Around The World In 72 Days - Closing Out China (Pictures Coming...Promise!)

Our time in China is just about at an end. What a whirlwind! We got back to the Pooh Lee Shah Resort late on Wednesday on a decidedly less enjoyable flight back from Xi'an than our China Eastern flight out. Flying a discount airline, arriving in Shanghai's Pudong airport (the main one) is a pain because you come into gates that are as far away as humanly possible meaning an incredible schlepp to get out.

Things in Pulandia were reaching a complete crescendo as the very high level work being done by Venerable Pu (who in an alternate reality works in the Foreign Service) was to be completed the following day (I will give more detail on this in future post). So it was a late evening, early morning, and very busy day Thursday.

Friday was a total recuperation for everyone. We had a lovely final meal, and spent time finally working on picture. Family time play vicious games of Uno (a tradition) completed our last day. Today, Saturday, we are off to the airport for a two leg journey to Krabi, Thailand (with overnight stay in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) where we will be staying for two weeks. 

MANY photo posts from the last week and a half will be coming up once we get settled in the new locale.

Around The World In 72 Days - Xi'an Status Report

We are starting our third day in Xi'an and will head back to Shanghai this evening. Xi'an has been a Real Eye Opener. Not at all what I expected. Yes, it is very touristy. But, there is so much history and there are aspects of the city itself I did not anticipate. Sadly, we are once again suffering from the trials of the Iron Firewall (the Chinese system to limit the ability to access various content and sites from outside China) so I've had a terrible time getting online. And to make matters worse, I forgot a critical component that allows me to transfer my pictures off my camera to my computer. So I haven't been able to do any work on them (let alone get them posted). I started taking more pictures with my phone, but because of our busy day yesterday, I have been able to work on them, let alone try to post them. We have a couple of quiet days in Shanghai coming up so I am sure I will get caught up. 

One reason I really like Xi'an is that it was the capital of the Tang Dynasty, my all time favorite Chinese Empire Dynasty (though I did learn that the short lived Sui Dynasty did all the dirty work of reunifying the Empire that the Tang then got to take to another level). I get very tired of the Ming Dynasty getting so much of the publicity. I'm sure you, as fellow Chinese Dynasty fans, understand what I'm saying.

So the highlights of what we've seen are:

• The Great Goose Pagoda - A gigantic Buddist temple complex (not to be confused with the Grey Goose Pagoda, a drinking spot in the center of town)
• The Terra Cotta Army Museum - This is every bit worth its reputation (especially with a knowledgeable guide) and takes the words 'huge' and 'massive' to another whole level.
• The City Walls - These have been restored and completely enclose the center city
• A Tang Dynasty Inspired Musical Show - Which I enjoyed way more than I imagined I would. (Though the meal before it I could have skipped entirely).
• Seeing Xi'an at Night - This city completely transforms form boring to exhilarating via the lighting all over it.

There will be many pictures so I will get these up as soon as I can.

Around The World In 72 Days - Racing Around & An Airline Redemption

Wife and I are in the middle of a final intense 5-day 'in China' travel spree. 

On Saturday and Sunday, we took an unexpected quick rail trip to an area called Liyang which is just outside the Greater Nanjing area. Then, this morning we were up bright and early and caught a plane to Xi'an. Best known for the Terra Cotta Army for the first unifying Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, But it was also the capital of the dynasties Han, Sui, and Tang (de-I's all time favorite Chinese dynasty), a period covering a millennium.

Much photography has been done and is going to be done. Unfortunately, I left a critical connector for moving my pictures off the camera to my computer back in Shanghai so I will be delayed getting the mass of photos from Xi'an up. And I'm not sure how good the hotel internet will be for uploading those pictures I do have from the Liyang side trip. 

Liyang was a whirlwind seeing museums, bamboo forest parks (think nature Disney land), some banquet type meals, and one of the cooler accommodations we've experienced. All this will be coming soon (I hope). 

But I want to spend a bit of time to do a mea culpa on an airline, China Eastern. As you know de-I has spent more than a little time flitting around on Asian discount airlines with a wide range of experiences, many unpleasant. Go back to 2016, and Wife and my first Asia Mega Tour. We were with Pooh Lee Shah travel and they had booked us on China Eastern from Shanghai to Beijing. Let's just say the flight experience was such that I said I would never fly the airline again.

Fast forward to 2024, we're booked on China Eastern this morning to get to Xi'an. We're prepared for a cattle car experience. China Eastern is a partner airline with Delta, where I have status. But 2B and #2 say that means nothing in China. Except it does! We get priority check-in and boarding. We have reasonably nice seats though we are in coach. A reasonably nice meal is served on this two and a half hour flight. The cabin staff are pleasant and upbeat. Then comes the totally unexpected. Two flight attendants come with a small tray

 

It has a nice glass of juice and a handwritten birthday card for Wife for indeed today the 22nd of April is her birthday.

 How cool is this! I've never, NEVER had anything happen like this in my close to 50 years of flying for business and pleasure. We made no mention of this. So the airline must do some kind of check of passport information for their priority customers? I don't know. I just know it was pretty special for Wife and I was appreciative. 

So hats off to China Eastern. You are on de-I's good list.

 

 

Around The World In 72 Days - Shanghai Skyline

On the same day we went to Yu Gardens, we also headed to the downtown area of Shanghai specifically to photograph the cityscape/skyline during the later afternoon light. 

 

 

Around The World In 72 Days - Yu Gardens

After, 5 days of extensive travel action our feet, Wife and I needed some days off. The weather cooperated by being rainy and nasty. But Thursday was a nice day. We had committed to a serious day of going around the city 'on our own' with a couple of specific goals for photo shooting. One of these was the Yu Garden, the other was the Shanghai cityscape.

The Yu (or Yuang) Gardens are a Ming Dynasty era (17th century) formal garden. It is an exemplar of the style of that time and a wonderful place for peace and reflection.

 

If you are approaching anything of scenic interest in China (from our limited experience), you are going to run into shopping...lots and lots of shopping.

 

 

A ubiquitous sight virtually everywhere are kiosks renting power banks

 

Once we got into the Garden, we noted the rough conditions for the workers.

 

 Now the Garden Itself

Sculpture and Design

 

 

People

Water

Buildings

Meditation