Prague, Budapest and Vienna

We are off again, a bit closer to home but new territory for us. Our flight from Edinburgh to Prague was with Jet2, a cheap and cheerful service which left on time and arrived early. Some of our travelling companions were definitely off for a long weekend of all that Prague has to offer. One fellow even looked like a refugee from Nuns on the Run. We were met by taxi, collected the keys to our apartment and settled in, finding the nearest Tesco to stock up and enjoying some of the street art. Our apartment is in a quiet street near the centre, and has all mod cons.

Suzhou and Shanghai

Master of Nets Garden

We flew from Guilin to Shanghai, arriving at Pudong, the main airport about 20 miles east of the city, then transferred by coach to Suzhou which is over 60 miles to the west of Shanghai, passing almost entirely through built-up areas with very little countryside to be seen. In Suzhou we stayed at the Holiday Inn which turned out to be probably the most unimpressive hotel we had seen on the whole trip. Suzhou has a population of about 4 million, which makes it a small city by Chinese standards. It's famous mainly for its canals and a number of stylised traditional Chinese gardens, so it was no surprise that we spent our day there visiting two of these gardens and going for a boat trip on the canals. The "Master of the Nets Garden" was probably the highlight, a beautiful garden with typical features of a Chinese garden and examples of period room settings. It was very peaceful and on a relatively small scale. It is said to be the inspiration for the well-known "Willow Pattern". It was quite busy as it turned out to be a public holiday, but not nearly as busy as the much bigger "Humble Administrator's Garden", which we visited in the afternoon. In between we cruised on the Grand Canal and explored some of the much narrower canals through the old city.

Shanghai by day --

--and by night

In the late afternoon we were back on the bus heading into Shanghai for the last two days of our tour. The Rendezvous Merry Hotel here was top class and our view from the 17th floor was spectacular. Shanghai is a megacity of 23 million people. It's also very much a world city, with a dramatically modern financial centre full of skyscrapers and elevated highways. We had a great couple of days bargaining in the Yuan Bazaar, relaxing in the gardens, strolling along the Bund to see the views across the river, and admiring the shikumen traditional buildings in the former French quarter. We travelled to the 88th floor of the Jin Mao tower by express lift, from where we could look across to the Shanghai Tower, still under construction but already listed as the world's second tallest building. On the other side was the Shanghai World Financial Centre, better known as the Bottle Opener, which was until recently the world's tallest. We travelled on the Maglev, the fastest train in the world, with a top speed of 431 km/h, 30.5 km in under 7 1/2 minutes. But the most memorable part of our time in Shanghai was another boat trip. We embarked on the river in the evening to see the magnificent sight of the Shanghai skyline by night. Unforgettable.

Nanjing Road

On our last evening we again ate together but the occasion this time was enlivened by an awards presentation masterminded by Ivor. Most people seemed to receive an award for something or other, to much hilarity. Next day most of the group were up early to catch flights back to UK or on to Hong Kong, but we had an extra day as we were booked on an overnight flight back to Edinburgh via Amsterdam. We used it to revisit the main areas in downtown Shanghai, not forgetting Nanjing Road, the main shopping precinct. What an amazing city! What an amazing country!

Guilin and the Li River

Cruising the Li river

From Chengdu we flew south to Guilin, renowned for the beauty of the limestone mountains surrounding it. There was only time for the evening meal, then organise our overnight bags for the following day when we set off early for a morning cruise to Yangshuo. The views we saw were the traditional ones we see in Chinese art, with limestone kartz mountains rising on both sides of the river as it meanders through the countryside. The traditional bamboo rafts have mostly been replaced by ones made with plastic pipes, probably more easily built and maintained but not as attractive. Once again we saw lots of litter pickers along the banks, keeping the riverside clean. It was a very relaxing morning, watching the world go by and looking for the view which features on the 20 yuan note. We had been provided with packed lunches which made a pleasant change.

"Impressions"

After landing at Yangshuo, we had a short walk to the hotel, carrying our minimal luggage and running the gauntlet of the local market stalls in West Street, so-called because all the western tourists go there to shop. Our afternoon was free to explore the town and enjoy haggling at the market. Our evening entertainment was a show called "Impressions". It was given a big build up by our guide, and did not disappoint. The show was set in a diverted section of the river with the natural arena of the mountains as a backdrop. It has been running since 2003 and was originally staged by China's most famous film director, who also produced the opening of the Beijing Olympics - China's Danny Boyle you might say. The open air theatre seated 5000 and did two shows a night, three in the holiday period, with a cast of 600. It was a stunning show with the mountains lit up, fishing boats, village scenes, and a group of 200  ladies dressed in silver. The cast were a mixture of drama and music students, representatives from the local ethnic minority groups and local fishermen.

Rice fields near Guilin

Next morning we travelled back to Guilin by coach, with a stop on the way to explore fields where rice was being grown. In the city we had an optional trip to a viewpoint with magnificent views over the city and surrounding countryside. There was only one catch. We had to climb about 400 steps. That's why it was optional! In the evening we were back on the river again for a demonstration of fishing with cormorants from bamboo rafts. We had heard about this before but were amazed to be seeing it happen before our eyes. The cormorant has a string tied around its neck just tight enough to prevent it from swallowing the fish it has caught, so it returns to the raft where it disgorges the fish. Eventually when the fisherman has enough he releases the string and allows the cormorant to swallow some fish for his supper.

Next morning we visited the Reed Flute Caves, a spectacular and theatrically lit complex of limestone caves, again very popular with Chinese tourists, and set in an attractive park on the outskirts of Guilin. Then back to the airport for our last internal flight to Shanghai.

Chengdu and the Pandas

Our cruise finished in Chongqing, the most important city of south west China, and a former capital when we in the west knew it as Chungking. Our luggage was taken ashore by porters using bamboo poles to balance everything from cases to heavy containers of cooking oil for the next cruise on their shoulders. We stopped here to wander round the old part of the city with a market street selling mostly food and tourist knickknacks. There was a queue outside one of the food stalls although it looked exactly the same as all the others. Presumably it had a reputation a bit like the Anstruther chippie! We really enjoyed exploring the streets and picking up a few bargains as well as watching the crowds and the stall holders. Our early lunch stop here served lovely coffee and a very nice plate of food, not the usual ten of us round a table.

Popular food stall

The next stop was Chengdu, the capital of one of the most affluent rural areas in China, and now a city of 14 million people and one of the key centres of China's electronics industry. That night we were treated to traditional Chinese Opera, entitled "Changing Faces". We were a bit doubtful but by now we knew the evening shows were not to be missed. It turned out to be a spectacular show featuring colourful costumes, a plot involving a wayward husband and a nagging wife, fire eating, puppets and masks. The masks were continually changing and we still have no idea how they did it. Even the puppet changed masks. Wow!

The Leshan Buddha

Next day we had a long bus trip to Leshan to see the Grand Buddha of Leshan, reputed to be the largest statue of Buddha in the world. It was carved into a cliff overlooking a dangerous rapid at the confluence of two rivers, and was supposed to protect mariners. We embarked on a boat to cruise past it, and we all got back safely so it must be working. On the way back to Chengdu we stopped at what was billed as a traditional village dating back to the Qing dynasty, but which seemed more like a run-down theme park packed with Chinese tourists. Later we passed a huge building which we were told was the "Global Center". Look it up on the internet. It's the biggest building in
the world - yes really - and only opened in July. That and the fact that it's at the centre of a major corruption scandal might explain why a visit was not on our itinerary. Our bus trip passed one municipality where there were logos on the side of many of the houses. These looked a bit like Santa Claus and were an indication that a very old person lived there. This area is one where there are many centenarians.

An old person lives here

After dinner we set off on our own to the main shopping street, crossing the road to a huge pedestrian area by a raised walkway. The shops were quite upmarket and only differed from our shopping malls by the people outside beating a piece of cardboard and exhorting everyone to come in and get a sale bargain. Being a bit deprived of puddings we were ecstatic to discover a Haagen Dazs and enjoyed lovely ice creams. On the way back we found a fast food mall where many splendid looking treats were on sale, but again with a distinctly Chinese flavour to them.

The gang's all here

And now to one of the highlights of the trip, a visit to the giant pandas. They are found in the famous Chengdu Research Base opened in 1995. It has a museum, research facility and protected wilderness and breeding area. We arrived early and four from our group signed up to get closer to a panda. The weather was wet but improved as the morning went on. The pandas were very close, in a lovely open environment and there was also the opportunity to see the nursery where the babies were looked after. DVDs also taught us more about these animals and why they are so endangered. Cuddling a panda was very expensive but a once in a lifetime opportunity!

In the afternoon we visited another park, but this was no peaceful relaxing stroll. The centrepiece was a performance area where a number of informal shows were being presented. All seemed extremely loud, and so close together that it became a huge kaleidoscope of colour and noise, with crowds of spectators watching, moving between performances, and even joining in. After a bit we were glad to retreat to a nearby teahouse and watch a quiet game of Chinese chess at the next table.

Panda and friend

Yangtze River Cruise

After our visit to the walls of Xian we headed for the airport where unfortunately our flight was delayed for several hours. At the other end there was a hastily arranged meal near the airport followed by a long drive to the city of Yichang where we boarded our cruise ship at nearly midnight. We missed the views of the countryside since it was dark as we drove along. The roads have all been good, modern expressways linking the major cities, no litter at the sides of the road, and there are usually plants and trees on the edge of roads with more planting in the middle of the dual carriageways. There are also lots of gardeners and litter pickers to keep them looking pristine.

Yangtse No1 - our cabin is directly under the CPC sign

Our cabin on "Yangtse No.1" was fine for our trip which was to last three days and four nights, travelling upstream to Chongqing, and passing through the massive shiplocks at the Three Gorges Dam, before travelling through the gorges themselves. There were lots of sitting areas on the boat, and we also had a small balcony, useful for drying clothes and for watching the world go by. We shared this cruise with another Wendy Wu tour, all Australians and New Zealanders except for one English couple who were travelling with Australian relatives. They travelled in parallel with our tour but usually on different flights. There were also many Chinese tour groups. Breakfasts are usually a mixture of Chinese and western food with other meals always of rice, noodles and about six to eight other dishes. We are a group of 21 and are usually allocated two tables with a revolving glass "lazy Susan" in the middle of the table. Beer or soft drinks are served with our meals. The first night we were given some "Great Wall" wine to try. Let's say that they have not fully mastered wine making yet. There is imported wine at a cost but the beer is good so we stuck to that.

There were trips ashore each day. Our first trip was to go up a tributary and walk along paths which were very pleasant. It was really a photo opportunity, open air set pieces showing life in the past. The rain added to the atmosphere. Len and Lesley had celebrated their Ruby Wedding earlier in the tour. To our amusement Len was chosen to take part in a traditional wedding ceremony with a beautiful young lady. It was the subject of many jokes for the rest of the day.

Emerging from the Shiplock

That same afternoon we visited the Three Gorges Dam. The facts and figures about this project are phenomenal. Suffice to say it is 2335m long, 185m high, 18m wide on the top and 130m wide at the bottom. The river level above the dam has already been raised over 110m and will eventually be 130m above its original level. We were told that 1.3 million people have had to be relocated, mostly in a completely new city at Fuling. Many people believe it has negatively affected the spectacle of the gorges but we were still very impressed. The dam aids flood control, produces electricity (it is claimed to be the largest power station in the world with an installed capacity of 22.5GW, about half of the UK's current usage), aids navigation (barge traffic has increased by a factor of six),  and provides irrigation. The weather was still wet and not the best for an open air visit. We can't help thinking that Grandpa Bald would have loved this tour. That evening we passed through the shiplocks and into the Three Gorges proper.

Tu Jia boatmen

The highlight of our second day on the Yangtse was a trip up another tributary, Shennong Stream, to see a demonstration by boatmen from the Tu Jia minority, and to travel in their traditional "pea pod" boats. This trip up the Shennong has only become possible recently as a result of the rising water levels.

The Bridge Over Troubled Water

On the third day we went ashore again to visit the Shibaozhai temple, an impressive nine-story building built of wood without nails
in the 18th century - Norwegian stave churches anyone? The temple complex also featured the Gates of Hell and the original Bridge Over Troubled Water. Our cruise ended in the city of Chongqing on the fourth morning.

On to Xian

Wall of Death Chinese style

In Beijing we saw a Kung Fu Show which the grand children would have enjoyed, and an acrobatic show which was quite amazing. Highlights included twelve girls riding one bicycle and a motorbike finale when five motorbikes circled inside a giant metal ball at the same time, somehow not running into each other in the process. We were surprised to see that people often arrive late for these shows, talk loudly and use mobile phones throughout, then leave as soon as the show ends.

We said farewell to Nancy, our Beijing local guide, a very entertaining young lady who had some great turns of phrase. She referred to the traffic jams as "the morning traffic show". She often summed up the pros and cons of Chinese life by saying "everything has two faces". We will remember that one as the tour progresses.

We had a short plane ride to Xian, the start of the Silk Road and the home of the Terracotta Warriors. For Neville, our oldest travelling companion, this was to be the highlight of his trip. He had seen a programme about them on Tomorrow's World, presented by Raymond Baxter, so he had waited a long time. First we were given a taster of what was to come when we visited the Shaanxi Provincial Museum. This gave a good overview of the different dynasties though how much we will remember when we get home is another matter.

Tonight's meal was a Shui Jiao Dumpling dinner when we sat in tiers at the theatre and were served steamed dumplings in many shapes and flavours. After this feast we sat back to watch a show of music and dancing, representing the Tang Dynasty, more acrobatics, wonderful costumes and a musician who whistled a serenade to the audience.

Our first stop this morning was to a ceramics factory where they make copies of the Terracotta Warriors. These are "real" copies not the copy copies sold much cheaper on the black market, or so we were told. You can order a life size model and substitute your own head, get it shipped home then put it in your own garden. Although it would look great in Whitecraigs we thought we would pass on that one.

At last we were at the site of the warriors, found by farmers digging a well in 1974. We met  the man who found them, Mr Yang, and he signed our book, or was he a copy too? It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was built very quickly to house the warriors and continue excavation and renovation. Not everything has been unearthed as they immediately lose their colour when exposed to air and they hope that in the future there may be ways of preserving them intact. Many were destroyed by invading armies and have to be re-assembled piece by piece. It was truly worth the trip and Neville was delighted to be there.

Our evening trip was round the Muslim Quarter of Xian, reminding us we were at the beginning of the Silk Road then on to an area which was a showcase for modern Xian, gardens, dancing waters, music, statues and pillars with moving pictures on the surface.

On our last morning in Xian we explored the ancient city walls, then an internal flight to Wuhan and a coach trip where we joined our Yangtse river cruiser.

That went well!

If anyone is still out there - our apologies. We're home now and did not manage a single post from China. No problem with the netbook (a bit slow compared to our home computer but it worked) or the hotel wi-fi connections, variable but usually there. No it seems Google Blogger is blocked by the Chinese authorities. We were never able to log on, and Facebook is also blocked. We expected that but had not anticipated a problem with Blogger. We tried to let as many people as possible know via email, which worked OK, as did most of the rest of the internet, but we may not have reached everyone.

So now we can say it - China was amazing and we can hardly believe how much we were able to see in three weeks. It's such a modern progressive society, and so open in many ways, it just seems incongruous that they maintain petty restrictions on communication, which don't really achieve much anyway. It certainly didn't stop our guides giving us their own views on pretty much anything, including political issues.

The "Bird's Nest" in Beijing's Olympic Park

On to the trip then. We flew out from Edinburgh on 3rd September, KLM to Amsterdam, then non-stop to Beijing. We won't bore you with the logistics of the trip. Let's just say Wendy Wu Tours clearly know what they are doing. Everything in the arrangements worked, the guides were excellent, and generally we were able to enjoy the tour with the minimum of hassle. Our travel group was mostly English with another Scots couple and two American ladies. No problem there. We all got along well and were pretty good friends by the end.

Norma in Tiananmen Square

We arrived early so had most of a day to ourselves before meeting up with the rest of the group in the evening. We had made contact through our daughter Rona with an old university friend of hers who was living in Beijing, and he introduced us to a couple of places not included in the tour, a quiet park and an upmarket shopping mall, not forgetting a trip on the Beijing subway. Most of the time with our tour group we travelled by coach so that was interesting in itself, and cheap. Just over 20p for any length journey with one change of line allowed.

The Temple of Heaven

Climbing the steps of the Great Wall

The main tour started off on a fine sunny day with Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Over our three days in Beijing we also visited the Temple of Heaven, which is the centrepiece of a large and beautiful park much patronised by the people of the city, the Summer Palace, which is again the centrepiece of a park which also features a large lake, the Olympic Park (they like their parks in Beijing but this one is a bit more modern), and a rickshaw ride through the Hutongs, a preserved section of the old city, where we were treated to lunch in the courtyard of a small group of traditional houses. But for most of us the highlight was the Great Wall which comes surprisingly close to the northern outskirts of the city. We soon discovered this was no gentle stroll. The Wall here climbs steeply up either side of a narrow valley and was an exhausting climb on a hot day but well worth it.

Over the next few posts we'll try to bring you a flavour of all the other places we visited.