Last time we had Shanghai first and then Hong Kong, so it gave us time to tour Shanghai before flying to Beijing to tour the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square. Forbidden City etc. Then, we flew to Hong Kong where we had 2 full days to tour there.
This time we arrived in Hong Kong for 2 days and only have 1
sea day before arriving in Sanya, China, so it didn’t leave very long for an
over-land here. We flew out in the morning to Xian to see the Terracotta
Warriors and then will fly to Chengdu to be Assistant Panda Keepers for a day.
Then, we fly out to Sanya where we will meet the ship as soon as it docks and pick
up 2 couples and tour Sanya.
Immigration went quickly and the 6 of us met at the Casino
Lounge waiting for the ship to clear and we could disembark.
We were met promptly by our China Highlights tour company
transfer and we were whisked away for the 45 minute ride to the airport. Our
guide came with us and checked us in and got our seats assigned and we had some
time to kill before boarding. It was too early for lunch and they were going to
feed us on the flight. I used some of the time to try to SKYPE with Dad (he
didn’t answer) and then my son Scott.
sail in
walking to the van
our guide
views from the van on the way to the airport
in the airport
our plane
views from the plane
yes, there is snow on the mountains
It was around a 3 hour flight and we watched the movie LA LA
Land. (ugh) We were met upon arrival by our respective guides for the time in
Xian. (Karen & Steve and Julie & Jeff had booked a private tour
different from the private tour we booked, so here we split off and went our
separate ways.)
Our guide, Rocky thought it would be best to do the Ancient
City Wall today instead of tomorrow to give us more time at the Warriors. So,
we went and walked a portion of the Wall and saw the beauty of the city before
heading to the Muslim Quarters and visiting the Great Mosque. There was also a
lively night market that smelled great and always make great photo ops.
drive to the city wall
arrival at the City Walls
shuttle bus to take people around the walls
young boy has deformed legs
From
there we went to see the Tang Dynasty show with the Dumpling dinner. The show
was fabulous and the food was all really good and lots of it. They just bring
you steamer basket after steamer basket of yummy dim sum. We enjoyed that show
way more than the show we saw in Beijing last time.
Hostess
the show begins
entryway of the theater
hostesses
When we came out of the show it was later at night and the
city was vibrant and alive with people, lights and color. What struck me most
was how steeped in Chinese tradition the architecture and décor of the city was.
It screamed “China!”. Many other cities in China are large cities with occasional
Chinese accents, but this ancient city really maintains the culture. Rocky then
took us back to a different section of the wall to see it lit up at night. Just
beautiful with colorful lighted dragons and other things on the wall. It was
late and it was time to be taken to the Grand Noble Hotel, which was a very
nice hotel. Rock hard beds (as the Chinese like them), but pretty and
everything was very nice.
our hotel
inside of the hotel
a shop in the hotel
our room
We got ready for our day tomorrow visiting the Terracotta
Warriors and despite feeling like we could burst into flames because the room
was so hot, we got a bit of sleep. It was cold in China and they run heat. We
even opened a couple of windows to let the cold air in, but it didn’t help
much. We fell asleep to what sounded like chanting and the occasional bang of
the drums. (could have been construction noise for all we know, but we slept
just fine)
Photos will be a long time coming! The site is down again,
so when it’s back up I can upload Papua New Guinea, Guam and Taiwan. Then, I
can start China.
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