RED CHINA

If you have never traveled with a tour group before you will not know what I am talking about, but I will soon inform you. It is a set everything, set menu, set hotel, set airlines, set touring, set everything. Some people would think that is stifling, others like I would say why waste the time to reinvent the wheel. I admit there were somethings that I would have totally done without [i.e. the irritating single man, the bad food buffet, the irritating single woman, the bad dinner, the irritating couple, the bad breakfast], but I say there is so much in favor of group touring.

Going to China was my first international experience. I knew before I left that I may never be able to either financially or physically go back to China and so this was my once in a lifetime shot and I really didn't want to take the time to research everything that I knew nothing about and get where I knew where nothing was. If that makes any sense. Let me put it this way. The first day in China we went to the Temple of Heaven (Wow), Tinnamen Square (sokay, but wow), Forbidden City (triple wow), Summer Palace (forever wow), Silk Factory (interesting, but not as wow as I thought it would be, Olympic Park (wow, but for future wow, wows). Now truly who in their right mind would be able to research, locate it, time it right and do all of that in one day on their own. On my own I would still be in Beijing after a week while all the other people were seeing other things. Leave it to professionals.

The other best thing about tour groups was meeting new people. I met the sweetest people and ended up becoming hopefully lifelong friends. They were those that sat along with me in awe everyday as I did. I know if I had been on my own I would have had to interact more with the locals and I know that would have been really interesting and fun, but in such a short space of time they would have just been temporary acquaintences of mine and me of theirs. Those on tour with me interacted everyday, we got into deep discussions, and laughed hard and long. That is what I will always remember more than those in passing. I now have comrads that I can share my China experiences with.

I dreamed of going to China for many years. For a long time I was financially unable to go around the next corner just to camp and so when opportunity knocked I jumped. I hesitated to think I might never be able to do it again or go this far but I was going to at least do it this time.

As I narrate my adventure, and yes, can you really call a guided tour an adventure, you bet. I truly lived in a bubble for 16 days with 14 other people, but the sites, the smells, the loud noises, they were all ours just for those 16 days, I hope you remember that this was my first tour and it was an all inclusive awe.........

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First 36 Hours

Do you know the only way to get to China and don't say "by slow boat", its by plane. But believe me it seems like a slow boat when you are sitting on a plane for 24 hrs. The only salvation in this was the t.v. on the back of the seat in front of me, me and "Nacho Libre" got real close.



The anticipation of going grew and grew day by day. Funny as it maybe the day we left I was so calm. I guess I figured there wasn't much left for me to do than go and enjoy myself and hopefully I had everything packed, if not, I guess there wasn't time to worry about it.


Tina's first step onto international territories. It would be the beginning of barely making it to our planes.

We arrived with bright blue skies, cool temperatures which wouldn't last for very long. Even the airport was painted with the colors of China.
We hadn't even got to our hotel rooms and from our very tired dispositions, we headed for the bar and had our first Chinese beer out of many.
What a beautiful hotel room, but the beds were too hard and too short. One of my surprises was how modern Beijing was. The billboards were larger than some of our buildings.


Our first Chinese meal was the best I had ever had, but the Jasmine tea was a total surprise when out of the tea pod rose a jasmine flower. It taste as great as it looked.

Even though we were so tired we couldn't wait to start the tour and so off for a nightly performance of the Chinese acrobats. Even between our half opened eyes it was great.

Of course how can you not go to Hard Rock for pin purchase.

The end of a very long 36 hours.

Beijing the Land of Plenty

"Hi-can you speak English." How that statement can be such a spectrum. Our first initial stop was the Temple of Heaven. If you only knew what they did there, it wouldn't be so heavenly, but still beautiful.

The park around the temple brings out the locals every day, twice a day to exercise. The exercising could be a range of different things, from flag dancing, Tia Chi, to playing instruments or singing. Some of these activities look easy but they can be quite complicating and hard.

Me out of control with my racket.

Beautiful dancing, I didn't dare try that one.

Lovely old man showing off his juggling.

A poet with her brush and water, once it dries up, a new poem to another passerby to see.

The traditional chinese flute.

Tinamen Square - so much history in this square, it brought a lot of emotions for all of us from the past to the future.
The monument of all that lost their lives that fateful night.

The Olympic countdown clock and mascots.

FORBIDDEN CITY - way too much to say and not enough space to show it. Unbelievable.

Where's Tina, could she be behind this door.

Beautiful girls dancing during our lunch.

SUMMER PALACE - The dragon lady knew what she was doing when she decided to make a summer cabin.

600 murials - so much work.

Rhonda and the beautiful boat that goes no where.

SILK FACTORY - Our day ended, but oh so tired, but still shopping to go.

Stretch girls, this must fit a queen size duvee. Maybe a chinese queen.

So many men, so many stairs, and so much wall.

OLYMPIC PARK
I had requested that we go to the Olympic Park. Just looking at the shell of the buildings still going up for 2008 Olympics it was still inspiring.

JADE FACTORY
I knew I wanted to buy some Jade when I booked this trip and I wasn’t disappointed other than I should have bartered better. I came away with a few pieces I will always cherish.

THE GREAT WALL
Amazing, amazing, amazing
One thing about the Great Wall which I was not expecting was a town at the base of where we started climbing with amusement park rides. Very interesting.

MING TOMBS
Even though it was so simple, it was probably one of most favorite places to visit. It was quiet and it gave us room to breath, and play.

TEA HOUSE
All of us was looking forward to sitting down after a very long day for some tea. We turned into punchy tourists. Unfortunately for the guide, but great for us.





PEKING DUCK DINNER
Very interesting, but delicious.



VERY LONG DAY BUT SO AWESOME

Old ways are good

CHINESE LEG MASSAGE
After many days being on the tour and moving so fast and seeing so much all you want is a little pampering. So the night before we all decided that we would have a leg massage. Our tour guide arranged for four of us girls to have it all at the same time in our individual rooms by a different masseuse. No tipping allowed and only $25, great deal. When two masseuses showed up for Tina and I, we thought this is going to be so great. Well half way into it they started going farther than our legs and started really hurting our arms and back. We tried to laugh it off when we heard through the walls our friends Pam and Opal, we thought they were laughing and in reality their bones were breaking. Exhibit A for the lawsuit.

DR. SUN YATSEN HOUSE
Dr. Sun and his wife were great revolutionaries of China. Their home were beautiful and they did a lot for the country. I got to take my first rickshaw ride to the house through the streets of Beijing.

HUTONGS
They are old housing of how the Chinese use to live. Several families would be in a small walled off compound. It brought a new meaning to the United Order. Now only one family lives there.

DRUM TOWER
Chinese use to use these to announce to their public that the gates of the city were either closed or open. Watch your step‼‼‼‼!

YANGTZE
It was a very long day, a flight, two bus rides, and a trolley, but we are finally here on one of the worldest largest rivers.