Saturday, October 31, 2009

CHINA TRIP 2009

My Caly kids have been anxiously waiting for me to post my China trip, so after a month of no posts I finally have a minute! We were busy with Johns parents, his dad was in and out of the hospital and in the process we had to move his mom up to our old home in Sandy, from Ephraim. It was hard for them but the doctors insisted that they needed to be close to family and the doctors. While I was away on my trip, surprisingly Grandpa improved quiet a bit, he and John's mother are now both settled into the home here in Sandy. He is still very unstable, but his memory is much better.

ON TO THE CHINA TRIP!
Wednesday, October 14th
My sisters, in St George sing with the Southern Utah Heritage Choir, they invited me to go with them on their China tour. What fun! We even got to room together. The trip started out in Shanghai, then on to Xi'an and we finished in Beijing.

SHANGHAI CHINA
Friday, October 16th
The first day we arrived in the afternoon. We visited the Huangpu River front, had dinner and took a walking tour to Nanjing Road from Peoples Square. (this is a very popular shopping area, departments stores as well as small shops) All this area including the river is called the "Bund."
Saturday, October 17th
At our hotel in Shanghai, this will be the only Panda we will see.
SHANGHAI MINHAND GRAND THEATER
Saturday, October 17th
The choir practiced morning and night, this is a picture of the finally with all the other choirs who performed at this live television program. It was the Opening ceremony of this theater. Performers and audience members all received a beautiful gift (ornament).
SHANGHAI MUSEUM
Saturday, October 17th
While the choir practiced during the day, the non-singers got to visit the Shanghai Museum, go to lunch and visit the French Concession(popular hangout with lots of eating places and shops, more European looking).
THE MUSEUM
Just one of the many beautiful pieces in the museum, furniture, Calligraphy, art pieces, porcelain, Jade and other fine stones from centuries ago.
SHANGHAI CONCERT HALL
Sunday, October 18th

The choir having a photo shoot before their live radio performance in the Concert Hall

JADE BUDA TEMPLE
Sunday, October 18th
The non-singers visited the Jade Buda Temple while the choir practiced at the concert hall.
YU GARDEN MARKET AREA
Sunday, October 18th
Shopping at the Yu Garden Market Place, Jean and Gloria found ice cream!
LEAVING SHANGHAI
Monday, October 19th
On our way to the airport to fly to Xi'an, we spotted a traveler having difficulties. Bikes like this with heavy loads were very common. Traffic flowed most anywhere it wanted.
XI'AN CHINA
FAMOUS DUMPLING DINNER
Monday evening, October 19th

Don't ask what you are eating, note everything was shaped as it's contents, what do you suppose these dumplings were with those beady eyes?

BELL TOWER/ANCIENT CITY A short walk inside the ancient city, beautiful gardens, bell tower etc.
TERRA COTTA WARRIORS

Tuesday, October 20th

Hundreds of these life size clay soldiers and horses were unearthed, buried by an Emperor who wanted to take his army with him to the after life.

THE NOODLE FACTORY

Tuesday, October 20th

Chef demonstrating making the noodles by hand. We had lunch here.

THE GREAT MOSQUE
Tuesday, October 20th

A Chinese mosque, still very active with it's Muslim followers. The choir performed at a Christian Church. We were very lucky to have this opportunity. We were not allowed to discuss religion with anyone and we could not take pictures!

HOT POT DINNER

Tuesday Evening, October 20th We cooked our own dinner, then used the remains of the water for our soup.

BEIJING CHINA

TEMPLE OF HEAVEN

Wednesday, October 21st
This used to be the spiritual center of the ancient Chinese Empire
FAMOUS BEIJING DUCK DINNER

Wednesday evening, October 21st

Dead ducks on display, note head and all was roasted
Watching the waiter cutting up the duck, they had a special way to eat the duck. There was a small dish with dipping sauce (similar to soy sauce) and small cut up onions. You take a very thin wrap, dip the duck into the sauce put it and the onions onto the wrap then you fold it up and eat it. Very yummy!

TIAN'ANMEN SQUARE
Thursday, October 22nd

Only a few days before they held a huge festival in honor of the many different cultures that exist in China


THE FORBIDDEN CITY

Thursday, October 22nd
We walked for miles, but well worth it. This is the palace (a city within) from which the entire Chinese empire was ruled for centuries.


RICKSHAW RIDE

Thursday, October 22nd
While the choir practiced at the Forbidden City Concert Hall the non-singers got to go on a ride to a small village where we were invited to go inside one of the homes.
That evening we watched the choir perform.....by the way they were awesome at all their concerts!

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Friday, October 23rd

Very humbling experience, Jean and Gloria climbed a good distance. We wouldn't let Jean climb too high because of her health and Gloria didn't think it wise to go too far as she had already fainted at the second concert and the fourth concert she felt a little weak (we think because of dehydration). So I ventured off by myself, I tried to reach the very top only to miss the last gate as I had to turn around to get to the bus on time. I didn't want to be left behind! I was half way to the top when this picture was taken......pretty awesome! The stairs were tricky, they were never the same size, sometimes very small, sometimes very large!

Autumn time at the Great Wall

OLYMPIC VENUES

Friday, October 23rd
The tour guide let us drive by the Olympic site before we did our last shopping at the Hongqiao Pear Market. See the Birds Nest and Olympic Flame.

RED THEATER

Friday Night October 23rdWe skipped dinner to go to this performance. It was the story of Kung Fu. It was amazing! Our tour guide Long, said it was about Marsha Watts.......we asked who? He said, "You know, Marsha Watts"....Oh! We said, "You mean Martial Arts!" Yes Yes.
SOME CHOIR PEOPLE ARE STILL BARTERING EVEN AS WE ARE LEAVING THE HOTEL FOR THE AIRPORT AND HOME

Saturday, October 24th WE MADE IT HOME !

Saturday, October 24th WE ARRIVED HOME 5 HOURS BEFORE THE TIME WE LEFT KOREA.......GO FIGURE!