TravelStream™ news feed for member scottshangguan on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/scottshangguan en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:16:12 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231398000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231398000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231398000/tpod.html Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:16:12 -0400 Guilin

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Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang, China

Guilin's Wayao Wholesale Market


Few visitors to Guilin know about the Wayao Wholesale Market. It is located south of Guilin City. It is a place visitors should not miss. It sells anything that a visitor to China might be looking for, but at very cheap prices. Most of the tourist shops in the Guilin, and Yangshuo areas all go to this market to purchase their inventories.


The market formerly looked like a large flea market, with row after row of dirty, dingy shops which visitors would have to enter to see what they sold. Recently however, Wayao has moved. It moved one block away, and the new area is really wonderful. It consists of two 4 story buildings and a smaller area with many small streets surrounded by two stories of shops. The market is now well lit, and most shops have window displays making it unecessary to enter each shop.


Wayao features shops that sell paintings, tea pots and tools, art supplies, silk, embroidery, wood carvings, furniture, bronze and brass wares, knick knacks, jade, the list goes on and on. Of course as with most places, bargaining is a necessity, but the dealers are pretty easy to deal with. Since not many visitors know of this place, prices are still very very low. If you are in this neck of the woods, and want to check it out, try to give yourself the day to do it. The more you explore the more you will see. It is definately worth a stop.


I go to Wayao at least twice a month. I have been going there for over four years, so most of the dealers know me by name, and I no longer have to fight for prices. Many of the dealers visit other parts of China to purchase their wares, and will often call me in advance to see if there was anything special I wanted them to pick up for me.


Wayao can be reached by taking the number 28, 20, or 11 bus lines.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231401120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231401120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231401120/tpod.html Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:15:51 -0400 Guilin

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Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang, China

Guilin's Diecai Hill Park


After visiting Fubo Hill, my Mother and I headed to Diecai Hill Park. This park is also located on the banks of the Li River and is just a bit south of Fubo Hill, within easy walking distance. About fifteen minutes. I like this park, not only for its natural beauty, but for its bird aviary. Diecai Hill is quite a long sprawling hill. It covers a large area and luckily because I work for China Odyssey Tours, I get in free.


Like so many of Guilin's hills it is filled with caves. The main cave is filled with carvings and inscriptions. The most veautiful are around the main entrance. There are many Buddhist carvings as well as inscriptions and poems. My Mother asked me what they said, but sadly I cannot read or understand them. There are also several paintings carved into the cave's interiors. They are quite rare and very beautiful!


After looking around the cave we climbed the highest peak of the hill. The hill has several. It offers a commanding view of the Li River and Downtown Guilin. We stayed on top of the hill enjoying the view and the breeze. The railings on the peak are covered with brass locks. Each lock has an inscription on it. It is for lovers. It is believed that if you buy a lock, have it engraved, lock it onto the railing and throw the key down that your good luck will last as long as the hill. Obviously many people beleive it because there were thousands of locks there.


After watching the traffic on the river, we climbed back down the mountain and went to the park's aviary. It is HUGE! It is filled with full grown trees and has a pond and a building which houses a stone museum. It is big. It is filled with many indigineous birds. The birds are not afraid of people, and if you buy a little cup of ground corn they practically attack you. I was covered with birds and an egret even sat on my head. My Mother was in hysterics. Luckily I had the camera, so there are no photos of the incident.


After the aviary we climbed another peak. This peak has a cave going right through it. It is called wooden Dragon Cave. It overlooks another park. It offered more great views of Guilin.


Diecai Park is so beautiful. It is not as visited as the other hill parks of Guilin and so is very peaceful. It is covered with foliage and it extremely beautiful. I highly recommend this park to visitors to Guilin with some extra time to kill.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231401600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231401600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231401600/tpod.html Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:15:24 -0400 Guilin

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Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang, China

Guilin's Imperial Palace

Few visitors to Guilin know that During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Guilin was an imperial city, a government center, home to the provincial level of imperial examinations and has its own imperial palace which pre-dates the forbidden City in Beijing


I recently took a trip to Guilin's Imperial Palace. Located in the center of the city, the palace is now home to the art departments of Guilin's Guangxi Normal University. I love the palace and have been there many times in the past four years. It is a beautiful place. Although lacking in the splendor of Beijing's Forbidden City, Guilin's Prince's Palace is still a lot of fun to visit. I like to go there early in the morning when the elderly can be seen there chatting, dancing, or practising Taiqi, while students between classes practise their traditional musical instruments outside in pavilions or under ancient trees. It is a really peaceful place.


To enter the palace, I first had to go through the main gate of the palace's protective wall. Now there is just one opening, but originally there were three. Two have been bricked up. guarding either side of the entrance are two stone dogs. Similar to the stone lions seen at most imperial palaces, the stone dogs became popular in the later part of the Qing Dynasty.


After entering the wall's main gate, I headed straight to the palace compounds main gate. It is very beautiful and bright yellow. During the Japanese occupation of Guilin, all of the original buildings in the palace were burnt to the ground. The ones visible now were built during the 1940's on the original's foundations. Although nothing like the originals, they are very cool and are all yellow with tiled roofs.


After entering the main gate I could see a large courtyard with a building built in the center of ancient stone balustrades. The palace is split down the middle by a pathway. The guide called it the Prince's pathway. It was only allowed to be used by the Prince. Now however anybody can walk on it. After crossing the courtyard I came to the stone balustrade. It is similar to the ones found in the Forbidden City, but with some major differences. First, it is nowhere as big. Secondly, there is not a dragon to be seen. The dragon was the symbol of the emperor, and only he was allowed to use it. Since the Prince, was second to the emperor, he was allowed to use the clouds that the dragon flew through as he symbol, so the balustrades have cloud decorations all over it. The balustrades have three main staircases. The center one, reserved for the prince, is covered with cloud carvings. The right staircase was reserved for government officials, and the left for military officers. There are other staircases on the sides for everyone of less importance. Located in the center of the balustrades is a big yellow building. Originally it was the building where the prince oversaw official business, and awarding of the top scholars who passed the provincial level imperial exams. In imperial China the only way to become an official was to take a series of imperial exams. First was local, followed by provincial, then the imperial exams in Beijing. The provincial level exams were held in the palace, and there have been some of the examination booths built on the grounds to show visitors what it was like.

Inside the building is the palace's museum. In the museum are many artifacts related to the palace, and Guilin's history. There is a scale model of what the palace would have looked like during the Qing Dynasty. It is really neat to compare the model with what exists now. There is also a performance of one of Guilin's traditional operas. The actors in the operas large wooden masks.

Behind the first main building, is a well located under a tree. It is said to be a lucky well, and all of the students participating in the exams would drink from it before beginning. there are several ancient trees in the area and they are very bizaarly shaped. They an banyian trees and the roots that drop down from their branches take on strange shapes. After the well, is another large courtyard and another large yellow building. Originally the building would have been the living quarters of the prince, but now it is the theatre of the univesity. I have seen many performances put on in it.

Behind the second large building is a mountain. The palace was built around the mountain, so the prince had a mountain in his backyard. The mountain is called Solitary Beauty peak. The mountain is covered with ancient calligraphic carvings. Solitary Beauty Peak has a couple of caves in it. The big cave has many carvings carved into the walls. There is a series of carvings of different gods that are supposed to protect people born under their year. My guy was a warrior bedecked in armor, and looking pretty angry. To leave the cave visitors have to pass through a gift shop. I thought that the prices were way too high, so I didn't get anything there. After leaving the cave, the guide and I climbed to the top of the mountain. The views of Guilin were astounding. from that vantage point, I could see all of the mountains scattered throughout the city. This city must have been absolutely amazing when all of the buildings were small.

Behind the mountain is a crescent shaped pond. It was built so the prince could have a water feature to walk around and relax by. In the middle of the pond is an island with little bridges leading to it. There are two pavilions located next to the pond. One is on the island, and one is on the shore. The pavilions are really nice places to sit and relax. When I was there, there were some students practising their instruments. It added a really wonderful ambiance to the quietness of the place. I sat in the shade of the mountain and listened to them play for quite a while.


After relaxing for a while I strolled around the palace. There is an exhibition center for students to showcase their paintings, I found them to be really excellent. There is also a couple of shops selling snacks, tea, and artwork. It is a very quiet place and a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of Guilin City. I go there often, and will continue to do so.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231405200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231405200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231405200/tpod.html Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:14:34 -0400 Guilin

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Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang, China

Guilin's Fubo Hill

My Mother came to Guilin to visit me and my new baby last month. She knew of Guilin's famous scenery and asked me what we could go see. Last year we took the Li River cruise, so we decided to check out Guilin's five famous mountains.




The first one we visited we Fubo Hill. Its name means Folded Brocade Hill because the mountain looks like layers of folded brocade. The park is rather small, but very nice and offers wonderful views of Guilin and the Li River. The Park's namesake, Fubo Hill is located right on the bank of the Li River. The hill, like most of Guilin's hills is filled with caves. The park area surrounding the hill is nicely landscaped. It features meandering paths that are well maintained and pass under sprawling banyian trees and topiaries.


The hill itself has stairs that lead to the top. My Mother and I climbed the hill to enjoy the view. Halfway up the hill is a small pavilion which looks over the surounding neighborhoods. The weather was really hot, but there was a very nice breeze there so we sat for a while and cooled down. We then continued our climb to the top of the hill. From the pavilion on top of the hill we got a spectacular view of Guilin City and the Li River. The day was very clear and we could see for quite a long distance. The Li River was high and the passing rafts made for wonderful photos. Since we were so high, and with the lovely weather we could see all of the mountains scattered around Guilin City. It really is a beautiful place!


We saw a man fishing with a weighted net. He would repeatedly throw it into the water and scoop it up when it hit the bottom. We didn't see him get any fish, but it was really fun to watch. There were also lots of people swimming in the area. We saw one man carrying a bucket along the shore for quite a while. He jumped into the water with the bucket and swam to a rock. We thought it was odd that this guy went swimming with a bucket, so we watched him. When he got to the rock he pulled a large turtle out of the water and let it swim around him. He had a string tied to the turtle and the two of them went swimming around the rock. I guess he was taking his turtle for a walk, or a swim, or whatever. After a while he put the turtle back into the bucket and swam with it back to the shore. He got out of the water and walked back where he had come from. That was something I have definetely never seen before. After watching the turtle guy we climbed back down Fubo Hill.


When we got to the bottom of Fubo Hill and went down into the caves. The cave was wonderfully cool and had a nice breeze blowing through it. The cave has several passages and some rooms. One room has been transformed into a shop, so we skipped that. Another passage leads up into the Thousand Buddha Cave. The cave opens outside and overlooks the Li River. The cave is filled with hundreds of Buddhist statues from the Tang Dynasty. It is always cool to look at something created over a thousand years ago. My Mother took lots of photos of them before we left that part of the cave. We then went through another passage and ended up outside on the backside of Fubo Hill. This is my favorite part of Fubo Hill. There is a stone that comes down and almost touches the ground. The stone is called Sword Testing Stone and it is said that an ancient general tested the power of his sword by chopping through the stone. The surrounding area is covered with ancient engravings and more Buddhist carvings. From this area we could see the fishermen on their bamboo rafts much better.


Fubo Hill Park is a small park and only takes about two hours to see, but it is a very nice little park. It is beautifully maintained, and Fubo Hill is filled with carvings, and best of all, my Mother enjoyed it a lot.
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Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang, China

Guilin's West Hill


I took my Mother to visit West Hill Park last month when she came to visit me. Of all of the park's in Guilin, I felt this was the one I absolutely had to take her to. There are many things that make West Hill Park special. First, it is located outside of the downtown area and so it not as visited. Climbing the hills in West Park you often feel like you are the only person there. Another thing that makes this park special is the hills themselves. They are covered with jagged and bizarrely shaped rocks. The hills in most of the parks in Guilin are fairly smooth, there aren't many jagged points sticking out of them, but West Hill is very different. Another thing I like about the park is that it doesn't seem touristy. There is nobody hocking stuff and nobody trying to get your photo taken with a minority girl, or an animal. Here, it is just nature.


We took the bus to the park and got our tickets and went in. Luckily, since I work for China Odyssey Tours, it my ticket was free. I like that. Near the entrance to the park is a small lake. It has a traditional Chinese bridge crossing it and after crossing the bridge we came to a small hill. The hill is filled with caves and two of them have been turned into Buddhist temples. They are very peaceful and the interiors have many ancient inscriptions in them. There was incense burning, but I have no idea who lit it because the park seemed deserted. After visiting the hill we crossed back over the lake and went to the park's other mountains. The park has a number of peaks and each has meandering stairs on them. We first climbed to the highest peak. On the way we found an ancient stone shrine carved into a large jagged stone. There are Buddhist carvings all over the mountains and we stopped to take photos of them all. They were quite magnificent. It takes a while to get to the top of the tallest peak, but the views are so spectacular that we didn't mind. Each bend in the path opens to new views and each is more spectacular then the next. When we arrived at the top, we sat down for a rest. After resting for a while, we descended the mountain and tackled another. Again, the views were spectacular. I have climbed these hills many times and they still take my breath away. The second hill we climbed looks towards the downtown area and so we could see more buildings.


If you are in Guilin, you gotta check out West Hill Park. It is really worth it. It is a bit of a workout to climb all the hills, but the feeling of accomplishment you feel and the views that you are awarded with is indescribable.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231419600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231419600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231419600/tpod.html Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:13:42 -0400 Guilin

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Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang, China

Guilin's Chuanshan Park

Chuanshan Park located in Guilin is one of many parks showcasing Guilin's fabulous karst landscapes. The hill is very long and has a large cave going all the way through one side of the hill. The hill is not located on the Li River, but a smaller less known River. Chuanshan Park is visible from Guilin's other famous hills and the Li River. There are two hills next to each other. Chuanshan is the larger and has been made into a park. Located across the river from Chuanshan hill is a much smaller hill that has a Ming Dynasty pagoda on the top of it.


The park is not in the downtown area and is not as busy as the other parks making it very peaceful and quiet. The hill is pockmarked with caves and covered with bamboos. I like the peacefulness of this park. The park is surrounded on three sides by farms. I am a tea fanatic, and when I have some free time I like to climb Chuanshan Hill with my tea tools and brew tea for myself. Sitting alone on a beautiful mountain, surrounded by bamboo groves and chirping birds is what makes life worth living.


Last time I came to Chuangshan Park I heard a woman singing. She sang so beautifully and as I climbed over the hill her voice would fade and come back repeatedly. It was very magical. I finally found her on my way down the mountain and told her how much I enjoyed her singing and she let me take her photo. It is just oneof those nice surprising memories that happen so often in China.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231394400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231394400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/11/1231394400/tpod.html Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:13:22 -0400 Guilin

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Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang, China

Guilin's Elephant Trunk Hill Park
This weekend, the weather was so nice, that my wife and I went to Guilin's Elephant Hill Park for a stroll. This park is not only the symbol of the city, but also a really beautiful place to get a way for a bit.

Elephant Trunk Hill Park is located on the Li River. The entrance to the park is very beautiful, it features many small bamboo groves, and traditional buildings. There is a little stream there that can be crossed by a traditional Chinese bridge. The entire park is elephant themed. The little paths that meander through the park have not only designs of elephants in them, but also the Chinese character for "elephant" written in many different ways. There are also stone elephant statues located throughout the park. Some have elephants playing musical instruments, and there are several large sculptures of elephants playing in the Li River and on the riverbank. All of them are very cute, and excellent photo ops.

Elephant Trunk Hill
Elephant Trunk Hill is the main feature of the park, and is located on the river. The hill is a natural Karst rock formation that is naturally shaped like a giant elephant drinking from the Li River. I think the coolest thing about Guilin is all of the mountains located in and around it. They are everywhere, and rise straight out of the ground. You can see them from the top of the elephants back. On the top is a 46 foot (14 meter) high Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) pagoda. It is said that it looks like the hilt of a giant sword. There is a legend connected to it. In the past, the Emperor of Heaven decided to conquer earth, and he did so from the back of a giant elephant. The dedicated elephant worked himself sick. The Emperor of Heaven deserted him, and the local farmers nursed the sickly elephant back to health. The elephant being extremely grateful, decided to desert the emperor and stay on earth to help the farmers plow their fields during a time of drought. The Emperor of Heaven was so angry that his elephant had deserted him, that he thruse his sword into the elephants back, and turned the elephant to stone. The dagoba erected at the top stands for the hilt of the sword. Now the elephant can stay with the friendly people of Guilin, guarding the city, and welcoming guests from all over the world. From the top of the elephants back, visitors will get a beautiful panoramic view of Guilin city, and the beautiful Li River.

Shuiyue Cave (Moon over the Water Cave)
The round hole that is between the elephant's trunk, and front legs, is called Shuiyue Cave. It is round in shape, and on nights when the moon is full, and the surface of the water is still, the reflection in the water looks like the moon is floating on the river. Inside the cave are more than 50 stone inscriptions dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). They are poems and written records of visitors thoughts upon visiting this beautiful site.

Love island
There is an island out in the Li River called Love Island. Visitors can cross a stone bridge carved with elephants to get to it. It is a beautiful little island covered with bamboo groves and dedicated to lovers. It has many winding paths, and many stone statues dedicated to love have been erected in it. It is a neat place to relax, and spend some time with that special someone.


Photo Ops
The best way to get photos of Elephant trunk hill is from a traditional bamboo raft. Visitors can pay a little money and ride around the hill. The man on the boat uses a bamboo pole to propel the boat, so it is a quiet and peaceful way to get some really beautiful shots of the hill and the Li River.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/4/1226301300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/4/1226301300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/4/1226301300/tpod.html Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:12:36 -0400 Indescribable Tibet

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Lhasa, China

Indescribable Tibet


How to describe Tibet? I have heard it called "Shangri La", and I have heard it called "The Rooftop of the World", but there is really no accurate way to describe this amazing and mysterious place in a few simple words or even paragraphs. It is an absolutely amazing place that time seems to have forgotten. It features some of the most breathtaking man-made, and natural sites in the world. Its culture is amazing and Tibet has the friendliest people I have ever met. They seem to smile and laugh more than any other people in the world. The sky in Tibet is so blue, and seems so low, that if I stood on a chair, I felt like I could have touched. The inspection tour that I took to Tibet was with China Odyssey Tours last year, simply put, was a life changing experience. I know it seems a bit melodramatic, but this place really lives up to all the hype.


The first site I visited, and the one which I was most looking forward to visiting, was the Potala Palace. It stands in the center of the city of Lhasa and it took my breath away. I was surprised at how big the whole complex is. The bottom half is painted half, with red buildings on the top. It looks like a giant fortress. It was the home to Tibet's Dalai Lama. It was packed full of people, but because they limit the amount of tickets sold each day, it was not overwhelming. I'm glad I had a guide, because if I was allowed to wander alone, I'm not sure they I would have ever found the way out. It seems to just keep going and going. It is like a huge labyrinth. It is full of unbelievably beautiful treasures. Every square inch seemed to be decorated. Even the ceilings are incredible. Everything seemed to have secret meanings. I'm sure that place could be studied for decades and never be fully understood.


I also checked out Jokhang Temple. My tour guide Lois told me the legend of its creation and I thought it was pretty bizarre. Supposedly the temple was built on a lake. They had tried to build the temple a bunch of times, but each time it collapsed. A local shaman woman said that the geography of Tibet was like an old
woman, with the lake at the heart. In order to build the temple, she suggested that they kill the old woman by filling in the lake. They were supposed to use 1,000 sheep to carry the soil. Those must have been some pretty strong sheep! The temple is really cool though. It is actually a large complex, and it was filled with pilgrims that had come from all parts of Tibet. There is a long passageway that had paintings showing the temple being built. I tried to get some photos of it, but they didn't turn out too well because of all of the people.
After we visited Jokhang Temple, our guide took us to visit Barkhor Street. It wasn't a far walk, because it is a round road that surrounds the temple. I had a lot of fun there. It was packed with tourists, Buddhist Monks, and pilgrims. It was a really neat mixture of peoples. Many of the pilgrims were crawling on the ground. Apparently, on their pilgrimage from their homes, they walk two steps, then prostrate themselves on the ground, then walk two more steps, then prostrate themselves on the ground. This is repeated for hundreds of miles, until they reach Lhasa. Talk about dedication. Many others were spinning prayer wheels. The street was lined with stalls selling all sorts of stuff. It was a bit of a tourist trap, and the prices were very high, until I started bargaining. I found that if they won't meet your price, and start to walk away, they'll usually relent, and you get your price. It didn't always work, but most of the things I saw could be found at other stalls, so I would just try again somewhere else until I got a price I was satisfied with. There were some really beautiful arts and crafts, and of course some touristy things. Most of the objects for sale were Buddhist related. I saw a lot of pottery, and tea shops there. I think my favorite things they had for sale there were the Thangka paintings. These are religious Buddhist paintings. Some of them were really beautiful, and the details on them are amazing. I watched a man painting hair on a creature's head. He was painting them one by one. I can't imagine how long these paintings take to complete.


On my second day, we went to Norbulingka Park. Apparently it is the biggest garden in Tibet. This place was gorgeous. Even though it was filled with people, it was actually quite peaceful. The park actually isn't a park, but the old summer palace of the Dalai Lama. It was quite large, with a lot of water, and wooded areas. Every wall in every building was covered with murals. After the park, we went to the Sera Monastery. This place was packed too, but with monks in their red robes who were having a debate. We were told that monks often gather here to have debates on the Buddhist scriptures. I couldn't understand them, but it was really fun to watch them, and I could tell they really took it very seriously.


We saw the highest mountain in the world, Everest. It was really beautiful. It was covered with white snow, and seemed to be the pillar that holds up the sky. I took so many photos of it. It could be seen from almost everywhere we went. I don't think I'd like to attempt climbing it, but I really did enjoy looking at it.


I think my favorite part about visiting Tibet, was the evening we spent with a local family. Ours was a small group, so it was a really nice intimate visit. The family we visited lived in a traditional wooden home, which was beautifully painted. It was very colorful, and had religious decorations everywhere. It didn't have all of the modern conveniences, but it was really beautiful, and I felt really comfortable there. They wore traditional Tibetan clothing. I asked if it was just for our visit, but they said that they wore it every day. The family was so sweet. I got the feeling that they were just local folks, and the language barrier didn't seem to matter. Of course I did have my guide to translate, but I could tell that this was a truly loving family. The father gave us a tour of the home, while the women prepared dinner. It was all local food. At first I wasn't sure I liked it, but after a few bites, it really seemed to grow on me. We had what they call Tsamba. It is a kind of dough made from barley. They had it plain, but offered some sugar and butter for me to mix with mine. I tried it both ways and defiantly liked it better when I added the extra ingredients. I was told that this was a staple, and was eaten at every meal. We also had beef stew, steamed duck, and beef jerky. I was offered Tibetan vodka, but I am not a big drinker, so I politely declined, and they did not push it. After dinner we had Tibetan butter tea. I had heard about it, and was told that most visitors don't like it, but I liked it. It really filled me up. I can see why they drink so much of it. It really seemed to instantly warm me up and give me energy. I watched the woman prepare it, and asked her to teach, because I'd never seen anything like it. They put boiling tea, salt, and butter into a thin churn, and then churned it all together. It took some work, but was worth it. After dinner, they showed me some of their local dances. They wanted me to join in. At first, I wasn't comfortable doing it, but seeing how much fun they were having I decided to give it a go. We were all laughing so hard, that we could hardly dance. I really hated to leave. It was a really wonderful experience.

I had been warned by many people about altitude sickness. I was concerned about it, but didn't have too much of a problem. I did experience headaches for the first few days, but that was it. Our guide suggested we drink a lot of water, and that really seemed to help a lot. Something to do with dehydration I think.

Tibet is truly an amazing place. We were only there a week, and I hated to leave. I felt I could spend the rest of my life exploring this amazing province. Sadly, with my limited writing ability, I cannot even come close to describing it. It felt so mysterious, yet welcoming. It is a place where ancient religious beliefs mix seamlessly with modern life. People live as they have for thousands of years, and it seemed to me that they do this by choice, not by necessity. Every place we went was packed with people, but it did make for some really cool photographs. The diversity of people there was really kinda cool. It was a wonderful experience, and I really hope I can return one day.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/2/1206323160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/2/1206323160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/2/1206323160/tpod.html Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:12:03 -0400 Cruising down the Yangtze River, through the Three Gorges

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Chongqing, China

March 23, 2008
Day 1
Today I began my tour to China's Yangtze River. This morning I took a plane from Guilin to the city of Chongqing. My tour guide Violet was waiting for me when I arrived at the airport. She took me to my own personal car with driver. I was then taken to my hotel to check in. I am staying at the Chongqing Holiday Inn, a four star hotel. It is a very nice hotel and it is very clean. The staff is very friendly and most of them speak very good English. After a little rest, I went to have Chongqing's famous hot pot. Hot pot is a kind of fondue. China has many styles of hot pot and Chongqing's is unique because it consists of a divided pot. The larger section of the pot is filled with a spicy oil filled with peppers and spicy spices. The other part is filled with a broth. Many vegetables, meats, and mushrooms are laid out on little plates, and the diner puts the different things into the oil, or broth to cook the food. Then the food is removed from the pot and put into a bowl of sauce which is a little sweet. Then the food is eaten. Since I am a lover of spicy food, I was really excited to try it. Violet and my driver took me to a local hot pot restaurant. She had called them in advance, and so the spread was all laid out waiting for me. It was a ton of food, easily enough for three or four people. She told me what each ingredient was, and then disappeared. After a while, I was wondering where she gone, and saw her sitting outside with my driver. I went outside and it turns out she went outside to let me eat in peace. Since there was so much food, and I didn't think it was fair that she just sit outside and wait for me, I invited her and the driver to eat with me. They refused at first, but after some insisting, they sat down with me. We then had an absolutely fantastic meal. The food was so good, and it was wonderfully spicy. It was not just spicy for spicy's sake, but really delicious. We were all so stuffed. After lunch, Violet took me to the Chongqing Guild house. A Guild house is kind of like a mix between a lodge hall, and a union headquarters. It was built during the Qing Dynasty, and is a huge complex of courtyards, parlors, temples, and opera stages. It was a stunning place. It is built on many different levels, with many doors, and hallways, and stairs. I could easily have gotten lost. Every square inch of the Guild House is covered with dragons, phoenixes, and loins carved from stone, wood, and made of pottery. Violet took me through the intricate maze of passageways telling me what the different parlors and stages were used for. The peaks of the roofs are all made of glazed tiles in the shapes of mythological creatures and the ever present lions. After, the tour of the Guild hall, she took me to a tea house. It was conveniently located across the street from the Guild hall, and was built in a traditional Chinese style. It was a four story tall building with a tile roof and beautiful lattice windows. Inside, they showed me many different types of tea, and I was told how tea was picked, dried, and preserved. It is an amazingly intricate process. All of the hundreds of types of different Chinese teas come from the same species of tree. It is the processing that makes them so different. Each type of tea leaf looked so different, and smelled really wonderful. The girls who were wearing traditional style clothing showed me the Chinese tea ceremony. It is called Kung fu Tea in Chinese because of the beautiful movements made while brewing the tea. I was still tired because of jetlag, so I was taken back to my hotel room for a nap. For dinner I was taken to another restaurant that specialized in Chongqing local cuisine. The restaurant was three floors tall. We sat on a huge balcony on the third floor overlooking the Yangtze River. It was just getting dark, and it was really fun to watch all of the tall buildings lighting up. Across the river, is the downtown area, so the buildings are all covered with lights that moved, and flashed. It was a wonderful atmosphere to eat dinner in. The weather was beautiful. Each dish brought out was beautiful and spicy, but each spice was completely different. One dish consisted of large flat noodles covered in a rich brown spicy sauce. There was a fish dish in a light spicy sauce. I could keep going, on and on about it. The food was just wonderful and we had enough food for three or four people. After dinner, I returned to my hotel, where I explored a bit, and took a long shower. Tomorrow, I will visit some more sites in Chongqing until I am taken to my boat for my Yangtze River Cruise. I am very excited about that.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/2/1206411540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/2/1206411540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottshangguan/2/1206411540/tpod.html Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:11:21 -0400 Cruising down the Yangtze River, through the Three Gorges

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Chongqing, China

March 24, 2008
Day 2

I had an amazing second day on my tour. I woke up early, and went down to the hotel's restaurant for the breakfast buffet. It was very nice. It had a huge assortment of Western and Chinese dishes. At 9:00 Violet met me and took me to the CiQi Kou ancient city streets. It is an area in Chongqing City which still has its Ming and Qing Dynasty architecture. The name means "Porcelain Village". We first stopped in an ancient courtyard home. It was really beautiful and quite peaceful. Violet explained to me how people in the Qing Dynasty lead their daily lives as we went from room to room. The house consisted of many rooms located around a main courtyard. The courtyard had a couple old trees, some large stone water vats with water plants, and goldfish. It was a really quiet and peaceful oasis in the bustling city. Each room in the house was filled with beautiful antique furniture, and examples of ancient clothing. The bedroom was especially interesting. The giant bed, which was covered in carvings, actually had its own little foyer. Hanging from the ceiling was a flat wooden framework covered with fans. By pulling on the rope the framework swung back and forth, and worked as a sort of primitive air conditioning system. I wouldn't want the job of tugging on the rope for hours though. We then walked down the ancient cobblestone streets. There were many different shops selling everything from local snacks, and candies to silk clothing, and scarves. The coolest candies I saw, were at two different little stands. One was a man making candies from heated syrup. A customer spins a needle. The needle can stop at a number of different traditional auspicious animals. The man would pour the liquid syrup onto a piece of marble, and make it into the shape of the chosen animal. They were really cool, and artistic. I had to buy one, and felt guilty eating it, but I did eat it. At the other stand a woman would make a ball of candy syrup, and stick a bamboo straw into it. She then blew into the straw which inflated the candy syrup. She could form it into a large number of different animals. I had to try one of them as well. Both candies were very different, and quite delicious. Violet told me that these forms of candies have been popular for hundreds of years. The ancient shops were very pretty. After we visited the ancient city streets, we went to the Eling Park. It was a really pretty park. The highest point in the park is actually the highest point in Chongqing City, with a pagoda on the top. The park is filled with trees, flowers, beautiful rocks. It is like a very large garden. I went to a small Three Gorges museum. It is very simple, but it gave me a bit of history of the Three Gorges and nicely prepared me for my cruise down the Yangtze River. The shop connected to the museum had a lot of very nice things. Not cheap touristy things, but actual art. There is a large selection of paintings. In another room, a woman demonstrated the local Shu Embroidery. She showed me how the embroidery is created. They were very intricate and beautiful. Another section demonstrated painting inside snuff bottles. An artist takes a clear crystal snuff bottle, and paints a beautiful scene from the inside by using very small brushes with the bristles bent at a 90 degree angle. It took an incredibly steady hand. The paintings are painted in reverse from a normal painting. For example, a person's facial features and hair are painted before the skin is. The designs on the clothing is painted before the clothing itself is. I was really impressed by the artistry that the demonstrated possessed. I had to buy a couple to give to my friends and family. At the top of the parks peak sits a pagoda built in the 1980's. Although it is built in a modern style, and covered with tiles, it is interesting to see a modern version of an ancient structure. After the park, we went to lunch. We stopped at a local restaurant and had a variety of wonderfully spicy dishes. I really love the food here! After lunch, we headed to the Chongqing Great Hall of the People. It is a really cool building! It is built in a traditional style, which kind of looks like the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Across from the Great Hall of the People was the Chongqing Museum. The Chongqing Museum's architecture is very modern. It was interesting to see two such different architectural styles facing off against each other. We then headed to the Chongqing Zoo, home to at least six different giant pandas. It was a very large zoo which had an amazing collection of exotic birds. After visiting the zoo we went to another restaurant for dinner. As expected this dinner consisted of a large selection of amazing foods. I never had the same dish twice. Each one was really wonderful. We then went to the city center to look around before heading to the docks to board my ship. My China Regal Cruise ship is the Princess Sheena. It is quite large and can hold over 300 people. I was welcomed onboard by a live band, and then I was escorted to my cabin. It is small, but very clean, and well designed. It has a TV, and a refrigerator, as well as a bathroom, and plenty of storage space. The ship is like a floating hotel. It has a music bar, workout room, saunas, massage parlors, gift shops, sun decks, restaurants, and a business center. It is very clean, and every crew member speaks fantastic English. After settling into my room, and a quick shower, I went to the music bar. The bar had a number of Westerners in it. I ordered a couple of drinks, which they did not skimp on. I met a couple of Americans, and a couple from Wales. It was very nice. I am now back in my cabin and going to get ready for bed.
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