Red Poppy

Red Poppies - in a field near St. Saturnin les Apts.

Gordes, France

Today we visted a few towns, to include beautiful Gordes.

Here's a photo from last nights dinner at Restaurant Perraudin in Paris. All of us had a great time and the food was very good too!

Alex, Julia, Marna, John, Linda, Louisa, Elizabeth, Michael

Trish, Monica, Paule, Leslie

I'll post more photos from dinner, but we are off to Giverny!

Monica

The Abruzzo Quake

Please see this article in the ItalianNotebook.com web site. The editor, GB, has posted two links for those interested in contributing funds for the victims’ of yesterday's earthquake in Abruzzo Italy.

Here are the specific links:

NIAF (National Italian American Foundation): Relief Fund. The Italian Red Cross: Croce Rossa Italiana.

Thank you,

Monica

My China Journal

I just posted my October 2008 China trip report on my travel web site. This is the LINK

Some people found it difficult to read the report on my blog page.

Published on "Italian Notebook"

I sent an article to the editor for Italian Notebook, an online web site, a few months ago. It was recently published! http://www.italiannotebook.com/food-wine/splendors-italian-markets/

Monica

Music and Markets Tours

My dear friends Anne and Kirk Woodyard are owners of Music and Markets Tours. They have just posted their 2009 Summer tours on their web site:

http://www.musicetc.us/

"It’s not too early to reserve your spot on one of our summer tours!We’d love you to join us for a fun-filled week on the Amalfi Coast (followed by Tuscany ), in Provence , or in Amsterdam – enjoying the best of live classical music, delicious food, and the unique beauties of each region. Plan your holiday early, reserve your spot by April 15 and receive a $300 discount! Please contact us if you have any questions about a particular tour. Best regards- Anne & Kirk Woodyard."

Please visit their web site, as I am sure there is a tour just for you!

Monica

I'm done with my classes!

Woohoo!!

Today is a special day for me! I just completed my last class for my bachelor's degree in business administration. It's been a long process taking one class at a time over these years. On again, off again. Time to celebrate with some champagne!

Happy, happy, happy!!

UPDATE

24 February 2009:

The University emailed me yesterday saying I needed nine more credits before I could get my degree! Needless to say, my heart skipped a beat, although I knew they were wrong. I immediately emailed back, as well as to my student rep, a copy of my most recent application evaluation report. I also called the auditor. The auditor was looking at my original evaluation report (from 2006), rather than the latest (from March 2007). He also said it was never filed in my records. Thank goodness I keep every email!

He was quick to review the correct document and I received a second email (within 15 minutes) stating, “…you have met all academic requirements needed to complete your degree.”

Now the business affairs office has to do the financial part (I hope my organization paid all the school bills!) and I’ll get another email with the final results. Phew! The interesting thing is: When I emailed my student rep asking about the audit procedures, I seriously considered emailing a copy of my latest report. My instincts told me they were going to look at the wrong document. Boy, what I right!

It pays to keep all documents until something is completed. And even then, depending on the situation, you may want to hold onto it just a little longer.

Four Paws & A Defective, Dangerous Toy

My friend Dianne sent me an email the other night with a link to a tragic story about a Labrador retriever named Chai.

Anyone who has a dog, or knows someone that has a dog, should know about the dangers of this toy. Some of you may have the ball at home and not realize it. No ball should ever have just one hole in it. It needs to have at least two or more so that suction does not occur if the dog sticks his/her tongue in it. The company has a recall announcement on their web site, but many may not know about the dangers of this toy.

I did not view the video that is on the blog based on reading many of the blog comments. I don't think I could see a dog suffering. Here’s the link about Chai: The Chai Story

I have to say that this could happen to any ball with only one hole. Check your dog’s toy box. I suggest you drill 2-3 extra holes in any ball or destroy them. Keep your pet safe and healthy.

Monica

Yulong River Photos

I just added a bunch of photos that I took along the Yulong River in Yangshuo to my photography web site. Yangshuo was my favorite place in China and Reenie and I had a great time on our bamboo raft ride.

Quoted in the Fodors Italy 2009 Guidebook

Yesterday I received an email from the Community Manager of Fodors.com (a travel site that has a great travel forum) stating,

"Congratulations! You were quoted in Fodor's Italy 2009 along with other travelers like you as a part of the guide's "Word of Mouth" feature.

Each title in the Fodor's Gold Guide series includes "Word of Mouth", suggestions and tips from travelers who have posted on Fodors.com, both in the Forums and within the site's member reviews sections. We believe that the first-hand experiences of our members add much to our guides; these stories and recommendations are a part of what makes Fodor's guides unique. T o thank you for being both a part of our travel community and our guides, we'd like to offer you a complimentary guide of your choice... "

I'm planning a trip to France next May 2009, so I requested they send me their book on Provence.

This is the second time that I was quoted. The first time was for their Paris 2008 guidebook, which I recommended L'As du Fallafel, a place in the Marais that serves great falafel sandwiches and other tasty treats.

For the heck of it, I decided to Google my quote and found out that it was used in a March 2008 story on Fodors entitled, "12 Tips for Beating the Euro in Rome"
http://www.fodors.com/news/story_2953.html

...and here it is:

"One way to save on the expense of guided tours is to register online at Sound Guides (http://www.sound-guides.com/) and download the various free self-guided tours to your Ipod or MP3 player." -- monicapileggi


Along with a tip in the Frommer's Smart Travelers Passport, I've now been quoted three times! I really need to get into the travel business.

Hong Kong - Time to Go Home

3 November: It was time to go home. Reenie and I were sad to leave. Even though we spent 24 nights in China and Hong Kong, we would have enjoyed more time touring another city or two. After checking out, we walked across the street to the K3 bus stop, very convenient, and took it to the express airport train station. We were able to check in with our flight and I checked my large suitcase. Reenie didn't check anything, as she was hoping to jump on an earlier flight out of Dulles to Boston. The express train ride was quick and easy. After getting off at terminal 1, we found the ticket booth to turn in our Octopus card and get our excess monies back. Then we exchanged that money back into USA. I lost a few bucks, but didn't have much to change. I guess I could have bought something at the duty free store.

As we started through the first round of customs/check in, one woman noticed Reenie's two bags and told her only one was allowed on board. She had to go back to the ticket counter and check the piece. She was not happy but rules are rules. Then we get in line to go through the area where our passports and airline tickets are checked, I move on to go through the x-ray area and Reenie is still there with the man. She's there for 5 minutes (while I'm on the other side not being able to see anything) with 4 men checking her passport and boarding pass. For some they wouldn't accept the boarding pass. She certainly didn't look suspicious! A supervisor came along, apologized and she was released.

Our first leg was on All Nippon Airlines, which I really enjoyed. Nice comfortable airplane, beautiful flight attendants, and attentive service. We flew to Tokyo and changed planes to United. We quickly window-shopped at the airport before getting to the gate. The last time I was in Japan was when I was 8 years old. Too bad I didn't add a few nights in Tokyo to our trip!!

After 12 hours of movies, eating, napping and reading, we landed at Dulles. I love going through passport control, as I always hear "Welcome home." I love to travel and always wish my trips were longer, but it's always nice to come home too. Tony was waiting for me with a rose in hand. Reenie headed off to her gate (she did catch the earlier flight) and Tony and I drove home to a waiting dog, Lucy. Wow, was she happy to see me!

Some observations:

People: The Chinese people we met along the way were very friendly and helpful. From Stella, who bought our bus tickets and walked us to the entrance of Xitang to the old couple in Xian laughing with us as we struggled to buy our wine, to the man who waved down a taxi car for us and making sure we got in, we felt like they really wanted to take care of us. Young children are excited to see any foreigner and their smiles just melt your heart. You can easily see how much the Chinese love their children, even girls, especially with the one-child policy. I understand it was lifted for those families that lost their child in the recent Chengdu area earthquake and that certain minority population’s areas allowed two children.

Driving and biking in China: If anyone can drive in China, then they can drive anywhere in the world! I was amazed I never saw a car accident. I was always uncomfortable sitting in a taxi, as they cover the back seats with a cloth that covers the seatbelts. The only time I sort of felt comfortable is when I sat up front. If we were on a 2-lane road, the drivers turned it into a 4 or 6 lane road. Even those on bikes zigzagged all over the road. In crossing a street, you have to look in both directions, as bikers move along in any direction they need to go.

Pollution and spitting: After my 6th day in China, I could understand why all the Chinese hack and cough and spit. The pollution gets to your lungs and throat that you are constantly clearing your throat. I never spat but did do a lot of throat clearing. I hope that China cleans up the pollution. It was sad to hear one of my guides say she had never seen the stars. Man, animal, and even plants have to cope with the pollution. I felt sorry for the pandas in Chengdu. I felt sorry for all life in China. I don't understand how anyone could live in a polluted world. I know there have been people protesting the pollution, but it certainly doesn't look like the government is listening. The air was cleared up for the Olympics, but it didn't seem to last.

Food: I found the food to be so much better than what I can get here in the USA. I know most Chinese restaurants are toned down for American tastes, but the food in China is so well made, so fresh, not overly greasy, and not sopping and drenched in thick sauces. Even the small restaurants and food stalls cooked up delicious meals. Even though I did a lot of walking, I think part of my 5-pound weight loss had to do with what I ate: More vegetables, less meat, no cheese or other foods high in fat. I need to pull my wok out and start stir-frying my vegetables. If our markets were set up like those in china, the FDA would close most of them down in a heartbeat. The same goes with the street food stalls. If anyone has seen my photographs, you know I love visiting the food markets in Europe. China was no exception. We got to see many things that aren't even grown in the USA. I certainly enjoying checking out all of the various street foods and watching people purchase their meals or snacks. The best part was that the foods were dirt cheap, filling, and delicious.

Sights: China is a fascinating country to visit and there is so much to see and do. Choosing which cities to visit is very difficult. Hiking the Great Wall at Mutianyu was one of our highlights, as well as taking a bamboo boat ride on the river in Yangshuo. Seeing thousands of terra cotta warriors knowing they were pieced painstakingly back together was another highlight. And Reenie and I will never forget the playfulness of the young pandas in Chengdu. I could have climbed the wall to hug them all!

Traveling in China: China can be done independent of a tour company, as long as you are willing to take the time to do the research and know there will be bumps in the road. I brought a couple of language books, including “Me No Speak” that my friend recommended to me. I will say that no guide is really needed in China with the exception of Yangshuo: I saw several bikers out with map in hand trying to figure their way around in the countryside and I know some of the dirt roads we went on were not on any map I saw. On the other hand, a guide certainly is helpful and makes life easier when figuring out bus schedules or menus if restaurants don’t have English menus or picture menus, as well as translating in stores. Negotiate a rate for the day and make sure you know what’s included and what’s not included. Tipping is not done in China, as the price you negotiate is the price you pay. Chinese don’t tip so why should you?

Well, this has been a long journal! 24 nights is a lot to write about and I tried to keep it short. Hah! I’m sure you’re glad to be done reading all of this, as I’m done typing it up.

I hope to work on more of my photos soon. My photos of the Yangshuo are some of my favorites and I want to share them with you, so stay tuned!

Lantau Island and the Big Buddha

2 November: I woke up late, as I had not slept well through the night. In addition, the weather forecast called for rain all day and I was ready to have a day of downtime. That was not to be. It did rain overnight but looking out the window, we couldn't tell if it was going to rain or if it was just another hazy day. Reenie and I decided to go to Lantau Island to see the Buddha, the largest outdoor seated Buddha in the world, instead of visiting a museum nearby.

It was great to have the Octopus card, which we used on the subway to get to the starting point of our journey: a 3.5-mile cable car ride. Although it was overcast with thick clouds in the mountains, it was a pleasant ride and we could still see into the distance. Nearby was the Hong Kong airport, which we saw several planes take off…thank goodness in the opposite direction of the cable cars. As we neared the Ngong Ping village, we could see the Buddha in the distance sitting on a high hill.

We purchased a combination ticket that included the small museum and lunch at the vegetarian restaurant at the Po Lin monastery. Having read about the Ngong Ping village, we quickly walked through skipping the shops and restaurants. It was very touristy indeed. There are 268 steps to get to the base of the Buddha, sitting with one hand up and the other on his lap. Made of bronze, the Buddha is impressive. Surrounding the Buddha are smaller statues making offerings to the Buddha.

As we strolled around, the clouds cleared and we had blue skies again. I watched one mountain peak and the clouds that crossed over. It was fun to watch because you could see the clouds being pulled down by the winds.

Our vegetarian lunch was filling but I was not impressed at all. Our vegetarian lunch in Chengdu was much tastier.

While Reenie didn’t care for the ride on the cable car I didn’t care for the bus ride down! The driver zipped down the windy road fast, barely slowing down for the curves. No one seemed to mind. Along the way to the Mui Wo port, we passed a jail. It was in a nice location, right on the water. Nice beach views! I wonder if the prisoners ever get to swim in the ocean.

We took the boat back to Hong Kong and it was dark by the time we arrived. A quick jump on the Star Ferry and we were back in Kowloon.

We dined at Jimmy's Restaurant and ordered their prime rib dinner special. It's located within walking distance of the hotel. The waiters were attentive and the food was very good. The special came with soup, the entrée with vegetables and Yorkshire pudding, dessert (crème caramel) and coffee or tea. It had rained while we were eating, so after dinner, we just went back to the room to pack our bags.

Shopping for Jade and a visit to Aberdeen

1 November: A friend of mine recommended a jeweler that he has been buying from for many years, so we met Mr. Choi and his wife in his shop. It was located close to the hotel in an office/apartment building. I wanted to buy a jade pendant and ended up buying three pieces: pendant, earrings, and a ring. Reenie also bought a jade ring. Throughout the trip, I had looked at some jade but never knew if it was real jade or even a good quality jade. I think we both did very well with our purchases.

For the rest of the day we visited Aberdeen and took a sampan ride around the old fishing boats. We walked through the fish market, which was closing up for the day. I’m sure there was much activity in the morning. It was interesting to see all the boats with the high-rise buildings in the background, a stark contrast.

It was too late to try to get to Stanley, so we found a place in Aberdeen for lunch. It was a Japanese ramen restaurant and we both enjoyed our soups. It was quite different than what I used to eat in Hawaii, but very good. The broth looked slightly cream, but I’m sure it wasn’t cream or milk.

The traffic was terrible getting back to Hong Kong. We sat in traffic for almost an hour. We got off at Admiralty and took the subway back to our hotel. For dinner Reenie wanted to try Turkish food, so we ate at the Istanbul Express on Lock Road. We had kebabs and an appetizer, but I’ve had better. It was a small hole-in-the wall place. Lock Road has lots of dining opportunities.

A visit to Hong Kong Island

31 October: Reenie and I spent the day on Hong Kong Island first visiting the area around the escalators. We had taken the Star Ferry over and purchased the Octopus card. We took our time going up the escalators, getting off now and then to check out the area shops, and purchased a couple of things to include tea cups to go with my teapot. There were many antique shops as well. One store had a display of old Chinese shoes for women, which bound their feet. They were so small! I couldn’t imagine the pain the Chinese women felt having their feet bound. We also stopped at a Mosque, which was very simple in architecture. Even more plain was the interior, unlike the Mosques I visited in Istanbul.

We had pork and leek dumplings, and Shanghainese spring rolls for breakfast, which were good, in a small place called Dumpling Yuan (50KH). There was a temple nearby but Reenie said “no more!” so we headed to the Peak Tram. That was a fun ride! The angle of the tram was pretty scary, although there has never been an accident in its 100 years of daily use. We had read that before the tram was built the rich were carried to the top in chairs and that it took three hours to get to the top. Can you imagine having to haul up a body up a mountain for three hours? The views were spectacular, although the air was hazy. Someone had said the pollution floats in from mainland China. We walked along one trail for a while and then turned back.

There are shopping opportunities in the sky view building and we bought a few things. We headed back down on the tram and took a bus to the Causeway area and shopped along Jardine’s bazaar and Jardine’s Crescent, small streets that are filled with clothing and souvenir stalls. I finally found some reading glasses, as I lost my other 2 pair. The glasses at the temple night market were 4 times the price I paid (25 HK).

We enjoyed dinner at Vet Delicious, located in the mist of the shopping stalls on Jardine’s Crescent. A small, but modern looking place, it filled up quickly with diners in business suits. They were in and out before we finished our meal. I had spring rolls and the pork and vermicelli bun dish.

After dinner, we walked around the area, which was quite busy. It almost had a NYC feel. Took the subway back to our hotel for the night.

Off to Hong Kong

30 October: It was sad to leave Yangshuo, as it was my favorite place in China. It was a world of its own and quite different than the other cities we visited. I wish I had planned an itinerary with more countryside touring and a little less of the big cities. There is so much to see and do in China, so I’ll just have to go back someday.

Our taxi driver picked us up around 8am. We had a noon flight to Shenzhen. I said my goodbyes to the gals at the Li River Retreat and we headed out. It took about 1.5 hours to get to the airport. It was great to see the countryside, as we had arrived in Guilin the other day in the dark. I could see why the airport was quite a distance away. Who would want to fly among the mountains?

Our flight was very short and I think we were just served a drink. Once we landed, we could tell we would be having more warm days. Just beyond the luggage claim area, I found the ticket booth for the bus to Hong Kong. Tickets were 90 RMB each, which I used almost the last of my Chinese currency. We had to wait in the lounge only 10 minutes before we were gathered and escorted to the bus. Two security men boarded the bus and made sure everyone was buckled in. one security man took video shots of each person on board. Hmmm, I guess they wanted to keep track of who was crossing over into Hong Kong. After a short drive, we hit the border where we had go get off the bus, take our luggage and go through customs where we departed China and entered Hong Kong. Back on the bus we continued on to the Kowloon bus station.

On board we met a young couple (Elaine and Nigel) from California who were also staying at the Salisbury YMCA, so we shared a taxi after getting HK dollars at an ATM machine in the mall.

The YMCA is located in a good area of Kowloon with a subway stop nearby. The lobby was crowded with people checking in and just hanging out. Security men were everywhere. I booked a harbor view room (room 945), but a small portion of one building blocked part of the view. I checked later and was told our room was considered a full harbor view room rather than partial. I would recommend staying on a higher floor. In any case, the view was wonderful! I had seen this skyline for years on tv and in magazines but it was great to see it in person. Our room was basic with twin beds, tv., safe, mini bar and a small bathroom.

We met up with Elaine and Nigel and found a place for a late lunch/early dinner not too far from our hotel. I loved seeing all the street signs and the activity of the area. We walked around the temple street night market, but there was nothing worth buying. There were lots of eateries in the area and all the tables were filled. We walked south through the park and back to our hotel.

We headed over towards the harbor front to watch the evening laser light show. Many of the buildings across the water were lit up and some had green laser lights flashing over the city. The show lasted just 15 minutes. Found a department store with a small grocery inside under the convention center. Picked up a couple of food items and a bottle of wine for the room.

Our last day in Yangshou

29 October: During breakfast we met a couple from England, Tony and Trish, who had arrived the night before. After telling them about our adventures and our guide, they were anxious to meet Juan and hire her for their time in Yangshuo. I invited them to join us, but they weren’t quite ready to head out for the day.

Our last day in Yangshuo was spent on the Li River. We took a motorized boat up the river for 2 hours. We should have started at Yangdi town and worked our way south, not XingPing where the boat worked its way against the flow of the river. The scenery was incredible even though it was an overcast day. We spent a little time in XingPing before the ride walking along the oldest street in town. We visited an old man’s house where he entertained us with a song. He’s a musical teacher as well as an artist. We purchased paintings that he drew; typical Yangshuo scenes for 15 RMB each.

On the river we passed a few large boats that had come from Guilin. All the tourists were up top taking photos of the scenery.

After our 2-hour ride, we took the bus back to Yangshuo and spent some time window-shopping. It sort of made me feel I wish we had stayed at a hotel in town rather than the Retreat. We could have had more time in town. As it was, we spent little time at the Retreat, which I had planned on some downtime to relax and write in my journal. We were on the go every day!

We had dinner at Café China. I had a beef curry dish and Reenie had a pork and tofu dish. We had a couple of drinks, which brought the total to 154RMB. Ran into Tony and Trish, who were waiting to go to the Liu Sanjie light and sound show. Juan made arrangements for a taxi to take us there and back to the hotel after the show. She ordered our tickets the night before. The performance lasted about an hour and consisted of about 500 performers on bamboo boats. Young girls sang while dressed in local costume. Even an ox came out on stage with his handler! The same man who did the opening ceremonies for the Olympics created the show. It was pretty impressive.

Back at our hotel, we packed our suitcases for our last leg of the trip – Hong Kong.

Yangshou and the Karst Mountains

26 October: I tried to book an early flight to Guilin but the airlines changed their schedules from a summer to fall schedule, which meant an evening flight. This gave us more time in Chengdu, however, with our late checkout at the hotel (Priority club member), we didn't have time to do a lot. We packed the night before and after a few minutes on the Internet; we took a taxi to Jinli Street. The taxi driver dropped us off in front of the Wuhou Memorial temple, which we visited. I hate to say this, but we really got tired of all the temples. They became a blur, as we couldn't remember which one was which. We walked along Jinli Street and checked out the various shops and food stalls. The street is narrow so it made it a little difficult to stroll along the way with everyone packed in. Both of us bought a couple of small items, including a cute panda key chain.

Back at the hotel and after checking out, I told one person at the door that we needed a taxi to the bus station to catch the airport shuttle bus. She explained that a taxi directly to the airport would be much better for us and less of a hassle with our luggage. I agreed, but told her that we had bad experiences with taxi drivers taking us to airports, that they overcharged us. I knew the approximate price to the Chengdu airport and told her so. She assured me we would not be overcharged, and in fact, it was a few RMB less even though the driver stopped to fill his car with gas and that took almost 10 minutes!

Got to the airport early enough to have a beer in the bar. We had a nice flight, arriving in Guilin around 9:30pm. I had the owner at the Li River Retreat arrange for a taxi to pick us up. A woman with my name on a sign was waiting for us outside. It was such a nice treat to be able to walk out and hop into a car without waiting in line and fighting with the illegal taxi drivers.

Our drive took about 1 hour, 40 minutes in the dark. It began on a dirt road! I was surprised to see buses leave the airport in one direction and our car in another direction. Both of us were tired, so it was a quite ride to Yangshuo. Not long before arriving, I could see in the dark the outlines of some karst mountains and my heart skipped a beat! Reenie told me the Great Wall would be the highlight of her trip; Yangshuo would be mine. I couldn't wait for daylight to see the scenery of Yangshuo! We could see the mountains that surrounded the town, some lit up with different colored lights.

The Li River Retreat is located along the river, about a mile north of the town. We drove on a narrow street that had no lights and through the woods. We arrived before midnight where two people were waiting for us. A man whisked our luggage up two flights of stairs and we checked into room 302, which our view and balcony faced the town. In the distance we could see the largest peak lit up. We were both thrilled with our room and views! Our room had two beds, one a double and the other a queen. No tv, no telephone, but for a place like this, who needs the outside world? The bathroom was tiled with a lovely round sink that "sat" on top of the counter. I had to borrow the community hair dryer each morning from the front desk. The A/C worked very well, as it was pretty humid. The Retreat does not provide room slippers but plastic slippers, which we had no desire to use. Fortunately we both had a pair from another hotel. We didn't unpack but showered and jumped into bed.



27 October: I arranged for a guide to take us around Yangshuo for three days. Expecting to meet Lijingfeng, the guide I hired, she sent her niece Juan instead. Juan was a wonderful guide who spoke English very well. I imagine it was due to all the English-speaking tourists visiting Yangshuo. She's been a guide for a few years now and we enjoyed her services. From my research, all the guides charge 100RMB per day per couple.

We rented two bikes, one a tandem for Reenie and the guide, and rode our bikes all around Yangshuo and into the countryside. I was in heaven stopping every few minutes to take pictures. We had semi-blue skies and the air wasn’t really polluted. I apologized to Juan for all the stops I was making but hey, it was my money and my vacation. We saw farmers in the fields, oxen tied up eating grass, and lots of other bikers and hikers. At some point, we rode along the Yulong River.

We stopped to tour a farmer's home and gave them a small donation. Reenie and I were fascinated in how they lived. Two old women and man showed us where they cooked and slept, and showed us their hand water pump. On display in another room were to coffins, which one woman gestured sleep with her hands. In the courtyard the old man lifted a large stone that had a carved out handle. I couldn't figure out what it was until he lifted it and started using it as a weight. Exercise! I tried to lift one, but it was too heavy. Throughout my trip I was astonished to see so many people still working hard into his or her 80/90s. The Chinese have a hard life, but they are hard workers. This is especially true for the farmers who break their backs bending over to plant and pick rice, wheat, etc. I saw old women carrying their grandchild and others carrying large poles over their shoulders balancing baskets that were filled with food.

After biking a few hours, we stopped at a small place for lunch. There were about 8 other bikers taking a break. Juan knew the owners, as she walked into the kitchen and started chatting with the cooks. We ordered noodles with chicken, pork with vegetables and some battered-fried taro root, which was sweet and crunchy, and some steamed local green leafy vegetables.

Continuing on, we biked another few hours before stopping at Moon hill. Juan stayed behind with our bikes and bags while Reenie and I hiked to the top, a total of 800 steps! We were definitely not in shape and stopped to rest many times. It took about 40 minutes to get to the top, while the more fit took less time. We were rewarded with spectacular views of the countryside and the mountains. In the distance I saw villages tucked between the karst mountains. It was hazy in the distance, but still a spectacular sight to see. Our 800-step hike was well worth it. During our hike to the top, two older women tailed us with containers of sodas. I had read about these women bugging people to buy their drinks as they hiked to the top. They didn’t try with us, but kept following us. Maybe it was because we had our bottled water with us. No sale from us. Other hikers managed to hike up alone.

By the time we got back down, we were both getting pretty tired. My tush was really hurting by then, as I had not ridden a bike in years (a 30-minute gym bike doesn’t count). It actually became painful to sit. I had asked Juan how long it would take to get back to Yangshuo town and she said, “About 50 minutes.” I about died! I didn’t think I could make it back so Juan and I ended up switching bikes and I led Reenie home on the tandem bike, as it had a slightly wider seat (although not any more comfortable). I made the mistake of selecting a mountain bike thinking the wider wheels would be best for countryside dirt roads. I’ll tell you, I was sore the rest of the trip and it was difficult getting out of chairs. To this day, I’m still sore and use a donut shaped cushion so that I don’t sit on the bruised spot. I really bruised the tailbone area and I know it can take many weeks to heal.

Back in town (still stopping along the way to take photographs), we ran into a couple we met on one of our flights, Lucy and Mark, a cute couple. We were all surprised to see each other, especially running into someone in such a huge country. They were staying at a “home stay” and loved their room. After 10 minutes, we continued on to return our bikes and collapse at the Retreat.

No night in town, we had picked up a bottle of wine after talking to Lucy and Mark, and had dinner on the terrace enjoying a local dish: Beer fish along with fried rice with an egg on top, and mixed vegetables with fried tofu. One of the young women working at the retreat, and serving our food, practiced her English, which Reenie and I helped. She was a little embarrassed but we both thought she did very well.



28 October: Another long day of sightseeing. We met up with Mary and Gan, who I corresponded with on Fodors. Gan’s sister was sick in bed (ate something bad) and missed out on seeing Yangshuo. I invited Mary and Gan to join us as we took a local bus to the town of Fuli for their market day, followed by a bamboo boat ride. The bus ride took about 20 minutes. It was a prettier day with blue skies but hot and humid!

Touring the market, we saw all sorts of fruits, vegetables, clothing, bags of rice, an old man selling honey (Juan bought some saying he had the best in town), etc. I even saw a vendor at a little stand selling false teeth. I have to say many of the Chinese have horrible teeth. I did see some puppies, but was told they were for pets. I hoped so! We were in an area where dog is a typical menu item, something I had no desire to try. Of course I understood the differences of our cultures.

We took a bus back to Yangshuo and then a taxi to the north end of the Yulong River for our bamboo raft ride. We let Gan do the negotiations, as he spoke Mandarin. There is one “boss” of the boat “drivers” and he controls the price After 10 minutes of back and forth negotiations, Gan was able to get tickets down from 200 to 150 RMB per couple.

What a wonderful boat ride we had along the river! With blue skies and green mountains, it was picture perfect. Our ride began with a lunch break for our “drivers” (each couple in their own boat with a colorful umbrella to keep the sun off of us) just minutes after leaving the dock. We floated while they quickly downed their food before getting back to work. We moved along the river snapping pictures and taking in the unique scenery. It made me wish I had planned for more countryside touring and less of the bigger cities.

Along the way, we encountered about 4 “drops” in the lake, where we had to put up our feet while we plunged over the edge. These drops ranged from a couple of feet to one where we had to get out of the boat, cross over a narrow road and continue on.

At the end of our ride, Juan and the taxi driver was waiting for us. We had negotiated a fair price for him to wait for us rather than him returning empty-handed.

Back in town and after a cold soda at the Buffalo Bar (Li River Retreat Alf owns the place), Reenie and I met up with a person for our cooking class. We made plans to join Mary and Gan later in the evening at the Retreat.

I arranged for us to take a cooking class that I found on the Internet last year. For 120 RMB (about $17.50) per person, it sounded like a good deal. Our cooking instructor first, along with a solo traveler, Jody, took us to the market in town. It consisted of two very large halls with the foods sectioned off. The instructor showed us the various local produce and which products we would be using in our class. She did ask if we were squeamish about any food, and I mentioned I didn’t want to see dog. Reenie didn’t want to see snake. Jody didn’t care. I had read that the back of the market is where dog meat had been sold, but didn’t think about it as we moved to the second hall. Walking through, we saw pork meat, beef, chicken, and, when looking left, a dog carcass hanging. Well, I saw it and just turned away. At least it didn’t look cute and cuddly, but one that I had typically seen in town.

Done with the market, we jumped into a car and drove to the countryside to the village of Chao Long for our class. We drove along the same route as our biking day, but it was lovely as the sun was going down. I could have jumped out to take more pictures!

The classroom is large with about 14 wok stations. It was nice to have such a small group. The food was already in place when we arrived. Going through all the ingredients, the instructor told us what we would be making. For each dish, she would have a demonstration and we would taste the results, deciding if we wanted to add more oyster sauce or spicy sauce to our dish. It was a lot of fun, but the first dish wasn’t easy: Egg wrapped dumplings, which consisted of pork filling and seasonings. After placing a spoonful (Chinese soup spoon) of egg batter into the wok, we had to quickly place a dollop of pork filling and fold over the egg, pan frying till golden brown and crispy. Two came out perfect but the rest were a little lopsided. Still, it was delicious. Other items we made: Steamed chicken with mushrooms and red wolf berries, eggplant with soy and oyster sauce, sliced pork with vegetables, and green vegetables with garlic. We all enjoyed our dinner with rice and tea on the terrace.

While eating, our instructor told us we would be taken back to town and dropped off. That was not the agreement and I told her so. The web site states transportation to and from the hotel and even though we were picked up in town, I expected to be dropped off at the hotel – it wasn’t much further. She ran off to talk to the owner, Pam, and came back with “okay.”

Full from dinner, we sat with Mary and Gan at the Retreat while they had theirs. Reenie and I had some red wine and we spent a couple of hours talking.

Another great day in China!

Ancient town of Huanglongxi

25 October: A day trip to the ancient town of Huanglongxi. Today we took a taxi (100 RMB) with Fiona to the ancient town of Huanglongxi. The local buses were booked until noon and we didn't want to wait that long. We negotiated with a taxi driver, which Fiona said the 100 RMB was a fair price - $15 USD.I had read about this small town in my research. Not many Americans have visited this place, but I wanted to because I had read part of the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was filmed here. I wanted to visit a town that still had the feel of old China. It did in a way. The buildings still stand, although much of it has been renovated. Most of the buildings are two stories with ceramic rooftops and large pillars at the entrances. I would have loved to see the rooftops from above! Many buildings also had red lanterns hanging, as well as assorted flags written in Chinese characters.

This was a popular tourist destination site based on the crowds. We wandered the smaller streets, shopped a little, and just took in the area walking down the smaller streets. There were many vendors, which make it less than authentic. Still, we enjoyed our time here. I took many photos including those of the old folks. They all enjoyed the attention. Unlike yesterday with the many, many children asking for autographs, we had several that came up to us with their "hello!" One woman was holding her baby, a beautiful girl, so I took their photo. It's a keeper.

Near the river, to cross from one part to the next, is a short “walkway” that consisted of large stepping-stones. Reenie would have none of it and walked the long way around.

Along the way were old women with shallow baskets filled with baby rabbits for sell, but not to eat! One basket included a shivering and scared puppy. A pair of rabbits in another basket was nibbling on one lettuce leaf. I watched as they ate it quickly, almost kissing at the end when the reached the last piece of lettuce at the same time.

I saw three old women playing cards, which one had a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. It was definitely a “kodak moment” that I captured.

There were lots of tables and chairs along side the river. A few people were having shoulder massages while others were having their ears cleaned with long metal prongs. I had seen this on the Anthony Bourdain show. No thank you! A few ‘cleaners’ approached me with prong in hand, and I politely said I don’t want it, “bú yào,” a phrase Reenie and I learned quickly for our shopping. Many people would repeat “bú yào” back to us, laughing, probably because they were surprised we knew this phrase.

While walking along, a young woman stopped Fiona (Reenie was off taking photos of the river area) and they chatted a few minutes. Next Fiona tells me the woman is in college and is doing a project and would I agree to being interviewed? Sure, which not! With a small video camera, she asked me a few questions, which Fiona translated. The main question was "How did you come to find this town?" I explained about my research for this trip, the movie I saw and that I wanted to visit a place that was relatively unknown to Americans. It was a short interview but it was fun. There were lots of people standing around watching the scene. I tell you, this trip has been a great experience and I have had fun interacting with the Chinese. They are wonderful, friendly people, especially the young ones.

Another time, two young girls came up to me and asked for my photo with them. This happened a few times on the trip. I had Reenie take my photo with them too with my camera. Thinking back, when waiting for Violet to buy our tickets for the Temple of heaven, I spotted two cameras in our direction. This also happened in Yangshou along the Li River where one man just walked up and stood beside me and posed for his friend.

Lunch was in a tiny hole-in-the-wall. I think we were eating tripe, which I have had before, but not my favorite food item. I asked Fiona a few times if it was tripe, but she didn’t know this word and kept saying it was part of the pig. Another dish we had, and I ate, was a sliced pork dish in a very spicy sauce, and soft tofu. This lunch was probably the one I didn’t care for the most.

We visited the small temple in town for just an RMB. I liked this one especially because of the gardens. There was also an old theatre stage, located on the second floor of one of the buildings.

Back in town, we took a taxi to a Thai restaurant for dinner, which was very good: Spring rolls, pad thai, and a curry chicken dish with green beans and mushrooms. We were served tea as well (129 RMB for the three of us).

Back at the hotel, we said our goodbyes to Fiona. She was really disappointed that she had other plans the next day and would have preferred visiting with us instead. Reenie and I really enjoyed her company. She told us a lot about Chengdu, China, and her own life. We enjoyed getting to know her and always felt comfortable with her. We both told her she had a place to stay if she ever came to the USA. If anyone needs a reliable, friendly guide, I will be more than happy to pass her information to you via email: mjpileggi @comcast.net.

I have to say, despite the crowds and touristy feel of Huanglongxi, I did enjoy our time there and would recommend it as a place to visit. It was a very nice change from the cities we had already visited. Now I need to go watch Crouching Tiger and see what part of the town was filmed!

Catching Up: Chengdu, Xian, Hangzhou

I haven't had much opportunity to get to an internet bar. Found one just now for 3 RMB per hour, which is about .45 cents. What a deal!

We're here in Chengdu for 3 nights, arrived yesterday. The Crowne Plaza hotel is great. Comfortable room, upgraded service (somewhat) for my Priority club membership, and great location (close to this cheap internet place among things).

Today we took a taxi with our guide Fiona, who I met via Trip Advisor. We had a blast seeing all the pandas, from the babies in the nursery (about 8-9 of them asleep - wish I could cuddle one), to the young 1-2 year old pandas, to the adults. I took a 'few' photos. ;) We could have watched them all day. We had arrived early enough to see them feed on the piles of bamboo, their food staple. Also saw people posing with one eating apples. A pose for about 30 seconds and 3 photos (with your own camera) cost 400 RMB.

We encountered several groups of school children, probably about 300 of them. All were excited to see the pandas, but many were excited to see Amercians. Many came up to us and said, "Hello!" Probably the only English word they know. That was just the beginning. Several came up with their panda postcards and a pen and asked for our autographs. What a frenzy it became! Both Reenie and I were swamped with children shoving the cards in our faces for our signatures. It started out fun and I wrote my name, "Monica J. Pileggi, USA". Well, by the third group of kids I was scribbling "Monica", as they were just happy to have anything written down. I couldn't keep up. One sweet girl came up to me and seemed to want to touch me, so I held out my hand. We shook hands and then she reached for me and we hugged. That blew me away. Such great kids. I saw another tourist bombarded by kids.

We later taxied to a museum, Sanxingdui, which has artifacts from an ancient Chinese culture from 2000-4000 years ago. Lots of bronze sculptures, masks, swords made out of jade, etc.

We took the local bus back to the city, which took about 1.5 hours. I wasn't happy as I now have a bladder infection and the bumpy ride did not help me. Fortunately, I have Cipro and will start taking it when I get back to the hotel.

Just a quick backtrack:

After Shanghai, we took the train to Hangzhou, which is the area of the West Lake and, "is like a heaven," according to the locals. We spent 2 nights and a young woman, Rebecca, took us around to see the various sights: temple, beautiful gardens, a ride on the West lake with 2 island stops. We also did some shopping and enountered a festival with TONS of food. The streets with filled with people moving about from one food stall to the next. It was fun.

After Hangzhou, we flew to Xian and spent 2 nights. Both flights we've taken so far have been great. Air bus planes.

In Xian, our main purpose was to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors (TCW). The day we went it rained like crazy and it must have been in the high 40s. The winds were blowing that everyone's pants were soaked. It wasn't fun. However, seeing the TWC certainly made up for it. We spent a few hours just viewing them. There is a museum, as well as three pits. This was an amazing find. Apparently the TWC were never written in the history records. How something so significant and so large could disappear for so long is astounding. In seeing the other two pits, I know it will be many, many years before they uncover it all.

We fly to Guilin on the 26th and will drive to Yangshou for our 4-night stay. This is the area with the karst mountains and Li River. I hope to get some good photos here. After, we'll head to Hong Kong for 4 nights and then home again.

I'll try to write again....maybe tomorrow! I can afford 3 RMB. :)

Monica