TMBWitW

Yoga and Shopping

2009-07-09T19:05:00.001-05:00

Thursday, July 9, 2009

A few days ago, I’d located a yoga studio nearby, Body and Soul Yoga. With our schedule, this was my first day to try it, however, I missed the morning class, so went to a noon “Flow” class.

You may know the popularity of hot yoga in the states, well any class at done at 12 noon in a inside an non climate controlled studio is, hot yoga. I got a work out. Pradeep, the instructor/owner is a yogi from India. I liked his style, would show the pose, and as you held it, walk to you and a gently reposition or improve your pose. A great workout, I just won’t do another class in the middle of the day again.

Extra bonus, on the corner of the same street of the yoga studio is an Café 85 degrees I mentioned earlier, woo hoo!! I picked up dinner, vegetable and wiener focaccia breads, and headed home.

While on the way to the yoga studio, the taxi took me through the finer shopping district around the apartment. So I decided to meander back that way. I wandered into a Silk shop just to browse, hoping to find some 4xl silk tops. No such luck. However, with the tailor shop on the second floor, I did order 3 silk tops and a pair of silk pants, custom made to my size, $USD 325. This is comparable to mid-quality off the shelf clothing in the states. I would have to return Friday after 7pm for a fitting. I’ll break this little purchase to John sometime, or not. We’ll see if he reads the blog.

More later, Letica

Sans Luggage

2009-07-08T22:19:00.004-05:00

Next day
First, I’ll back up to a bit of drama we had the previous day, that carried over to today. As we were getting in the cab catch the train, John finally received an email from our contact in Cixi City telling us the he’d received permission from the Chinese government for us to visit his plant the next day (Wednesday). Yikes, we did not pack for this, expecting only to visit the GBF plant and return back by train same day.

Not knowing we’d have a lot of time at the train station, we did not turn around and go back for an overnight bag. We hoped / planned to find a good hotel with overnight laundry service and local store for other amenities. In the Hangzhou Bay Resort, we were lucky and found just what we needed. We arrived tired and dirty, after checking in with NO luggage, I took a cab to a local Walmart style store, and purchased two t-shirts, a blouse and Capri pants. Luckily, they had my Chinese size available (4XL), but I found nothing for John.

After obtaining clothes, I went back to the hotel. Changed into my new Chinese outfit, then John and I gathered all the clothes we were wearing, and I called for housekeeping to request overnight laundry. After a very firm discussion across the language barrier, (Staff, a young woman of 20 or so, “Tomorrow 12pm, is ok?” Me, “No, not OK, need by 8:30am”. Staff, “maybe 10:00, ok?”, Me, “No, not OK, need 8:30 am”). This young woman, after discussion with others in chinese, “OK. OK.”). I released the clothes to the staff and prayed for the best. Of course, this meant dinner in the room, since John only had a hotel sheet to wear.

This morning, all went well, promptly at 8:15, I asked about my laundry. I was told a few more minutes. 30 minutes later we, got our freshly laundered clothing, still a bit damp in spots.

After a leisurely breakfast, Mr. Le Gang’s assistant picked us up at the hotel and we went to his office to discuss using Cazseal’s ceramic board, Kevlar fibers and carbon fabrics for the oil field industry for John’s associate, Dr. Fleming. Mr. Le Gang also sells gaskets primarily to the oil field industry. After this discussion, Mr. Le Gang and his assistant took us to lunch at a local restaurant, were we had a great meal of vegetables, fish, soup and fried rice. Mr. Le Gang and Brian at lunch.

After lunch, Mr. LeGang and Brian dropped us off at the local bus station for our trip back to Shanghai. The hotel staff recommended that we take the bus back to Shanghai instead of the train as it was a shorter trip. Luckily we were able to make the 1:10 bus. The bus was very crowded and although air conditioned, still very warm. After an uncomfortable 3.5 hours on the bus, we arrived back in Shanghai, grabbed a cab, and were back to our hotel by 6pm. Over all a successful two days. After a light dinner of left over pizza and salad we were off to bed.

more later.. Leticia

Visit to GBF

2009-07-07T23:39:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, Plant Tour

The morning started early, 4:00am. Because of John's mobility issues and
we did not know the layout of the Shanghai Railway station, we left the
hotel at 04:30 for our 6:08 train. John wanted to make sure if it was a lot of walking, he had time to make it. We made it alright, the Shanghai Railway station turned out to be a 7
minute cab ride and even with the trek to the train lounge, we were waiting at
the gate by 5:00am. We were there so early, the lights were not on in the
lounge. Yawn.

We wanted to get a coffee at the station, but none of the coffee shops were open. I did get John a nescafe from one of the smaller vendors, while I stayed with water.

The train trip was uneventful, except our seats were not next to each other, so after the 2nd stop as the train filled up we had to move. One note, we order green tea on the train. Yummy. It was great green tea, much better than we get in the states billed as premium tea. Full green leaves that we were able to use 3 times before losing flavor.

We arrived in Hangzhou at 8:06, our host Sunny and her sister Eva met us at the exit. After a quick stop for fruit from a local vendor for breakfast (Lychees, oranges, and bananas), we headed out to the plant in Dongyang county in the city of Hengdian. Hengdian the home of the famous Hengdian World Studios, the Hollywood of China. We did a quick drive by tour of the Studios lots, which is surprising close to the plant. The studios are impressive.

Then on to the plant where we met Mr. Hu, the Chairman of GBF and Eric, the international sales director. After shooting pictures of the product display, we headed out to lunch. This was the best meal we've every had in China, including last years trip. We had baked fish, a sauteed leafy green, similar to water spinach, but not, a whole chicken soup (including feet), squid sauteed with chilis and a green aspargus like vegetable, fried rice, lettuce wraps, and a bun served with a chicken, vegetable mix. Yumm...

After lunch, we went back to the plant to discuss our plans to promote GBF products in the states and get to know each other better. The our discussions focused on the standarization and certification of basalt fiber worldwide.

I requested and did get to see the plant, which was very clean and quiet. You hear a lot of negative press about plants in China. At this plant, the workers are fed well, the plant is clean and safe. I could not take pictures for trade secret reasons, but I was very impressed with the process. The plant uses electricity instead of gas for process of the rock. Most of the process is automated so workers are not at risk handling the high temperature equipment. Here is a picture of the plant lunch room serving a nice meal with chicken, rice and vegetables.

After our discussions with Mr. Hu, Eric and Sunny, where we discussed the actions we wanted to take to promote/offer basalt fibers in the US, we prepared to leave. Sunny and Mr. Hu, graciously arranged for our driver to take us to our hotel in Cixi City about a 3 ½ hour trip away. We greatly appreciated this generosity. Here it the leadership of GBF and us as we prepare to leave.

We said good-bye, and Sunny had Eva and the driver on to our hotel, the Hangzhou Bay Resort in Cixi City.

A very good day for us.

more later.. Leticia

Jet Lag or just really tired

2009-07-06T21:24:00.003-05:00

Sunday and Monday in Shanghai.

It's either jet lag or an accumulated lack of sleep. In the weeks prior to this trip, John and I were running at 110%. I tried to wrap up as much as I could at work, at the same time keeping up with my health routine. Staying up late, then up early for spinning or boot camp. My sister and her beau arrived on Wednesday to couch camp with us and stay with the cats. So of course I stayed up late visiting with her.

So what do we do when we get here. Sleep, eat breakfast at the hotel (included with the room), run down to the corner Family Mart for fancy raimen noodle soups (I love the super spicy one - I need to find it when I get back to Dallas at our local Asian food store, H Mart). Nap again.

We did plan for our trip to the GBF plant in the Hangzhou area on Tuesday. This included a 4km round trip trek to the Railway office for tickets. Shanghai is HOT and STEAMY. When I got back, I was exhausted from the heat. After a bath, took another nap.

Our apartment hotel is at the edge of the finest upscale shopping areas and the local hardware store district. My trek for tickets went through the hardware district which consists fo many of little shops selling, tank gauges, giant industrial glue sticks, piping, gaskets, wood carpentry pieces, tool shops, lazer levelers, and other construction/industrial items. Each shop sold only a small range of items and had 2-3 very hot, tired clerks, ready to service any need for these pieces. In addition, the sidewalks are parking and roads for bicycles and motorcycles, also construction abounds.

A successful trek, as I returned with tickets for the train to and from Hangzhou, where our hosts from GBF planned to pick us up for the trip out to the plant. Traffic laws in Shanghai seem to be considered suggestions, rather than law, so it was an adventure of dodging pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles on the sidewalks and taxis in the crosswalks.

On the way back, I found a gem of a local cafe, Cafe 85 degrees C, which sells delightful pastries, foccica breads with wonderful toppings, frozen drinks, coffee and tea. I know where I'm having breakfast while I'm here.

It's to bed early again, (yea!! more sleep), as our train leaves for Hangzhou at 06:08, yawn.

More to come.

Eclipse Adventure 2009

2009-07-04T00:58:00.006-05:00

John and I are starting our eclipse adventure once again. This year the eclipse starts in India and ends in the middle of the Pacific http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE20 09/TSE2009.html.

John and I will see the eclipse at center point on the Costa Classica ship. At the planned location, we'll see a 6 minute 39 second eclipse. Extra bonus, my good friend Kathy, who saw the 1998, 1999 and 2001 solar eclipses with me, will be joining us with her husband (also named John). We'll also be joined by our eclipse buddy, Lynn, who traveled on the same 2008 China Solar eclipse tour last year with us near Yiwu. See last year's posts for a description of that trip.

We started out today via American Airlines direct flight to Narita, Japan. John and I settled in nicely. He with some reading materials and plans to sleep. Me with downloaded Torchwood episodes to watch on the laptop. After a 5 hour layover, we went on to Shanghai. Pictures shown here are John settling in on the airplane for the 13 hour trip and the JAL Business class lounge at Narita.

Last year we visited Beijing as part of our July/August 2008 eclipse trip. This year, as the universe helped us arrange, our best option is Shanghai as John is now representing GBF, a basalt fiber manufacturing company located near Hangzhou. So our plans are to base ourselves out of Shanghai, visit the plant, then travel to Tianjin, where we'll do a day trip out to visit another company John represents.

We arrived safely in Shanghai and took a car to our Citadines Apartment hotel. It's a nice 2 bedroom, two bath, with kitchen apartment that will be our home until July 13, when we travel to Tianjin.

A memory from my dad

2009-06-10T22:13:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to share this memory my Dad sent me. Background, my Grandfather moved from Mexico to the US and made his living farming about 50 miles south of Dallas. My father grew up in poverty as a son of a tenant farmer. This is a memory from his childhood. Excuse the grammar, English is his second language.

Memorable Event
casa de los alamos
The Christmas Eve that I was six years old,and some months, is remember very well by me, because of the uncommon things that happen.
Mother, Dad and the whole family were in a sort of emergence that as a six year old would not understand. The thing that is vivid in my memory, that I was hungrey,sleepy and very irritated. The whole family was moving to a make shift home at night.
Dad, in the daylight hours of that December 24, was disassembling the old chicken coup that he had made for the chickens, my brothers were removing the turkey holding pent. The five or some cows had already been taken, to where , I did not know.
Mother, was putting important things to her in cardboard boxes and gunny sacks, What seem to surprise me, that all this was been done in the dark.
The only usual familiar thing happening was hunger and sleepy, and very miserable.
Dad, was very proud of his baby chick house. The baby chick house was use for the baby chicks and baby turkeys. Mother and Dad were very carefull with the baby chicks when brought home from the city’s commercial hactchery. The middle of the chicken house had a, six feet diameter, umbrella.Hanging from the ceiling by baleing wires, the edges was about 6 inches off the floor. Henry, my little brother and I, would go in with mother when watering and feeding the baby chickens or turkeys, that were brought in about a day or two old, we love to play with the cute little things. Of course the admonition was constantly from Mother “don’t squeeze them too hard nor step on one” Surely by stepping on one it would be the end of the little critter, and the stepper would get a knuckle on top of his head. The umbrella had a kerosene heat burner enclose in it’s pinnacle (or top) to keep baby chicks warm. The reality of the thing it was an artificial hen keeping it’s chick warm. The metal umbrella could warm about 150 baby chicks or turkeys. If the baby critters would get cold, they would bunch up and suffocate. It was nice and warm in that room and we like it.
The chicken house was use to grow the poultry to the age that their feather would shed water, at that time, they were move to the open air pents. Then the metal umbrella was shut down for the season, would restart with baby turkeys or vica versa.

When the baby chick were brought to the farm, there was no way to tell which would become a hen or roster only until reaching the age of a four weeks.
The to be hens were kept to lay eggs for the family to eat, but the chicken that started to grow a crest on the head were to be rosters. Mother never separate one from the other. The only difference was when the little roster grew they would become Sunday dinner for the family, or a guest dinner.
All these disassembling and moving at night, but why?
Next day, I woke up in these house that had bales of hay stack outside. Later I found out that Dad had move the family to these ,box plank, house that had been use as a barn for years. The hay had to be move out for us to move in. Have you ever heard the phrase, “close the door, were you raise in a barn” In my case that would be true, at least for a year. For we move again, the following articula eve, and at night one more time. Like fugitives.
So Dad had to move out of a farm, and farm house that he had farm and lived in for 18 years. I think his sence of security was shatter. The house, we move out from, was a standard house for the general area. Box and plank, except it was one step less, it had no windows. For windows it had two 1 by 12 boards and for hinges two pieces of leather. The latches were pieces of rope or wire tied to a barb wire staple. The doors for door knobs had a hole, but no door knob. A pull string was attached to the door knob hole and tied to a nail in the wall to keep the door shut.The house did have one luxury. Some one in the past dream of putting the water well next to the porch where the woman of the house would not get off the porch to get water. The house had three rooms, one was the kitchen, second was for my four brother’s bedroom, for my little brother and me slept with mother and dad. My sister would sleep in a cot in the same room with us. That particular farm in the later years we would refer to as “la casa de los alamos” meaning the house with the cottonwood trees. The house had the formation of a T. the top cross bar of the T were the two rooms; kitchen and my four bothers bedroom. The vertical leg of the T was as we would call it now would be the master bedroom, with porches east and west side of this room, and a breeze way between the three rooms.
We could stand on the east side of the breeze way, to our left 40 feet away stood one cottonwood tree, and to our right the same distance stood the other cottonwood tree. Both trees were about 60 feet apart, and about 50 feet high. There was a striking appearance of theses trees for neither had lower limbs. The first set of limbs were about 14 feet high. Overs the years some one had cut all lower limbs, and to my thinking was done to keep kids from climbing. Now to think, that my family lived in such conditions must have been at the edge of very very poor, or under the edge. I do remember Dad would always wear same blue overalls, like the grandfather in the Mccoy series. But, my Dad’s overalls had new patches of clothe sewed where the britches had been torn by too much wear. Only on Saturday he would ware kakies waist pants to go the the city of Corsicana. To fetch whatever groceries the family needed. Mother and my sister would go shopping all afternoon to sundown. Henry and I had no choice, be with then all this time. For them two to be shopping; for us would be just to be looking. Dad would be in the pool hall. Playing billiard to night fall, or until mother would get fed up waiting for him, then sent us boys to tell him that mother was ready to go home. Dad had a corn on his left little finger cause by laying his left hand on the pool table to take his turn to hit the cue ball.
The bedroom where the four brothers slept had a big hole to the attic who no one seem to care and it was always open, just for lack of maintance. Looking back we must have been the Mexican hillbillies of hee haw, to lazy to even move, if not that ignorant.

The wind charge would never be forgotten by Dad, for it was use to recharge the six volt battery that run the radio, he never do without his radio. This was a must, for there was no electricity. For light, kerosene lamp was the only thing we ever had. The wind charge was a propeller, like a ceiling fan, on edge to catch the wind. The propeller was setup on a oil derrick type tower made of wood ten feet high. That tower was the first to be setup the next day. Radio in this family, by Dad, had priority over other things.

Going back to the moving at night would make you think now that my father was stealing something.
The second day after we had move two white men and the sheriff came to see Dad. After they left, I over heard him telling mother, after she asked “ what did those men wanted.” The two men were the one’s that foreclose on the farm from our landlord, was asking for me to return the baby chick house, and the chicken pens. So I mention to them that I was working the farm on the halves and these were part of my half. They continue to insist. Then I told them that “I was going back to Mexico with my family. And further more when I am ask at the border why am I leaving the country when I have sons that in a year or so be eligible for the army. I am going to tell them because you have taken my property under the pretext that it is legal.” Right away they drop their insistence and said “forget it” and got in their car and drove away. For the country was at World War Two in the east and the west, and any person of eligible age for the army was forbidden to leave the country. Dad’s crop had been stolen, years before in another farm. On this articular farm dad felt safe with Jack Crews, the land owner.
This place that we were moved in also belong to Jack Crews, and had not been foreclose.

Oasis, SandDunes and Camels

2008-08-02T22:59:00.001-05:00

8/2/2008

Today is the day after the eclipse. Wow, I'm still on the eclipse high.

We traveled to Dunhuang, China, a jewel in the desert. This city is only about 160,000 in population, but has the most vibrant atmosphere. Founded around the only oasis for hundreds of kilometers, in ancient times, if a caravan missed this oasis, they died.

The hotel here reminded me of a spiritual resort in Santa Fe. I will be back. When we arrived in Dunhuang, we visited the oasis, where I road a camel, slid down a sand dune and visited a pageant after dinner.

I met Khati on the 2005 Galapagos Eclipse Tour and traveled with her on the add-on tour to Machu Piccu.

Lynn is a friend I first met at the 2001 African Eclipse.

The pageant, a combination of dancing and acrobatics, tells the story of a goddess who was injured by a dragon (warlord), saved by a shepherd, married the shepherd with whom she had a daughter. After a burning of the village by the same dragon, the goddess gave her life to save the village. A famine followed and the daughter went on a quest to get holy water to bring wealth back to the land. The dragon again attacked just as she was to pour the water on the land, instead she drank the water, then spilled her blood on the land and brought back wealth and happiness back to the land. This story is apparently told in painting at the Mogao grottoes near the Oasis.

More tomorrow. Leticia

Eclipse Day August 1, 2008 - Dark Sun

2008-08-01T11:59:00.008-05:00

Eclipse Day is here!! The day started by meeting "the boys from Texas". Background, at the "Kung Fu Show" in Beijing, John noticed a young man in the row just in front of us with University of TX T-shirt. John chatted with them and found out they were on a one month tour of Asia, with hope/target to see the eclipse. I gave them my email and China cell phone number and told them to contact me in Hami. James, one of the boys, told me he'd hoped to catch up with a group and just follow them into the viewing site. I call them boys, really young men in their 20's.

This morning at 8am, James, Dereck and Bo caught up with us. So, after talking with them I realized these guys didn't have a plan. After giving them eclipse glasses, eclipse track maps, a time table of the eclipse, and requesting our Chinese guide help them negotiate the services of a taxi driver for the day, they attempted to follow us to the Yiwu eclipse site. Sadly, security was tight and they did not get past the first check point (you needed a permit issued months in advance). With the map I gave them they were able to see the eclipse from another site.

As you can see, our site was remote. Our site near Yiwu, China, bordered Mongolia and Russia.

We took a caravan of buses to the Eclipse site near Yiwu China.

We stopped first in Yiwu, an oasis of life in the desert. An idyllic village of Yurts, cows, goats, horses, fruits, gardens, trees and green.

Then we got to the eclipse site, at the edge of the Gobi Desert. BTW, Gobi means stony, it’s a stony desert. Before 1^st contact the temperature was in the 90’s pushing 100. A bright and hot desert summer day.

Then, first contact, a nibble on the edge of the sun. Oh no!!! Clouds!!

As you can see in the following series of pictures, the light begins to wan, getting darker and darker each passing quarter hour.

A comment on the chairs. Chasing eclipses involves going to remote places, usually deserts to increase the chances of seeing one. Facilities in the desert are limited. Everything is brought onto the site, usually by the tour arrangers. One thing always limited or missing is Chairs!! The first true desert eclipse I saw in Australia, I asked will there be chairs on site, the answer was no!!

I ran out and bought two “camp” chairs like the one shown here. Now every desert eclipse, I purchase two chairs at a local (relatively nearby, in this case Urumqi) store and carry them to the site. I refer to them as our viewing equipment.

As totality approached we began to worry the clouds kept hanging around.

And around. Move clouds, move!!!

A great day, worth the 6 hours on the bus to the site and another 6 hours back to the hotel in Hami.

I hope that soon all of my friends will travel to an eclipse. At least once in a lifetime. Maybe even with me. Maybe next year, July 22, 2009 in the Pacific Ocean? If not, in 2017 on August 21st, you’ll get a chance to catch one here in the United States, and if you hang out here in Dallas until 2024, you’ll see one over head on April 8^th.

Enjoy,

Leticia

Latitude: 43:27:10 N = 43.453 deg N = 43 deg 27.162' N

Longitude: 94:50:49 E = 94.847 deg E = 94 deg 50.812' E

Ghost City and Chinese Hell

2008-07-24T22:18:00.000-05:00

Today we started off with a safety meeting in the lounge of the ship. It turned into a sales presentation for massage therapy and acupuncture. Actually, John and I both went for acupuncture as did most of our fellow travelers. You had to everyone was wearing those smelly camphor patches so you need to wear one just for defense.

As we traveled down the river, we noticed ALL the bridge building.

We stopped at the "Ghost City" a city devoted to the "King of Hell". Our guide told us that the Chinese believe that all spirits go here after death, even western spirits. It was sort of a carnival ghost town inspired by Dante. Or maybe Dante was inspired by the Chinese view of hell.

Guild Hall and Concubine Lives

2008-07-23T20:55:00.000-05:00

A lack luster day for the tours. Chongqing is a commercial / industrial center with it's location on the Yangtze. Our day was mainly the transfer from Beijing to Chongqing to get on our Yangtze River cruise.
We started the day with our hotel breakfast buffet, including yes, silk pupa.

Then we boarded the bus for our flight to Chongqing.

Once in Chongqing, I think the tour company had to wrack its brain to come up with a tour. So today was a tour of Concubine Beds and a Guild Hall.

Yep, I know more than I really wanted to know about Concubines and their beds. The first wife apparently had a bed with "6 tiers" to signify status, concubines had beds of different number of tiers from one to five. The wife and concubines basically lived within the "bedrooms", played mah jongg to pass the time. Remember, these were also times when they bound women's feet for beauty, not a good life. Of course it was better than being the wife of a peasant and working in the fields.

The Guild Hall tour was like a "concrete" wax museum of local merchants who set up farmers in the local area. This is the front of the Guild hall here.
Then onto the ship via a cable car system to lower us down to the ship.
More tomorrow.Leticia

Observatory and people scenes of interest

2008-07-22T09:47:00.001-05:00

7/22/2008

In the morning we visited an observatory built in the 1600's. The Chinese were great astronomers. In these pictures are an eclipse viewing device and they recorded over 1000 occurrences of eclipses.

Also, just some other items that caught my eye. 4 boys fixing a bicycle, why upside down, I don't know, but they were so cute.

Tai Ball in the park. A take off of Tai Chi using a ball and paddle. The objective is not to bat the ball back and forth, but to catch it, keep it on the paddle with centrifugal forces and toss back gently, almost a dance.

In the afternoon, after touring, I went for a trip on the Beijing Subway alone to pick up some blouses at a tailor shop. The subway was clean, safe and well marked, so I had no trouble getting to the Silk Market and back.

Afterwards, I and other tour group members got together for dinner. We wanted something 'authentic' chinese and were recommended to a nearby restaurant, with a speciality in "hot pot". Sort of a Mongolian style soup, where you select items to drop into the very hot soup to cook.

More tomorrow.
TMBWitW

Summer Palace, Forbidden City, driveways

2008-07-21T09:06:00.001-05:00

Busy day today. The Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. BTW, it's very hot and humid in Beijing this time of year. Definitely the off-season, except for the Olympics soon.
We visited the Forbidden City. A place denied to proles like us in the last century, now a tourist spot. I love revolutions.

I'm just fascinated by the intricate bas-relief work for a "ramp". So I got several pictures of them. I kept thinking, it might sell to have 'concrete' forms made of this as "drive ways" for up end home. I think it would sell.

Here a bas-relief Dragon Wall at Forbidden City.

A 24 arm Buddha for sale by the "government" at the Gov't Store. I need to research this when I get back to internet access. Part of the museum tour at the Forbidden was to sell these "treasures" to tourists. I want to research if this is for real.

We took this Dragon Boat to the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace grounds were cooler, with at several of these 'cool spots' within the long corridor. On the Grounds of the Summer Palace is the longest corridor in the world. A long covered porch mainly for traveling from place to place on the Summer Palace grounds.

TMBWitW

Touring the Great Wall, the Hutong District and Panda

2008-07-20T06:22:00.006-05:00

Today we visited the Great Wall of China near Beijing. I climbed up to the 3rd Fortress Tower and nearly passed out from the heat. John sensibly stayed below.

After the visit to the Great Wall, we tour the Hutong Area, an area built/inhabited by conquering Mongols, in a pedi-cab.

This building fascinated John and I as it is totally incased in glass. The heat generation must be amazing.

A visit to the zoo allowed us to see the pandas in action, yes, action.. um action?

A Clearer Day in Beijing

2008-07-19T05:35:00.005-05:00

Nothing exciting today. Just changed hotels from the Crowne Plaza to the Oriental Bay Hotel. We join the Champion Holiday Bejing / Yangtze River Tour tomorrow.

The OBH is on the 2nd Ring Road, right next to the Moat. That's right, the moat. The hotel sits on the outer wall of the old Beijing. I went for a walk along the moat, found a "serenity spa" where I got a 60 yuan ($10) 30 minute massage. A bit inexpert, but nice nonetheless. Also, note, the government policies are starting to work. See the blue sky over Beijing. The Chinese government shutdown factories for 2 months before the Olympics on 8/8/2008. Tomorrow, there will be an even/odd rule of cars. Only cars with even license plates will be allowed to drive, then the next day odd license plate. This is the clearest day I've seen yet.
In the 2-3 miles of my walk, I noticed at least 10 people involved in either cleaning the moat or the street.
I love the esthetics of the moat, the retaining wall around the moat is made of concrete formed to look like wood.
I stopped for water at a small convenience store and found Pabst Blue Ribbon Water?? (In Texas, it's Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer.
The hotel is well located near a subway station.

More later,

TMBWitW

Continuing my tour of Beijing

2008-07-18T00:45:00.002-05:00

Continuing my tour of Beijing, a busy day today. Here are some of the day's pictures.

Went over to the Olympic grounds to see what we could. Security is tight, so we could not get very close. This is John and I in front of the Bird's Nest Stadium.

We walked into this battalion Olympic volunteers running by. A battalion of very handsome fit young men.

This picture is of, you guessed it, WALMART in China. Same Walmart, just a bit different. For example, this Walmart has a fresh fish market (see fish swimming), and a butcher standing in the middle of the aisles cutting short ribs, dragon fruit, a favorite, and "taste samplers" hawking... and I do mean hawking their samples, loudly with enthusiasm.

More later,

TMBWitW

Beijing China

2008-07-17T21:39:00.007-05:00

So, the first full day in China, and of course I go shopping. I'm getting a couple of custom suits made for me while I'm here. We went to the Silk Factory to get them. Here you can also see how silk is made.

This picture is of the silk being pulled off the cocoon of the silk worm pupa. The cocoon is boiled in water allowed to cool, then you pull the one strand off the cocoon match with 7 others to make an 8 strand thread. The thread around a single cocoon is a mile long.
Also, nothing is wasted, after pulling the silk off the cocoon, the pupas are considered food.. ewww. But if you like to experiment, you can buy a can of silk worm pupas for consumption at the Super H Mart in Carrollton TX. No? I didn't think so. However, my Chinese guide Nancy, says they are full of protein and very healthy for you.

Nancy and I got to the Silk Factory via the Beijing Subway system. The subway's signs are in both Chinese and English. The subway was an easy walk from the hotel and the shop we went too.

Start of my 2008 Solar Eclipse Trip

2008-07-16T23:54:00.000-05:00

7/15/2008

Today I started my 2008 Solar Eclipse Trip. Some quick background, I've chased every total solar eclipse since my 2nd one in the Carribbean in 1998. During this trip I'll view my 9th eclipse and visit my 6th continent.

On this trip I'll visit Beijing, from Chongqing, travel down the Yangtze river to Wuhan, fly to Urumqi, travel through the Gobi Desert to our eclipse site near Yiwu, and take the Orient Express to Xi'an.

TMBWITW