Six days in Switzerland and 75 years young – Part 1

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After few hours on the train from Zurich with just the one change at Bern we disembarked from our
train at Interlaken Ost (East) not to be confused with Interlaken West.

The stations are at each end of town with a shuttle bus running between them so doesn’t matter which you choose but on the advice of our very friendly guard we choose the east as it was well within walking distance of our hotel, Hotel Du Nord, Interlaken. 
The view from deck outside our room
After a smooth check in and a bit of a rest we decided to set out and explore the very picturesque Interlaken, with hang gliders landing in the park opposite the hotel and snow capped mountains sounding us, it was exactly as I imagined only more spectacular . 


The blue sky and warm weather only added to our very first Swiss experience. after wandering, a sumptuous hot chocolate (I am forever spoiled when it comes to hot chocolate) and taking in the sights close to the hotel we headed for a little Chinese place we had seen earlier in the day for dinner. A dish and a rice and we were done and ready to turn in. 

 Interlarken surrounded by snowcapped mountains and with Hang gliders dropping in with regularity in the park across from our hotel provided us with picture postcard backdrop for the next few days. Below are few photos around Interlaken before the story continues with our day on the mountain.

Our Day on the Mountain              


We organised to head for the Jungfraujoch the next day as the forecast was good an on the advice of the hotel staff should do it while the going is good otherwise the weather could close in later in the 
weak and it wont be worth doing. Jungfraujoch lies at a height of 3,466 meters (11,371 ft) above sea level in the Bernese Alps, on the boundary between the cantons of Bern and Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch.

A complex tunnel connects the railway station to the Top of Europe building and an elevator to the summit of the Sphinx, A scientific observatory, the Sphinx Observatory, is also located here. a peak

Not they highest I have been in the world, that was Independence Pass (Colorado) It is at elevation 12,095 ft (3,687 m) but that is about as high as I want to go.

As promised the next morning dawned with another clear blue skied  day and we keen to set off on our first or a number day trips in Switzerland. Interlaken proved to be a great base for each of our day trips it was nice to be in one place for a a string of nights. Our first train was to the little village of Grindelwald where we wandered for awhile taking in the sights before boarding train two at Lauterbrunnen station, our final train for the trip to the top was a cog wheel train. 





The railway runs almost entirely within the Jungfrau Tunnel, built into the Eiger and Mönch mountains and containing two stations in


the middle of the tunnel, where passengers can disembark to observe the neighbouring mountains through windows built into the mountainside. 






It was great to be able to stop on the way up to check out the views.


Some two hours after leaving Interlaken we found ourselves at the Top of Europe, we decided to have lunch (not too bad food and price-wise for a bistro with a captive crowd) before heading up to the lookout and face the cold (or not as cold as we expected as it turned out).

At the Sphinx are enclosed and open viewing platforms, with views over the Aletsch Glacier and the surrounding peaks.  Also accessed via the tunnels is the Ice Palace, a series of ice caverns beneath the glacier, and the Alpine Sensation, which presents a display on the touristic development of the Alps and the history of the Jungfraujoch Railway.
The view from the platform was mind blowing and I would recommend anyone that has the chance to take the time to go up especially on a clear day as it feels like you are looking over all of Europe. Our stay at the top was interesting including a visit to the ice caves and standing out on the actual mountain.
How or why would anyone contemplate building a rail line up this majestic mountain is beyond me, it must have been such difficult job but they did it never the less.  After few hours wandering around and checking out all that as on offer we boarded the trusty little cogwheel train for the decent back down the mountain.  

Once we got off the cog wheel train back at Lauterbrunnen station which is a railway station in the village and municipality of Lauterbrunnen in the Swiss canton of Bern. The station is on the Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB), whose trains operate services to Interlaken Ost. 



The ice-cave carved in the mountain

We ventured outside to get the feel of bein on the mountain

It is also the valley terminus of the Wengernalpbahn where we changed trains to travel back to Interlaken Ost via Wengen, we decided to take Wengen side back to Interlaken so we could see the other side of the mountain and really get a chance to see some of the amazing waterfalls along this side of the mountain. Lots of end season skiers and snowboarder heading back down which only added to the experience and provided a small insight into what this place would be like in high season. One thing that amazed me was the number of hikers that we dotted all over the mountain taking in the various pre-marked walks. We arrived home and decided on soup for dinner so called into same Chinese place from previous night for quick bite before calling it a day. 




















and this end our second full day in Switzerland.

Neuschwanstein Castle, Cuckoo Clocks and Munich’s Rathaus-Glockenspiel

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After a our time in Berlin it was time to head off on the next leg of our journey, Munich. As per usual I had us waiting on the platform with long before we really needed to be there. It was cold but it made us appreciate our very comfortable carriage on board.

The best part of travelling by train is the ability to relax and enjoy the scenery or get up and move around when needed, of course the buffet car which are well suppled with delicious eats. We got in the habit of buying a roll on the platform before boarding and only ordered coffee when needed. The food at train stations in Europe is amazing always a fantastic selection and so hard to choose, but I usually came away with baguette with various filling, just love those rolls.
It was a pleasant day spent watch Germany countryside slide by, always something interesting to see and the staff on board really look after first class passengers.

We arrived in Munich right on time, another feature of European trains they are one time almost all the time. Our hotel the Le Meridian was right outside the station and so we were all checked in by 5.30pm and decided on dinner in the hotel restaurant Le Potager as we still feeling tired even though we hadn’t done much except sit. Our room was very comfortable and we looking forward to spending the next four nights in one place.

Day one in Munich we found a Coffee Fellows near the hotel for breakfast which consisted of a sensational bagel with cream cheese for me and and a bacon and egg on bagel for mum, fresh juice and coffee got us set for the day.

It was red bus time 
we decided to get our bearings by doing the circuit and look at the sites from onboard. This is always a good choice todays route included Palace of Nymphenburg, the former summer residence of the Bavarian elector princes and kings with its beautiful and spacious gardens. 

Ludwig I


To get an impression of modern Munich, you will visit the Olympic grounds where you will find other attractions like Sea Life, the BMW museum and the new BMW Car World. You will have a fantastic panoramic view from the top of the 290 meter high Olympic Tower. 






We passed through the former artist quarter of Schwabing where we strolled along Leopold street. 
The frequent stopping points make this tour an unforgettable Munich( or anywhere) experience. 



We left the bus at  starting point near the station before walking back to the old town and visiting Marienplatz  and the famous Viktualien Food Market, City Hall, Cathedral, Church of St Peter. 


After a pretty long day we headed back to hotel, picking up a bit takeaway( another baguette for me) from the train station for dinner and turned in pretty early. Up early tomorrow for our Castles Tour day trip so early night is appreciated by us both.  


 On the agenda for day two Linderhof and Oberammergau 2-hour visit to King Ludwig’s Linderhof hunting lodge Sightseeing and shopping in Oberammergau, famous site of the Passion Play  and the highlight and main purpose of our trip was a visit to Neuschwanstein Castle. 


 More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with as many as 6,000 per day in the summer. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland‘s Sleeping Beauty Castle. 




We took the short time allowed for shopping in Oberammergau to purchase two cuckoo clocks  (called the store from Switzerland and ordered a third clock) that were being packaged up for shipping home before we were back on the bus. I think we made a quick sweep of the main shopping area and were back on the bus( first I might add) within 30 minutes.  Oberammergau is a fascinating place, especially with all the painted houses  and I will always remember our stop at Oberammergau due to the cuckoo clock that goes off on the half hour in our sitting room. I always try to make one significant purchase to remember my trips and this was it for this trip. 

Our day trip was long but it was all that we imagined and made seeing these places so easy and so well organised, not sure if the two people that missed the bus from Neuschwanstein Castle  which as we thought was the highlight of the day, not sure how we climbed such a steep hill and so many steps inside the castle but we did it. It was downhill all the way for the 2km walk back to the village and our bus where after an ice-cream we thankfully collapsed in our seats for the 2 hour journey home. Bus was quiet on the way home, wonder why? It was about this point in our trip I think our fitness levels had improved but boy all the walking if it didn’t kill us it made us feel stronger.

Day three in Munich was Sunday so all was quiet except for soccer fans pouring in from all over for a soccer game, we had a lie in before finding a restaurant in hotel nearby for a decent breakfast of bacon, eggs and all the trimmings then heading to town square to watch the Rathaus-Glockenspiel play at 11am. It plays every day at 11 a.m. (as well as 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. in summer) it chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century to the amusement of mass crowds of tourists and locals. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. This was fun and if you have five minutes to spare watch the video I have posted on the right of this blog. After watching display we wandered the streets then joined the congregation of the parish church of Saint Peter, whose 91 metres high tower is commonly known as “Alter Peter” – Old Peter – and which is emblematic of Munich, is the oldest recorded parish church in Munich and presumably the originating point for the whole city. 

 No we didn’t climb the 299 steps for the 360 degree view from Old Peter but if we had this is what we have seen.


No shops open on sunday but most restaurants and beer halls were open for business and it was surprising the number of people just wandering around in the city, I guess the football could have been one reason but people just seemed to be out enjoying the day.

My favourite view from the bridge above the Neuschwanstein Castle



Next morning we had a little time to explore shops before boarding our train to Zurich, which was just a stopover on our way to Interlaken Switzerland our base for the next 6 days. The train ride and the night in Zurich was uneventful and was really just that a break in our journey, next time I would go right through to Interlaken from Munich in the one day.










Who’d thought I would ever find myself in Berlin, Germany

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After a very comfortable night where we both slept reasonably well and woke feeling quite refreshed. With the packing done we checked out of our hotel after deciding we would get something to eat at the station once I had validated our Global Pass train passes.


A short walk to the station, dodging bikes and the pedestrian traffic which all seemed to be going the opposite direction to us. We quickly had our passes validated, travelling first class allowed us to make use of the lounge facilities where we could relax and eat from the complimentary breakfast bar while waiting for our train ( as usual I had us there with oodles of time to spare but I really hate rushing when trying to find our way).

We boarded our direct train to Berlin from platform 10b at 11:01am for our 6 hour trip in very comfortable carriage, no-one else in our section which was great. spend the day napping and watching the great scenery pass us by, can I say it again, this is the way to travel in Europe.

As the day was drawing to a close we arrived in Berlin, we left the train one station too early, a problem easily rectified by catching the next city train from the other side of the same platform, and finally getting off at Berlin’s Station Hauptbahnhof (Central Station).

Within minutes of stepping on german soil we were in cab being whisked to our hotel in Potsdamer Platz district. Our hotel was the very fancy Wyndham Grand Hotel which has built inside an old sandstone factory and was so well done. We checked in and freshened up before heading down to The Post restaurant for our first real meal since leaving home, I had the Rinderfilet (Filet of beef) and mum settled for Zitrus- Maispoulardenbrust (Lemon corn poulard (chicken) breast). This was a memorable meal and the service great but we both hit the wall quickly and it wasnt long before we fell into bed exhausted.

With one full day to make the most of our day in Berlin we up early and walked down to Potsdamer Platz square for a roll and coffee for breakfast all while trying to work out where the main stop was for the red Hop on Hop off bus was.

After wandering around for awhile we eventually located the stop not too far away but not in it’s usual stop due to road works.

We purchased our 24 hour ticket and as it was fairly cool we decided we would do the full circuit first then decide where we would get off for a closer look. With 20 stops around the city such as Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenberg Gate,  Jewish Museum and not to mention a section of the Berlin Wall which was a surreal experience.

After our lap around the city we decided to get off at Checkpoint Charlie and have some lunch before continuing on our way. Lunch was the best tomato soup and a pizza at a little Italian place (Sotto Sopra) within sight of Checkpoint Charlie, amazing to think this was such an important place in history and here we were having our lunch.

After lunch Brandenberg Gate was our chosen stop to explore further this amazing city. Unfortunately
by time the bus got back to this stop there was some sort of demonstration taking place so the bus was forced to re-route in very heavy traffic. Upside was we got to go down some interesting streets that aren’t on the usual route.

We decided to hop off at the famous KaDeWa department store.

About KaDeWa (taken from website)

What apparently started as an adventurous idea by the Berlin merchant Adolf Jandorf in 1905 surpassed all expectations when KaDeWe was opened in March 1907. 


As the leading department store in the country, it presented customers with an array of desirable goods from around the world – from the latest Paris fashion show looks to exotic south sea fruits.

Always a firm step ahead of the competition, KaDeWe today, as well as offering a vast variety of products, is also setting new standards in service. 

KaDeWe caters for a wide range of needs with luxurious beauty rooms and lounges, a wedding and gift service, a hotel and home service, tailor, hairdressers, buggy rental and a bureau de change. In its world-famous gourmet department on the sixth floor, Berlin’s premium department store even plays host to exclusive parties high above the roofs of the city.

The same ritual takes place every day at KaDeWe and sometimes on Sundays too when, shortly before 10 am, the original iron gate dating from 1907 is lowered so that customers can embark on an exciting shopping adventure. Each day up to 180,000 customers from around the world are welcomed in cordially by the KaDeWe before being attended to on more than 60,000 sq m of sales space by some 2,000 employees, for each of which customer needs and first class service take pride of priority.

We would have loved more time to explore this wonderful interesting store, definitely recommended as a must do for anyone visiting Berlin.

A short taxi ride found back in our fantastic hotel and we changed and headed down for a burger and soup from the hotel restaurant. Again early night and pack up for the next stage, Munich here we come.

Hotel: Wyndam Grand Potsdam Platz

Getting Around Taxis: Reasonably priced and easy to hail, carry hotel business cards to show driver for address

Highlight(s): 

  1. Seeing the actual Berlin Wall
  2. Visiting KaDeWa Department store
  3. Soup and Pizza at (Sotto Sopra) near Checkpoint Charlie
What a deal on a super hotel…

Seven days between OS trips (that’s record for me)

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A mere seven days after returning from the MacWool China Tour is time to pack up and take to the air for the long planned Tulip Cruise. This trip was planned as 75th birthday gift to mum who always wanted to see the tulips in Holland in full bloom and what better way than on a river cruise.

Who does an eight night cruise on the other side of the world without incorporating a few other destinations on the itinerary not us so Holland Germany Switzerland and Belgium here we come.

Our trip began at 10:50pm with boarding of our Eithad flight to Amsterdam with 2 hour layover in Abu Dhabi  the first leg was fantastic and I caught up on some sleep and mum was able to watch a couple of movies. The plane was great and the crew looked after us very well. We arrived in Abu Dhabi just after sunrise and it was very pretty flying in with day breaking. Our short layover disappeared quickly and we were soon boarding for our final leg in to Schipole Airport just outside Amsterdam for first night of foreign soil.

It was decided that we would only spend one night is the very beautiful Amsterdam as we would be back for a few days around the cruise.  Our first task was to procure a taxi (€45 and 30 minutes in average traffic) to take us the Tulip Inn (€65 per night approx) where we would stay for the night. This hotel has reasonable rates and is well within walking (and bag dragging) from the Central Railway station where we would begin our 6 hour train journey to Berlin.

On trains we decided this would be the easiest and least restrictive mode of transport for our journey,  I purchased Eurail Global Pass 15 Days for $877 which allowed us to used as much as we like in the 15 day window, some days we were several trains all first class and very comfortable. Only required reservations when travelling at busy times otherwise we just boarded and selected seats that had not been reserved. It only cost a few euros to pre-book seat,  so this was worth it if travelling in peak times or heading on long journey where needed to arrive by a certain time etc, mostly we just boarded and took our chances. Only once were stuck with sitting in buffet car as train fully booked( only hour trip which allowed us to have a beautiful full breakfast)



With our bags tucked away in our modest but comfortable room (Thankfully the lift worked when taking bags up and down) as the spiral staircase proved to be a challenge without a bag the couple times we used it, very narrow and steep, we headed our to check out the station and see where I need to validate our train pass the next day. It only took a 10 minutes to navigate through the masses of walkers and the millions of bikes that seemed to come from all directions and get inside the very beautiful station building. The information booth pointed us in the right direction for the ticket validation window. 

Now that the lay of the land had been established we headed out for short walk around and back to hotel. We purchased our first chips with sauce and mayo all the rage in Amsterdam on Damrak St . 



Yes Sam Forbes your recommendation was right they were crunchy with soft middle and possibly the best chips I have had in awhile, a little too much tomato sauce for my taste but the mayo was yummy, all served in a cardboard cone. After a walk through the red light district, everyone has to do it, we secured a very nice coffee before heading back to our room for a much need sleep. Although we both slept on plane we were grateful for a full nights sleep before our adventure got underway for real. Goodnight Amsterdam.

Our last day and farewell dinner

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After breakfast eight of us decided to take a cab down to Nanjing Rd and check out the shops and visit The Bund. Two cab eight people would we ever see the other four at the meeting place on Najing Rd. 

Surprisingly despite going different ways and being dropped on different corners we found one another again. The morning was spent wandering down towards the Bund from the Peoples Square. 


Shops shops everywhere and the highlight was going in and checking out the The Peace Hotel is a hotel on The Bund in Shanghai, China which overlooks the Huangpu River. The word “bund” means an embankment or an embanked quay which decribes it perfectly. Even if we only slipped in to use the bathroom but I do know when I go back to Shanghai I will be having a night or two here. 


We headed under the Huangpu River river to Pudong which is a district of Shanghai, China, located along the east side of the Huangpu River, across from the historic city center of Shanghai in Puxi in The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel which is one of Shanghai’s top five tourist attractions and it’s also one of its strangest. Bizarre, trippy audio-visual effects play as you travel in an automated car ‘into the core of the Earth’ under the Huangpu river.

Guard on hand to keep
everyone off the grass

Just has to try it!!!! 

 Spending half a day wandering around was great experience and Shanghai is just like New York, I have another favourite city in the world to add to my list of favourite cities. 

I will definitely be back to explore this great country and Shanghai more. Rested up in the afternoon to get our strength back for the MacWool Farewell China dinner. 

While we were out seeing the sights Don, Ian and Kerrie were scouting out a venue for our farewell dinner. Can’t remember the name of the restaurant but it was in the French Quarter and we had a great night with everyone sharing their memorable and not so memorable moments of our time in China.

 

David Zhou – Our guide

 The common thread in every speech was how lucky we were to have what we all considered ‘The Best’ national guide in China. David Zhou from Wendy Wu tours was just fantastic and really contributed to a very successful and amazing trip. 


Nothing was ever too much trouble he had a great sense of humour and quickly picked up on the Aussie fun loving ways. He will always be remembered by all in our tour group.




















The next morning eight of the group were up very early to catch a very fast train to Biejing for an additional couple of days while the six of us heading home from Shanghai had a bit more time for one last buffet breakfast before a bit more free time heading to the train station to catch our train. Sharpy and Frank wanted to visit an old haunted of Peter and Nadia Brice. The just had to go there even if too early for a beer.



The Shanghai Maglev Train is a magnetic levitation train, or maglev line that operates in Shanghai,China. It is the first commercially operated high-speed magnetic levitation line in the world and only the third Maglev line to be operated. 



The train line was designed to connect Shanghai Pudong International Airport and the outskirts of central Pudong where passengers could interchange to the Shanghai Metro to continue their trip to the city centre. The top operational commercial speed of this train is 431 km/h (268 mph), making it the world’s fastest train in regular commercial service since its opening in April 2004. During a non-commercial test run on 12 November 2003, a maglev train achieved a Chinese record speed of 501 km/h (311 mph).

The train ride was sensational and my need for speed ensured this was one of my highlights of the whole trip for me.

After a rather eventful flight home with Ian in pain with a flare up of kidney stones, we arrived home after a fantastic trip with the best group of people you could ever travel with.

The team at MacWool should be congratulated on a great this initiative and providing us all with the opportunity to get out of our comfort zone and experience another culture with the bonus of seeing what happens to our wool when it leaves Australian shores.

The Gang…











Day 13 – One Bus Three Mills Twelve Hours – what a day…

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Up early and on board the bus for a big day or the road visiting a scouring, a top making and a weaving mill. Each of these mills proved very interesting in their own way. The bus ride to the first mill gave those feeling a little weary some extra zzz before we arrived.

Some of the group were suffering from heavy colds and bravely battled on to see the very reason we were all in China, the mills.

The mill owners and all the mill staff were very gracious with their time and gave ample opportunity to get up close to their business. There is no way we would have been allow to see these processes if in Australia, no yellow lines and catwalks to stay on here.

The mills owners seemed genuinely happy to have woolgrowers visiting them and showing interest in their business.

The owner of Australian Harvest mills gave us over an hour of his time in the board room telling us about his business and answering questions form our group.


Australian wool is seen very much as the premium wool in the world but the Chinese still would like to buy our wool cheaper. Plenty of questions were asked and answered on both sides and it was interesting exercise to do this through an interrupter.

The Australian Harvest Mill, which has a strong alliance Australia, provided lunch and the fare was authentically chinese and this was enjoyed but we are all getting over the cuisine. 

After fantastic few hours at Harvest we headed to the final mill of the day which was a spinning and weaving mill. It was interesting to see such mechanisation up close and the volume of product they move through the mill in a single day. 


Up close 

This mill was surrounded by the homes (blocks of units)  of the workers and there were lots of children wandering in and around the mill yard, again no chance of that here. 

It was a very quiet ride home in the bus with most passengers sleeping and those that remained awake were able to witness the skill of our driver in very heavy peak hour traffic.

Henry with finished product – heavy too


A quick meal at Holly’s Place (owner, Benny just back from studying in Sydney since he was six) burgers all around for dinner and everyone turned in all feeling very tired. Free day tomorrow!!!

Couldn’t help himself

Neither could he…one for the pool room –
Photo with the security guard

The group shot
Very excited with ‘the gift’

So ‘How does this work again?…

The end result…..

Day 12 – Our first mill, Kunshan L San carbonising mill

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As this is what we came for, everyone was keen to start checking out the mills. We were lucky enough to have representative from Tech Wool take us to the all the mills.

Wu gave up two full days to ensure we got the most out of our visits the various mills. Everyone in the group really appreciated her being with us to add value to our experiences at each of the mills that she had organised for us to attend.

Our first mill was a carbonising mill about 2hours outside Shanghai, we were welcome by the mill owner who spend time explaining the process and showing us around the mill. He was delighted as this was the first time actual woolgrowers had visited his mill. 

It was amazing to be able to get up close to all the processes, there is no way this could have happened in Australia due to OH& S regulations.

After Don presented the excited mill owner with a hat and boomerang we headed back to town for lunch. The place Wu chose for lunch was amazing and was huge, there were many many private dining rooms all with amazing decor. Wu ordered an array of mostly seafood dishes of which the crab was my favourite.

John and Sharpy reviewing John’s test results
 while standing in a mill in China – Technology

Sharpy talking to Tom Elder about his wool – 

After lunch we headed to a textile exhibition and show, where we spent an hour or so before boarding the bus to be taken to a tailor where many of the group ordered items from suits to jackets and shirts. I was able to pick up a very nice piece of material which I will have made into a jacket at some stage.

Day 9, 10 and 11 -Slow boat in China

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We boarded our cruise ship Victoria Lianna for our much anticipated three day cruise

 

Goodbye Chongqing

down the Yangtze River.  After a few (a good few drinks) in the Yangtze Bar we settled in for the night in our great little cabins. It was so nice to leave balcony door open and watch the world (China) glide by.  The first tag team took on David (guide) in a drinking session, looking at likes of Gary and crew they were unsuccessful as David bounce up full of beans and they were a little worse for wear.      

Our cozy comfortable cabin

Night 1 
It would have been worth being up at three in the morning to see Louella headed to the bar in her robe looking for Gary who she was certain must have fallen overboard somewhere.




David in strife following big night
Breakfast was enjoyed by most of the group with exception of a couple people who chose extra rest over the meal. Almost all the group set

on the guided tour to the ghost city with all reports pointing to fascinating experience. 


For those of us who remained on board it was chance to catch up on some rest and try and ward off the colds that are starting appear among the group.
In the afternoon we all headed out on deck for the viewing of the first two of the three gorges. Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. Qutang Gorge is the shortest (5 miles), narrowest (500 feet), and most dramatic. The 25-mile long Wu Gorge is known for its quiet beauty, forest-covered mountains, and cliffs so sheer that the sun barely penetrates the precipices. It was a sight to be seen, this afternoon also featured the captains reception where we were treated to canapés and drinks.  Dinner was uneventful and team two took up the running with David who saw them off in style. Not sure who was in this group but there was a fair amount of mixing drinks during the evening.

The scenery from the deck or the cabin was forever changing and it was hard not to just sit and gaze out but there was always something to do.  The only problem some many things happening little time to just sit on the balcony and enjoy the passing views.
 
Another feature was the trip was transferring to another vessel for a relaxing excursion through the attractive gorges of Shennong Stream. Once at top of gorge we watched traditional dancing and singing before returning to our cruise ship. This was the most amazing place and the people living here must be very strong as the terrain would make every day activities almost impossible. Needless to say the mountains were dotted with homes, power lines and roads. How they ever put this infrastructure is beyond belief.

Back on board it was time for a rest before a practice for our cabaret act. It was decided that the group would sign G’day G’day with some actions and limited props.  It was decided that Sharpy would give a demonstration of an auction with our group acting as buyers. This went over well and I think Don (with David interpreting) introduction as to why we were in China was well received and gave some context to our performance. There will be no Oscars, awarded for the performance but we had a lot of fun and certainly entertained the other passengers.
 
After the performance it was time for us to go through the locks at the dam, this was sensational and we all stayed out on deck for the whole process, which takes around 4 hours to be completed. In the meantime it was the final tag team turn to take on poor David, pleased to say he withstood phase three but I think his stamina was starting to wane, another night on board and I think they would have had him.
 
After 3 big nights finally
wearing him down – Needed 1 more night 
Up and at ‘em next morning, albeit a little more slowly for those who partied on until well into the night.  We tramped off the boat again to bus over to the three gorges dam for another tour- another highlight to add to the long list of highlights on this tour. What an amazing feat to build such a structure, although we could see it all that well as it was a very misty (smoggy) day but to see the lock system that we came through during the night and see the dam itself was all I expected and much much more.
 

Back on board for lunch before disembarking for a bus ride to Yichang airport for the short flight to Shanghai, the last leg of the main tour. Eleven members of the group are travelling on to Beijing while eight of us are headed home after few days in Shanghai.

Day 8 Chongqing Old Town, Panda’s and boarding the Yantze Cruise

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Old town in Chongqing and Panda Zoo was on the schedule for the morning of day eight.  
This was very interesting and most of the morning was punctuated by a game of pegging (someone from Tilpa who shall remain nameless purchased half a dozen pegs).
Pegging at its extreme
These pegs where pegged to various of the tour group members followed by much giggling and snickering among the others until the pegee found the peg and then homed in on the next victim. 
At one staff group from Yass who will remain also remain nameless ended up with no less that 5 pegs on backpack, someone decided to add their hanky to the peg as if drying washing.  

Oh yes a couple rogues in the group peg the statue of a kangaroo in the panda park.  It was funny to see how such a silly little game could cause so much laughter and so many alliances formed, you keep eye on my back and I will watch yours, etc

River mist not pollution – that was the line provided
The panda’s were very sleepy but we did get to see one up close 
enjoying a bamboo lunch. After the enjoyable visit with china’s national treasures we headed off to lunch of our own in the old town and our first real experience of street seething with people. 


It was unbelievable but everyone was so nice and I really felt very safe prowling around the streets.

After a meal at a great place that of looked the old town street were headed our to sample their wares, everyone seem to come back to the meeting point with a purchase or two.

Doesn’t everyone carry compressor like this?
Back on the bus to navigated (at one point our national guide, David was off the bus folding in drivers mirrors so the could pass the bus in narrow gridlock little road) our way to teahouse and learn how to make and drink traditional Chinese tea. 
Right ..well I think a quick board meeting is required
Once at the teahouse drop off point the two MacWool staff decided they need to have a meeting on the bus while the rest of us visited the teahouse ZZZZZzzzzzzzz.
The park was very beautiful and the tea was tea but worth doing just the same.  After another dinner you guessed it Chinese but it was again tasty but a few dishes that seem to make repeat performance such as the scrambled egg and tomato, very yummy but not three times a day. 
Following dinner it was back on the bus for a 10-minute ride to the dock to board the Victoria Lianna, our home for the next three days. 
Thanks goodness we walked down the 200 hundred steps to board and not up otherwise I would be still in Chongqing.

Days 5, 6 and 7 Li River, Yangshuo and Flute Reed Caves Guilin

Ange BowmanLeave a comment
Day 5 Li River Boat to Yangshuo

Kevin our local guide
After breakfast, we collected our bagged lunch, we piled on the bus again and the regulars took their places on the back seat for the short boat ride down Li River (4 hours).  After a warning by our guides not to consume the food provided by the boat, as it is prepared using water from the river (one look at the kitchen area of each boat gave any further incentive needed to stick our packed lunch). 


Taxi – anyone?
The four-hour float down the river was very peaceful and with a backdrop of the most beautiful sentry all the way we will all remember this part of our trip for years to come. The brave went up to take in the full wonder of Mother Nature’s display of this magical place. 

Sharpy and I made a short stay up top to enjoy the little break in the misty rain before returning to comfort of our table in the cabin.  We arrived in Yangshuo in the mid afternoon and scramble up the steps through the intense market staller-holders that came to the waters edge to hawk their wares. Those who made the mistake of speaking to them (even to say ‘no thank you’) had following all the way to the hotel 20 minutes away. If you speak to them they take it as acknowledgement and you may be talked into buying something. A strategy that worked on a few in our group, they ended up making a purchase just to get rid of them.   

After walk through the ‘Hello’ markets (whole town is markets) and are known as the ‘Hello’ markets as the stall holders constantly call out hello, hello, hello in the hope that you will engage with them before then sell you then sell you something.  After running the gauntlet of the stallholders for the 20-minute walk through the market town to our hotel we checked in to comfortable rooms.

The Green Lotus Hotel was very comfortable and after a short break everyone headed out in pairs or in small groups to explore the markets for a couple hours. Our little group made our way to KFC to sample some western style food, we just had a snack of chips etc. it was nice to be on familiar ground once again albeit for a short time. 



Let the shopping begin, their were some great bargains to be found and I think everyone in the group made a purchase or two and others made many purchases. We had a pleasant dinner in the hotel before most of the group headed out to the world famous Impressions Show using the lime stone mountains as a backdrop. This is just something that words cannot described and one of the ‘seeing is believing’ parts of this fascinating country. This was an outstanding show and everyone thought it was a very worthwhile additional excursion.


Day 6 – Old Farm, Group Massage (Foot Reflexology) and Cormorant Fishing

A bit later start at around 9.30am we boarded the bus and headed out to a farm just outside Yangshuo the farm house was 300 years old and the two old farmers living here were both in late 70s. 

They didn’t want to live in the new house next door. It was very very primitive and cold.  We then re-boarded the bus and headed out to a small village where we wandered around and got the feel of village life, it was very interesting but not a place I would like to have to spend my days. 


Back on the bus and back to town for lunch, surprise surprise it was Chinese. Everything was good and we all ate up heartily before the highlight of the day and maybe the trip. Most of us booked in for a reflexology foot massage 120Yuan for one how. This was sensational and we were all in a room together with gales of laughter we enjoyed the experience very much and all felt better afterwards. Sharpy was very footsore and lame going in and came out feeling like a new man with fresh feet, must have felt better tipped his girl 100yuan.  


Cormorant fishing which interesting t see how they used to use the bird to catch their fish. The ride out into the middle of the Li River in pitch darkness on a bamboo raft with only the glow of town lights to guide was eerie but well worth every minute. This would never happen at home as regulations would not allow twenty people on a bamboo raft with no life preservers and a very swift flowing current in the pitch dark. We only ran aground once and all the boys had to move to the back to get us going again. The hardy ones headed to a Karaoke bar to belt out a tune or two and rest of us headed back to hotel and turned in after a long enjoyable day.
Day 7 – South China Pearl Museum and Flute Reed Cave Guilin
After another substantial breakfast we boarded the bus for the one and half hour ride back to Guilin, once back in Guilin we visited the South Sea Pearl Museum and boy there was some serious spending done here. Such a beautiful range of the most beautiful fresh and seawater pearls I have ever seen. Yes Sharpie had to kick the tin a bit too for the Guilin economy and I purchased a beautiful black sea pearl pendant and a few other bits and pieces. 

After the shopping stop and with all the boys on board feeling a little or a lot poorer on International Woman’s day we set off for the Flute Reed caves. What can I say they were spectacular and like nothing else I have ever seen, probably as I have never been under ground before. Other that had visited caves elsewhere were blown away by the beauty and formations they saw.



After lunch we headed to the Guilin airport here we said goodbye to our local guide Kevin (he was fantastic and so interested in our group) and were promptly being processed by security we all gathered at the gate and enjoys a bit of a rest, although a couple of they die hard shoppers still managed to fine some things to buy.  I was just happy to Skype all the kids and catch up on news at home. Little Indee still thinks we are at Chinese not in China, kept asking Poppy Ian if he was still at dinner. 

Doesn’t everyone defrost steak
on rack in street

The short 1:10hr flight found us in the biggest city in China (if not the world), Chongqing. Some 32 million people live in this very modern and glittering city, the bus ride to our hotel was just amazing and our hotel Harbour Plaza is bang smack in the middle of the downtown area. You guessed it after dinner the shoppers set off again and were probably still there when the shops closed at 10pm. Ian and I just had a wander around took in the sights and the sounds before retiring to very comfortable room.