Hi from Xi'an,
It's been a few days since we were able to find a computer we could use...actually to find anything we were looking for!! Without anyone showing us around, we find ourselves walking in circles lots & laughing at where we end up sometimes...but we keep reminding each other to Enjoy The Journey... & we have been helped by so many kind young Chinese who tell us it's their privilege to help us! Here's a bit about that...
Saying goodbye to The Three Amigos
Last night in Kunming, Li & Yuan took us to dinner where we could eat pizza. It was fun to see them eat with a fork! They both again said they hope to come to America and work our farm for free. Probably could make lots of $$ selling all the vege's they could grow on our farm!! Then the next morning, Meizi with her arms linked around us, walked as far as she could in the airport & then threw kisses as we went through security. We felt so coddled by them all & so lucky to have spent time with them.
Finding Help
Since hardly anything is in English, we often find ourselves totally without a clue where to go but seems like that has been a benefit as we have been helped by so many young Chinese. Like Jenny, who happened to sit next to us on the plane to Xi'an who was headed to the same area our hotel was at & rode with us on the bus from the airport to town & then insisted on walking us right to our hotel door. She said that she had texted her boyfriend that she envied our relationship & hoped she would have the same with him. Then she called him & had both of us talk to him. And then the subway attendant who helped us get the right ticket, took both us of by the arm & waited with us until we got on the subway...and another subway attendant that helped us on the right subway & called ahead to the one we got off so there was another attendant waiting to direct us to the bus station we were looking for. He ended up waiting with us for an hour...then said probably the bus wasn't running due to the cold weather so he walked us back to the subway. And another....heard us asking someone else about finding an internet cafe and told us he'd take us to one....he had gone to school in Boston so we chatted as we walked about 4 blocks (out of his way) & then he led us into one we could never have found, talked to the clerk & even started up the computers for us. Now that's what you call "Going out of your way to help someone!!"
Xi'an
Huge walled ancient city where the Silk Road began. We visited the Bell & Drum towers & watched them demonstrate how the towers were used to let people know time of day. Spent a bit of time walking the wall around the city & wandered through the Great Mosque....and riding in one of their little taxi cabs which are motorcycles with a cart behind. But the most fascinating....
Terra Cotta
Fascinating...awesome....amazing...can't really describe seeing the Terra Cotta warriors. I actually got goosebumps as I stood in awe of the numbers, the size, the detail, the wonder of how something so astounding could have been built so very long ago...about 2200 yrs ago...buried and then not discovered until a farmer (whom we met) was digging in 1979.
It's been a few days since we were able to find a computer we could use...actually to find anything we were looking for!! Without anyone showing us around, we find ourselves walking in circles lots & laughing at where we end up sometimes...but we keep reminding each other to Enjoy The Journey... & we have been helped by so many kind young Chinese who tell us it's their privilege to help us! Here's a bit about that...
Saying goodbye to The Three Amigos
Last night in Kunming, Li & Yuan took us to dinner where we could eat pizza. It was fun to see them eat with a fork! They both again said they hope to come to America and work our farm for free. Probably could make lots of $$ selling all the vege's they could grow on our farm!! Then the next morning, Meizi with her arms linked around us, walked as far as she could in the airport & then threw kisses as we went through security. We felt so coddled by them all & so lucky to have spent time with them.
Finding Help
Since hardly anything is in English, we often find ourselves totally without a clue where to go but seems like that has been a benefit as we have been helped by so many young Chinese. Like Jenny, who happened to sit next to us on the plane to Xi'an who was headed to the same area our hotel was at & rode with us on the bus from the airport to town & then insisted on walking us right to our hotel door. She said that she had texted her boyfriend that she envied our relationship & hoped she would have the same with him. Then she called him & had both of us talk to him. And then the subway attendant who helped us get the right ticket, took both us of by the arm & waited with us until we got on the subway...and another subway attendant that helped us on the right subway & called ahead to the one we got off so there was another attendant waiting to direct us to the bus station we were looking for. He ended up waiting with us for an hour...then said probably the bus wasn't running due to the cold weather so he walked us back to the subway. And another....heard us asking someone else about finding an internet cafe and told us he'd take us to one....he had gone to school in Boston so we chatted as we walked about 4 blocks (out of his way) & then he led us into one we could never have found, talked to the clerk & even started up the computers for us. Now that's what you call "Going out of your way to help someone!!"
Xi'an
Huge walled ancient city where the Silk Road began. We visited the Bell & Drum towers & watched them demonstrate how the towers were used to let people know time of day. Spent a bit of time walking the wall around the city & wandered through the Great Mosque....and riding in one of their little taxi cabs which are motorcycles with a cart behind. But the most fascinating....
Terra Cotta
Fascinating...awesome....amazing...can't really describe seeing the Terra Cotta warriors. I actually got goosebumps as I stood in awe of the numbers, the size, the detail, the wonder of how something so astounding could have been built so very long ago...about 2200 yrs ago...buried and then not discovered until a farmer (whom we met) was digging in 1979.
So much is yet to be discovered as they have discovered 50 sites to excavate in a 500 sq kilometer area. Over 700,000 slaves labored for 36 years...and all the artisans who designed it were buried alive so no secrets could be told...all because Emperor Qin Shi Huang could take everything he had in life to his next life. He spent his entire life planning his tomb. Just to give you a bit of what I mean by detail...each warrior is uniquely made to accurately represent each solider in the army...you could see braids in their hair, bumps in soles of shoes, belts, chains, mustache, even eyelashes. When first discovered, they were colored but as soon as oxygen hit them, they color faded. So maybe Emperor Quin Shi Huang started the Qin dynasty, united China, developed their written language, had roads & aqueducts built and a few more things....did he really need such an elaborate tomb????????
Locust Story
Met Maynessa from Australia & she traveled with us to the Terra Cotta's. She confirmed a story with our guide that she'd heard--gives you an idea of how many people in China there are and how well they do as told--it seems the locust were eating up the crops so each Chinese was told they must kill 10 a day...in no time...no locust!
Favorite Treat
By far, the luscious coconut & pineapple rolls that melt in your mouth! Regular bread has been very hard to find...but I have been pretty lucky to find Coke Zero for about 50 cents... though a cold one is near impossible to find! It's also been a treat to eat at McDonald's a few times...prices similar to USA--which considering their wages...pretty expensive for them!
No Central Heat or Soft Beds
Found out why there was no central heat in Yunnan province: Chrm Mao said there could be none south of the Yangzi River. Did he also say no soft beds???? and by each bed there should be a variety of condoms???
Price of Gas
Near as we can figure, it's about $6 a gallon--no wonder taxi's & bus tickets are high!
Solar
So many rooftops we see have solar panels and solar water tanks on top. Go Green China!
Traveling North toward Xi'an
Small towns seem to be better off though still built in a compact area & sometimes walled, less terrace farming more big fields (even saw one tractor), but there are signs of building even in the small towns.
Cranes
Everywhere still. Can't believe how many huge condo like buildings going up. We were told some were by the gov't for low income housing but most are by private investors. Also told no one is living in them cause they are too expensive...and indeed we don't see signs of people in them. But that doesn't seem to stop the building...
Rarity / Grandparents
We are still a rarity & get stared at often. Not only are we caucasians...we have gray hair which we rarely see here. We were told most people with gray hair don't travel & are home babysitting their grandchildren. 90% of grandkids are cared for by their grandparents...who usually only have one grandchild....so Ben, Bek & Jake--sorry we can't keep up with the Chinese!
Mistakes by Children
Heard a interesting remark from a young Chinese: American children seem to make mistakes which are forgiven by their parents. Not so in China. Chinese parents don't forgive their mistakes so easy.
China Newspaper
Last couple days, we have been able to read China News in English!! So interesting to get USA news from a Chinese perspective. It points out that USA must realize the world is now flat & trade is therefore able to go both ways. Also an article about how prejudice many Americans are toward the Chinese...how we often blame them for taking jobs....make jokes about their sing-song language...etc. Seem to support Obama. And loud & clear is their desire for a peaceful world.
Modern vs Old
Seems to be nothing in between. The modern clean cities with so many new uniquely designed buildings & well built roads vs the old villages. The old & very young working in the villages & the middle generation working in the big cities...over 240 million migrant mostly male workers from the villages trying to make money there while their families stay home in the village.
