TravelStream™ news feed for member apowell5 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/apowell5 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:37:22 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232631300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232631300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232631300/tpod.html Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:37:22 -0500 China: The Flying Dragon - Winter Term 2009

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Kunming, Yunnan, China

Last day in Lijiang - First &
Second day in Kunming

Sorry I haven't been updating. I
have been sick since about Tuesday. Being sick in China is miserable. That is
all I have to say about that. Our last day in Lijiang was pretty relaxing. We
woke up and took a two hour bus ride to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. The Yangtze
gets very narrow here, and the rapids are really strong. It is about a 3.5 mile
hike from the bus to the gorge and back. There is a path running along side the
river and every once in a while you pass through a tunnel. Finally, at the end
of the path there is a large bridge, and you can walk down a few flights of
stairs to get closer to the rapids. Dr. Crowe told us that the only people that
have tried to raft this gorge were killed. It is one of the most dangerous
places, as it is a class six rapid. Apart from this part of the walk, most of
the Yangtze was very peaceful. Lijiang is pretty much like summer all year
round and the seasons are not definite. However, summer is a rainy season for
Lijiang and the raindrops cause the Yangtze to appear brown and really dirty.
However, we were able to see the Yangtze in the winter, and it was very
greenish/blue. It didn't look dirty at all. It was a pretty warm walk and
definitely a beautiful site. We then loaded the bus and drove about an hour to
a village to have lunch. After lunch we took some time venturing around the
village. The village is significant for two reasons. First, it is located at
the first bend of the Yangtze river. The River literally changes directions for
the first time at the foot of this town. Secondly, during the Long March, the
red army came through this town and was assisted by local ferrymen in crossing
the river. We visited a museum in the town, which had a lot of displays and
monuments and historical pieces dedicated to the red army's presence. After the
village we headed back to the hotel and had another free night. Christie and I
visited our favorite pizza place, Don Papa's and then walked around Lijiang a
little bit. We met up with some people in our group and visited a local bar,
Stone the Crows, owned by a guy from Ireland. It was really nice to hear
English, and it is a good example of the appeal Lijiang has to people all over.
For instance, the pizza place we love so much is owned by a man from France,
Dr. Crowe knows of an American who has opened a Tibetan restaurant in Lijiang,
and we saw multiple restaurants and bars that were owned by people from all
over the world. Lijiang was probably my favorite stop in China. I would
definitely recommend spending some time there.

            We
arrived in Kunming around lunchtime on Wednesday. After getting off the plane
we met our tour guide, Selena, and went to lunch at a local restaurant. After
lunch we visited a minority village. However, this wasn't a minority village in
its natural setting. It was like the Disney World of minority groups in China.
Each group had its own village in the large park. We saw one of Thailand's
minority group's village. After touring the recreation of a minority village,
we went to an elephant show. Dr. Crowe and Dr. Xiao paid for us all to ride on
the elephant. So we walked up to the trunk and grabbed on, and it picked us up
with its trunk. It was so much fun! Then we stayed for the elephant show, where
the elephants performed for us. They played soccer, basketball, walked on
narrow bridges and sat in traditional Buddhist positions. It was pretty
impressive. After the elephant show we stopped a museum downtown, but everyone
was a little tired and a little exhausted at this point, so our guide didn't
get very much attention. After getting back to the hotel, Christie and I
decided to find the Wal-Mart & KFC. After walking the streets for about an
hour, we finally found Dr. Crowe 
who directed us to the Wal-Mart. If you ever complain about an American
Wal-Mart, and its tendency to be overcrowded with people, then I can tell you
for a 100 percent fact, you never want to go into a Chinese Wal-Mart. No
exaggeration, there was probably 1,000 people on the first floor alone. We were
hoping to find some Cheez-its, or Pringles, or some kind of American snack.
Unfortunately, the first floor was produce. Whole chickens, barely covered in
ice falling on the floor was probably the highlight of our Wal-Mart Experience.
We bought absolutely nothing, and it was a great relief to make it out of the
store. (One good thing about being sick in China - Did not fully experience the
terrible smells of Wal-Mart) After leaving Wal-Mart, we found the KFC. KFC in
the states, needs to step it up, because China can cook a chicken sandwich and
fries wayyy better than any KFC I've ever had. So after our adventure out in
the crazy city of Kunming, we went back to the hotel, and went to bed pretty
early.

            Today
(finally) we woke up and had breakfast, and travelled about 2 hours to see the
Stone Forest. It was really beautiful, and honestly, we had more fun here than
probably any other stop on this trip. Not only was the forest itself
impressive, but there were not fences or rails to keep us from climbing on
everything. We all got some really impressive pictures from awkward formations
in the rocks. It was interesting to see such a tourist place for the Chinese. I
suppose, it is a lot like Americans travelling to the Grand Canyon. After the
stone forest, we had the best lunch of the trip in my opinion and headed back
to the hotel. We made two stops on the way home, a pearl factory and a jade
factory. Evidently, tour guides get a cut of what groups spend when they came
in. Unfortunately for Selena, we all went broke in Beijing when David took us,
so I'm sure she didn't make quite as much as she was hoping. Traffic in Kunming
is horrible, so we didn't make it back to the hotel until about 5. 1 out of 8
people own a car in Kunming, and the city is built on not so sturdy ground, so
they are unable to build a subway system. I like Kunming, but being sick has
really put a damper on this town. We leave for Shanghai tomorrow morning, the
wake up call comes at 4:45. Sorry for not updating, like I said, getting sick
in China is absolutely horrible. Enjoy the pictures!

Love,

Anna 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232376300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232376300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232376300/tpod.html Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:46:52 -0500 China: The Flying Dragon - Winter Term 2009

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Lijiang, Yunnan, China

Sorry for not updating yesterday. Its been a busy few days
here in Lijiang. Lijiang is like the Williamsburg of China. It is really unique
and quaint, and I am so excited that we get to spend so much time here. We had
a day of traveling from Lhasa to Chengdu then to Lijiang, and we didn't get in
until late Saturday night. Sunday morning we had a free morning, so Christie
and I woke up to take pictures and venture a little bit in town. Lijiang is
much more traditional than Beijing, or Xian. Lijiang is in the Yunnan Province,
and it looks like old China. The streets are cobblestone, there is a waterway
that runs throughout the town. No cars can drive in the old part of town, so
upon arriving on Saturday night we actually had to walk about 10 minutes to our
hotel, which by the way is adorable. On our morning free, Christie and I took
some time to get some good pictures of the town, we shopped a little bit too -
we found these wooden ornaments with Naxi (a minority group in Lijiang) symbols
on it. I bought three, one means "I love you", another means "Happiness
throughout life" and another one means "I will always be by your side". They
are pink and green and so cute! The Naxi written language is pictograms, so the
ornaments are really interesting. Definitely one of my favorite buys so far.
After that we found a coffee shop. Coffee in China is nothing like American
coffee. This coffee needed about 5 sugar cubes and half a gallon of milk to
taste remotely like normal coffee. It is so strong here. It was a lot of fun
walking around the city by ourselves. After our adventure we came back to the
hotel, got our things together and met the group for lunch. I love sitting at
Honglins (Dr. Xiao) table at meals, especially when there is fish. Chinese
people love to eat the fish brains and other things in the fish's head. Honglin
is a champion at chopsticks, since he is from China, but there is nothing like
his picking apart of a fish head. After lunch we went to the Black Dragon Pool.
It was absolutely beautiful. We walked around and enjoyed the view of the Jade
Dragon Snow Mountain. We visited the Dongba museum, which focuses on the Dongba
culture of the Naxi people. Dongba means "wise man" and we were able to meet
one of these prominent figures in Naxi culture at the museum. After leaving the
museum, we went back to the old part of Lijiang and climbed to the top of a
temple to get a bird's eye view of the city, and toured the residential section
of the city. It was a great first day in Lijiang, the history and culture of this
region is endless. This morning we got up VERY early. We left the hotel at 7:30
to travel to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park. The first thing we did was
take a lift up to the top of the mountain to the Glacier Park (For those of you
familiar with my extreme fear of heights, let me just say, this was one of the
most difficult and scary things I've ever done). The top of the mountain is
about 17,000 feet above sea-level and there is snow and glaciers all year long.
It was incredible to climb to the top of the glacier park. The view was
amazing, all you could see were mountains and mountains, and more mountains. After
coming back down the chair lift (which it was enclosed, which made it better,
but I'm telling you, it was high.....really high and really steep!) we had lunch
at a little restaurant in the park, and then took a little drive to the Black
Dragon River to get a good view of the mountain and a few people in the group
dressed up in costumes and road yaks. Not going to lie, it was a pretty
exciting. We went to a local village where Naxi people live and saw a historic
temple with murals from centuries ago. While a lot of the religious images
where destroyed in the cultural revolution, the murals were protected because
local villagers posted newspapers with Mao's picture over top of it, and the
army was unable to destroy the images, despite the fact that they knew the
murals were behind the newspaper. After the Naxi village, we went to a tea
house in the old part of Lijiang. It is a very famous tea house in this city.
We sampled a bunch of different teas, and learned a lot about tea culture in
this region of China. Christie and I had lunch in a cute little pizza place
with Dr. Crowe. We shopped around a little bit, and just enjoyed the atmosphere
in Lijiang. Enjoy the pictures, there are some beautiful ones!

Love

Anna
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232109660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232109660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232109660/tpod.html Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:01:53 -0500 China: The Flying Dragon - Winter Term 2009

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Tibet, China

Today was another beautiful day in Tibet. I slept much better last night, and was excited to start my day today. We went to the Summer Palace this morning. It was built by the 7th Dalai Lama, as he traveled there in order to preserve his health. The palace was built in the 18th century, and while some of it was destroyed in 1959 and also the cultural revolution, much of the original structure stands today. After touring this palace we went inside of the 14th Dalai Lama's Palace. It was completed in 1956, only three years before the Dalai Lama relocated to India. The palace has not changed since his departure in 1959, so we actually were able to see everything that was in the palace when he lived there. In one of his sitting rooms, there was the history of Tibet in pictures painted on the wall. It ended with the Dalai Lama's journey to Beijing to interview Chairman Mao in the 1950s. It was very interesting to be in the same rooms as the Dalai Lama, and see how he lived and be in such a significant place. The grounds of the Summer Palace were beautiful, even though it was winter. I enjoyed visiting the Norbulingka, and the historical significance of the Dalai Lama's Palaces. After our two hour visit to the Summer Palace we went to have a traditional buffet style Tibetan lunch. After a VERY good lunch, we went to the Tibetan Outpatient Hospital. One of the most famous doctors in Tibetan Medicine met with my group and gave us an explanation of Tibetan Medicine, and the way Tibetan doctors diagnose and treat. It was very informative, and really interesting to understand the differences in Tibetan medicine in comparison to modern medicine. After our visit to the hospital we went to the Jokhang Temple, in the center of old Tibet. It was originally constructed in the 7th century, and some of the images inside are original. Some of the temple was destroyed in 1959 and during the Cultural Revolution, but for the most part, the original temple still stands. Outside of the Temple is a lot of little vendors. I got some beautiful scarfs, jewelry, and dishes. It was really nice. After shopping we came back to the Hotel, and Christie and I have been in relax mode ever since. I have learned so much while in Tibet, and I am very sad to leave tomorrow. It is absolutely breathtaking here, and the history and dedication of the Tibetan Culture really left a mark on me. Enjoy the MANY PICTURES, I got todayLove, Anna
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232010420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232010420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1232010420/tpod.html Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:08:12 -0500 China: The Flying Dragon - Winter Term 2009

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Tibet, China

Tibet is absolutely beautiful. I can't begin to explain the
things I saw today. First thing today, after a not so great night's sleep,
Christie and I woke up and headed down to breakfast. It was so delicious...they
had Chick-fil-a fries...waffle fries this morning = amazing. After breakfast, I
had a little bit of time before we were heading out for the day, so I updated
my blog, and got my things ready for the day. We met in the lobby about 9:30,
because the sun doesn't really start to come up here until at least 8:30 or
8:45. It is really cold in Tibet in the morning, but it has been at least 45-50
degrees. Our first visit this morning was to the Potala Palace. It is my new
favorite place. I am in love with it. Buddhism is certainly not my religion of
choice, but the dedication of the Tibetan people to their religion is moving
and the Palace is a manifestation of the significance of Buddhism in Tibet. The
palace is the highest palace in the world and was built in the 7th
century. It was the home of the Dalai Lama, until 1959 when the Dalia Lama fled
to India. I got to see the room where the Dalai Lama met with Chinese officials
about the future of Tibet, which was amazing to be standing in the same place.
Every single inch of the Palace was decorated with fabrics, paint, statues,
everything. It was absolutely beautiful. It was about a 30 minute walk up the
stairs, but it was worth it once we got inside. The tombs of past Lamas are
inside the palace, along with the living quarters and many chapels. When you
look at the photo of the Palace, the white part is the living quarters of the
Dalai Lama and the monks, while the red is for religious purposes. Once again,
I can't explain to you the beauty of this palace and the impression it had on
me. Every single day, the local Tibetan people go through the palace, while
those from other parts of Tibet travel as many times as possible during the
year that their financial status will allow them. Today, an elderly lady was
climbing the steps, and you could tell it took every ounce of energy she had to
climb the stairs. Many children came through the palace as well. It took a lot
of energy to get through it all, but it should definitely be on your list of
things to see. We weren't allowed to take cameras inside, so you'll have to
take my word for what the inside of the palace looked like, but I can promise
you, there is nothing in the world like it.

After our visit to the Potala Palace we went to lunch at
Tibet Steak house. We had all kinds of delicious food, including Yak. Yak is
absolutely delicious, and it is a very popular food in Tibet. The animal is
used for their meat and coat in Tibet, and is a very important animal for the
Tibetan people. After eating lunch we went to the Sera Monastery on the
outskirts of Lhasa. It was touching to see again, the dedication of the Tibetan
people to Buddhism. The monastery was first construction in the 1500s and, some
of the original paintings on the interior walls of the assembly hall remain,
however about 50 percent of the Monastery was destroyed in 1959 and again in
the Cultural Revolution. However, it was beautiful, and we met lots of
interesting people and saw daily life in rural Tibet. Most of the buildings in
Lhasa were constructed after 1959, however, this part that we saw today was old
Tibet. It was pre-China Tibet, and it was astounding. I cannot wait to return
to Lhasa, if I am ever fortunate enough. Enjoy the pictures!

 

Love

Anna 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231978500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231978500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231978500/tpod.html Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:17:38 -0500 China: The Flying Dragon - Winter Term 2009

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Tibet, China

Last day in Chengdu/Tibet

My last day in Chengdu was incredible. We went to visit the
Giant Buddha in Leshan. On the way to the giant Buddha we stopped at a place
that sold tea, tea cakes, all kind of things related to tea. It was located in
the middle of a huge area of tea farms. It was about a 2 hour drive from our
hotel to Leshan, but it was an interesting trip. The tea farms were beautiful,
and the countryside was so different from America. Once we arrived at the Giant
Buddha we took a river cruise to see the whole thing from the water. We all put
on these BEAUTIFUL orange life preservers and pulled away from the dock. The
Giant Buddha was so big. I think I was about the size of the toenail. It was
carved out of the side of a cliff during the Tang Dynasty. It was built to
protect the fishermen in the river below. 
While we were on our cruise we saw fishermen with birds that they
trained to go under the water and catch fish. After we got off the boat we
walked up the giant Buddha. It was about a 30 minute hike, and 333 steps. The
top of the Buddha was so impressive, the facial features were so detailed and
exact. It is hard to believe this was constructed so long ago. After the climb
up we visited a monastery near the giant Buddha. Then we left the Giant Buddha
to go eat in a local restaurant in Leshan. The food in the Sichuan is very
spicyy and I put a bite of this chicken in my mouth, and my mouth was sore for
the rest of the day. They have really really really spicy food. Our tour guide
said it was because Chengdu is so humid. After lunch we went back to the hotel
and had the night to ourselves. My roommate was sick so we stayed in and Dr.
Crowe delivered pizza hut for us. It was a relaxing last night in Chengdu, but
all of us were anxious for Tibet in the morning. The flight to Lhasa was
incredible, we crossed over the Himalayas and even saw Everest (It stood out a
lot). After we touched down we met our tour guide and got on the bus to check
in at the hotel. In Tibet, they welcome you with a white silk scarf, kind of
like in Hawaii, you get flowers, well in Tibet you get silk. The bus ride was
about an hour to the Sheraton in Lhasa. Our room is so cute, its very modern
but at the same time has a rustic feel. Our view of the mountains is so
beautiful, and the altitude really didn't bother me like I thought it was going
to. We ate lighter meals (which were DELICIOUS) and walked slowly. We ate at a
restaurant in the center of Lhasa, where the main temple is. We spent about 30
minutes walking around the market, and I got some beautiful scarves and
jewelry. We saw many nomadic people from Northern Tibet, on a pilgrimage to the
temple. They had never seen westerners before, so we were very popular. It was
amazing to see the differences in culture here. I love Tibet, it has to be one
of my favorite places in the world. I am so blessed to have been able to visit
here and experience the culture. I am excited for more adventures over the next
two days. My camera battery was not living during my arrival in Tibet, but I'll
post pictures from Tibet tomorrow, along with the Giant Buddha. Love you all

Anna
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231582440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231582440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231582440/tpod.html Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:16:38 -0500 China: The Flying Dragon - Winter Term 2009

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Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

Xi'an is beautiful city in the Shaanxi province. Our flight from Beijing was about an hour and a half and we arrived just in time to pick up our bags and get into bed. Dr Crowe & Dr. Xiao changed our itinerary and gave us a free day the next day which was so good. Christie and I woke up about 10:30, got dressed and went downstairs to get directions to Pizza Hut, Dr. Crowe said it was a fantastic Pizza Hut. The funny thing about Pizza Huts in China, is they are very nice, and VERY VERY expensive. The dining experience is much more like a steakhouse than a pizza place in the states. The concierge sent us a little restaurant named High Flying Pizza down the street instead of Pizza Hut, because I am pretty sure the only word he was able to make out in our sentence was Pizza. But it was a cute little restaurant and the food and service was fantastic. Christie got the pineapple & chicken rice (which was fantastic, and we are going back tonight JUST so I can order that!) and I got a calzone. The Calzone was better than any one I've ever had in the States, and it cost me about $5, while Christie's meal was about $3. We already recruited a few others to join us tonight to eat there again. After our adventure to the pizza place, we came back to the hotel and got ready for an adventure into the city. Xi'an is the only city that still has a city wall. A lot of people woke up to bike around the city wall, but Christie and I woke up and looked out and we were pretty sure it was raining, only, it was just smog. But we left the hotel, crossed under the city gates to enter into the "downtown" part of Xi'an and were immediately drawn to an international department store with a Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Versace, and a bunch of other great stores. We left this department store and walked up the street until we found a Starbucks. Seriously, one of the best moments of the trip! Christie got a regular cup of coffee, and I got a mocha. It was so good! We also bought some Starbucks gifts. I got two mugs for my apartment next year, and another one that celebrated Starbucks' tenth year in China. The service is Starbucks was nothing like it is the states. A salesperson came up to us and talked to us about the mugs, and there was no rush in ordering. It was a nice taste of home. While we were enjoying our drinks, a little girl waved to us, and her and her mother came over to speak to us. The little girl, Catherine, said hello and my name is Catherine in English and her mom asked us about school and America, and our trip to China. It was so great to meet Catherine and her mom! We left Starbucks and went to this 10 story mall. It was so overwhelming so we settled for a trip to the supermarket on the ground floor to get water. You can't drink the tap water in China, so we go through a lot of bottled water. After that, we walked around the rest of the street, back to the hotel. I got a massage once we got back. Being that massages in the States are sometimes a little awkward, the fact that my massage was in my room, and the girl spoke little English made it about 100 times more awkward. But I would highly recommend a Chinese massage, it was fabulous! After the massage, Christie and I got ready to meet our group downstairs for dinner. We walked about 30 minutes till we got to this famous dumpling restaurant. My personal favorite was the walnut dumpling, but all 18 types were delicious. I also had an appetizer of cow's tongue and octopus, not too bad, but probably won't try it at home. We had dumpling soup, which was really a lot of fun! They put 36 baby chicken dumplings in this soup at your table and dish it out into little bowls. The number of dumplings in your bowl meant different things. I had four dumplings, which means I am going to have lots of money one day. After dumpling dinner Christie and I came back to the hotel room and got ready for bed, a lot of our classmates went out tonight, but I am waiting until after Tibet, there is no way I am going to be sick before we leave to go to Tibet. This morning we woke up and went to see the Terra Cotta Warriors outside of the city. It is considered the 8th wonder of the world, and it was unbelievable. We went to pit one first. Each soldier has a different face, which is incredible. After we went to the first pit we went into the museum shop to watch a film on the pits. The pits were discovered by a farmer in 1974, and he was there at the museum and signed my book for me. It was so interesting to meet the man that discovered the 8th wonder of the world. The rest of the time at the museum went by so fast. It took about 38 years and 750,000 workers to complete the all the pits. We also saw the bronze works and the history of the terra cotta warriors museum. We met up at a tea house after about 3 hours of wandering around, and learned all about Chinese Tea. I had a tea that is good for circulation and your skin. I think when I get back to the states, I'm going to start drinking more tea. After tea we left the Terra Cotta warriors and had lunch nearby. The biggest dish of the meal was Xi'an noodles. The biggest crop for Xi'an is winter wheat, and so noodles are much more popular in Xi'an than rice. It was a great meal, but there was no heat, so for the majority of the morning, I was a completely frozen. After leaving this part of Xi'an we visited the Wild Goose Pagoda, a buddhist temple. It was incredible. I climbed to the 7th level of the Pagoda (My fear of heights kicked in, but I made it up and down all by myself without any hesitation!) A lot of my classmates bought incense to burn and make a wish. it was interesting to visit such a unique place, and it was really inspiring to be there. It was very peaceful and sincere and just a good atmosphere, since our trip is so rushed and panicked most of the time. After leaving the Wild Goose Pagoda we were supposed to visit the Muslim quarters, but traffic was really bad and we decided to head back to the hotel and we will get dinner on our own tonight. Xi'an is wonderful, I have really enjoyed my stay here, and if you ever get the chance the Terra Cotta Warriors are absolutely incredible to see in person. Enjoy the pictures! Miss and Love you alll!
Anna 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231758180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231758180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231758180/tpod.html Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:05:32 -0500 China: The Flying Dragon - Winter Term 2009

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Chengdu, Sichuan, China

This morning we woke up in Xi'an, enjoyed breakfast and made
our way to the airport for our flight to Chengdu. The flight was only about 50
minutes, and it was the biggest and nicest plane we have been on so far in the
trip. When we arrived in Chengdu, we got off the plane on the tarmac, instead
of pulling up to a gate. A bus came and picked us up to shuttle us to baggage
claim. The bus totally cramped, as everyone of us on the plane were shoved in
one tiny busy, but to make it ever better, we hit a car. No kidding, our bus
collided with a car. This created a huge mosh pit in the center of the bus, and
one of the girls on my trip was pushed up against the glass and got a pretty
nasty scrape on her hand, and a bump on her head. Our arrival in Chengdu
started out with a bang to say the least. Funny story anyways, but its really
just a representation of the HORRIBLE driving in China. After being picked up
from the airport, Shelley, our CITS tour guide in Chengdu took us to a local
restaurant for lunch. Chengdu in only about 60 miles away from the site of the
Earthquake from last May. Out tour guide said hat the earthquake had an affect
on the city, as family and friends have become of greater value than making
money. Chengdu is much warmer, even today, and there is no pollution problem,
as industry is much less common here. At lunch, we all ate in individual rooms,
which was different, but as always, we enjoyed the foot, the company and the
experience of being in China together. After lunch we headed out of the city to
go to the Giant Panda Breeding Center, which was so exciting for EVERYONE on
the trip. When we first arrived we saw the adult pandas. The adult pandas were
so cute! Pandas only retain about 20% of the nutrients from their diet, and so
they try to eat a lot and move less once they become adult pandas. After seeing
the adult pandas we saw the sub-adult pandas, which were much more playful.
They were so cute, and were just a little bit smaller than the adults. We then
went to the nursery and saw cubs being trained. They ran around, barely picking
up their back legs. Honestly, pandas are the cutest animals, there is no
exaggeration. After we saw the cubs, a few of us decided to hold a Panda. It
cost 1000 Yuan, which was about 150 USD. About 5 of us spent the money, and it
was so great. They put the panda in your lap and put honey on its paw so it
would be still. It was definitely one of the coolest things I've ever done in
my life. After that we went to see the Red Pandas. Red Pandas look like a cross
between a fox, a raccoon, and a cat. They are adorable, one of my favorite
animals now I think. Its hard to believe they are in the same family as the
Giant Pandas. After the Giant Panda Breeding Center we are heading out to
dinner in Chengdu. Pleasee enjoy the pictures. It was such an exciting day for
me

 

Love,

Anna
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231518300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231518300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231518300/tpod.html Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:34:32 -0500 China: The Flying Dragon - Winter Term 2009

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Beijing, China

I am currently on my flight from Beijing to Xian. Today was
another very busy day in Beijing, and I am really sad to leave the city. This
morning we woke up and went straight to Beijing International Studies
University. It is one of the more prestigious Universities, and it specializes
in Tourism and languages. We got a tour of the campus by a student
representative, and then we all gathered in a big lecture hall, where a few
representatives from the BISU faculty told us about the university and its
purpose, and Dr. Crowe explained a little bit about what Elon was, and our
study abroad program. We each had a chance to sit down and talk to a student at
the University for about an hour and a half. I sat with a girl from outside of
Beijing named Nina. She was so much fun. We exchanged gifts, talked about
China, fashion, Gossip Girl, boys, America, New York, sports, almost anything
you could talk about. We exchanged email addresses and school mailing addresses
and promised to keep in touch. Anytime we are planning on traveling, we have
promised to plan to get together. We were a lot alike, and I learned so much
from my hour and a half with her. We actually changed the itinerary and passed
up our trip to the Summer Palace to stay at the University longer. It was so
rewarding to talk to Chinese students and have such great conversation. Nina
was telling me about her English final, which she will be taking on Monday, as
it is finals time in China for most university students. She said her professor
sent it to an American English professor in order to make sure he had made no
mistakes, and the American professor made a 50 on the exam. I told Nina
Americans have little use for the grammar rules, and to tell her professor that
I didn't think they should be focusing so much on the grammar.

            After
leaving the University we went to lunch in Beijing. Not one of my favorites, we
had a lot of fish and vegetables, and I used my first bathroom that did not
have regular toilets, but instead the toilet built into the flooring (I'm not a
fan). After dinner we went to a silk market in downtown Beijing, where we
learned about  the process of silk
worm faming, and the spinning of the silk worm. One guy had a suit tailored
while we were there, but most of us just picked up a scarf or bag. Next we went
to my favorite place of the day, the Pearl Market. The 4th floor was
very exclusive and more expensive shopping. However, I was able to get a pretty
good deal on some pearls. I picked out a pretty good sized (and by this, I mean
HUGE) Tahitian pearl and had it put in a setting for $350 USD. The guy said he
gave me a 20% student discount, but I never saw the higher price, who knows,
but I also got two pairs of freshwater pearl stud earrings for only 100 Yuan a
piece, which is about $10 USD, and they are very gritty to the teeth. I wanted
to buy more, but I knew I had to draw the line somewhere. Downstairs is cheaper
pearls, some are simply glass, and others are just a much lower quality. Amy,
Meredith and I worked on our bargaining skills, which I have to say, I was no
good at. Amy however, she is a pro. After our one hour visit to the pearl
market we went to a local clothes market in downtown Beijing. It was 4 floors
of nothing but knockoffs. First, I got TOTALLY ripped off. I paid 180 Yuan for
one knockoff longchamp, while Amy 
(the professional) and pretty much everyone else on our trip got them
from 50 Yuan. After discovering I had been ripped off, I was much more determined
at the next place to get a better deal. Christie and I found some great
Burberry knockoffs, and she paid about 350 Yuan for a pretty good sized,
quality (if its possible to describe a knockoff with this adjective) fake. I
shopped around a little bit and found a little smaller Burberry bag which she
originally asked for 850, but I got her down to 300 Yuan, although I through in
10 more, because she was really nice, and half the fun is just seeing how low
you can go. I went upstairs to get some knockoff North Faces, but Dr. Crowe
caught me in time to point out pretty bad stitching. I think I am going to wait
until Shanghai before attempting North Face knockoffs again. Christie spotted a
Cold Stone across the street from the Market, so a few of us decided to spend
our last 30 minutes enjoying an American dish to hold us over until dinner.

            It
is hard to describe the graciousness of the Chinese people. Nina was so
grateful for the small gift I gave her and was so interested in what America
was like and wanted to know exactly what life was like for me in the states.
Also, even in the markets and stores, the Chinese people are so kind and
gracious and excited to see Americans. Today has probably been my favorite day.
Climbing the Great Wall and seeing the Tian'an Men was incredible, but I think
meeting Nina today, and interacting with so many Chinese people really gave me
a better feel for Beijing, and China as a whole. Even our tour guide after
leaving us at the airport said that we were strangers when we met, but now we
were friends, and he made sure to give all of us a hug and told us that we must
contact him if we ever planned to return to China. China is such an incredible
country, Dr. Crowe always tells us that he has a love affair with China, and
after being here for only 3 days, it is not hard to understand why. The culture
is so beautiful, unique and constant, but the accomplishments of the country in
the past few years is absolutely astounding. All the while, I feel that the
people are so gracious and friendly. I feel like I made a great friend today at
the University, and I am excited to see how we communicate in the future.

            Tomorrow
I will have a free day, as Dr. Crowe thought that after such a late flight
(since it was pushed back a whole hour) it will be good to sleep in, but
tomorrow we are going to go as a group and visit the local markets and maybe
bike around the wall (its 10 miles, so we will have to see). Well I think im
going to finish the last 45 minutes of my flight with a nap, as always, enjoy
the pictures!

PS. While I may have complained about the flight to China,
Air China has got their act together, we got served a small meal on this
flight, and it was even a meal time, and we didn't even have to pay for it. While
Delta now charges us to check on bag. Also, as I noted earlier that I think the
morning exercise and dancing at the Temple of Heaven should be applied in
America, I also think bargaining should be an acceptable activity, it brings so
much more excitement to a purchase!

 

Love always,

Anna 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231424520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231424520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231424520/tpod.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:23:26 -0500 China: The Flying Dragon - Winter Term 2009

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Beijing, China

y we started our morning by visiting a Jade factory in
Beijing. We learned all about the process of carving Jade, which by the way was
incredible, the detail that goes into each carved piece, and also learned about
how jade is chosen, what makes it unique and tips on buying jade. After getting
our tour through the factory, we were able to shop for about 30 minutes. I got
two pairs of beautiful black jade earrings, a ball of happiness, and a ring. We
got a student discount, which everyone used as justification for shopping. It
was truly a unique place, and I will now appreciate Nanny's jade tree much,
much...MUCH MUCH more. After we finished at the Jade factory we took the 45
minute drive to the Great Wall. I can't even begin to explain how impressive
the Great Wall is. We went to the Great Wall at Badaling, and spent about an
hour and a half on the wall. First, it was the coldest place I have ever been,
by the time I got down, I couldn't feel my face, hands, legs, or feet, even
though I had on about twenty different layers. Let me also mention, that while
we all wore hiking boots, uggs, a tennis shoes to climb the great wall, it
became apparent that the traditional Chinese way to climb the wall for women is
in stiletto boots. No kidding, and I'll even admit that a lady in about 4 inch
heels passed me on the way up the last stretch of the wall. We stopped lots of
times on the walk up to take pictures and catch our breath. My fear of heights
didn't kick in at all, just the fear of passing out from no oxygen. It was a
beautiful view from the top, and I'm not sure I've ever been anywhere that was
that beautiful and impressive. Seeing that it took a great amount of physical
effort to simply climb the Great Wall, it completely blows my mind to think it
was constructed by hand with no modern conveniences. After slowly making it
back down with my rubber legs, we all met up at a coffee shop at the bottom of
the wall and drank hot chocolate, and a few of us bought super obnoxious
tee-shirts that will inform the world "I climbed the Great Wall!" Soon after we
caught our breaths and got some energy back, we loaded the bus and were headed
to lunch. We ate lunch at a popular tourist place near the wall. It was also a
Cloisonne factory. Once again, I can't even say I appreciated the various vases
and things Nanny collected over the years, but after seeing the process in
which these are made, I was completely blown away. So after lunch, we did some
more shopping. I bought 3 Christmas Ornaments, I was only going to buy two, but
the Chinese ladies in the stores are so good at persuading me to buy more, but
after today, I have decided to draw the line, I will no longer fall subject to
their demands to buy more. Dr. Crowe said it was expensive, but it is one of
the only places to buy authentic stuff. Cloissone is one of Beijing's three
treasures, along with jade and Peking duck. It was kept a secret from the
outside world until the 1980s, but China is still the only place in the world
that produces it. After leaving lunch we had a 30 minute drive to the Olympic
Village. This was such an exciting stop! We went into the Bird's Nest first.
The outside design is so original, and I can't begin to explain to you how
impressive and huge it looks when you walk beside it. When we walked inside,
this song from the Olympics was playing, and there was a huge Christmas Tree in
the center of the stadium. There were so many people touring the stadium, and
walking through you can't imagine the pride and nationalism filling the entire
place. It was so exciting to be in the middle of such an important structure.
Next, we traveled across the street to see the Water Cube. Once again, such a
cool building! We had a great time seeing the Olympic Village, and I gained a
greater appreciation for the work and commitment and the honor associated with
an Olympic Bid, China should be proud, the Beijing Olympic Village is gorgeous,
and will continue to be important in Beijing in the future. After the Olympic
sites we went to eat dinner in downtown Beijing. It was my favorite meal so
far. My favorite dish was a fried squid in a really sweet sauce, everyone at
the table tried it, since we have all claimed we would try at least 95% of the
things on the table at meals, and everyone thought it was awesome. After dinner
a few of us paid 150 Yuan and went to a Kung Fu show. One of the coolest stage
shows I think I have ever seen. It was an hour and a half of super intense
martial arts telling the story of a kung fu warrior and his experiences. We
just got back to the hotel and I am looking forward to a goodnights sleep after
such a busy day. Once again, enjoy the pictures,

Love

Anna 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231371120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231371120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/apowell5/1/1231371120/tpod.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:45:04 -0500 China: The Flying Dragon - Winter Term 2009

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Beijing, China

We arrived in Beijing last night
around 6:30. After we got off the plane, which was a relief to say the least,
we went to baggage claim (My bag made it!) and met our tour guide for our days
in Beijing. We checked into our hotel, I made a phone call home, and was soon
sleeping. The hotel is really nice, the beds are really comfortable and the
hair dryer has to be one of the weirdest things I've ever seen, it looks a lot
more like a vacuum cleaner than anything else. Christie and I were out pretty
soon after checking in, and knew that our 6:30 wake-up call wouldn't be too
long.

I woke up at 6:30 this morning, showered and Christie and I joined the group
downstairs for breakfast. Probably one of the best breakfasts I have ever had.
After breakfast, I exchanged some of my money, so I would have some cash today
and we went back to room, grabbed our jackets and loaded the bus to head for
the Temple of Heaven. It was built in 1420. The grounds cover an area of
2,730,000m2   and took
only 10 months to build. The temple is the largest extant sacrificial temple in
China. When we first arrived we spent a few minutes on the grounds surrounding
the temple. Many Chinese people come to the grounds in the mornings for
dancing, exercise, games and even karaoke. When I say dancing, I mean, real
choreographed dancing. Every morning people come out, and partner up with a
stranger to dance. On the way back to the bus, a Chinese man offered me, what
looked like a tennis racket, only with a pouch and we passed it back and forth
for a while. The events surrounding the temple were so interesting, a lot of us
were thinking this would be a great addition to college coffee at Elon. When we
made it to the Temple of Heaven, all of us were very impressed with the size
and beauty of the structure. Our tour guide, David,  (I wish I could recreate his laugh on the computer, because
it has been a benchmark of this trip) told us that Henry Kissinger has come to
the temple many times, and it is one of his favorite places. The structure is
made completely out of wood, there is no metals at all on the temple. The
temple and the stairs surrounding it are circular, as the Chinese believe
heaven is circular. The platform on which the Temple was built is square,
because the Chinese believed the earth was square. The Emperor would come to
the Temple of Heaven to perform a ceremony to request a good year, as the main
building is called, The Hall of Prayer for a Good Year. While looking around
the grounds I found the 70-year-old door which was added for an older emperor,
who was unable to walk the long distance, he was afraid that his successors
might use the door out of laziness, so he required that only emperors 70 years
or older could use the door.

            After
leaving the Temple of Heaven, we went to Tian'an men Square. Tian'an men Square
is the center of Beijing, and is home to Mao's Memorial Hall, Te Great Hall of
People, The Museum of Chinese History, the People's Hero Monument and the
entrance of the Forbidden City. First, we went to Mao's Tomb. I can't explain
how intimidating this was. First, you are not allowed to take any bags,
cameras, anything in with you to see Mao's tomb, You go through security in
order to get in. You then form two lines at the bottom of the entrance.
Silently, you walk into a large room with a statue of Mao, and a giant tapestry
behind the statue, there is greenery at Mao's feet, and many Chinese people
bought flowers after going through security and lay them on the ground at the
Mao's feet. Then you walk into the room, containing Mao's body. You are not
allowed to stop, the security guards push you along if there are any gaps in
the line. Needless to say, I was on the heels of the guy in front of me the
whole time. Its amazing to see the position Mao still holds in China today.
After leaving Memorial Hall we met at the center of Tian'an men Square, beside
the People's Hero Monument, which is a tribute to the people who have died for
China. To our right was the Museum of the Chinese History, and Revolution, and
to our left was the Great Hall of People , which houses government and banking
offices. In front of us was Mao's portrait and the Tian'an men Tower. We took a
group photo in front of the Chinese flag which is raised a lowered daily. Dr.
Crowe & Dr. Xiao purchased a Beijing book, with all the sites and
description as well as a group photo for all of us on the trip, which is a
great souvenir. After we left Tian'an Men Square heading for the Forbidden
City, we stopped for lunch. When you have a meal in China, you all sit around a
big table, and in the middle is a giant Lazy Susan. We had sweet and sour pork,
French fries, a chicken dish, pepper steak, another beef dish, rice, fish,
cabbage, egg drop soup, and a few other things I couldn't identify. It was a
fabulous meal, and it was fun to experience Chinese cuisine as a group.

After eating we went to the
Forbidden City. The place is huge. Once you enter there are two great halls,
then we went to see the bed chambers and concubines' rooms, as well as the
Imperial Garden. The size and detail of the Palace is incredible, its hard to
believe that something so old could be that detailed and overwhelmingly large.
There is a moat surrounding the entire palace, and even today, entrance fees
apply to everyone, even tour groups with permits, which still gives it a
"forbidden" element, as our tour guide told us. The group photo we took inside
the Forbidden city, includes our group and about 10 Chinese people. Every group
picture we took, Chinese people all gathered around to take pictures with their
cameras.  There are two black guys
on the trip, and left and right people are taking pictures with them, also,
Craig, who is about 6'9" has been approached a lot and there are about 5 of us
blondes, and people are always staring and taking pictures when we are together
in a group. The Forbidden City was beautiful and overwhelming. We were supposed
to leave for the Summer Palace after walking through the Forbidden City, but
everyone was exhausted, so we are putting that off until Friday before we leave
Beijing. The pollution is pretty noticeable, my roommate has had a sore throat
and her eyes have been bothering her a lot. Dr. Crowe said within 3-4 days we
might start having symptoms from the pollution, it seems it only took her about
3-4 hours. Beijing is really unique in the way it is both modernized and
traditional. I feel very safe here. Today after getting off the bus, Christie
and I walked down to the convenient store, and tonight a bunch of us are
planning to spend some time in the city. Tonight we are going to have a traditional
Peking Duck Dinner, which is a very popular meal here in Beijing. I'll have
another update soon! Enjoy the pictures

Love, Anna 
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