Yangshuo - Guilin - Hong Kong June 30, 2010

This morning we finally did some exercise - we rented 4 bikes and, along with Wei, we did a bike ride in the countryside of about 15 miles total. It was again 90 degrees and 95% humidity at 8AM, so we were drenched in 10 minutes. What a riot trying to dodge traffic and cut across roundabouts and streets. We all wore helmets and ended up at the Banyon Tree Park and Moon Hill City for photos that we will post. The ride lasted two hours and we went back to the hotel to cool off, shower and return to Guilin. The ride was about 2 hours and we had our first sustained rain of the trip. We have actually had great weather throughout and even today was just traveling. We stopped in Guilin for lunch that was OK and then Wei dropped us at the Guilin airport for the trip to Hong Kong.
We arrived in Hong Kong this evening about 6:30 and the views flying in over the sea were spectacular. Hong Kong is AMAZING!! Our hotel is ridiculous, right on the harbor and in a great part of the city. We had dinner overlooking the harbor this evening and watched all of the boats going by. This is going to a fun last few days and we will try to post photos although the internet is REALLY SLOW.By the way, we happen to be here on July 1 which is the 13th anniversary of the day Great Britain returned Hong KKong to China in 1997. We'll see what kind of celebrations there are tomorrow. we did find out that Hong Kong money is different than mainland China and that it an international flight from mainland China to Hong Kong. The airport here is only 12 years old and is the biggest, most beautiful airport I have ever seen.Hong Kong celebrates Christmas, Easter and the Chinese New Year, so they kind of honor both; however, according to William our guide here, they have an autonomous government because they think the Communists say one thing and do another. It's just very interesting how they feel they are separate still.

Guilin - Yangshuo June 29, 2010

This is a photo of Guilin at night that Peter took as soon as we arrived in Guilin - about 9PM.

Today we awoke and were picked up by Wei at 8AM to be driven to the dock to get on the Li River cruise. It was thru the country side and we actually drove by the Li River Golf Course which did not look like much. In China, Wei says only the wealthy play golf. Anyway, the dock was like Grand Central Station. The boats left at different hours so as not to jam up the river and it reminded me of Lake Minnetonka and the QE II at Excelsior. We left at 9AM and the photo shows a boat that immediately came over to sell fruits and other goods. The river cruise took 3 hours and was breathtaking. The mountains along the river are limestone and are all covered with trees - many with Banyon trees, which are the famous local trees. We had lunch on the boat (not good) and ended up in Yangshuo about 12:30. We checked into our Green Lotus Hotel (actually very nice!) and shopped on West Street, another marketplace street selling many things. We also found a McDonalds and had a strawberry shake that really hit the spot!
That night we went out to a local restaurant on West Street that was OK and then went to a very popular water show that is directed by the man who directed the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony. Pete took some pictures and it was amazing, set into a bay of the Li River where they were able to use the mountains as background and light 12 of the peaks during the show. The bad news was it was about 95 degrees with no wind. I don't think I have ever been so hot in my life! We did survive and got back to air conditioning in the hotel about 10PM. A busy and scenic day!

Xian- Guilin June 28, 2010

We got up early this morning and went to a museum of art where students offer their paintings for sale. It also had artwork from the early times in China that were beautiful. I have enclosed a photo. The other picture is of Alex and our driver in front of the hotel. We also had a lesson in Chinese calligraphy that was fun; unfortunately, as I handed off my camera to Alex to take a picture, it dropped on the floor and now is out of focus, so we will rely on Peter for the rest of the trip.
The terracotta warriors were amazing and Peter has some great pictures. It truly is the 8th wonder of the world to see the excavation site and dream about the ancient times. The emperor who built his tomb with the soldiers also built the Great Wall in China. It was crowded but really fun.
We flew out of Xian at 5:40pm and landed in Guilin about 7:30. Unfortunately, the travel agency had us on a later flight, so we had to wait 35 minutes for the guide to meet us. Her name is Wie and she and her driver dropped us off at the Sheraton Hotel which is very beautiful. Meg and Peter went for a walk in the neighborhood and said it was eclectic and interesting. We are drinking beer, eating french fries (which are pretty good!) and watching the Netherlands vs. Slovakia in world cup soccer. We leave at 8AM tomorrow for the Li River trip and a busy day.

A New Week - Xian - June 27, 2010

I added these photos of the flowers to show you how interesting the process was. The first photo shows the pile of flowers the florist was using to set up everything - sort of like the back room at Bachmans but it was right out front. The results are shown in the other photos of the altar and our table. Just amazing colors and arrangements.

We said good bye to Red and Carol Smith and Jim and Jill Lindsey today as they headed back home. Billy & Jingyi stayed in our same hotel so we were able to have breakfast with them today. What a week we had in Beijing - and we have never seen a wedding like Billy's including both the beautiful Christian service followed by the Chinese traditional Tea Service ceremony. Billy changed clothes three times during the wedding and Jingyi had four different outfits! The photos in yesterday's entry show both ceremonies and we will explain both when we return. He is so happy in Beijing and he is surrounded by an amazing group of young professional friends; so, although we leave with heavy hearts, we know Billy & Jingyi are happy and surrounded by great friends and that is a blessing.
We were dropped off at the Beijing airport today and walked right up to security, so that was a great help the travel agencies have provided. After a 1 1/2 hour flight, we landed in Xian, the original capital of China located in the center of the country. It is warmer here than Beijing, about 95, and you can't see even 4 blocks because of the haze and smog. Alex, our new guide, explained that 90% of munitions and guns in China are made in Xian and this province as well as airplanes. They need to kick in the pollution control measures or I won't even last the one day with my allergies! We are once again staying at the Xian Hyatt in the heart of the city near the Bell Tower and city wall. Meg & I saw those last time we were here, but Peter and Maddie have not been here so the sight seeing begins in 1/2 hour followed by a traditional dumpling dinner tonight.

We have hit the wall! Went to the city wall in Xian, then the Wild Goose Pagoda where monks still study, then the Bell Tower and finally a dumpling dinner near the Bell Tower. Alex our guide is again very good and his driver is also prompt. We are back by 7PM this evening just dead. The photos at the end here are of the city wall and Bell Tower and the dinner followed by Haagen Dazs. Up at 9:30AM for a whirlwind day tomorrow - purchase and ship a warrier, see the terra cotta warriers and jump on the plane to Guilin.

The Wedding Day - June 26, 2010

After a year engagement, months of planning and overcoming the language and logistics barriers, we have finally reached Billy and Jingyi's wedding day. It's a hazy start but we can see the sun. The plan is to hang out until we need to leave about 2:30PM for the hour ride to the restaurant/wedding site. Family photos start at 4PM and the wedding is at 5:30PM. The world news this morning is talking about the I-Phone 4 glitch, the oil spill in the gulf, the first hurricane of the season in the Caribbean and the World Cub from South Africa. I will pick up a copy of the China Daily, the US speaking newspaper in China to keep for the memory of the day.
It's after 12 midnight and Billy and Jingyi are officially married. We arrived just after 3PM for photos and preparation. Watching the flowers being prepared and the activity was amazing. The wedding began at 6PM and was beautiful Jingyi was radiant and Billy looked great as you can see from the photos. Meg, Jingyi's Mom and I were in the front row and there were 3 photographers running all around. Th ceremony took about 45 minutes with the scripture, music and vows. At the end of the ceremony, Billy and Jingyi had photos taken with family and friends and then the tea ceremony was fantastic. That was the Chinese wedding ceremony inside and everyone stands around and cheers as Billy and Jingyi play out the scenes. The food was the best of the trip - an amazing array of so many options. During dinner, Billy & Jingyi walked around toasting everyone at the dinner with Maddie holding the tray of candies for people. After dinner, a dance was set up and we did our square dance. My knees will never be the same. We returned to the hotel about 12 midnight and said our goodbyes since Jim and Jill and Red and Carol leave for home tomorrow.

Day 5 in Beijing - June 25, 2010

Yes - we get to sleep in! Today was the first day we didn't have to be up early and ready for a tour. Instead, we had a leisurely breakfast and decided to spend a couple of hours at the infamous silk market. This is the most amazing building - literally 6 floors of booths selling knock offs of clothing, watches, silk table cloths and really pretty much any clothing you can imagine. The trick is to negotiate and negotiate strongly. In other words, Billy's rule is "the 10% rule". That is whatever the vendor says the price is, you offer 10% of that number. An example today was Red, Peter and I trying to buy some ties. I ended up with 2 ties and Peter picked one so we had 3 ties. The first offer from the 20 year old female salesperson was 1200 yuan or about $180. We ended up paying 200 yuan or about $28 ($ 9+ per tie!). Meg picked up the black silk dress she had made and Maddie found a blue chiapou dress for 100 yuan or $14. Red was the clear winner with buying 3 ties, 3 shirts, t-shirts and several items for their children.
This afternoon we were picked up by the trusty bus and taken to a Tibetan Llama temple in the heart of Beijing. This temple is set up for the Tibetan people who follow the Daoist religion. There are amazing Buddhas and beautiful art work dating from the 17th century with the incense constantly burning for the worshipping. It was an interesting visit.
Plans changed tonight for dinner - no one wanted to drive 2 hours in the rush hour so our new tour guide Amelia recommended the Bahai Garden restaurant near the Forbidden City. We were joined by Brad Smith who was visiting in Beijing after 7 months of travel and it was great to see him and hear his travel stories throughout southeast Asia. The setting was beautiful with a lake and we were there as the sun was setting. We were greeted at the door by the Emperor's concubines who represented the imperial days. The food was served in small portions as in the emperor's meals and it was one of the best dinners of the trip. We walked back thru the Hutong to get to the bus and talked with all of the Smiths about China, the trip, the wedding and just fun conversation.

Day 4 in Beijing - June 24, 2010

  Today began with a return visit to the Pearl Market in Beijing, always a tricky place with everyone tugging at your sleeve wanting you to buy something (anything!). Meg, Carol, Peter and Jill made another purchase and escaped with their wallets and lives intact.We then headed to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic site, a return visit for Meg and I since we had not seen the Bird's Nest so close in 2008. Now you can wander the immediate grounds around the stadium and Water Cube where the swimming and diving events were held. It is a a beautiful setting and worth the return visit.
  The final stop of the day was the Summer Palace where the emperors went during the warmer summer months to get away from the Forbidden City. Everything was bleak and the lake was frozen when we were there in 2008; today, however, it was beautiful with the green trees in full bloom and boats dotting the lake. We all walked the full length of the painted, covered bridge that remains a beautiful expanse of work overlooking the lake. The crowds were HUGE but we got thru the whole park and returned to clean up for the dinner.

  Jingyi, Billy and Jingyi's Mother joined us in the hotel at a famous Beijing Hot Pot restaurant. tThe closest comparison would be a fondue dinner. We each had our own pot for the lamb, vegetables and other goodies put into the boiling water. It was the best dinner of the trip, not only for ther food but also the conversation and inter action with Jingyi's Mom. The evening ended with many going for a walk in the local neighborhood of the hotel, seeing the stores and building nearby. There is an amzing mall nearby with the Beijing Grand  Hyatt hotel and luxury shops like the Mall of America.

Day 3 in Beijing - June 23, 2010

Today we visited the Great Wall of China at the Mutianyu area, a much more beautiful entrance than the more tourist entrance at Badaling. It was about an hour and a half drive from Beijing thru the fruit and vegetable farm land. Of course the wall was amazing with Maddie, Peter, Red and Carol being the most adventurous in terms of climbing. Maddie was approached by a group of young Chinese males who wanted their picture with her being a cute blond American (think Britney Spears) so I also got into the photo as security! The trick in arriving and leaving the site is to "run the gauntlet" of t-shirt shops and everything you could imagine to purchase down to the parking lot.We made a brief stop at a Cloisonne factory to see the process of making, baking and painting the beautiful things from bracelets to vases to plates. It was truly beautiful (but expensive!).
After resting for 30 minutes, we were off the Korean restaurant Billy and Jingyi had chosen as the wedding site. We had a 2 hour rehearsal, and the Chinese part of the ceremony will really be fun. We met John Yoder, the pastor who is actually from Maple Grove, Minnesota as well as Billy and Jingyi's friends. We then piled into the bus to go to the restaurant they had chosen for the bridal dinner. What an amazing array of food! There were about 25 people at the dinner and it was really fun to offer toasts, see Billy & Jingyi's photos and power point show. Speaking of the bus, this has really been the best way for us to travel - our guide and driver have been amazing getting us thru the ridiculous Beijing traffic, which is a jam at all hours of the day and night.

Day 2 in Beijing - Tuesday June 22, 2010

Another day started and we were picked up by Ting Ting and taken to Tienanmen Square, the largest square in the world. Electronic billboards have been added since our 2008 visit and they extol the Chinese way of life and show Olympic scenes from 2008. We then crossed the street to the Forbidden City and spent over an hour walking those sacred grounds. Unfortunately Peter had his I-Phone stolen right out of his zippered pants pocket while taking photos in a huge group of people in front of a temple, so that was a disappointment and distraction for an hour.
We then visited a Hutong or older neighborhood nearby and spent time in the home of a man whose family had owned the home for over 60 years. It was a nice home but one that none of us would ever live in! This was followed by having another rickshaw ride to a home that served an authentic lunch that was fabulous. The husband was also a painter, so Peter and Carol purchased prints from the lady of the home. The photo above is Ting Ting the guide in blue and the lady who cooked.We returned to the hotel to clean up and then attended an acrobatic show for an hour. Think of a Cirque de Soleil production on a smaller scale. It was amazing and then we had a late dinner and ended the day.

First Day - Beijing June 21, 2010

We made it to China after 11+ hours in the air from Seattle. Billy and Jingyi met us at the airport along with Ting Ting, our guide from CTS Travel (China Travel Service). They brought a huge bus for the 11 of us plus all the luggage and we made it to the Jianguo Garden Hotel at 12:00AM! Our rooms are all on the same floor and we spent two hours talking and laughing, finally getting to sleep at about 4AM Beijing time.

We awoke Monday morning to a buffet breakfast at the hotel and were greeted by Ting Ting at 9:30AM to begin the first day in Beijing. We arrived at the Temple of Heaven and make the long trek through the gardens where it seemed everyone in Beijing was exercising. When we were here last time, it was February and cold; however, this time there were thousands of people and it was really amazing to see. We continued past the card games and socializing groups that sit and sing, play instruments and just talk and made it to the Temple area that is very sacred to the Chinese people. The premier of China attends the Temple in the spring to pray for a successful growing season of crops to feed the Chinese people.

Next stop was the Pearl Market, the first of two crazy buildings of buying "things" in China. I think most everyone made a purchase from a purse to a wallet to red tennis shoes to watches. Then we had lunch at an ethnic Chinese restaurant that was very good and featured a short dance program of native music. Next was meeting Billy and Jingyi to go to the dress shop so Maddie could try on her bridesmaid dress. We then visited Billy's apartment which was nearby in an "interesting neighborhood". This was a much better set up than the first apartment he had, but the building and neighborhood still leave a little to be desired from good old home. It is where they will live after their wedding and they love it. They re surrounded by a street market selling fruits and vegetables, so there is a lot of activity and people.

The day was capped off with a traditional roast duck dinner at Da Dong restaurant, the new roast duck restaurant in Beijing. The food is all organized in pre-designed order so there are no menus or ordering. It was incredible - each course different and delicious. We got to be bed by 10PM to try and catch up with our time change and get re-organized.

And we're off!

A new title and a slightly new design!

We are on our way to Beijing for Billy and Jingyi's wedding on June 26, 2010. So excited!!

Check back for pictures and updates throughout the week!