Our China Tour

P.S. . . .still thinking after all that Blog. . .

2009-04-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

P.S.

Forgot to mention a couple key things. . .

The Great Wall of China--we climbed it!!! One of the Seven Wonders of the World, and we were on part of it!!! A highlight of the trip--Yes, absolutely, an awesome experience!!! And I have the t-shirt to prove it (Thanks, Thelma!)

Thelma & Louise--well we made it through China. . .and China and the rest of the crew on Kal Bus 1 survived it (we think!). We shopped, bargained, struggled with our chopsticks and snapped hundreds of photos with the best of them! Where next Thelma. . .???

And about the Panda from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.? Well, during our time in Beijing although we did not tour the Zoo, we did arrange for a rendezvous for Panda with a gorgeous mate. The word is that it was love at first sight and they are munching bamboo side by side as we speak. All's well that ends well--mission accomplished!

In closing--I don't think I mentioned the lingering vision I have of the beautiful faces of the children we saw in China. Many of us have photographs of them, but pictures aside, I think we all remember the sweet innocence and pure beauty we saw in the eyes, smiles and perfect complexion of these little dolls. Bye bye dear ones, it was a pleasure to meet you!

Good night now to all--Kim.

Home Sweet Home

2009-04-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

Yes--Home Sweet Home it is! From wake-up call in Shanghai at 5:00 a.m. their Saturday morning to final arrival to Kalispell it was about 34 hours--one long day of traveling!

We departed Shangai for Beijing for the first part of our journey home. With some down time there, many of us found an airport cafe in which to wait, have a bite to eat (they served burgers. . .sort of. . .and BLTs with egg???) and a last round of Chinese beer for the road. You see us here laughing about the good times we have spent the last week, and horsing around with the leftover toilet paper we had carried along. (It's a long story. . .but the smelly squat toilets, sans t.p. in most cases, for the ladies in China were definitely a topic of discussion, and a "not-so-favorite" part of the trip. More detail sometime when you view our pictures and have time for the whole story. . .!!!)

We left Beijing on time, and the flight to Seattle was pretty good--many of us caught some much- needed shut eye, others just chilled with a book, movie or music. Arrival at SeaTac about noon on Saturday, Pacific time ( that would be about 3 a.m. Sunday China time!). We arrived with a known layover time until our flight home to Kalispell of about 8 hours. No problem. We did various activities to pass the time. . .some had a burger and a "cold" beer then sacked out for 4 hours. . .some spent quality time with kids/relatives living in the greater Seattle area. . .and others (like us) checked our bags and caught a bus to the wharf area of Seattle to walk around in the fresh air, enjoy the sights and sounds of Pike Street Market and then eat some familiar American food at Ivar's on the wharf. The warm rolls & butter were really tasty, and the seafood, crab and Bob's steak hit the spot with our taste buds and tummies!

Meanwhile back at the airport. . .departure time neared, we were all ready to board and make the short trip back home. Still an hour until boarding time--in the vicinity of Gate C2D you could spy nappers (like Bob here) catching a few winks to fight the fatigue and jet lag before the final leg of our excursion. Was that Keith Ori snoring from the floor in the corner--head nicely propped up on backpack and coat??? For those of us not opting for a snooze, we kept moving to stay awake. . .talking all the while, although not really making much sense at that point! Ok then, time to board Horizon for Kalispell. With a touch of second wind, we all climbed aboard, found our seats and chatted about times spent on the bus, the interesting Chinese food on the lazy susan each lunch and dinner--you get the picture?--we were headed for the barn and enthusiastically recalling fun times spent on our trip! Hiccup. . .plane problems. . ."de-board the plane please" (is de-board a word?). De-board we did. . .wait. . ."another plane on its way". . ."oops, plane #2 doesn't work either". . ."plane #3 coming soon". . ."thanks for your patience, we are ready to re-board the plane for Kalispell". . .Three Cheers!!! A little late, but still happy to be headed home, we settled into our seats once more. Arrival time in Kalispell was about 12:30-12:45 a.m. Sunday morning--bags arrived, hugs were exchanged, our favorite Chinese one-liners were given--"Hey Lady", "Hello Hello", "One Dollar"--and we all headed out for our very own beds once more!

So ends our China trip. What an adventure! The trip of a lifetime! Friendships strengthened, renewed and made anew in the course of a magnificent excursion to another part of our world. This experience will forever change the way we view the world--the way we see our tiny place in the world--the way we think of ourselves in relation to the millions of other people in the world. I hope I speak for the majority of our group, but I know I have a new appreciation for the "Made in China" labels we see on so many items! I now have seen some of the Chinese people working tirelessly on these products, experienced parts of their country and have at least a taste of their living conditions, beliefs, social and economic climate, food and environment. China is an amazing country--so big I still can only begin to fathom the size and breadth of the huge population inhabiting their thirteen provinces.

I'm glad to be home. I love it here in Montana, U.S.A. China is home to our new friends, Lily and J.J. from Kal Bus 1. They too love their home. And isn't that great and just as it should be. What I think is really cool is that we can experience each other--take a Rickshaw ride like Bob and I and many others did in the Hutong part of old Beijing--visit the Dragon Well tea farm in Hangzhou--stroll back in time at amazing temples and gardens of Emperors, Buddhas and legends of Chinese history--see time-honored craftsmen create jade, silk and enamel works of art--feel the atmosphere of modern Shanghai, a city of millions, half a world away. Almost hard to believe we were there! Hope you have enjoyed following our adventure with us on this Blog--we have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to share! And now. . .my jet lag is perhaps catching up with me too. Again I can report that Bob is asleep. . .but joins me in wishing you all well and offering up our Thanks--"Shay Shay"--for traveling with us on our China Tour 2009! Kim

Our last full day in Shanghai - They don't call it Shanghai for nothin'

2009-04-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hello to you all--Yes, we are wrapping up our time here in China. This last full day in Shanghai began with another yummy breakfast buffet here at the Crowne Plaza. Soon after, we were at the Silk Rug Factory pictured above, where we saw Chinese women magically producing works of art in silk rugs of every color, design and size. Mayor Pam Kennedy, sidekick Margaret Lekander and Nancy Kimball were some of the admirers. Really nice stuff. After Mongolian BBQ lunch where we saw the chefs do their drop, chop & scoop show, it was time for a 7-minute-each-way ride on the Maglev train, where we reached speed of 430 mph! WOW! Much of the rest of the afternoon was spent driving through Shanghai (big city!) and finishing up last-minute shopping and bargain hunting in "China Town". Quite a deal--the street vendors were UNREAL there--I think they knew we were there cuz they hit us hard! We were all happy to load Kal Bus 1 for the ride to the ERA acrobatic show for the evening. WOW again--the talented performers showed us body moves I did not think possible, elegant and graceful acrobatic dance, stunts and lots more. Entertainment plus!

As you see, Shanghai is a beautiful city at night. And late night it is in Shanghai--with an early morning wake up to head out for our long trip home to sweet Montana, USA! More later to wrap up our amazing trip--it has been all we anticipated and much much more. Until then dear Bloggers--Bob is asleep, but joins me in saying Good Night to you all and Good Night to Shanghai, China! Kim

Guest Bloggers: Fun, Fun and More Fun

2009-04-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

Hello, We had another fantastic day in China. On our three hour bus ride from Hangzhou to Shanghai, Keith Ori and Nancy Kimball used our computer to make these "guest comments" for our blog.

Keith: It is indeed a privilege to be today’s guest blogger. I have had a lot of free time since I have refused to eat Chinese 3 times a day. Instead of being at the table I have secretly been scouting American fast food locations.

Today we saw some incredible sights in the city of Hangzhou in southern China. It’s a small city of 9 million people. Our tour guide refers to this size of city as small. The first stop was the Tea plantation where we received firsthand knowledge of the benefits of green tea. The culture of the farmers in this region is remarkable. The countryside was the prettiest we have seen to this point. Second stop was an active Buddhist colony which was amazing. The architecture and the sculpting of the many Buddhists monks was something that we won’t soon forget. Many of us thought Randy Avery resembled the Happy Buddha. Lastly, we took a boat ride on West Lake. It was a beautiful lake with many surrounding sights and landmarks. The pure number of Chinese walking around the lake and boating was impressive and apparently is a daily occurrence.

We are all heading to Shanghai tonight and this will be one of the highlights for me and Bob Nystuen as we are all going to a restaurant called the Blue Frog. The owner is an acquaintance of Joe Unterreiner and the good news is it serves American Food. We all are anticipating a great evening. No more BEAN CURDD!!!!!

The Chinese people are certainly entertained by us Americans. They stare and frequently say “Hi or Hello "and then giggle afterwards. They are proud of their children and often offer them to us for pictures. They are the cutest little kids you ever laid eyes on.

We have two days left before the long journey home. The vendors that have sold us their wares have certainly come out ahead mostly because of our Mayor Pam and Bev Aronson.
We have certainly been aware of the intense pollution problem in China. The citizens of this country have been doing their part by not using their dryers. The large apartment complexes are draped with drying clothes and it has been the mission of this contingent to adopt that culture. Denise Nalty has suggested a clothesline in her neighborhood that extends from house to house.
Keith Ori

Nancy Kimball (writer for the Daily InterLake): The Ling Yin Temple today was a people-watching paradise. Keith has it right – the Chinese people love their children and with good cause. They are the most adorable, some are shy and hide behind Mommy’s or Daddy’s legs, but most of them know they rule the world and smile from ear to ear. People flocked to the temple worshiping their Buddhas, kneeling on yellow cushions in front of gargantuan statues praying and touching their foreheads to the cushions three times. Some brought incense. Outside the main Buddha’s temple two cauldrons carried burning incense, and two more fire pots were kept burning for the faithful to light their own bundles of incense sticks to hold in their hands as they bowed to the four directions. They would never lack for an object of prayer, with 500 third-level Buddhas in one hall alone.

Dragon Well Village tea garden presented a great contradiction. Much talk of antioxidants and chlorophyll and health benefits from drinking green tea – then we hit the sidewalks and walk through clouds of cigarette smoke. We learned the proper way to “eat” tea. When done properly, they do not drink tea. The Mei family, the most common family name in Dragon Well Village, pours 85-degree water over the dried tea leaves, filling only a small portion of the glass. This welcomes the guest; a full glass says “here, take your glass and leave – I’m too busy.” Smell the aroma, fill the glass with three dips of the teapot, steam your eyes by leaning just over the top of the glass and then sip. If tea leaves end up in your sip, eat them.

We have just hit Shanghai at night, a stunning sight with all the high rises and lights as far as the eye can see. So, dear reader, it’s been an honor to share this post with Keith but I’m stopping so I can get a good look out the bus window, Du bai!
Nancy Kimball

After a three hour bus trip, we really were treated to a taste of Montana at the Blue Frog here in Shanghai. The Blue Frog here is one of 11 American bar and grills operated by a fellow-Montanan, Bob Boyce. There were about four other folks from our homeland that joined us, too. Wonderful drinks - beer served in normal sized pint glasses, on their patio, Nachos, Chicken Strips, and Hamburgers - just what Keith Ori, Brian Clark and I (Bob) have been dreaming about for the last week - Utopia!!!

We sang Montana songs, took pictures and had a real good time NOT eating eggplant, rice, dim sum, snake wine, Chinese beer, weird fish, mystery meat and BEAN CURD!

We got a brief river-front tour of Shanghai - this is the most unbelieveable city we have ever seen... been to new York, LA, Chicago, San Francisco - you cannot believe the size and ambience of this city! Bob

Well I guess the preceding "bloggers" have about covered our day. We truly have moved within the Chinese culture in our travels from traditional Beijing, south to urban-feeling Suzhou, then to lush Hangzhou and now to modern Shanghai with all the vibrance of any city I know. Tomorrow should be a great day again with city tour of popular spots, a fast train ride, a little bit more shopping (just to make sure we don't miss something really good), a bit more Chinese food to finish up and a said-to-be incredible show tomorrow night. Dragon Well Tea Village today was really a highlight for me as I am a big fan of tea, and later at West Lake it did feel good to be cruisin on the water, I must admit! We all hope spring has come a little bit to home--we have been spoiled with gorgeous, mild weather here and the cotton candy pink blooming trees and flowers everywhere. More tomorrow as we wrap up this adventure and more details of Shanghai--city of tomorrow! Kim

Perspectives from Bus #1

2009-04-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

Hello from Hangzhou, Wednesday was certainly a busy day for us. We spent most of the day touring Suzhou - a "medium-sized" city with only 5 million people. Our first stop this morning was the Lingering Garden, one of the four classical gardens of China. Next we went to the largest silk factory in China... yes, there were silk linens and clothes to purchase. After lunch there, which actually included some western cuisine for Bob and Keith Ori, we went to the National Embroidery Institute, to see how silk becomes some of the most fabulous works of art ever created. From there, we boarded our bus for Hangzhou, a three hour trip. Watching the countryside change mile by mile, was truly spectacular. We arrived at the Hangzhou Holiday Inn about 7:30PM. I (Bob), Keith and some of the guys wanted nothing to do with the typical Chinese dinner cuisine, so 13 of us found Pizza Hut about 3 blocks away. It felt more like a Denny's, but yes, we did find a Supreme, Hawaiian, Vegetarian and Pepperoni pizza and of course, Chinese beer.

While on the three hour tour (sounds like Gilligan's Island, doesn't it), we asked each member of Bus #1 for their thoughts and perspectives on the trip so far - to include in the blog:

Chris-toe-fer (Brian Clark): The reason there are so many Chinese is they will eat anything - pig stomach, ox tail soup, snake wine. Why, after 4000 years, have the Chinese not invented a beer glass any bigger than 3 ounces?

Kathy Schneider: It amazes me how the Chinese people throw nothing away and find a use for everything, including chicken feet and pig snout.

Bob Nystuen: Any stop we make that has "Research" or "Institute" or "Factory" in its name means we spend "big money" in their gift shop.

Bob Schneider: Chinese people are opportunistic, enterprising and CAPITALISTIC!

Bev Aronson: Beautiful country, gentle people... extend our credit card limit by 500,000 Yuan.

Susan Kuhlman: Buttercup needs more bean curd soup.

Shannon Nalty: Fortunately I did not "see" the ladies of the evening outside the Hard Rock Cafe in Beijing the other night--I liked the guitars better! And one more thing--it's amazing how many scooters we see, and the lack of helmets.

Colleen Unterreiner: Two words--Discipline and Obedience.

Sue Ori: Normally when I see a box full of puppies, I think "adorable". . .but today at the Suzhou market I thought of something else. . .

Lily (one of our tour guides): We know this is not us commenting, but we loved it so thought we would include it--She said: The Cantonese will eat everything with wings but an airplane, and everything with legs but a table.

Denise Nalty: Climbing to the top of the Great Wall was a humbling experience--truly breath-taking, literally!

Joe Unterrineiner: China's Awesome!

Hayden Avery: Chinese children are so adorably cute.

Pete Nelson, DDS: So many smiles. . .so many dental problems!

Keith Ori: My wife is sure a lot taller in China. As for the food. . .I think we ate Sponge Bob Square Pants last nite, with a side of bean curd!

Carol Nelson: I have enjoyed seeing how happy the people are and how they will make eye contact and smile at you.

Nancy Kimball: China is not a good place to be a chicken--even in the shell, you're not protected.

Wendy Lalum: "How would you like your eel served?"

Grogan Robinson: Watching the silk embroidery and seeing the end product was almost incomprehensible.

Randy Avery: I want to know who gave these guys their drivers' tests??? And you know, we are all movie stars in China because they all want their pictures taken with us.

Mark Lalum: A pedestrian crossing? It's just open "hitting" season for man.

Char Avery: I had to buy a new bag to bring back all the purses I bought--"Only One Dollar!"

Jim Kuhlman: I have an all new appreciation for snake wine.

Alan Aronson: I need ice, cold beer and tonic water.

Shannon Lund: I have a new appreciation for clean tap water and clean Montana air.

Carol McElwain: Has anyone seen my camera, my purse, my sunglasses???

Margaret Lekander: The toilets are a true balancing act.

Pam "one dollah" Kennedy: I feel I have done my part to help stimulate the Chinese economy.

Tom McElwain: What the hell is a blog?

Tom Lund: Chinese food can be described as--the good, the bad and the ugly.

Thelma & Louise: What's that sign say Thelma? I don't know Louise--I don't read Chinese!

Well we hope you enjoyed a taste of China from our friends on "Kal Bus 1"--we have become close buddies these last several days, have shared some good laughs, have new nicknames for many and have amassed some great "one-liners" which we will use over and over again once we are back home. I did not include my impression in the list--from reading the blog you know by now much of what I have observed on our adventure here. But to conform somewhat to the title and plan of this blog--Kim says: Sights, smells, smiles, sidewalk sellers--trees, traffic, tales of ancient times, this is a tremendous experience, to be continued next time. . .Good night from Hangzhou.

On the Road to Suzhou

2009-04-07T05:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone from Suzhou! Yes we have departed Beijing after 2+ full days of sightseeing and walking the capital city of China. Short flight this morning from Beijing to Shanghai (on the coast to the south)--I think we were quite a sight ourselves being ushered into the airport, lining up baggage, getting through security (I got the wand! as did many of our group--sensitive equipment here in China) and finally piling on the shuttle buses out to the plane. I have pictures of all this--never fear! Kinda like herding cats. . .a challenge. . .but we all made it! Flight was a new experience too as there was live coverage of the take-off, some of the flight and then landing from a camera mounted under the plane. Kinda weird watching all that but interesting at the same time (I was seated between Bob and Tom McElwain, and only gripped their knees twice!)

After landing in Shanghai we were again loaded on "Kalispell Bus 1" with our group of 30 for the 1 1/2 hour ride to Suzhou. We will return to Shanghai on Thursday night, but for now a night and day in Suzhou to be followed by a night and day in Hangzhou. We arrived here in Suzhou in time for lunch. Our local tour guide, J.J., told us on the bus ride here that Suzhou is considered one of the "Paradise" cities in China--maybe due to its lush vegetation and network of canals around the city. It is a "smaller Chinese city"--only 5 million people, what they call a "medium-sized" city. Shanghai is 19 million--even larger than Beijing! WOW !

After lunch came a trip to Tiger Hill to walk around lovely grounds and gardens and climb up to the famous Leaning Pagoda. The pictures posted are of the Pagoda itself and one of Bob and me by the base after the short climb up--notice the Griz shirt on Bob! This is also said to be the burial ground of the founder of Suzhou, He Lu, the King of Wu. So much for China history lesson!

Our weather here is so pleasant that a group of us walked around from our Holiday Inn hotel later this afternoon to see some of the city. Lots of local color, from all the scooters, beautiful children, high-rise apartment living with wash hanging out all over to the "Super Mart"--a combination Chinese WalMart on the first floor with small strip mall attached, to a supermarket on the second floor that really gave us an eyeful! A "must-see-to-believe" experience--all kinds of meat in the open (chicken feet, whole chickens and ducks, beef and pork parts and on and on), fish of all kinds, eels(Bob thought they were snakes--not just for wine-making!), turtles, frogs, squid, shrimp--I could go on and on. We walked through with our eyes wide open, taking it all in. People were everywhere shopping, touching, smelling (and it was smelly!)--I think I'll stick to Rosauers and Costco myself!

Dinner again was "group Chinese"--Bob wanted me to be sure you all know that he is Officially tired of this cuisine! We do find slight variations from meal to meal, but I must admit it is much the same. Tonight's vegetable soup with ketchup was different but tasty and a pork (or was it beef?) dish resembled taco meat with a layer of tortilla chips underneath and was good Also had "chicken nuggets" and a most interesting fish with orange sauce. Hmmm good!

Another full day planned for tomorrow--silk and embroidery factory destinations, more gardens, a canal boat tour, Chinese food and then a bus ride to Hangzhou. So more from there--Shay shay! Kim

Beer and Wine for My Friends... Snake Wine, if you will!

2009-04-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

Hello from Beijing, We are getting packed-up after two very busy days touring Beijing. We started Day #2 here at the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel with a fairly typical western-style breakfast: Scrambled eggs, bacon, round hash brown things, Van Camp style pork and beans, canned fruit (pineapple and peaches) cantelope, honey dew and Dim Sum, a chinese-type filled dumpling with a mystery filling... one day it might have figs, the next day is mystery meat and mushroom - sometimes they were unfilled - looks like an over-inflated marshmallow. The coffee is served in small cups - black and strong.

Our first stop today was at a Traditional Chinese Medicine building where we were escorted to a classroom where a rather entertaining (so-called) physician gave us a lecture on the difference in medicine and health care between our western world and the Chinese world. (He claimed to have a medical degree from our country and from China, too.) He talked alot about how the Chinese go to their doctors for perserving their health, not like we do - only when we're sick or hurting. After his lecture, they brought in a huge number of folks to do a quick analysis on us (not me - I bombed-out to check my voicemail) to hopefully sell us on herbs and stuff from their pharmacy.

After that we went to Tianimin Square - unbelieveable in size. The Chinese are very proud of this place - which they should be, although they are rather closed-mouthed about discussing the uprising incident from the late 80's. We all got our picture taken in front of the big building with a picture of Chairman Mao. We are very impressed with how the Chinese folks revere their emporors and leaders.

Next, we walked and walked through the various sections of the Forbidden City, where generations of the Chinese emporers lived since the 1400. Huge numbers of people were here - the weather couldn't have been better - probably 80 degrees, no clouds or smog.

Our next stop today was at a family's house for Chinese-style home cooked lunch. I think it was good we didn't watch where and how they prepared the food. Then, a world famous guy gave us a demonstration of crickets and grasshoppers. Gambling is illegal in China, but somehow they bring together the very best fighting Crickets each October for what we might consider the "Super Bowl" of cricket fighting. He was very proud of the acclaim he has been given in the cricket fighting world, by showing is books, articles and magazines. (I'm glad none of us accidently stepped on this cricket, triggering some type of international incident.)

We then went to a pearl factory, where they provided us a demonstration on the difference between fresh-water and salt water pearls. Next comes the gift shop where they really try to sell us on buying expensive pearl jewelery - just like the day before at the jade factory.

We did get to drive-by the Olympic site - wished we could have toured that instead of all the other money-extracting tourist sites. We went on a $2.00, back-alley, ricksahaw ride. We had a Chinese style buffet dinner - nothing great, but better than last night. Quite frankly, I'm ready to stop at one of the 1000 McDonalds they have that many here in Beijing, for a Quarter pounder with cheese.

So from the title, you are probably wondering... beer and snake wine.... You don't drink the tap water - not even in the 5 Star Hotels... bottled water is probably okay and plentiful, but every place you go, you can buy Chinese beer for $1.00 per can, or $3.00 per big bottle - not too bad tasting, but more often than not, it will be room-temperature.

Last night at the massage, dinner and acrobatic show place, we encountered this big vessel with wine in it, along with some herbs and two (dead) snakes - we couldn't tell if the poor snakes had perished before they were place in the wine or sometime thereafter. Our hosts gave us a sample. It smelled horrible - yet tasted even worse (I have a picture of Kim to prove it). So today, while sitting at lunch, I looked on the table behind me and there was another big bottle of some homemade Chinese wine fermenting, with herbs, berrys and several, and I really mean several (dead) snakes contributing everything they had to the effort.

We get up early for an early trip to Shanhai. Beijing has been great, except for the snake wine!

2009-04-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hello from Kim! First night here in Beijing we were treated to a Peking Roast Duck feast which was delicious and so fun. . .despite our lack of sleep and weariness. Fell into our beds in the well-appointed hotel and arose early as our internal clocks were still on MT winter time! Now we have spent a full day sightseeing, eating, shopping and experiencing Beijing! WOW! We are taking it all in--starting with an American breakfast at our Great Wall Sheraton Hotel (infused with some Chinese touches of course and thankfully Good Strong Coffee!), then on the buses to The Temple of Heaven, the Jade Factory and some amazing shopping, the Ming Tombs (picture included), and the highlight, The Great Wall of China! Many of our group made the trek up to the top--I think they said 4000 miles!!!--and you see a picture of us at the bottom after our "afternoon climb" as well as Bob and I on the stairs. Many more pictures of the entire journey when we get home! It was hard in spots but well worth the effort--an amazing view and life experience. I even got the T-shirt to prove it. . ."I Climbed the Great Wall of China"! Interesting tour timing--as next was our short trip to our Dinner/Acrobatic show location, with an extra hour built in for "Chinese Massage"--"only $25 dollar"--with 45 minutes dedicated to our feet! Well, many of us indulged--my first massage--and it was well worth it! Man, my little gal had powerful hands. Those not massaging were in the lounge imbibing in "Snake Wine"--literally with dead (or pickled!) snakes in the bottle and a little Glenlivet to boot! The dinner show was fun to watch although many of us were nodding off--weary from a busy day #1 of our China adventure! Lily, our tour guide, and Mr. Doo, bus driver, delivered us back to the hotel for much-needed rest. Now on to Day #2--Tianamen Square, the Forbidden City, rickshaw ride into old Beijing to locals home, and much more. Off we go--keep tuned, and keep your great comments coming as we love to hear from you all! Nee How!

Day #1

2009-04-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

Our first day went very well for us. All 100 of us successfully made the flight from Seattle to Beijing - see the photo in the Seattle airport. We didn't fly directly west from Seattle, but northwest towards Anchorage, along the chain of Aleutian Islands, over Siberia - Russia, to the east of Japan. It was a 12 hour flight - very tired! We easily cleared customs, found our great tour guide and buses. Today, morning tours and then Great Wall this afternoon.

There are 17 million people here in Beijing - haven't met them all yet. The city is spotlessly clean, but kinda smoggy! We can't drink tap water, but bottled water and Chinese beer is plentiful!

Watch for more pictures. Bob and Kim

From Chamber Guy

2009-04-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

We are about to load up for our Hainan flight to Beijing. There are 100 of us from Kalispell headed to the capitol of the Middle Kingdom! What a great group of people. We could be headed anywhere and having fun with this crew. We are about to spend 14 hours on this flight - so I think we'll all be getting to know each other a lot better. Beiging or bust!

Thelma and Louise here., alias Kim and Denise

2009-04-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

Remember the movie "Thelma and Louise"? Well Kim & Denise took a road trip to visit our boys around the state and somehow we got the nicknames "Thelma and Louise"--so look for us under these Pen Names during this adventure!

Good flight from Kalispell to Seattle, despite our "testy" attendants--told us we had to remove our passport/nametag lanyards from our necks because. . ."if we crash, you will hang yourself". Just another pleasantry from our friendly skies. . .but ??? What??? No time for that!

Here in Seattle after a bite of breakfast, more coffee, a brisk walk and a little shopping we are awaiting the next leg of our journey. Lots of fun ahead of us and a terrific group with which to share and experience new things! More lata. . .

China Joe and Colleen - our fearless Chamber leader!

2009-04-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hello from the Seattle Airport. We are happy to report Joe successfully got us through our airport without incident or accident. Although, the TSA dudes did find my brand-new Swiss Army knife in my briefcase (I thought they had relaxed all the nonsense about little pocket knives.) Oh well, the free world will be safer today because I left behind my cute little knife at the FCA airport - hope I remember where I left it when I return home.

There were 72 of us on our Horizon Airlines flight to Seattle this morning - looking for about another 15 to 20 other travelers that got here yesterday. Our plane for China leaves at 2PM Pacific Time, which means we will have had a 7 hour layover. Hope we can stay out of the ale house before we leave for a 12 hour flight to Beijing.

Take a look at the next post from Kim and Denise. Bob

From Kalispell: T-1 day ,6 Hours

2009-04-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hello from Bob Nystuen. It's Wednesday evening... Kim and I are getting our gear packed-up and learning how to run this blog for our China trip. See the panda bear - we took this picture in Washington DC at the National Zoo in February. You are not going to believe this... they want us to bring this bear back to China on our plane so he can find his soul-mate. The darn bear is at our house in Lakeside now and not very happy with eating pine cones and bark, instead of his normal diet of bamboo.

Stay tuned for more information... Gee, I wonder how the panda bear will like the airplane food??? Bob

PS Got a suggestion for the name of this panda bear?

The trip to come

2009-04-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

Hello, we will be starting a trip "progress report" on our voyage to China with the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce. We leave Friday, April 3rd and will be gone for 10 days. Keep checking in on all of us as everyone on the trip will have a say in what goes up. Enjoy!