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November 6th 2010
Thur 05 / 11 Chengdu - Hong Kong - Melbourne With Chengdu our final hotel, today was simply catching our 14:05 flight to Hong Kong for a 2 hr transfer and connection Melbourne With a 07:00 wake up call ready for a pack and go by 09:00 we were able to enjoy the best breakfast of the holiday. A few 'domestic issues' within the Group and with the Tour Company / guide delayed our departure and by 09:30 we were away on the bus. A short stop at a pearl en-route to the airport we visited a pearl centre as the last of the buying opportunities Boarding passes for the CTU - HKK flight proceeded well, however all of the group were weel scattered on the HKK - MEL sector. Some difficult negotiations got me and ... read more
November 4th 2010
Thur 04 / 11 Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu Leaving Jiuzhaigou today was about the start of our homeward leg with an easy flight to Chengdu With a 06:00 wake up call ready fo a pack and go by 08:00 it was a brisk morning around 0 deg As usual, it was impossible not to have a final spend up and on cue we stopped at a 'store of a neighbour from our tour guide's village' for more bargains. Arriving at the airport at around 10:45 we awaited an 11:40 flight and within ½ hour were advised of a significant delay with buses arranged to take us to the Min Tiang Hotel. A rather interesting 'lunch' was provided and we were allocated rooms to await the delay restarted: Coincidently we were down stairs trying to access the internet ... read more
November 3rd 2010
Wed 03 / 11 Jiuzhaigou Today was the day most were looking forward to. A day in the Jiuzhaigou National Park - arguable the most beautiful National Park in the World and certainly the number one park in China If heaven is beautiful then this must be heaven on earth as this was certainly a very impressively beautiful place It was a relaxing 07:00 with a breakfast and on the bus at 09:00 for a short trip in the brisk morning to the entrance of the National Park. Temperatures were around zero or below and it was layered clothing that was the order of the morning The Park entrance is at 2930 m above sea level whilst the nearly 80 km length in a Y shape reaches over 3100 m above sea level Listed by UNESCO ... read more
November 2nd 2010
Tue 02 / 11 Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou Cup Day was to be an interesting day as were travelled into the high altitude of Jiuzhaigou (Joo-si-go) With a wake up call at 06:00 it was breakfast pack and go by 8:00 to catch a 10:15 flight Chengdu is a very busy place with interesetions the size of the MCG. Arriving at the terminal at 09:15 it was obvious this would be an interesting day as the two earlier flights to Jiuzhaigou were delayed and still awaiting departure During our patient wait decks of cards were available to pass the time and at 12:00 noon a hot lunch was provided Eventually boarding the plane at 14:00 we landed at the highest airport in China, 3564m above sea level, at around 2:35 with light snow falling The airport here ... read more
November 1st 2010
Mon 01 / 11 E'mai Shun to Chengdu A pinch and a punch for the first of the month as today was to be a quiet Monday ' defacto cup day holiday' A wake call at 07:00 for a pack and go by 09:00 en-route back to Cengdu After a relaxing 2 hr drive on an impressive expressway we arrived on the outskirts of Chengdu to visit the Debau Silk Exhibition which presented some excellent retail opportunities (at a cost). This was the place that made those shirts for the world leaders in Beijing A lunch upstairs adjacent this silk place we dined with a very modern Yum Cha with more bowls than a 5 day cricket match and a warmed rice wine - what a way to celebrate tomorrow's Cup An afternoon of relaxing strolling ... read more
October 31st 2010
Sun 31 / 10 E'mai Shun To day was to be one of the highlights of the tour with a day trip to UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage area of E'mai Mountain to view the Golden Summit It was a relaxing 06:30 wake-up call with no requirement to 'Pack and go' for a hotel change as it was a simple day tour starting at 08:30to and back to this Hua Sheng Hotel. With the weathe some what chilly it was time for layers upon layers It was a short hop to the entrance to the entrance to the park then a change to Park buses for the 2 hr drive up the very steep and winding road to the base of the walking path with a heavy overcast fog that restricted visibility to the yellow ... read more
October 31st 2010
Sat 30 / 10 Chengdu to Leshan With the late Fri it was only a short nights as I awoke to resolve computer technology and get housekeeping in for some maintenance before our delayed wake up call at 09:00 for a pack and go by 11:00 The morning must have been planned around our tiredness as we had a short bus hop to the other end of town for an hour walk around the old town area - read modernisation of the old town in the old format for tourist A short stop over at the Government sponsored business of Jin Long Jewerllry presented great temptation It was a 2hr leisurely bus ride to the Baxiandong dock at Lesian for a short boat ride to view the giant Buddha Returning to shore our bus contiued to ... read more
October 30th 2010
Fri 29 / 10 Shangri La to Lijiang & air to Chengdu Day 13 was to be a long day with sightseeing From Shangri La then travel to Lijiang for a 21:05 flight to Chengdu. A 06:30 wake-up call awoke us from a deep slumber on the inverted mattress (the feeling of the springs did not worry my sleeping) before a basic breakfast selection - short on forks / coffee milk with a limited selection otherwise and the eggs were 2 fried or nothing. An 08:30 bus departure took us only a hundred metres to the 'Southern Asia Jewellery, Tibet Jewellery Exhibition where the virtues of Gzi mineral were detailed - certainly forms into fine jewellery and the authenticity is assured by the self diagnosis of the seller. It was then a long (but not by ... read more
October 30th 2010
Thur 28 / 10 Lijiang to Shangri La With yet another long day ahead of us it was a 05:30 wake-up call that got us moving and after a quick fix of overnight computer problems it was good to catch up with Christine back home (before being cut short with further computer issues. A fascinating 5 hr bus ride into the heavens as we travelled into Shangri La (previously called Zhongdian) at around 4000 m above sea level The weather was certainly a little colder and the air was thinning out. Lunch was at 3,500m to assist in climatisation of air and temperature After a quick check in at the hotel we continued on an afternoon drive to the beautiful Suodu Lake were we walked along the 2.6 km boardwalk After dinner we visited a Tabitan ... read more
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