China Day 23

We left the ship after breakfast and took a bus to visit the three gorges dam project - about an hours drive away. Masses of tourists, very tight military-based security but what an eye-opener. The dam wall is over 2000 metres long and almost 200 metres high so is a very impressive sight. On either side of the base are hydro power stations with 13 turbines which produce upwards of 85 billion kilowatt-hours per year - pretty impressive.

We stopped at a number of viewing points to also see the huge lock system - 5 double capacity locks for each direction working in tandem. They also have a ship lifter for smaller ships which lift the ship as well as the container and water. Altogether an incredible example of engineering, completed in 2009. China just keeps on impressing with the size and success of its projects.

Off then to catch our train to Shanghai - a trip of 1200km which we completed in 6 hours starting and arriving on time to the minute!!!

Another travel hitch - Shanghai station has 4 exits but the travel agency neglected tell us which one to go to to meet our guide! Tried to ring but no answer so followed the largest crowd but no one there. To add to the interest, there is a typhoon expected here tonight/tomorrow so it was raining steadily.  The guide eventually found us so a half hour drive got us to the Holiday Inn next to the river (could be interesting if the typhoon hits) - had to get out in the rain to grab a banana and yoghurt for dinner!

We'll have a chat with the guide in the morning when we know better what the weather is doing - might be hunkered down in the hotel yet. We'll let you know!

China Day 22

Last full day on the cruise today. We didn't do the extra excursion inthe morning but took a walk around the small village where we were stopped. They put on an early lunch as at about 1:00 we entered the second of the gorges through spectacular peaks. 

The river is a very busy thoroughfare with not only numerous cruises hips but also barges and cargo ships. At one port we passedwe counted about 100 ships tied up. Massive bridges span the wide river as well with smaller villages all along the banks.

This afternoon we reached the narrowest gorge where we transferred on to smaller boats as sections were extremely narrow but the cliffs towered 100+ metres above us.

Tonight we had the Captain's farewell dinner followed by a caberet put on by the ship staff with dancing, singing, magic show. The standard of all the performances was extremely high - they must do a fair bit of cultural activity at school as they were all very good dancers etc, Great show.

The cruise has been great - beautiful facilities, lovely crew and wonderful scenery along the way - could happily do another day or two.

Tomorrow we have another excursion to the three gorges dam and then catch the hs train to Shanghai (6hrs) for the last stage of the holiday. It has gone so quickly but has been a fabulous, mind blowing experience. We're so glad we decided to come on this trip after thinking we may not bother with China - it is by all measures, an extraordinary country.

China Day 21

Blogspot will be bit shorter for a few days as we are just relaxing and enjoying the luxury of eating, sleeping and doing the occasional shore excursion on the Yangtze cruise.

The cruise ship is a pretty large vessel and very well appointed. The food is great and the staff very friendly and attentive. We left Chongqing last night and woke up this morning at Fengdu where we had our first shore excursion after breakfast. That was quite the experience as there were about 6 cruise boats in at the same time and so there were thousands of people doing the tour of the Mount Shuanggui garden/temple area, broken up into groups of circa 10 - 15 people each with a guide who sported a mini speaker system all speaking at the same time on front of whatever statue, plaque, garden etc we were looking at. It was quite hilarious but annoying at the same time as there was no way you could hear your own guide over the cacophony (remember hairy mclary?) of sound.  There was a temple at the top remembering Confucius so at least it was a change from Buddhas. 

Back to ship by the standard shuttle bus (All this confirms why we dislike organised tours) and had a talk on the history of the Yangtze River and the 3 gorge dam project which was enormous. The rest of the day will be a well earned rest with a Captains reception this afternoon and a no doubt very good dinner tonight!

China Day 20

Having got to bed at 1:00am after our flight into Chengdu we had to be up at 6 to have breakfast and get to the railway station for the 8:30 train. All went fine. 350kph trip was smooth and comfortable and we arrived in Chongqing an hour later. Another small glitch when the normally reliable guide pick up wasn't waiting but after a while he turned up claiming he couldn't find us - we were waiting at the exit as instructed.

We ere supposed to spend the morning at the three gorges museum but that's closed on Mondays so guide Jim took us on a tour of Chongqing. Typical old merchant street was first with everyone trying to sell their merchandise. We then headed for the riverside area which was interesting - 4 years ago they had a massive flood which rose about 23 metres!. We then had lunch (typical Chinese sweet/sour fish, soup and meat/rice dishes) which wasn't as good as some we've had but pretty good,

He then took us to a magnificent parkland on high land beside the river, with a 7 storey Pagoda as lookout with views of the city. 24 million people live here so the cityscape of high rise apartments and office buildings as far as you can see is extraordinary. The gardens are just amazing with thousands of potted plants creating a colourful display and landscaped walkways. We then headed to a huge square with the museum on one side and the "Hall of the People" on the other - a massive building whose architect died in prison during the Cultural Revolution - he was arrested for basing his design on Dynasty styles which were banned at that time.

We were then delivered to the cruise ship for our Yangtze River cruise - a really beautiful ship which can accommodate 300 people but so far there don't appear to be that many. Lovely spacious cabin with deck and very well appointed. Looks like it will be a welcome, comfortable cruise for a few days. Ste ven, a fellow from Brisbane and ourselves are the only English speaking passengers.

Early night coming up after an pretty tiring couple of days. Well-earned rest.

China Day 19

Might get this posted later tonight (Sunday) as starting in the plane as we head towards Chendu having left Kashgar at 7:30 for a 4 hour flight. We had our first glitch at the airport when check-in found we weren't booked on our stated flight. Luckily Lowik our guide was still with us so he tackled the phone calls to HQ and 3ventually found they had tried to put us on an earlier flight (a good idea) but forgot to let us know, rebooked the lastseats on this flight so all sorted. We've also had a bit of trouble with Mum's hearing aid charger in China as they don't like it in checked luggage so she was diverted to baggage inspection to sort it out.

We had a fairly quiet morning in Kashgar which was quite welcome. Lowik picked us up at 12 and we checked out the largest mosque in the city - there are about 350 all up - but very different to mosques we've seen in Turkey etc. They are now illegal in China and used mostly as tourist attractions.

Lowik organised lunch at another local Uighur restaurant and this was the best yet - best lamb I've ever tasted plus narm  bread and a beautiful Noodle soup - absolutely delicious.

We then headed for the weekly farm market where every Sunday all the local farmers bring their produce and animals in for both the restaurants and to buy/sell. No words can adequately describe the scene. Thousands crowd through between food, craft, hardware, clothing, shoes, restaurants and then you reach the animal trading areas where up to 100 000 farmers haggle over selling cattle, sheep, poultry,  goats, horses, yaks, camels,- probably left some out.There were some absolutely beautiful looking cattle there. All done by haggling, no auction so it was quite a sight watching/listening to this mayhem. It is the largest such market in Central Asia and the experience of being in the middle of was indescribable.

At 5 we headed to the airport where the dramas as described above occurred. Economy class for 4 hours is a bit crampedbut we'll survive. 

China Day 18

Another late post! We've been getting back very late from our excursions for the last couple of days partly due to the Chinese Government! The government has decreed that China now operates on only one time zone which is crazy- we went to breakfast at 8.30 this morning and it was pitch black. The locals here have reacted by enacting their own unofficial time arrangements which results in everything happening a couple of hours behind the official times so we don't leave for our trips until about 10, getting home at around 8 or 9 and not finishing dinner until about 10! Thus the non-publishing of posts.

Yesterday was made worse because we did over 7 hours of travel - but it was worth it. We headed west on the "Chine-Pakistan Peace Highway" - a 1500km highway built by China to facilitate trade to the west , completed in 20 years although they could only work 5 months of the year due to the extreme height (5000 metres) and winter snow - about1500 workers lost their lives due to altitude sickness. It is an incredible journey through the mountain pass through which the silk road traders entered and left China. The mountain scenery is extraordinarily beautiful and dramatic and we visited two beautiful lakes, one man made and the other natural. Mum had a ride on a yak which was fun and we ate lunch in a (very cold) yurt. Huge hydroelectric power plant.

We reached a height of 3900 metres which made walking too far a bit hard and it was FREEZING cold! Great experience and fabulous scenery though. Should have photos on Facebook in a day or so.

Another warning - probably no post again tonight as the schedule is a bit demanding - we catch a plane at 7.30 for a5 hour flight to Chengdu, then we have to be up early for a train to Chongqing leaving at 8.30 am! This is all to get us to the start of our cruise on the Yangtze so more fun coming up!

China Day 17

One day late with the post today - we didn't get home from dinner until about 11 so no blogging. Big  but as usual great day - went like this:-

Fairly early start after  breakfast to get to the Urumqi airport for our 9.00am flight. Big airport, lots of security but boarded the China Southern flight on time. Had an amazing flight over a huge area of snow-capped mountains some of which appeared to be almost as high as we were flying! Even got a beef and Noodle hot meal - better than Qantas or Virgin on an hour and a half domestic flight!

Met at the Kashgar airport by guide Louig plus driver. As we are heading west tomorrow to the border mountains we had to call in to a huge transport police building to register to make the drive on the birder highway - passports, get photographed, have approval etc.

Off to a mausoleum in the old town for a lady from Kashgar who became one of a Ching Dynasty Emperor's favourite wives but it was surrounded by a Uighur cemetery which was quite fascinating, another top lunch at a Uighur restaurant and then a tour through the old town area where mud houses up to 4 or 5 stories high have been preserved.

Booked in to quite a nice hotel (but with VERY hard bed) and caught a cab back into town for dinner. Did a bit of shopping (bought some souvenirs plus an Afghanistan cushion cover) and headed off to get dinner. Kashgar goes ballistic at night. Huge crowds with noise, street performances,  every type of food stall - the place is just crazy. Found a restaurant and had a fabulous meal including barbecue lamb, fried rice etc - just beautiful.  

By the time that was over and we wound our way back through the human chaos and caught a cab, it was a late but unforgettable night out in one of the most extraordinary places on earth. Unforgettable!

China Day 16

First day that weather impacted on or China excursion, but it wasn't that bad really. First thing this morning was a visit to the Xinjiang Regional Museum which contained some extraordinary exhibits.  The museum is huge - four stories high but we only visited a small fraction which focussed on discoveries made in nearby cemeteries dating back 3000 years. Because of the extremely hot and dry climate here,many bodies buried I the cemeteries accidentally preserved toan amazing extent. It was a bit weird, but the bodies on display were in incredible condition but were 3 - 4 thousand years old - hair, skin, etc still I tact and the clothes in which they were buried still I remarkable condition including feathered hats worn by the women. 

We then headed towards the afternoon attraction, the Heavenly Lake, which is 1980 metres above sea level in the mountains and stopped for lunch at another Uighur family restaurant where a Urt was on display with all the beautiful internal wall carpets and furnishings. Beautiful. As we headed towards the mountains the weather closed in and by the time we got on the shuttle bus to head up the mountain road the fog was getting quite thick. As we approached the top snow appeared on the side of the road and as we got out of the bus the visibility was about zero. Also freezing cold so our time at the Heavenly Lake was very short and we could soon nothing of the spectacular (apparently) views.

Heading Back into town we were again stopped by police at the toll gate for paper checking etc.

Off to the airport in the morning to fly to Kashgar!

China Day 16

Another incredible day. Didn't start well as I'd set the alarm for 7.15pm instead of am so we woke at 8.10 and were due at breakfast at 8 to be packed and ready to leave at 9! Made it on time although breakfast was very quick.

Our first stop of the morning was Mazar Village which is a 2000 year old Uighur village.  This was a real eye-opener- given all the publicity regarding the Uighur people is was a wonderful experience to see how they live and how they have managed to be so successful in such harsh conditions. They have become amazing farmers. The melons, dried fruit, grapes and fruits they produce are the best we've tasted. Their homes are well adapted to their environment- a ground floor courtyard always with beautifully painted/decorated double doors (nearly always featuring blue). There is a huge painted day bed where they sit to eat and then upstairs bedrooms but they often sleep on the roof as the summer temperatures are often up to 50 degrees. We spent quite a long time wandering around the village watching construction of adobe (mud-brick) walls and other repairs. The main population of the once 1000 strong village has, however, "relocated" so you do wonder what's really going on. The local school has also been closed and the children go into Turpan (40 km) for schooling. 

We then stopped off at the "fire-mountain" which plays an important role in some of the very early silk road story but is just a mountain with interesting formations really.

Lunches and food generally has changed markedly as we've moved west. Now very strong Muslim/Islamic influence with more lamb & beef (no pork of course) Noodles replaces rice and more spices involved. Very tasty -quite like Turkish food again.

After lunch we headed to Jiaohe Ancient city which was started 3000 years years ago and abandoned in the 13th century. It was built on a plateau between two rivers and carved out of the rock with supplementary mud brick structures. There were remains of 3 Muslim temples, houses, wells and government buildings spread across a an area about 1.2 kilometres long and almost 1 km wide. 10000 people used to live here. Another fascinating place to visit.

Last visit for the day was to a museum and actual example of the Karez system that the Uighur people developed to provide the water for their villages and farm irrigation. This was astounding. Starting near the high mountains, they dug vertical wells, some up to 90 metres deep, every 20 metres as they worked towards their farmland which was situated up to 10 km away. As the land sloped dow, the wells became shallower and were then were joined at the base to form a channel. As the water was very cold the channel opened into a pond from which the warmed water was distributed via open channels for farm irrigation. This system is considered the next ancient engineering feat from the Great Wall- and I would have to agree. Incredible.

I'm doing the first part of today's blog as we're driving on a massive freeway through a mountain valley heading for Urumqi - a 2.5 hour drive and we wont be there untill about 9 pm - next bit will be done after dinner! Not quite as smooth as the train but pretty good really.

Well, we arrived in Urumqi right on schedule (9.00 pm) but decided not to go to the restaurant for dinner - We'd been nibbling bits along the way so just head for bed after a big day. One interesting event as we went through one of the toll points - a policeman pulled Chan our driver over and Lucy had to get out, present all her paperwork and then he asked for our passports as well - photographed on his phone. Interesting.

Later start in the morning so if I set the alarm properly we should get breakfast and have a relaxing time before the adventures of the day commence,

China Day 15

Earlier start this morning as we needed to get to the first attraction - the Mogao Grottoes early to beat the crowds. Managed an OK local breakfast (even got a nice fried egg from the chef) and then put the luggage into the car as we weren't coming back to the hotel - bit of a shock to emerge into a freezing cold morning - 1 degree.

The grotto tour started with an excellent film giving the history of the silk road. From there we moved into a surround cinema 180 degree view in front above and behind you. This told the story of the grottoes which dated back 1500 years to the incoming Buddhist monks who started digging caves into the mountain. There are almost 500 caves but only about 40 are open to the public. We were put with a group of 30 "foreigners" including Canadians, Russians and a couple from Melbourne with an excellent English speaking guide who took us through 8 caves each of which was painted in incredible murals painted with mineral based paint so had not deteriorated in the thousand + years - covering the walls and ceilings. Also contained the obligatory Buddhas including the largest cave Buddha in China circa 35 metres high plus a sleeping (dead) one almost as long. While we've seen an awful lot of Buddhas each is worth time to look at as they are all different.

There was also a museum of Chinese musical instruments- drums or strings only - but beautifully made.

It was a quiet visitor day at the grotto today - about 5000 visitors. During Golden Week they had 25000 per day!

We also visited an art gallery where we bought a painting and were able to have our photo taken with the artist, now just got to frame it and find somewhere to put it!

Another beautiful lunch and then set off on the 2 hour journey to the railway station to head to Turpan. Doing this blog as we are doing 250kph in the train and we are due there at about 8.45. 

Footnote: Train arrived in Turpan on time (of course) and our guide for the next two days (Lucy) met us and we got to the hotel 25 minutes later. Wandered down the street and found a little family shishkabab street stall and had a fun time with them and enjoyed a little to eat. We are now very much in middle eastern Muslim culture - the hotel is very "Turkish" and the surroundings quite rough and not as clean/pristine as previuos Chinese cities. Huge room though with roses on the beds to welcome us.

This is Uighur territory so should be very interesting. A policeman stopped us as we came out of the station, checked all our passports and the Lucy's paperwork.

China Day 14

Today we drove West from Dunhuang, continuing our crossing of the Gobi Desert. It is amazing how a city of 170 000 just emerges from the desert landscape, complete with beautiful landscaping, tree lined streets etc. It Is a very beautiful city. 

Just a few kilometres out of the city we stopped and from a viewing platform on the roadside looked in awe at the world's largest solar farm covering several square kilometres and also including two giant towers surrounded by mirrors directing the sunlight to a concentrated area at the top of the towers. Once more the Chinese achievement evident here is mind blowing. The glow from these towers could still be seen when we stopped at our next visit 20 km away!

Our next stop was Numen Pass where there are the ruins of a gate from the ancient silk road which brought jadewares from the west. Another 5 k on from this gate are the remains of the Han Dynasty great wall which was built of rammed earth  but parts still remain - this wall was built 1000 bc! One thing we have certainly learnt is that the silk road story dates well back before Marco Polo and there were numerous roads both to the north and south. 

80k further on we reached the Yardang Geologucal Park which consists of rows of sedimentary towers eroded into incredible forms by wind/sand action. Pictures will again amaze you!

Most of the last 2 days have been spent driving long distances between phenomenal sights. What has kept it really interesting is the fact that we're actually experiencing the Gobi Desert  - never thought that would happen when learning about it in high school geography! The other fascinating thing is how the Chinese get water to some parts of it and grow crops, raise sheep etc. Today we also passed a fence which went on and on and when asked, Fan informed us that it was the Chinese missile testing range. Further to the West is also where they exploded their atomic bombs.

As we had not been able to get lunch anywhere, Fan took us to dinner at the town market - barbecue lamb, beef, vegetables, soup erc. Chinese food as I've already said is just beautiful.

Might be a gap in the blog tomorrow night as we catch a train at 5 and don't arrive in Turpan until 9 so we'll see how we go!

China Day 13

JaiNo two days are the same when touring China. Breakfastshave frequently been quite challenging as there is no concept of western style breakfasts in the hotels. No cereals, no cold milk, no sausages/bacon etc just Chinese style vegetable dishes.Even tea and coffee can be a challenge. For example, this morning there was a coffee pot but it was empty. Fan our guide was sitting with us so she asked the waitress for the pot to be refilled - the answer was NO! Fran is pretty forceful when it comes to getting things done so she really pushed as only she can but the waitress replied that it had already been refilled twice! Even Fan gave up - but she did complain very loudly to reception later.

Another long drive this morning but again so easy on the 6 lane expressway. The lines of semi-trailers are incredible. Jaiyuguan has a massive steel mill and there was a line of semis 2 or 3 kilometres long waiting to unload their loads of coal. We were again travelling mainly through the Gobi Desert so the landscape was pretty flat apart from a rugged mountain range covered in snow on our left. We passed literally thousands of wind generators on this trip in huge rows but there were also three coal fired power stations and a huge new one under construction. Apparently China has the largest wind/solar system in the world but ut still only supplies 17% of their power. We again saw the blades being transported.

We reached Dunhuang for lunch (too much food again) and then drove out to the nearby Echoing Sand Mountains which is a system of giant sand dunes and so we climbed about 250 - 280 metre high dune just for fun! Pretty challenging but with a few rest stops we made it to the top. Very satisfying. The pictures will asound you.

Off to the local market for dinner tonight. Funnily enough, last night we headed out for dinner in Jaiyuguan and had just about given up when we came across a Korean restaurant advertising Sirloin Steak so in the remote west of China we had our Saturday night steak! It was beautiful too. I also think we might have sorted out the problems with wechat pay so fingers crossed it will do it's job from now on.

China Day 12

Another amazing day. Left Zhangye after breakfast and headed north west on another 6 lane expressway which is part of the transport corridor for Northern China. The expressway has two dual raillines plus mammoth power towers running beside it. There is a constant convoy of trucks travelling in both directions and this goes for hundreds of kilometres. In travelling to our next stop Jiayuguan we sat on 120kmh for about three hours with no delays - try doing that at home!

This trip also took us through part of the Gobi Desert with massive solar farms which makes a lot of sense - not using up any farmland of course. We also passed a massive wind turbine factory and saw numerous huge wind blades being transported on the expressways - no escort vehicles either! An extraordinary journey.

We arrived in Jiauguan for lunch and then went out to the Juiauguan Fort which is a huge walled fort which was the entry point into China for the silk road travellers. The Great Wall extends either direction from the fort so all traffic had to come through here. As you would expect, massive walls and gates with a trap in the middle if you didn't meet the "friend or foe" test. Again, the scale blows the mind.

Next stop was the Xuanbi Great Wall which is the Western end of the Great Wall and walked along part of it until it got just too steep - so we've walked on the Eastern and the Western sections of the Wall! Just a gap of several thousand km in between - the Wall is circa 6000km long!

There was an interesting display acknowledging people associated with the silk road such as Marco Polo of course. 

Back home for one night in Jiayuguan but leave I the morning for Dunhuang - another long drive apparently. 

China Day 11

Early start and the hotel failed to keep their promise to get us breakfast before 7.00 opening time so we set off to catch theVFT  without breakfast. It was a 2 hour trip to Zhangye where Fan our guide met us and took us to ANOTHER temple. This one dated from the 1100's, was completely made from timber and featured a giant reclining Buddha also made from timber. The area also had a museum to Buddist art which had some beautiful art work and ancient scripts. Very interesting in spite of ourcoming close to Buddha exhaustion.

Another great lunch - more into the Muslim style foods now so some great lamb and beef dishes - then a relatively short 45 min drive to the Danxia Landform Geographical park. This area is described I the itinerary as spectacular but the reality is again beyond expectation. Sorry re no photos on the blog (can't yet get card reader to see if that will work) but a google search will give you an idea. There are 7 colours arranged in stripes across the rugged landscape - one of those things you've just got to be there to appreciate it's true wonder. We easily spent the whole afternoon climbing the stairs to see these extraordinary landforms and as sunset approached it just got more spectacular!

We're off for a hotpot dinner with Fan tonight then it will be back for an early night - we hope.

China Day 10

Started with a long drive this morning (350km) to Qinging Lake which was a spectacular drive taking us along another 6 lane expressway and gradually climbing to more than 3000 metres above sea level. This took us into the grassland grazing areas where nomadic Tibetan herders keep sheep and yaks. Their homes are tents which are beautifully decorated and of course move with them as they take their herds to lower and warmer areas for winter which is now approaching. 

It also took us into snow country and the first falls of snow occurred yesterday so the mountains were spectacular - every bit as grand and high and rugged as the European Alps. Amazing. The lake itself is huge - 4500 sq km and is salt water and is another huge tourist attraction with hotels, ships and boats for lake cruising. We had another lovely lunch there and then another long drive through spectacular mountains (with snow of course) and eventually arrived  at - yes, another mosque - but this time it was very different, being an occupied Tibetan Mosque complete with monks, university, schools etc. Amazing interiors which unfortunately we we not allowed to photograph.

The most stunning section was the Butter carving building which included unbelievable panels of flowers, figures etc all made from yak butter and kept refrigerated behind glass. Beyond belief - it went around 3 sides of a large building and is 3-4 metres high. They make a new one every year to be displayed in January and the old one is fed to the birds!

Another piece of trivia - many Tibetans choose air orwater buried i.e. they leave the body I the open air to be eaten by birds or they do a water buriel and get eaten by the fish. This explains why they don't eat fish!

Early start I the morning with more wonderful scenery promised for tomorrow. 

China Day 9

Quieter day today. In spite of our guides assurance that the hotel had a western breakfast option we found no such offerings- just lots of vegetable and rice offerings. No cereals, fruit juice or bacon/sausages etc. There was bread and a toaster but no butter or spreads! Robyn used her translater to ask for butter and out came a tiny bowl of apricot jam! We also asked for tea and out came glasses of hot water with leaves floating I them.

After breakfast we were taken on quite an interesting walk along the banks of the Yellow River. There is a beautifully landscaped park right along the town reach with magnificent willow trees, gardens, cycleway etc. First stop was the first iron bridge built in China, now pedestrian only. We then went to the statue of the "Mother River" as the  Yellow River is considered the life-giver of the whole of China. Next was an ancient water wheel which was used for both irrigation and also connected to stone grinding wheels - an extraordinary piece of ancient engineering.

Lunch was held at the Lanchau Noodle museum and of course involved the famous Lanchau Beef Noodles - absolutely delicious.

After lunch we again crossed the river and, as is the thing these days, climbed huge stairways up to the White Pagoda on top of the mountain - great views of Lanchau.

Taken then to the (again massive) railway station and said goodbye to David Our guide and Mr Lee our driver. Had a two hour wait for the very fast train to take us to our next destination - Xinsing. Amazing people control - you waiting a boarding station a bit like airport and then through the checking station, down to the platform where you line up in marked que lines and the train stops with the carriage door exactly where you stand. Very regimented but that's the way everything is done here.

China Day 8

The theme of today was undoubtedly "climbing". Our first stop was an hour's drive with not much traffic. Daxiang mountain where the temples and giant Buddha were built circa 400ad is a high Ridge with buildings along the top of the Ridge leading up to a the giant Buddha of 23 metres high carved into the rock. Getting to the top was quite challenging - 1127 steps! Along the way we're temples to different people such as the first great doctor and carpenter in the Chinese culture. The giant Buddha was awe-inspiring. Took quite a long time to complete the whole circuit and then off for one of our best lunches yet - Peking Duck which was just beautiful.

2 hour trip to the next site - Lashao Temple - also known as the Great Buddha Cliff (is there a theme emerging here?) Which again involved serious climbing of huge stairways but the end justified the means. This is the tallest rock Buddha in China at over 42 metres high - spectacular - and the mountains around it are like you've never seen. Hope to get some photos on Facebook later. You just walk around amazed at what sights are before you. This is not just touring, it is experiencing sights you can just not compare to any previous experience.

It was then a 3 hour drive on a 6 lane expressway to reach Lanzou,  a city of 12 million with massive traffic issues. We are staying just near the Yellow River which we will explore tomorrow.

Lanzou noodles are apparently on the menu!

China Day 7

Occasionally something really special comes along and today was such a day. It didn't start off too well. Our hotel does not have breakfast so they give us a voucher for two nearby cafes - one traditional Chinese and the other sort of fast food Chinese. Couldn't find anything like a normal breakfast at the first so tried the second - not much better. Elizabeth had eggs with buns and I had pumpkin soup neither of which was at all appetising. The coffee and tea were both undrinkable!

Our driver and guide picked us up at 8 and we drove for about half an hour to a massive facility where we caught a bus which took us to another interchange where we cought a smaller bus which again let us off at a large parking area. These were huge complexes with check-in facilities - David Our guide said that this site receives about 50 000 visitors per day, thus the size. All the ticketing processes I China are amazing - they all require firstly a copy of your passport and from then on you pass through each section via face recognition based on your passport photo. It takes a fraction of a second to process you so all very quick and simple.

We then had to walk up a very steep, long road to eventually arrive at a level open area and when you look back the Daxiang Mountain which is a huge (1000 ft high) sandstone cliff into which giant figures of Buddha etc have been carved and then coated with render for protection then painted, although most of the colouring has weathered. Scattered across the cliff face are numerous (hundreds) of caves which also include Buddha statues with many supplementary figures. All this is accessed via steps and platforms clinging to the side of this vertical cliff! And yes, we had to scale these steps and view all the caves which also had amazing murals painted on the ceilings. 

This had to be the most extraordinary site we've ever visited. Sorry no picturres possible on th blog but check out "Maijishan Grottoes" and check it out. Amazing falls short of adequate description.

After another wonderful lunch we visited the Fuxi Temple in Tianshui. Again a beautiful complex.

One of those "special" tourist happenings - as we were leaving via a huge town square we noticed some women dancing  with silk ribbons and singing to an orchestra of Chinese instruments so went over. Also got some photos of guys playing "foot badminton" nearby. Very friendly crowd again an Robyn was invited to join the dancers - they seem to love her grey hair! That went on for quite a while but we had a. Great time interacting with the crowd and some of the kids.

Back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. EXHAUSTED!

China Day 6

After breakfast we drove to the Western Gate of the Xizn wall and walked on the immense wall up to the Southern Gate. Disappointed in that the Chinese regulations do not allow people over 60 to ride bikes on the wall! The massive wall is still in wonderful  condition and encircles the whole of the ancient city.

We then walked to the Muslin quarter which was again an incredible experience. The streets were lined with an extraordinary number and variety of  food shops with Muslim culture foods- pastries, sheep's heads, goats hoofs, etc. We arranged to meet Tim Topper for lunch and had a great time with him.

Final visit in Xian was to the mausoleum of Emperor Hanglangling which is like a mini version of the terracotta warriors. It is underground and the figures, horses, chariots are all in smaller scale. The museum is set upsoyouwalkover the excavation pits on glass panels - quite an experience.

Off to the station to catch another very fast train to Tianshui - a city of only about 3 million. This is where the real silk road section of our trip starts and we are off the tourist track well and truly. We've had an amazing reception from the locals- very friendly, want to take photos of us, very helpful and lots of "hello" and "welcome" calls. We feel like celebrities. 

Another lovely meal - select your ingredients a bit like hotpot but then they cook it all and bring it to your a bowl. Again, so friendly and helpful. The owner even took a video of us!

China Day 5

When do you run out of words for superlatives? An extraordinary morning today. Early start and drove in drizzling rain to the site of the Terracotta Warriors. Most people have at least seen pictures of these amazing pieces of antiquity (27 BC) but the reality is an incredible experience. Ellen our guide prepared us for the crowd but as we had arrived at opening time it was OK for most of the visit. Pictures will go on Facebook- we took hundreds - but the detail in each warrior is extraordinary. No two are the same in size, features, hair etc. They accurately reflect the range of soldiers in roles and ranks. They were originally finished in colours. By the time we emerged from the last pavilion (there are 3) the crowd had mushroomed to thousands. There is a whole shopping complex surrounding the display. Amazing! 

Another trad Chinese lunch - again, beautiful but we're starting to crave a coffee and donut or perhaps a steak?

Off to the Buddhist sector of Xian with beautiful pavilions, artwork, bellflower, drum tower, and 7 story pagoda.

We then walked down the 2 km town mall with massive fountains, statues, decorations etc. Again, the scaleis way beyond our normal experience.

China Day 4

This country is literally mind-blowing. The scale of their infrastructure and commercial/housing development is beyond comprehension. 

Today we had an early start and headed through the standard heavy traffic to a specially preserved section of old Beijing next to a huge lake. Middle age shops and houses in narrow streets known as a Hutong where we had great fun enjoying a rickshaw ride. On to the Summer palace of which there used to be 5 where the Emporers would spend the hotter months along with their whole family, government officials etc. Again, magnificent structures, beautiful grounds, artwork. Huge crowd of local tourists. 

Lunch near the railway station and then (thankfully with Kai's help) we boarded the train for Xian where we arrived 4 hours later having covered the equivalent of Maryborough  to Sydney in that time - 350kmph! Beautiful train ride but the most uncomfortable seats I've ever experienced.

On the way we passed by huge settlements with new high rise, massive freeways, new trainlines etc - the amount of development is awe-inspiring.  Interestingly a number of coal and nuclear power stations along with some solar and wind. One station we stopped in we were at platform 27 and they kept on going well beyond that!

Quite late dinner tonight at a little Cafe down from our hotel - three beautiful share dishes plus rice for 45 W which is about A$ 9.

The scale of things here is beyond anything else in the world.

China Day 3

Here's a hint for anyone who has considered going to China but just hasn't got around to it - don't delay, get yourself going and get here asap. In just a couple of days we're judging it as one of the absolute top tourist experiences. Today we were taken to the Ming Dynasry buried grounds - a huge area at the base of the mountains to the North of Beijing set aside for the buried of most of the Ming Emperors. Each has his own set of buildings leading up to the buriel mound under which is located the grand buried palace 22metres under ground level. The approach buildings are magnificent, based on those in the Forbidden City. Mind-blowing architecture and building techniques.

Another great traditional lunch and we were off to the Great Wall which again is unlike anything you've seen and exceeding expectations. 6000 km long from the sea in the East to the Wesrern borders - an unbelievable feature of construction.

Back through the incredible Beijing traffic and home about 6. Found a restaurant a few blocks from the hotel and had yet another beautiful meal.

Apologies for no blog photos - I haven't been able to download pictures from my camera to the tablet. Seems I have to use a card reader so will try to purchase one soon and get some photos attached, 

Last Beijing day tomorrow  - car hire a very fast train at 2 for a 4 hour trip to Xian.

China day 2

How to describe Beijing? Words like massive or extraordinary come to mind but really don't fully describe it. We spent the day with our guide Kai and explored Tianamin Square and the whole of the Forbidden City which both are on a scale never seen anywhere. We walked and climbed for the day with a break only for a traditional Chinese meal for lunch. 

Lots of photos of course. Had a very light dinner and sorted out some of our technical communications problems but still can't get internet on the tablet. Might get sorted one day.

Going to sleep well tonight!

China Day1

Arrived in Beijing after about 14 hours in the air, great trip really and the one hour transit in Hong Kong worked out to the last minute. Haven't seen much of Beijing really apart from an hour drive in from the massive airport - everything is way beyond our normal experience in size and numbers,

Robyn and Pud arrived at hotel reception at the same time as we did and then we both had problems sorting out the wechat money payment system but eventually sorted it. Found a great restaurant nearby for dinner which was pork and mushrooms and bacon and we came away unable to think about any more to eat. Wechat money system worked!

Downside of the day - walked into the room which was quite hot, went down to reception to sort something out - sorry sir, the air-conditioning does not operate at night!

Big day with Kai our guide around Beijing tomorrow.Good sleep tonight we hope.