Water Village, Pearl Tower and Bund Cruise

We started the day in the ZhuJiaJiao Water Village. It was about 45 minutes outside of Shanghai and a very interesting spot. Known as the Venice of China this picturesque little village sits amid very fertile farm land. Imagine one-thousand-year old stone foot bridges that span these peaceful canals. The canals are lined with stalls on either side with stores and food vendors. The Chinese are so entrepreneurial that they can turn the smallest crevice in to a retail opportunity. Vendors sold clothing, souvenirs, beverages and loads of fresh foods. We saw a lot of fresh/live foods for sale, fish, eel, crabs, frogs and turtle. The canals were navigated by these wooden gondolas manned by a single rower with an old hand carved wooden paddle. We took our noon meal in a canal side establishment where we were treated to groat tea, a beautiful and simply prepared chicken with cashew nuts and the pork belly along with many other dishes to share. Shanghai food is sweeter and has little hot and spicy flavors. This village did have a stinky tofu vendor. None of us tried this because just the smell alone was repellent enough to send the girls scattering. On the way out older women manned small inventories of fresh fruits and vegetables for sale along the canal walls. Such amazing faces, lined and darker completed from years of working in the sunshine. It is sunny today with blue skies. The air is clear by Shanghai standards but hazy in the eye of the Midwesterner. A high speed rail is being built from Shanghai to this village so I have a feeling that its quaintness is short lived. Shanghai citizens are already purchasing townhouses in this village to rent while they are working with plans to retire here.

It was a long ride back to the Pearl Tower. There is definitely less traffic in Shanghai than Beijing. I think that public transportation is used more frequently and people do not own as many cars. There are rental bikes everywhere that people use in between subway stops and their destinations. We used one of the tunnels to go under the Bund into Pudong which is an architectural wonderland. Just until recently it was the home to the world’s tallest building which now happens to be in Dubai. The buildings here are quite cutting edge and more decorative than most skyscrapers in the US. At night they are lit up with projected images and the whole city appears to be filled with flashing fireworks. Our guide shared today that they are no longer lighting fireworks at the Chinese New Year due to the pollution. I am sure this does help but it seems a small step in a monumental problem caused by fairly unregulated industry.

The Pearl Tower is a very tall, very ornamental building that has glass terraces that you walk out on for sweeping views of the Bund. I decided to sit this one out in the lobby café… enjoying some quiet time and engaging in one of my favorite hobbies of people watching. Many of you know that I am Claustrophobic and I have had one too many confined spaces in the past three weeks with plane rides, subways, trains, buses, cabs and crowds in general. But back to people watching, it seems that everyone in China sits staring at their iphones just like the people in the U.S. In general I have observed that the Chinese are marrying and parenting later in life. And even though the one child policy has changed and people can now have two children you do not see this commonly. Our guides when speaking candidly have explained this notion of two children as too expensive and too much trouble. A very practical and modern way of thinking I guess.

My Mom took a selfie atop the Pearl Tower.

Dinner was served in a smokey off road joint. It had VIP rooms filled with men chain smoking and drinking liquor. There was a dish like rice crispies with mushrooms and other assorted fungi that was interesting but that was all that could be said.

Next the night cruise on the Bund. Pudong (which is the modern skyline of Shanghai) was built post 1994… most of it yet to be completed by 2005 when we adopted Coco. It is the neatest most modern skyline imaginable. At night it is lit to Las Vegas type style but somehow it is not offensive. It is beautiful and contemporary as it sets off the colonial architecture (well-lit too) on the Bund side. A modern, thoughtful mix of old verses young and very much Shanghai. Our guide Alex said his clients were encouraging him to visit Chicago. Chicago could be Shanghai’s second cousin twice removed. As a Shanghai native I cannot imagine what he would think about Chicago… a tiny town no doubt. This is a modern city, a smart city, a wealthy and creative city, future leaning and loveable. We are definitely going to return here someday.

      

Hey Lady… cheap prices for you

So we had our only free day of the trip today, unleashed on the city of Shanghai. Twenty-four million people and counting. What a world class city. If classiness is important to you, you probably need to skip the next paragraph which Coco would call TMI (too much information).

This photograph of Kate shows a very important dance done in China. It is one associated with using the Chinese toilet… lovingly referred to as the Squatty Potty. This appliance is basically a troth in the floor that one squats over to do your business. Even in this modern city there are very few Western toilets. Imagine being hampered by a winter coat, purse and packages. The dance is done when you complete the task without peeing on your pants or shoes. The small victories of living!

Okay, back to the topic at hand… Shanghai. We decided to accomplish a number of tasks today to the tune of nine and a half miles of walking and Coco exclaiming that her “dogs were barking”. What kind of twelve-year old uses an expression like that? We needed to shop, eat some famous soup dumplings and Erich needed to see the Bund and the Pudong as it was completely under construction the last time that we were here. So much so that there was a shortage of construction cranes globally. For a couple of construction geeks, a very interesting place.

On first impressions Shanghai is a very fashionable place. It is even more evident with the men in this city. We have seen men on the street that looked like models. They have great haircuts, cool glasses, impeccably tailored suits with deliberately pegged, short suit pants and very expensive leather, pointed shoes. Top this off with a handsome man purse and a citified attitude and you can’t help but be impressed.

We hoofed it a number of miles across town passing by many familiar American shopping destinations from the Gap to Tiffany and everything in between. Starbucks on every corner but an alley in between with laundry strung from balconies and scooters and bikes lining the narrow streets. I am not sure how I would feel about my bloomers being hung up for all my neighbors to see! But there are a lot of people in a small space in a city this size and China seems to have a certain efficiency for tight living.

The last time we were here we wanted to try some famous soup dumplings in a mall in the Yuyuan Gardens. The line was so impossibly long that we gave up. Today (thank you John and Kathy for the encouragement) we were determined to wait it out and it was well worth it. This place has lines that stretch outside and a long wait inside which we have not seen anywhere. They only have a few things on the menu. Baskets of steamed dumplings get wheeled out on carts, pork and crab roe, pork and vegetables tucked in a handmade dough casing. Each filled with a rich broth which you drain in to a small cup and drink or just pop the whole thing in your mouth. Delicious. They also have a special crab soup that is served inside a big dumpling and sipped through a straw.

The shopping along this area is a great adventure. In Shanghai you are less likely to get a bargain (although just about every vendor did say, “Hey Lady, cheap prices for you” in perfect English) and these city folks are less likely to stare at foreigners. But part of these markets were set up specifically to sell decorations for the Chinese New Year. It is the Year of the Chicken in January and the stalls were just packed with the brightest vermilion offerings imaginable. We have these pop up Halloween stores in the US but they are nothing compared to this pageantry.

We made it back to the hotel in time for dinner. Coco’s beloved Vivian was back from her Province and the girls would have dinner together for the first time in a few days. Danling the owner of this Heritage Tour company out of the Twin Cities sat behind them and just listened to their conversations. Probably less about China and more about their teen/tween lives. But they laugh together and are drawn to each other. They came back to our hotel room last night and played some noisy Charades. I truly hope they will keep in touch. Fortunately, Cape Cod and the Twin Cities are places we go anyway.

We have two more days in China. A full one today, we leave the hotel at 9:00 this morning and do not return until 9:30 tonight. Our thoughts are starting to drift towards home. Living out of suitcases, doing your wash in a bathtub and eating three meals a day in a restaurant is getting a bit tiring. And Carolyn misses that dog of hers and we miss our cats too.

I hope you are all well and appreciating your unfettered internet access and western toilets!

Suzhou Gardens and River Cruise

The breakfast at the Jinjiang Tower Hotel was tasty and full of choices. I have to say that historically one of my favorite breakfasts (in my almost fifty years) is pork dumplings and stir fried cabbage. I have eaten so much of this in the last two and a half weeks that a bowl of Raisin Bran sounds downright exotic. The hotels serve both kinds of fare at breakfasts, Chinese and European. Although the European breakfast is a loose interpretation! I have noticed the Chinese diners enjoying this Western option. Chinese offerings include pan fried noodles, steamed pork and red bean paste buns, lots of local greens such as Bok Choy and spinach, congee (which is a thin porridge), a soup station with buckwheat and rice noodle choices, condiments for your broth that include fresh greens, cilantro, red pepper paste and fish cakes, steamed root vegetables and lots of fresh fruits. We ate some Dragon Eyes this morning as well as fresh Kumquats. Another international aspect is the pastry. There has been a pile of buttery, flaky confections with all kinds of fillings that are slightly more Chinese then French. We certainly have not gone hungry here and will need to do some serious carbohydrate detox when we return.

Suzhou is one of the older cities in China. The gardens that we saw were over 800 years old although they were completely destroyed in World Two and rebuilt. On our way to the gardens we chatted with our guide Alex about Chinese History. It got me thinking about our own history. We know so little about World War Two as it relates to China and Japan which was brutal. Alex also talked about Mao. Our guides so far have shared that although most Chinese see Mao as a God, there is an underlying understanding that The Great Leap Forward was not so great. Although many of them did not know this history until they went to University. Some knew bits and pieces from grandparents. There were huge differences of how people were effected depending on whether you lived in a rural or urban area. Alex like our other guides also shared a lot about modern culture. He described a pattern of what we have heard about being a single male and marriage by saying “no money, no honey”. He also shared that he did not feel Coco even looked Chinese. We pushed him to discover why he thought that and I am not sure that we could interpret this properly but it has to do with more than her look.

After this conversation I paid closer attention to the crowds. Looking at the younger women that we happened upon for signs as to what made Coco look more American verses Chinese. At the Citizens Panel that we had back in Beijing a young Chinese woman that was so generous with her time described one of Coco’s fellow adoptees (Annalise) as “so much confidence” in an awestruck sort of way. I guess I can see that confidence in my daughter too. She is more bold, laughs easier, and has a playful swagger that does set her apart from the young women of this culture. An American girl through and through.

The river cruise was meant to show the older water neighborhoods of Suzhou. It is called the Venice of China. We boarded a boat on a canal street dock. There was a tour guide that gave the Chinese rendition of the tour at a high decibel on a Karaoke machine. We of course could not understand a word he said. But from the tonality of his voice you could tell he was a joker. He made strange noises and he sang a bunch of songs. The audience laughed. The boat ride was not that interesting. When we got off the boat we asked our guide what he was saying. He said he was mostly selling Suzhou silks and telling some jokes about Chinese wives.

The gardens we visited today although off season were incredibly beautiful and peaceful places. Much of the charm coming from the hardscapes (doorways, paths, walls and water features) and how they offset the plantings. There were very decorative pathways inlaid with small stones in beautiful patterns and colors. We toured some lovely Bonsai gardens and visited some wood structures that were used a living rooms/gathering halls in the olden days. There were a number of Plum trees that were in bloom and many of the trees still had their leaves. These gardens (the Humble Administrator and Lingering) are two of the four most famous gardens in China. We visited a third called the Lion Forrest. This was all of our favorites. It was a collection of some very interesting limestone formations and had a maze made entirely of natural stone. The roof and window lines were more ornate and there were some special little resting spots that framed up the plantings in a very artful, Zen sort of way. We are spoiled for gardens though. The grounds at CRC are as beautiful and surely more colorful!

On the way out Coco got a confection made for her out of burnt sugar that was her Chinese zodiac symbol of the monkey. So lovely in its simplicity and made in minutes by a man in a little booth on the street. The ride back to Shanghai is an hour and a half with the traffic. Commuting in traffic is unappealing no matter what country you are in!

Speaking of traffic… driving in China is a talent to be sure. I have been riding in the front seat with the driver for two and a half weeks and I am still not sure what the rules are aside from chaos. Traffic lights, pedestrian cross walks and even driving on the proper side of the road seem like a mere suggestion. Add to that scooters, motorized bikes and three wheeled transportation vehicles often loaded to three times their size and pedal bikes and I cannot believe that we have not seen more accidents. Don’t get me started on the roundabouts. I found that just closing your eyes was a good solution because it appeared to be the same methodology for the drivers.

We have a free day tomorrow! As our traveling companions will be arriving on different flights.

Travel Day Lijiang to Shanghai

We got up at the crack of dawn today to head back to Shanghai to celebrate the last leg of our journey. In two days’ time we will meet up with the girls again to have a special ceremony. They will all have been to our orphanages by then and have much to discuss. 

Part of the reason for this trip was to have Coco understand what her life would have been like in China. Today was a classic reason that this was a bad idea! We checked in to a five start hotel, centered in the French Quarter of town in a suite on the 38^th floor with sweeping views of the city and maid service. What is not to love. I might move here.

We hiked over to a grocery store deciding that a snack in our room instead of dinner was a good idea. The market was similar to the Plum Market and was located in the basement of a department store on a street lined with high end storefronts. You could be on the Miracle Mile in Chicago. Anyway we found some biscuits and a little chunk of cheese, some Australian wine and Oreos!  We would have been luckier if we had gone in search of octopus tentacles and chicken feet, which were beautifully packaged and in great abundance!

We actually slept last night too. This has been a busy trip with lots of flights, car and bus rides and long days and we just needed to crash. We are off to Suzhou tomorrow (a quaint town of 10 million) to see some of China’s most famous gardens. We are pretty spoiled by our Nancy Wiley garden landscapes but we plan on checking them out anyway!

Water Village, Bai-Sha Shopping and Jade Snow Mountain

We started the day today driving a twisty, turning road to go to the Dongba Water Village. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post the Chinese Government is making an effort to support and record the character and pictographs of this ancient religion. One of the ways that they have done this is to set aside some land for a park and temple. What a beautiful and serene place (partially because we got there ahead of the tour buses). You hike a series of waterfalls and stocked fish ponds to a great golden statue of a nature goddess. Higher up the paths were adorned with red Chinese prayer flags and a temple that was so colorful and picturesque against a mountain backdrop and bright blue skies. We continued our hike to a Yak photo op. China is fairly new to domestic tourism but they have the “touristy” opportunities down to a science. For 20 Yuen (about $2.50) you will get a beautifully laminated 5x7  color photo of the event in one or two minutes.

Down the road a way we stopped in a little village and did the kind of shopping that we like best… bargaining. Coco is just ruthless and made some great bargains! We bought some jewelry, gifts for Coco’s friends, a dragon door knocker like the ones on the Emperors doors in the Forbidden City. Our guide called these Chinese “24 hour antiques” and a bronze bell with a Yak bone ringer. Carolyn haggled for some handsome jewelry. We tried some street foods, fresh fruit and walked on to lunch at an open air shed that it known for its Yak, a local delicacy. These restaurants are simple but charming with mix matched wooden tables and chairs with brightly colored table cloths. Drink offerings are either beer or soft drinks. Coco has drunk more soda in the last two weeks than she ever had in her life. The food as we have found is tasty and abundant. The vegetables have been so fresh and beautifully cooked even Coco is a fan.

As we ascended the mountain the snow cap came more fully in to view. The roads certainly had gotten better since the last time that we were here. This is where we saw the biggest changes in this city in the eleven years since we had been there. It was less a native culture village and more a real estate investment. The chair lift had been replaced by cable cars, the dancing celebrations moved down mountain. There was even a talk of a golf course. Lijiang in the high tourist season sees 35 million domestic tourists. It is the most popular place for young newlyweds in the country. We saw wedding photos being taken everywhere. The dresses must be rented as the brides seem to care very little about getting them dirty. Apparently they have the wedding album made three months ahead of the wedding for the guests to enjoy at the main event. In contrast we witnessed a wedding earlier in the day in the small village we were visiting. The bride was practicing the old ritual of pushing a car (even though it was new) up a hill with her Maid of Honor. This apparently is the way and tradition of the ethnic minority families.

What a day of contrasts. Which is very China.

When traveling it is also close to mind how similar we are as human kind. When we got to the gorge area of Snow Mountain there was an area where you could dress like a variety ethnic minorities in their native costumes and be photographed. Coco of course was on to it and ponied up her own cash to get her photo taken in a furry hat with feathers and a satin dress and aprons. Not to be outdone Erich went in and had the staff dress him in his own fancy attire. Turns out a man dressing in women’s clothing transcends language and culture and is just plain hilarious. Of course Erich was playing it up and the tourists just swarmed him. Like paparazzi…

Black Dragon Pool and Old Town Lijiang

My family had a mini Christmas celebration this morning before heading out for what was certainly the most interesting Christmas Day that we have shared. Our guide Steven (who is an ethnic minority half Nakhi and half from a Tibetan tribe) took us for a beautiful walk through Black Dragon Pool Park. The bright sun and the lack of any trace of smog made for a beautiful morning in China. We shed our coats about mid-morning as the temperatures headed to the mid-sixties. We have been in a lot of big cities and in a lot of traffic so it felt great just to be outside on foot. This park is stunning and home to many old brightly colored wood structures and a pagoda. The Mountain with its snowcapped peak rises majestically as if centered perfectly in this serene setting! There were elders doing tai chi, grandparents out with children, folks feeding the fish from a bridge to the pagoda and friends just enjoying a peaceful place to visit. There is a neat little museum at the corner of the park that pays homage to the Dongba culture and religion. The Dongba beliefs focus on the harmony between nature and man. It has many similarities to Daoism and Taoism.  It is communicated through a dying symbolic language that the Chinese are trying to keep alive. This park has a Longevity Pavilion that in the tradition of Prayer Flags you hang a bell with a wish and it blows in the wind carrying your hopes forward.

The Old Town was as charming as we remembered years ago although a lot more prosperous in its offerings. Steven asked if we were disappointed by the changes. Many of his clients appear to be. We thought it was good to see that everyone was faring better financially. People were buying more and people were selling more. The kind of things for sale were more unique. We bought a lot of stuff today and I am hopeful we can get through our last inner China flight without extra luggage charges. Not much bargaining here anymore unless you head off the main alleyways. Not as many handicrafts or folk arts to be found. We did manage to spend a lot of Yuan anyway.

Lunch was served open air in a funky little hippie joint that could have easily been in Santa Fe, Key West or P-Town. The differences being we ate Yak. We also got swarmed by saleswomen of all varieties. Someone came in to braid colorful bits of string in to Coco’s hair. Two ethnic minority women sold us fruit and then refused to leave. People just walk by, stop and stare without any pretense of subtlety. It is the low season here so no Westerners at all. The villagers live off the main alleys and sell all sorts of food stuffs in the streets. Honeycomb, dense cakes that are salty due to the high altitude (we are at 8500 feet) and strange fruits that are unrecognizable. 

We then visited the Mu Palace. A gated palace some like the Forbidden City only more beautiful, colorful and peaceful. The Monastery that we hiked to last time was closed. It had been purchased by a huge hotel group that bought a large piece of land. Times they are a changing. Our guide was relieved that it had been purchased because he felt that the hotel will preserve the building. He is an interesting person. He shared today that he is in love with someone that does not share his feelings… he said he told us only because we do not know anybody in his Village!

We asked Steven to leave us in the Old Town instead of leaving at dinner time. We figured we would get a cab back to the hotel. We ate at a Rice Noodle open air joint (amazing how much you can communicate not speaking a word of the language). We got swarmed by tourists stopping to gape, taking photos and just hanging around… how very strange!

Tomorrow we head into the native villages and up in to Jade Snow Mountain!  

Wild Goose Pagoda and Muslim Quarter

Today was my favorite day of touring so far. Our companions took off early today leaving the staff to hustle them off to their destinations. This left us with a morning to sleep in a little, enjoy a late breakfast and not pack in a hurry. We have already bought a fair amount of trinkets and are bursting at the suitcase seams. While our guides are thinking we are looking for designer knock offs we are bargaining for silk scarves, folk art and antique revolutionary posters. We were hopeful to find a good trinket market and felt today was our day.

Our first stop was the Wild Goose Pagoda. Built in 652 AD this Tang dynasty monument is regal while slightly leaning. Xuan Zan was a famous Monk of the time and very favored by the Emperor like a brother. His adventures are chronicled in in one of the four famous tomes of early Chinese literature that are required reading by young adults. This is the story of this Monk’s adventures in India to learn more about Buddhism. It is this story that the ever popular Monkey King is a major player. This area is now a beautifully laid out City Center with the pagoda at the prominent view surrounded by granite and fountains and many beautiful bronze sculptures of famous Tang dynasty characters.

At the heart of this public space children played, kites flew, families posed for photos, food vendors tempted customers with chestnuts, baked yams and an unusual pastry that reminded us of the Slovenian sweet called Poticia that Erich’s family makes. In the midst of all of this Sales people young and old temped us with their good prices for kites, flying birds, hovering toys and bubbles. The soap bubbles that they made flew up past the children chasing them and up above a large bronze of the famous Monk. The juxtaposition of the whimsy and serenity was most joyful to behold.

We entered the temple to walk the peaceful grounds and to see all of the Buddha’s in their separate worship areas. The gardens were beautiful and well-manicured. The structures a clever mix of new and old. Noisy Magpies squawked from the trees. We arranged for a blessing in Coco’s name to be said by the Monks later in the day.

Our next stop was the Muslim Quarter which is a huge Muslim enclave with a long history in this City. It was awesome. Imagine yourself a noisy pedestrian street scene, surrounded on both sides by layers of business, the most unique and colorful street food displays, and an occasional motorcycle that upsets the flow of human traffic in this vibrant outdoor arena.

You could choose between so many delicious options for noshing. Large vats of roasted sheep’s feet with the hooves still on, spicy tofu on a grill, drinkable goats milk yogurt, boiled potatoes doctored up the way you like with garlic, cumin and peppers, fresh roasted walnuts, unusual cheeses, a yellow cake sliced in long wedges and served on a stick with fresh dates, taffy being pulled and pounded then coated in honey and sesame seeds, sweet green bean cakes, sticks full of fried crabs and squid, the biggest, fanciest cotton candy imaginable, tripe, fresh persimmons and so many other interesting tastes and smells.  I think that we were driving our guide Minnie crazy because we were gawking and it was hard to keep track of four different people in those crowded streets.

We turned the corner to a shopping Bazar and bargained our little hearts out. Coco is becoming so shrewd she would have vendors follow her down the alley after reluctantly agreeing to meet her price. Erich bought a beautiful felted hat at the central Mosque. He wanted a green one but Minnie would not let him get it. Apparently when men wear green hats in China it means that their wives have a boyfriend!

We ate in a beautiful Muslim restaurant serving locals (we did not blend in btw). We tried lamb and beef soup dumplings. You carefully peeled the dumpling off the steamer basket and drained the soup from the dumpling in a large spoon that you drank before eating your dumpling. We also shared a spicy lamb dish that was the house specialty.

We flew out again tonight to the Yunnan Province to the City of Lijiang. It is a home to many of the ethnic minorities and is a high altitude with lots of clean air! It is Christmas here officially… after midnight and Coco strung the lights on a little tree and hung her and my Mom’s stocking out.

Merry Christmas to each of you.

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Sixth Grade

Today we toured the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian. In 2020 BC Emperor Qin (with many slaves at his disposal) erected a monument for himself to be protected in the afterlife. He is said to be a very imperfect fellow, a bit full of himself and vengeful to boot. He commissioned an army of terra cotta warriors 8000 in total each in its own unique style, no duplicates. This army of men were accompanied by weapons, horses and chariots. It is a truly amazing site! As it turns out the Emperor was wise to get this underway because he met an early demise by poisoning himself. It seems he would drink anything that was told to prolong life and he ingested enough Mercury to die before his time. There were a couple of sons that ineptly tried a hand at running the empire and this led to a peasant revolt. During this revolt the terra cotta warriors were destroyed and over time forgotten until the 1970’s when a farmer discovered these figures when digging a well. 

This archaeological site is divided up in to three pits. The second of which is only partially excavated.  It is one of the most amazing things that I have ever seen. Its magnitude is impossible to describe. The park where they are housed is nicely built and appointed. We dined at the park as well where I tried an old gelatinous egg for the first time (flavorless blessedly).

A few minutes from this World Heritage Site was a country school. We were expected here for a visit with a sixth grade class to share talents (Coco was dancing) and to ask each other questions and do a gift exchange with the students. The classroom was unheated today in a climate much like Michigan. The kids were curious and interested. Many of them actually spoke a fair amount of English. It was a poor school but the kids looked healthy and well cared for. They taught each other tongue twisters and sang a Chinese song that our girls had practiced. It was a truly unique experience. One little gal told Erich when she grew up she was going to be a business man. Capitalism is certainly king in this country.

We then headed to a Jade Factory. The Chinese Tourism Department requires a certain amount of sales visits when touring bigger cities. Our traveling companions in their American attitudes are growing a little weary of this part of the journey. In our country if we do not want to do something we don’t do it and this somehow defies translation in China. But as irritating as this is I think it also a part of this Chinese culture and all a part of the bigger experience.

Our dinner tonight was a dumpling banquet followed by a Tang Dynasty Dancing Show. The food was really good… who knew there were so many flavors of dumplings. The dance performance was quite well done and Coco and Vivian sat on the edge of their seats the whole time.

Tonight those four girls (Annalise, Coco, Matilda and Vivian) sat at their own table in their own little girl cocoon, laughing, talking and really enjoying each others company. We certainly could have taken any tourist trip to China but it would be missing all these important layers. Tonight our families said goodbye again as our companions head off to their orphanage visits and we head to the Yunnan to get some fresher air. We meet back again in Shanghai for the last leg of our journey when we all depart on the first. 

Welcome to Xian

We got up today to be packed and ready to go at 5:00 a.m. Beijing time. Guess what… the big wind actually came and the smog was gone. My condolences to wherever it blew it to but glad to see we might be able to fly out again and on time.

This might be a good time to mention how gracious that the Chinese are to tourists. The staff have to get up too for airport duty. They made sure to have a hearty breakfast packed, helped hustle luggage, waited at the security check in at the airport…very attentive! Erich and I walked about five City blocks to a supermarket last night after dark in a huge city. You feel very safe here.

At the airport I treated myself to a bag of Cuttlefish flavored snacks. A word of advice… the first one is not that good but they grow on you if you are hungry enough. 

We had a pretty uneventful flight (about two hours) and arrived in Xian. Not at all what we were expecting. This city is known for its coal and industry and I guess I was expecting that it would be dirty and polluted but not so. Yes, we saw a lot of smoke stacks and refineries on our way in to town. But the architecture was interesting and well planned, a mix on ancient buildings and sleek new skyscrapers. Beijing is big and the buildings are made of gray materials and it goes on for miles. Xian has colors, gardens, boulevards lined with Sycamore trees. It had a similar look to the boulevards in Paris. We checked in to a beautiful hotel and were delighted to find our 12^th floor room had a beautiful city view. We headed off for a visit to the Xian City wall, an actual nine-mile barrier to protect the city center in less peaceful times. Our tour guides bought each of the girls a beautiful Chinese kite to fly high atop this perch. The sun was out and the location alive with daily life. The next thing was to ride a bike along the fortress. The skyline was so interesting. Old buildings mixed in with new, contemporary buildings. The architecture was a bit more whimsical and colorful. I watched a couple pose for wedding photos in the late afternoon sun. They were wearing a modern twist on the traditional, red wedding attire. 

Our next visit was to a Chinese Folk Art Museum to look at the collection and learn how to create traditional Chinese symbol writing. The girls (who are by now thick as thieves) were really excited to draw with these beautiful bamboo brushes dipped in thin black ink and scribed on roughhewn rice paper. Even though we were not very good at it the symbols looked beautiful and bold. The museum was also an artist’s institute and we were able to talk to the staff about the meaning of some farmer’s Paintings that they were selling. Coco, Erich and I selected two, one of a couple joyful to be pregnant with child (Erich’s choice) and one that is a humorous depiction of Chinese money (Coco’s choice).

Dinner was served as it had been the past few days… in great abundance! By golly the dishes just kept coming. Noodles, unusual meat and veggie dishes, a fish done in a sweet and sour fashion and a delicious soup seasoned with fresh cilantro. An end to a most enjoyable day! 

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City

The last time that we were in the Forbidden City it was a beautiful, sunny late fall day. Seeing this for a second time on a bone chilling and smoggy day definitely changed the tone. It is still an amazing place but not being able to breathe without a mask on takes something away from the moment.

The most beautiful part of this palace is the Empresses Garden. This spot (along with the Summer Palace) housed the Empress Dowager Cixi who was a very interesting woman. She controlled the government for 47 years at the end of the Qing dynasty after her modest start as an imperial concubine. The trees and gardens although now in winter are very impressive and sheltering.

Our guide Ingrid started the day by lecturing and then quizzing the girls about Chinese history. We have been learning about all the dynasties and today we learned more about the Emperors and Empresses of the Qing dynasty. This Imperial Palace was constructed between 1406 and 1420. It is the largest collection of preserved wooden structures in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But we apparently did not spend enough time at the Hall of Mental Cultivation because when we were quizzed on the bus ride back to the hotel only the girls seemed to remember their history lesson. You could hear their voices answering questions in unison from the back of the bus where they are holed up as far away from parents as possible. This little tribe has really bonded together.

One of the reasons that we chose this particular tour is that it not only covered the tourism parts of China but touches on adoption and homeland subjects that will be important as Coco ages. In the afternoon today we met for what is called a Citizen panel. The kids were taken out for games and entertainment while the adults met for an opportunity to ask Chinese citizens of Beijing some questions centered on the one child policy, how the Chinese view their children being adopted by foreigners, how birthparents might see things and a long discussion about the girls being able/interested in finding their birth parents. I have not digested this conversation fully but I certainly have a better idea of some cultural norms and the terrible issue of poverty and even illiteracy that I had not really considered. It is a complicated issue that requires more thought.

We are getting to know our traveling companions better. We have swapped our adoption stories and shared trip details. The groups split apart tonight and we will not see two of the families again. They each have two daughters and will travel to each of their daughters Province Capital Cities and then to their orphanages. They are nervous about going. I had not realized that most families did not visit the orphanage the first time like we did and they have no idea what to expect. They are stopping in Chengdu on the way. Chengdu is the city famous for its Panda Research Center and it was offered as a side trip as well. The rest of us are headed to Xian tomorrow. Xian is in the Shaanxi Province and home to a little over 14 million people. We are hearing that the pollution is just as bad there right now so we stocked up on extra pollution masks today. It is one of the oldest Chinese cities and the start of China’s famed Silk Road. It is also home to the famous Terra Cotta Warriors which will be one of the trip highlights. We will be staying there for four nights.

There is a good possibility that our flight will be delayed due to smog. Our guides told us tonight a big wind should be blowing in… so no problem. I was not aware Trump was on his way to China HA. Okay, I got that Trump joke out of my system. Lots of talk of our President Elect here especially in light of what has been in the news. If you don’t hear from us tomorrow, you will know that our travel was delayed.

Hope you are all well and staying warm. The next time you think to complain about the weather just think about the fact that we do not have to breathe toxic air!

Forbidden City Pictures

A Full Day in Beijing

We started early today and got on the road to the Great Wall. It can take up to two hours to get there but we had another light traffic day today due to smog. Out tour guide was stuck in Mongolia today due to unsafe flying conditions caused by poor visibility. The pall just hung over the City when we left today. The idea of climbing the wall with that pollution mask on was not very appealing.

When we got to the Wall the sun actually came out and the air was clear (or looked clear anyway) at this higher elevation. The Great Wall is simply awe inspiring. It is located in such a mountainous region and it goes on for so many miles (over 400) it is hard to believe that kind of construction would have been possible that many years ago. I dare say it would be a feat to attempt today even with the variation in equipment. The higher you climb the more perspective you get as to just how much distance it covers and to what an effective deterrent it might have been.

Climbing it is not for the faint at heart. It is comprised almost entirely of steep ramps and stairs with very uneven risers. As in most tourist places that we have visited in China it had no effective handrails or safety barriers. There were a lot of domestic tourists and a few Europeans out and about. My Mom and I participated in a great number of selfies with tourists… still sticking out among the crowds! The views were dizzying and for a construction geek like myself hard to comprehend. The girls all seemed to be enjoying themselves and took the workout in stride. A few folks (no one in my band of travelers) have been bothered by the pollution. The oldest adoptee in our group celebrated a birthday today. I’d say that was a pretty memorable sweet 16!

The Chinese Government controls tourism in China so no group trip to the GW would be complete without a couple of sales pitches along the way. We dined in a Cloisonné shop on the way out. The first dining area that I have seen forks along with our chopsticks. The next stop a silkworm presentation with a retail silk store at the end. A number of us bought silk quilts for our daughters. Another gift from their past to send them with when they move in to adulthood.

We even stopped at the Olympic Village on the way back to the Hotel. The smog was so bad (my family has sore throats) that some of us just chose to stay on the bus but Erich got right out there. This condition is also making for some poor picture taking.

Coco has a real friend in Vivian. The two of them were inseparable today. They climbed the wall together, dined and shopped together and are looking forward to a trip to the hotel swimming pool tonight after dinner. I wonder if they will keep in touch over the years? Speaking of their shared past with another soul that can understand what it means.

Tonight for dinner we had the traditional Peking Duck. The chef came out and carved for us thin strips of crispy skin. You took this skin and placed it on the thinnest, most delicate rice pancake with a vertical slice of scallion and cucumber and a sweet, hoisin type sauce. It is then rolled up and eaten with your hands. It was delicious. Every time I looked over at Coco she was preparing another pancake. She thought that dish was a hit!

Tomorrow we are scheduled to go to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. We are really worried about being outside all day in the pollution. This afternoon we will participate in a Citizens Panel where the girls will hear more about what their lives would have been like in China. Tonight our group boards a train sleeper car to Xian. We are flying instead (that sounded too much like a sardine can to me). The airport has grounded many flights so we will have to wait and see if we need to train instead.