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10/11/2013
10/11/2013
After our day of touring in Beijing city, we headed to the Badaling side of the Great Wall early the next morning and I'm so glad we did. It became very, very crowded about an hour after we got there - all CHINESE tourists.
It was a glorious day, with blue, blue sky and the fall colors made for some spectacular photography.
Later in the day we visited the Summer Palace - also a very pleasant tour, and then it was Peking Duck for dinner and a demonstration of the famous Kung Fu after dinner.
10/11/2013
10/11/2013
Greetings from China!
We had a wonderful day visiting some special sights in Beijing. We started our day in the Hutong area with our visit to a local family and then to a local food market. After our rickshaw ride everyone was ready to see more of local life in Beijing so we visited the Temple of Heaven, and in the gardens there the locals (especially seniors) were excercising, singing, dancing, playing cards, knitting and just visiting with each other. Lunch was a traditional Chinese lunch and about 10 different dishes.
Then it was off to a Pearl Market and Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City (the photo of jade was taken there). It was a great day with our local guide David and our National guide Alan. To end the day we tasted the local cuisine of Beijing noodles. I have also included a picture of the contrast of life in Beijing.
10/12/2013
10/12/2013
We are off to Xian this morning and a visit to the Shaanxi Cultural Museum. The weather is beautiful at 29 degrees
10/12/2013
10/12/2013
Happy Thanksgiving from the Great Wall of China!
I may not be having a traditional turkey dinner this weekend, but I am thankful just the same - I am surrounded by a wonderful group of people, and touring one of my favorite places with a dear friend (our guide Alan).
Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone!
10/14/2014
10/14/2014
We had to be up early for our flight to Lhasa, Tibet - everyone is anxious for something new and different. Since we are going to an altitude of almost 3700 meters, it will be a rest day once we get to our hotel.
After arriving in Tibet, we realized it is cold here - they say the cold just arrived, raining a bit as well. After an early dinner, off to bed - it was a day of much needed rest.
10/15/2013
10/15/2013
Today the group started at the Potala Palace (former home of the Dalai Lama) - you have to climb 330 steps but they are keen. I decided to just enjoy Lhasa and visit the local shops because I have been through the palace a few times - but our bus driver and his friend decided I needed a local experience and took me to a local tea house. Oh my, it was a small room with about 30 people all drinking the butter tea that keeps them warm. It comes in a huge thermos and steam billows up from their cups - and then it was noodle and yak meat soup but I decided to pass on that...I had just had breakfast. Then I left them to do some shopping - it was wonderful to see the locals with their prayer wheels everywhere in their local dress. Wow, I was in my glory - I love to people watch and they were young,old and inbetween. It was just a great way to spend a few hours.
We went for a lunch of yak steak, yak curry and French fries, mashed potatoes and other things - everyone enjoyed it.
Later we visited Jokchang temple and once again, since I have been many times, I decided to watch the locals. It was wonderful!
The people, the dress, the color - what an amazing day!
10/16/2013
10/16/2013
We left Lhasa for our journey to the countryside - destination...Shigatse.
The scenery was breath-taking with the fall colors, and the homes of the local people just as colorful.
It was a long journey with many stops along the way to visit monasterys, view yak and sheep, and to marvel in the beauty of the Himalaya mountains. We experienced 3 passes that reached an altitude of 5039 meters and watched the farmers in the fields harvesting. It was a really a beautiful day...until we met with an accident on the highway and a very frustrating detour that got us to our hotel in Shigatse in time for a very late dinner, a shower and then bed. The group were true GONETRAVEL’N Troopers - they took everything in stride...including the "natural" bathroom breaks.
10/17/2013
10/17/2013
The morning in Shigatse was beautiful! The sun was shining, and after a visit to the Tashilunbu monastery and lunch we had a free afternoon to visit the shops and see how the Tibetan people live and shop.
Our tour back from Shigatse to Lhasa today was via a different route - but equally as beautiful with countryside, rivers, villages, farmers working in their fields . We stopped to visit a local family and were served snacks of popped barley, butter tea, pastry, cheese and other treats. There were 11 members living in this home - 3 generations, along with their animals of course. Everyone enjoyed seeing how the locals of Tibet live.
We leave Lhasa and Tibet and our wonderful guide, Thundrup, to head back to the city of Chongqing to visit the pandas. Next we board our ship, the Yangtze Gold 6, for 3 nights visiting sights along the Yangtze River.
The Tibetan People – smiles everywhere and from everyone, our guide Thundrup, the scenery and the culture in this country will leave lasting memories for our group.
10/17/2013
10/17/2013
Here are some other pictures I thought you would enjoy...
- a grandma with her grandbaby in the family home
- some of us as we were taking a break
- Alan teaching a few of us Tai Chi at a spot by the river
- a Sky Burial Site (they take the body there, chop it up into pieces and wait for the vultures to come and take it away)
- a local doing laundry
- cows tied up at home outside their owner's door
- village we stopped at for lunch
It has been a truly memorable experience here in Tibet!
10/18/2013
10/18/2013
We said a tearful goodbye to our guide Thundrup in Lhasa, then we were off to see the Panda bears in Chongquing before going to our boat on the Yangtze. We had a beautiful hot pot dinner (a local dish) in Chongquing and then off to Walmart to stock up on supplies for the boat.
We have a beautiful ship called the Yangtze Gold 6. Food is better than any other time I have been here so I am pleased. Quality entertainment on the ship, and as you can see in the last picture - some of our group really got into the cabaret!
10/19/2013
10/19/2013
We visited the Ghost City of Fengdu and had to climb about 400 steps but it was great to get some exercise and see some great history of this place. Our guide Mary was a delight!
We sailed through some gorgeous scenery and villages along the way until we got to the gorges of Qutang and Wu - it is very picturesque here.
The group enjoyed Three Gorges Dam project. It is massive and interesting.
10/21/2013
10/21/2013
After leaving the ship we had a 4 hour drive through some beautiful farm land of rice in Hubei province. We had a late flight into Guilin so we are having a lazy relaxing morning before going to see the Reed Flute Caves as well as the scenery in Guilin city.
10/25/2013
10/25/2013
We have enjoyed beautiful Guilin - it is my favorite spot in China! The scenery is amazing along the Li River with its limestone mountains and Guilin is also known as the Garden City with its green areas and large parks. We got to try a traditional Chinese massage...it was great!
We had beautiful weather to sail along the Li River and view the mystical mountains. At the end while some took a country-side tour and visited the local farmers, others went shopping in Yangshou, a pretty village at the end of the cruise.
10/26/2013
10/26/2013
Our next stop was Shanghai. After a late arrival and a bit of a sleep-in we headed for the famous waterfront Bund area. The Shanghai skyline is breathtaking! Then it was time to shop for Silk. The silk duvets are a must to take home with you...
Traffic and people make Shanghai a bit of a challenge - we waited in a long line to get into the Pearl Tower, one of the 4 tallest buildings in the world!
I have included our group picture, which was taken in Yu Gardens in Shanghai. Also a picture of some of us resting, and participating in a tea ceremony.
10/27/2013
10/27/2013
Our next stop was Alan’s hometown of Suzshou, about 90km from Shanghai. We had a boat ride on the Grand Canal and a walk through the market to see how the local people live and work. It was very interesting and very busy. After a traditional Chinese lunch we visited the Master of Nets garden, a garden of interesting rock formations - very peaceful.
Alan then invited us to his condo for a visit, where his Mom taught us how to make wontons. We had a real feast of Chinese hors d'oeuvres and the most delicious wontons any of us had ever tasted. It was a wonderful way to end out day in Suzhou.
10/28/2013
10/28/2013
We left Suzhou and headed for Tongli, an ancient water town - it was so quaint, quiet and a real treat to get away from the hustle and bustle of the cities.
We then headed back to Shanghai to enjoy our last evening by watching the famous Acrobatic show. It was fabulous - so much time and dedication put into this production.
Today we leave China, taking with us many memories made in this interesting country, including visiting the Reed Flute Caves (pictured above).
It was a fantastic time with a really great group of people to travel with! What could be better?
11/05/2013
11/05/2013
I just received a wonderful note from Sheila, who was on the China & Tibet trip with us...I'm sharing it because it will give you a glimpse of the trip through her eyes.
Hi Donna,
I want to thank you for a fabulous trip - I know that at times you said that there were challenges but as a traveller I had no sense of 'problems' - everything was smooth as glass for me. That means that you were doing your job behind the scenes and thanks for that.
I agree that the group was fabulous - I was saying to my brother that it didn't matter who you sat beside you could have an interesting conversation. We had so much in common but mostly we were all curious and were traveling cause we wanted to see something different from home. And we did!
My feedback is all positive -
- Alan (Chinese National Guide) is informative, has great English skills, and is charming, so easy to form a relationship with. His impish-ness makes him very likeable and I always felt like I was being 'cared for'
- The guides in each place were knowledgeable and again, had good English. I had some trouble with Thundrup's accent but didn't find that it got in my way, I still learned and still had a positive experience
- A particular skill that all guides seemed to have was the ability to relay the information as if it was the first time they had said it - none of them sounded like they had a 'canned' or overly rehearsed speech.
- The opportunities to see inside the everyday lives of people really added to the trip. I was glad to see all of the 'sights' but really enjoyed getting a sense of normal life in China and in Tibet.
- You seemed to read the group well and gave us free time appropriately - I never felt 'herded' or 'rushed'
- The places we visited all were different from each other and each seemed to highlight an area or some history - I feel like I got a comprehensive look at China.
- I really appreciated the willingness of Alan (and David) to be candid when answering our questions that might have been seen as sensitive - being able to hear about their reactions to government/rules/society helped me get a better picture of life there.
This trip was amazing value for the money spent - thank you!!
Sheila
11/06/2013
11/06/2013
Another great note that I wanted to share with you...
Hi Donna,
Thanks for thinking about us. Our colds are just about finished and we are finally starting to see a light at the end of the jet lag tunnel!! We have had a better sleep for the last 2 nights now. Keep your fingers crossed!!!
Thank You so much for such a great trip!! We have been reliving it and talking about it ever since we got home, and it still seems like it was like 2 – 3 trips all in one!!! We can’t believe how many places we went to, how different each one was from the next, and how smoothly we travelled thru such a diverse country. You changed it from just a trip, to something way more personal!! You gave us the opportunity to see beyond the physical sights and sounds and experience life in China thru the eyes and heart of its people. When you think of China, you think of the Great Wall and the Terra Cotta Warriors but we loved all aspects of the trip. For us, Tibet was one of the highlights! Perhaps because it challenged us physically and intellectually, but more so because of Thundrup’s passion for his country and his way of life! Tibet was positioned perfectly in the itinerary because we had the opportunity to experience some of China before we went there, and we could better appreciate the differences. The regional guides were excellent! They were all extremely knowledgeable, but it was how they personalized the information that made them exceptional. And then there is Alan!!! What can you say, he was so much more than a guide!! Our time in China was a work in progress, and the two of you pieced together a trip of a lifetime, and one that we will never forget. Thank You!!!
Love Sharon and Marlene
11/13/2013
11/13/2013
I received a lovely note from another beautiful lady who was on our China Tour...
Donna,
Thank you for another "Wonderful Trip." Each one is so awesome due to you being at the helm. I always look foward to my next excursion with GoneTravel'n. Always a "Joy" to be on your trips! Enjoy Phoenix & Vietnam in Jan. Do get some R&R.
Jean
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