The unforgettable Terracotta Warriors

Posted by Kay Wong, No Comments 16/11/2012

Another one of those big days that life throws at you…today we get up close and personal with the awe-inspiring Terracotta Warriors.

Sights

The weather gods had been kind to us once again, the sun had reappeared and the skies were blue once again.

En-route to the Terracotta Warriors, we stopped off at a factory that made models of the warriors and horses, from tiny desktop ones to full size adults. It was interesting to watch the artists at work.

We then arrived at the main attraction. The whole area was set against a backdrop of mountains which was stunning and I couldn’t wait to get inside and see the warriors with my own eyes.

The sight that greeted me didn’t disappoint. The main thing that hit me was the sheer scale of the excavation. It was probably the size of two football pitches, if not more. There was a sea of soldiers and horses that stretched out before me, it was a sight to behold. The were also many areas still being excavated with more statues being discovered by the day. We continued to explore two further areas of excavation, again the size of several football pitches and then took a moment at the local tea house to take it all in. Unforgettable.

Evening entertainment

After a delicious dinner we set off for a night tour of Xian. This proved to be an unexpected treat. At night, the whole town is lit up, an amazing sight. One of the highlights was watching the largest fountain show in the world. This was set to music with different coloured lights beaming across the water jets. Something I have quickly discovered over the last few days is that when China decides to do something, it does it BIG! The fountain show was no exception.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped off at the South Gate of the ancient city wall which was again lit up and acted as a magical backdrop. There we came across a large group of local people dancing the night away in a square. There appeared to be no rhyme nor reason for it, but simply to dance. There were all age groups from 20 something’s to elderly couples. It really was a great way to end the night and our stay in Xian.
Restaurants

The lunch stop was interesting as we saw fresh noodles being made, which proved to be delicious. I also had toffee potatoes which were a revelation…I’ll be trying those out at home.

Memorable  moment

Seeing the sheer scale of the Terracotta Warriors up close and the unexpected light, music and fountain display in the evening.

Tuk-tukking in Xian

Posted by Ben Briggs, No Comments 15/11/2012

We headed back into the ancient city walls to explore more of the Muslim quarter. The streets were alive with people going about their daily business. Food is central to their way of life and this was evident by the amount of stalls offering a wide variety of delights. For any keen photographers, this is nirvana. Every way you turn there is a scene-stealing moment.

The rain had started to come down so we looked for somewhere to eat. We came across a local fast food outlet which looked promising. Upon entering, we realised it wasn’t going to be that straightforward as the whole menu was in Mandarin but fortunately there were some pictures, so we opted for the most familiar looking dish. Plus at only 17 Yuan ( about £1.70), it seemed a particularly good deal. I thanked the waitress with my new favourite phrase in Mandarin, who seemed to find the whole encounter rather amusing, presumably my accent wasn’t quite up to scratch. But one thing I have learned in the few days that I have been in China is the locals appreciate you making the effort…even if they do have to stifle a giggle or two when you try. The food by the way proved to be an interesting choice, not my cup of tea, I’ll just put that one down to experience!

We hopped on another tuk tuk to get back to the hotel for another hair raising journey…I was starting to enjoy these rides.

Entertainment

This evening we went to a dinner and theatre venue where a delicious dim sum banquet was followed by music and dance from the Tang Dynasty. It was superb and a great end to a memorable day.

Memorable  moment

A thrilling experience traversing the city in a tuk-tuk. I owe the driver a beer for getting us back in one piece!

A Great Day on the Great Wall

Posted by Ben Briggs, No Comments 12/11/2012
Great Wall photo1 224x300 A Great Day on the Great Wall

A beautiful, clear day on the Great Wall

 

In life, there are small days and big days…today was most certainly a big day. It’s not every day you get to go to the Great Wall of China! Excited doesn’t really cover it.

We get picked up at 8am by our local guide, Lee and taken to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. It’s about 1.5 hours drive from the city and is one of the original sections of the wall.

After a short cable ride to section 14 of the wall, through the chestnut trees, we were greeted by a panorama to rival anything else I had seen. What’s more, the weather gods had been very kind to us as the skies were blue, the sun was shining and a light dusting of snow and ice was sparkling along the cobblestones. They say that a life was lost for every stone laid during the construction of the wall, which was a sobering thought as we climbed the 450 steps to Tower 23. It would certainly have been a daunting sight for any would be invader.

The weather was as cold, crisp and dry and although the temperature gauge read just 1 degree, the warm sun certainly made up for it. There were also very few people there, but for a smattering of American and Kiwi accents,  we would have had the place to ourselves.

You could easily fill an entire memory card with photos of the Wall. There are enough screensaver moments to fill a thousand computer screens. A truly magical place that sits comfortably at the top of my list of places visited.

We passed by the Birds Nest Olympic Stadium on our way to the Summer Palace for a quick photo. It certainly lived up to its name. I was impressed.

We didn’t have that long at the Summer Palace but it seemed to be a peaceful place that surrounded a beautiful lake. Our guide provided great insights into the history of the Palace and the significance of each temple and statue.

Peking duck dinner tonight was very good. It was sliced at the table which was a nice touch.

Lee was our guide for the day.  She greeted us in the hotel lobby with a big smile, munching on a very western breakfast of McDonalds and take away coffee. She has spent the last 10 years in Beijing but is originally from the north west of China, in Jilin Province, where the temperature gets as low as -40 during the winter. She said that was the main reason she left.

Interesting fact of the day

In order to cut down on the number of cars on the road, (traffic in Beijing is a real problem) when you buy a car, it has a number attached to it. On certain days of the week, only cars with a certain number are allowed on the roads. If your number isn’t up then you have to take the subway or bus to work. I couldn’t help thinking if the government tried this at home, they would have a revolt on their hands.

Memorable  moment

It has to be climbing the Great Wall, something I’ll never forget.

Day 11, Siem Reap & Summary – Neil Crawford, Wendy Wu Tours

Posted by Kay Wong, No Comments 29/05/2012

Our amazing Indochina tour!

This is the last day of our amazing tour of Vietnam and Cambodia before we fly back home on an evening flight.

This gives us a chance to fit in a boat trip on the Great Lake of Cambodia, Tonle Sap and the floating villages. After a 45 minute drive through the countryside and paddy fields, we arrive at quayside and board our boat. We wind our way up the small river for 20 minutes, avoiding oncoming boats by inches as we both fight to stay central in the low lying waters before reaching the expansive Tonle Sap lake and the floating villages.

It’s a fascinating sight to see a whole floating community of houses, schools, fish and crocodile farms, markets and even a police station. They live and breathe the lake, heavily reliant on its fishing source which provides more than half the fish consumed in Cambodia, and from what we have experienced, that’s a lot!

They appear evidently quite poor, with some desperation for money from us, but Borin our guide tells us not to be bothered by this as they choose to live in that world and have opportunities to live and work on the mainland.

The floating village also now receives donations via it’s UNESCO status from tourism, which has helped and still develop the community with education and more modern standards of living.

After the 1hr 30 min excursion around the village, we head back, on the coach and back to the hotel, where the hotel has kindly let us keep our rooms till late afternoon to freshen up before our flights back home.

This has been a fascinating, cultural, educational, and even emotional tour of Vietnam and Cambodia. It has provided me with life long memories of two countries with limitless experiences, sights and images, from the people, the food, lifestyles, the scenery and sights. I thought I had seen most of it all on my travels, but how wrong could I have been.

You simply have to go and experience it for yourself!

Day 10, Siem Reap – Leanne Guy, Cockermouth Travel, Cumbria

Posted by Kay Wong, No Comments 28/05/2012

A filling breakfast at the Angkor Holiday Hotel set us up for the day, before we were met by our tour guide again. First stop was Angkor Thom, a ten minute drive, which surprised us all by being as fascinating as Angkor Wat.

An informative tour pointing out the best places of interest and photographic spots and our knowledgeable guide made sure we avoided the busy crowds.

We then passed the Elephant Terrace & Leper Terrace and stopped for photos. We were amused by the convoy of tuk tuks carrying around the excited Japanese tourists and their cameras and in contrast we watched the gentle elephants carrying around their bemused tourists.

From Angkor Thom we travelled onto Bonteay Sre, the only pink sandstone temple so far discovered to date.

After a 20 minute bumpy drive, we head out into the countryside to the ‘Bong Thom’ homestay. This is a cultural farm which allows people to stay or enjoy lunch. Lunch was beautiful Cambodian food with views to the lush gardens and turkey farm.

After a lovely day soaking up the atmosphere of the temples we returned to the hotel for a massage and relaxation.

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