The taxi arrived at our Hotel early in the morning to take us to the bus, as promised, to head out of Dali to Lijiang. The ancient cities are so much more interesting than the new cities - they usually lie alongside each other. I heard two young Asian girls chatting behind us on the bus and I wondered why they were speaking in English. We met later on and found out that Yvonne and Ruth had come from Singapore and were doing a trip into the mountainous area of Yunnan Province. The reason for the English is that English is the primary language spoken in Singapore.
The girls were being picked up by a lady from a guesthouse in the ancient city of Shuhe, a few kilometres away from Lijiang. The lady said she had accommodation available for us also so we headed off to her guesthouse. Our landlady belongs to the Naxi minority group living in this area of China.
The following morning we hired a mini van and visited the ancient city of Lijiang. The cobblestone streets wind their way around the little town - small channels less than a metre wide are tucked into the side of these roadways and are fast flowing with fresh water from the mountains. Little shops and businesses front the streets and vendors are selling their wares. Following a big day out and a lovely dinner we headed back to our cosy room and had the best night's sleep in quite a while. The crisp mountain air is very nice here in Shuhe with an altitude of around 3,200 metres above sea level, halfway up the Tibetan plateau.
Pat was told that China has a plan to build 30,000 klms of fast rail line over the next few years. It is amazing how fast China is progressing, we have noticed quite a few changes since our last visits in 2006 and 2007. One huge environmental issue China is tackling is to rid the country of plastic bags - the people are just like us and trying to remember to always take their own bags for shopping.
In the ancient cities there are a couple of minority groups who are among the last remaining matriarcial societies in the world - the women work to earn a living - the women own the land and buildings and the husbands stay at home and look after the children and keep house. The women in this group are also able to have several husbands ... the mind boggles. These women make their own cloth and operate looms in their shops to make beautiful shawls for sale.
A trip out to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain National Park held a great surprise in store. The man, Zhang Limou, who produced and choreographed the opening of the Olympic Games in China, has staged the Lijiang Impressionist Show which is held daily at the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. This is not just a show - it is a spectacular with a cast of hundreds participating. There would have been about 2,500 people in attendance, with Pat and myself the only whities. In the spectacular there were participants from all the minority groups singing and dancing and telling their stories - the show came complete with horses - it was a wonderful spectacle.
After the show we took a bus to a chairlift and headed up in the chairs to the yak meadows at a height of 3,600 metres. We visited a Monastery and walked on a boardwalk through the yak meadow which was full of yaks happily grazing. One thing for sure is that we get plenty of walking on our travels - we must ensure we keep up the activity when we get back home.
We boarded the Shangri-La bound bus with Yvonnne and Ruth, but decided to stop off at Tiger Leaping Gorge which is one of the steepest gorges in the world - a length of 16 klms and a distance of 3,900 metres from the river to the top of the mountains. Pat clearly remembers learning about this gorge when he was a child, so it has been on his list of places to visit - his Bucket List. We spent the night at a village called Walnut Grove and enjoyed the hospitality of Tina's Guesthouse. The restaurant was on a deck overlooking the gorge - here at dinner we met a tour group who had completed a trek along the gorge that day. The group of 8 was comprised of New Zealanders, French, Swiss, Brazilians and headed by a Chinese lady.
We headed back to the village of Qiaotou the following morning and waited for our Shangri-La bound bus just outside a little restaurant. The staff were busy washing and preparing vegetables on the footpath, when the boss very kindly brought out two small stools for us to sit on while we waited for our bus. When the bus neared they all let us know that this was our bus - no chance of missing it.
We gave our bus driver the well deserved title of "The Best Bus Driver in China". He was a very courteous and safe driver who did not take crazy chances like all the others we have come across. I'm not sure how the road rules work here in China, but there seems to be no respect for other traffic, road markings, bike riders, bicycle riders and even pedestrians. If there is a space it seems that the driver will head for it - regardless if it's uphill going around a bend, crossing a double line or whatever! Drivers pull out in front of each other without looking - it seems that it must be the responsibility of the driver behind to ensure there is no collision. Your life is in your own hands even crossing the streets on pedestrian crossings - the traffic just keeps flowing through - it seems to be up to us to dodge the vehicles on the roadways which might be up to 5 lanes wide.
The driver let us off at Shangri-La's Old Town where we received an email from Yvonne and Ruth to say they had reserved a room for us at Nima Guesthouse where they are staying. Shangri-La which marks the start of the Tibetan world, changed its name from Zhongdian in the past few years. We really enjoyed walking the streets of this old city and sat down in the town square to enjoy a BBQ lunch which was cooked on wooden skewers over little BBQ's with open coals. We went back to the same lady each day for lunch while we were in Shangri-La .. she would see us heading in her direction and would beckon us over to her little table and chairs. At 7:00pm each evening the tables, chairs, BBQ's, stalls and umbrellas are all cleared away - in readiness for the local dancing and singing which continues on for many hours into the night.
We climbed the steps to visit the central Temple which has the world's largest prayer wheel at the top. The prayer wheel is painted gold and it can be turned with the assistance of at least 8 to 10 people. The following morning we hired a driver who took us out to the wetlands of Napa Lake nature reserve which is surrounded by a large grass meadow. Here we saw yaks, horses and sheep grazing on the grasslands and pigs roaming about - the spring flowers were also in bloom along the way. Our driver, who is the local Mayor of his village, took us into his home to see how they live. The Tibetan style house was very large with several rooms, including a very large sized prayer room and a kitchen with the most ornate woodwork we've ever seen in any home.
The driver took us to the wet markets where we saw yak, beef, fish, chicken and many other kinds of animals carved up for and displayed for sale. If the butcher has butchered a yak, for instance, the whole beast is on display on his counter with the head and hooves sitting at the front for inspection. It is so surprising that there are very few flies about and all the food is kept fresh and clean. Of course, the cooler temperatures would be a big help, unlike home where we have to keep everything refrigerated.
We have wi-fi in our room so it is great to be able to hook up to the internet and check our emails, even though the service is very slow indeed. When the sun begins to set the temperature drops considerably, so it is time to put on our jackets and scarves - we even had electric blankets to heat up the bed.
We met up with the Singaporian girls at Compass Cafe where we had a most welcomed cup of coffee - probably the best one to date. It started to rain and the power all went out, so this evening we went back to the Compass Cafe with Yvonne and Ruth for dinner and played the board game of Rummikub by candelight. The following morning we said goodbye to the girls and hope to meet up in Singapore on our return flight to Australia. We spent the day in the new city and did our washing in readiness for our flight the following morning. Our stay in Shangri-La was very enjoyable with clean fresh air and blue sky by day.
We had considered taking a bus to Chengdu but after discovering it would be a difficult 4 to 5 day trip over mountainous terrain we opted for the 1 hour flight across the mountains of the lower Tibet plateau. Our flight with Sichuan Airways was excellent and it was great to see the mountains from the air.
At Chengdu we checked into our hotel and headed out to do some shopping. We received an invitation to a Baby Shower for Kelli's new baby Bronagh Lee Jai-Wen Symonds, so decided we would like to send a gift for the shower seeing we would be unable to attend. We bought some gifts, found a post office and sent the package on its way to Mackay.
Chengdu is a lovely big city, but for us the pollution is an issue. We have come to Chengdu specifically to visit the Panda Research Centre - we have seen several documentaries on this centre and are happy to be able to see it for ourselves. We arrived at the centre at 7:15am the following morning and not surprisingly, we were the first in line to buy tickets. We left our bags at the Visitors' Centre and headed out on foot. The trip around the Panda Research Centre did not disappoint us - we would have seen at least 20 Pandas, from the playful young to the giant Pandas - many of whom put on a good show for us. Within the centre is another species called the Red Panda, which resembles an animal somewhere from a fox to a possum. Our visit to the Panda Research Centre was both excellent and enjoyable.
Now the fun begins .. we headed to Chengdu Train Station to book tickets on the fast train to Chongqing, where we will meet up with James and Angela (English names). We met James in Beijing in 2006 and then in 2008 he visited us at Dingo Beach, when Otmar and Antoinette brought him for a visit while he was on business in Australia. The train station was packed - there were about 50 queues of people and all with at least 100 people in them ... where do we begin?? We moved twice and then on the third attempt to join a queue Pat suggested I work my way along the line to see if anyone could speak English to help direct me to the correct window to buy the tickets to Chongqing. As I worked my way down the line people smiled at me but no one spoke English, until finally I came upon a lovely man and his wife who told me to stand in front of them and they will help me buy the tickets - a stroke of genius as he was about 6 people from the front of the queue. Within 15 minutes I was at the ticket counter and confirmed on the next train in about 2 hours time .. brilliant! I thanked the couple profusely and we then headed out for lunch before our fast train departure time.
We wondered how we would spot James at Chongqing train station - but the worry was not necessary - he was standing right in the front row at arrivals waving to us as we came through the barriers. It was great to see him and after getting into a taxi we headed to the Carol Hotel where James had booked us into a beautiful big room on the 21st floor. The room was very spacious and gave us fabulous views of all the river traffic up and down the Yangzi River.
Angela arrived a short time later and we all headed out to dinner. The Chinese love food and they love to eat .. our time in Chongqing has been fantastic and just like a great food festival. Nearby to our hotel is a newly built complex in the old Chinese style, complete with laneways and merchants called The Cave. We visited a couple of restaurants there and did some shopping.
We visited the Three Gorges Dam Museum and spent many hours enjoying the exhibits. At some of the laneways merchants make their own sweets - one such sweet is like a peanut brittle - the Chinese were very impressed at Pat's prowess on the large wooden mallet - flattening out the sweet's mixture. Of course, there are samples to be had along the way, so there's no reason to be hungry.
Sichuan Province is famous for the very spicy hot food they prepare, so Pat was ready for the challenge. We went to a restaurant where they served a hot pot with 2 rows for cooking the food in - the inner row was not spicy and the outside row was extremely spicy. James usually does not eat the hot spicy food, but together he and Pat made a formidable pair - I was more cautious and preferred to eat the milder dish.
On our final day in Chongqing we packed our bags in readiness for our flight to Weifang in Shandon Province. James and Angela met us and we went to the Inter-Continental Hotel for an amazing lunch - I enjoyed the coffee so much I backed up for a second cup. We said goodbye to Angela and wished her well for her forthcoming marriage to James, possibly next January. Angela is a beautiful young lady - we told James he is a very lucky man to have found such a wonderful future wife. Together with James we headed out to the airport - we boarded our 50 seater aircraft for our flight to Weifang and James prepared for his flight to Beijing.
Arriving in Weifang, we were enthusiastically met by Zhang & Yu and some other members of their family. We met Zhang and her family in China in 2006 and then in 2007 we met up in Beijing and she came to Australia to spend two months with us. It was an experience of a lifetime for her and a very enjoyable experience for us. It is amazing how people can communicate without a common language and a common background - but believe me - it can be done. In Zhang's time with us she travelled between Sydney in NSW and Dingo Beach in Queensland - we even fitted in a trip up to Home Hill and Ayr for a few days.
After arriving at the airport we headed off in two cars to meet Zhang's brother and his family - following the meeting we set off for a banquet dinner at a restaurant nearby. Zhang was very excited to show us her new car - since her trip to Australia she decided to get her licence and buy herself a car - it must be amazing for her to have achieved such independence in her 60's.
It was great to arrive back at Zhang & Yu's - into a comfy bed in a lovely big room, where we slept soundly for the next nine hours. Their grandaughter Tong Tong arrived at her grandparents' home for lunch. We last saw her when she was 9 years of age - she is now 14 years of age and a couple of inches taller than I am. Tong Tong has been learning English for quite a number of years now, so we have been able to have some wonderful conversations with her. It is also good experience for her to speak in English. Her grandparents are very impressed at her ability to converse so well with us. Unfortunately Tong Tong's parents are both working away from Weifang so we will not have the opportunity to meet up with them this time.
There are beautiful botanical gardens and a river close by to Zhang & Yu's home, so every evening after dinner we head out for a walk of about 3 to 5 kilometres. The pathways follow the river and are bordered on all sides by beautiful shrubs and trees. We have been very impressed by the number of gardens and parklands in Weifang, so I asked Zhang for some information. She told me that the government have many large nurseries and in the last few years they have taken on a programme to beautify the city of Weifang. Well they have done an amazing job, as the rivers, walkways and gardens - all complete with beautiful lighting are truly fantastic.
I have given Zhang's washing machine a good run - it's great to give our clothes a thorough washing. Every night when we travel we wash our clothes out by hand and hang them in the bathroom overnight to dry.
With Tong Tong's help we managed to set Skype up on Zhang's computer, so we've been catching up on a few calls - it's particularly great to be able to see our grandchildren, Flynn, Liam and Ayla.
We received wonderful news from Kelli and Lawrence - that being, they are going to Taiwan to pick up their new daughter, Bronagh Lee Jai-Wen Symonds on July 1st and will be there for 2 weeks. They asked if it would be possible for us to meet them in Taiwan to spend a few days with Bronagh - so as we say - nothing is impossible. We are now in the process of making inquiries for our travel to Taiwan.
Zhang took us to her Art Class where we met her teacher and fellow students. It was very interesting to see their style of painting. Following the class we were invited to have our photographs taken with the teacher and his students. We were made feel very welcome and enjoyed the experience.
We have met several members of Zhang's family including another son, daughter in law and their son. Families are still governed by the one child policy, however there are some exceptions to the rule. The latest we have heard is that if husband and wife are both an only child then they have permission to have two children. China has realised that the one child policy will create some issues down the track as there won't be enough population to do all the work and subsequently care for the aging population.
I have been having some interesting conversations with Zhang's grandaughter, Tong Tong (14 years of age) in relation to her education and how her days are managed. I'll write an outline of my understanding of her general day at home and at school where she is studying eight subjects, including English. She has gained recognition for her achievements in English - a Bronze Medal for her city Weifang with a population of 9 million, a Silver Medal for her Province of Shandong with a population of 95 million, and a Bronze Medal for the whole of her country of China which has a total population of 1.6 billion - now that is really some achievement. Congratulations Tong Tong!
An outline of Tong Tong's Day: 6:00 am Tong Tong arises; 7:00 am she leaves on her bicycle for school; 7:30 am she must be seated at her desk in school for lessons to begin; 11:30 am she rides her bicycle to her grandmother's for lunch: 1:45 pm she returns to school on her bicycle to commence her lessons at 2:00 pm; 6:00 pm she leaves school and rides her bicycle to her home; 7:00pm after dinner she begins her homework and studies into the night; 12 midnight she goes to bed to have 6 hours sleep before rising.
The Chinese have a very committed and determined attitude toward study and education, it's no wonder that so many of them are high achievers. Tong Tong told me that only 66% of school students will achieve high enough marks to enter higher education and University, so it is very necessary for her to be very dedicated to her lessons and studies. Tong Tong also attends night school on Friday nights and attends special classes on Saturday - quite a work load for a 14 year old wouldn't you agree?
Zhang's husband Yu, often indicates to us that he grows his own vegetables, so we set off after a delicious Hot Pot lunch with some family members to visit what they call the plantation. It is alongside a major dam and is a series of market gardens which are individually fenced off with low bamboo fencing. Yu has his own allotment in which he grows many vegetables, eg radishes, lettuce, shallots, beans and other leafy green vegetables which we cannot identify. On the lower reaches of the dam there is a beautiful golf course and many gardens.
We headed home in the afternoon thinking that was the end of a great day, but no, we all prepared then to go out to a restaurant for an evening meal. We met up with some more very close family friends and went to a magnificent restaurant where we were shown to a private room. The food was really delicious - and the dishes just kept coming!
We were given boxes of beautiful gifts to take home with us, particularly kites for which Weifang is world famous as the International Kite Capital of the World. As these boxes are bigger than our back packs we'll pack them all up and ship a carton home to Australia. I'll list some of the names of the family and friends - you'll see and understand why I have to write the names down - here's a sample - Zhang Li Li; Jing Jing; Liu Jian She; Sun Ming Xiang; Wang Yi Xuan; Wang Quan Yong; Zhang Sheng Tang; Jiang Lan Fang; Zhang Xiao Min; Yu Wei; Yao Ning Ning; Yu Xiao Long; Zhang Lian Fang; Yu Hua Hui and the lovely Tong Tong. They are all so generous and very kind - they won't let us pay for anything but we have told them we will take them all out to a special restaurant before we head to Beijing later in the week.
Pat enjoys visiting the local fruit and vegetable markets which are close by to Zhang & Yu's home - he always comes back with lovely fresh food which he enjoys bargaining for. That man loves a bargain!
We had a good giggle today while we were on the local bus back from the city, where we managed to buy some footwear for our grandchildren. Two young girls standing near Pat were fascinated at the hair growing on his arms and giggled when they touched his arms - Asian men are fairly hairless. Just after that two ladies behind me were touching and feeling my curly hair - I guess because theirs is so straight and flat - we all had a good laugh.
Tonight Zhang and Yu presented us with two large paintings (which fortunately fit inside a cardboard postage roll) - Zhang has spent two months completing these paintings which are gifts from them to us, their Australian friends. It is amazing to see the detail and the work in these paintings, which we will treasure.
Our fast train tickets from Weifang to Beijing are booked for Thursday, where we will be met by Charlie. We met Charlie (through Otmar) in 2006 and 2007 on previous trips to Beijing. We are looking forward to meeting up with Charlie and his wife Kelly once again. They have twin boys who are both at University - one is in Wuhan and one is in Beijing.
This afternoon we made confirmation of the changes to our flights and we are now booked to fly into Taipei on 11th July to meet up with Kelli, Lawrence and Bronagh - it's going to be so exciting to have the opportunity to meet our new little grandaughter.
Fangtze is an area of Weifang, which is comprised of many German buildings from over 100 years ago. Some of these buildings are being bulldozed in the name of progress but a collection of them are being preserved and comprise a little village, complete with what was once a hospital. German beers are available for sale and an Art Gallery in the old hospital is a big attraction.
We have spent 9 fantastic days in Weifang, so on our last night, we took Zhang, Yu, family and friends out for dinner. Pat booked a private room in a restaurant close by to their home, so we were able to walk to the venue. Tong Tong sat between Pat and myself, so she was able to translate the conversations in both Chinese and English. Tong Tong told me that at school, the most important lessons for the students are English and Maths and that she enjoys the English very much. We have invited Tong Tong to visit us in Australia for a holiday when she is a little older - we told her family that we would look after her. Tong Tong thinks it is a very good idea.
The following morning we were awake early and prepared for our fast train trip to Beijing. Zhang was very sad that we were leaving, but we told her that perhaps we can visit Weifang's International Kite Festival another year - she is happy that we would like to do that.
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