China

May 14th and 15, 2005

We finished our tour of Guilin and said goodbye to the local guide Sue and the national guide Lisa. The group was sad that Lisa was not going to Hong Kong with us. On the way to the airport Lisa reviewed our trip, asking us trivia questions. I was amazed that we had already visited 7 cities and had one more to go. Beijing and Tiananmen square seemed like ages ago. We had seen so much and covered a lot of territory.

It was also clear that the trip was coming to an end. There were no more group meals, we were saying goodbye to Lisa and I knew, having been to Hong Kong that we were on our way to a very westernized city and the excitement of seeing new sites was about to become a memory.

I was a little surprised to find out that our flight to Hong Kong was considered an international flight and our passports were stamped as exiting China. Although China now rules Hong Kong, it is still considered to be its own entity.

We ran into a few problems at the Guilin airport. We were warned about the about the 20 Kilo luggage weight limit for domestic flights, we were surprised to find out that this applied to the Hong Kong flight as well. The shoppers in the group were not happy about paying for the additional weight. Adding insult to injury, Southwest China Airlines would only accept cash for the payment. Many of us had made it a point to get rid of our Chinese Yuan before departing to Hong Kong. I personally had to pay an additional fee as I kept my carry luggage light and packed everything in my bag. Twenty Kilos (about 42 lbs) is rather light for a two-week tour.

We arrived in Hong Kong and it was clear that we were back to a Westernized city. There was a mix of people and the conservative dress had become trendy. As we drove into Hong Kong, the city looked new, the skyline was bright, skyscraper after skyscraper. Narrow tall building after narrow tall building and neon signs everywhere. The streets were well maintained, there were no people on bicycles, or walking along the freeway, people obeyed the traffic signals and the taxi drivers drove nice red Toyota cars instead of converted motorcycles.

The following morning, I heard a couple of people commenting on the rudeness of the Hong Kong people. During the check in process and trying to cash a travelers check, I experienced the same thing. I even joked with Allan at dinner saying that in China, there was a lot of “Yes, one moment please” which meant, I don’t understand, I am going to get someone who does. In Hong Kong, the commonly used phrase was “Yes, no problem” which really means, I don’t understand you but if I say “yes, no problem”, maybe you will go away.

I thought about the comments and realized that the people in Hong Kong were not rude and the level of service provided by the hotel wasn’t less than other hotel we would expect in the states but rather we had been spoiled by the friendliness of the people in mainland China.

May 15th, 2005

We loaded up on the bus and headed to Victoria’s Peek. It hadn’t changed much since my last visit almost four years ago only it was a little bit cloudier and the pictures did not come out as clear.

After Victoria’s Peek, we headed to Stanley Market. It was exactly how I remembered it from my first visit five years earlier.  I remembered what I had purchased and where I purchased it from.  I decided to  to purchase a table cloth for the dining room before we loaded back on the bus and headed to Aberdeen. Aberdeen was originally a fishing village. Today it is a little bit touristy but there are people who still live on the boats. I hadn’t seen that on my previous trip and I really enjoyed seeing it.

That night Alan and I went to Nathan Road. The shuttle service dropped us off at the Peninsula hotel. After taking pictures of the Hong Kong skyline and watching the Laser show, we took a few snapshots of Nathan road and then stopped at the Peninsula hotel for a drink and air conditioning. The Peninsula hotel is an elegant and old hotel. I wondered what it was like when it was first built when Hong Kong was an exotic port and the hotel was a playground for wealthy travelers.

After we returned to the hotel it started to rain. I watched it with fascination, it rained hard with thunder and lightning. I thought how appropriate, now that we have finished our trip, we finally get a storm. We had been so lucky with just about perfect weather and now that we are wrapping things up, the skies let loose.

Well, homeward bound!

May 14th, 2005
The Reed Flute Caves was a wonderful place to visit on a hot day. The caves were very cool and a great escape from the hot humid weather. Our local guide Sue told us that the locals lived in these caves during the WWII and afterwards until the government decided that the caves should be open to the public.

The name “Reed Flute” came about because the reeds used to make flutes grew at the caves entrance. There are a number of caves in the area and the caves are also used to grow mushrooms and to store wine.

The caves are lit with colored lighting which in some areas can be changed to natural colors or even turned off so that you can see the cave in natural or enhanced lighting.

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May 14, 2005
I am really enjoying Guilin even though it is a hot and humid. I would not want to be around here during the summer. They say temps easily rise to over 100 F. I had a hard time just walking around the city.

There was an optional tour in the morning to a farm to see how they make Rice Wine.
Allan and I decided to take it easy and do some walking. As much as I enjoy everyone in the group it is nice to get a little time alone.

As Allan and I walked along the river, an elderly gentleman talked to us so he could practice his English. Turn out that he teaches at the local university and writes for a local newspaper. He once went to NY to interview a Nobel Prize winner. He also boasted about how he saw the Clinton’s with his own eyes when they came to Guilin.

Allan and I enjoyed watching the locals washing their clothes, swimming, bathing and fishing in the local river.

Elephant Trunk Hill
The group got back together and headed off to Elephant Trunk Hill which located on the west bank of the Li River, the hill resembles a huge elephant standing on the bank of the river, sucking up water with its long trunk.

May 13th, 2005

It was late when we arrived in Guilin the night before.  We didn’t get to see much as we drove into the city but our impression was that Guilin was a nice area and a little more tropical.

We headed out to take a cruise on the Li River. As the bus headed to the river, we could see that there was a lot of farms with rice, lotus, tea, green beans, grapes, and water buffalo, surrounded by plumes of bamboo and occasional brick houses with black tiled roofs. In the distance, we could see the limestone covered mountains in interesting formations. The guide explained the area was once undersea making the landscape one of the most dramatic landscapes in China.

After boarding the boat, we set sail and enjoyed the scenery.

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Joseph W. Stilwell

May 12, 2005

Our river cruise ended in Chongqing, China’s largest city with over 31.6 million people. It was the capital of China during WWII and as we drove into the city, the tour guide pointed out caves within the city that were used as bomb shelters. At first, I was not impressed by Chongqing, most of the city appears to be in a state of neglect. Although the temperature was warm, there was a constant fog making it difficult to see beyond a few city block and from what I heard, that is normal. Just as I was beginning to wonder why 31.6 million people live there, the bus took another turn and we found beautiful shopping areas and nice restaurants. Not sure I would venture back there but Chongqing will be remembered in my mind as the city of extremes.

After saying goodbye to the MV Dragon crew members we headed out to the Joseph Stilwell Residence and the Flying Tiger Museum which is across the street from the Stilwell residence. I had tried researching this before I left and didn’t come up with a lot of information on the residence or museum and I didn’t know what to expect, both turned out to be a pleasurable experience. The residence and museum have a lot of pictures and information about WWII, Stilwell and the Flying Tigers.

Interestingly enough, as I entered the General Joseph Stilwell Residence, someone recognized me from Los Angeles who was on another tour group. It really is a small world.

General Joseph Stilwell (1883-1946) commanded all US armed forces in the China-India-Burma Theater in WWII and lived in Chongqing from 1942-1945. He led the Chinese troops to defeat the Japanese invaders.

The house was filled with information regarding Stilwell, his Chinese wife and the missions he was involved in during WWII. Chongqing was China’s capital at that time and the Japanese had cut off the supply routes from India. Stilwell had supplies flown over the Himalayas (known as the Hump flights) and eventually regained control of the Burma Road.

The Chinese considered General Joseph Stilwell a friend, He studied the language, and did a lot to promote the diplomatic relationships between US and China.

The house has the original furniture donated by Stilwell’s wife. At the center of the house was the center of US Military missions. Wouldn’t it have been interesting to have been a fly on that wall during the war?

May 12, 2005

We headed to the Chongqing Zoological Gardens. It is a zoo and we could not come all the way to China without seeing a panda.

May 11, 2005
The Chinese believe that when you die, your soul goes to the netherworld or purgatory. The spirit would go through a series of events prior to the final sentence. The pure spirits would be rewarded and the sinful ones would be tortured. Different sins would warrant different tortures. The temples in Fengdu focus on the theme of ghost worship and images of the soul passing through purgatory to the final judgment. Fengdu dates back to more than 2000 years ago.

Getting to the top of Fengdu was an effort, over 800 stairs to the top, and it had rained prior to our arrival making it was hot and steamy. I must admit that this wasn’t the highlight of the tour but it wasn’t bad either.

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May 9/10, 2005
We set sail up the Yangtze after passing through the Three Gorge Dam locks.  It was hazy in the morning but burned off by noon.  The sites were amazing and it just kept getting better and better with every turn.  I noticed that most of the travelers were fully engaged with the view, there wasn’t anyone reading in the lounge.  We have been fortunate with the weather throughout the tour and today was picture perfect.  I knew the pictures wouldn’t do just justice and of course, they don’t.

There was plenty of discussion of what this was going to look like in a few years.  The dam should make the river rise another 40 meters up.  How much of this would be left?

On May 10th we boarded smaller boats to head into smaller gorges followed by once again boarding even small boats to view the lesser gorges.  It was magical.

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May 9, 2005

That evening it was the official Captain’s Welcome reception followed by dinner. I was really impressed on how well everyone dressed, we were used to seeing each other in dressed for site-seeing in various weather conditions. Everyone looked very nice, including the MV Dragon Crew.

Claire and Blanca

Laura and MIchael

Michael, Laura, Blanca, Claire, Me and Allan (Left to right)

John and Margaret arrive, Margaret wearing her new “I just went to China Jacket!”

John and Margaret pose for a picture

John and Margaret

Blanca, Claire, Me, Allan, Margaret and John

Mina (Left), Linda and her husband Rodney arrive

Naresh, Nayan, Sury, Mina and Linda (Left to right)

Lourdes, Victoria and Maria

Krystal (the cruise director) and the captain.

Michael, Laura, Blanca, Claire, Me, Allan and Margaret

Michael and Laura

Linda and Betty

Betty and her husband

Group Shot

Blanca

Me in front of the Three Gorges Dam

May 9, 2005

Chang Jiang (Long River), better known a the Yangtze river, is the longest river in China (third in the world). The Three Gorges Dam will change the river forever. It first started operating in 2003 and will be complete in 2009. When it is complete, it will be the largest dam in the world with 26 Hydro generators. It will help control flooding and provide enough electricity for half of the country.

Our local dam guide, Edward, took us to see what will be the world’s largest dam. He also explained that he was one of the 1.3 billion people who are being relocated since the water will rise to 175 meters above sea level (currently under 150). After our tour, we would pass through the five locks and as we traveled up the river we could see water markings indicating that 150 and 175 meters.

Needless to say, the Gorges will become a shadow of what they are today and many of the cities we saw will be moved to higher grounds. As our dam guide Edward explained, for some people, the dam is a good thing while for others, they don’t want to move.

Edward, our dam guide

First set of locks

Locks on an upper level