Adventures on a 19-Day Tour From Shanghai to Beijing
We booked Viking River Cruise’s “Undiscovered China” months in advance, but a few things had to happen before we could embark on our journey. We had to get new photos taken and submit them with an application for a Visa chronicling our every move we would be making in China. It was so scary sending our passports off to the Chinese Embassy to have the Visa attached, but we received them back in plenty of time before our departure.
On Monday night as I confirming flights, I noticed our seats were changed to coach on our Denver to San Francisco leg. What?! This was the first time we had ever splurged on first class. On Tuesday I called and we were moved back to first class, but our seats were not together.
On Wednesday morning we left home at 3:00am. We arrived at my friend Jeanne’s house at 5:00am, where we would leave our vehicle so as not to incur the DEN parking fees. The truck wouldn’t fit in the garage so we found a spot behind the house and left our keys. Our Uber driver, Kia, picked us up in a Nissan Ultima within minutes of calling. Apparently he lives just around the corner.
Wednesday – Our United Polaris Experience
One of our United Polaris perks was club access at the airports. Therefore when we arrived at the airport, we spent time in the United Club having breakfast and coffee. Our first flight was scheduled for a 9:24am departure from Denver to San Francisco but didn’t leave until 10:30am.
When we boarded the plane, the kind gentleman seated next to me switched seats with John, so we could sit together. We were served Rice Krispies for breakfast as those around us had hot quiche. Even though we were in First Class, we have no status with United, so cold cereal it was. Then, we were also given fruit and yogurt, so it turned out to be plenty, since we had already nibbled at the airport.
Our late arrival into San Francisco cut our time short in the Polaris Lounge there, something I was really looking forward to. Only international passengers in business and first-class are allowed entry, so this may be our only chance to ever utilize it. There were “shower suites” that would be great to use after a long flight. There were also rooms with lounges if you needed sleep. If you needed to do some work, there were individual pods and high speed Wi-Fi.
There wasn’t enough time for lunch in the sit down restaurant as planned, but the buffet offerings were more than ample. We tried the pasta, Indian cous cous and chicken, and enjoyed a couple beers. (Later I found out the restaurant is so speedy we may have been okay trying to out)
After lunch, we found a spot near the window and stayed there, where it was so comfortable, until it was time to board. Then we headed down for a short wait in line at the gate before boarding and being led to our lovely Polaris seats.
I’m spoiled now for sure! We could completely lay down under Sax Fifth Avenue blankets and rest our heads on gel pillows. The amenity kits were full of Cowshed brand products. There were even pajamas to change into for the flight! I used a couple things, such as the wonderful lotion, but decided to leave the rest as I am already worried about room in my bags!
Stellas and warm nuts made for an enjoyable snack. After settling in, I watched “A Star is Born” and John watched “12 Strong”. He also enjoyed viewing our flight path. Before long, Nelda, our attendant, brought us our table cloths and hot towels to prepare for our meal. John had fish (which I can’t believe they offer on a plane) and I had spicy chicken and noodles. Everything was served on cute-shaped ceramic dishes and we had little round salt and pepper shakers. The food was actually very tasty. John had a seat-side-custom-made ice cream sundae for dessert. I passed. All we’ve done so far is eat!
The glass in the windows dimmed electronically from within, making it very dark. There were individual seat-side lamps for reading. Eventually, we reclined fully, settled in, and actually slept – on a plane! An hour and a half before landing we were served omelets, yogurt and fruit for breakfast. Strange, as it was late afternoon in Shanghai.
Thursday – Shanghai Arrival
It took quite a while to get through customs in Shanghai. Every single finger and thumbprint was taken. A form we were supposed to fill out ahead of time was required, so we quickly filled it out. Finally, we collected our luggage and met up with our Viking representative, who took us to our transport van. A couple from Maui, Rodney and Terry, and another couple from Washington DC joined us. It turned out they were all staying at the Ritz-Carlton. We were the first to be dropped off.
The Wanda Reign on the Bund was so opulent! We were led to comfy chairs at a desk to complete our check-in. Jane (Wong Jian), our tour escort, stopped by to introduce herself. We would be spending our entire time in China with her.
Our room, number 1712, was amazing, from the mist glass between the soaking tub and bedroom, to the Toto (the multifunction toilet). There was even a chandelier in the bathroom! We decided to stay in for the evening to shower and rest after the long trip and fourteen hour time change.
Friday – Shanghai
With our circadian rhythm in utter confusion, we were up before five. A view of the hazy neighborhood and a park greeted us out the floor-to-ceiling windows. The traffic wasn’t quite in full swing so early, and the neighborhood was still quiet.
We headed down to breakfast before 6:30am. The buffet was not open yet, but they seated us in the huge dining room and provided us with some much needed coffee. The staff were busily filling the long buffets. The array of food was insane! It was interesting just to look at all the offerings. John chose a customized omelet and I tried honey buns – yum!
Following breakfast, we went for a walk around the area and got a better look at the hotel from the outside, which certainly disguised it’s opulent interior. Crossing the street took us to the landscape platform of the Bund. There were high-rises in every direction on both sides of the water. After strolling a bit, we headed back to the hotel to prepare for our tour departure. One of the other couples in our group joined us in the elevator – Susan and Norm. They were in Jane’s group as well, so we would spend a lot of time with them in the following days.
Our group met at 8:00am. Name-tags were passed out with Jane’s name on them as well as ours. She said if we got lost, to show them to anyone and they would be happy to help. Hmmm, I wonder what she actually wrote on the back of them.
When our entire group was aboard the coach, Jane went over the basics such as the itinerary, money, and safety. This was very helpful information. The coach driver was Ju and a young tour guide trainee, Linda, came along. The old town was our first stop. A few items we had never encountered were pointed out in colorful fruit and candy stands, so we could get acquainted with things we might want to try. Dumplings were being prepared at a feverish pace in another stand. It was amazing to watch.
Then we saw the all too familiar Starbucks right at the Yu Yuan Bazaar. Of course, I “had” to buy one of the espresso cups I collect. But……….Hey, it’s the first time the country on the cup is where it was actually made! (Every cup in the collection I have at home says China on the bottom.)
Yuyuan Garden – “Happiness Garden” is five acres of spectacular lush greenery, water features and rocks. Some items dated back 400 years to the Old Ming Dynasty. There was an impressive five-ton Jade Rock which was extremely porous and very pretty.
Leaving the garden, we walked a short way to a mall, where we toured a silk embroidery gallery. The works were amazing! You couldn’t even see the embroidery floss an artisan was using with the naked eye. Every hair on the animal pieces was a tiny thread. There was an amazing work of a tree in bloom that looked like a photograph until you got very close. A clerk followed us around trying to persuade us to buy a piece. His prices decreased as we neared the end of our tour, which we found quite amusing! No, we did not purchase anything. The silk rugs were equally impressive and oh so soft.
Lunch was at the mall in a restaurant, served family style with traditional offerings: Dumplings, noodles, soup, eggplant, etc. After lunch, we walked back to the coach for a ride to the museum.
At the Shanghai Museum, we were provided English speaking audio guides and went through on our own. It was quite large, and we weren’t able to see it all in the allotted time, but we were able to see some remarkable artifacts.. We were back on the coach before 3:00pm for our return to the hotel.
Dinner was at hotel Reign Cafe – buffet style since we had to meet the group at 6:00pm to head to our evening show. Once again, the variety of food was astonishing.
The Shanghai Acrobats performance consisted of more than acrobatics. Ballet, magic, balancing, juggling, spool ropes, and motorcycles doing stunts in a huge steel ball were also included. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed in the theater.
After the show, John and I went for another walk on the Bund. Some of the lights across the river were already off for the night, but it was still very pretty. I had a list of adventures we could experience, but the day was starting to catch up to us, so we headed in for the night. Zzzzzz
Saturday – Shanghai
Hey, we are finally starting to adjust time-wise and didn’t eat breakfast until 7:00am! Then we went back to room to Kick back a bit. It was obvious we might need a few relaxing moments if the pace of our first day was to continue.
Meeting time for our bus was at 9:30am and we headed right back to where we ended last night – on the Bund, but this time near the flower wall. Even along the street the flowers were amazing! The Shanghai Bund Bull, which was fabricated in Wyoming, has the same height and weight as the New York City bull but has a reddish hue and leans the opposite direction with its tail high in the air. The Chinese say it is younger and stronger than its counterpart in New York. Jane pointed out the 52 buildings in a row with many different styles of architecture.
Wow, our time in Shanghai went fast and we didn’t get to see everything (like the jade buddha) but we headed to the airport for our first inner-country flight. The luggage restrictions were not as strict as we were informed, but I guess it’s always better to travel lighter anyway. Box lunches were distributed for us to take on board for our flight to Wuhan. I sat with Patricia and Marty from Reno, and John sat with another couple. I settled in and ate half my sandwich and my cookies from the lunchbox, and then the flight attendant brought a hot meal, so I tasted some of the veggies and a little rice which was in gravy. The unappetizing-looking eggplant wasn’t touched, but I enjoyed the small bottle of cherry juice.
Wuhan on the Yangtze and Han Rivers
Arrival in Wuhan went smoothly and we transferred to a coach and were on our way.
The Hubei Provincial Museum was closing as we arrived. Throngs of people were exiting the grounds as we made our way into a bells performance in the music hall adjacent to the main entrance. Musicians played ancient instruments and copies of the ancient bells and then we were treated to a fantastic dance demonstration. The colorful costumes were very unusual, with sleeves longer than the dancer’s arms that cascaded outward as they twirled. Following the performance, we proceeded to the closed museum, to see the actual ancient bells, that were recovered from the burial site of Marque Yi who was buried with 21 women and his dog (apparently all living until he passed-Yikes). There were many other artifacts on display that were found in the tomb. Other interesting relics from the local area were presented as well.
Wuhan Embarkation
Driving through Wuhan, it is just high rise after high rise after high rise for miles. It is mind boggling.
It was 7:00pm when we finally arrived to board the Viking Emerald, our cruise ship, on the Yangtze River. The ship was very different from the Viking longships in Europe we have been on, but it had a charm all its own. After a quick stop in our cabin, Veranda A423, which had a great location just off the center atrium, we had to rush off to dinner since it was so late. We sat with Patricia and Marty, as well as Rosemary and Mary from California. John had pork and I had a veggie crepe which were both good and the waitstaff was very friendly.
The atrium was always buzzing with activity. The onboard tailor was near our room.
Sunday – Wuhan
John was up early and full of energy, so he attended the tai chi lesson in the lounge and I went to observe his final moves. He seemed to be enjoying himself.
The Emerald has several Viking groups on board, which gave us the opportunity to have breakfast with Rodney, Terry, Susie (a teacher), her husband and in-laws. They are on the Imperial Jewels Itinerary so won’t go to Lijiang. It is interesting to hear about the differences in the routes.
I stopped by the gift shop for a fold-out map of the Yangtze River, which Viking has for each river their ships navigate. We visited with Jeff and Renee from Iowa, which were in our group, and then we all made our way to the safety drill.
Viking always has onboard activities, so we headed to a tai chi demonstration which was followed by a Chinese medicine, acupuncture and cupping talk, complete with a live demo on a patient selected from the audience. Eek!
Lunch was with Donna and Wells from Albuquerque, Pam and Mike from Houston/Denver, and Rosemary and Mary. We had a nice visit and were getting to know all the people we would be spending so much time with on the trip.
John was sent into nap mode as we attended the Yangtze River presentation, so he left before the Lecture on Buddhism in China. It wasn’t very impressive or informative, so he made the right choice.
That evening was the Captain’s Toast and welcome aboard party – Donna and Wells joined us near the end of the crew introductions and sat through the Port Talk with us.
Chinese Dinner was the theme tonight. We sat with Lane and Terry from Del Mar, California. Another couple from Carlsbad, CA joined us and talked motorcycles with John. We stopped in the lounge to watch dancing couples, who we recognized as our dining room waitstaff – multitalented young people!
Monday – Jingzhou
John and I had breakfast with Gary from Seattle before heading into the city square on a walk. The ship wouldn’t be here after we boarded the coaches, so it was our only chance to see this city and experience its crazy traffic. We watched an elderly man skillfully spin a large wooden top with a whip. As we stood there watching him, a huge vinyl sign dropped very near to us. Was there a warning sign in Chinese saying stay out of the area? Whoa! We finished our walk passing near people doing their tai chi, which we would see in most cities, and headed back to the ship.
At 9:00am, we boarded coaches and left for a visit to a school which Viking sponsors. We traveled through some small villages along the way, where people were busy with their everyday life. Upon our arrival the school, the children greeted us with a drum corps at the gates. Others stood waving and smiling along the walkway leading into the grounds. A stage performance followed, featuring children from each grade level. Interestingly, Jane said when Viking guests first started coming here, the children were very shy. Not any more! Two little girls grabbed John and I by the hand and pulled us into their second grade classroom – with 50 kids in it. Yowza! The children showed us some of their lessons and sang us a song. One boy carried around a journal and wanted people to write down the state where they lived.
Lunch was enjoyed with Donna, Wells, Rosemary and Mary. John’s favorite waitress, Stephanie, kept him happy with beer, bringing him one before he even had a chance to order it. John did, however, order me a chocolate cookie and the waiter brought me a whole plate of them. Way too many, so I shared with the table. Only having a short time between excursions, we relaxed on our veranda watching the ferries cross the river and spin around to dock.
By 2:30pm we were back on a coach for the Ancient City Wall visit. Buses could only go so far, so we took a cart ride the rest of the way to the east gate. Ascending to the top of the wall provided extensive views over the city. A statue in the distance beckoned us to walk further along the wall. Donna and Wells joined us, and we ended up going further than anyone else in the group, only to find the statue was in the distance, but appeared closer due to its size.
Back on the coach, we drove past the statue and learned it is Guan Yu. From here you could see just how huge it is at over 190 feet tall, and weighing in at 1,200 tons. Upon our return to the ship, the bus left us off at the stairs, and we had to go through security this time, unlike when we came back from the school. Aaaah – time to relax by ourselves in our stateroom. It felt good.
Dinner was at our usual table, in the corner with windows on two sides, and tonight we were joined by Patricia without Marty and Norm without Susan, as well as a couple we hadn’t met before, Lynn and Jim.
A show of colorful native costumes followed in the lounge.
Tuesday – Xiling Gorge
Off for a morning sailing the Yangtze River after a leisurely breakfast visiting with Rosemary and Mary. Beautiful scenery greeted us from our 360 degree view on the top deck! Both sides of the ship revealed the peaks of the gorge and hints of what life is like along the river. I stayed out taking in the river views, while John snuck inside for his massage. The water was definitely prettier here than near Wuhan.
Even though walking the deck didn’t use many calories, we had to go see what was for lunch, which we enjoyed with Tom and Bill from Boston, and Patricia and Marty.
Three Gorges Dam
Our guide, Kevin, met us at our ship. We then walked to the bus, past many vendors selling dam guide books, t-shirts, etc. Kevin told us a response of “Later” meant a deal and they would be waiting for our return.
After a short bus ride, we were taken off the coach for a security check, where passengers went through a building and the bus was inspected and met us on the other side. Kevin stopped at the Three gorges Dam visitor’s center to give a talk. We viewed the construction photographs and a large model of the dam and then proceeded up the escalators. In our free time, we walked all the way to the top viewpoint. Dam, that’s big! At the dam level, you couldn’t see across the 7,661 feet to the other end as it disappeared into the mist.
You can tick the world’s largest hydroelectric plant off your bucket list, John! Three Gorges Dam, was 20 years in the making. The construction relocated over 1.25 million people and numerous relics to higher ground. It is said the dam actually slows the rotation of earth. Hmmm.
That evening we sailed through the 5-stage locks and docked overnight at Badong.
We attended the Viking Explorer Society Cocktail Party, and sat with Becky, Joe, Pam and Mike. I had the most Viking cruises, which was surprising after listening to how many places our fellow travelers have been. Afterward, we headed to our corner table for dinner. Two other couples were already seated there. They were from Kansas City and introduced themselves as Sue and Mike, and Nancé and Jim. Marty and Patricia joined us, as well. John and I both had salmon. Stephanie, Tommie and Bruce were right there meeting our every need, as usual. It was a pleasant evening but we were tired and headed back to our stateroom about 9:00pm.
Wednesday – Three Gorges of cliffs and waterfalls
The Yangtze offered up stunning views through the Wu (Witches) and Qutang Gorges. Our side trip on the Goddess Stream by Sampan with guide GooGoo and driver John was quite scenic as well. Hanging coffins of the Ba are said to be in the cliffs and we may have spotted one – or maybe it was merely a rock.
Here is the spot of the Yangtze featured on the 10 Yuan note.
After lunch with Rosemary, Mary, Donna, Wells, Mike, and Pam, we joined the Qutang Gorge Talk in the lounge. A Pearl Talk followed, so we attend for that as well.
Kicking back in our stateroom for a bit sure felt good, and then it was already time for dinner with Patricia and Marty, as well as Yury, Oleg, and Beth, from Canada. I had sea bass and John enjoyed a steak. Our new table mates offered tips for India travel, recommending the Maharaja Rail Tour. Patricia offered Easter Island ideas. So many places in the world to explore.
Thursday – Shibaozhai Temple
Breakfast was a quick bite with Mary and Rosemary, before meeting up with Gary, our guide for the walk to the temple. The ramps from ship into town were filled with vendor booths all along the way. Other vendors on the street offered up interesting goods. Jane stopped at one, to point out a few different things – like the aged eggs. She did not recommend we eat one. Locals were busy buying and selling. It was fun to watch.
At the end of the street there was a plaza with descriptive signs leading to the drunken bridge, which you have to cross to get to the temple. It was very amusing watching people try to keep their balance.
The Shibaozhai Pagoda is a 12-story temple built in 1650 by the Qing Dynasty, and contains the legendary Duck Well and Rice Well. There is a tall wall, built to hold back the rising water of the Yangtze, following the construction of the dam, surrounding the bottom of the temple. Therefore, you have to walk down to the first floor to go inside. We went all the way to the top where only twelve people could fit, small people, not comfortably by any means. Gary waited below for us to rejoin the group, and then he stopped often for narration, as we toured various rooms.
In the center courtyard, John and I crossed the lover’s bridge. We are now sealed together for eternity! We walked back through the town to the ship by 10:40am. I bought an embroidered doll parasol (120 down to 50) and John bought a metal wire motorcycle (260 down to 100) on the way back. Crazy bargaining! Some places in the world set the price, in China they love to negotiate the deal. We were told to wait for the third price.
Back on board we had a presentation on Chinese culture. It included a tea ceremony demonstration. We had lunch with Renee, Jeff, Lane, Terry, Pam, and Mike. The theme for lunch was “Taste of China”. John tried chicken feet and pig’s tail. Not me! They didn’t look appetizing at all. There was a noodle maker that was amazing to watch though. He could twirl and stretch a piece of dough until it was a bundle of fine strands, all the same size! I was so busy watching him, I didn’t snap a photo.
There was a wheelhouse tour with Elliott that afternoon. Then a dumpling demo with Danny and Jason right after that. John tried his hand at forming some. Not bad!
Since we know all about tea ceremonies after the earlier presentation, we bought some green tea from May in the atrium on our way back to our stateroom. Ha! How much did that cost in dollars?
The was our last night on board the Emerald and, sadly, our last dinner with Stephanie, Tommy and Bruce. We would miss their great smiles and how well they took care of us every time we encountered them.
Friday – Flight to Lijiang
Disembarking the Emerald in Chongching meant traversing a crazy floating pier and going up a huge flight of stairs on the embankment to meet the motorcoach. The river is definitely not as pretty here as it is through the gorges.
Jane got us all checked in at the airport for our flight to Lijiang near Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. We departed on time and you couldn’t see the edges of the sprawling city of Chongching even from above. It still boggles my mind as to how huge the major cities are in China.
Lijiang UNESCO World Heritage Site
Landing in Lijiang, you could just feel it was less densely populated. On our way from the airport, we went to visit the Dr Joseph Rock Residence in Yuhu Village. A cute little village, with a lot of charm, including cobblestone roads, stone houses and horses being led about carrying goods on their backs. Dr Rock was an American geographer, botanist and explorer who was featured in National Geographic for his study of Yunnan Province.
Rain was the weather for the day, but it made the village seem that much more calm. Families in Yuhu reside in multigenerational houses with a central courtyard, and we had the pleasure of visiting one such local family. The women are in the leadership roles in this part of the country and they work very hard. Tastings of some unique foods was offered.
Around the corner and down the street, we visited a school for embroidery, plate making, and art. A master of calligraphy in Navi Dongba characters was working away. He had drawn characters representing love, family and travel that we bought to bring home. “Love” and “Family” as gifts and “Travel” for us.
Finally we were heading to Lijiang, a 2000 year old market village and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Canals and the old town were what I wanted to see.
Check in at the Hotel Intercontinental Lijiang went quickly. Rooms were located in various buildings throughout the grounds. Golf carts were used to deliver guests to their accommodations. Our beautiful room was very near the main building and plaza. Dinner was just a short walk away at a local restaurant located in The Wang Fu Hotel.
I think the Intercontinental Lijiang is so pretty. Here are some of the public spaces.
Saturday – Lijiang
Breakfast was at the extensive buffet at the hotel. John was happy to see an omelet station. We met our guide, Wu, and headed out. Our first stop was at the local market. Everything was colorfully displayed and one lady tried to hand feed us her products. She was giggling at our various responses. John and I didn’t partake.
Further into the market were the crawfish, fish of every size, and crab. Then we went into the meat market hall. This could turn me into a vegetarian. It is interesting how all of the butchers here are women and they were hard at work. The poultry was live – at the time.
I was glad to get out of there and into the produce hall. There were some interesting mushrooms and other things I wouldn’t even know how to categorize. Wu was way ahead of us, so I’m not sure if he gave an explanation of the unusual items.
Sitting at the foot of Lion mountain, the MuFu Palace was our next stop after traversing some narrow streets and entering the old town. It was the Mu family residence and the center of politics, power and wealth. Mu was the leader of the Naxi people that ruled Lijiang for almost 500 years in ancient China. Apparently it had been destroyed by fire and rebuilt and then damaged by earthquake and repaired. It once consisted of almost 100 buildings and covered nearly 16 acres. Today it is much smaller and is a combination of royal gardens and various architectural styled buildings located beyond a highly decorated marble gate.
Following our tour of the palace, we were given free time in the square. We browsed the numerous shops and I nearly bought a yak purse. Assuming I would see more later, I passed. When will I learn to snag things as I encounter them?!
John wanted a gold coin but we were told that were not available here. So Wu took us to get a Silver ingot. He rushed us to the silver dealer, down narrow streets with fun shops and decor. After looking at a couple different silver objects, not exactly ingots, John tried to negotiate a good deal with Wu’s help but figured the silver was more for the souvenir value than the silver value. At least we could walk back to the square at a more leisurely pace.
Wu then took us for a stroll along the canals. This is the pretty part of the Old Town. I can see why Chinese people come to Lijiang for holiday. Numerous bridges crossed the canals, each with its own personality. Wu pointed out some local restaurants as we went since lunch is on our own today. We chose a shady outdoor dining spot along the canal and dined family style with Marty and Patricia, which worked out very well. Yak is very tasty. Our group returned to the hotel. Marty and John snagged some Yunnan beer for the room at a small shop near the hotel. I chose a German Black beer. It was too large for me to finish but John took care of it.
John and I headed back to the Unesco World Heritage marker in Lijiang near the water wheels that mark the entrance to Old Town. A beautiful view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain greeted us from the plaza. Lijiang was a trade center between Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet and is where the Silk Road joins the Tea and Horse Roads. It’s so fun to go out and discover on our own. I’m glad we headed back out.
Sunday
Sunday breakfast was spent visiting with Mary, Rosemary, Jeff, Renee and a couple from Angie’s group – great company. Back in our room, we prepared for our departure from alluring Lijiang.
On our flight to Chongqing, John and I sat with a 29 year old unmarried guy from Chongqing. His name is Mao, which means wild horse. He said his family would like him to have a wife, but he loves cars, and has several that he would have to give up should he take a wife. Mao asked if John and I were playing poker when we were actually playing War to pass the time. He just knew poker uses those cards.
The views from the plane were pretty over the countryside and then out of nowhere appears the sprawling city of Chongqing, the endless high-rise metropolis.
Our local guide for this portion of our trip, David, met us at airport. He walked us to the coach and introduced our driver, Mr. Gu.
Chongqing on the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers
Before going to our hotel, we stopped at the former residence of General Stilwell, now a museum. Vinegar Joe was a WW II General and the Allied Chief of Staff in China. David gave us information on the platform overlooking the river before we headed inside where photography was prohibited. Personal artifacts and wartime mementoes filled the various rooms.
Across the street, was the Flying Tigers Museum. An art demonstration was held in the first room that had photographs and propaganda of the Flying Tigers covering the walls. Following the demo, we were able to walk about the museum and of course the gift shop. I purchased a Painted Tiger Banyan Leaf which appeared so delicate, I’m hoping it will last.
Boarding the coach once again, we we’re transported to the Westin Chongqing Liberation Square and got all checked in to room 3726. Luckily, it was a corner room with expansive views of the city, oh, and a Toto. Up on the 51st floor, was a bar where we headed for a beer. They were 88 RMB (over $10) each. Renee, Jeff, Susan and Norm showed up and joined us.
We agreed we should meet up for dinner on the 50th floor – a buffet like I’ve never seen. Over the top!
A girl pushing a cart came by our table at the end of the meal, with what we thought was dessert (looked like coconut creme cake). Nope, it was Durian. Yuck! We stopped in the room to brush our teeth and met Susan and Norm on the ground floor to go to Liberation Square.
After walking 30 minutes, in the direction given to us by the concierge, we decided to turn around and walk back toward the hotel. We had walked right past an important turn right at the corner of the hotel. We were told to go straight! Susan and Norm decided to just head in, but John and I walked down to experience Liberation Square. It is like Times Square, with lights and music, video screens ad high end shopping.
Back in the room, John enjoyed a relaxing soak in the tub by the windows.
Our journey continues in Part 2.
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