China, The Great Wall

Is this not the most adorable bear in the world?

 

Unfortunately the Giant Panda is on the endangered list and only about 2000 of these lovely creatures can still be found in the wild.
We visited the Panda House in Chongqin and I could not tear myself away from these delightful animals.  I was completely captivated watching their antics and could have stayed for hours.

 

But time did not permit us to stay as we had to catch our flight to Kunming and a visit to the Stone Forest.

 

These fantastically shaped pillars of rock are scattered over an area of 80hectares, the tallest of them reaches 30m.Some of the formations have very imposing names like “Moon Grazing Rhino”, Everlasting Fungus and Sword Pond.”
Whilst in Kunming we visited a silk factory and the embroideries being made there are exquisite. Some of the tapestries take months to complete.

 

Our next stop as per itinerary was Dali. This charming old city is situated on Lake Erhai at the foot of the magnificent Cangshan mountain Range.

 

The national costume of the local girls is simply gorgeous and must be the most colourful in the country.

 

Last but not least was a visit to the Great Wall.



 

The statistics for this construction are amazing.
Built to fortify the northern border, the wall is nearly 20.000km long and can be up to 9m in width.
Building started as early as the 7th century BC, but the main structure by Emperor Qin Shi Huang was done in 220 – 206 BC. Very little of this section of the Wall remains today.

Climbing up the steps is quite a feat as they differ in height. Coming down was even more difficult.  Our guide told us that running on the wall on the uneven steps was impossible.

 

I made it to level 7 and the view from above was really something.

 

A couple of treasures we found on our way.

This is the last post for China.
On to a different Country for my next adventure.

 

China, the Li River

One of the prettiest places I visited in China is Guilin. This beautiful city is situated on the west bank of the Li river and its name means “Forrest of Sweet Osmanthus”  due to the large number of these fragrant trees growing all over the City.

 

But I am getting ahead of myself.
Before we explored Guilin we set off for a 4 hour Cruise on the Li River. Unfortunately heavy rain clouds somewhat spoiled our view, but we could still see the magnificent scenery.

 

Life on board was fun with people joining us from all over the world. Food was supplied and we had a delicious fish lunch.

 

On the way we saw all kind of “strange” things. Cormorand fishermen followed us part of the way and showed off the skill of their trained  fishing birds.
 

 

Merchants on their little boats ‘stalked’ us all the way eager to make a sale.

 

The end of our journey was the quaint town of Yangshuo. 
By the time the boat docked it had started to rain which somehow dampened our spirits. We started to explore the town, but soon were soaked to the skin and we returned to the Hotel for a change of clothing.
We only had one night in Yangshuo  so time was scarces; we had to board the bus for our trip to the famous “Assembling Dragon Cave”. This is a limestone cave and the formation of stalagmites and stalactites are something to behold.   I was not too keen on the coloured lights, but then, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

The highlight of this day came at night when we saw the “Liu Sanjie” Show which was absolutely amazing.
More than 600 artists kept us enthralled for 90 minutes. This light show was performed on the Li River and it was simply wonderful.  Luckily the rain stopped for the duration of the show.

 

The next morning on our way back to Guilin we visited a working farm in the area. The farmer was a real character and kept us entertained for an hour showing us how to work his farm implements.

 

We arrived safely back in Guilin and were now able to see a bit more of town. The best view is had from a small hill called “Folded Brocade”. We had to climb 430 steps but the view from above over the town and river was worth the pain.

 

Whilst  in China we encountered a few very funny signposts. This is one of them.

More of my visit to China next week.

 

China, Xi'An

In March 1974 a local farmer from the small village of Yangeun in rural China went with 2 fellow labourers into the fields to sink a new well.
What they discovered is one of the most amazing finds of the twentieth century.
This is the terra cotta army of China’s first Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di who ruled from 221 to 210 BC.

When the news was heard around the world, archaeologists went wild.
Never has anything of this size been found and it is considered the most fabulous reserve  in the world.

Today around 2 million people visit this astonishing site every year.
It is estimated that there are 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. Non military figures include acrobats and musicians.

The site truly boggles your mind. There are kneeling archers – my favourite – infantry men and generals.
All have different  facial features and hairstyles and are simply incredible.

It is ongoing work to restore all of the figures to their former glory, but the colours which were found on some of the soldiers will not be renewed, they are all now ‘terra cotta’ colour.

The Museum is only 30km from Xi’an a charming old city I immediately fell in love with. It has a strong wall which surrounds it and I had the pleasure of taking a leisurely walk on it.

The main tourist attractions are the Bell and the Drum Towers. Both were buildin the 14th Century.                               

Continuation of my China adventure next week.

 

Brazil, The Rio Negro

If you think your mind is playing tricks on you, rest assured it is not.
These delightful creatures are the pink dolphins of the Rio Negro and I had the pleasure of watching them on my recent trip to Brazil.
I had booked a 7 day, 7 night cruise on the M/Y Tucano which took us way up the Rio Negro to watch the wildlife living in and out of the water.
And what an adventure it was.
We boarded the Tucano in Manaus and slowly made our way up river. The Tucano is the only commercial vessel allowed to go far up into the Rio Negro National Park and for a time we did not see another human being.

There was plenty of wildlife though.

Our days started early. Wake up call was at 5.20 for the 5.50 start of our first canoe ride to hear and watch the forest wake up.
We saw all kind of birds but our biggest excitement was the spotting of a sloth.

There was plenty of time to take pictures as this curious animal moves in slow motion.
We were back for  breakfast and set off again at 10, this time on terra firma. Our guides had to cut our path through the thick rain forest with a machete and I do not know to this day how they found the way back to the canoe.
It was back to the boat for lunch and a rest. We set off for another exploration at 4pm. And the treasures we found!

Capucine monkeys must be the most adorable little animals on the planet. These were feeding and oblivious to our presence.
On one of these excursions we travelled into water so calm that we could not distinguish the waterline.

Back on the boat, dinner was ready for us at 6.30pm and at 8pm we set off again to see the night creatures.
How our guides knew where to find them is still a mystery to me.
Another highlight for me was the day we went Piranha fishing. I was very lucky and caught the biggest one.

I had it for dinner the next day. It was delicious.

The Rio Negro has clear but brown water and we used it daily for our showers – cold! Towards the end of our tour we went for a swim, which was enjoyed by everybody.

On our last day, on the way home we went past Manaus to see the water line where the Rio Negro and the Amazon meet. This line is normally very straight, but because it was a very windy and choppy day, the edge was a bit crooked.

These two rivers continue to flow next to each other for a few kilometres before they finally mingle and become one river, the mighty Amazon.

When I left Australia I put plenty of insect repellent into my bag. I did not need it. Surprise, surprise there were no mosquitoes. We did not see one for the whole 7 days.
Not during the day, not at night. Fire ants, yes! Mosquitoes, no!
Can I recommend this trip? Whole heartedly!

 

 

Botswana

“Thief, stop that thief!”  I was sitting in the garden of the Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe, when I heard the woman’s voice. Turning around I just caught a glimpse of the thief. It was a monkey. The couple was having a leisurely lunch on the open terrace, when the culprit came and stole their food.  Fortunately everybody present could see the funny side  and the place erupted with laughter. I guarded my meal very closely after that.
The Hotel was very comfortable and provided accommodation for all kinds of living things.

It is also very close to the Falls and the spray could be seen from the terrace.
Because it had been raining for weeks, the Falls were gushing.

It was a beautiful sunny day when we went for a visit. All of us were issued a raincoat, but we still got soaked. There was so much spray that it obstructed  the view in certain places.

Elephants!  Have you ever been so close to one of those magnificent animals, that,  if you stretched out your hand you could touch him? I mean in the wild?

If you want to do that, you have to go to Botswana. This country has the highest number of elephants in Africa, they are a protected species here.
The Chobe Game Lodge is situated in the north of the Chobe National Park and I stayed there for 5 days.
In that time, I saw elephants, lions, hippos, giraffes, zebras, crocodiles, Impalas, buffalos,  antilopes  and lots and lots of monkeys.
Every morning before breakfast we would go and see the large herds of elephants by the river. After breakfast we would go on safari again, this time watching out for all the other animals listed above.

After lunch we set off on the Zambesi River and I saw two elephants swimming across to Zambia. The guide told us that we were very lucky to witness this as most elephants are quite happy to stay in Botswana.
We also observed some hippos from a distance. These animals might look very slow, but are the most dangerous of the ‘Big Five’. They have killed more people than all the others combined.
One animal that I just loved was the Impala. This graceful antilope must be one of the prettiest animals on the planet. We watched them leap and I could not stop admiring them.

If you love wildlife, Botswana is for you.

This will be my last post for approximately 3 months. I am off gathering new material.

USA, Charleston

Scarlett and Rhett spent a some of their time in Charleston and that is where we headed next.
On the way we stopped in Beaufort, the town best selling author Pat Conroy calls home. The Great Santini and The Prince of Tides are two of his well known works. Both of them have  been made into movies.
We took a leisurely stroll through the historic district

and enjoyed our walk along Bay Street, a cool breeze blowing along the shore.
Unfortunately, Pat Conroy was nowhere to be seen.
When we hired our car in Atlanta, we were wise to also include a GPS unit in our rental. We named her ‘Lola’ and she was a great help for most of the time.
Without  her we would have never found our way to the B & B in Charleston.
This vibrant city has changed a bit since the ‘Gone with the Wind’ days.
What has remained from those glorious days are the gracious mansions at Battery Park.

Could I imagine living in one of them? Well, here was my chance! It was a bargain - priced down from 3.5 Million to 2.0

A visit to Charleston has to include a trip to a real plantation. Our choice was “Magnolia”.  This magnificent estate has remained the property of the same family since it was built in 1676

A little train took us on a tour around the homestead and I could picture Scarlett and Melanie  in their long dresses,  sun umbrellas over their shoulders,  going for a stroll in the garden  enjoying  the fresh air.

The stark contrast to the main building were the slave quarters.
I could not envision  living in one of those.

Trying to return our rental car in Atlanta we experienced a bit of drama.
‘Lola’ did not want to go back to base. We programmed her ‘go home’ and  ended up in a really plush hotel right in the centre of town. We could understand that she liked to live here, but we needed to return the vehicle.
We figured if we put ‘return car’ into her system all would be well.
But ‘Lola’ was stubborn. She guided us to the “Dairy Queen”,  a fast food outlet on the outskirts of the airport and insisted this was where she lived. Three times she took us around the block until we finally gave in, entered the shop and asked for directions.
The puzzle was solved very quickly. Yes indeed ‘Lola’ did reside here until about 2 years ago when the company packed up and moved closer to the airport.
Oh the joys of travel!
Thank you my friend for suggesting a visit to this beautiful part of the US.