More from Communist China

[eamarquardt]

Internet time is limited. Rather than post pics in post, I've put some in my album. Will post more there. Cheers, Gus

Hi all,
More!!! Monday Night
We pushed the envelope, left the hotel, and went "out" for dinner last night (as in we didn't take the easy way out and eat at the hotel). We quickly eliminated KFC and Pizza Hut as we considered eating there would show a definite lack of "adventure" on our part. In fact, we also skipped the Dairy Queen. We settled on a restaurant with Chinese food. I have noticed a distinct lack of Italian and Mexican restaurants here. Apparently the Chinese aren't adventurous enough to eat Italian or Mexican food. Maybe there's an opportunity for someone there. The Chinese do eat stuff a lot more adventurous than Italian and Mexican based upon the pictures and descriptions. We found the pictures of the foods on the menus to be a big help. Sometimes just the description of the dish was enough to "suggest" we wouldn't be happy with it as a choice. Suzy had "specialty crisp chicken". Period. No veggies or whatever. Especially no fortune or almond cookie. I had Kung Pau shrimp with candied almonds. Suzy's chicken had a lot more "dark" meat, from what I could tell, than we're used to. She said it was good. The Chinese have apparently learned how to cook Kung Pau just like it's cooked at home. Mine could have just as easily come from Fong's Chinese Food Take Out on Chatsworth Street in Granada Hills, Ca., USA. Some things never change. I've seen few (actually only one) overweight Chinese person. Given how oily the food was, I'm surprised. Maybe they use Olestra. Maybe not.

Anyway the waiter saw me struggling with the chop sticks, took pity on me, and gave me a big spoon. Better! A few minutes later a waitress took even more pity on me and gave me a fork. YES!!!!! Suzy continued to struggle with the chop sticks and the waitress gave her a lesson. One good term deserves another so I gave the waitress a quick lesson in "fork". She was a quick learner. After I had satisfied my initial lust for food, I gave the chop sticks a second try. Even though those shrimps were slippery little buggers, I did OK. I still prefer "forking" my food.

Not trusting the water I asked for a beer to go with my shrimp. The nice waitress, in Chinese, shared that they had several brands on hand. I ordered BEER. Specifically the beer in the green bottle that, when in a glass, looked like a light beer. It was fine and I felt obliged to have a second one. There seems to be an upside to not drinking the water. This morning I decided to live life on the edge and not resort to using bottled water for my morning cuppa tea in our room. I got bold and just boiled the water first. Time will tell if this was a wise decision but my research suggests I'll survive. Wish me luck. I did come prepared for the "traveler's trots" with both OTC meds and prescription meds. Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance or, in this case, extended bouts of the "traveler's trots". Again, wish me luck.

I forgot to mention that Suzy "yelled" at me for getting water on the bathroom floor. A common complaint of hers. You'd think that she'd get over it and just deal with it. Nooooooooooooo. Anyway, in my defense, the shower has a typical shower head and a "wand" to get to the entrance of "where the sun don't shine" and other places. There is a diverter to route the water to either the shower head or the wand. The last person to use the shower was kind enough to leave the diverter in the "wand" position and the wand pointing at just where one stands while turning on the water. Of course the first water that leaves the wand is cold. In addition, some of the water exiting the wand misses the one turning on the water and sprays the bathroom and bathroom floor with water. I was startled and not entirely happy being sprayed with cold water. Suzy's "yelling" at me about the water on the floor just added insult to injury. I thought it was a fair exchange to share with her what I had learned, how to avoid getting sprayed with cold water and the resulting shock to one's skin temperature, in return for her mopping up the floor to her satisfaction. I don't think she thought it was such a "fair exchange". I stood my ground (sound familiar?). I hope she gets over it. I have now "mastered" the shower in our room. Suzy, again, yelled at me for turning on the lights in the bathroom in the middle of the night. The bathroom has opaque glass separating the shower from the main room. Soooooo, if you turn on the bathroom lights, the light shines into the sleeping area. I thought a bit of light would be less disruptive than my curses had I banged my shin or slipped in the dark. Apparently, Suzy felt my banging my shin or slipping was a risk "she was willing to take" as long as I didn't turn on the lights. Go figure.

On a whim, I checked out the hot water pot that I used to make the hot water for my tea. I didn't see the familiar "Hecto in China" on it! I very much doubt that it was made in the US or Germany. Apparently the Chinese don't feel the need to label things for "domestic use" "Hecto in China". Go figure!

Suzy's batteries did eventually run down yesterday. She claims I got more sleep on the airplane than she did. I don't exactly share her point of view. Anyway between our naps yesterday afternoon and a solid six hours sleep last night we seem to be doing OK. When we went to England, Ireland, and Scotland, I was a zombie for the first week as my circadian rythm seems to be a bit resistant to change. Travelling West, to the East (sounds funny, I know, but that is what we just did) seems to be a bit easier to adjust to. So, should we return to England and points East (that are typically described as Western, go figure) perhaps we'll travel West to end up in the Western world. Makes sense in a twisted kind of way.

Suzy, apparently did not notice that I jumpered her ears together yesterday afternoon. WTF you say? Before I left home, I made a jumper wire with some alligator clips on each end. When she wasn't looking, I "jumpered" her ears together in an attempt to drain her battery a bit faster than normal. It worked as she crashed very early yesterday afternoon and I actually had to wake her to go out for dinner. My "alternate plan B", if she noticed the alligator clips/wire, was to file down the teeth on the alligator clips a bit. Fortunately, that won't be required. I'm sure the alligator clips with teeth make better electrical contact than the clips would with the teeth filed down. I'm gonna do the same thing, short circuit the "Energizer Bunny" battery, a bit each day to keep her under control. Please don't "spill the beans". It's nice to be able to keep up with the "Energizer Bunny".

Tuesday Night:

Well, I slept in till 0430 and Suzy till 0600 this morning. Not too bad considering we're off by nine hours. So, another "Western" breakfast (prepaid) in the hotel and Suzy signed us up for a tour of the "Lama Temple", the "Heavenly Garden", a "tea ceremony (the main part of the ritual was to sell us tea and Suzy did us proud), and a visit to a "silk factory". Again, the main product of the "silk factory" was a lighter wallet for those that entered. Suzy, again, did us proud. The prices were fair compared to what you'd spend at home for the silk products. It was more of a "factory outlet" than a "factory". They did show, exactly, how silk is taken off the cocoon and put onto spools. That was pretty simple but interesting.
The "Lama temple" was a typical old stuff attraction. Kinda worn after a few hundred years but OK. It was kinda interesting. If you want to "pray" to the Buddhas, you burn three sticks of incense. If you are asking for something, you burn a whole bundle. Kinda like Father Guido Sarducci's you gotta pay for your sins. The more you expect from the Buddha, the more you gotta spend on incense.

The "Heavenly Garden" is where the Emperor went twice a year to, I think, thank the gods. In the beginning he had to give up a lot of vices for a month or so before he went to the Garden. As I understand it, as time went on, later emperors cut down on the "cleansing period" (certain foods were verboten, no sex, etc, etc, etc) and it got shorter and shorter. Apparently the Emperors figured that clean enough was clean enough. Why torture yourself any longer than necessary. Our tour guide shared that his wife is a Buddhist. He isn't a "true believer". He, by his own admission, is more of a "free thinker". I think I can relate to that.
Anyway it was kinda interesting but a typical "tourist" experience.
Our tour guide today was a nice young fellow who studied history and English at the university. His "English" was OK but not quite what I'd expect from a University graduate. He seemed to be pretty good at explaining the history. What, IMHO, is far more interesting is his explanations of the culture here. For example, Chairman Mao's shortcomings are kinda overlooked and memories are focused on his leading China into the future that they are now they are experiencing. The guide wasn't quite sure that they're headed in the exact right direction but it is so much better than it has been in the past so it is, by definition, good. When we were in Valley Forge a couple of years ago, as I recall, a Prussian military officer remarked that Americans weren't quite as willing to blindly follow orders as his countrymen. Americans, before they got entirely behind a "program" wanted to know "why". Not so in the Prussian military and the officer recognized this cultural difference. Anyway the tour guide kinda pointed out that this lack of "why questioning" held China back during the timeframe the European countries were making great strides and China was kinda languishing in the "doldrums". China, it seems, has gotten over this "blindly following orders" (IE not questioning) and is now "thinking for itself". I think that paradigm shift is gonna be a problem for us (the USA). I asked him what he thought about Communism and he replied we're like a "bananas". WTF? "Yellow" on the outside (appear to be Communists) and "white" (embracing capitalism) on the inside. I think I'd have to agree.
I got the guide's EMail address and we'll see if he's interested in picking up the nuances of "American English". His accent and grammar was cute and "not entirely correct" but he was very good at getting his points across.

We got back to our hotel, again I'm not sure we fit in here but they'll get over it, eventually. Got a short nap, checked EMails (that is soooooo cool), and then ventured forth into the "forbidden land" once again. We hiked to where the "locals" hang out a bit more and hit a couple of "malls". They are more "vertical" than "horizontal". One we visited had eight levels. A bit less organized than the malls/shops at home but lots of hustle and bustle. Clearly they are familiar with the concept of "sales" as there were lots of signs announcing same, in English, with the percentages you were "saving". Yeah, right. I saw nothing I couldn't live without. I can find virtually anything I need from China at Walmart.

I did find a canned Pepsi and it was about $3.50 for a can smaller than the ones at home. It did fulfill a need though. We checked out some of the eateries in the mall but held out. We finally chose a "hole in the wall" on a side street for no particular reason. I will admit to having second thoughts when no one spoke enough English to help us order, the glasses and place settings appeared less than "spotless", and there was a slight "aroma" to the place. We elected to charge forward and the waitress brought out the "cheat sheets". Some limited English translations for some of the items on the menu. I recognized chicken with green peppers and pork dumplings with cabbage. Close enough. I also saw beer being served and "beer" was sufficient to communicate my wishes. They unlike the servers at the restaurant last night took no pity on my lack of skill with chop sticks and I quickly became proficient enough to have dinner. Sink or swim! The food was good, the beer was cold and good, and the price was GREAT. For the two of us, both stuffed, and two beers for me the total was about $15 and no tipping. Yes. It pays to get away from the tourist paths. I needed to make a "pit stop" while there but was, even using gestures embarrassing to Suzy, unable to make my point. Finally the waitress made a "hand washing" gesture. Bingo. From now on, I'm gonna "suggest" that I want to wash my hands. Close enough!!! Gotta do what works, ha.

On Wednesday (remember we're a day ahead of the states) we're gonna do some more of the sights here in Beijing with the tour outfit that we signed up with and runs the riverboats. These first two days were "free days" and not part of the tour activities.

Nearly forgot to mention but Suzy insisted that I include it: I shared my apparent celebrity status, while at the zoo, with our tour guide. He was happy to explain the experience. He stated that the locals thought I really resembled the "great panda" and that is why they were so friendly as we were at the "panda palace" so to speak. Ouch! He really burst my bubble. Frigging Commies, no filters. No effing tact at all. If he believed in God, remember he's a "free thinker", God would surely get him for a remark like that. I was shattered! I'm gonna lose weight, period, end of procrastination. The truth hurts. Did I mention he's a Commie? Yellow on the outside for sure, and I am not, entirely convinced, after a shot like that, he’s white on the inside. Commies. Yeah, Commies.
It's really nice to get out on your own but a little spooky when it is time to get back to where you belong. We did learn something today. At home the street signs are parallel to the street they are naming. So, as you drive up to an intersection, you can tell what street you are crossing by the sign right in front of you. You have to look to the right or left to see what street you are on. Here, as you go along a street, the signs you look directly at are the name of the street you are on (as near as we can figure and confirmed by a local). This, until we figured it out, was really confusing. I think, if I had it to plan over again, a hand held GPS that you could mark your starting point with "X Marks the Spot" and always have that to get you back to your hotel, or whatever, would be a plus. The maps from the hotel are difficult to figure out and the street names aren't that clear on the maps (unless you read Chinese).

Wednesday Morning: Up at 0400 local time and doing ok. Apparently I'm not quite in sync yet. Suzy, aside from her complaints about my snoring, is sleeping soundly yet. I’m beginning to think that she'd make a good Commie. There's a story there. Years ago her dad was railing on about the Commie point of view. Suzy, sometimes she can be a real PITA, told her dad that, if she was indoctrinated in the Commie way from birth, she was sure she'd be a "good little Commie". That really set her dad off, ha. "Oh no you wouldn't". "Oh, I'm sure I would be a good little Commie". Anyway, given how she’s sleeping here, if that's any indication, she'd fit right in.

Stay tuned.

Gus

[eamarquardt]

Thursday Morning,
Hi All,
Well the Commies and I avoided a major international incident one more day. Apparently my reputation preceded me and they are behaving themselves.
Anyway was up at 0400 yesterday and 0330 today. Got a nice nap yesterday afternoon (more or less collapsed in pain) but all sleep is good.
We started our “organized tours” yesterday and “got on the bus, Gus” (remember that from the mid 70s?) at 0800 and headed out to Tiniman (sp) Square. Pretty much a big square paved with what appears to be granite. Mao’s permanent resting place (a building where his preserved remains are available for viewing) is at one end, the entrance to the “Forbidden City” (with a pic of Chairman Mao artistically placed above the main entrance for one’s viewing pleasure) at the other, the Chinese “congressional building” on one side, and a big National Museum building (unoccupied as of yet) on the other side. There is some sort of structure etc, right in the middle but it’s just a decoration and not a statue or building. There are some flowerbeds and shrubs on the perimeter that are well groomed. Really, other than its size, it’s not much to “write home about” but in the interest of “complete reporting” I’m including it. Adjacent to the square are a couple of guard towers that were originally “gates to the city” where the attackers were choked in their approach and “gunned down” with arrows. The government has Chairman Mao’s remains on display (but there is a “rumor” that it’s a reproduction). The line to view said remains was about ten feet wide and went around the entire building. As I understand it, mostly older folks showing their respect. Current views on Chairman Mao are that about 70% of what he did was verrrrry verrrrry good, and about 30% of what he did was verrry verrry bad. Not bad for a devoted Commie.
I forgot to mention that the hawkers greeted us while we were boarding the bus, and in a moment of weakness, I bought a cap with a red star right in the middle of the front of the cap. I had Suzy give the fellow his “asking price”, five bucks (American) and forgot to dicker/bicker. I later regretted my impulsiveness but I rationalized it as it was “great sport” to watch his “victory dance” which included kissing the five dollar bill. Gus “The Beautiful American”, always spreading good will and a great ambassador, ha. The tour guide hinted that they are able to hack into his Email, know our schedules, and stalk us. There might be some truth to that rumor.
Anyway it doesn’t take much to get the gist of Tiniman Square so we moved right along to the “Forbidden City”. If you’ve seen the movie “The Last Emperor” you have a good idea of what it’s like. 600 or so years old and showing some signs of age, particularly the stone work. They appear to have been refurbishing the tile roofs and the wooden structures, in most instances, were in excellent shape. I saw a documentary on TV a while back about them making replacement tile in the traditional way (hand made). In some places there was some noticeable deterioration of the wood and they have plans to restore those areas. Even though it was a workday in the spring the place was a zoo. It was, except for the garden on the north side, pretty stark. No trees or vegetation save for a few small weeds in between the cracks of the paving stones.
The garden was very pretty and had lots of cool honeycombed rocks. Anyway, one of the “must do’s” is to go up the steps of the main ceremonial building and view the ceremonial throne. It, from what was shared with us, is the only remaining original chair of the emperors. At some of the other tourist attractions we’ve been to, there has been good crowd control and the viewing of the attractions was pretty orderly and efficient. Not so if you wanted to view the throne. I’ve mentioned the “chaos” at intersections (traffic lights are kinda like “suggestions” to be taken under advisement) but the chaos at the three arches that allow one to view the throne give new meaning to the word “chaos”. Jungle rules at their finest. No lines, stanchions to organize the throngs, or any means of crowd control. Just push, shove, kick, bite, poke, head butt, sucker punch, pinch, snarl, or do whatever it takes to fight your way to the “front row” and get your peek at the throne. It was “civilized” in that I saw no knives, guns, spears, or other overt weapons being used. I got as far as the second row back and settled for holding my camera up over my head and snapping a picture. I think it turned out OK. The heat of all the bodies jammed together was impressive. Apparently, though, everyone had showered and used their “Secret” as my olfactory senses were not offended. Suzy “thinks” she made it to the front row but was so busy trying to remain upright she doesn’t remember if she got a glimpse of the throne or not. As small as she is, I think that it is entirely possible that she was lifted off her feet and simply carried along by the “tide”. Actually, I’m surprised that no one was trampled to death. It was quite an experience and Suzy and I had a good laugh as we’ve never experienced anything even approaching that experience, ha. Gotta go with the flow.
The South part of the “city” is ceremonial in nature and the North part is where the offices and residential areas are. The offices are not that big, there are little alleys, and we actually got to see through glass into one of the rooms that the emperors spent the night. The room was nicely furnished but modest in size. Actually, to minimize the risk of assignation, the emperors were “moving targets” and slept in many different rooms to confound their hopeful successors. The emperors had as many as 3,000 wives/concubines. Not bad. All of them chosen for their attractiveness and, I’d hope, a willingness to please. Beats the heck out of the concept of heaven being 12 virgins! Anyway, at three times a day (an impressive pace to say the least),it could have taken an emperor nearly three years to “relate” to all his wives. I have my doubts about his ability to do so. I’m sure he gave it one hell of a try though. There are rumors that the last emperor was not straight. I have serious doubts about his “performance”. The emperors were free to propose to any female that caught their eye. It was “an offer you can’t refuse”. If one was foolish to turn down the proposal, the Emperor would murder three generations of your family. Life of the concubine/wives of the emperors was pretty dull inside the Forbidden City. Pretty much waiting around to be “chosen” for a tryst with the Emperor and rarely leaving the Forbidden City. If the emperor expired before his wives they were given the “option” of poison or hanging themselves. This was an improvement over the “old custom” of being buried alive with the body of the emperor. That’s progress.
Anyway we exited the “city” at the North end and ran the “gauntlet” of beggars, hawkers, and the maimed and disabled. We were warned to keep a tight hold of our bags and purses and to carry them in front of us. Also, not to not speak to the hawkers as they would then be relentless in their efforts to make you their favorite long lost customer. Some of the maimed and disabled were pretty grim. I asked our guide if they were provided for by the government but got a quick, vague, and perhaps “politically correct” but not entirely accurate answer.
Anyway we, again “Got on the bus, Gus” and headed to a nearby hotel for lunch. I gotta say, Viking River Cruises, has spared no expense (of course I know where they get the money) to provide first class accommodations and services. I’ve never been treated so royally. I do feel, a bit out of place but, again, they’ll get over it. Suzy and I, being pretty much “travel virgins”, had reservations about the trip after hearing that one has to be careful where one eats and not to drink the water. We have had no problems as bottled water is freely available from the hotel and tour operators and I’ve been making tea in our hotel room with boiled tap water with no problems. As long as food is cooked I believe most of the “evil spirits” have “flown the coop” and one should be OK. Our reservations were apparently unfounded. Lunch was a buffet and they had UNLIMITED beer. I got a few bites down and then my frazzled nerves caused my ability to swallow to desert me and I got into a bit of “distress”. A couple of trips to the head were required. As a precaution, I always scope out the locations of heads when eating out and have an escape path planned. It came in handy today. As previously reported my distress was reported to our tour guide and I explained I wasn’t “sick” and this was nothing out of the ordinary for me. I had been sinking as the morning progressed and had been popping my ¼ pill segments like M&Ms. I gave up on eating (but did manage to get down a small puffed pastry and a small roll and the BEER). Anyway as I had been popping pills all morning, I finally got up to a “therapeutic dose” and peeled myself off the wall and carried on. Suzy almost noticed, ha. I think she’s more used to my “episodes’ than I am. I must admit (and as you all know I rarely admit to anything) that I, when choking, do not present a “pretty picture”. I didn’t, though, see “stars” while I was choking, as is often the case, and I’m thankful for “small favors” now, ha. When I was “in distress” the first thing the tour guide asked was if I had been drinking the water, ha.
Anyway we returned to our hotel and I collapsed and got some sleep. Suzy, ever the “Energizer Bunny”, went out and did a bit more exploring. I was “disappointed” that she “neglected/forgot” her Bunny Ears yesterday. I have my suspicions that she did so deliberately. We won’t make that mistake again will we?
Today we will visit the Great Wall of China or as a friend put it “that big effing wall”. The bus, in order to miss some of the morning rush hour traffic, will be leaving at 0731, precisely.
The weather has been perfect so far. Yesterday was quite breezy at times but it was nice as it kept me cool and dry. The city is a bit dusty and the buildings show a lot of dirt streaks. The streets are very clean and there is no litter and much of the construction is new. Some of the stuff is a bit tacky (air conditioners hung on the outside of building, burglar bars/chain link enclosures around windows for example) but on the whole the city is much cleaner and maintained than LA or other large US cities. The “facilities” are about on a par for US “facilities” but there are attendants visible cleaning them and there are many street sweepers on bicycles and on foot with dust pans and straw brooms with bamboo handles. I think the Chinese provided the brooms for all of the Harry Potter movies.
I noted a rash on the insides of my feet below my ankles yesterday afternoon but they are much better this a.m. and, as I’m not accustomed to wearing shoes all of the time, I suspect it was a heat rash. I hope that there is not a “fungus among Gus” but if the opportunity presents itself I’ll try and pick up something just in case.
Thursday afternoon:
A couple of updates. I will admit, and you know I rarely admit to anything, that I sometimes embellish some of my tales for effect. Just a little. All events reported are based upon true events. Anyway I swear on my parents ashes, wherever they may be, that this is a factual account of an unsolicited comment by our tour guide. He says that while Westerners are now fairly common in the larger cities, in the smaller cities and rural areas they are still quite rare. So, when folks from those areas visit the big cities, often times they are seeing a Westerner for the first time in their lives. Sooooooo, as a way to impress their fellow urbanites they like to have their pictures taken with Westerners and claim that they and the Westerner are bosom buddies/long lost friends. So, the “Great Panda” story, as told by our first tour guide was an attempt of his to jerk my chain even though he had never heard of the expression when I asked him that in a separate conversation.

One of the fellows on the tour today was wearing a hat identical to the one I bought. He was quite pleased with himself for getting it for only $10 after the starting price was $20. I paid half as much and got six little porcelain badges (depicting various commie things on them) to boot. I don’t feel so bad now but will dicker in the future. We did get ripped off a bit again today. We, I have to include Suzy in any embarrassing story if she was involved in any way (even if her participation is minor), bought a small piece of granite at the top of our climb on the Great Wall from a “street vendor”. It is engraved with a depiction of the Great Wall hand done by the vendor himself. Anyway he started out at 180 Chinese dollars (6 Chinese/1 US). Nah. The price kept dropping in inverse proportion to the distance between us as we walked away. At 80 Chinese we bit. The little commie then switched the one he had been showing us for a similar one with a small chip right in the center of it. Them commies are tricky. Always be on the alert!
Pics are a PITA to send as I must reduce their size to send them. Time is limited right now and I understand that internet access is limited when we’re on the boat (starting tomorrow). So, I’ll keep up with my reports but may have to file them upon our return home and I’ll definitely send some pics when we get home.

I wanna get this message out and will detail today’s adventures tomorrow morning before we get on the bus.
More, later.
Cheers,
Gus

[48Rob]

Gus,

I'm enjoying your "reports"

Rob

[eamarquardt]

Glad you are enjoying them. See pics in album.

Cheers,

Gus

Friday Morning:
Visits by Murphy:
The safe in our hotel room crapped out so I packed everything valuable (cash, passports, meds, computer, Nook, etc, etc, etc) and carried it in my back pack and never let go of it. “Climbing the wall” was just a bit more of a PITA.
Forgot that I had taken the SD card out of the camera to move the pics onto the computer. So, I was happily snapping away while climbing the Great Wall. Fortunately I noticed it right as we were starting down the wall. We hiked back up and I retook pictures on the way down.
Lost one of my pill bottles. No biggie as I only carry a small supply and leave the rest in divided in separate places. It was turned it to desk at hotel. Gotta pay more attention to detail.

If I ever catch up with Herr Murphy, we’re gonna have “words”. Pay attention.
Luck:
The Commies are superstitious. There are lots of things that, if you rub, you’ll have good luck. I’ve been rubbing everything in sight in the hopes of getting “lucky”. Suzy says if I tell how “lucky” I get, my luck will take a definite turn for the worse.
Smog:
The air the first couple of days was clear and clean here in Beijing as it was quite breezy. Yesterday it was very smoggy . We thought we were back in the San Fernando Valley during the 60s or 70s before pollution controls. Got a little tight in the chest.
Peking Duck Dinner/Peking Opera Last Night:
Went to a Peking Duck dinner/Peking Opera performance last night. Peking duck is a bit greasy. Duck Soup is greasy. Conclusion: All dishes made from duck are greasy. Questions? The food was OK but none of the dishes on our “lazy susan” had spoons or forks to dish them out of the serving bowl to our individual plates. I asked the waitress for some spoons or forks and got one spoon. So much for my ability to “communicate”. I kinda lost my appetite when folks started using the forks and chop sticks they’d been eating with (as in in their mouths) to serve themselves more out of the serving dishes. I have enough troubles of my own without picking up “cooties”. I focused on my beer.

The “opera” was difficult to follow. It was actually four short (but not quite short enough) separate operas. 3 out of 4 were filled with lots of female “screeching”, weird stringed instrument music, lots of cymbals and wooden percussion instrument sounds, and a lot of weird exaggerated movements by the performers. One was about two warriors fighting in the dark. It transcended all communication barriers as there was no dialog. Some good sword play, somersaults, leaping about, pantomime, funny faces, slapstick, and similar to some Laurel and Hardy routines.
All in all, Suzy and I feel that Peking Duck and Perking Opera are “acquired tastes”. We don’t believe we will be acquiring those tastes anytime soon. We have, though, been there done that now! The tour guide teased us a bit on the way back to the hotel. He clearly knew that “westerners” have little appreciation for this “refined Chinese culture” but failed to warn us and encourage us to save our money. Frigging Commies!!!!!! Never turn your back on them.
Our guide talked a bit about life here. It’s not that different from home in some respects. In the city they pay income taxes, buy health insurance (employee and employer contributions), gas is about $5 per gallon and there is a sales tax on houses and cars. Biannual smog and safety inspections for cars.
The “single child rules” are a bit more complicated than we’ve been led to believe. If a couple has a girl first, as I understand it, they may try for a boy a second time if both parents have no siblings. I think there are other rules but they are trying to limit the population. The farmers are not subject to the restrictions. There are REAL penalties for violating the rules. Loss of government job, pay penalties, and I guess others.
The traffic in Beijing at rush hour is brutal. They have only in the past decade or so seen private ownership of cars skyrocket. Now they are limiting the number of cars being sold each month, the number of car registrations available, driving restrictions (kinda like odd/even during the gas crisis), etc. There is a long waiting list for new car registrations here in Beijing. They issue 20,000 a month and there are about 700,000 currently on the list. In Shanghai, they auction off the registrations. Currently they are fetching about $10,000.
We went to the great wall yesterday. It is amazing. It keeps going just like the Energizer Bunny. Very steep in places. They built villages along it for the soldiers and their families to live in. A force in readiness. Most of the wall is not open to the public. Suzy and I were the only ones in our group to hike to the limit of the wall where it is blocked off and a sign announces that you have reached the end of the line.

Then we went to a state owned Jade Factory where Suzy, again, spent a fair amount of her sons’ inheritance on a nice jade and gold pendant. I encouraged her. After all it’s all her money.

Suzy has been “forgetting” to take her Bunny Ears with us each day. We’re gonna have to fix that.
We ate lunch at the Jade Factory. OK but Chinese food a couple of times a day is getting a bit old. I did find and buy a Pepsi yesterday. Sugared but good.
After lunch we went to the Ming Tombs. Actually they just take you to a promenade near the tombs. You don’t get to see the actual tombs. I think I mentioned that if the emperor died the living wives/concubines were entombed alive with the deceased emperor. Again, being wife or concubine of the emperor had its downside. They later let the wives drink poison or hang themselves before being entombed with the emperor. Our guide said that that was more humane. Progress.

I’ve seen several signs around the city that state Patriotism, Patience, Innovation, and
Virtue. I think they’re on to something. I think at home we ought to be posting signs along these lines: What can I expect the government (using other people’s money) to give me now, I want it NOW, we’ve always done it this way and we see no need to change, and as long as I think I can get away with it, I’m gonna do it.

I have been paying close attention to the housing here. There are huge high rise apartment buildings going up everywhere. The older buildings are showing signs of age and neglect. It is clear from the stuff hung outside that they aren’t housing affluent folks. The new buildings are very nice. I can’t remember how much they sell for.
That’s about all for now. I’m not entirely sure I know the “plan of the day” but I do know I like it a lot.
See attached pictures.
I’m not sure how good the internet access will be on the boat but I’ll try and get further updates out.
Cheers,
Gus

[S. Heisley]

This is a trip of a life time and it feels like you are taking all of us along with you. Thanks, Gus.

[Wolfgang92025]

Gus,

Fun reading...

Waiting for the next installment.

Thanks

[eamarquardt]

Hi,

Had a busy day but only visited two attractions. We toured one of about 25 old neighborhoods in Beijing. More on that later. Then we went to silk rug factory. They are all hand made. A 2'X3' rug takes about 28 days to complete. They are of amazing quality, period. A real contrast to so much of the stuff the send us, ha. I encouraged Suzy to buy one and after a bit of procrastination she settled on a 2X3 with depictions of the four seasons. For some reason, depending on how the light is shining on the rug, the colors and brightness can vary considerably. A lot of the rugs are made at home by the weavers but they had a couple of weavers there. The rugs aren't woven but short lengths of silk are hand tied/knotted to the warp. Very labor intensive. The rugs vary from about 600 knots per square inch up to over 1700 knots per square inch. A 5X9 foot rug might have upwards of ten million knots.. It might take an experienced weaver 18 months to finish a rug that size. We then flew from Beijing to Xian where the Terra-cotta army is. About 1.5 hours. Will share more soon. We get on the river boat tomorrow and there is only 3G service on the boat so I may not be able to do much.

I've posted a number of new picture into my gallery.

Been observing the cities and paying attention to detail. Will write more tomorrow morning but have had enough for the day.

Again, see album

Cheers,

Gus

[Verna]

Gus, thanks for keeping this daily journal of your travels. I'm finding this very interesting.

Thanks

[eamarquardt]

Hi All,
A brief recap:
Monday: Arrive at about 0600, Check in at hotel, take subway to Beijing Zoo and then, after 40 hours w/o sleep, crash.
Tuesday: Toured the Lama Temple, the Heavenly Garden, a “tea ceremony” (ceremonial extraction of Suzy’s money), and a silk factory.
Wednesday: Toured the Tiananmen Sqauare, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace.
Thursday: Hit the Great wall (literally and figuratively) and saw the promenade near the tombs of the Ming emperors.
Friday: Toured a 100 year old section of Beijing and flew to Xian (1.5 hours) to see the terra-cotta army today, Friday.

The above is as much for my benefit, as it is all running together, as it is for your benefit.

Anyway, up this this point I’ve been describing the typical stuff. I’m gonna try and share my impressions now. My family appreciates that I notice virtually everything. They feel it’s a curse as they rarely get away with anything, ha.

Traffic here is horrendous in both cities that we’ve been in. Automobile ownership is skyrocketing and although the roads are excellent and the boulevards WIDE there simply are too many cars as the population in the cities is so high. Roughly 20 million in Beijing and about 9 million here in Xian. Smog is BRUTAL. I was having a tough time taking a deep breath, both in Beijing (it’s surrounded by mountains, similar to Los Angeles and certainly like the San Fernando Valley where I was raised) and her in Xian yesterday afternoon. We’ve cleaned up our air a considerable amount but they haven’t “seen the light yet”.
All the cars appear only a couple of years old. No clunkers on the road or even damaged new vehicles. That, I believe, is a reflection on how fast they are accelerating towards a lifestyle similar to ours. In the cities, virtually everyone lives in mid rise apartment buildings. Very few single story dwellings. In Beijing there was one small neighborhood (under construction) of two story single family homes that at home would be considered “zero lot line” and had virtually no yards.

Here, ALL of the land is owned by the government, period. Whey one “buys” a condo, one is actually buying it for only 70 years when the ownership will revert to the government. No one is really worried about this as no one knows what will happen (ie the rules may change) and this “scheme” is the only game in town. If you sell your “property” there is (don’t quote me on the percentage) 10% sales tax. Some of the older, home (like 100 years old or so) were confiscated during the cultural revolution and “redistributed” ( kinda like what’s happening with our incomes today). These properties are not subject to the 70 year rule. They do pay rent for the land but it is fairly nominal. Later, after the dust from the “cultural revolution” settled a bit, the government realized how they had “wronged” the land owners and tried to make restitution. By then, though, some of the folks that had move into the previously private homes had been there ten years and it was difficult/impractical to get them to move so the original owners, in most cases, had to settle for a monetary settlement rather than the return of all of their property.
It is very clear that the “national bird” is the crane. The “construction crane”. They are everywhere. Just everywhere. The construction going on here is unbelievable. The newer buildings are being built better than the old but I’m not overly impressed with the construction techniques. Particularly the brick work. A lot of the buildings here appear “dusty” and weathered. Exterior maintenance is, apparently, not a major priority. I’m not a “city” person so I don’t have a lot of experience in big cities. We visited Philly a couple of years ago and I did see South Philly and some other areas. The lower end areas here are a bit “south” of what I saw at home but I think I’d feel safer walking around the “less affluent” areas here than in the States. There may be some different “clans” here but as everyone looks similar, there can’t be the overt racism and instant racial profiling that there is at home. Perhaps the “locals” can recognize different ethnic groups but I can’t detect any issues. Our guide is from Mongolia, attended a university in Beijing, and is now a transplant. He has a condo, a car, has visited the states, so I think one can conclude he is doing better than “than the average bear”.

As I mentioned all the cars appear near new. I inquired about this and our guide said the city folks are on their second or third car and the older ones are being sold and are not out in the smaller cities. Virtually all of the cars are European, Japanese, Korean, or American brands but virtually all are build here in China. Only MB, BMW and perhaps Volvo and Mini are imported. Don’t quote me. There is one Chinese brand but the only examples I’ve seen are here in Xian and they’re all in service as taxi cabs. Public transportation in Beijing, specifically the subways, was good. No need for a car. They have bicycle parking near the subways. Even for novices, like us (I’ve only used subways a handful of times in my life) they were fast, convenient, and CHEAP.
As I understand it the people are pretty much free to travel within China. They are not, though, free to pick up and move from one place to another w/o some reason/permission. I’ll double check this. There are four smaller stars on their flag. They represent the four classes. Farmers, Soldiers, Workers, and Intellectuals.
I see lots of “international brands” here. The radios the soldiers carry are Motorolas! The wash basin at the State Owned Jade Factory was, you guessed it, AMERICAN STANDARD! The elevator at our hotel is an OTIS (but I don’t like the interior design or carpet, ha). I see lots of other “name brands” such as Sony, Sanyo, Philips but haven’t noted any “Chinese” name brands. I’ll inquire.

See pics in album.

Gotta go the “Energizer Bunny” is throwing sparks.

Cheers,
Gus

[eamarquardt]

Tuesday and Wedesday.
Tuesday morning:
Life aboard the Riverboat is definitely slower. Plenty of “sack time”. The boat is only stationary while we’re on a shore excursion. These excursions are usually just once a day and take about three hours. They are pretty good about providing lectures and other activities to keep you occupied if you want to be. I’ve done most of the activities but I will admit, and I rarely admit to anything, to catching a few more “winks”. I’m holding up pretty well with an average of ¾ of a pain pill per day. My drug usage is still way under the radar. Today’s excursion (Tuesday) is to the Three Gorges Dam. It isn’t the longest or highest in the world but it does generate the most power of any damn dam in the world.
Typical bus ride with the “gauntlet” of hawkers to ignore. One woman, Clara, in our group was quite pleased with herself for buying a T-Shirt for 20 yuan (about $3.31). Again, the price became inversely proportional to the distance between her and the seller as they bargained.
Clara and Suzy became a “tag team” and began an “organized assault” on the street vendors. Later in the day, Suzy purchased two small (exactly two more than required, IMHO) “pure silk” embroidered wall hangings. I, in the beginning, wasn’t “entirely convinced” that they were embroidered in “pure silk” but “remained optimistic”. When I questioned our guide he tactfully opined that there is NFW that they are “pure silk”. Stung by the Commies again! They are, after all though, just trying to eke out a living. Again, if Suzy is happy, I’m just as happy or happier.
Anyway we “got onto the bus, Gus” and off we went into the hinterlands. We were quickly in a rural area with plots about an acre or so being cultivated. We did get to see one obligatory water buffalo but he or she was just grazing and not actively engaged in plowing the fields. The farmers had little “tractors” that they used to pull “wagons” along the roads with. Kinda like a two wheeled rototiller and it was pulling a two wheeled wagon. The operator sat on the edge of the wagon and steered the tractor just like a tricycle. They were powered by single cylinder diesel engines and just crawled along but they beat walking and could be piled high with produce or goods.
I forgot to mention that when we were on the tributary with the Lesser Three Gorges there were small flat bottom boats (sampans?) with “Chinese outboard motors”. They consisted of a fairly massive single cylinder diesel engine. There was a good sized flywheel on the engine and v-belts ran down to a housing that contained a gearbox to change the shaft rotation from horizontal to vertical and then to another gearbox that drove a propeller. These outboards were clearly massive and heavy. They ran at a low rpm and you could hear each power stroke with a “pop” from the exhaust system. The boats just plodded along but I’m sure the setup was efficient. I also saw a water taxi on the river. It moved at a pretty good clip but the operator was in a “wheelhouse” at the rear of the boat and steered with an eight feet tiller running from the elevated “bridge” to the rudder post. Again, crude but effective.
We eventually made it to the dam site. They had a brand new building to process us through a security check as they are concerned about terrorists, not tourists. We were lucky enough to be there on the FIRST day it was put into service. Piece of cake. They did their homework and it went smooth as clockwork. In fact, the bus let us off in front of the building and was there to greet us as we exited out the back of the building. As far as security buildings go it was very nice. All polished granite, including the curbs (as were the curbs at the airport in Xian) and very nice.
We made it to the dam and it, as are most tourist attractions, was pretty impressive with long escalators to take everyone to the top of the hill where, in theory, one could gaze through the haze and view the dam. Unfortunately the haze won and the dam was completely obscured from the “vantage point”. They claim, again that’s their story and their sticking to it, that when the dam was put in service and the river valley flooded the climate was significantly altered and it is much foggier and hazy in the Yangtze River Valley than it was prior to the dam and resulting lake. Aside from the first few days in Beijing, with the good breezes to keep the air moving, it has been very smoggy and hazy here in China. I haven’t had any tightness in my chest since leaving Xian, so I’m buying their story that it’s just very high humidity. Also here on the lower Yangtze, the clothes I’ve washed are not drying nearly as fast as they did when we were on the upper part of the river. Did I mention how well a bit of hand laundry is working out? I’ve just been trying to keep up with the local customs but I have to think the purity of the tap water on the ship is just a notch or two above that of the upper Yangtze. As I mentioned the river water was pretty rank when we started out in Chongqing but appeared to be fine (3 or 4 feet visibility and a nice jade green color) immediately above and below the dam. It still looks OK a couple hundred miles downstream of the dam. I’d kind of expected that the further downstream we got the worse it would get but the opposite seems to be true.
Anyway they had a nice visitor center at the dam, you could see the locks from the exit side, and other features but visibility was very limited and one could only see a hundred meters or so of the dam. They did have several objects de art, gardens, and modern methods to move the crowds around at the visitor center. I saw a new surveillance camera being installed during our visit. They must have the same union here in China as at home. Two fellows were actually in the process of installing the camera and four fellows were standing around “stupidvising”. Some behaviors cut across all cultures. Again, they were really set up for visitors and it was nicely landscaped. I noted, again, that they build things and then don’t maintain them. The visitor center can’t be more than a few years old but some of the iron fences in and around the visitor center are showing serious issues with rust and need scraping and repainting. This lack of maintenance is something that I’ve noted nearly everywhere I’ve looked.
Eventually they plan to open the interior of the dam for tours but they haven’t gotten that far just yet.
Anyway it was kind of a bust due to the very hazy conditions and we got back aboard the bus and made it back to the ship. We passed through a more rural town but we didn’t have time to explore. I saw several local shops selling steel, plumbing supplies, and shops fabricating things out of wood and steel. No one seemed to have work benches and they were squatting and working on the floor. The shops, as most shops in China were single bays about 12 feet wide about 20 feet deep and with a roll up door. These shops are ubiquitous both in the rural areas and in the cities and it appears that most of the commerce runs out of these small shops. There are occasional super markets, a “Super Wal-Mart” here or there, and few larger stores but, again, the small shops sell just about everything from paint, plumbing, hardware, clothes, shoes, and groceries. All are very basic stores specializing in just a few things. In one shop I did see a fellow using a small table saw. I saw a dental office and the dentist and patient were just behind the front glass window. I’m sure that if you observed long enough you could earn your DDS as all was in plain view from the street. There were, as there are usually, booths with “tourist trinkets” for sale near where the boat was docked. I find it easy to resist and apparently the locals see it in my eyes as they pretty much leave me alone. Suzy and her new friend, Clara, have been adopted many times as long lost cousins and are offered every manner of “good deals”. The vendors have a limited command of the English language but they are quite “fluent” with “cheeper” and “one dolla”. I think they attended Father Guido Sarducci’s Five Minute University English Course. As I recall he was one of the first Catholic Missionaries to serve in China. His teachings have been put to good use fleecing the tourists.
Anyway back on the boat and off again downstream. That evening there was a show with some “authentic Chinese dancing and costumes” from around the country. I’m a bit skeptical that it was all that “authentic” but it was entertaining and one should never let the “facts” get in the way of a good story or show. Our waiter was one of the dancers and sang a song for us. When I questioned him about the authenticity, his tactful answer was: “I’m not a professional”. I think I get it.
Anyway down for the count and a good night’s sleep, again.
Wednesday morning:
We are up and on the road at 0830 to a local elementary school where we are to be “warmly greeted by the students”. Apparently their parents are mostly “migrant workers” and work in the cities for 6 months or longer and send money home. The kids, typically, are residing with their grandparents. The school receives some support from the cruise line and I’m sure that that factors into the “warm greetings”. I wasn’t entirely convinced that it was going to be one of our better outings. I was, very simply, WRONG. The initial greeting was by a “gauntlet” of about 12 eleven or so year olds with various instruments that were producing sounds well beyond my threshold of pain. There was much banging, clanging, and such. It was certainly loud but seemed to be lacking a genuine warm enthusiasm on the part of the performers. The most enthusiastic, based upon sheer volume, were the bass drum players. After the performance, I observed them carrying their drums back to wherever. Their lack of enthusiasm at that point seemed palpable. I recorded same pictures of them with a copious amount of zeros and ones in my digital camera. Pictures to follow. After braving “the gauntlet” we walked past what could pass as a guard shack but it was unoccupied. Outside the shack was a typical dustpan with a 3.5 feet (more or less) handle and one of the more modern brooms (most brooms have a bamboo handle and some sort of natural stalks for bristles. The typical broom and dustpan are crude but effective. Right next to the broom and dustpan was a small (and again somewhat) crude satellite dish antenna. The base was firmly anchored by a few bricks or rocks. Again, crude but effective. I have noted in several places, old technology right next to state of the art technology. Remember the defilibrator in old Beijing?
Next we were treated to some singing and dancing by, maybe 9 or 10 year old girls. They were quite enthusiastic, animated, and clearly enjoying showing off their talents. Things were looking up. Pics to follow. There was a brief introduction by one of the girls, in English, but I couldn’t make out a single word due to her “accent”, ha. She gets and “E” for effort and her English was certainly far better than our Chinese. Anyway we then climbed the stairs to the second floor where we were not “warmly welcomed” by the first graders (six year olds). We were greeted with unbounded enthusiasm that exceeded my “wildest expectations”. They were excited beyond frenzied and took each of us by the hand and escorted us into their classroom. There was no “organized presentation” just PANDAMONIUM. They were so excited to show us their work, have their pictures taken with us, hold our hands, high five, fight amongst themselves, and sing a short song that, once again, exceeded my “threshold of pain”. I was the first to retreat outside. Before doing so I had fun shooting a few pictures of some of the kids and showing them the results on the camera’s display. They LOVED it. I continued shooting pictures through the windows and it was “great sport”. I understand that the teachers typically “run a pretty tight ship” but this clearly was a “special event” and the kids enjoyed a considerable amount of latitude. There was, though, a substantial bamboo switch on the front desk. When the little girl that was serving as the “conductor” of the chorale was getting their attention, she rapped the switch on the desk to get their attention. I wondered where she learned that behavior. I have my suspicions. We later learned that teachers, occasionally, use the “switch” to get the “attention” of a daydreamer. Suzy and a couple of other women rendered a brief rendition of “Old McDonald”. It seemed to go over ok with the kids but I wasn’t overly impressed. Anyone who has heard Suzy “sing” will understand my lack of appreciation. I kept quiet though. Sometimes I am able to behave in spite of my natural tendency to “speak out”. Upon leaving some of our group gave small cash gifts to some of the students against the requests of the guides as those gifts may or may not make it into the “communal kitty”. The kids, along with the teacher, were quite thrilled and fascinated with the money given to them by members of our group (particularly the US dollar) and the teacher and several of the kids were huddled around examining the bill as we left.
While escaping the noise and pandemonium outside, the class next door was allowed a short break in between lessons. They stayed in the corridor right outside their classroom and poked and jabbed one another, talked, and played some simple games. For example: Two girls had a loop of small diameter bungee cord looped around them forming a space in-between them with the bungee cord on each side. A third girl then hopped over with one leg stomped on the ground in-between the bungee cords and then hopped the one leg outside the loop and stomped again. Kinda like skipping rope but a bit less complicated and actually kind of pointless, IMHO. I saw a group of three boys and a separate group of three girls play another “game”. They interlocked their right legs forming a triangle. With their right legs elevated in the center of them they then hopped around in a circle with their left legs. It seemed a bit challenging and they were pretty adept at it and it seemed to give them great satisfaction. One young fellow had a couple of ping pong paddles. Ping pong is very popular here.
Anyway, a great time was had by all and our visit came to an end. I think the “switch” quickly returned the class to order and all was, again, back to normal.
Outside the building there was a bulletin board with student art work on one side and on the other side there were the current English words being taught. It said: “Have you learnt these by heart yet”. You gotta give em an “E for Effort” even if their English spelling isn’t quite up to snuff.
I’d heard “stories” from our fellow group members about how the bus drivers drive more like they’re on road racing motorcycles than in huge buses. Today’s bus was a bit different than the rest of the buses we’ve ridden on. The passenger compartment was elevated and there were “front row seats” allowing an unrestricted view out the front. This view was ENLIGHTENING. The bus driver did, in fact, drive as if he were on a motorcycle in a road race. He thought very little aligning the centerline of the bus over the double yellow line marking the center of the road and separating the traffic going in opposite directions. A good blast of the horn for slower movers to nudge to the right a bit and around them we did go. He made a left hand turn in front of a car going in the opposite direction which, back home, would have led to certain disaster. The other driver just veered to the right to give the bus a bit of space and beat the bus through the intersection. Apparently being cut off wasn’t even enough of an issue to honk his horn. Have I mentioned that the Commies love to honk their horns? I think they have them confused with musical instruments and they mistake their horn’s blare as “beautiful music”. Beautiful is a common adjective here. Beautiful bridges, beautiful highways, beautiful opera (gag), and beautiful everything. Commie brainwashing at its best.
Anyway the inevitable inevitably happened and we got in an accident. I’m surprised that it was as benign as it was. We were crawling through one of the local towns when a couple in their sixty’s or beyond decided to take on the bus. They were making a right turn onto the same street we were traveling on and the gentleman thought that he could eke past the right side of the bus. He was going too slow to control his scooter, was wobbling from side, and clearly did not have his scooter under “optimum” control. He, sagely, realized that he was on a collision course with a very large bus and the fear on his face was quite “animated”. Anyway the bus was barely moving as he and his wife simply ran into the side of the bus at a slight angle and then unceremoniously fell over. I can’t imagine a collision between a bus and a scooter being less of an “event”. Given the nature of the collision, the couple seemed to be “seriously injured”. The gentleman was a long time rising and looking quite stunned. The woman was holding the back of her head that showed no apparent injury. She refused sit up and was putting on quite a show. I was a bit puzzled about her holding the back of her head when I saw her fall sideways onto the asphalt. I later learned that, even though the bus driver was not at fault, did not do anything to cause the accident, and could have done nothing to avoid the accident, Chinese law holds him responsible for at least 10% of the accident. I think the couple, particularly the woman, had “visions of sugarplums”. I did note the policewoman chewing the old man out a bit. I think that the couple was on their way home from their “accident acting” class. Anyway one of the other tour buses, that wasn’t quite full, returned to the scene of the crime, picked us up, and we were delivered to the boat without further incident.
Again we got to run the gauntlet of the hawkers and their “tourist trinkets”. Suzy and Clara tag teamed them and got fleeced again with the purchase of 100% “other than silk” embroidery that I’ve mentioned earlier.
Back on the river for the rest of the day and night.
I’ve been pretty diligent in captioning the pictures I’ve taken and will post the better ones when access to the internet is better.
More later.
Cheers,
Gus

[eamarquardt]

Thursday and Friday:
Thursday: Well, we got the riverboat for the final time on Thursday morning at about 0830. The
“boat people” got all our checked baggage on a truck and delivered it to the airport in Wohan. The service is great. You just have to double check that your bags are in the pile for your group and the rest happens “automagically” and your bags eventually show up in your hotel room. They are spoiling me.
Anyway Wohan is another city on the Yangtze and our agenda called for us to visit a museum with old Chinese stuff. Our local guide, they have a main guide for the whole tour and a local guide in each city, was into musical instruments so our tour focused on them. One exhibit had a huge “instrument” with about sixty-five bells that were unearthed in the tomb of a local dignitary a while back. As the tomb had flooded, the water preserved the wooden beams of the bell setup and everything else wooden in the tomb. He had an inner coffin and an outer coffin that didn’t appear to be damaged at all. There were four rooms in the tomb. The main burial room held the dignitary and the wives/concubines that he “took with him to the afterlife”. The youngest was about 13 or so and the oldest was about 26 or so. Apparently he was into “trophy wives”. There was a room for the bells and instruments needed by the band, and, a room for the musicians “lucky” enough to be members of the band and accompany the dignitary to the afterlife. Finally there was a room filled with weapons so that if he got into any battles in the afterlife he was equipped to kick some serious butt. The bells ranged from about 2.5 feet across to about 6 inches across and were made out of cast bronze. The bells are special in that you can get them to produce two distinct tones depending upon where you strike them.
There was also a “xylophone” with bronze bars but the bars were slung in two rows under a beam for each row. They used leather, string, or whatever they found worked well to suspend the bars. Then there were some stringed instruments like a “horizontal guitar” or zither. The strings were mounted on what looked like logs that had been split in half with the strings and frets on the flat surface of the log. The logs were solid so the “guitars” weren’t that loud. There was an instrument that looked like a huge tobacco pipe with some reeds poking out of the bowl and some finger holes in the bowl allowing the player to hit different notes. It sounded kind of like a harmonica.
Anyway, after we saw the model of the tomb and the real vintage bells, we were treated to a concert with the musicians using reproductions of the instruments in the tomb. The “guitars” made a soft sound like a harp. There was the xylophone, the “harmonica”, the bells, two “guitars”, and last but not least a big drum. Based upon my experience at the school, the Beijing Opera, and this concert I’ve concluded that the Chinese like drums. Not just any drums but big loud drums.
Anyway they played some selections that had a definite “oriental twist” but there were no screeching women, wooden percussion instruments, overly weird stringed instruments, or cymbals. It was actually enjoyable. They finished off with a Mozart piece. I’ve heard better renditions but it did demonstrate that the bells could play Western music. As usual, I paid close attention. The speakers in the concert hall were JBLs and, according to the tags on them, they were made in Northridge, California just a few miles from home. It seems the Commies like JBL speakers.

So, after the concert it was “Back on the bus, Gus” and we went to the Wuhan airport and caught a flight to Shanghai. Uneventful but the food served on Chinese aircraft, IMHO, leaves more than a bit to be desired. IMHO this is an understatement.

After getting settled in our room Suzy and I wandered down the street to a Buddhist temple. It was amazing. Really cool architecture, a Buddha made out of 15 TONS of silver, and all the wood was Teak. The Buddhists had to do a lot of “fleecing the flock” to pay for that temple. It cost about $6 each to get in and we did so twice as we neglected to take the camera the first time. Both Suzy and I tossed coins into a huge bronze sculpture in the hopes of getting “lucky”. Again, I am prohibited from sharing much about my luck as Suzy casually remarked that my luck would take a turn for the worse if I did share any details about my “luck”.
Viking River Cruises has spared no expense with Suzy’s money and booked 4 star or so hotels. Far above the 1 stars we typically use at home. All of them have been spotless and the service in the restaurants and maid service is exceptional. I’m embarrassed when my napkin is unfolded and placed in my lap. At the Ritz-Carlton in Shanghai, the girl would refold my napkin each time I got up to refill my plate. In Beijing, the waiters and waitresses would RUN from place to place. Also, all of the hotel staff seems to be chosen so as to be “easy on the eyes”. Laundry service was expensive on the boat and I assume it is elsewhere so I opted to hand wash some shirts, skivvy shorts, shorts, and socks. It only takes a few minutes and if hung up, they will eventually dry sometimes a little bit. The first load aboard the boat dried in a day outside on the balcony. I’d previously hung a damp shirt in the room and it remained damp because the room was air conditioned and the a/c didn’t reduce the humidity that much. The second load didn’t dry after a day and a half on the balcony on the boat so I packed them in plastic bags and hung them in our room once we got to Shanghai. They dried just fine in the room as the air conditioner reduces the relative humidity. I asked our guide and he shared that Chinese, typically don’t use clothes dryers. I tend to believe him and there are clothes hanging on lots of the balconies and just out on bamboo poles outside windows. Next trip my clothes will be lighter (thinner) and easier to dry. Also a small amount of detergent would be a big help. I thought $2 to launder a set of skivvy shorts or socks was a bit steep so I elected to do them in the sink by hand. I like to smell sweet and enjoy wearing clean skivvies. A success story.
So after our trip to the temple we had a nice dinner at the hotel and then headed out on our own a bit more. The hotel was in the “Beverly Hills Section” of Shanghai. Upscale shops, expensive goods, and Porsche, Maserati, Range Rover, and Mercedes Benz dealers. All the same brands that sell so well in Simi Valley. Anyway we walked several miles and saw nothing worth reporting. I am disappointed that during our walk I was forced to “counsel” Suzy. As I have mentioned, I have had no difficulty brushing off the street vendors. A quick nod of the head, wave of the hand, a short no thank you, and eyes forward works every time. Suzy hadn’t figured it out after nearly two weeks. She, again (we know she can’t resist a “bargain”) expressed the slightest interest in the purses, pens, or WETF the fellow was hawking and soon regretted her ever so slight expression of interest. He followed and badgered her for 5 long blocks and slowed us down. After our brief “counseling” session, she did much better. There may be hope for her. Shanghai, like all of China is a study in contrasts. The very most modern (like a Mag Lev train) and dismal alleys with people living in virtual closets sandwiched in-between modern buildings. There are hovels both on the outskirts and in the middle of the city, forests of residential high rises, but along the highways in the outskirts there are some new two and three story single family residences with very small yards and attached garages that sell for millions. There are modern factory buildings and very dramatic buildings of interesting architecture. As Shanghai is one of the first cities opened up to Westerners there are also many buildings representing the architectural styles of the countries that set up shop there. Much of the city is very new and, as I mentioned earlier, the Chinese use granite as we use concrete. The sidewalks, curbs, stairs, etc. are all granite.

So, Friday morning we were on the road at about 0830 and we visited a former dignitary’s house and garden in Shanghai. It was very nice and there was a nice shopping plaza right outside. The house had several buildings, nice covered walkways, lots of shaped “gates” in the interior outdoor walls to frame your view as you went to from one outdoor area to the next, etc. It was well planned and executed. It had several ponds and one was filled to the brim with large Koi that would gather at the bridges as tourists crossed as I think that is where they are typically fed. One interesting feature was a “dragon” sculpture on top of one of the walls that “technically” wasn’t a dragon. As everyone knows, dragons have five claws and only the Emperor may have dragons. If one was found in possession of an “unauthorized” dragon one could lose one’s head which dramatically shortens one’s life expectancy. Even in China, though, there are “loopholes in the laws (or Emperor’s rules). Anyway the dignitary had his “dragon” and his head too. Any Chinese fool (or anyone hoping hold onto their head) would not possess a dragon w/o the Emperor’s expressed (I’d prefer it in writing if I were involved) permission. So the “work-a-round” (loophole) was for the “not a dragon” dragon to have only 4 claws. “Real” dragons have five claws. In fact, just to be on the safe side, only three of the four claws were visible on one side of the dragon as one was hidden by a wall. So, the “not a dragon” dragon had an average of 3 ½ claws. Apparently the dignitary wasn’t a man to “push his luck”. Anyway, it is reported that the dignitary was never called on his “not a dragon” dragon and lived to a ripe, old, corrupt age.
He was also one to effectively manage his time. When a guest arrived, they would be served three cups of tea while his staff evaluated them. He was then, I think, advised whether he should receive them or not. If he decided against it, they were excused after they had finished their tea. Smart cookie that dignitary. No “fortune cookie” though as fortune cookies are an American invention.

Throughout the tour we were warned not to stray too far off the “beaten path” nor were we ever to accept a generous offer to be led to a “great deal” by a local. One fellow, on an earlier tour, paid roughly $1,000 for a cup of tea by the time the dust settled. He, apparently, was “escorted” to an ATM and “politely asked” to withdraw as much as he was allowed. E Caveat Emptor! Anyway Suzy had not fulfilled her “quota” of fine silk goods and asked our guide where a good place to shop for silk goods was. We were turned over to the “local guide” who said “follow me”. We then proceeded out and about into a dark alley, down two stories of twisting stairs, etc., etc., etc. I had some “reservations”. Anyway, we ended up in a very nicely organized, well lit, clean underground store that was totally inconsistent with the approach to said establishment. Suzy, to her credit, partially fulfilled her need for silk stuff in record time. I relaxed on a couch and focused on pain control, both physical and financial. I wasn’t entirely successful. As I was waiting, Suzy asked my opinion of some genuine silk embroidered items.
She was considering purchasing three pieces with birds and branches on them that complimented each other nicely. The three were about $200 or so. Right before she “signed on the dotted line” she got our local guide to opine on her purchase. A resounding NO. I think to myself, YES, this fellow is on my team. Wrong! He suggested that she wait till we hit our lunch location where they specialized in very nice embroidered items. WTF? Suzy deferred and I thought I might get “lucky”. I was to find out later, NFW was I (and our credit card) to get off so lightly.

Somewhere along the line the guide departed w/o us and we were left on our own to make our way back to our groups rendezvous point, a Starbucks in the plaza outside the entrance to the garden home. Did I mention that I intend to get a hand held GPS next time we venture out of the country? We got disorientated and lost in record time. All of the streets, businesses, and people look alike so it’s not hard to get lost. Anyway we ran into another member of our group, made some “lucky guesses” and got back within the allotted interval to our meeting place.

So, “back on the bus, Gus” and off to lunch at the restaurant collocated with the “good deal on silk embroideries” place. When we got there, there was an interesting sign posed next to the elevator. “No Fireworks”. I’ve not noticed any particular problem with fireworks being used indoors during our visit, but, these folks just want to ensure there isn’t any ambiguity regarding their policy regarding shooting off fireworks in their building. I must say the silk embroideries at this place were amazing. Some appeared three-D, and they were all beautiful (there’s that word again). Their prices were also amazing. Big bucks. Commie quality doesn’t come cheap. Anyway, Suzy picked out a picture for about $7,000 (US dollars, just so we’re clear). It was a nice piece and as it didn’t have a definite oriental twist, it could blend in anywhere. It was a picture of a vase and some flowers. Again, with my encouragement (that’s Suzy’s story and she’s sticking to it), Suzy got another “good deal. WFT, it’s all her money anyway and it will give me leverage when I want to buy something with her money. She, as she typically does, bargained mercilessly and got them down to less than $3,500 and, again, signed on the bottom line. She elected to have it shipped home because it was framed already. Keep your fingers crossed. Upon getting home I noted that American Express was so thrilled with Suzy and the fees her purchases had generated that they sent us a notice that our credit limit had been increased as we’ve “valuable repeat customers”. Now, she can spend $12.600 on the credit card or get a $2,300 cash advance whenever she so chooses. I hope that isn’t too often.

So, after lunch and on a full stomach and an empty wallet we headed to the Shanghai Museum. Old stuff. More old stuff. Old stuff can be cool as I can’t imagine hand making the old stuff myself even with modern tools. The fact that they were making this stuff Before Common Era (BC) is truly amazing. I took lots of pictures with the placards and will try and post them, eventually. Anyway it was time to go and “back on the bus, Gus”.

We had an hour off until we were required to get “back on the bus, Gus” to go out to dinner at a local restaurant and then to an acrobat show. After the Peking Opera I had my reservations. It was our last dinner together and the food was good and included lemon chicken and other things that we could relate to. The sweet and sour fish, for esthetic reasons, included having the head with a gaping mouth on the platter. That really added a lot to the experience. Anyway after dinner it was “back on the bus, Gus” and we headed to the theater for the show.
As I have mentioned, throughout the trip the service has been exceptional. I’ve never been pampered like this. Not even in the USMC. However, no one had “jumped through hoops” for us. This was about to change.

As this episode is over five pages now I’m gonna take a break.

I have the finale to write and I also have the stuff I learned about China during a lecture aboard the boat to share.

Somewhere during our last days in China I picked up a cold and I’m paying dearly right now. I hope I “get over it”.

Cheers,

Gus

[48Rob]

Gus,

Hope your cold stays in China...

I'm enjoying the trip, thanks for taking the time to share it.
I look forward to the recap...man, you've been there a long time!

Rob