Around The World In 72 Days - Unexpected Liyang

Many of the proposed day trips suggested by Venerable Pu were canceled due to her alter ego, the foreign service officer, doing the big logistical planning for bigwig arrival from USA to Shanghai. But that was totally offset by an unexpected, unplanned trip to very small city (800,000) of Liyang a couple of hours out from Shanghai. Without going into the details, which are classified, Wife and I had the opportunity to be honored guests of some executives in the city. What this meant was a two day descent into the world of the privileged where you are picked up at the train station, whisked off, driven everywhere, jumping ahead of everyone at any place you visit, and pampered with both accommodation and food. After experiencing this, I understand why people with power are so reluctant to give it up. 

Welcome to the Big City

 

Liyang reminds me of so many places we've visited that are off the beaten track, non-'A' List, but filled with interesting things. We started our visit with a personally guided tour of a museum which recounted all kinds of interesting history related to this area. But it also had an unusual sky viewing port in its ceiling that you reached by climbing up to the roof and then descending.

 After the museum, we were taken to where we stayed for the night. It was rather plush if I can say so.

It had a spa tub filled with water from the local hot springs and a small infinity pool.

 As you can see, there was even a Chinese calligraphy desk which Wife took advantage of.

 From the room at night.

That evening our dinner was this classic Chinese style high end meal with the lazy Susan and the ongoing toasts with the host done with Bai Jo (Chinese white lightning). I did our family proud by impressing our host with my ability to fulfill this social obligation.

The main event of the second day (other than yet ANOTHER gigantic meal with the host telling me we know were toasting with beer!) was a visit to something called the Bamboo Jungle. I am thinking this is going to be a ride through some wilderness area. No. It is like a major tourist attraction which means lots, and lots, and lots of your fellow Chinese visitors.  Thankfully, our VIP status made all the difference.

See!

Our special VIP gondola

This is steep!

First thing we visit are...Pandas. China has now severely restricted where they will let Pandas live due to the endangered status.

Pandas are basically pretty boring to watch most of the time

Lion Dancers...the total opposite

Our visit finished seeing this rather large bust of a wise, Confucian scholar of historical note.

Then we are whisked away for our next big meal.

Our hosts take us to the train station, drive to the special entrance, by pass all the security and the long queue to get to the platform. We say goodbye. Enter the train, realizing we accidentally have bought 2nd class tickets and realize our VIP days have come to an end.

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.