Last Day of Trip

We arrived yesterday (Sat.) afternoon in Hong Kong. Staying at hotel connectd to the airport - it's Beautiful, all decorated for Christmas, religious holiday songs everywhere - we're quite surprised at how the Chinese have adopted our holiday. Last night dinner was at a wonderful Chinese restaurant - Peking Duck that melted in our mouths. JBP is going for a massage this morning. We leave around 1:00 and it will be Sunday for two days for us. From here back to Taipai to change planes then direct flight to Houston. Can't wait to get home and see you all.

Last Day in Beijing

I stay in and play on the computer this morning. It's 36 degrees outside and I don't have a coat! At noon I head for the Pearl Market again to add earrings to my necklace, but first, I'm starving. Many of the salesladies are eating in their stalls. From one of them I learn that outside, behind the building I can buy something to eat. Sure enough - in an alleyway there are 8-10 Chinese cooking on woks and the aroma is wonderful. One lady has noodles and cabbage, no meat. That's for me. She cooks it while I wait and gives it to me in a styrofoam container with chopsticks. It's one of the best meals I've had.

Next, back to the toy area to buy something for the babies. Tonight we stay in the hotel and have a fantastic buffet meal - soup, boiled shrimp, noodles, and Peking Duck. In the morning we leave for Hong Kong to spend 1 night and then head home - we're both ready. Can't wait to see you all - hope all is well. Did I mention that the bellman in Hong Kong the very first night burned up Daddy's C-Pap Machine!!!

A Day on the Streets

With JBP in meetings all day, I go to the streets. First stop, Pearl Market, an unseemly 5-story building where the whole world shops. You bargain here for everything and usually pay about 1/2 of the original price. First floor offers electronics, fake watches, scarves, costume jewelry; second floor - clothing; third floor - household items, antiques (?), cheap pearls; fourth floor - better pearl and coral jewelry (a feast for the female eye, a nightmare for the male!); top floor - where an armed guard meets you at the top of the escalator!

Afternoon - I finally try one of these street concoctions after an elderly Chinese lady convinces me - "all Chinese people like!" It's mixed fruit and cherry tomatoes dipped in melted sugar and cooled. Very Sweet - one was more than enough.

We've been amazed at the modes of transportation here. Many, many cabs, tandem buses packed with standing people, bikes and trikes of all sizes carry people as well as goods. Every street has a bike lane and traffic starts around 6:30 in the morning.

Pandas!

Well, the big day finally came - a visit to the Bejing Zoo, domicile to some of the world's most famous inhabitants - the Pandas. I was on a mission, I arrived early, paid the extra entrance fee and staked out the most advantageous spot for taking pictures. Then I waited, and waited and waited in 45% cloudy weather for the smallest sign of life from one of these sleeping giants. Finally, at the twitch of a paw, a Chinese squeal of delight arose from beside me and suddenly the area was filled wth adults acting like groupies at a rock concert. I held my own, I was not giving up that spot I'd claimed, even if they did have children with them. I don't know how long I was there, maybe 45 minutes. After a snack, a few poses for the crowd, the panda went back to sleep on his perch. Pleased with a small trove of picures, I returned to a small restaurant behind the hotel for some hot soup - hmmm, I think I'll try the "Double-boiled Chicken and Conch with Monkey-head Fungus and Dried Scallop."

Tuesday was a more restful day. JBP started his meeting at 8:00 and I stayed in and got the student blog started. Afternoon we visited the Temple of Heaven - built in 1420 as a place of ritual for Ming and Qing emperors. Every year at the time of winter solstice he would come here with a huge procession for several days to pay honor to his ancestors and to pray for a good harvest in the next season. There are many facets to this Temple, one of interest is the Echo Wall which surrounds the courtyard of the Hall of Heaven (not to be confused with the Temple of Heaven). If you stand facing the wall and speak to someone who is also standing by it, he or she will be able to hear everything you say at any point on the wall. We didn't try this - afraid the Chinese government might be listening! Dinner this evening was with the group - a formal Chinese dinner with many courses of vegetables, meats and vegetables - no egg rolls, though.

Ni Hao Tout le Monde! Yesterday (Monday) was incredible. We hired a driver after breakfast to go to the Great Wall. Little over 1 hr. drive, spent 1 1/2 hours walking and taking pictures. The idea for the wall began with the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi in 221 B.C. It stretches for 30,000 miles. 5-10 soldiers would live in the towers and keep watch for enemies. If they spied anything, they would use cattle or wolf dung to send smoke signals to garrisons below.

We took a gondola up and a sled (tobogan)down. What fun - the kids would love it. Below, open-air market where they sell nuts, dried fruit, and of course, souvenirs.



Next stop was Summer Palace - Chinese version of Versailles. More pictures - brutal cold. Built in 1880s by the Empresse Dowager Cixi, who was a concubine of the 3rd rank but rose to promenance by serving as regent to her son Tongzhi. She and her entourage left Forbidden City to live and rule here for 20 years until her death in 1908.

Back to hotel around 5:30. We asked the concierge for a good Sichuaan restaurant and two recommendations were for a place they called Sauce Booty (at least that's what JBP heard them say). When we arrived at the address we found the actual name to be South Beauty. It was great - I had stirfried shrimp and peppers, JBP had sweet & sour scallops, both Very Hot! I was really hungry for soup, so we order sour soup with fish maw. Don't know what maw is but it was wonderful and sounded less dangerous than other appetizer choices (Meat pickles of pig ears, pig tongue, and chicken feet! or fried sliced kidney with stones in hot oil, or better yet, Chongqing, which is duck intestines with duck blood tofu served with vegetables, chilies and garlic!). Thank Heaven they give menu ingredients in English! Time for breakfast, check back later. Love to all :)

First Full Day in Beijing

Another Way You Know You're Not At Home:

No One Speaks English!
Street Food is something we kill or put in trash.

Sunday, first full day in Beijing - COLD & Foggy! Visited a local street market on the way to Tianamem Square. Street food here is not hot dogs and pretzels, it's fried locusts, chicken hearts and baby birds. We passed on this culinary experience. Fog is not good for pictures. After the market, we walked through Tiananmen Square, symbolic center and political heart of the country where in 1989 student protestors were mowed down by communist soldiers.

Next stop was Forbidden City - ancient home to past emperors, their concubines and eunichs for 5 centuries. It was not meant to be a home for mortal kings but for the Son of Heaven, the divinely appointed intermediary between heaven (yang) and earth (yin) who was responsible for peace, prosperity and order on earth. Hmmmm!

We must look Really different - everyone seems to stare at us. Young people even accost us on the street - at first we were uneasy, but then we realized that they just wanted to try out their English.

Late afternoon, visited a "hutong" - Chinese living concept. Houses built in "quadrangles" - one next to another, open courtyard in the middle, parents or grandparents occupy northern room (the best). Visited by trishaw. Stopped and entered two, one upscale and one average , for a few $ of course. Did I mention that it's COLD!

Beijing is a total surprise. Our hotel, though beautiful inside, faces old, unseemly buildings. The fog/smog is so thick, we can't see past what is across the street. Buses and taxis streak by below, bicycles loaded with bundles trudge along their way. The flight over was around 3 hours, very pleasant, good food as usual. Light dinner and to bed early last night.

Second Day in Hong Kong

More Ways You Know You're Not At Home:
You're the one with the camera, not the Asians.
Chinese people say that all of Us look alike.
You have no problem understanding spoken English without prepositions and helping verbs. Cathey says, "This Victoria Peak, you have 30 min. take pictures. You late - Bye,Bye, bus leave you." He, He, He!"

This morning started with a heavenly buffet breakfast here at the hotel - dim sum, omlettes, smoked mackrel and capers - anything you could want. We relaxed after that then boarded a tour bus at 2:00 for a 5 hr. visit to the highlights of Hong Kong. Cathey, our tour guide lives with her parents and 3 sisters in an 800 sq. ft. apartment (the size of the landing) that is government subsidized. First stop was Victoria Peak - splendid view of the city below, all 7 million of them! Next we went to Aberdeen fishing village. There we boarded a sam pan for a ride. Only a remnent of the fisherman remain (around 700) from 20 years ago, but they continue to supply Hong Kong with 60% of the seafood consumed here. These people live on their boats yearround, but they don't fish in June and July - that's mating season (for the fish, that is). There is a chic marina here also that is in stark contrast to the conditions that the fisherman live in. Next stop was the Dynasty Jewelry Manufacture. Hong Kong imports gems and pearls from all over the world, turns them into pieces of jewelry then sells them back - I bargained here and JBP bought me a Beautiful string of pearls for half of what they would have cost retail! Stanley Bay was our third stop. Here is a local street market where you can find anything - even saw Audrey's ladybug costume hanging in one stall. We headed for the beach and found a nice bar and a couple of good drinks. The bay stretches out to the Sea of China. 45 minute ride back to the hotel for a seafood buffet - lobster, shrimp, escargot, lamb curry, black cod, and of course, local Chinese specialties. Lights across Victoria Bay come on as we dine - Michael, you could live here! To bed by 9:00, worn out.

Hong Kong

We're Here! The longest trip ever, but one of the easiest - no glitches, great food and even some sleep. We left Little Rock at 3:30, Tues., Nov.20 and arrived in Taipei at 5:30 am, Thurs., Nov. 22 local time (that's 11:30 am, Wed., Nov.21 your time). Does that all make sense? Me neither. Anyway, we're here at the Intercontental Hotel and our room overlooks the Victoria Harbor and the city of Hong Kong. We choose to stay on the island of Kowloon, one of 5 islands that make up Hong Kong.

10 Ways Your Know You're Not At Home:

10. To board your flight, you're told to line up according to your assigned seat.
9. Airline personnel are pleasant and helpful.
8. The last 20 hours of a 24-hour day are spent in the dark - literally.
7. Someone 5ft. tall can look the majority of the population in the eye.
6. Breakfast items include pork dumplings and rice noodles.
5. You keep to the right when walking and you're in the way.
4. Going across town by taxi makes you seasick.
3. Garbage collectors don't drive a truck, they steer a barge.
2. Signs above the airport gates tell not only the number but that "persons smuggling drugs will be executed in the ROC" (Republic of China)
1. Turning on the lights at night look like this: