China Trip: Day Seven: Xian, China – Xian China

Everyone was really excited when they got down to breakfast. For a lot of our fellow passengers, this was set to be the most exciting day of the tour. We were off to see the terracotta warriors.

On the way, the bus made a detour to take us to see the ancient city walls of Xi’an. They were really interesting. There were lots of watch towers and we went into one. It turned out to be a shop. it sold beautiful jade carvings, paintings, lacquerwork and silks. One lady wanted to buy a beautiful rug but it was really expensive. When she said no, they dropped the price by three hundred pound. needless to say she bought it and arranged for it to be shipped back.

 

 (The fortifications of Xi’an, an ancient capital of China, represent one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls. Construction of the first city wall of Chang’an began in 194 BCE and lasted for four years. That wall measured 13.74 kilometres (8.54 mi) in length, 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) in thickness at the base. The area within the wall was roughly 36 square kilometres (14 sq mi). The existing wall was started by the Ming Dynasty in 1370. It encircles a much smaller city of 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi). The wall measures 13.7 kilometres (8.5 mi) in circumference, 12 metres (39 ft) in height, and 15–18 metres (49–59 ft) in thickness at the base. South Embrasure Watchtower of Xi’an and  the City Wall was constructed in 1378 and destroyed by fire in 1926.

The State Council of the People’s Republic of China, stated on 4 March 1961, that the Fortifications of Xi’an be included as a heritage site under national protection. On 28 March 2008, China proposed the Xi’an Fortification be included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, where it is categorized as a tentative listing – Wikipedia)

When we finished shopping, we went back to the wall and watched some people playing games in the shade below the walls. It was a fast paced game and they were really enjoying it but none of us could make head or tail of it.

Soon we all got called back onto the bus. We were all excited about getting to the warriors but first we made a stop at a factory that made and sold replicas for the tourist trade. It was quite interesting as they told us how the actual terracotta warriors were patched up if they were broken when they were dug up.

The flu was sweeping through the bus and quite a few had caught it so they were feeling pretty miserable and just sat outside instead of doing the tour. Shaz had it really badly. She did the tour but she felt really crook.

Finally we headed off to see the real warriors. There were several different buildings that housed the warriors. We went into the largest and immediately it took our breath away to see row upon row of clay soldiers. Each one was beautifully carved and each one was individual. there were also horses and cattle and wagons. We all stood there silently. It is one thing to see them on TV but to see them “in the flesh” so to speak is spine tingling.

I could imagine what the poor farmer felt when he dug up the first one. That lifelike head appearing out of his field and then as they continued digging everything else was suddenly exposed. They think there are a lot more soldiers to dig up but they are going to leave them underground until they discover a more effective way to preserve them.

 (The Terracotta Army or the “Terracotta Warriors and Horses” is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.

The figures, dating from approximately the late third century BCE, were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong District, Xi’an, Shaanxi province. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits nearby Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were found in other pits, including officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians.- Wikipedia)

(The Terracotta Army was discovered on 29 March 1974 to the east of Xi’an in Shaanxi province by farmers digging a water well approximately 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) east of the Qin Emperor’s tomb mound at Mount Li (Lishan), a region riddled with underground springs and watercourses. For centuries, occasional reports mentioned pieces of terracotta figures and fragments of the Qin necropolis – roofing tiles, bricks and chunks of masonry. This discovery prompted Chinese archaeologists to investigate, revealing the largest pottery figurine group ever found in China.- Wikipedia)

We spent most of the day just wandering around the various pits marvelling at the various things on display. There was also an informative docomovie and a museum. Wayne and I wanted to see as much as we could but poor Shaz was getting sicker by the minute. Finally she gave up on looking around and after lunch she just sat in the shade and waited for us.

( Four main pits approximately 7 metres (23 ft) deep have been excavated. These are located approximately 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) east of the burial mound. The soldiers within were laid out as if to protect the tomb from the east, where all the Qin Emperor’s conquered states lay.

Pit one, which is 230 metres (750 ft) long and 62 metres (203 ft) wide, contains the main army of more than 6,000 figures. Pit one has 11 corridors, most of which are more than 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide and paved with small bricks with a wooden ceiling supported by large beams and posts. This design was also used for the tombs of nobles and would have resembled palace hallways when built. The wooden ceilings were covered with reed mats and layers of clay for waterproofing, and then mounded with more soil

Pit two has cavalry and infantry units as well as war chariots and is thought to represent a military guard. Pit three is the command post, with high-ranking officers and a war chariot. Pit four is empty, perhaps left unfinished by its builders.

Some of the figures in pit one and two show fire damage, while remains of burnt ceiling rafters have also been found. These, together with the missing weapons, have been taken as evidence of the reported looting by Xiang Yu and the subsequent burning of the site, which is thought to have caused the roof to collapse and crush the army figures below. The terracotta figures currently on display have been restored from the fragments.

Other pits that formed the necropolis also have been excavated. These pits lie within and outside the walls surrounding the tomb mound. They variously contain bronze carriages, terracotta figures of entertainers such as acrobats and strongmen, officials, stone armour suits, burials sites of horses, rare animals and labourers, as well as bronze cranes and ducks set in an underground park. – Wikipedia)

It was an incredibly interesting experience and one that I’m sure none of us will ever forget.

Although we were all tired after our amazing day, we were all bright-eyed and busy tailed that night because we were off to the Tang Dynasty Theatre Restaurant to experience an evening of Chinese culture. I was really looking forward to it and it didn’t disappoint.

According to the very attractive program, The Tang Dynasty Restaurant proudly presented “a performance of Chang’an Music and Dance which originated over a thousand years ago in ‘Chang’an’ , the capital of the Tang dynasty, which is now known as ‘Xi’an’.The Tang dynasty lasted from 618 A.D. to 907 A.D.”

The program was presented in four parts. The first part called, “The King of Ever” showcased many historic Chinese musical instruments, many of which are no longer used.

The second segment featured four different “mood” dances. the first was the ‘ White Ramie Cloth Costume Dance” It was choreographed to show the flowing quality of the Ramie loth which was invented by the Chinese over one thousand, five hundred years ago. The second dance, the “Da Nuo is a masked dance that was used to expel epidemics and ghosts.

The ‘Rainbow Costume Dance’ was the third dance. It was choreographed to represent  Emperor Xuan Zong’s dream of celestial women dancing in the sky and the final dance was the “Warrior’s Triumphal Dance which was designed to express the powerful spirit of his troops.

The next section was a beautiful musical interlude with haunting melodies played by Mr Gao Ming on the Pai Xiao – a three thousand year old instrument.

The final segment of the night was a clog dance. It represented the people dancing to celebrate the mid-autumn festival when to their jot, the Emperor appears and joins in.

The entertainmentb  was unbelievably beautiful. The costumes, instruments and the dances were amazing and the Western style dinner was delicious. It was a night to remember.

Wow! What a day. It was non-stop and it was fabulous.

China Trip; Day Six; Beijing, China – Xian, China

No gym again today. We had intended to go because Carol told us the whole staff was there waiting for us at 6:00 am the previous day and we felt terrible when we heard that but, when push came to shove, we were just too tired from our previous day’s exertions to get up so early. We have had a busy few days and we also had to get all our gear packed and our ports left outside when we went to breakfast because we were heading off to Xian later in the day.

I was really keen to get started because we were going to visit the Summer Palace. I had heard that it was very beautiful but I was more interested in the fact that it was once the home of the Empress Dowager, Cixi one of history’s most influential and controversial women.

(Empress Dowager Cixi – (29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908), of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a Chinese empress dowager and regent who effectively controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty for 47 years from 1861 until her death in 1908.

Selected as an imperial concubine of the Xianfeng Emperor in her adolescence, she gave birth to a son, Zaichun, in 1856. After the Xianfeng Emperor’s death in 1861, the young boy became the Tongzhi Emperor, and she became the Empress Dowager. Cixi ousted a group of regents appointed by the late emperor and assumed regency, which she shared with Empress Dowager Ci’an. Cixi then consolidated control over the dynasty when she installed her nephew as the Guangxu Emperor at the death of the Tongzhi Emperor in 1875, contrary to the traditional rules of succession of the Qing dynasty that had ruled China since 1644. – Wikipedia)

After another filling and delicious breakfast, we left our hotel and headed off for the Summer Palace It was an amazing place.

 (The Summer Palace known as Yiheyuan in Chinese, is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing, China. It serves as a popular tourist destination and recreational park. Mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. it covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometres (1.1 sq mi), three-quarters of which is water.

Longevity Hill is about 60 metres (200 feet) high and has many buildings positioned in sequence. The front hill is rich with splendid halls and pavilions, while the back hill, in sharp contrast, is quiet with natural beauty. The central Kunming Lake, covering 2.2 square kilometres (540 acres), was entirely man-made and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill.

In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace “a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value – Wikipedia).

The first interesting point was the entry to the Summer Palace was the main entrance. There were three Chinese characters on a sign above the gate. Carol said they were “Yiheyuan” which translates to “Summer Palace.” They were reportedly written there by the Guangxu emperor..

(The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), personal name Zaitian (Manchu: Dzai-Tiyan), was the eleventh emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi‘s influence, only from 1889 to 1898. He initiated the Hundred Days’ Reform, but was abruptly stopped when the empress dowager launched a coup in 1898, after which he was put under house arrest until his death. His regnal name, “Guangxu”, means “glorious succession”- Wikipedia)

    

On either side of the gate there were two bronze lions which are said to have come from the time of Qianiong Emperor. The steps in front of the gate are called the “Cloud Dragon Steps” and they came from the old Summer Palace.

(The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 1711 – 7 February 1799) was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. Born Hongli, the fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796.¹ On 8 February, he abdicated in favour of his son, the Jiaqing Emperor – a filial act in order not to reign longer than his grandfather, the illustrious Kangxi Emperor. Despite his retirement, however, he retained ultimate power as a Retired Emperor until his death in 1799. Although his early years saw the continuation of an era of prosperity in China, his final years saw troubles at home and abroad converge on the Qing Empire.- Wikipedia)

I was so happy. We were immersed in Chinese culture and history – so much better than any shops.

“The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity”  was a lovely building. It was where court sessions were once held. In the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, it was called the “Hall of Good Governance” but the Guangxu Emperor changed the name to ” The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity .”

Next up, we went to see the Hall of Jade Billows. There were two rocks in front of the hall. One represents the male Emperor Guangxu, the other represents his mother-the Empress Dowager Ci’xi. They are called “The Mother and Son Rocks”. We also saw some more of the lovely “stone gardens”. I find them really beautiful.The landscapping was gorgeous.

 

As we walked along, we looked into some of the open rooms. They were very simply furnished but really beautiful in their simplicity. All the beams of the ceilings are intricately painted.

We walked down a massively long corridor decorated with hundreds of paintings, each of which was different to the others. There were lots of shops along the sides of the corridor and each shop sold beautiful works of art. I went into one shop and saw the most beautiful Chinese doll. It was a replica of Cixi so it probably wasn’t typical Chinese National costume but I fell in love with it and bought it straight away.

  

(The Long Corridor is a covered walkway in the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. First erected in the middle of the 18th century, it is famous for its length (728 m) in conjunction with its rich painted decoration (more than 14,000 paintings).

The Long Corridor was first built in 1750, when the Qianlong Emperor commissioned work to convert the area into an imperial garden. The corridor was constructed so that the emperor’s mother could enjoy a walk through the gardens protected from the elements. Like most of the Summer Palace, the Long Corridor was severely damaged by fire which Anglo-French allied forces laid in 1860 during the Second Opium War. It was rebuilt in 1886. As a part of the Summer Palace, the Long Corridor was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in December, 1998. – Wikipedia)

After stopping to buy my doll, I was running late and had to run to catch up to the others. They were all down beside the lovely Kumming Lake. It was a beautiful man made lake and it was a picture of peace and serenity.

    

(Kunming Lake is the central lake on the grounds of the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. Together with the Longevity Hill, Kunming Lake forms the key landscape features of the Summer Palace gardens.

With an area of 2.2 square kilometres (0.8 sq mi), Kunming Lake covers approximately three quarters of the Summer Palace grounds. It is quite shallow, with an average depth of only 1.5 metres (5 ft)

Kunming Lake is designed to represent the traditional Chinese gardening practice of “one pond, three hills” Like the islands in Hangzhou‘s West Lake and the Forbidden City‘s Taiye Lake, they were intended to represent three islands of the immortals mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas: Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang. Kunming’s three are named “South Lake Island”, “Round Fort Island” and “Algæ-view Hall Island” – Wikipedia.)

When I got there, the first thing I saw was an immense marble boat that was moored in the lake. It was so huge and so heavy that I didn’t think it could possibly actually float and when I asked Carol about it, she said it wasn’t a boat at all. It was a pavilion made to look like a boat.  It certainly was very beautiful and very impressive.

 

(The Marble Boat also known as the Boat of Purity and Ease, is a lakeside pavilion on the grounds of the Summer Palace in Beijing, China.

It was first erected in 1755 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. The original pavilion was made from a base of large stone blocks which supported a wooden superstructure done in a traditional Chinese design.

In 1860, during the Second Opium War, the pavilion was destroyed by Anglo-French forces. It was restored in 1893 on order ofEmpress Dowager Cixi. In this restoration, a new two-story superstructure was designed which incorporated elements of European architecture. Like its predecessor, the new superstructure is made out of wood but it was painted to imitate marble. On each “deck”, there is a large mirror to reflect the waters of the lake and give an impression of total immersion in the aquatic environment. Imitation paddlewheels on each side of the pavilion makes it look like a paddle steamer. The pavilion has a sophisticated drainage system which channels rain water through four hollow pillars. The water is finally released into the lake through the mouths of four dragonheads.

The boat design of the pavilion may relate to a quote attributed to Wei Zheng, a Tang dynasty chancellor renowned for his honest advice. He is said to have told Emperor Taizong that “the waters that float the boat can also swallow it”, implying that the people can support the emperor but can also topple him. With this in mind, the Qianlong Emperor might have chosen to construct the Marble Boat on a solid stone base to indicate that the Qing dynasty was not to be overthrown- Wikipedia)

Out on the lake, we could see lots of beautiful Dragon Boats. In a few moments, a big Dragon Boat pulled up and we all boarded it and sailed around the lake. It was a lovely experience being in such a lovely boat and floating quietly around such a beautiful lake. We went past some lovely pagodas. It was a fabulous experience and we were all sad to be dragged away from the beautiful lake.

      

We climbed onto the bus and headed off to a restaurant for lunch before heading to a big jade factory. The jade factory was really breath taking because of the beauty of the objects on show and because of the prices being asked for those objects.

We saw jade being carved and polished and then made into jewellery or statues. There was an enormous  carved jade cabbage for sale and we were told that it was for sale for over three hundred thousand dollars. I don’t know if I’d pay that for a statue of a cabbage.

The sales girl tried a jade bracelet on me . It was beautiful but when she told me that it was for sale for three hundred and sixty dollars, I couldn’t get it off quickly enough.

As well as the beautiful jewellery, there was some gorgeous lacquer furniture. I saw a little writing desk that I would have loved but it cost thousands and it would cost even more to ship it home. We also saw the most amazing heavily carved  outdoor room with a carved daybed and two carved loved seats in it. One of the ladies desperately tried to get her husband to buy it. We all laughed because he looked quite green when she told him the price of it.

Finally, Carol managed to round us all up and got us back into the bus and we headed off for the airport. We were leaving beautiful Beijing and heading for Xian.

The trip to Xian only took about an hour and a half. It was uneventful and we were so tired that most of us nodded off as soon as the plane took off.

China Trip: Day Five; Beijing, China – Beijing, China

Today we are going to have the ultimate Chinese Experience!!

We didn’t even try to go to the gym. One reason was we were so tired from our exertions the day before, we just wanted to snuggle down in bed for an extra hour and the second reason was that we didn’t want to discombobulate the staff like we had done the previous day.

Breakfast was good. Shaz put me onto the omlette maker. He would make the omlettes as you waited and you got to choose which ingredients went into them. i chose ham, onions, mushrooms, corn, chilli, shallots, capsicum and three eggs. It was delicious and the coffee was divine. I finished off with toast and marmalade ( no Vegemite on offer :-)) and a jam Danish. I tried a mooncake but I didn’t really like it much. I felt like I was eating a rubber ball. Oh well to each his own. I bet they probably wouldn’t like Vegemite either.

After breakfast, we all piled onto the bus and it took us up to  where we could catch a cable car up to the Mutianyu section of  The Great Wall of China. There was a street of hawkers on the way up so we all bought Chinese caps to wear as it was a very clear, sunny day. I hate heights so I kept my eyes closed the whole way up in the cable car but everyone told me that the views were spectacular.

I’d been walking ten kilometres a day at home so that I’d be able to walk on The Great Wall but I hadn’t realised how steep it was. Shaz, John , Wayne and a few of the others took off like racehorses but Jean, Maria and I walked a lot slower and a lot more sedately. We ended up walking about a kilometre before we gave up and just chatted to each other and watched the others. Bit by bit they peeled off and came back but Shaz and John just kept going.

it was an amazing feeling to think that I was actually on the Great Wall of China! I was so excited.

(The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century bc; these, later joined together and made bigger and stronger, are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. Especially famous is the wall built 220–206 bc by Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. Little of that wall remains. Since then, the Great Wall has on and off been rebuilt, maintained, and enhanced; the majority of the existing wall is from the Ming Dynasty. – Wikipedia).

       

The stretch of wall we walked on was called the Mutianyu section. It was very steep but very interesting as it had quite a few watch towers along the way.

(Mutianyu  is a section of the Great Wall of China located in Huairou County 70 km northeast of central Beijing. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is connected with Jiankou in the west and Lianhuachi in the east. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs.

First built in the mid-6th century during the Northern Qi, Mutianyu Great Wall is older than the Badaling section of the Great Wall. In the Ming dynasty, under the supervision of General Xu Da, construction of the present wall began on the foundation of the wall of Northern Qi. In 1404, a pass was built in the wall. In 1569, the Mutianyu Great Wall was rebuilt and till today most parts of it are well preserved. The Mutianyu Great Wall has the largest construction scale and best quality among all sections of Great Wall. – Wikipedia)

 

The views from up on the wall were really spectacular and it was a lovely clear day so we could really enjoy them.

      

On the way back to the cable car, I was very glad that I had Jean and Maria with me as it was really hard going and my knees were really packing it in. When we got back, I realised that Wayne had my cable car ticket so Jean and Marie went down because they wanted to hit the shops and I just sat there and enjoyed the views and waited for Wayne and Shaz to get back to me.

When they got back, we got into the cable car. It was scary on the way up but it was terrifying on the way down. I kept my eyes tightly closed the whole way up and down.

When we got off the cable car, we had to walk along a long street of hawkers so we stopped and looked at their wares. We had already bought three Chairman Mao caps on the way up. We looked at some nice dolls in Chinese national costume but I have learnt to wait when it comes to buying dolls. i used to rush in and buy the first ones i saw. Then later, I’d find more beautiful ones even cheaper. We bought some postcards and some tee-shirts there.

  

We all lined up at the public conveniences. We were all desperate but none of us could take the smell of the squats. We were getting desperate when I got a good idea. I sprayed a tissue with my perfume and stuffed it into my mask. We all took turns using that so we could go in.

The bus took us to a restaurant for another big Chinese Banquet lunch. It had lots of eggplant – steamed eggplant, fried eggplant, raw eggplant. There were also lots of different mushrooms. I ate lots of rice and lots of watermelon.

On the way to the bus we all went to visit the ladies’ again and on the way out, I tripped and cut my arm on the toilet flush. I was really worried about infection but I had some Dettol hand sanitizer and I poured it over the cut and kept wiping it on for the rest of the day.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a Cloisonne factory. We saw them making a piece from the bronze base, soldering the wire on to make the pattern and then putting in the enamel. Some of the pieces were really gorgeous. I bought a red cloisonne bracelet for Mum and a green one for me and somecute little earrings for friends at home.

           

(Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects, in recent centuries using vitreous enamel, and in older periods also inlays of cut gemstones, glass, and other materials. The resulting objects can also be called cloisonné. The decoration is formed by first adding compartments (cloisons in French) to the metal object by soldering or adhering silver or gold wires or thin strips placed on their edges. These remain visible in the finished piece, separating the different compartments of the enamel or inlays, which are often of several colors. Cloisonné enamel objects are worked on with enamel powder made into a paste, which then needs to be fired in a kiln.

The technique was in ancient times mostly used for jewellery and small fittings for clothes, weapons or similar small objects decorated with geometric or schematic designs, with thick cloison walls. In the Byzantine Empire techniques using thinner wires were developed to allow more pictorial images to be produced, mostly used for religious images and jewellery, and by then always using enamel. By the 14th century this enamel technique had spread to China, where it was soon used for much larger vessels such as bowls and vases; the technique remains common in China to the present day, and cloisonné enamel objects using Chinese-derived styles were produced in the West from the 18th century. – Wikipedia)

We were all very tired when we got back but we all went out to enjoy a Peking Duck dinner. It was really delicious and we had a great night even though everyone was dead beat.

We were all very happy to finish our briefing early and head off to bed because we knew we had another big, exciting day coming up the next day.

This is a great trip. Every day is jam packed with excitement. I cannot believe that I walked on the Great Wall of China

China Trip: Day Four: Beijing, China – Beijing, China

Shaz and I got up at 5:30 a.m. We knew we had an early start that day and we really wanted to hit the gym before we left. When we got to the gym, it said it didn’t open until 7:00am. It was all open and lit up but there was no one in sight so we went in and got on the treadmill.

Around 6:30 am., the manager came in. We called out a cheery hello and asked him if it was OK for us to be there. The poor man almost died of fright. He didn’t answer us instead he took off like a startled hare and arrived back soon afterwards with a young bellboy. The bellboy had a tray of drinks and the manager had his coat and tie on. We apologised and asked him if we could stay and he said we could.

In a moment, the whole staff raced in still getting their coats on. We had obviously caused a stir and we felt really bad about it. Wayne arrived about 6:45am and he worked on the treadmill until 7:00 am. Then we had to go and get ready for breakfast.

Breakfast was another delicious, filling meal. of various cereals, chippolatas, eggs done in a variety of ways, various toasted breads with jam and marmelade and delicious coffee with many varieties of Danish pastries. Yum!

After breakfast we all got on the bus and went to check out Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square has always been a scary place in my mind, because like many Aussies, I had been terrified by the scaremongering of successive governments, and seen the pictures of Chang Kai Shek and Mao Tse Tung giving impassioned speeches to thousands of soldiers in Tiananmen Square. I’d also been horrified by the pictures of the Tiananmen Massacre so, like everyone else, I was a bit suss about going there.

(Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was a Chinese political and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China between 1928 and 1975. He is known as Chiang Chung-cheng (蔣中正, Jiang Zhong Zheng) or Chiang Chieh-shih (蔣介石, Jiang Jie Shi) in Standard Chinese. Chiang was an influential member of the Kuomintang (KMT), the Chinese Nationalist Party, and was a close ally of Sun Yat-sen. He became the Commandant of the Kuomintang’s Whampoa Military Academy and took Sun’s place as leader of the KMT when Sun died in 1925. In 1926, Chiang led the Northern Expedition to unify the country, becoming China’s nominal leader. He served as Chairman of the National Military Council of the Nationalist government of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 to 1948.= Wikipedia)

(Mao Zedong also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and the founding father of the People’s Republic of China, which he governed as Chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976. – Wikipedia)

(Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the centre of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace) located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. The square contains the monuments to the heroes of the revolution, The great hall of people, the National Museum of China, and the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall (with Mao’s embalmed body). Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic in the square on Oct. 1, 1949, an anniversary still observed there.  Tiananmen Square is within the top five largest city squares in the world (440,500 m² – 880×500 m or 109 acres – 960×550 yd). It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history.- Wikipedia)

When we got there, however, we were amazed by how beautiful and peaceful it was there. There were colourful flowers everywhere and even some massive baskets full of flowers. Carol informed us that they were all for the Chinese National Day holiday which had been held the previous day. We were all a bit peeved about not being told about it as we would like to have been there but when she showed us the pictures in the paper and we saw the thousands and thousands of people who crowded into the square that day we were rather relieved that we had missed it.

(The National Day of the People’s Republic of China is celebrated every year on October 1. It is a public holiday in the People’s Republic of China to celebrate their national day.

The PRC was founded on October 1, 1949 with a ceremony at Tiananmen Square. The Central People’s Government passed the Resolution on the National Day of the People’s Republic of China on December 2, 1949 and declared that October 1 is the National Day.

The National Day is celebrated throughout mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau with a variety of government-organized festivities, including fireworks and concerts. Public places, such as Tiananmen Square in Beijing, are decorated in a festive theme. Portraits of revered leaders, such as Mao Zedong, are publicly displayed – Wikipedia)

There were beautiful fountains and gardens. Families, and tourists, ambled around and there were hawkers everywhere. There were a few soldiers standing around but they were dressed in splendid uniforms and seemed to be more ceremonial than anything else. They were very pleasant and friendly and didn’t mind answering questions that Carol translated for us. some of them wizzed around on seugues and some were in little things that looked like golf carts.

There were still lots of flowers around left over from the National Day celebrations. The whole place looked lovely. It was still a bit smoggy and because I had a bit of asthma, I opted to wear my mask just to be on the safe side.

Unfortunately, the tomb of Mao Tse Tung was not open that day so we couldn’t view his body but we did have a good look around the rest of the Square. A photographer arrived and took a group photo and put it into a lovely  book about Beijing which we were each given. Jean and I suddenly realised that we had two ring-ins and we were actually missing two of our group. We told Carol and they took the photo again without the ring-ins (who belonged to another tour group) but without our missing pair as no-one could find  them.

Tiennamen Square

After we had finished looking around Tiananmen Square, we went to look at The Forbidden City. We walked through a kind of tunnel and it was all spread out in front of us. I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the age of the buildings in the Forbidden City. They were all made from wood and held together without the benefit of any nails and yet they have existed there for yonks. If they were in Australia, the termites would have seen them off pretty quickly, I imagine.

It was an amazing place. The buildings were just beautiful. There were groups there from all around the world and they were often dressed in their own national costumes. It was magical. One thing that really attracted me were the stone gardens. No flowers or bushes – just artfully arranged stones. They were really interesting.

(The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty—the years 1420 to 1912. It is located in the centre of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. It served as the home of emperors and their households as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government for almost 500 years.

Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 72 ha (180 acres). The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artefacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum’s former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War. – Wikipedia)

When we left the Forbidden City, the bus took us to a lovely hotel for dinner. We had another huge Chinese Banquet. We all sat as a group and the dishes were bought out and grouped on our tables. The dishes just kept coming and coming. It was a lovely spread but even if you just take a small spoonful from each dish, you quickly end up with a huge plateful of food. Again we were offered Fanta, Sprite or green tea. I was so hanging out for a coffee. Finally the platters of watermelon came out and we knew that signalled the end of the meal.

Our next stop was The Temple of Heaven.

(The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of is a medieval complex of religious buildings situated in the south-eastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It has been regarded as a Daoist temple, although Chinese heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, predates Daoism.

The temple complex was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The complex was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor in the 16th century. Jiajing also built three other prominent temples in Beijing, the Temple of Sun (日壇) in the east, the Temple of Earth (地壇) in the north, and the Temple of Moon (月壇) in the west. The Temple of Heaven was renovated in the 18th century under the Qianlong Emperor.- Wikipedia)

Again, it was a beautiful and fascinating place full of history.

When we finished looking around, we walked down a really long, open corridor where hundreds of people were sitting around talking, singing, dancing, knitting, weaving and playing all sorts of games. It was a fabulous place and although Carol was trying to move everyone along, it was so lovely that everyone kept stopping and joining in with various groups. Shaz bought a lovely bag that one of the ladies had just finished making.

That night was a free night for everyone to find their own tea and do their own thing but Carol, our guide, offered an optional tour and everyone jumped at it. It only cost one hundred and fifty yuan and it was worth every bit of it.

First we went to Snack Street and looked at all the food stalls. They were selling grasshoppers, octopus, scorpions, starfish and seahorses on sticks like popsicles. You could have them raw or cooked. We all passed on trying them but it was interesting to see the locals buying them and then enjoying them with great relish.

Then we went to a massive shopping centre. We were all given an hour to walk around and then we all had to meet at a certain spot. It was obviously a very upmarket place as it was very expensive. Carol and Jean, the lady from Brazil came with us. We had a good look around but none of us bought anything except  a hamburger and a drink which we all fell on with great relish.

Our next stop was at The Bird’s Nest. It was the site of the Beijing Olympics Athletics competitions and it was a super impressive place. As was the Water Cube – the site of the Olympic Swimming competitions.

(Beijing National Stadium (BNS) (The Bird’s Nest) was a joint venture among architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron of Herzog & de Meuron, project architect Stefan Marbach, artist Ai Weiwei, and CADG which was led by chief architect Li Xinggang. During their first meeting in 2003, at Basel, the group decided to do something unlike Herzog and de Meuron had traditionally designed. “China wanted to have something new for this very important stadium,” Li stated. In an effort to design a stadium that was “porous” while also being “a collective building, a public vessel”, the team studied Chinese ceramics. This line of thought brought the team to the “nest scheme”. The stadium consists of two independent structures, standing 50 feet apart:^] a red concrete seating bowl and the outer steel frame around it.

In an attempt to hide steel supports for the retractable roof, required in the bidding process, the team developed the “random-looking additional steel” to blend the supports into the rest of the stadium. Twenty-four trussed columns encase the inner bowl, each one weighing 1,000 tons. Despite random appearance, each half of the stadium is nearly identical. After a collapse of a roof at the Charles de Gaulle Airport, Beijing reviewed all major projects. It was decided to eliminate the retractable roof, the original inspiration for the “nest” design,^]as well as 9,000 seats from the design.^] The removal of the elements helped to bring the project under the reduced construction budget of $290 million, from an original $500 million. With the removal of the retractable roof, the building was lightened, which helped it stand up to seismic activity; however, the upper section of the roof was altered to protect fans from weather – Wikipedia)

(The Beijing National Aquatics Center  also officially known as the National Aquatics Center, and colloquially known as the Water Cube is an aquatics center that was built alongside Beijing National Stadium in the Olympic Green for the swimming competitions of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Despite its nickname, the building is not an actual cube, but a cuboid (a rectangular box). Ground was broken on December 24, 2003, and the Center was completed and handed over for use on January 28, 2008. Swimmers at the Water Cube broke 25 world records during the 2008 Olympics.

After the Olympics, the building underwent a 200 million Yuan revamp to turn half of its interior into a water park. The building officially reopened on August 8, 2010 – Wikipedia)

The Water Cube – photo from Google Images.

It was a lovely night very clear and no sign of smog at all. There were families strolling around everywhere and hawkers selling all manner of things. one hawker was selling kites that went up so high, we couldn’t see where they finished. Shaz bought one each for the boys. We reluctantly finished our very pleasant stroll and went back to the bus.

Finally, we were taken to a big lake. We walked around the lake and there were bars everywhere and we could hear lots of great music and singers performing in them. We all begged Carol to take us somewhere where we could get some coffee. She walked us up to a Starbuck’s and we all got coffee and a rich chocolate brownie which we all really enjoyed.

When we got back to the hotel, the manager came out to greet us with our new Beijing books with the second photo in them. I felt so sorry for the two who had missed out. They got books and photos but, of course, they weren’t in the photo. They had accidently attached themselves to the wrong tour group just like our ring – ins had done.

Well our first day had been a jam packed, very interesting day and we all tiredly trooped into the lounge for a coffee and instructions for the next day. Then we, very happily, hit the sack.

I am loving this tour.

China Trip: Day Three: Beijing, China – Beijing, China

We woke up early and Shaz called to see if I wanted to go to the gym but as I only had one set of clothes, I wasn’t keen on making them all sweaty at the beginning of the day. So we all showered and set off looking for the breakfast room. Our hotel is gorgeous and everyone is so helpful and friendly.

We couldn’t locate it so we went to the lounge in the lobby and had coffee and Shaz and I had tuna sandwiches and Wayne had cheese sandwiches. They were fresh and delicious. We had just ordered a second coffee when Carol, our guide found us. She was lovely and spoke very good English. We felt more comfortable immediately.

I explained about my missing port. She got me to write a letter giving her permission to collect my port on my behalf. Then she grabbed my passport and boarding passes and went off to harangue the airport officials but, as it turned out, it wasn’t their fault. My port was still in Sydney, Australia. It hadn’t made it onto our first flight.

While Carol was off searching for my port we walked around the hotel precinct. It was a gorgeous hotel and it had a lot of very classy, very chic, very expensive shops. We did some window shopping but didn’t venture in.  Then armed with a card (courtesy of Carol) showing where we wanted to go (Viva Shopping Mall) and how much w should pay (20 yuan) we called a taxi and headed off to explore Beijing.

The trip ended up costing 21 yuan and we gave a 2 yuan tip. We had no idea if we were being incredibly generous or incredibly stingy but the driver seemed happy. When we arrived at the Viva Shopping Mall, it was packed even though it was a Sunday. We had to get across a very busy main road and we weren’t sure what to do as we couldn’t find a zebra crossing or pedestrian lights and the cars seemed to be going all angles. We hooked ourselves onto some locals and zagged across in amongst them – feeling very worried that we were breaking some rules because everyone stopped to look at us but, thankfully, we all made it safely to the other side of the road.

It was incredibly busy and it looked very western. I was a bit disappointed because I wanted to be immersed in Chinese culture not more boring western shops etc but I guess we will see more authentic Chinese culture when we get out of the city. cities all over the world are so boring because they are becoming clones of each other.

It was a bit smoggy in Beijing that day. It was hard to see from one side of the road to the other. I was very pleased that I’d been told to take a mask. I’d picked up a very good one from Bunnings that said it filtered very fine particles and fumes. I felt strange wearing it and got some very odd looks. Everyone started to give me a very wide berth. They obviously thought I was either from outer-space or I had a very serious virus and I knew that I probably did look like a drongo but with my asthma, I was glad I had it and after a bit of discomfort, I got used to it.

First off, we went window shopping. Then we went in and had a delicious lunch at an AJ Noodle Bar.  We had chicken and green salad, noodles and fried rice, miso soup and green tea. It was scrumptious and very filling.

After lunch, we caught a taxi back to our hotel. We worked out the fare cost around four Australian dollars and we tipped him two Australian dollars. He was as happy as a lark and we thought we’d got a fair price so we were happy too.

I was even more happy when we got back to our room and Shaz rang to say my port was sitting on her bed. Carol had found it and bought it back for me. Shari bought it up to our room and when

I opened it, I was really happy to see all my clothes and my Leprechaun suit right on top. I wonder what Customs made of that. I have promised to tell “Laughing Larry” stories for AJ’s and Sham’s classes when I get to Singapore.

Shaz and I went down to the gym and did an hour on the treadmill and bikes. It was a beautiful gym with everything anyone could want. After an hour’s hard work, I’d only used 20 calories ??? Wayne left us to it and went for a walk around the block.It was really interesting. We saw the famed “Bird’s Nest” and lots of rickshaws. We saw one man carrying such a huge load of old cardboard on his bicycle, we were amazed that he could keep the bike upright. We also passed some shops that proudly displayed Chinese flags and Chinese lanterns. Now i was happy. I felt like I was really in China.

(Beijing National Stadium, officially the National Stadium also known as the Bird’s Nest , is a stadium in Beijing, China. The stadium was designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics and will be used again in the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The stadium is currently used mostly for football matches. 

Located at the Olympic Green, the stadium cost US$428 million. The design was awarded to a submission from the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron in April 2003 after a bidding process that included 13 final submissions. The design, which originated from the study of Chinese ceramics, implemented steel beams in order to hide supports for the retractable roof; giving the stadium the appearance of a bird’s nest. Leading Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was the artistic consultant on the project. The retractable roof was later removed from the design after inspiring the stadium’s most recognizable aspect. Ground was broken on 24 December 2003 and the stadium officially opened on 28 June 2008.- Wikipedia.)

After that we all went and showered and dressed for our first group dinner. This was the first time we had ever chosen to go on a guided tour and we were a bit nervous about it. Usually we just drove ourselves and did our own thing but because the language and customs in China were so different to our own, we opted for a Cosmos guided tour this time.

It was a very cosmopolitan group. There was one Chinese (Carol, our guide), threes Aussies (us), one Brazilian, a French lady and the rest were all English. Most of them were our age. I felt a bit sorry for Shaz as she was obviously the baby of the group but Carol was only a little older than her and it was obvious that they were going to get along like a house on fire.

We had a Chinese Banquet for tea. There was a whole steamed river fish. I couldn’t eat any of it because it still had its eyes and I felt that it was looking at me reproachfully all night. We also had pork, chicken, prawn and beef dishes, steamed rice, Miso soup, vegetable soup, steamed vegetables and Fanta, green tea and Sprite but, sadly, no coffee. It was all very delicious and we all ate far too much.

All our fellow travellers were very friendly and we all changed places around the table quite often. Everyone seemed to be getting along splendidly so we all started to relax and enjoy ourselves. We were very excited about starting our Chinese adventure the next day.

China Trip: Day Two: Sydney, Australia – Beijing, China

We were awake at dawn …much too excited to sleep. Shaz was up booking us in on-line at 3:00 a.m. and we were all packed and waiting downstairs well before our taxi arrived at 7:00 a.m.

When we got to the airport, we checked the board for our departure details. We were a bit too early to check in but we had a coffee and then our check in light came on. For a change our luggage was spot on.-  Wayne 19.8 kg, mine 20 kg and Shaz’s 19 kg. We put it through and headed over to Customs. For some reason, Wayne kept setting the buzzer off. They checked him with a hand search, a sniffer dog  and the wand but couldn’t find out why so finally they let us through and we headed up to the QANTAS Frequent Flyer lounge.

The Frequent Flyer lounge was lovely. We went over to the buffet and gathered together a plate of chippolatas, hash browns, scrambled eggs, fried tomatoes and toast. After that we had coffee with a delicious Danish and then finished off with another coffee and toast and Vegemite. I could feel those kilos rushing to get back in place.

The flight seemed so long. I had the suggested compression stockings on and I did lots of leg exercises and walking up and down the aisle but my legs still ached. I think it’s because in their mad scramble for more, more, more money, the airlines put the seats far too close together for comfort. As well, just after takeoff the girl in front of me leaned her seat back and I was trapped under her seat. Some people are incredibly thoughtless. When I asked her to put it up a bit, she said obviously if it was made to lie back that far, she was allowed to lie back that far.

I watched the first seven episodes of a show called, “Smash.” It was great. I could remember it being on TV at home and I wondered why I’d never watched it.

Soon we were descending into Hong Kong. We were a bit late taxiing into our lounge so we only had twenty minutes to find our boarding gate. Thanks to the moving horizontal elevators, we made it just as the end of the line was boarding.

We boarded the flight to Beijing without any incident. Luckily, this time Wayne didn’t set any buzzers off.  Everything has been so smooth this trip thanks to Shaz’s familiarity with flying internationally. The check-in lines have been massive but because we checked in on-line and had Frequent Flyer status we just waltzed in and my legs were so grateful for that.

We were separated on the next leg. Wayne and I were in the back of the plane and Shaz was midway down. I had the girl from the previous flight directly behind me and I thought of putting my seat back just to show her but I was bought up with better manners than her so I resisted the urge. There was only one small TV between us both so I read the book they had given me in the Frequent Flyers lounge and Wayne watched the TV.

We arrived much sooner than we had expected and we breezed quickly through the Foreigner’s Line at Customs. Everyone was lovely and friendly and very helpful. Surprisingly there were no soldiers to be seen. The whole arrival process was very pleasant.

That was until we went to collect our ports from the carousel. That’s when things started to go downhill. Wayne’s port was one of the first out. Shaz’s was about the middle and we joked about mine being at the end but all the ports came out and everyone left and there was no sign of mine. We waited a bit longer but then our carousel was shut down and it was obvious that no more ports were arriving there. We went looking for help but we couldn’t find anyone who spoke or understood English.

We were being picked up by our tour guide but I couldn’t leave the secure area without my port as it had to be checked by Customs and I didn’t have a port to check. We walked around for an hour trying to get help from anyone who looked official but to no avail.

Finally we went outside the secure area to find our guide to see if she could help us but she had obviously given up and gone. We saw a sign that said Missing Luggage and we followed it up to Level Four but when we found it, it was closed so we went back down.

Somehow Shaz got back through Customs and a man there told her to come and get me and he took me to an office where I could register my port as missing.

We went back outside and tried to get someone to ring our hotel but had no luck. After an hour of waiting for someone to come and get us we finally went out and hailed a taxi. The first taxi driver asked for 680 yuan but our guide notes said the fare from the airport to our hotel should be no more than 130 yuan so we said no. We had three that gave quotes that were too high before we finally found one that quoted us 130 yuan. We accepted his offer but then he had no idea where the hotel was and we drove around in his taxi for ages before he found it.

Finally at 2:00 am we pulled up at our hotel. It was really impressive and for a while we were worried that he had dropped us at the wrong one but Reception soon assured us that we were booked in there. The porter took us up to our rooms. Shaz’s had a huge double bed and ours had two singles so we asked if we could swap but we were assured that the two singles were for married couples and the single room had the double bed. Anyway when he departed, we swapped rooms.

We had just settled in when the phone rang. It was our tour guide full of apologies about leaving us stranded. She had inquired after us but she had been told all the passengers on our plane had left so she thought we must have missed the plane. We were probably wandering around lost on Level Four at the time. We assured her that it was just a mix up and we didn’t blame her at all so she felt a lot better after that.

I hand washed all my clothes because I knew I’d have to wear them again next day, borrowed a tee-shirt from Shaz to sleep in and we all crashed.

How exciting! We were in Beijing, capital of China – historic, mysterious China.

(Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world.

The metropolis, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government, with 14 urban and suburban districts and two rural counties. Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin Municipality to the southeast.

Beijing is the second largest Chinese city by urban population after Shanghai and is the nation’s political, cultural, and educational center. It is home to the headquarters of most of China’s largest state-owned companies, and is a major hub for the national highway, expressway, railway, and high-speed rail networks. The Beijing Capital International Airport is the second busiest in the world by passenger traffic.

The city’s history dates back three millennia. As the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing has been the political center of the country for much of the past eight centuries. The city is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, parks and gardens, tombs, walls and gates, and its art treasures and universities have made it a center of culture and art in China. Encyclopædia Britannica notes that “few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural centre of an area as immense as China.”

 Beijing has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Zhoukoudian, Great Wall, and the Grand Canal. – Wikipedia)

Beijing – photo from Google images.

China Trip: Brisbane, Australia – Sydney, Australia.

I couldn’t believe it. This was the start of our China trip. China mysterious land of antiquity. ll I could think was, ‘Bring it on!”

Our first day seemed to move in slow motion. We watered all the plants and moved them to a central spot so our wonderful neighbour could easily keep an eye on them. Then we caught up on some housework.

Finally it was time to start. Dai drove us down to the airport.  We had a bit of trouble checking in because the on-line check-in didn’t seem to like us. Finally one of the airport staff came over to help and we were done.

After we checked our luggage through, we went through and had a coffee and a sandwich.  Then we headed to our departure lounge to wait for our flight to board.

It was an uneventful trip down to Sydney except that there was a big group of kids returning from a holiday camp and they were in really high spirits.

(Sydney  is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia’s east coast, the metropolis surrounds the world’s largest natural harbour, and sprawls towards the Blue Mountains to the west. Residents of Sydney are known as “Sydneysiders”. Sydney is the second official seat, and second official residence, of the Governor-General of Australia, the Prime Minister of Australia and the Cabinet of Australia.

The Sydney area has been inhabited by indigenous Australians for tens of millennia.^[9] The first British settlers arrived in 1788 to found Sydney as a penal colony, the first European settlement in Australia. Since convict transportation ended in the mid-19th century, the city has transformed from a colonial outpost into a major global cultural and economic centre. – Wikipedia)

As we flew in, we saw the Sydney Harbour, the Bridge and the Opera House. No matter how many times you see it, it never fails to impress.

(Port Jackson, comprising the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (part of the South Pacific Ocean). It is the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The location of the first European settlement in Australia, Port Jackson has continued to play a key role in the history and development of Sydney.

Many recreational events are based on or around the harbour itself particularly the Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations and the starting point of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. – Wikipedia)

 Sydney (photo from Google images)

(The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district (CBD) and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of Sydney, and Australia. The bridge is nicknamed “The Coathanger” because of its arch-based design or is simply called “the Bridge” by Sydney residents.

Under the direction of Dr J.J.C. Bradfield of the NSW Department of Public Works, the bridge was designed and built by British firm Dorman Long and Co Ltd of Middlesbrough and opened in 1932. The bridge’s design was influenced by the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City. It is the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world and the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 m (440 ft) from top to water level. It was also the world’s widest long-span bridge, at 48.8 m (160 ft) wide, until construction of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver was completed in 2012.- Wikipedia)

Sydney Harbour Bridge – photo from Google images)

(The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the facility is adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the Royal Botanic Gardens, between Sydney and Farm Coves.

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the facility formally opened on 20 October 1973, by Queen Elizabeth II, with members of the British Royal family in attendance after a gestation beginning with Utzon’s 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. The Government of New South Wales, led by the premier, Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958 with Utzon directing construction. The government’s decision to build Utzon’s design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost and scheduling overruns as well as the architect’s ultimate resignation.

Though its name suggests a single venue, the project comprises multiple performance venues which together are among the busiest performing arts centres in the world—hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people. The venues produce and present a wide range of in-house productions and accommodate numerous performing arts companies, including four key resident companies: Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. As one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, more than seven million people visit the site each year, with 300,000 people participating annually in a guided tour of the facility.

Identified as one of the 20th century’s most distinctive buildings and one of the most famous performing arts centres in the world, the facility is managed by the Sydney Opera House Trust, under the auspices of the New South Wales Ministry of the Arts. The Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007- Wikipedia)

Sydney Opera House – photo from google images

When we arrived at the airport in Sydney, we grabbed our ports and walked around to our hotel. When we got they, they upgraded us to a bigger room They thought Shaz was a little girl and had her on a trundle bed.

When Shaz arrived we walked down to Maccas and had dinner. Then we walked around the block to get rid of some of the calories, repacked our ports and hit the sack.

Beijing was beckoning us.

Second Trip; Day Eighty – Two: Adu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Brisbane, Australia.

When we got to Abu Dhabi, we went straight around to our loading gate and who should be on the escalator in front of us – the boss and his wife. We went and had a coffee and a good long chat. Then we dashed around trying to find some souvenirs.

The flight from Abu Dhabi to Singapore was long and tiring because of the long flight before it. Singapore airport is really beautiful but we didn’t get much time to enjoy the sights. We landed and dashed for our departure lounge where we had to go through Custom’s again. I was so nervous and I immediately gave them all my medications and my Dr’s letter and had a long explanation for them but they just waved me straight through.

The trip from Singapore to Brisbane seemed to go on forever. When we got there, Wayne, the boss and his wife were waved through but I was held up for ages while they decided if the Viking Ship was ok to go through. I finally got through Customs with my Viking Ship and we went out and caught the shuttle bus home.

Everyone was pleased to see us and they were all keen to see our pictures and hear our stories. Best of all, they all loved the presents we had bought for them.

Our second trip around Europe was now  just a memory but what a fabulous memory it would be.

Second Trip: Day Eighty – One: London, England – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Well so much for an enjoyable last night in England. Some drongo parked right outside the unit and sat there with his radio blasting out. It wasn’t even nice music. It was one of those boom boom bassy things. Then his girlfriend arrived and they had a huge, noisy row for the next hour.

We gave up trying to sleep and re-weighed and repacked our ports. If the bird at the airport was right about the thirty kilos for checked luggage and the ten kilos for hand luggage, we might just get through . We cleaned up the flat and then we went to catch the tube to  Green Park and from there we walked down to Jermyn Street. We couldn’t find the shop where Gaz bought his lovely shirts but we did get a really nice slim fit Italian one for Dai and a lovely classic one for Wayne.

(Jermyn Street is a one-way street in the St James’s area of the City of Westminster in London, to the south of, parallel, and adjacent to Piccadilly.

It is widely known as a place where the shops are almost exclusively aimed at the gentlemen’s clothing market and it is famous for its resident shirtmakers such as Turnbull & Asser, Hawes & Curtis, Thomas Pink, Harvie & Hudson and T. M. Lewin. Gentlemen’s outfitters Hackett and DAKS are also located on Jermyn Street, as well as shoe- and boot-makers John Lobb and Foster & Son.

A number of other businesses occupy premises on the street, such as the men’s luxury goods brand Alfred Dunhill, who first took a premises on the corner of Jermyn Street and Duke street in 1907; barbers Geo.F. Trumper, and Taylor of Old Bond Street; cigar shop Davidoff; as well as Britain’s oldest cheese shop, Paxton & Whitfield, trading since 1797.- Wikipedia)

Then we headed back to the station. On the way, we stopped and did some window shopping and bought two miniature sets with a classic Sherlock Holmes cab and a red London double-decker bus, and also  a little Bobby doll, a Beef eater doll and a soldier in an iconic bearskin hat. We got off the train at  Bond Street so we could take a video of Oxford Street for Mum and P. Then we headed back to the unit.

(London cab  (sic) – The classic Austin FX3 black taxicab of 1948 was built by car body builder Carbodies in partnership with Mann & Overton and Austin. More than 7,000, mainly destined for London, were produced over 10 years. Carbodies concentrated on producing complete taxis, starting with the Austin FX4 in 1958-59; this is the classic cab still common today. They were taken over by Manganese Bronze in 1973. In 1982 Carbodies took over the intellectual rights to the FX4 from British Leyland(which had by then absorbed Austin). Latterly, developed FX4 models became known as the LTI Fairway.- Wikipedia)

 

(A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. Double-decker buses are used for mass transit in the United Kingdom, an iconic example being the red London bus. Double-decker buses are also used in many other cities around the world.

Early double-deckers put the driver in a separate cab. Passenger access was via an open platform at the rear, and a conductor would collect fares. Modern double-deckers have a main entrance door at the front, and the driver takes fares, thus halving the number of bus workers aboard, but slowing the boarding process. The rear open platform, popular with passengers, was abandoned for “health and safety” reasons.

Double-deckers are primarily for commuter transport but open-top models are used as sight-seeing buses for tourists. William Gladstone, speaking of London‘s double-deck horse drawn omnibuses, once observed, “…the best way to see London is from the top of a bus”- Wikipedia)

 

({Robert} Peel was considered one of the rising stars of the Tory party, first entering the cabinet in 1822 as Home Secretary. As Home Secretary, he introduced a number of important reforms of British criminal law: most memorably establishing the Metropolitan Police Force (Metropolitan Police Act 1829) for London. It was the enabling legislation for the first English police force, the “bobbies” or “peelers” (after Peel), which served as the model for modern urban police departments throughout England.- Wikipedia)

 

(The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign’s Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners in the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are a tourist attraction in their own right, a point the Yeomen Warders acknowledge. – Wikipedia)

 

(A bearskin is a tall fur cap, usually worn as part of a ceremonial military uniform. Traditionally, the bearskin was the headgear of grenadiers and it is still worn by grenadier and guards regiments in various armies.- Wikipedia)

 

When we got there, I made up lunch for us and packed up some sandwiches to take with us while Wayne went off to the laundromat to dry the last of our clothes so i could get them packed. Finally it was time to leave. I took one last look around . The unit was spotless. I thought Gaz would be very pleased when he returned that night.

Luckily we booked the taxi early because it arrived late. The place on the other half of Gaz’s had just been sold and it was being done up into a single dwelling. We started talking to the guy who was doing the repairs. He’d been to Australia and he said he had loved it. His dream was to return with his family and live there permanently.

Finally the taxi arrived and the driver wanted thirty pound not the twenty-five agreed to on the phone. We didn’t have time to argue so we just paid it and hoped that this was the last European robber we’d encounter on this trip.

By the time we got to Heathrow, it was teeming and getting from the taxi to  the departure lounge with our ports left us soaking wet. We went straight over and checked in our ports. They were both over by 7kg but we took out some extra clothes and put them on over our wet clothes. We got down to five kilos over and I think they were sick of us because they just put them through.

We had our sandwiches and some juice, picked up a few last minute souvenirs and headed for Customs. I was so nervous. I just handed over my hand luggage and said, “It’s all here!” They put it through X-ray and told me I was right.  I get so worked up over weigh-in and Customs but once they are over, I settle and really start to enjoy myself.

We had a look around Duty Free and before we knew it they were boarding our flight. I like flying Etihad. I find it very comfortable and the food is great.

They stewards came around with packs of socks which I grabbed with gratitude. They are great for school as they have no seams. We had a lovely meal and then I watched some movies, read and did some crosswords while Wayne played Suduko and then settled in for a long sleep.

Finally, we landed in Abu Dhabi.

Second Trip: Day Eighty: London, England – London, England

We designated this our wind-down day. I think on every holiday you need to plan strategic wind-down days. It seems a shame to waste a day especially when there is so much to see and do but with-out a wind down day, you tend to get a bit over-tired and jaded.

We packed our ports for home. They were way over limit. When Wayne rang to confirm our flights home, they reminded us that flights to Australia allowed thirty kilos in checked in luggage and 10 kilos in hand luggage. That gave us sixteen kilos more than we thought we had but we were still going to be a bit over. I packed my dolls and all other souvenirs into the carry-on luggage. One reason was so that I could keep an eye on them and another was because it’s easier to show everything when we get to Customs.

It was a cold, wet day so while I finished the packing, Wayne went down and bought all the makings for savoury mince. I made up a big pot because I knew that that Gaz and his flatmates had loved it the last time I made it and I thought that, on such a miserable day, they would be very happy to come home and find a delicious, nutritious meal that just needed to be warmed up.

We went into town and bought some “Mind the Gap” tee-shirts for the crew at home. Then we went home and I got the savoury mince heated up and put some fresh rolls into the oven and Wayne opened a bottle of red. As I suspected the others were thrilled to get home and find a hot meal waiting for them. I was very pleased to see them all go back for seconds and I told them that there was a second pot frozen for further use.

We sat up talking about Australia and Iceland. Wayne and I were all keyed up but the others had work the next day so about 10:30 p.m. we all headed for bed.