inside. That would have been fun to see. Instead we visited a government owned silk factory where we were shown cocoons of both single and double type. Few enjoyed this stop and wished we were still back looking over the Olympic stadium and swimming cube. But this was a government tour company we were dealing with and they wanted us to buy some of the very expensive items in their store. A lot of us went out to the bus to wait for our ride to dinner where we had Beijing duck for dinner. Nice dinner with all the dishes laid out on the lazy susan again but too much food.
On Wednesday, March 30, Laura was feeling better. She got up, dressed and had breakfast. She was a little weak but had slept most of the day before and all night long. She was a good sport still feeling a little weak and hopped on the bus with the rest of us for another long day of touring with the Great Wall ahead of us. On the way to the wall we stopped at the Beijing International Kong-fu School. Another name for Kong-fu is kung-fu or martial arts. It is sometimes called meditation of energy. This school has 250 girl students and about 900 students in total but we didn’t see any girls. They come from all around China and also different countries and live at the school for 3 to 5 years until they graduate. They have one student who has been there 7 years. Some students from this school performed at the Olympics in 2008. I didn’t know that kung-fu was developed by Buddhist monks in temples long ago as a form of meditation. It is a sport that uses both brawn and brain. The men and women are able to direct all their energy to the part of the body where they need it. The men are very strong but don’t have the look of a body builder with huge muscles. In fact, most of the men weren’t very big at all. But what body power they have. We watched an amazing show. One of the men was able to jump rope lying flat on his back. The master of the school took a long piece of rebar and held one end at his neck while three or four other men at the other end held the bar still. After making some loud strange noise the master began to wrap the bar around his neck one time after the other. What an amazing feat. He unwrapped the bar the same way. I asked our guide what a student would do with a degree in Kong-fu and he said that would either compete and perform or go back to where they came from to teach.
After lunch and a stop at a government owned and expensive jade shop, we finally made our way to the Great Wall. We learned that the first sections of the wall were built as early as the fifth century BC. It wasn’t until 221 BC that the various sections of the Wall were linked up. At one time the wall stretched 4700 miles across mountain tops from the China Sea NW to the Gobi Desert on the other side of China. Today only 1/3 is left. It really is a wonder of the world. We went to a different section of wall than Dave and I went to in 1997. This time there was a cable car to take us up even though there was still quite a walk up very steep and uneven steps to reach the top of the actual wall. It is an amazing view from the top to see the wall snaking across the mountain tops. Carol, John, Joe and I walked on the wall and up and down steps for an hour before riding an alpine slide back to the bottom. The rest of the group took the cable car back down.
After another lazy susan dinner we went to a fantastic Chinese acrobatic show. The women who do contortions are amazing and are always my favorite part of the show. The positions they take look impossible. Their mothers must start putting them in these poses when they are babies and never stop. The last act was eleven ladies riding around the stage on one bicycle stacked up on top of each other. It was a great show to top off the long day of touring.
The next day, March 31, we headed back to the airport for a flight to Shanghai where our ship was now waiting for us. After 6 days and 5 nights in hotels it was great to get back to our home on the ship. This night I woke up with an upset stomach and didn’t feel very good for a few days. It must have been the same bug that Laura caught. Now I’m as good as new again.
Tony who was our tour guide belongs to the Communist Party and he works for a government owned tour company. He doesn’t have a choice in changing any of the itinerary such as skipping the jade or silk shops that we might have enjoyed missing. Here are some facts about China he hold us.
- China’s total population is about 1.3 billion.
- Between 18 and 19 million people live in Beijing and there are 12 million bicycles in the city.
(I felt like we saw hardly any bicycles compared to when we visited in 1997. Maybe the tour didn’t take us to areas of the real Beijing.)
- There are 4 ½ million private cars and there are 200 miles of subways around the city. If a person wants to buy a car they first have to register with the government and then wait in line until their time comes up as only 20,000 cars are permitted to be sold each month.
- The city of Beijing has sunny days but no clear days and we sure did notice the pollution.
- It is against the law to gamble in China and there are no casinos.
- Beijing is the cultural and political center of China
- Shanghai is the financial center
- Burials aren’t allowed. Cremation has been the law since 1949
- The people are not encouraged to buy motor scooters as they are too dangerous.
- Four inventions of China are: 1. Paper 2. Gun Powder 3. Printing 4. Compass
Tony said this is an example of how fast things have been changing in China. In each of the following years this is what the people have wanted.
1970’s - Watch - Bike - Sewing Machine
1980’s - Washing Machine - Refrigerator - Color TV
1990’s – Cell Phone – Air conditioning – Home Video
2000’s – Computer – Car – Private House
2011 – Travel (Europe-Paris, Germany, Italy) – Health – Education
I can’t believe how far China has come since we visited in 1997. There are high rises everywhere and the roads are filling up with cars. The people have smiles are their faces and are living a better life. There has been lots of progress and they are trying to reduce the gap between the rich and poor.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Dave's 13th Post
Dave’s 13th Post
Reflections on our visits to Vietnam and China, March 31, 2011
About Vietnam
I’d like to start this blog with a couple of concluding paragraphs from my letter home after our visit to Vietnam in 1997.
We visited HMC during a unique time in its history and next year it will be vastly different. As you walk down the streets of HMC you see people cooking next to the curb while behind them a new Hyatt is being built. People live on the sidewalks out of necessity as if sidewalks are extensions of their homes. It appears to be a city in the midst of rapid cultural change. Last year Anna was able to rent a cyclo (a bicycle with a large seat) driver for $2 for the day. This year the same service would cost about $40. In addition, not all cyclo drivers this year can be trusted. Several passengers on our ship contracted for a $2 ride and were taken to some obscure place and told it would cost $20 to be returned to a recognizable place. Pickpockets and crime are endemic. Our ship’s staff, and even a shopkeeper we bought from, advised us not to use fanny packs because they are commonly cut or ripped off. We were advised to keep our valuables under our clothes. The first night of our stay in port 20 people reported thefts of cameras, purses, and other items. The world is coming to Vietnam and it’s not quite ready. The first McDonalds will open in HMC in 2 months. What we are witnessing as we go from Vancouver to Kobe to Shanghai to HMC is the dawning of a common global culture. Communism is dead here but bureaucracy has replaced it and Western companies are trying to get a foothold. Native cultures, like Vietnam, are disappearing and being modernized, Americanized, Westernized, capitalized, globalized, and secularized. HMC is probably a decade behind Shanghai in this process. Sociologists have a term for the change we see here in Vietnam called Anomie. It refers to rapid social change where old and new norms and values are in conflict which causes confusion and turmoil. You can see the turmoil and change in the traffic, the crime, and at the main post office where you have a choice of having your mail metered or to use the glue pot to paste on your stamps. In secularization, world religions are demythologized and homogenizing, and what kind of worldwide religious paradigm will evolve, if any, is anyone’s guess. In terms of commercialization and acculturation, we can see the future and it looks a lot like America and that’s not all good.
Our shipmates had mixed feelings about Vietnam. Many of the adults, including Jean and myself, were ready to leave or would have left earlier. Most of the kids loved the country, plan to come back, and some wanted to stay. I guess you have to see the country for yourself and make your own determination. I’m very glad we were there and grateful to have been there at the time that we were. We were able to see a culture on the verge of a radical transformation. As outsiders we could be more objective in our observations, particularly in light of all the class work we’ve done in preparation and the lectures we’ve heard. As we travel we become constantly more aware of how diverse world cultures are, how much we can all learn from each other, and how inevitable is the coming of a common world culture.
The change we have witnessed in fourteen years is astounding. In 1997 there were no tall buildings and now they are everywhere. Jean commented that two noticeable changes she sees are motorbikes have replaced pedal bikes and the women wear western clothes rather than their former Vietnamese traditional dress. I liked the appearance of coffee shops, in particular The Coffee Bean (same as at home), where I got the best lattes ever. Although Vietnam is not without its problems, things are booming here and I wonder if Vietnam and American are heading in opposite directions. They’re going up economically and we’re going down. It was a nice ride in America while it lasted.
Unfortunately we did not learn as much in Global Studies Class this year as we did in 1997. There is an undercurrent of dissatisfaction among the senior passengers about the fact that medical folks from the U of Virginia have been lecturing about infectious diseases during our trip from India to Vietnam to China. We got little to no information about Vietnam to maximize our visit. Fortunately we did have on board a Harvard Grad and current employee/scholar of the Kennedy School on Vietnam, Ben Wilkerson, who spoke in various classes. He was wonderful and I stumbled across one of his presentations by accident in a class on contemporary China that I sat in on. Here are some of his observations as I best recorded them:
• Vietnam is a country of just under 90 million and has about 3m communist party members, most over 65.
• Vietnam is a member of OSEAN, a union of Asian countries with a shared commitment to common values and fears. Ironically it was originally formed as an anticommunist union. Vietnam, a communist country, joined in 1995.
• Vietnam and China have a conflicted relationship and Vietnam joined OSEAN so as not to be overwhelmed by China. This brings back memories of our disaster in Vietnam from the end of World War II until our eventual defeat and in departure in 1973. If you remember, the argument for our involvement was to prevent the spread of communism as Vietnam joined forces with China to dominate the world. Remember the “domino theory”? Those of us who opposed that war have watched in amazement as Junior started two more self-destructive wars to further deplete our treasury and antagonize the rest of the world. We have replaced the communist bogeyman with the Islamic bogeyman and our military industrial sector has become the only industry in which we still lead the world…and few in America seem to notice this foolish, wasteful, and immoral behavior. There…I feel much better after venting.
• I’m not done after all. As I type, I realize the students onboard have not heard a word about the Vietnam War in the Global Studies class they are all required to take. This is truly amazing as it is such an important part of our recent history and our visit to Vietnam should be such a teachable moment. I heard that some of the students did visit the war museum in HMC and came away shocked and surprised. They claimed they knew nothing about the war. I guess the Harvard teacher’s observation is true. He said that “those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.” How many more needless wars will we fight before we are completely impoverished or rethink the current domination of our military industrial complex that President Eisenhower advised us to resist?
• China and Vietnam have a conflict over rocky and uninhabited islands that both claim and that may prove valuable in the future for oil and gas. Vietnam has been courting the U.S. to side with it but to date we have not got involved. Hopefully OSEAN may be able to resolve this issue in the future.
• Another potential conflict between the two countries is the issue of China building dams on the Mekong River that would greatly reduce the flow to Vietnam and be disastrous for it. Vietnam exports a lot of rice using this water and this might cause receiving countries to side with it on the issue.
• Wilkerson claimed that SE Asia has stagnated lately because of crony capitalism, poor education, and uncompetitive companies. He said China’s investment in South East Asia is primarily in extraction industries and the U.S. could build relevance here by making goods. Under Obama the U.S. is becoming more involved in Vietnam and Intel just opened its largest factory in the world in HMC.
• In the 10 years Wilkerson has been involved inVietnam, he has not encountered anti Americanism and says Vietnam is a “positive America supporter.” He claims the people here distinguish between our government and the American people. The two most popular dog names in North Vietnam are Nix (for Nixon) and Jon (for Johnson).
• Since the war here many Vietnamese have immigrated to the U.S. and Vietnam is currently in the top 10 in sending students to U.S. universities.
• Vietnam is highly internet wired and most of its population is online and was born after the war.
• Only 3 million of its 90m people belong to the Communist Party and 2/3s of those 3m are over 65. Apparently communism will eventually die a natural death of old age
• Higher education is in bad shape here and the young use the internet to self educate. Let’s hope that internet education also helps counter our dismal public school situation in the U.S.
We visited the Vietnam War museum in Hanoi and saw an impressively arranged collage of a crashed U.S. fighter on its nose with a lot of attached abandoned U.S. military hardware. The display was adorned with several plaques with inaccurate information. For instance, did you know that the North Vietnamese Peoples’ Armed Forces shot down and captured “33,068 American planes including 88 B-52s?” That’s what the display claims and it’s obviously false. One wonders when someone has the truth and moral high ground on its side why it would undermine its story with nonsense. On to China…
About Hong Kong and China
I’m now typing on the last day of March from dockside in Shanghai. It is Thursday and we leave tomorrow for Taiwan. Jean, John, Carol and I have decided to leave the ship next Wednesday, April 6th, and fly to Maui and our condo. After Taiwan, the ship spends eleven day traveling to Hawaii. I feel a little guilty jumping ship and abandoning the relatives I brought on board, but John’s kids arrive in Hawaii before our ship arrives there and our leaving the ship in Taiwan allows us to pick them up at the airport when they arrive. Also, because the Global Studies class has become so disappointing (not much if anything has been said about Vietnam or China before our arrival in our last two ports) there is not much reason to stay other than socializing with our siblings and spouses, which I will miss.
Hong Kong since 1998 has been reunited with China (the Brit’s 100 year lease expired) and is functioning as one country but using two systems. HK is 90% Chinese, has freedom of speech, uses 2 currencies, and 13% of the households have a car. The trams are less than 30 cents, the subway is great, and the majority claims to have no religion. The only other thing I learned there was that it is bad manners to place your chopsticks on the table. Use the holder.
This will be my last blog from the ship and I would like to conclude with a few observations about China. I’ve only been here two days so I don’t know much.
• The growth and change observable in Shanghai from our 1997 visit is remarkable. Like Vietnam, China seems to be a culture heading in an opposite economic direction than the U.S.
• Ours tour buses are met as we exit by what our guide calls “hello people.” They are the street vendors that sell stuff from postcards to Rolex watches.
• According to our guide, prominent people in China are called the “Big Potato” instead of our title “Big Cheese.” (Where else can you get such riveting information?)
• The number 6 in China is related to happiness and 666 = 3 x happiness. This is contrary to American Christians associating 666 with the Devil.
• The number 8 is associated with money and the number 4 is considered unlucky as it is pronounced as “death” in Mandarin. Accordingly, 8888 is the most expensive license plate in Shanghai and 4444 is the cheapest. I assume letters accompany the 4 numbers to make possible the sale of a lot of plates.
• A license plate in Shanghai can cost $5000 but it is a one-time cost.
• All land in China is owned by the government and Shanghai citizens get free residences or money toward rent.
• Young people “do not believe in God,” but as our guide claimed, “believe in the internet.” This lack of belief is contrasted with the 70% of the elderly who believe in God. This sounds a lot like America where disbelief has grown from 6% in 2001 to 15% today according to polling. I wonder what the next belief system will be anchored in? It seems to me consumerism is the real religion of our era.
• Shanghai men are in demand as husbands as they do housework and are evidently very trainable. Our guide claimed she has a boyfriend but figures she needs to conduct about 3 more years of training before marrying him.
• Shanghai men marry at about 30 and women at 33 and both work very hard. Young Shanghai couples we were told often do not want children because of the expense. These couples are referred to as DINKs, translated as “double income no kids.”
• Most newlyweds live with their parents because of the cost of housing.
• China is about the same size as the U.S. with two significant differences. It has no west coast and its northern and southern parts both extend further so it has a wider range of climates.
• China has been diverting its rivers for the past 2,500 years and has large projects in the works now that will greatly affect other Asian countries.
• It has turned much of its forested area into farmland in the past few decades which is a reason it now has such disastrous flooding. Farmland does not absorb as much water as forests.
• You probably know that China has taken over Tibet the last few decades, forcing the Dali Lama to flee and take up residence in India. An important reason for China’s takeover is the fact that major river systems start in Tibet and China wants control of the water for its growing population.
• For an answer to the question “Is Taiwan part of China?” It depends on who you ask. It’s a little complex, so if you’re interested, ask me when I’m back and I’ll tell you what I remember from the lecture I heard.
• Our knowledgeable guest speaker said that China has a patient wait and see attitude and he thought that during Obama’s second term that C & T would sign a peace treaty. I thought I’d end with some good news.
That’s about all I have to say about this voyage. If you want to know any more, you’ll have to travel yourself. Have a great trip.
Reflections on our visits to Vietnam and China, March 31, 2011
About Vietnam
I’d like to start this blog with a couple of concluding paragraphs from my letter home after our visit to Vietnam in 1997.
We visited HMC during a unique time in its history and next year it will be vastly different. As you walk down the streets of HMC you see people cooking next to the curb while behind them a new Hyatt is being built. People live on the sidewalks out of necessity as if sidewalks are extensions of their homes. It appears to be a city in the midst of rapid cultural change. Last year Anna was able to rent a cyclo (a bicycle with a large seat) driver for $2 for the day. This year the same service would cost about $40. In addition, not all cyclo drivers this year can be trusted. Several passengers on our ship contracted for a $2 ride and were taken to some obscure place and told it would cost $20 to be returned to a recognizable place. Pickpockets and crime are endemic. Our ship’s staff, and even a shopkeeper we bought from, advised us not to use fanny packs because they are commonly cut or ripped off. We were advised to keep our valuables under our clothes. The first night of our stay in port 20 people reported thefts of cameras, purses, and other items. The world is coming to Vietnam and it’s not quite ready. The first McDonalds will open in HMC in 2 months. What we are witnessing as we go from Vancouver to Kobe to Shanghai to HMC is the dawning of a common global culture. Communism is dead here but bureaucracy has replaced it and Western companies are trying to get a foothold. Native cultures, like Vietnam, are disappearing and being modernized, Americanized, Westernized, capitalized, globalized, and secularized. HMC is probably a decade behind Shanghai in this process. Sociologists have a term for the change we see here in Vietnam called Anomie. It refers to rapid social change where old and new norms and values are in conflict which causes confusion and turmoil. You can see the turmoil and change in the traffic, the crime, and at the main post office where you have a choice of having your mail metered or to use the glue pot to paste on your stamps. In secularization, world religions are demythologized and homogenizing, and what kind of worldwide religious paradigm will evolve, if any, is anyone’s guess. In terms of commercialization and acculturation, we can see the future and it looks a lot like America and that’s not all good.
Our shipmates had mixed feelings about Vietnam. Many of the adults, including Jean and myself, were ready to leave or would have left earlier. Most of the kids loved the country, plan to come back, and some wanted to stay. I guess you have to see the country for yourself and make your own determination. I’m very glad we were there and grateful to have been there at the time that we were. We were able to see a culture on the verge of a radical transformation. As outsiders we could be more objective in our observations, particularly in light of all the class work we’ve done in preparation and the lectures we’ve heard. As we travel we become constantly more aware of how diverse world cultures are, how much we can all learn from each other, and how inevitable is the coming of a common world culture.
The change we have witnessed in fourteen years is astounding. In 1997 there were no tall buildings and now they are everywhere. Jean commented that two noticeable changes she sees are motorbikes have replaced pedal bikes and the women wear western clothes rather than their former Vietnamese traditional dress. I liked the appearance of coffee shops, in particular The Coffee Bean (same as at home), where I got the best lattes ever. Although Vietnam is not without its problems, things are booming here and I wonder if Vietnam and American are heading in opposite directions. They’re going up economically and we’re going down. It was a nice ride in America while it lasted.
Unfortunately we did not learn as much in Global Studies Class this year as we did in 1997. There is an undercurrent of dissatisfaction among the senior passengers about the fact that medical folks from the U of Virginia have been lecturing about infectious diseases during our trip from India to Vietnam to China. We got little to no information about Vietnam to maximize our visit. Fortunately we did have on board a Harvard Grad and current employee/scholar of the Kennedy School on Vietnam, Ben Wilkerson, who spoke in various classes. He was wonderful and I stumbled across one of his presentations by accident in a class on contemporary China that I sat in on. Here are some of his observations as I best recorded them:
• Vietnam is a country of just under 90 million and has about 3m communist party members, most over 65.
• Vietnam is a member of OSEAN, a union of Asian countries with a shared commitment to common values and fears. Ironically it was originally formed as an anticommunist union. Vietnam, a communist country, joined in 1995.
• Vietnam and China have a conflicted relationship and Vietnam joined OSEAN so as not to be overwhelmed by China. This brings back memories of our disaster in Vietnam from the end of World War II until our eventual defeat and in departure in 1973. If you remember, the argument for our involvement was to prevent the spread of communism as Vietnam joined forces with China to dominate the world. Remember the “domino theory”? Those of us who opposed that war have watched in amazement as Junior started two more self-destructive wars to further deplete our treasury and antagonize the rest of the world. We have replaced the communist bogeyman with the Islamic bogeyman and our military industrial sector has become the only industry in which we still lead the world…and few in America seem to notice this foolish, wasteful, and immoral behavior. There…I feel much better after venting.
• I’m not done after all. As I type, I realize the students onboard have not heard a word about the Vietnam War in the Global Studies class they are all required to take. This is truly amazing as it is such an important part of our recent history and our visit to Vietnam should be such a teachable moment. I heard that some of the students did visit the war museum in HMC and came away shocked and surprised. They claimed they knew nothing about the war. I guess the Harvard teacher’s observation is true. He said that “those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.” How many more needless wars will we fight before we are completely impoverished or rethink the current domination of our military industrial complex that President Eisenhower advised us to resist?
• China and Vietnam have a conflict over rocky and uninhabited islands that both claim and that may prove valuable in the future for oil and gas. Vietnam has been courting the U.S. to side with it but to date we have not got involved. Hopefully OSEAN may be able to resolve this issue in the future.
• Another potential conflict between the two countries is the issue of China building dams on the Mekong River that would greatly reduce the flow to Vietnam and be disastrous for it. Vietnam exports a lot of rice using this water and this might cause receiving countries to side with it on the issue.
• Wilkerson claimed that SE Asia has stagnated lately because of crony capitalism, poor education, and uncompetitive companies. He said China’s investment in South East Asia is primarily in extraction industries and the U.S. could build relevance here by making goods. Under Obama the U.S. is becoming more involved in Vietnam and Intel just opened its largest factory in the world in HMC.
• In the 10 years Wilkerson has been involved inVietnam, he has not encountered anti Americanism and says Vietnam is a “positive America supporter.” He claims the people here distinguish between our government and the American people. The two most popular dog names in North Vietnam are Nix (for Nixon) and Jon (for Johnson).
• Since the war here many Vietnamese have immigrated to the U.S. and Vietnam is currently in the top 10 in sending students to U.S. universities.
• Vietnam is highly internet wired and most of its population is online and was born after the war.
• Only 3 million of its 90m people belong to the Communist Party and 2/3s of those 3m are over 65. Apparently communism will eventually die a natural death of old age
• Higher education is in bad shape here and the young use the internet to self educate. Let’s hope that internet education also helps counter our dismal public school situation in the U.S.
We visited the Vietnam War museum in Hanoi and saw an impressively arranged collage of a crashed U.S. fighter on its nose with a lot of attached abandoned U.S. military hardware. The display was adorned with several plaques with inaccurate information. For instance, did you know that the North Vietnamese Peoples’ Armed Forces shot down and captured “33,068 American planes including 88 B-52s?” That’s what the display claims and it’s obviously false. One wonders when someone has the truth and moral high ground on its side why it would undermine its story with nonsense. On to China…
About Hong Kong and China
I’m now typing on the last day of March from dockside in Shanghai. It is Thursday and we leave tomorrow for Taiwan. Jean, John, Carol and I have decided to leave the ship next Wednesday, April 6th, and fly to Maui and our condo. After Taiwan, the ship spends eleven day traveling to Hawaii. I feel a little guilty jumping ship and abandoning the relatives I brought on board, but John’s kids arrive in Hawaii before our ship arrives there and our leaving the ship in Taiwan allows us to pick them up at the airport when they arrive. Also, because the Global Studies class has become so disappointing (not much if anything has been said about Vietnam or China before our arrival in our last two ports) there is not much reason to stay other than socializing with our siblings and spouses, which I will miss.
Hong Kong since 1998 has been reunited with China (the Brit’s 100 year lease expired) and is functioning as one country but using two systems. HK is 90% Chinese, has freedom of speech, uses 2 currencies, and 13% of the households have a car. The trams are less than 30 cents, the subway is great, and the majority claims to have no religion. The only other thing I learned there was that it is bad manners to place your chopsticks on the table. Use the holder.
This will be my last blog from the ship and I would like to conclude with a few observations about China. I’ve only been here two days so I don’t know much.
• The growth and change observable in Shanghai from our 1997 visit is remarkable. Like Vietnam, China seems to be a culture heading in an opposite economic direction than the U.S.
• Ours tour buses are met as we exit by what our guide calls “hello people.” They are the street vendors that sell stuff from postcards to Rolex watches.
• According to our guide, prominent people in China are called the “Big Potato” instead of our title “Big Cheese.” (Where else can you get such riveting information?)
• The number 6 in China is related to happiness and 666 = 3 x happiness. This is contrary to American Christians associating 666 with the Devil.
• The number 8 is associated with money and the number 4 is considered unlucky as it is pronounced as “death” in Mandarin. Accordingly, 8888 is the most expensive license plate in Shanghai and 4444 is the cheapest. I assume letters accompany the 4 numbers to make possible the sale of a lot of plates.
• A license plate in Shanghai can cost $5000 but it is a one-time cost.
• All land in China is owned by the government and Shanghai citizens get free residences or money toward rent.
• Young people “do not believe in God,” but as our guide claimed, “believe in the internet.” This lack of belief is contrasted with the 70% of the elderly who believe in God. This sounds a lot like America where disbelief has grown from 6% in 2001 to 15% today according to polling. I wonder what the next belief system will be anchored in? It seems to me consumerism is the real religion of our era.
• Shanghai men are in demand as husbands as they do housework and are evidently very trainable. Our guide claimed she has a boyfriend but figures she needs to conduct about 3 more years of training before marrying him.
• Shanghai men marry at about 30 and women at 33 and both work very hard. Young Shanghai couples we were told often do not want children because of the expense. These couples are referred to as DINKs, translated as “double income no kids.”
• Most newlyweds live with their parents because of the cost of housing.
• China is about the same size as the U.S. with two significant differences. It has no west coast and its northern and southern parts both extend further so it has a wider range of climates.
• China has been diverting its rivers for the past 2,500 years and has large projects in the works now that will greatly affect other Asian countries.
• It has turned much of its forested area into farmland in the past few decades which is a reason it now has such disastrous flooding. Farmland does not absorb as much water as forests.
• You probably know that China has taken over Tibet the last few decades, forcing the Dali Lama to flee and take up residence in India. An important reason for China’s takeover is the fact that major river systems start in Tibet and China wants control of the water for its growing population.
• For an answer to the question “Is Taiwan part of China?” It depends on who you ask. It’s a little complex, so if you’re interested, ask me when I’m back and I’ll tell you what I remember from the lecture I heard.
• Our knowledgeable guest speaker said that China has a patient wait and see attitude and he thought that during Obama’s second term that C & T would sign a peace treaty. I thought I’d end with some good news.
That’s about all I have to say about this voyage. If you want to know any more, you’ll have to travel yourself. Have a great trip.
Xian
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Wow! What a busy, fun and interesting trip I had from Hong Kong to Shanghai. We docked in Hong Kong at 8:00 AM on Saturday, March 26 and left for the airport at 11:30 AM to fly to Xian to begin our tour. Dave stayed on the ship in Hong Kong and sailed to Shanghai along with Dick and Linda who had traveled around China a few years ago. Dave and I had been to China in 1997 and he thought he had seen enough of China back then even though we hadn’t seen the soldiers in Xian. But I wanted to see the terra cotta soldiers and this was the only way I was going to get to see them so off I went with the rest of the family.
We arrived in Xian just in time to enjoy a dim sum dinner at the De Fa Chang Dumpling Restaurant. We had every kind of dumpling imaginable filled with various meats, vegetables and seasonings. Some were steamed, boiled, pan fried, deep fried or roasted. We had some stuffed with duck that were shaped like ducks and another shaped like and stuffed with chicken. Cute but not the food we are accustomed to or a taste to our liking. By the time we finished dinner it was time for bed and we were glad to get to the Xian Jianguo Hotel where we would spend two nights in very comfortable beds.
The next morning on March 27 we went to see the terra cotta soldiers I wanted to see. They were discovered by peasants digging a well in 1974. One of the peasants in the gift shop discovered the site and would autograph a book if you bought it. I bought the book and have a picture of him with me after he signed my book. It was an amazing site to see and very hard to explain. You really have to see it for yourself as is true with so much of what we have seen on this whole SAS trip. There are an estimated 8000 terra cotta soldiers and the figures are arranged in typical battle formation in 11 columns comprised of officers, soldiers holding spears and swords and others steering horse-drawn chariots. Each figure is 5’ 10” tall and each head has been individually modeled with unique facial expressions. The emperor thought this army would protect him and his family in the afterlife. We saw open archeological pits filled with rubble and it is amazing how they have been able to piece the soldiers, horses, etc. back together. This definitely was a highlight of my trip to China.
Next we visited an orphanage that is run by a non government organization. It was started in 1994 and the staff of 110 cares for around 470 children age 2 to 16. Many of the children come from families who have divorced and abandoned their children or have parents who are in prison. We got to see where the children live and who their “love mother” (paid caregiver) is. They were so excited to see us and put on a fun performance. Next a lot of our students went on stage and played leap frog, duck-duck grey duck, tag, etc. and a fun time was had by all. The children who don’t have special needs go to local schools during the day. When kids go off to high school and college, they come back to the orphanage for holidays and the summer break as they consider it their home. It is evident there is a lot of love at this place. Once the children reach 16 many of them work at the orphanage and look after younger children.
After having another typical Chinese lunch at a local restaurant we went to the Tang Dynasty Art Museum where we saw beautiful artwork and had a chance to try our hand at calligraphy. John and Carol bought a picture of horses that I think will look great in their house. Some bought pictures of the animal from the year in which they were born. Dave and I had learned on our last trip to China that I was born in the year of the rooster and he was born in the year of the rat. We were told at that time that the rooster and rat aren’t compatible. I told the guide this time the dates of our birthdays and found that Dave was born in the year of the rat but I was born in the year of the monkey. This is all based on the lunar year and I was told that if I had been born a week later I would have been born in the year of the rooster but in fact I was born in the year of the monkey. I guess the monkey and rat are compatible so that can put our minds at ease.
After the art museum there wasn’t even time to freshen up at the hotel before we were taken to the Tang Dynasty Dinner Show. This show was very entertaining. Lots of old musical instruments that are rarely seen or played anymore and girls in beautiful costumes entertained us. It was another packed day and it was good to hit the pillow when we returned to the hotel.
The next morning was March 28 and after breakfast and checking out of the hotel we headed to the Xian City Wall which is the most complete city wall that has survived in China. After climbing to the top Carol, John, Joe and I rented bicycles and toured around part of the wall. It was fun riding the bike for some exercise and seeing the city along the way. You could also hire a rickshaw or golf cart to take you around.
Next we went to the Great Mosque located in Luajue Lane which is the best known Islamic Mosque in Xian. It was built in 742 AD and has been restored many times since. It was amazing to see how much Chinese influence was incorporated at this mosque. It looked more like a Chinese temple to me. There are 80,000 Muslim people living in Xian and once again the people here are all able to get along.
Xian is an agricultural area where a lot of wheat is grown. They make dumplings and noodles out of wheat. The summers are very hot and humid. Many of the farmers land are being taken away from them and big high rises are being built to house these people. The farmers don’t know what to do with themselves in these buildings. They are used to having work and land around them. They are given an apartment in exchange for their land. Old buildings are also being torn down for more high rises. I can hardly believe how many high rises we saw as we drove along with wash hanging off every balcony or pole out the window.
This area is rich in natural gas and coal and is moving from a developing country to a modern one. We were told by our guide there is a huge difference between the rich and poor and the people need better health care, social security, etc. I was surprised the guide would tell us this because she works for the Communist tour group that led our group. When I was at the hotel I could get on the internet with no problem and update the USA Newspaper and download my email but couldn’t connect to the Geezers blog. Blogs and Facebook are no nos in this country which I’m sure you are aware of.
I can sure see a huge difference in China since we were here 14 years ago though. There are 8 million people living in Xian and more and more students are going to college. But we were told a lot of the college graduates can’t find work once they finish so they have continue to live with their parents. The economy seems to be booming so I don’t understand why it would be so hard to find work.
Next we returned to the airport for our flight to Beijing. We had another Chinese lunch served at a round table with lazy susan in the middle for passing all the dishes around. The food all tastes the same after awhile. I’m ready for some “good” American Chinese food! Then we checked into the Holiday Inn Downtown Temple of Heaven where we would spend the next 3 nights.
Wow! What a busy, fun and interesting trip I had from Hong Kong to Shanghai. We docked in Hong Kong at 8:00 AM on Saturday, March 26 and left for the airport at 11:30 AM to fly to Xian to begin our tour. Dave stayed on the ship in Hong Kong and sailed to Shanghai along with Dick and Linda who had traveled around China a few years ago. Dave and I had been to China in 1997 and he thought he had seen enough of China back then even though we hadn’t seen the soldiers in Xian. But I wanted to see the terra cotta soldiers and this was the only way I was going to get to see them so off I went with the rest of the family.
We arrived in Xian just in time to enjoy a dim sum dinner at the De Fa Chang Dumpling Restaurant. We had every kind of dumpling imaginable filled with various meats, vegetables and seasonings. Some were steamed, boiled, pan fried, deep fried or roasted. We had some stuffed with duck that were shaped like ducks and another shaped like and stuffed with chicken. Cute but not the food we are accustomed to or a taste to our liking. By the time we finished dinner it was time for bed and we were glad to get to the Xian Jianguo Hotel where we would spend two nights in very comfortable beds.
The next morning on March 27 we went to see the terra cotta soldiers I wanted to see. They were discovered by peasants digging a well in 1974. One of the peasants in the gift shop discovered the site and would autograph a book if you bought it. I bought the book and have a picture of him with me after he signed my book. It was an amazing site to see and very hard to explain. You really have to see it for yourself as is true with so much of what we have seen on this whole SAS trip. There are an estimated 8000 terra cotta soldiers and the figures are arranged in typical battle formation in 11 columns comprised of officers, soldiers holding spears and swords and others steering horse-drawn chariots. Each figure is 5’ 10” tall and each head has been individually modeled with unique facial expressions. The emperor thought this army would protect him and his family in the afterlife. We saw open archeological pits filled with rubble and it is amazing how they have been able to piece the soldiers, horses, etc. back together. This definitely was a highlight of my trip to China.
Next we visited an orphanage that is run by a non government organization. It was started in 1994 and the staff of 110 cares for around 470 children age 2 to 16. Many of the children come from families who have divorced and abandoned their children or have parents who are in prison. We got to see where the children live and who their “love mother” (paid caregiver) is. They were so excited to see us and put on a fun performance. Next a lot of our students went on stage and played leap frog, duck-duck grey duck, tag, etc. and a fun time was had by all. The children who don’t have special needs go to local schools during the day. When kids go off to high school and college, they come back to the orphanage for holidays and the summer break as they consider it their home. It is evident there is a lot of love at this place. Once the children reach 16 many of them work at the orphanage and look after younger children.
After having another typical Chinese lunch at a local restaurant we went to the Tang Dynasty Art Museum where we saw beautiful artwork and had a chance to try our hand at calligraphy. John and Carol bought a picture of horses that I think will look great in their house. Some bought pictures of the animal from the year in which they were born. Dave and I had learned on our last trip to China that I was born in the year of the rooster and he was born in the year of the rat. We were told at that time that the rooster and rat aren’t compatible. I told the guide this time the dates of our birthdays and found that Dave was born in the year of the rat but I was born in the year of the monkey. This is all based on the lunar year and I was told that if I had been born a week later I would have been born in the year of the rooster but in fact I was born in the year of the monkey. I guess the monkey and rat are compatible so that can put our minds at ease.
After the art museum there wasn’t even time to freshen up at the hotel before we were taken to the Tang Dynasty Dinner Show. This show was very entertaining. Lots of old musical instruments that are rarely seen or played anymore and girls in beautiful costumes entertained us. It was another packed day and it was good to hit the pillow when we returned to the hotel.
The next morning was March 28 and after breakfast and checking out of the hotel we headed to the Xian City Wall which is the most complete city wall that has survived in China. After climbing to the top Carol, John, Joe and I rented bicycles and toured around part of the wall. It was fun riding the bike for some exercise and seeing the city along the way. You could also hire a rickshaw or golf cart to take you around.
Next we went to the Great Mosque located in Luajue Lane which is the best known Islamic Mosque in Xian. It was built in 742 AD and has been restored many times since. It was amazing to see how much Chinese influence was incorporated at this mosque. It looked more like a Chinese temple to me. There are 80,000 Muslim people living in Xian and once again the people here are all able to get along.
Xian is an agricultural area where a lot of wheat is grown. They make dumplings and noodles out of wheat. The summers are very hot and humid. Many of the farmers land are being taken away from them and big high rises are being built to house these people. The farmers don’t know what to do with themselves in these buildings. They are used to having work and land around them. They are given an apartment in exchange for their land. Old buildings are also being torn down for more high rises. I can hardly believe how many high rises we saw as we drove along with wash hanging off every balcony or pole out the window.
This area is rich in natural gas and coal and is moving from a developing country to a modern one. We were told by our guide there is a huge difference between the rich and poor and the people need better health care, social security, etc. I was surprised the guide would tell us this because she works for the Communist tour group that led our group. When I was at the hotel I could get on the internet with no problem and update the USA Newspaper and download my email but couldn’t connect to the Geezers blog. Blogs and Facebook are no nos in this country which I’m sure you are aware of.
I can sure see a huge difference in China since we were here 14 years ago though. There are 8 million people living in Xian and more and more students are going to college. But we were told a lot of the college graduates can’t find work once they finish so they have continue to live with their parents. The economy seems to be booming so I don’t understand why it would be so hard to find work.
Next we returned to the airport for our flight to Beijing. We had another Chinese lunch served at a round table with lazy susan in the middle for passing all the dishes around. The food all tastes the same after awhile. I’m ready for some “good” American Chinese food! Then we checked into the Holiday Inn Downtown Temple of Heaven where we would spend the next 3 nights.
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