Well the land program started this morning. There were fourtten of us and we all knew we were facing a LONG day as we visiting the Xian Warriors.. Between the Voyager debarkation date and the Yangtze Explorer embarkation date we had no choice really but to do Xian in one day. Flight from Beijing to Xian - visit to the warriors - flight to Hangzhou.

To make the day even longer the airlines decided to change the flight time by one hour that meant we had to leave the hotel at 5.30 am. NOT fun. However we got coffee and tea and a boxed breakfast and off we went.

Things went smoothly for the most part. A few passport issues and our "national guide Han" who handles the logistics for us had those problems resolved quickly. Everyone is patted down at security, the guys preferred the female agents of course.

Our flight was uneventful and we arrived In Xian they whisked away the luggage and when we came back to the airport to fly to Hangzhou all the luggage would be checked in. That was nice and made it much easier.

We went for our only fixed Chinese lunch on the tour, just no other alternative in Xian. This was one of the better Chinese lunches I have had. Even I found things to eat. The soup and noodles were good. The broccoli was perfectly cooked and the sweet and sour chicken was good. We were all happy campers.

Three are three pit (areas where warriors have been excavated) We entered pit one the largest of the three pits and we had special permission to go to the lower level reserved for VIP's. It made a huge difference being that close we could see their faces and far more detail. Our cameras clicked away. Then we visited pit 2, the bronze chariots and then pit 3. After our 4 hour visit we went back to the airport.

The bags had already been checked in. . All but ONE bag that belonged to Jerry that needed checking with the owner of the bag present. Lots of "chinese talk" flying back and forth between the airline agent and the three people we had helping us in the airport. Then they took Jerry away behind a glass petition. Then they bought him back and then again a lot of "chinese talk" flying around. Then they took Jerry back behind the glass petition. It turned out he had an electronic device with regular batteries and they will not allow batteries in that kind of device on the aircraft. So with that excitement over we proceed to our pat down again but this one went much faster.

The last two hour flight seemed long but we claimed our bags very quickly and then when we arrived at the hotel they whisked the bags away again and check in was really fast. We all gathered our keys, nothing to sign or credit cards required. I was thinking it may take some time for the bags to arrive but they were in our room within 5 minutes. Hope everyone got their bags that fast. It was so nice to relax and we ordered room service and enjoyed chicken breast with fries, carrots and broccholi.

Seven people arrived from Shanghai today but we will not see them until the morning when we will become a group of 21 people. Six from the Voyager and the rest just on the land program.

The Hyatt hotel where we are for two nights is on WEST LAKE and the area around the lake is really nice. It is hard to see at night but tomorrow people will enjoy the view and some will walk the path around the lake and watch people exercising in the morning. We do not leave until 10.00 am in the morning so we can have a bit of time to sleep in before we start off for our day.

Hopefully Ken can do some picture posting as we go along each day to keep PAGODA alive for another 12 days.

Okay tired and off to bed!

We spent three days in Beijing before the rest arrived. Jerry and I had been before but my sister and Brother in law had not so we did the usual Great Wall and forbidden city... We had a great time hanging out w Linda and Ron Littiken who were going to board ship as ngaire disembarked. We went shopping at silk street market and had Peking duck at Dadong restaurant. Highlight for me was dinner at black sesame kitchen. It is in the hutongs (alley ways in the old neighborhoods) and hard to find but a really fun experience with only 23 patrons a night. Highly recommend !
Haven't seen George and Rachel yet.
Will try to post as able.
-----------------------
Helen

I will pick up with the update from the shanghai group. George and I flew in a day early so that we could sort of recover from the journey. We used his hilton honors points to spend the first night at the waldorf astoria, with an upgrade to a huge junior suite included as well as an enormous buffet breakfast with everything you can imagine--western and chinese. They had lots of stuff we didn't recognize, but it was really fun to try stuff. The best wonton soup I have ever had!

We hired a private guide and driver to take is to the water towns, and it was interesting to see the area outside of shanghai. It included a Chinese lunch, and the broccoli was outstanding, along with good fried rice and kungpau chicken. I think the Chinese do not know how to cook potatoes though as both the shredded potatoes that came with our lunch and the boiled potatoes that came with George's chicken the night before were vastly undercooked.

The ride to and from the water towns was pretty hair raising. The drivers think nothing of passing on the right using the shoulder of the road. And there are pedi cycles everywhere out in the countryside as well as lots of scooters. I am amazed there aren't dead bodies and wrecked vehicles lying around everywhere.

We moved to the peninsula hotel as that is where we would meet up with our portion of the group in the morning. Another very posh room with electronic everything. George had lots of fun playing wih all the switches and raising and lowering the shades and drapes electronically.

We had a good sleep and awoke to a bright sunny day in contrast to the 2 previous which had been cold and damp. After a nice included breakfast (not as lavish as the waldorf's but very adequate and good tasting), we took a 45 min walk along the Bund to get our blood flowing.

We met up with the 5 others at 10:00, and Melody, our local guide, escorted us to the train station. Traffic was very heavy, so it took an hour. The bullet train station is huge, like an airport with security screening. There was a long line to get the pre reserved tickets as Melody had to show our passports to get them, so we ended up having to run to catch the train, wih the porter throwing our luggage on as fast as possible.

The first class seats are like business class on an airplane and very comfortable, all for only a hour journey. They brought us a little snack of stuff I didn't recognize, except for pistachios. The train zipped along totally quiet and smooth, and we arrived in hanghzou very quickly.

We were taken through town to the Hyatt. Quick checkin, then George and I had late lunch/early supper of Chinese food. I had booked us a couples hot stone massage for the evening (interesting as the girls spoke minimal English) and we pretty much crashed after that. Our room is large and very comfortable with a good view of west lake. Lots of people out on the trail around the lake this am and doing tai chi beside it. We will meet up with the rest of the group this am.

Just saw most of the group from Shanghai this morning. As Rachel said it is a stunningly beautiful morning, sun is out and there is no wind. I am so happy as this is a day that we really need nice weather. Tonight we go to the West Lake Impressions show that features 200+ performers and it would not be the same in the rain as it is all staged on the lake.

Nice late start this morning we do not leave until 10.00 am. Ken is going to see if he can post some pictures before we leave.

Yesterday we went to a traditional Chinese pharmacy. The pharmacists were all moving a mile a minute mixing various herbs into the prescription. Our guide told us that the doctor will prescribe a number of herbs which must be taken in the right combination for the right number of days in order ultimately that one's yin and yang are in harmony. After dinner we went to the WestLake Impression show which is a spectacle on the lake, part Cirque du Soliel and part Blue Man Group. A very interesting day indeed!
Today we travel by planes, trains and automobiles to reach our ship for the trip on the Yangtze
-------------------------
Helen

So glad I've found this thread. Thanks, y'all, for posting!

Really enjoying your reports; brings back fond memories. Quite interested to hear about Yantzi Explorer; we sailed/cruised her upriver in 2008; I believe it was her first year after being refitted.

Have a great trip! If I remember correctly, you are going to Chengdu; if so, hold the pandas; black and white and/or red. Also Sichuan Opera will make any show you have seen elsewhere in the world pale in comparison.

Have Fun!!!

Just lost a long post because I did not follow my own rule of composing offline then copying and pasting.
Helen told you about the pharmacy and evening show, so I will tell about the walk back from the pharmacy and the afternoon.
Everyone elected to walk back from the pharmacy to the hotel, which entailed walking through the shopping area and then along the shore of west lake. It being a bright sunny day, there was a very festive atmosphere with lots of people out strolling, shopping, kids eating cotton candy, teenagers roller blading. George was quite the attraction due to his tall size, cowboy boots and hat. Many wanted to take pics with him.

In the afternoon, we visited a tea plantation up in the hills. A good opportunity to hike a little and interact with the locals. George, Ken, and I went to the top of the hill through the lush green tea plant rows, then George even went further. We hiked back down to the village where several us sat down alongside some local ladies who thought we were hilariously funny. We had fun laughing with them after I had exhausted my Chinese vocabulary of about 10 words.

A quick word on our hotel-the Hyatt in hangzhou. Very nice and immaculately clean. Large rooms with very comfortable king beds, good satellite tv, a big bathroom with nice shower and tub arrangement which is enclosed and separate.

The restaurant has a large open kitchen with chefs working constantly preparing both Chinese and western food. The breakfast is on the same lavish scale as that of the waldorf astoria in shanghai with multiple cooking stations where they will make up fresh soup, eggs, a bunch of different Chinese dim sum dishes, a salad bar, fruit, bread, juices, etc. anyone would be able to find something to their taste.

I had a big bowl of noodle soup with veggies both mornings, made to order. This morning, George got brave and tried a salted egg and a preserved egg. The salted egg I tried as well. It was just like a very salty very dry hard boiled egg. The preserved egg looked so bad I couldn't get up my courage enough to try. The yolk was charcoal black and the white was varying shades of green, gold, and brown. George said it was "ok". He then challenged Jerry to try on too--of course! Jerry was very brave and took him up on it, but I doubt either of them will be ordering another.

Loved hearing about the Eggs Rachel! Keep the land mail coming...

I am so living vicariously ... Keep writing.

Sunday am, we went by bullet train again back to shanghai. Premier class in this train is amazing. To quote Helen, "this will forever set the standard for train travel for me." Totally quiet, comfortable, clean.

Buses took us a short ride to the adjoining airport where we boarded a flight for Yichang. This was not so luxurious. Coach class on a Chinese plane. George felt like a sardine. They actually serve food, such as it is, on planes in China, but I could only take a couple of bites. Some sort of really nasty rice with pork (I think).

Unfortunately, it was raining when we arrived in yichang. We were supposed to go to a park alongside the river, but it was too wet. It looked pretty from the bus window.

We drove past some very poor living conditions as well as some really nice ones on our way to the ship, then down a super steep narrow road to the Yangsi Explorer. We were greeted by Bob, the very capable American cruise director and quickly got checked in and to our suite.

Suite is large and comfortable, with a large bathroom with shower, makeup table, very modern sink. The bed is large and very firm, which I like. Some people might not. Only tv is cable news channels and one channel for movies. There is a narrow balcony with 2 chairs and a table. Big sliding glass doors.

We are on deck 5. Right above us is a large lounge and bar with wifi. Wifi is not available in the rooms. Theater is deck 3 and dining room on deck 2. Breakfast and lunch are buffet, but dinner is a la carte and was very good with appetizer or salad, soup, main course and dessert. For the main, a choice of beef (looked good), fish (pan fried Dory and very good), Chinese fried noodles and veggies (George had this and gave me a taste-delicious), and a shrimp dish. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food.

After dinner, there was a reflexology lecture, but only Jerry and I showed up, so the spa girls took us up to the spa and gave us complementary neck massages while they told us a little about reflexology. My neck felt great! And I booked a full massage for the next day, so their marketing technique worked.

Photos From PAGOTA Land:








During restoration.


The only warrior found in one piece.




Ladies picking tea.






Rachel, Dennis, & Susan having fun with the locals.

It all sounds so fascinating. Do hope you all can keep the land mail and photos coming. Hi Susan and Dennis!

More Photos From PAGODA Land:


Westlake Impressions is the fantastic show in Hangzhou we saw the night before we left for the Yangzi Explorer.






Our bullet train.


Premier Class is not too shabby.


The farmers are doing pretty well.




A Chinese group at Pudong Airport in Shanghai. I like the orange hats.

Monday am we woke to very foggy conditions on the river. It gave a mysterious atmosphere, but bad for taking pictures. There was a morning excursion (optional) to a reconstruction of a traditional Tu Jia village. I did not go as I had booked a massage, but everyone who went thought it was interesting and worthwhile. I guess the idea of reconstruction kind of turned me off on the idea.

But the massage was amazing, probably in the top 5 best I have ever had, and I get massages regularly.

Lunch buffet offered good salads and cooked veggies, but the meat dishes were not so great. Sweet and sour fish is just not my thing, and the chicken curry still had the skin on the chicken pieces, so one bite of that was more than enough. I decided to stick with veggies.

In the afternoon, we were taken by bus to the three gorges dam museum and to a park with views of the dam. You cannot go into the dam itself. I was a bit disappointed as I had envisioned it to be absolutely huge. The dam itself is not that large though. The locks however are really enormous, and we went through them later in the evening. It takes several hours to get trough all the locks.

I could not get any good dam pictures as it started raining pretty hard while we were at the park. George did get some of the locks though.

We are on the Yangtze explorer. Yesterday we went to a recreated park which had the local people dressed in native costumes and doing traditional type activities like playing instruments, fishing, and getting married. There was a group of monkeys that seemed to enjoy our company or maybe it was our peanuts they were enjoying?
The afternoon was taken up with a visit to the dam and the dam museum. The engineer- types amongst us enjoyed that.
Today we went on a ferry thru a narrow gorge to an even narrower one to board a sampan boat and journey up the river a bit while being rowed by local men, some of whom got off to actually pull the boats by ropes. The scenery in this part of china is spectacular.
Lunch in 15 minutes. It is a tuff life, n'est pas?
-------------------
Helen

Hi everyone writing under Ken's log in takes too long to relog in.

Sitting in the lounge sailing through a gorge with wonderful mountains on each side. Lots of visiting, working on ipads and games take place here.

Ken will post some pictures of today activiites when he can.

Be back later

Wonderful day. As Helen said, we boarded a ferry and went 40 min up a tributary of the river where we transferred to traditional sampan boats. These are rowed by 4 very strong men, but of course, George had to try his hand at it too. Hugh cliffs covered with vegetation on both sides. Monkeys live in this area, and our guide pointed out a few on the way back. We also saw one of the only remaining hanging coffins up the side of the cliff.

Much better lunch than yesterday. We had Peking duck, stir fried chicken with fungus (without skin), and green beans sautéed in soy sauce which is a dish I sometimes make at home.

Afternoon brought an optional excursion to an island where you climbed 360 steps to get to the old palace. It used to be 1000 steps prior the flooding for the dam, so we are lucky. There are sedan chairs for hire if you don't feel up to the climb up and/or down. Funniest sight was as we were going down, there was a very fat Japanese guy in a business suit coming up in a sedan chair, reclining and smoking a cigarette.

After dinner, the crew show was performed. Bob, our cruise director, had also invited audience participation, so George sang Oklahoma. There is one family with 3 super cute kids on board, and the little girl sang a song and danced (really well). Then Jerry performed House of the Rising Sun accompanied by Bob on the guitar. It was a rousing success.

Great to hear from the land Pagodans! Thanks for the posts!!
Nice photos! I'm guessing they weren't taken with an iPhone! hehe!

Ngaire, Ralph, & June on our way to the Sampan boats.






Our guide shows us how the boats were pulled up the river by rope.


The other sampan was a little slower than ours.




June and Ngaire come up the 360 steps the easy way.


Helen thought it was a good idea also.


George took a passenger up the hard way.


Ralph takes a well deserved rest.

Today we visited the home of a farmer who had been relocated when the three rivers dam was built. There was some speculation amongst us that he was in fact a party apparatchik with some stock replies to questions. He lost his land and lives a ginormous house by Chinese standards and the speculation is that his house is actually a committee meeting house? Who knows.
We did go to a kindergarten with hordes of the cutest kids ! They ranged from 3 years old to 6 or 8. Truly precious, they sang us a song and then marched around
. We had brought with us some Mickey Mouse lollipops and pins from Disney land but there were way more children then we had expected so gave them all to the teacher to give away as she sees fit.
When we returned to the ship I had a foot massage. It took an hour and half and involved reflexology. It was great! Jerry is going today for his second massage. The Chinese versions of these spa treatments are really fantastic.
------------------------
Helen

Alex and Barbara at the top. This scene is on the 10 Yuan bill.


At the market in Fungdu.


A kid in a basket.


We went to a kindergarden, the children were age 3 to 6.


Learning the Hokee Pokee.


Hokee Pokee Instructors.


Playtime!!




Jerry was happy with his purchase.


Jim grinding corn the hard way at the farm visit.

Ngaire, I am loving your longer hair!

The most exciting part of yesterday's tour for George was in the market. This lady was chopping the heads off of fish. She whacked one off wih a bid cleaver right as George passed by, and he got a spray of fish blood and guts all over his shirt. Fortunately it missed his hat.

Last evening was a Chinese feast. Lots of interesting foods--some better than others, but good to try new things. Then George had arranged a little birthday party for me complete with delicious cake with sparklers, and we had a lovely sailin to chongqing (?spelling) to top things off.

Made it to Chendu! Tomorrow we will go to the panda preserve and tonite we will see the opera and changing faces show. Very foggy/ smoggy here but that has been the case everywhere. Most of us are planning on pizza for dinner tonite. I think we are in Chinese food overload!
----------------------
Helen

Hi Helen! I know that Chinese food overload feeling! Although I loved every bit of it on PAGODA, pizza was the first thing I went for when we landed at JFK!

Thanks for the posts and photos, everyone! Looks spectacular!

How fun !!

My 3 favorite things we've done on our China trips are:

#1. see/holding the panda bears in Chengdu
#2. seeing the changing faces show
#3. climbing the Great China wall

I love hearing all about your adventures. Thanks for sharing with us, can't wait to see the pictures.

We are staying at the shangri la hotel in chengdu, which is a huge high rise big city hotel. Very nice with a shower with great pressure.

Changing faces show was very interesting as it is more like a variety show with multiple acts of all different sorts. And you can get a back and neck massage while you watch. You also are served green tea. A different sort of experience which I highly recommend.

This am is again foggy/smoggy. I think more smog than fog as you can smell it. But chengdu is very upscale and much cleaner than the cities we have previously visited, other than shanghai. It reminds me of New York City for some reason.

I think everyone enjoyed the changing faces show last night. But the highlight was Jack who decided to don the costume of an emperor and played the part to the hilt. Not laughing at all but with a very stern face and acting quite the part. Some of them got a massage while waiting for the show to start.

We had a foggy/smoggy beginning today but while we were at the Pandas the sun came out!! A rare thing in Chengdu. The weather gods have been with us with our only rainy day at the three gorges. Best place to have the rain.

Six people held the pandas and all were happy they had done it. The pandas in the lower area put on a wonderful show for us rolling around and eating their bamboo. It is a lovely park and seeing the pandas is always a highlight.

There were thousands of children in the park all saying HELLO - or HOW ARE YOU TODAY. So darn cute. To me they add another wonderful dimension to the entire experience.

We were running late coming back so we did a short two hour tour in the afternoon of Jinli Street (a tourist area but really for Chinese not westerners, packed with shops, restaurants and locals. Then onto the peoples park where retired people perfom their singing and dancing for each other. A noisy place to be sure. Music from each area competing and people dancing up a storm.

Got back, cleaned up and some of us are going to an Italian restaurant in China. Go figure. Others are staying in the hotel and eating here.

Not sure when Ken will get some pictures up but in the next day or two hopefully. Tomorrow we leave for our last stop Lijiang.

Pandas were awesome. One of the red pandas even came under the wire to visit me. There were all these signs around about not getting too close, not touching, etcetera, but this guy and I were on the same wavelength and he really wanted to meet me. I have great pics.

I'm having a great time reading all your posts. Thanks!! Sounds like you are all having a wonderful time. Can't wait for the panda photos.

Adding that we all got panda hats and took a group photo on the way out of the panda park. Even a number of Chinese stopped to take our picture! We were surely a sight to behold!
Jerry and I and my sister Barbara and her husband Alex and George and Rachel all had dinner in the hotels's Chinese restaurant last night. It was an adventure. Although we did not order the ox tripe, duck tongue or forest frog dessert among other profoundly bizarre offerings on the menu, we found the food spicy beyond our respective abilities except for Rachel who barely batted an eye! The wines chosen by George were wonderful and we all left happy if not full!
---------------------------
Helen

I too, am enjoying all these posts! Having stayed a couple of extra days after Pagoda in Beijing, and a long ride home, I am just getting back to my regular body clock! Rachel, can't wait to see your Panda pictures.

Ken, thank you and Ngaire and others so much for all the commentary and pictures along the way! Even with the little weather blips, all seemed happy!

haha, frankly, I am happy to have the smells of Chinese cooking and the sounds of rude taxi drivers (having absolutely nothing to do with Regent) out of my mind for awhile!

OK a story for the ages. We are in Lijiang. We are at the Crown Plaza which has the old town of Lijiang just outside the back of the hotel. We all were taken on a tour of this great area after lunch. About 50 minutes I found that I needed to get back to the room at the hotel. Will not provide more info. The old town is a big area of a 1000 little streets. I told the guide I needed to leave the tour and he gave me general directions to get back. I am not a good direction follower so after only about 5 or 6 minutes I am lost. I keep going in the general direction that I thought was correct. I came to an entrance to the town and found a major street. Not what I saw from the Crown Plaza . Started walking in what I thought was correct direction. Finally remembered the hotel gave us a map and I asked a youngish man on a motor scooter truck like thing if he knew where the hotel which was identified on the map was . He pointed back where I came from. I then proceeded to see if he would take me for some money. He did something with his fingers. I could not understand. I finally pulled a 20 Yuan note from my wallet and he indicated that was too much. He then agreed to take me. A wild ride then ensued. After several minutes I started to get worried as we seemed to be going in a direction that did not seem right. He nodded and then pointed to the left and I realized we were waiting for a red light. We did turn. After another minute or two we stopped. I did not see the hotel. He acted like this was the place. So I then tried to hive him 6 yuan and keep the 20. He waved his hands so I then pulled the 20 out He then have me back a 10 yuan note. Honest man. By the way a dollar is about 6 yuan. I then could not fugure out where the hotel was. Spotted a police van. Went and asked the police man. using the map. He finally said 200 and pointed up the street. I said 200 meters he nodded yes. I then walked up the street. Found the entrance to the hotel. YIPPEE.

Moral of story . Stay with guide.

Poor Ralph!

Lijiang is great. Chengdu and lijiang are definitely my favorites. The crowne plaza hotel is awesome. Low rise pagoda style buildings, each containing 4 huge suites which are like apartments. I could live here all the time and have more than enough room. Bathroom is huge and bed is super comfortable.

Walking around the old town was a lot of fun. Everyone wanted pictures of us.Jerry ate a scorpion.

Lunch at the Chinese restaurant in the hotel was amazing, the best ever. Dinner inthe Thai restaurant was totally inconsistent dependent on what you ordered. My Thai curry was great but bland. I was able to spice it up a lot. George's western meal of chicken and potatoes was bland, but he had an awesome salad.

It appears Ralph did more walking around than Rachel did - BUT not as much FUN!

RE: Chinese food - which was favored - CAT, DOG or Scorpion?

(That's why I do not like Asian food. I lost 15 pounds in Nepal - should go at least once or twice a year)

haha, Ralph, what a story, you will never forget and have fun telling your friends!

And who says a man will never ask for directions! Twice! I never left the hotel/ship in Beijing or Hong Kong, or Shanghai without something the concierge printed out for me that had directions back to the hotel/ship in Chinese. English is definitely not understood by people on the street, either in a cab or by those sweeping!

I remember once in HK, Marcie and Tom and I were passing through a mall somewhere, trying to find our way to the exit back to the hotel. I was a wall that showed maps, and happened to ask a young Asian guy if he could help me, he laughed, and said in really good English "I'm a tourist, and confused just like you are!"

We visited a couple of Naxi villages this am. The people look more like Tibetan than Chinese. We saw a huge pig being taken to market, a bunch of cute kids, one cylinder engine vehicles with a truck bed attached, lots of donkeys and horses.. This is very near the Himalayas, and close to Tibet. You can tell you are at a higher elevation.

On the way back, I spotted a shop that specializes in dog meat. So we have seen dog, scorpion, all sorts of other critters for sale to eat, but I have not seen cat. I have seen plenty of cats, but they seem to be pets, not to eat.

Photos from Chengdu, China:


Alex and Jack bought these Panda hats on our way to the Changing Faces show.


Jack shows off his formal ware.






Adult Panda.


How do I get down from here!!




Waking up from a nap.


The PAGODA group with our Panda hats.

Thanks SO much for all the reports and pix - all fascinating and particularly loved the group shot with Panda hats! (Guessing the one without was your guide?)

Love all the photos, especially the last one. Did you all buy the gift shop out of panda hats??

Ken bargained with the ladies set up outside the park for the hats. A much better deal there, and I think he bought them out.

Yesterday afternoon we went to the black dragon pool which is a large park, really beautiful, with a big pond in the middle. Lots of flowers and cute bridges and little pagodas. Looks likes the sort of place you might go to have wedding photos taken. Last time ken and Ngaire were here, the pond was dried up, but this time there was plenty of water. So much more scenic to say the least.

Then some of us took the bus back to the hotel, while others walked back through the old town. George and I walked and did not get lost, but it was quite a walk, especially with him saying "are you sure this is the right way?" About every 15 seconds.

Today we fly to shanghai. Some are going home from there, some going to beijing, and some to Hong Kong.

Have a safe trip. We sadly had to cancel, so I lived vicariously thru you all. Looking forward to Ngaire's next trip! Thanks for the great posts

Sitting in the Cathay pacific lounge in shanghai waiting for our flight home. We had a wonderful dinner last night at an Italian restaurant called Goodfellas with Jerry and Helen, Alex and Barbara.

This has been a very interesting and enlightening trip, but what made it best was all the wonderful traveling companions/new friends we have made. Excellent guide (Han) as well, outstanding accommodations, and of course Ngaire made sure everything was running smoothly.

Ditto everything Rachel said except we are happily ensconced in the peninsula Hong Kong where we will stay for 2 nights before heading home. We had been to China twice before but this trip was so much more comprehensive. I feel like I have seen such a broad spectrum of Chinese culture. And of course holding the panda who tried to kiss me much to the distress of the handlers was a joy.

Truly don't think anyone but Ngaire could have put together such a great trip and our national guide Han was really a treasure.

We met so many new friends and everyone was such good company. Not a single whiner in the group! We will miss each and everyone of the Land Pagodans and hope to meet again.
---------------------
Helen

As a result of Rachel s post six of us ate at goodfellas tonight. Excellent meal. Can not thank her enough for the post as we would not have gone there but for the post.

We head home tomorrow. Seems like we have been gone for much more than a month. As Helen said it was a great group of people, many had not met before and it was a very happy group who all got along well. Our guide Han was so much fun she told more jokes than you can imagine. They just kept coming.

The land portion was very busy and we were fortunate to only have one day of rain on a day it was not important anyway. Really great sunny weather on the two most important days, Hangzhou for the old town, tea plantation and Westlake Impressions show. Plus Chengdu for the Pandas. We covered a lot of China, from North to South and from East to the city of Lijiang in the West. This town is close to the border of Tibet. Ken hopes to post some pictures from Lijiang (including Jerry eating a scorpion) tomorrow morning.

Today we are in Shanghai and we did some major shopping damage today. For one who does not like to shop I change completely in Shanghai and India into a shopping machine. I bought a total of six new tops, OF COURSE some more pearls. Picked up a pearl order for Cheron from Annettas. Ken bought some shirts too. My cases have grown since my arrival. Going out again in the morning for a few things I did not buy today but I have decided I want them now. Glad we are not leaving until the afternoon.

As Ralph said - Goodfellas was outstanding. I could have licked the plate best meal I have had on land in China. An adorable Italian waitress so there was no language difficulty at all. An absolutely wonderful evening. We walked back to the Peninsula and it was a beautiful night. Not cold and very clear. I really think that Shanghai has the most spectacular night lights.

We have so enjoyed following your wonderful land adventures. Thanks for taking the time to share your great experiences and photos with us.

Safe travels home !

Photos from Lijiang, China:


The view from the Crowne Plaza Hotel ... Snow Mountain in the background.




Lijiang Old Town.




Ngaire tries out a game with a yellow ping pong ball.








Jerry tries out a local treat, fried scorpion.


YUMM !!

Naxi village locals.


Shopping in the village, many pairs of Yak gloves were bought.




$1.00 for a photo.


George, Jerry, & Alex.


The girls loved the PAGODA pins.


Jerry and the ladies.


A sexy truck full of mud bricks which they still use for construction of their homes.


Local Naxi women.

Black Dragon Pool.

Fantastic photos, Ken.

We've loved travelling with you in China. Sounds like you've all had an unforgettable time.

Back in Tulsa. Flights were completely on time and uneventful, which is a good thing.

Glad that you all enjoyed Goodfellas as much as we did. I wish we had found it earlier. I would have eaten there more than once.

Ken, love the pics.