Before There Was a Singer Named Pink.....

...there was a little girl, Sarah, who was born loving everything PINK.  For all of her childhood, she insisted on being surrounded by all things pink; did you ever try to buy a pink coat for a child with a June 19th birthday.  Not so easy in the middle of summer.  Well, now Sarah and her husband have their own two little bundles of femininity in Sophia and Sally.  We thank them for this addition of cuddly and softness in a sea of testosterone laced grandsons. 

Sarah, we are so proud of all the terrific young artists you are helping to produce in your role of Art Teacher.  Our family and the world is a better place because of you.

Well, Not Exactly!!!

Safe and sound in Lancaster, PA.  But as will often happen, the return flight was not exactly as planned.  Sunday, when we arrived at the Beijing airport, second busiest in the world behind Atlanta Hartsfield, someone whispered to Gerry and me, "I don't want to start a rumor but I thought I overheard someone say that our flight is delayed 3 hours."  Thus began our 33 hour saga.  Sure enough, within 5 minutes it was confirmed; we were delayed and would miss our connection in Toronto.  The flight crew needed three more hours between flights.  We slept about four hours in a Doubletree, compliments of Air Canada, and arrived at BWI at 9:00 a.m. Monday.  At 11:15 we drove into our driveway on Jasmine Lane ever so glad to see our home and Diane and Isaac, who were in town for Cheryl Boger's wedding shower.  Exhaustion was trumped by the thrill of Isaac's smile.  We spent a few hours marveling at his little personality before leaving at about 3:30 p.m. to drive BACK to BWI so they could head back to Steve and Owen.  By the way, Owen says he misses his mother but not Isaac.  Imagine that!  Consequently, I plan to take a day or so to chill out.  I will then go back to edit each day of our trip to include more of our activities.  We had such limited access to computers on the trip I could not write very much each day.  Hope all has been well with each of you. 

Homeward Bound

Fly Air Canada Beijing, Toronto, BWI, scheduled to arrive 10:30 p.m.  Clear customs, pick up car, and begin the last 1 1/2 hour leg to Lancaster. 

Beijing

Tour Tiananmen Square.  At 100 acres, it is the world's largest public square and was initially the "front door" of the Forbidden City.  Completed in 1420, the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the world's largest palace complex and home to many buildings with 9,999 rooms.  Now known as the Palace Museum, the Forbidden City was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing Dynasties where outside visitors were forbidden for five centuries. 

Visit the Summer Palace, once the summer retreat and playground for the imperial family and royal court during the late Qing Dynasty.  It spans over 700 acres.  Take dragon boat ride across the garden's lake.

Beijing

Motorcoach to the Badaling Hills to walk along one of the best-preserved sections of the Great Wall.  Here, it is nearly 28 feet high and wide enough for ten people to walk along.  A UNESCO World Heritage Site that once stretched for more than 6,200 miles and symbolized the country's isolation from the rest of the world.

Visit the valley the Ming Emperors chose as their burial place, walk along the Sacred Way that leads to the tombs.  Beginning with a grand marble gateway more than 400 years old, the long avenue is lined with 18 pairs of massive stone sculptures of elephants, lions, camels and mythical beasts. 

POSSIBLY - Peking duck dinner followed by Peking Opera.

Xian & Beijing

Visit the Terra Cotta Army, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  View the thousands of soldiers, archers, horses and chariots that were buried with the Emperor Qin Shi Huang more than 2,000 years ago.

Fly to Beijing. 

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1967

For both Gerry and me, the Terracotta Army was a highlight of the trip.  Caron had visited the site when she was in China so we had enjoyed her pictures, and Gerry was delighted by the replica set she brought to him.  Also, with Caron, we saw some of the traveling display when it was in Washington, DC.  There is no comparison, however, to seeing the massive display in person.  It is close to preposterous that they were created for Qin Shi Huang, first Emperor of China, about 210 B.C., and subsequently discovered in 1974 by members of the Yang family, who are farmers in the area, while they were digging a water well.  Also preposterous is the fact that these farmers received only a token amount for the discovery.  Ain't Communism grand.  Imagine the same scenario in America.  Only one of the discoverers is still alive; he was autographing books when we were there.   With this, the Great Wall, Versailles,  pyramids, and many untold number of other historical structures, I am overwhelmed by the total disregard for human lives by tyrannies around the world.  I try to find value in these works, but I never seem to quiet my revulsion of these evil men.

When we arrived in Beijing, our terrific tour guide, Shan Shan, directed our bus driver to detour through the Olympic venues.  The bird's nest was a fascinating structure.  I found it interesting that huge tracts of the city had been cleared for many of these venues.  Sadly, we were told that the Olympic tennis facility was being razed.  Given that they are covering every possible foot of land with high rise apartments, I can only assume they will do the same at this site.  Recreational facilities for the masses does not seem to have the same priority in China as in the USA. 

Before checking into our hotel, we were taken directly to dinner.  When the bus pulled up to a Comfort Inn, I experienced a feeling of concern.  Mind you, in the US, I frequently stay at Comfort Inn hotels; however, seeking fine dining at Comfort Inn has never crossed my mind.  Sure enough, there was a consensus that this was one of the worst meals we were served in China.  Since our lunch had been quite good in Xian at what Shan Shan called a "Mom and Pop" restaurant, I took the attitude that my digestive system would benefit from the rest.  The Westin Hotel was so inviting that it is near impossible to be in a funk....although, to be honest, there were some divas throughout our trip that still found things about which to complain.  Bless these guides, I would not have their job for all the tea in China....sorry, just had to use that.

Hey, Mister, Can I Shine Your Shoes?

The following is copied from Gerry's blog about our trip.  It cannot be said better, so a little plagiarism is warranted, don't you think!

One of the challenges one faces when touring China is “running the gauntlet”. This refers to the horde of merchants who are always hanging around when a tour bus or cruise ship arrives at a tourist destination with a load of westerners. These merchants are some of the most aggressive sales people you will ever encounter. They are hawking all kind of merchandise. You can buy a genuine imitation Rolex watch for as little as $5.00 any kind of tee shirt for $5.00 or almost any kind of trinket or book imaginable of one of China’s tourist attractions.

They also offer all kinds of services ranging from “freshly” prepared fruits to offers to carry your bags. One of the most innovative merchants I encountered on our trip to China was the shoeshine lady. I first met her as we were debarking from our river cruise ship in Chongqing. She offered to shine my shoes but since I was wearing tennis shoes I didn’t see the point. She followed me for about a quarter mile and I thought I had finally lost her when I reached the promenade above the river.

There was a very nice view of the opposite side of the river and I stopped to take a few pictures. While I was taking a picture I felt something brushing against my shoes and when I looked down, there was the shoeshine lady “cleaning” my tennis shoes. I started hopping around as if someone had given me a hotfoot and began yelling; “what in the hell are you doing?” The more I hopped, the more she tried to “clean” my tennis shoes.

Fortunately I was only about 50 feet away from our tour bus and I made a mad dash for the door. I managed to reach the safety of the tour bus and when I got in, everyone was having a good laugh at my expense. A few of group said that my encounter with the shoeshine lady was one of the more entertaining events of the entire tour.

When I looked outside the bus I saw the shoeshine lady with a big smile waving at me. I decided that she earned a nice little tip for bringing some grins to our tour. I made a mad dash out of the bus and threw $2.00 to her and retreated back into the bus before she had a chance to “clean” my tennis shoes.

GERRY CLAES’ TIPS FOR RUNNING THE GAUNTLET IN CHINA

1. Never look a merchant directly in the eye.
2. Keep moving; once you stop they will be all over you like flies on cow manure.
3. If you express any interest in their wares you will have a tar baby stuck to you for the duration.
4. If you are really interested in an item ask the price and then offer 25% of the asking price. After that the best negotiator wins.
5. You are not buying quality.
6. The merchants do not have a return policy.
7. If your watch works for more than 2 months you got a “good” deal.