Lost in Translation

OK, I had to do it! The Park Hyatt where Lost in Translation was filmed is very near Setsuko's apartment, so that was my choice for my last night on the town. The view is magical!

The lounge on the 52nd floor has a singer to justify the ridiculous cover charge to have a drink in this breath-taking setting. But, it was well worth it. The view of the city rivals Manhattan. It was the perfect send off from Tokyo!

After three months of traveling I am ready for a break from new experiences. The guides I read to plan my trip warned me of the need for a vacation from vacation after 2 to 3 months of travel. So, I leave this afternoon for Bali via Taipei. I hear there are amazing cultural things to do in Bali, but I won't be seeing them. I plan to just scuba dive and sit on the beach for 10 days! I wonder if my new digital camera works underwater...

Tokyo Treats

With Setsuko and Masaki taking turns showing me around their amazing city, I've had a ball seeing the best of Tokyo. We've spent hours walking around and soaking up feel of the different neighborhoods.

Shopping:
Harajuku was my favorite with a wide boulevard and nice stores mixed with fun places to eat. Setsuko and I had a wonderful lunch and then a fabulous stop a desert cafe one day. This is also the home of Budoir the only Western salon, run by an Aussie, for things like waxing. For even more excitement, young people in Harajuku dress up in crazy costumes (little bo peep, Elvis, Goths to Babydolls...) and hang out on a corner near the park on weekends for no apparent reason. Those crazy kids...

The Omte Sando area had a small village feel with upscale shopping mixed with great apartments. My favorite was the Prada store, which is the coolest building! Masaki and I had the most stylish lunch here and watched the beautiful people on parade.

And of course Ginza, which is Tokyo's 5th Avenue. A trip to Tokyo wouldn't be complete without a little shopping here.

City Centers:
Shinjuku is right down the street from Setsuko's house and you can get anything there. The Takashimaya department store is wonderful. All the major department stores also have great food courts in the basement for a quick bite or to pick up dinner.

Shibuya feels like Times Square. The streets are small and there is neon everywhere. The extremely crowded crosswalk that is always in movies, where all traffic stops and hundreds of people cross in different directions, is here. It's at once exciting and overwhelming!

Sights:
Asakusa Kannon-do, or Senso-ji, is a wonderful temple dedicated to the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. It's a treasure right in the middle of Tokyo in an area historically known for entertainment, especially kabuki (traditional Japanese theater).

Meiji-jingu Shrine, set in the middle of a large park, is the Imperial Shrine. Setsuko and I had a very peaceful visit here (photo above). The clouds came and gave us a cooler afternoon to wonder around the park and shrine. The Emperor uses this shrine for ceremonies and it was certainly the most elegant shrine I have seen in Japan. Very understated and spiritual.

Food:
I've had countless great meals in Tokyo. I've already written about Ninja on my first evening in Tokyo. Masaki also took me to a neighborhood restaurant where we ate grilled meats and seafood sitting on the floor at low table. We entered through bamboo which has an immediate calming effect and sets the tone for a relaxed evening. Quite different from a neighborhood pub at home. But, the most exciting meal was the conveyor belt sushi (photo above). They are all over Tokyo. We had to wait for a seat and then just started grabbing the sushi as it passed by. There was self service green tea, and they count the number of plates you have to tally your bill. It was great fun!

The People:
Of all the places I've gone on this trip, I would most like to emmulate the Japanese people. While hard working and ambitious, the Japanese are the kindest and most considerate people I've ever known. Everyone bows out of respect for others, people are courteous to a fault. Everyone goes out of their way to help others. Despite tremendous crowds there is no pushing or shoving in the street or on trains, people always wait there turn. I can't count the number of times people have gone out of their way to help me. When I ask directions, someone will almost always walk me to my destination rather than just point me in the right direction. I have learned so much about how I relate to others here. I hope that I take some of Japan with me when I leave!

Nature in Nara

After a fun day last day in Kyoto with my traveling companions Paul and Gen, I decided to change my plan to visit Hiroshima today and go with them to Nara. We also met a great couple, Matt and Lindsey, who joined us too. Our group of five headed to the train station early to do Nara in a day.

Nara became the first capital of Japan in 710. Prior to that, the capital was moved for religious reasons after the death of every emperor. But, Nara was only the capital for 75 years because of a big scandal where a Priest seduced an empress and took control of the throne. They subsequently moved the capital to Kyoto to get away from the powerful clergy in Nara. Don't you just love Imperial intrigue?!

Instead of making a rushed visit to Nara's eight UNESCO sites, our goal was to enjoy the wonderful park, Nara-Koen, which contains the famous Todai-ji temple. It was a goregous day to explore some nature (near a cute city with restrooms and good restaurants). There are over 1,000 deer roaming around Nara-Koen park. Before Buddhism, the deer were thought to be messengers of the gods. Today they are a major tourist attraction. We had a ball feeding and taking photos with our favorite deer.

It was easy to find the Todai-ji temple, because it contains the largest wooden building in the world, Daibutsu-den Hall. The massive temple holds one of the largest bronze figures in the world. The huge statue of Buddha is flanked by two other Buddhas and several guardians. The temple is extremely impressive!

After another walk through the park, it was time for a late lunch. We found a great Japanese restaurant and the five of us were given a private room. We lounged sans shoes on the floor and had an amazing meal. Then it was off to the train station to go our separate ways. Gen and I took the bullet train back to Tokyo together and parted in Tokyo station.

It was wonderful to make great friends, and experience some of Japan's traditional culture in Kyoto and Nara!

Memories of a Geisha

Everyone wants to see a Geisha while in Kyoto! There are reportedly about 100 Geisha and about 80 Maiko (women in training to be a Geisha) living in Kyoto. The amazingly elegant women with white faces, bejeweled hair and sumptuous kimonos can be hired to perform traditional songs and dances and conduct classic tea ceremonies for thousands of dollars. They are in demand for their respect and grace.

My new friends Gen (Australian film-maker) and Paul (fellow RTW traveler from New Zealand) and I headed to the famous Gion area, where rumor has it you can see a Geisha getting in a car between appointments. We wondered around the alleys taking in the scenery. Then all of a sudden, there she was walking past us to get into a taxi. She was the most elegant lady I have ever seen. Stunning! We were like three kids frozen in the moment. Our night was made! We proceeded to celebrate the sighting at all the little bars in the area... It was the perfect Kyoto evening!

Temple Trips

The history in Kyoto is remarkable, and I set out to experience as much as I can in a couple of days! I met some fun people at the hostel and we have charted a course to the hot temple spots are around town.

Our first stop yesterday was the most famous sight in Japan, the Golden Temple. You view the gold covered temple, another UNESCO site, from across a beautiful pond. It is breath-taking! About a 15 minute walk away was another amazing place, the Ryoanji Temple. The temple was originally an aristocrat's country villa and was converted to a Zen temple. This sounds unremarkable, but it happened in 1450! The most unusual thing about this temple is the rock-and-gravel garden. The garden,which is simply 15 rocks arranged in groups on a bed of raked gravel, is apparently the ultimate example of "Kareansui" or "dry landscape" style rock garden. I sat for almost an hour contemplating the Zen nature statement. However, I must confess I preferred the surrounding mossy, lush wooded areas better. I decided that I like to feel that nature is vibrant and alive and not static. I guess I won't be asked to write a coffee table book on gardens any time soon!

Next stop, Nijo Castle. The Castle and the interior Ninomaru Palace, which was the official residence of the first Shogun (military leader in 1603), was fantastic! The concept of a palace without furniture is tremendous. They valued wonderful art on the screens between rooms and the ceremony of the residents over material objects. It was very special and majestic. We took our shoes off to walk around the palace and we could hear the famous nightingale floors, which squeak with movement so that the Shogun could hear intruders. We also saw the chamber where in 1867 the last Shogun announced the restoration of Imperial rule in Japan, ending 250 years of Shoguns. The gardens were also vast and tranquil although we were in the middle of Kyoto. The Castle, surrounded by a moat seamed a million miles away from the modern day!

I hit one more temple yesterday -- the shrine of shopping. I went to a fabulous store, called Hankyu. I needed a little sushi pick-me up and heard the top floor was a scenic spot. Well, the sushi was great, but the store was marvelous. It was a mix between Fred Siegel and Henry Bendel. I miss my clothes and wanted to buy out the place. They even had a beauty floor where you could get a cut ($45), color ($75) or manicure ($36!). It was my kind of temple!

Kimonos in Kyoto

I whipped down from Tokyo to Kyoto on a bullet train this morning and fell in love! Kyoto is certainly the jewel of Japan.

We pulled into an amazing new sleek station with 11 levels of shops, restaurants, and beautiful views for everyone to enjoy. Although I hear there is some resistance to the modern station design in the country's most historic city, I think it is magnificent! The climax for me was seeing a Cafe du Monde! I was thrilled to have some hot beignets on the other side of the world from New Orleans!

I threw my backpack in a locker and headed out to see some of the more than 2000 temples and shrines, palaces, gardens and museums. Kyoto has 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites! Luckily Setsuko and Masaki helped me narrow down the list. First, I hopped on a bus (and learned that you board in the back and pay $2.20 as you leave through the front) to Kiyomizu-dera. I walked up a hill (actually a gauntlet of souviner shops--called Teapot Lane) and was treated to a great view of a spectacular bright orange gate and it just got better and better. The area was on a hillside and temples and shrines just peacefully hung in the woods. I'm becoming at home in Buddhist temples. I washed my hands and mouth in the water (to purify), pulled incense over my head to make me smarter (holding my breath of course), bowed three times at the alter... It is a very calm and peaceful ritual.

I weaved my way around the Eastern hills and traditional streets lined with wooden houses, elegant shops and teahouses, seeing several more temples and shrines. There were so many women wearing kimonos--it was a picture perfect setting. I passed a massive Buddha who must have been eight stories high just tucked away on the hillside. I also walked around the Kodai-ji, which was founded in the 1600's by a noble woman in honor of her late husband. After her husband died, she became a Buddhist nun (I didn't know Buddhists had nuns!). The shrines and teahouses were lovely. I walked through a bamboo forest where the trees were as big as redwoods. OK, maybe oaks, but I didn't know bamboo got that big. They even had the perfectly raked pebbles that I've been wanting to see. I wonder how long it takes to rake?

The Aspen of Japan

Setsuko and I spent Sunday in Karuizawa, which is a mountain resort just over an hour away from Tokyo. She has a friend who has retired from the corporate world and opened up a tiny (12) seat French restaurant with his wife in this picturesque town. The meal we had at PaPa de Poca was worth the train ride to this adorable resort town. We had 6 courses and two bottles of fabulous French wine. Setsuko asked him to make us "princess portions," but it didn't work. We were overwhelmed by the amount of delicious food!

We strolled on the main shopping street where the Japanese elite go to see and be seen, explored a mountain top temple, and took a walk through the trees around a small lake filled with large goldfish and baby ducks. The temperature dropped over 10 degrees from Tokyo and it was a wonderfully relaxing day!

Touring Tokyo

Coming from China into Tokyo was quite a shock! The dirt and charm of China were dramatically replaced by extreme cleanliness and modern efficiency. Arriving in Japan is a treat. I put coins in a computer to check my email while waiting for the fast train into the Toyko. The trains are immaculate, the taxi doors actually open and close by themselves and the taxi drivers wear white gloves!

I was delighted to arrive and see my friend Setsuko. Her apartment, located in the very fashionable Hatsudai area in Shibuya, is adorable and it is fantastic to have all the comforts of home once again! Last night I donned my Pucci top (which I brought around the world for this visit) and went out for fabulous evening with Setsuko and her boyfriend Masaki. We went to a trendy bar for cocktails and then a restaurant called Ninja. We were taken by a Ninja through a maze of danger to our table. The menu was unique even for Japanese standards. We had sushi on magnificent wood, raddish pasta with fish eggs, meat and fois gras with our saki. There are even silent buttons under the tables to ring for the waitress (they leave you alone unless you ring). It was such fun!

Tokyo is a wonderful blend of grace, gentility and kindness. As Setsuko and I toured the city today I was constantly amazed with the way everyone treats each other. The term "as a show of respect" seldom comes up in New York City and it was the answer to so many of my questions today. We could certainly learn a lot from these lovely people.

Setsuko, with her white lace umbrella to protect her from the sun, showed me the town today. We went to Yoyogi Park which was filled with musicans and actors practicing McBeth in Japanese, the gardens at the Imperial Palace, and two great shopping areas Harajuku and Ginza. I saw the Tokyo Tower and even a Japanese celebrity, who's apparently been married 5 or 6 times--sounds like our Elizabeth Taylor. It was a lovely day of touring and girl talk!

Beijing Blessings

I was blessed by a heavenly last day in Beijing. We had sunny skies, warm, but not hot temps and NO HUMIDITY. The air was almost a bit crisp. I wanted the day to last forever!

I just walked around the city enjoying the day. I walked all over the place (well, there was one rickshaw ride and a quick taxi trip too). I walked around two lakes, and went to an amazing park just at the north entrance to the Forbidden City. The park was made with dirt from the building of the Imperial Palace and the views from the Wanchun Temple on top were astounding. You could see from the air just how huge the Forbidden City really is. The clay colored tile roofs of the thousands of rooms that make up the Imperial Palace were shining in the sun. Also, I passed a tree where the last of the Ming Dynasty hanged himself when a revolt forced him from the Palace. The drama here never ends.

I stopped and ate and drank all over the place to lounge around and people watch. I am now in a little bar in my Hutong, watching the people go by, working my way back for dinner.

I have really come to love Beijing. The Hutong lifestyle is charming. The family next door have two rabbits they bring outside in the evening for the neighborhood kids to play with; old people play games at makeshift tables in their pajamas at night; there at tiny fruit stands and markets all over; and most importantly there is a public restroom on every block in China! Taxi's are about $1.50 a ride and beer is less than a dollar. The people are friendly and always seem willing to help foreigners. The Imperial legacy of palaces and the Great Wall are amazing. And, they even have a wonderful English language bookstore. You can't ask for more than that.

If it weren't for the whole communist thing, I could work for the Beijing Tourism Board! I look forward to visiting again one day to take the Trans-Siberian train trip! It's a shame the Chinese government won't let the people of China see my blog and learn how much I love it here!

Time in Tiananmen Square

I started the day hopping in taxi to Chairman Mao mausoleum. Mao Zedong is only on display until noon and the line is as long as they come. So, my friend Pien and I raced to see the Chairman's body before the clock stuck noon. Mao's mausoleum is at the south end of Tiananmen Square and those who come to pay their respects, or just see the spectacle must number in the millions each month! We were the only foreigners I saw in the huge, yet extremely efficient line. The Russian's guarding Lenin's Tomb could learn a thing or two about organization from the Chinese!

Passing by Mao's body was just as solemn as viewing Lenin, with one big difference. When you left Lenin you filed past all the other communist leaders graves and quietly out. We walked past Mao right into a gift shop selling Mao clocks, pens, T-Shirts, you name it. Then as we left the building, we walked through a gauntlet of souvenir vendors in true Chinese fashion. Seemed extremely capitalist if you ask me!

Then I walked around Tiananmen Square, the world's largest square, and just took sights. The National People's "Congress" is to the West, which ironically charges admission, and the huge painting of Mao on the North wall marking the entrance to the Forbidden City. The Eastern side houses two Chinese history museums that I skipped because I didn't know what version I would learn.

Tiananmen Square is the center of Chinese politics and was the focus of the world's attention in 1989 when the Chinese army shot down the pro-democracy demonstrators. Today, it's a photo op with Red Flags and tourists (mostly Chinese) everywhere, and carefree Chinese children flying kites. It also seems that every English teacher in China tells their students to go to Tiananmen Square and practice your English with foreigners. Every two feet you hear, "Hello, I'm learning English. Where are you from..."

Walking on the Great Wall

I should have titled this entry Wet on the Wall! Our Great Wall day was a bit soggy. The hostel has a day trip to drop off a group way out in the country side and then pick everyone up 10 kilometers (up hill) away in Simatai. This is better than walking on the wall in Badaling the big tourist spot. But, it is quite a grueling hike. My 23 year old fit America roommate, Eddie, looked like death when he got back yesterday and went right to bed! The van leaves at 6:40am and gets back for dinner.

About 2 hours out of town we learned that the Great Wall was closed at Simatai because of the rain and thunderstorms. Apparently a girl from Greece was killed there in the rain recently and they were not taking any more chances with their precious tourists! Come to find out she was struck my lightening while talking on her cell phone!

So, we diverted our course and went to another remote section of the wall. The good news is this section to hike was only 2 kilometers. That I can handle! I didn't even need all the provisions I brought. My friend Pien, from Holland, and I walked, talked and took photos the whole way. It was wonderfully serene and the surrounding hills and mountains were very lush. The wall just weaves and climbs right along with the terrain. There are cool watch towers along with way with wonderful views in all directions.

What a monumental architectural undertaking for the 200 BC! The same Emperor who created my favorite Terra-cotta warriors in Xi'an, Emperor Qin, is the one who connected many existing feudal walls and created the Great Wall. He was protecting his empire from the marauding nomads to the north. It took hundreds of thousands of workers to complete the project. Over the years the wall deteriorated and successive dynasties repaired and explanded the wall. Today the Great Wall stretches 7200 kilometers from the Bo Sea to the Gobi Desert.

Walking along the Great Wall, even a little damp, was a moving experience. Although much different from seeing palaces and works of art, it's another fascinating glimse into China's Imperial past.

The Summer Palace

I held out hope that the Chinese Imperial families were still right about their Summer Palace being a cool retreat from Beijing. Maybe it was hundreds of years ago, but the Summer Palace was sweltering today.

The choices to get there were a 50 cent public bus without a/c that takes an hour, which all the tour books recommend, or 30 minutes in a nice cool taxi for $6. Easy call for me! So, I set out with water, coke and my audio-recorded tour to see the whole place before I passed out from heat exhaustion!

The Imperial retreat was created in 1750 as a monument to traditional Chinese garden design and construction. The guiding principle was that "the works of man should match the works of God." They certainly designed a breath-taking combination of gardens and places from which to enjoy them!

The Summer Palace spans about 3 square kilometers surrounding Lake Kunming. It was actually destroyed by Anglo-French forces in 1860. The Empress Dowager Cixi, who controlled the Chinese throne for almost half a century, rebuilt the Imperial retreat with funds that were allocated to build a modern Navy. One of the many stories of her audacity was that she also created a huge marble ship pavilion to have dinner on -- with the misappropriated Navy funds. She was supposed to be a Buddhist and built lovely gardens and retreats, but in truth countless subjects were killed just for making her angry. Another beautiful bridge I saw was the result of her foolishness. Apparently, she got scared from shadows on the bridge which she thought were snakes. She had large carved lions added to the bridge to scare away the snakes rather than admit is was a shadow.

I took a boat from one side of the huge complex to the other to explore further. Just as I thought I might not make it one more step in the heat, I saw a beautiful restaurant. I had a fabulous, cool lunch of sweet/sour pork and was able to continue exploring. I walked along the worlds longest covered walkway (in the Guinness Book of World Records-ha!). It ran by the lake and was elegantly painted with hundreds of tranquil scenes.

The grounds of the Summer Palace were heavenly. I saw some huge pink lilypad ponds, medium sized bonzi trees baring apples, and beautiful large stones that created serene hideaways. There was a large Opera stage because Empress Cixi loved the Chinese opera, and many wonderful halls for meditation. There were also hundreds of ancient art pieces to see in the museum. I could just picture them spread out across this great property on stands to add man-made beauty to the delightful gardens everywhere! It was a great day picturing the grand Imperial lifestyle of yesteryear.

Sunday Shopping and a Show

Although I can't fit another item in my bulging backpack, I had to explore the "dirt" market today, which is only open on weekends. A girl's got to shop sometime! It's becoming the norm to be overwhelmed by the shear size of everything in China and the market did not disappoint. There were stalls of treasures as far as the eye can see. If you need some antiques, jewelry, silk, artisan chopstick, kites, massive vases...this is the place to come. Bargaining was fierce and the prices were ridiculously low. I found a great old warn copy of Mao's little red book and couldn't resist! As I drifted from stall to stall in the heat, I couldn't help thinking it would be so much fun to decorate an apt here! You could design an eclectic two bedroom house for about $200!

I joined Ruth (from AL, but works in an international ed program in Washington, DC) and Pien (Dutch English School teach who is traveling around Asia for 6 months) for an evening of Chinese Opera. We went to the Liyuan Theatre to see the Beijing Opera. The theatre was fabulous and even had tables for tea in the front. We wish we had known that!

Chinese Opera is very important to the culture here and has been since the late 1700's. It was very popular with the Imperial families and continues to be a great evening out for the locals. We saw two short operas. The first, Death of Yu Ji, seemed like a short act in a bigger production. It was basically one scene where the Emperor announces to his concubine that he has been defeated in battle. She tries to cheer him up with a song and dance, but then decides to kill herself so that he can go back into battle unencumbered by her. The costumes were truly amazing and worth the whole trip. However, the singing sounded like killing cats to me. I would have to study a long time to appreciate that!

The second opera, Stealing Silver in Storage, was my favorite. It was like a mini play of the Robinhood story, but Robinhood is a woman and is assisted by a demon and some acrobats. There was far less singing and much more acrobatics, even some fire breathing in this one. And, once again the costumes were a treat!

When we got back to the hostel, we headed down the Hutong to a very cool restaurant called the Drum and Gong. It was recommened to us by an Expat we met in an Aussie bar on Saturday night. It was a fabulous meal. I think I've learned the trick to ordering Chinese now and I've been very pleased with my last few choices. My chopstick use is also drastically improving. Before you know it I'll be learning to cook the stuff--someone stop me.

Entering the Forbidden City

I could hardly wait to spend my first day in Beijing at the largest and best preserved palace complex in the world -- the Forbidden City. This is right up my alley!

The Forbidden City got its name because common folks were not allowed to enter unless they had special permission from the Emperor. The Imperial palace was built between 1406-1420 and was home to 24 Emperors from the Ming and Qing Dynasties for almost 500 years. It has a moat, fabulous gates to enter the complex, an inner and outer court and almost 9,000 rooms. The place is huge! I spent 4 hours in the 1000 degree heat to see it all!

The Chinese call the Forbidden City the "Palace Museum," because today it's home to nearly a million cultural relics. I liked seeing the jewelry, clocks, etc., but I loved seeing the little secluded gardens, temples and places to "just relax." The names of the rooms were the Hall of Preserving Harmony, the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, the Tower of Pleasant Sound... It's easy to see how the Emperors, Empresses, Concubines, Eunuchs and Maids lived in this amazing complex. However, I was viewing it with another billion tourists, so I had to really focus to picture their tranquil Imperial life!

I had a book called "Tales of the Forbidden City" and enjoyed reading about all the Imperial intrigue as I toured the rooms. The things people do for love and power are amazing no matter what the century!

Beginning in Beijing

I arrived in Beijing after dark and was driven through what looked like scary alleys to my hostel. I braced myself and went in to find an adorable place! The Peking Down Town Backpackers is a great! The $9 a night rooms are clean, the A/C cranks, and each has a bathroom. They have laundry service (it is China), good Internet access, and a fun cafe/bar attached. I immediately met some fun people (including a girl from Selma, AL!) and felt right at home. I learned that the strange alley ways are what's called a Hutong here. They are sections of old windy streets, and mine is particularly hip. The people in the bar said that the Maoer Hutong is like a mix of old Chinese families and new trendy shops, restaurants, and bars. Apparently it is very safe too.

I'm glad that I have a week here to explore this fascinating city.

Exiting Xi'an

The city of Xi'an has greatly benefited from tourism. Those terra-cotta warriors have certainly put the city on the map. The airport is beautiful and the area I stayed in, inside the old city walls was nice and clean. At the same time there is plenty of ancient Chinese architecture to see.

I stayed at the Shuyuan Hostel, which was perfectly located next to the South Gate of the old city wall. It's a traditional Chinese building with three courtyards and levels. The rooms were great (6 bed dorm for $5 a night), but the three flights down to the less than clean bathrooms at night was not the most fun I've had in China. The best thing about this hostel was the fun factor with great people, which made the scary showers worth it.

My favorite was Matt, a finance guy with General Mills in Toronto, who just arrived in China to teach business English for a year. Matt recommended a duck restaurant to our group for dinner after our exciting terra-cotta warrior tour. My two cute Scottish lass roommates (one is a executive recruiter in Edinburgh and the other is in her last year of med school), an Australian girl who came to China for a year to learn the language, and a couple from the UK, who looked like Australian surfers, and I headed out to have an authentic (read no English menu) duck dinner. It was great fun and very tasty. More food than we could eat and drinks ran us $7 each at a white tablecloth restaurant. I love this country!

For even more excitement, we all went to a foot massage place that my French-Canadian roommate in Shanghai recommended. It was a great place, without a word of English spoken. As promised, we all got 80 min. foot massages (which included basically a full body massage) for $3.20! I wanted to stay longer in Xi'an and go there everyday!

However, all good things must come to an end. The next morning, I got up early with the Scots to walk the Xi'an city wall (photo above of top of wall). It was a great morning so I decided to head off to see the other two tourist sights in the city, the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, before my flight. Not more than 5 minutes after I left the girls and headed up a lovely main street my wallet was stolen. I still don't know how they got it from under my arm. Luckily, all I lost was some cash, an ATM card and my MasterCard. As long as I have my passport with those annoying visas, I'm fine. I flew to Beijing in the afternoon, so it is easy to get the cards replaced here. So, for the record, the first theft on my RTW trip occurred 2 1/2 months in.

The Wonderful Terra-cotta Warriors

In 1974, a local farmer, digging for water over an hour away from Xi'an, discovered an ancient clay figurine. In this instant, Emperor Qin's terra-cotta warriors from the 200's BC were discovered. The Emperor had craftsmen and laborers work for decades to create a life-sized army to be buried in fighting formation in front of his tomb. He wanted to continue to conquer territory in the next life. They are still excavating the area, but expect to find over 6,000 pottery warriors and horses and over 50 chariots!

Before we went to the terra-cotta warrior site we stopped at a pottery factory to see (or buy) replicas of the soldiers. We learned how their hair styles and uniforms indicated their rank, and what type of weapons they would have had, etc. However, nothing could prepare us for the actual site.

When we walked into what they call "Pit I," which is covered by a huge (14,000+ sq meters) structure resembling an airport terminal, and peered over the edge our chatty group was speechless. The sight of thousands of ancient soldiers and horses in battle formation underground took my breath away! There were 11 corridors divided by 10 earth walls filled with soldiers and horses. The chambers were originally covered with wood, fiber mats and dirt to conceal them.

They estimate that almost a million craftsmen and laborers worked on the terra-cotta warriors. Each one is unique and the detail is amazing right down to the fingernails and folds in their uniform. Although the paint is gone now, they also think that each one was hand painted. Many of those workers were killed to keep the location of the tomb and warriors a secret. It worked until 1974!

It's easy to see why they call Emperor Qin Shihuang's buried terra-cotta warriors the 8th Wonder of the World. It absolutely has my vote!

Xi'an: A Capital City

I am humbled daily on this trip at how little I know of the world's history. So, I have come to Xi'an (pronounced She-in) to gain some perspective on China's history and see the 8th Wonder of the World. Before Rome and Constantinople there was Xi'an. Xi'an was the Eastern end of the famous silk road, and was the center of Chinese civilization for more than 2,000 years! Who knew?

Please indulge me in a bit of history so that I will remember what I've learned. As I understand it from my guide who spoke Chinglish, in the mid 200's BC the son of a Chinese provincial King inherited the crown at age 13. He was an amazing (and extremely harsh) leader who conquered all the six neighboring states by the age of 19, when he proclaimed himself the First Emperor of all China. Emperor Qin Shihuang created a true bureaucracy, standardizing currency, weights and measures, and language, etc. He created a civilization some 160 years before Cesar ruled the Roman Empire.

Now why is this important to today's traveler? Emperor Qin left behind a treasure as impressive as the pyramids in my opinion. Like the Pharaoh's he was obsessed with the after life and decided to literally take his great army with him to the grave. So, on my first morning in Xi'an I set off with a fun group from the hostel to see Emperor Qin's Terra-cotta Army.

Three Days on the Yangzi River

No amount of information could have prepared me for the first glimpse of the port at Chonging! I was walked down to the dock by someone from the travel agency, with a toothless man following along carrying my bags on a yoke like an ox. We started down a hill and the gathered mass of humanity was VERY foreign and frightening. I just stopped and mentally ran through my options. Do I bolt back to the Chonging airport and take the next flight going anywhere, or do I shove my way in and take my chances? I decided to go for the adventure, but I was utterly intimidated.

In an instant the travel agency man was gone and I was stuck pushing my way through God knows what. I just kept showing my ticket to everyone and moving forward. I made it on to the boat, used sign language and cash to get upgraded to my own 1st class cabin (which comes with 1 roll of toilet paper, but no towel), and sat in the lobby looking for another "foreigner." I saw a white guy and asked him if he spoke English. I loved his reply, "I AM English." Thank the Lord! We managed to find a German woman and an Irish girl too. So our little troop was formed. We had a ball together.

We quickly learned that not one crew member on the boat spoke or wrote a word of English. We just went with the flow for three days. I believe I might have been brainwashed from the constant gibbering on the shipwide PA system. If I start typing "power to the people..." Someone shake me! I have certainly had a cultural revolution. Some of my observances of the Chinese people were the same as Marco Polo's writings, not much changes here! I could go on for ages about the bizarre ship board happenings, but I'll just say that I started out getting nauseous looking at the food, and ended up piling mystery meat on rice and shoveling it in my mouth with chopsticks from a bowl held right under my chin. It was sink or swim when I ran out of the peanut butter and jelly I brought on board!

Back to the actual sights, along the way on the world's third largest river (after the Amazon and the Nile). The Yangzi has many names in China like China's Main Street and China's Lifeline. It starts near Tibet and flows to the East China Sea. Its watershed is about 20% of China's land mass supporting 400 million people. It would also be an understatement to say that it is very polluted. I am not having fish in this part of China.

The river banks were not as lively as my trip down the Nile because most of the life near the banks had already been relocated. So, the areas with buildings looked empty and sad. However, most of the area was rural and beautiful. The hills and mountains were other worldly in the mist. The horizontal trails up the hillsides looked like a typical Chinese painting. It was exactly as I had always imagined! The scenery became very dramatic in the three gorge areas, the sheared sides of the cliffs were majestic. The first, Qu Tang Gorge, was the most amazing of the three. It is even pictured on the back of the 10 yuan note. It was truly something else to sit on the deck and look up at this forgotten part of the world.

Every five or six hours a bell would ring and we would have a clue that the boat was docking for a little trip. I started to feel like one of Pavlov's dogs. Thank God I took some notes at the Three Gorge Museum, with that and the Lonely Planet, we deciphered what we were about to see! The first stop we literally climbed a mountain (OK a big hill) and saw Ghost City. The many temples were designed for those whose souls who were not going to heaven to stick around and cry their eyes out for the life they led. My favorite part was a large hanging bridge we crossed. The sign read, to minimize danger do not stay on the bridge too long. Great advice I thought! After the dam project is complete this area of temples will be an island.

We also stopped and climbed a spectacular wooden pagoda, Shi Bao Camp. When the river rises the locals say this pagoda with its wall around it will be the largest bonzi in the world!

Perhaps the best side trip of the journey was the "little boat" trip to see the three mini gorges. We boarded smaller boats and then even smaller boats to get into the lush area. The little gorges were intimate and inspiring. I was befriended by a 13 yr old girl, who's name means Rainbow, and her family. Her English was excellent and we talked all day. It was the first time I knew what the tour guides on the trip were saying! She wants to practice her English and become a lawyer or a doctor one day. Too cute! At all the stops her Mom gave me something to try like watermelon (they are small and round here) and corn cooked in the husk. It was a great day!

The last marvel of the trip was passing through the Yangzi Dam. We hit the locks at about 11pm and stayed up to watch the sight. We went through four locks, packed very closely with five other ships, and when the project is finished there will be five locks in total. It made me want to be an engineer and work on something so monumental! What an accomplishment. I have a million questions about dam projects now and plan to do a little research to better understand the process. What a powerful thing!

My Yangzi Cruise was incredible. I feel like I got a truly authentic Chinese experience. It was amazing to see the combination of an ancient natural wonder and a man-made wonder in progress.

Traveler's Note:
If I were giving advice, I would suggest booking the same trip on the Victoria Cruise Line, which we saw at several stops. They had a few more "foreigners" on board and some site tours in English. The ship also looked like you might get silverware and towels too. But, I'm sure you would pay considerably more than my $175 for the first class 3 day/3 night cruise on the Chinese ship.

Preparing to take on the Yangzi River

I flew into Chonging on August 7 to get an overview of the region and prepare to float down the Yangzi. Chonging, affectionately referred to as one of China's three furnaces because it is always hot and smoky. The city is very industrial and the buildings are modern. According to my cute guide Liu Yao (Kay in English,) they manufacture cars and light machinery. First, we went to a stunning concert and ballet hall. Which looked like the China I came to see. Kay said that she attends performances there and they also have political conferences.

Kay told me that the thing she likes most about living in Chonging, which mean double happiness, is the food. The famous dish is the hotpot. Kay says that even in the extreme heat they sit outside and share hotpots (very spicy dishes) with friends. They believe that you sweat out all your problems and cares and are left feeling happy after this type of meal. This is obviously not my cup of tea, and I am thrilled that she didn't suggest we sit and sweat during our tour!

The main attraction in Chonging was the Three Gorge Museum where thankfully I learned all I need to know about this section of the Yangzi River. They are in the process of building the world's largest dam, which will change the river forever and submerge the three gorges I've traveled to the ends of the earth to see. I'm glad I got here when I did!

The Yangzi River Dam will be operational in 2009, taking 12 years to complete. The project will displace 1.2 million people and 12 towns. This is good news for the young people because the area is poor and they are able to relocate at government expense to larger cities with more opportunity. The move is obviously very painful though for the older people who do not want to leave their family homes. So far the river has risen 75 meters and the water level will be 135 meters higher on completion.

With a great overview from a long mural painting, I was ready for the sights I would see on my river journey!

Soaked in Shanghai

As I toured around Shanghai yesterday, I noticed a strange air pressure. It was hot and muggy, yet a major warm wind was blowing. I thought this feels strangely like a hurricane is brewing. Or, this could be the typical summer weather in Shanghai for all I knew.

That evening my roommate, another fun Aussie, and I ventured to dinner in the neighborhood with two guys from northern England, who had just arrived for a year in China to teach English (a frightening thought because I could barely understand them). As we had a great meal at a very cool restaurant, I watched the wind really pick-up. Just in time to leave the bottom dropped out and the rains came! When we got back to the hostel soaked to the bone we learned that this was Typhoon Matsa, which had hit Taiwan earlier. So, I can add Shanghai typhoon survivor to my list of adventures!

Shanghai Suprise

My big Shanghai Suprise is that my "conveniently located" hostel is 45 minutes from downtown Shanghai. Not the best, but at least the place is cool, clean and has some fun people!

I suffered from a little culture shock on my first evening when trying to find dinner. The food situation in the immediate neighborhood looked a little grim. I settled for peanut butter and crackers at the hostel. Thank God I had peanut butter!

Everything is better in the light of day, and I had fun full day of sightseeing on Friday. I joined the masses on the downtown bus (25 cent ride) and felt like I was arriving in New York. Downtown Shanghai feels like a mixture of NYC's tall buildings and Chinatown side streets. The streets are packed with 16 million people and in addition to cars, bikes are very popular. There is a small lane by each main road for motor and pedal bikes and it's packed! Although the streets are crowded like Cairo, the masses are very orderly here. Everyone crosses at the corner and pays attention to lights and traffic cops!

The premier attraction here is the Shanghai Museum. It is interesting that the best Chinese history museum is in China's most modern city. I found it to be the perfect museum and worth visiting Shanghai to see! The building is well designed, the collection was wonderfully curated, ticketing/guide system is efficient, great bathrooms and tea room, and you could take photos--all for $2.50! I want to move in!

I am overwhelmed by the ancient history of China. The Chinese have been making bronze pieces for over 4,000 years! The museum has over 400 pieces including some of the coolest wine vessels for rituals. I took some photos to steal the designs for Gallo-ha! The editors would get a kick out of these!

While all ancient civilizations made pottery, the Chinese invented porcelain over 3,000 years ago. The glaze work and high temperature firing is such an amazing accomplishment for the 16-11 century BC! Chinese porcelain was exported to the rest of the world in the 8th century AD, and we still serve special dinners on "the good China."

The last thing I will rave about is the ancient Chinese art of jade carving. The apprecation of jade has been a constant in China for over 7,000 years! They believe that jade has not only intrinsic beauty, but also mystical properties--like protection from evil. One of my favorite pieces was a beautiful "Divine Figure" carved over 4,000 years ago. The collection of white, green, purple and yellow jade pieces was truly something to see!

I feel like I gained a deeper appreciation for China's rich history in the arts. The furniture, calligraphy, art and sculpture collections were also wonderful. I now have a good frame of reference for my more historic travels in China...

The Best of Moscow

Parting thoughts on Moscow:

Best Pedestrian Street -- Ulitsa Stoleshnikov. Cute outdoor bars, upscale shops like Jimmy Choo!, great travel agent Intourist #11, Toni&Guy salon for beauty touch ups

Best Cafe -- The Coffee Bean, Tverskaya ul 10, big yet cozy, ornate cafe where they pour a great cup of coffee

Best Internet Cafe -- Netcity on Kamergersky

Best Restaurant Street -- Kamergersky outdoor restaurant row

Best Meal -- Pinocchio, Kamergersky per 5/7, great Italian meal complete with prosciutto and Melon!

Best Read -- The Exile www.exile.ru, more irreverent than the Village Voice. Great bar/rest guide!

Best Pop-up Summer Beer Garden -- Okhotmy Ryad, North Kremlin wall with great view!

Best Sights -- Outdoor: St. Basil's of course, Indoor: The Armoury in the Kremlin Palace

What I missed: Reportedly there is a KGB museum tour that you need 10 days advance request, and the Banya, Russian bath. Next trip!

Russian Art History Lesson

My last day in Moscow was a treat! Although I missed my "mate" Chad who left for Budapest yesterday, I forged on to the State Tretyakov Gallery. The weather was perfect for a walk across the river for a day of art history.

The Tretyakov Gallery is the jewel of Russian art. The collection of more than 130 thousand works was started by a Russian merchant in 1856, and was given to the state in 1982. The building is lovely and I learned a great deal about the Russian masters. The collection spans from the XI to the XX centuries! My favorites were the works in the romantic period in the last 1800's. And, of course, I adored seeing the portraits from Imperial Russia. It was great to see the Tsars depicted in the clothes and jewels I saw in the Kremlin Palace!

On my walk home I stopped into the Kazan Cathedral, which is a pink cathedral located on Red Square. It is a replica of one from the 1600's that Stalin had demolished because it impeded troops marching in Red Square. It was full of fabulous icons and I enjoyed saying a few prayers, including one to express my gratitude for being able to take this trip of a lifetime!

Underground Moscow

The Moscow subway system is something to write home about! The more than 120 stations are truly works of art. There are chandeliers, mosaics, huge bronze statutes, and marble everywhere. It's like a trip to a museum for the 9 million people who ride it daily. We spent a couple of hours riding around to the most special stations. Chad, who seems to have no sense of direction above ground, exceled at the Metro. At 13 rubels (about 50 cents,) it was the cheapest "excursion" in Russia!

Now Playing: Gorky Park

It was time to venture across the river and explore a new neighborhood. Although neither Chad or I had read the book or seen the movie, we headed for Gorky Park. It was completely surreal. The park has a grand entrance, nice lawns and fountains, but the main attraction is an old amusement park. The place was full of Eastern European tourists taking in the 1950's style rides and winning stuffed animals on the fair games. It felt like we entered a time warp. However, a relaxing meal at an outdoor restaurant put us in the mood to join in. We had as much fun as the kids as we rode the swings and took in the park from the air!

Gorky Park is along the Moscow River, so we headed down and took one of the cruise boats to see the city from the river. The Kremlin looks much more grand from the water because you can't see that it is surrounded by commercial businesses on all the other sides. We could also see the different architectural styles from each soviet leader. Apparently Stalin created large apartments and his successors created much smaller units. So, in Moscow having a Stalinist building is better!

It was a fascinating and fun day touring the city!