We're baaaack!

After months of fretting, packing and organizing, we have returned to stay - or at least stay for a good long while.

The flight over was interesting and one I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. The kids? Oh no, they were wonderful, absolute dreams. Lucky for Tom because I got food poisoning about 1/3 of the way through our first flight. I'm only just now starting to feel better. The up side is that it's a good way to launch my new diet!

Our 22nd floor serviced apartment is quite lovely. The kids love the pool and playground and I like that it's literally attached to the mall and a giant grocery store. That makes life so much easier! Hudson looks out the window a lot and reports on what people are doing at the pool. I prefer the night time view. 

We haven't ventured far because I'm still pretty weak and a bit jet-laggy. Hudson slept 3 hours last night, but took a giant nap today. Maisie slept 8 hours last night (you go, girl!) and is still sleeping now. I didn't sleep at all today and only a few hours last night. Tonight could be a rough one. Jet lag sucks.

We got some great news this morning: Tom's employment pass was approved. "What?" you say. "Didn't you know that already?" Uh no. Actually, the day before the movers came, we were told it'd been denied. Imagine our stunned silence as we sat there and wondered, "What the *&% do we do now?" Lawyers filed an emergency appeal and we delayed the movers by a day deciding to come as tourists and keep our fingers crossed. Thank God it was granted. Now all of our stuff can get on a boat! Maisie asks me often, "So when does my bed get here? It's on a boat, right?" She's funny. She talks about missing her bed, her cousin and her dog a lot. I kind of feel the same :-)

You know what I'm going to miss? Our Connecticut hourse. We' had the darn thing on the market more than a year. When did we get a good offer (the only offer so far)? Literally the agent emailed while we were in the taxi on the way to the airport! Selling it is the right choice, but I'm very blue about it.

Exhausted suddenly - and the H man is just winding up. Bummer.

Th-th-that's all folks!

Well, it’s here: our last day in China - and in Asia. It was a lazy day for us and the kids’ crankiest day by far. We are all ready to go home.

We visited the former king of Guilin’s palace this morning which wasn’t all that interesting. Then, we walked around Guilin’s lake - again, not all that interesting.

After lunch, we visited the Reed Flute Cave, an incredibly accessible cave, perfect for small children. The formations are gorgeous, all the more so because they are lit with all these brilliant colors. Maisie had a ball “guiding” us through using Sherri’s flashlight. Hudson did not have a ball. He wanted to climb and do stupid things so we had to hold his hand or carry him. He was devastated - and loud. 

We visited a rock museum and jade shop quickly and then headed to the airport where we got yet more chicken nuggets. What would kids here do without nuggets? I can’t imagine taking kids to China 20 years ago even though both our kids are doing pretty well eating Asian food. I’m proud of them.

We’re headed back to Shanghai and tomorrow, we’ll go home. I’m ready. Soon, we'll hug all those we love, play with Digby and sleep in our own beds. Wahoo! Maisie is SO excited!

Limestone and Rice

Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to welcome you to the scenic portion of your trip. 

Guilin is an area surrounded by rock formations. Bizarre “knobs” of limestone stick up in the air all over the place here. From the city, you get a decent eyeful, but we took a boat down the Li River. Now THAT was a view!

The water is incredibly clean - perhaps the cleanest in China - and reflective which makes for some really nice eye candy. The 4.5 hour photofest down the river was broken up with lunch and some lovely Canadians who were also traveling. Maisie took a shining to one grandmother and stalked the poor woman all over the boat. On top of the buffet, we ordered one of the braised fish they offered so before we headed up river, the boat stopped and bought our fish from the local fisherman off of her little boat. Now that’s fresh!

Off the boat, we shopped on West Street, a tourist street that had stuff we hadn’t seen anywhere else. Refreshing, but we were out of money so we didn’t buy much. It’s incredibly frustrating to shop here because nobody takes credit cards and banks that take our card are far and few between. That’s probably a good thing or we’d be divorced. Tom and I always differ about what we want to take home. He gets mad when we buy something for $10 that he could have gotten for $6. He hates feeling ripped off. I feel like it’s from our trip and at home it’d cost $20 so it’s still a bargain. Tom is incredibly generous - always. He’s also a shopper, but not like I am when it comes to trip trinkets and gifts.

Anyway, after our window shopping, we got on an open-air bus of sorts and toured the countryside, getting a close up view of the rice paddies and farming industry. The backdrop of the rocks made it all the more special. We were mostly on paved roads just driving along the farms.

We did stop at one “old” house (400 years?) and got a chance to see how people used to live - and still do. Maisie got a kick out of the chickens she kept in the house.

The tour operator with whom we booked the trip treated us for dinner. I’ve never, ever heard of that before and apparently it’s rare, but he wanted to meet the people touring with small kids! Ha! I think he also wanted to get some ideas for promoting family travel in China with his company. He’s a nice egg and even brought presents for the kids! Again, out of the 20+ travel operators I contacted, he is the ONLY one who came up with ideas of things to do with the kids like dumpling making and kite flying.

I think my dad would have really liked Guilin. Who knows? He may have even come here. I wish I knew exactly where they went on their China trip. Of course, they traveled here 25 years ago so things would have been much different then. I think things would have been better then. Today, everything is so westernized.

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect, something I’ve been craving since going to Singapore. And unlike the rest of China, we had blue skies our whole visit here.

An Early Birthday Present!

Anybody who knows me knows I’m a bit of an animal freak. I love animals of all shapes and sizes. When I was first starting out on-air at News 12 New Jersey, I begged to host the station’s pet show. My “test” interview was a woman who raised rats. I let them crawl all over me and a tail even wandered down the front of my blouse. I got the job  - and with it all sorts of opportunities to meet cool animals. 

Today, I met one of my all-time favorites: the panda bear. 

 

Chengdu is home to the Panda Breeding Center which was high on my list to visit in China. I didn’t know much about it except that they had a lot of pandas there. Turns out, the place is beautifully landscaped - not surprisingly using lots of bamboo. It’s a bit like a small zoo except the only two animals there are giant pandas and red pandas which aren’t even related to pandas.

The first enclosure was the teenage pandas. We saw one big panda there with his/her back to us, munching on bamboo. I figured that was how the day would be - that we would have traveled all this way only to see the backs of pandas. Even that would have been cool.

The next enclosure took my breathe away. There were about a dozen, 2-year-old pandas, each about the same age as Hudson and just as active. We were standing about ten feet away from the group as they wrestled and played and chomped on bamboo. They were the absolute cutest things ever.

The kids liked them for about five minutes. Tom and I watched for at least a half hour. And oh - two appeared to be having oral sex - then a third joined in. I’m not sure what was going on there!

Then we stood in a long line to see the panda nursery. They had two, brand new baby pandas and one that a bit older, I’m guessing maybe a month old. Oh gosh - that one was the cutest of all. They don’t let anybody spend much time looking because so many people want to see. 

The adult pandas were a little harder to spot, but we still got a good view of them, especially two big ones in the trees, just hanging around. The branches didn’t even look strong enough to hold all that weight.

You can get your photo taken with the pandas, but it’s really pricey and they only accept cash. Sadly, we tried to get enough cash out last night and the machine just wouldn’t give us much so we only had enough money for one of us to get the photo taken. I knew what the deal was last night, but as we were walking away from the photo spot, I found myself pretty disappointed. I tried not to show it. I mean, it was what it was, right? 

Suddenly - totally out of the blue - Hudson started singing the “Happy Birthday” song! Ha! So... I suggested that maybe it be my birthday present. I know. I know. I should be a good mom and let the kids do it. After all, Hudson would have been free and they could have done it together. In truth though, both kids are just a little too young to appreciate it. Tom didn’t seem too bothered at the thought of not doing it so - my birthday came early this year - and oh what a present!

They had me put on a surgical gown, surgical booties and plastic gloves. Then I got to sit next to a two-year-old on a bench which he munched on apples. Um - that two year old is much bigger than mine - with much bigger teeth and ultra long, sharp, curved nails! And his mommy doesn’t make him take a bath every day either! Through the plastic gloves, I could feel that his fur is bristly and it made me think a little bit of a kitchen sink brush. The keepers took twenty photo with my camera and a few with Tom’s iPhone. It was a very cool experience that probably lasted a total of two minutes.

As I left, they changed pandas so somebody else could have a turn. That panda made the funniest, highest pitch sound ever as they carried him off! I was so surprised!

The money goes to support the breeding center, an important place since the other center was destroyed by the earthquake as was much of their natural environment.I got a DVD, very nice sweatshirt and certificate. What a great gift!!! Yea Tom! And our lovely guide bought the kids little stuffed pandas. THAT was a nice thing to do, too. She must have thought I was the most selfish person in the world that I didn’t let the kids do it. I know that if the kids were just a year older, I’d have let them without hesitation. But at this age, they were both probably happier with the toy than the experience. Of that, I’m pretty certain.

Afterwards, we had lunch in some nice, clean, non-descript restaurant. Maisie again wolfed down some sort of Chinese chicken dish while Hudson had nothing. 

 

Next we went to People’s Park, a place that is a very small version of New York’s Central Park. I didn’t see any other tourists there - or very few any way. Maisie tried to keep up with a group exercise dance that made me think of a Chinese line dance. It was just one of the many musical things going on in the park, the loudest place ever with all sorts of conflicting music.

There were people playing chinese checkers, mahjong, cards - you name it. And there were “ads” on laminated cards that were about 5x8 in size, sticking on sticks in the ground. Some were ads for things for sale, some were personals - the works.

In Chengdu, a teahouse is outside and not the least bit like the teahouse we visited in Beijing. May insisted we go since it’s really a part of daily life here.

We ordered chrysanthemum and jasmine teas. Before it came, men in silk, smoking-like jackets wielding weird tools descended upon us.

They were - are you ready for this because we weren’t - professional ear cleaners. Yes, while we sipped on tea, these middle-aged Chinese men wearing mining lamps went to work on our ears with little brushes.

May swore they’re sanitary. Then, when our ears were deemed clean, they took out these REALLY long, massive tweezer-like things (pitch forks maybe and hit them together somehow making the ear cleaner vibrate inside our ear - giving us “an inner ear massage.”

The ear-cleaning/massage was followed by a neck/back/arm massage - the oddest one I’ve ever had. Forget Turkish baths, spitting shamans or mud rubs. This was perhaps the single, weirdest local tradition in which I’ve ever partaken on my travels only because it just seemed so out of left field. At least odd shaman rituals are about religion. Again, we were the only tourists there. Most were locals there for their daily cup of tea and ear cleaning. Who knew?!

The kids delighted everybody running through all the tables chasing each other and laughing. Can you imagine the dirty looks they'd get in an American restaurant?! Man, people here love them. I kind of feel like we’re getting a taste of what it must be like to be chased by the paparazzi and let me just say that I don’t want to be Angelina Jolie. Navigating the crowds slows us down big time. At times today, we had at least 50 people gathered around us wanting to take pictures of the kids. Hudson is the biggest draw, but they love Maisie, too. Hudson is just plain sick of it. Maisie either loves it or hates it depending on her mood. When she loves it, she strikes a “Charlie’s Angel” type pose. All she needs is the gun.

With our now spotless ears, we hit Zhangwu Street, a new shopping area fashioned after the ancient town we visited yesterday. There are three such streets in Chengdu, this one, the one where our hotel was and another one we didn’t see. This one was beautifully executed and felt very old. 

This was the first time since we got to China that we have had time on our own to walk around without a guide. What a relief! The shops were expensive and had nothing that we hadn’t seen elsewhere though I did find Hudson the cutest pair of Chinese boots that will be perfect for Halloween. We visited a Starbucks (the only Western store) and had some very welcome, good coffee - finally!  No wonder people here drink tea. Coffee in China is terrible.

We saw babies here in potty training - which means big holes in the bottom of their pants. We've seen that all over, but for the first time, we saw a baby being carried in a basket. This may be "new" and a "tourist area," but we were among the only Westerners here. I loved it.

We got to the airport early and feasted on Pizza Hut. We were just as happy as the kids were to have something more familiar. I’m all for eating new things, but after almost 30 meals of “new” food, we were all ready for something we recognized.

Today was definitely a keeper. I took more photos today than any other. Partly because of the pandas, but I also got a lot of “real” Chinese people’s faces as they went about their daily lives today: old men playing games, babies in baskets, old women laughing. It was a fun day to shoot.

Our flight to Guilin took off on time - 7:45PM, the earliest flight of the day! Luckily, both kids are in great moods still and wide awake. We won’t get there to the hotel til 11 or so again. I hate that, but it is what it is.

Amazingly - and I do mean amazingly - the kids have done incredibly well without sleep. Yes, they’ve grabbed naps here and there in the car and in the stroller (especially Hudson), but they are definitely way behind on their shut eye (as are we!). Maisie usually has massive meltdowns when she’s tired, but she has been better than usual here. She has been a bit hyper and wild which is also from lack of sleep, but she’s not tantrumming. I think they’re both born travelers. How lucky!  This is Maisie’s tenth country in her short four years on the planet! Hudson? He’s clocked eight so far! I also think Maisie is starting to figure out how to self-regulate which is beyond great and will be the key to her testing out of therapy in the future. If she can handle transitions here, she can hopefully handle them at school.

She’s definitely homesick though. She misses her friends desperately. Truth? I’m a little homesick, too.

Unexpected Marvels

There’s a ying to every yang. While parts of China have really depressed me, Chengdu has been really lovely. I had no idea what to expect here so there was no living up to expectations. Truth is, I had no expectations at all.

For starters, we love our guide. May speaks fluent English, has a great personality, loves kids and knows her stuff. WOW. What a difference that makes!Plus, our hotel is really, really neat. It’s called the Buddha Zen Hotel and is a very old Chinese home with all three floors of rooms opening onto a central courtyard. The linens are lovely, the bathroom has beautiful tile and the AC works. Man, we’re in hog heaven. If I ever, ever do China again, I will be far pickier about the quality of hotels. We were trying to do it cheap because we figured we’d be spending very little time in our rooms which is true. Still, there’s something nice about a good bed and clean shower.

May says that while people in Beijing live to work, people live in Chengdu to be happy. There is definitely a different vibe here. The city is still incredibly busy, the air still thick with pollution. And like Shanghai and Beijing, much of Chengdu is new with top end stores from around the globe. There’s a brand new airport here and city square which sports one of the five remaining statues of Chairman Mao in the country.

We only came to Chengdu to see the pandas which we’ll see tomorrow. I had no idea anything else here was worth seeing. In fact, even though Chengdu is China’s fourth largest city, I’d never even heard of it. That’s like folks not kowing about Houston! 

We drove about two hours to Leshan see the largest Buddha carved into stone in the world. Think of Mount Rushmore only it was done 1800 years ago! It sits above the Min River so you can only see it by boat. The kids weren’t too impressed and I found myself thinking I might have preferred to skip the long drive and just wandered around Chengdu for a bit, but I’m glad we went if for no other reason than because everybody napped in the car. Amazingly, though the kids got about half their normal sleep last night, we had no big meltdowns today. In fact, I’d say both kids were in a great mood all day except Hudson didn’t want to go on the boat at first. I was in shock. I figured we’d just have a day of tears again. Maisie had her best travel day of all perhaps. Go figure.

Chengdu is in the Szechuan province, famous for it’s food - spicy food. Near the river, we had a yummy lunch and the most modern restaurant we’ve tried yet. I actually felt like maybe the place was even - oh I dunno - not a health risk. The bathroom only had holes in the floor, but they were CLEAN holes. So clean, in fact, that Maisie peed over one without even the tiniest complaint. Tom and I ate one spicy dish, a dish May told them to hold off the spice for us - ha! Maisie fell in love with some mild, beef dish and ate the entire thing by herself. 

After lunch, we drove again to maybe my favorite spot of the whole trip so far: Huanglongxi Ancient Town. The tour operator suggested this. I never even bothered to read up on it. Oh my gosh - it is really wonderful.

The town is built in two sections: new and old. The new section has some water from the local river running right through it in the summer. In the fall, the water is drained, but the part that holds the water is still charming with stone fish, turtles and the like. The town has cobbled, planted streets and gorgeous, old-style buildings and shops galore. It just has this beautiful, magical feel. It’s like the Chinese version of Giethorn, my favorite town in Holland that has beautiful homes built on canals. They call is the Venice of the North. Well, this would be the Venice of Asia if you ask me. There aren't canals for boats, but the "new" part is all built around a central river and is incredibly well landscaped. It’s not huge, but it’s big enough and quite special.

The old section was originally built 1700 years ago, but was refurbished 300 years ago. Ha! The movie“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” has much of it’s scenery based on the areas here. There are also a lot of temples in town. I could have spent a couple of more hours here, but it was starting to sprinkle - the first rain of our entire trip. Plus, we had to get the kids to bed.

Maisie really liked this town, mostly because they sell flower wreaths to wear on your head. The guide bought her one right away and she was in hog heaven. While our kids have been tourist attractions in their own right at every location, nowhere has the mob been like it was here. There were easily 50 people gathered around our kids at different times just wanting to look at them, some even wanted to hold them. This town isn’t as big with Westerners so I think the blond head and blue eyes are even more of an attraction. When we first got to China, Hudson was scared by all the attention. Then, they both learned to ham it up. Now? They’re sick of it. Today I think we all got a little freaked by it. Maisie and Hudson were both screaming, “NO!” though laughing while they did it. 

Maisie has been such a good big sister on this trip. She really watches out for Hudson and even tries to help us carry the stroller. Ha!

We got back to our hotel after dark - yet again. The area around our hotel is really interesting - cobbled streets with no cars allowed. All the buildings are old-style and quite quaint with lots of shops it seems. We’ve had no time to walk around. I told May I’d like to do so and she said, “Oh no. Tomorrow we’ll visit another area even more charming.” I can’t even imagine.

We’re pretty much out of snacks at this point which is scaring me a bit. We bought a few at the grocery tonight, but I’m not even sure what they are. Luckily, we’ve found a lot of fresh bananas and the like so that’s helping. Maisie had a HUGE Asian pear this afternoon and thought it was sent from Heaven itself.

For dinner, we took the kids around the corner from our hotel to a place that seemed to be just for them. The joint sells hot dogs and is decorated with all these Western icons, Mickey Mouse, Thomas, Spiderman and the like. They gobbled down their food and we went to the room. I completely repacked our bag and sent Tom out to get us dinner. He came back with these four LONG skewers of meat and some muffins. I opted for the muffins since my stomach was not in good shape today at all. “Life ain’t worth living without Immodium” is my motto here in China.