Krista Tippett has a nice perspective on the internet ---
Krista Tippett has a nice perspective on the internet ---
September 01, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
TRAVEL TO CHINA
October 28 - November 15, 2010 We traveled to China with "Shirley’s Group" organized by Shirley and Jim Goering of North Newton, Kansas who lived in China 1985 - 89 and have led small tour groups to China for the past twenty years in addition to also returning each year to teach English in different areas of China. Alan Li, our Chinese National Guide, has also traveled with the group for the past twenty years and arranged for the excellent local guides to travel with the group. During our time in China, we * Traveled throughout China by rickshaw, gondola, bus, boat, plane, express train (140 mph), ship, and the new high speed Maglev train (240 mph) in Shànghãi. * Attended performances by the Peking Opera; Shànghãi Acrobats; a Tibetan Cultural group; a Classical Chinese Face Changing, Shadow Puppet and Magic Show; and a bell concert of traditional Chinese music ending with Beethoven’s "Ode to Joy" performed on replicas of 2400 year old bronze bells in the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan. * Gained a better understanding of China’s history over the past 4,000 years through visits to The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Ming Tombs and other historical sites in Bìij ng, a visit to X ’ n where the Silk Road began and home to the Terracotta Warriors museum, visits to the Three Gorges Museum in Chóngqìng, the Hubei Provincial Museum in W hàn, the new Shànghãi Museum, visits to other temples and historical sites, and information provided by the local guides. * Enjoyed viewing China’s natural beauty at Jiuzhaigou Nature Preserve (9840 ft.), visiting the Panda Preserve at Chénd where we saw both red pandas and the giant pandas, cruising through the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River, and viewing farm land on the express train ride from Chénd to Chóngqìng and the bus ride from Yích ng to W hàn. * Enjoyed drinking Chinese Tea and eating a large variety of excellent Chinese food reflecting the specialities of the different provinces - Peking Duck, Mongolian Hot Pot, Mongolian Barbecue, spicy dishes in Sìchuãn Province, etc. Eight to twenty-three dishes were served family style at lunch and dinner on a large lazy susan in the middle of the table. Every meal ended with a thin slice of watermelon. We resisted the temptation to try the succulent fried beetles, scorpions, silkworms and other unfamiliar delicacies sold by the nighttime street snack vendors. * Experienced opportunities to interact with the Chinese people by having lunch in a Hútòng home in Beijing, visiting a Tibetan village and having dinner with a Tibetan family in Jiuzhaigou, visiting a hospital and observing acupuncture in southwest Shànghãi, attending a Chinese protestant church service in Beijing, visiting a Children’s Palace (an after school enrichment program) in Shànghãi, doing Tai Chi, and by local guides sharing their personal stories about their families and their lives in China today. * Learned about jade, fresh water pearls, cloisonne’, silk, and tea through visits to production sites. * Gained a better understanding of China today - very modern and futuristic looking and thinking; cars (1900 new cars on the streets every day in Beijing) and people everywhere; heavy traffic (cars, bicycles, scooters, buses, trucks, and pedestrians maneuver through busy intersections in a mind-boggling way); cranes, new construction and skyscrapers everywhere (75% of the construction cranes in the world are in China); visited the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River - longest dam in the world; rode on the Maglev Train (fastest train in the world); bi-lingual Chinese/English signs everywhere; and did not see as many bicycles as we had expected. We were impressed by the many trees, shrubs, and flowers that have been planted along the expressways – even have hanging flower boxes on the guard rails of highway ramps. Street sweepers with traditional style brooms are seen everywhere, including busy streets and expressways. Jim provided daily news briefs on China today and shared his observations and experiences over the past twenty-five years. Local guides were very proud of their cultural heritage and provided additional information. A guide commented that the Chinese people are 90% free, but they are not free until they have 100% freedom. At the same time China is dealing with smog, sanitation, traffic congestion, environmental issues, ethnic unrest, and other issues. Our traveling group of sixteen (including the Goerings) came from Kansas, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Ohio; were very congenial, eager to learn and see as much as possible; ranged in age from early sixties to mid-eighties; represented the medical, education, law, engineering, international agriculture, and farming professions; and included individuals with disabilities and medical issues who were an inspiration to the rest of us and didn’t slow the group down.
It was a great group and a great tour. We feel fortunate to have been able to participate and to visit China. We are motivated to continue learning more about China. "When the sleeping dragon awakes," Napoleon is said to have warned, "the world will tremble." China is definitely awake and on the move!
December 31, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
August 25, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 22, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
–An eight-hour Tundra Wilderness Tour going 65 miles into Denali National Park where we saw bear, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, fox, porcupine, lots of snow shoe rabbits, eagles, willow ptarmigan (Alaska state bird), Great Horned Owls in nests, and numerous other birds and smaller animals. Most memorable were looking down the mountainside on a beautiful golden eagle, and seeing hundreds of bald eagles perched in trees along the water near Vancouver. (Our guide told us to look for the golf balls in the trees.)
–The breathtaking scenery on the Historic White Pass-Yukon Route narrow gauge rail ride from Fraser, British Columbia to Skagway, Alaska. Built during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 and designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, this railroad rises from sea level at Skagway to almost 3,000 feet at the Summit in just twenty miles, features steep grades of almost 3.9% and tight curves.
–Cruising up close to the glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park where we were able to get a close-up view of glaciers and experience the sounds of the glaciers calving (breaking off into the water).
–The land tour via bus on the Alaska Highway from Fairbanks, Alaska to Fraser, British Columbia via Delta Junction and Tok, Alaska; Beaver Creek, Whitehorse and Carcross in the Yukon Territory introduced us to very sparsely populated areas and the legendary dusty and rough Alaska highway that was the engineering marvel of World War II. We met numerous dust covered RV’s and campers headed north on this highway.
–Visiting Victoria and the beautiful 55-acre Butchart Gardens - “Over 100 Years in Bloom” - an idea that began with an idea to beautify a worked-out limestone quarry and is now designated a National Historic Site of Canada.
–Reconnecting with my favorite Volcanologist at the U. S. Geological Services Center in Anchorage, who worked with me for several years.
–The opportunity to learn more about the history, geography and culture of the places visited attracted us to this particular tour. We were not disappointed as we were exposed to gold mining, sled dogs and racing, First Nations, railroads and highways, the Alaska Pipeline, Totem Poles at historical Totem Bight Park in Ketchikan, glaciers and other beautiful natural vistas, wildlife, and nature. Because of distances and the many experiences included in the land tour, the days were much longer than other tours we had taken. We were glad that we did the land tour prior to the cruise.
July 07, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 07, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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May 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)