Ina and I arrived home safely last night. We still felt like we were on vacation as we sat on the couch to look over our pictures and talk about our trip. These are our favorites. Enjoy! Much love from the tired travelers, Ricki & Ina [View Full Entry]

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This morning after breakfast, Ina and I had volcanic ash mud baths. It's just as sticky as it sounds, but after you bake in the sun for half an hour the mud hardens. Then you're more like a statue than a person. Luckily, warm spring water melts the mud away revealing skin so soft that you want to run around petting yourself saying "look how soft my skin is." No seriously, it was that soft. We went horseback riding in the mountains this afternoon. Tequila was a gorgeous horse. It was a humbling experience knowing that this animal that was so [View Full Entry]

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On the plane into Guadalajara, our stewardess said "Welcome to Gauda...Guada... Mexico." Since we are fairly certain that they did not rename the city, it just proves our theory that if you can't pronounce the name of where you are going you should not be allowed to go there. We are not in Guada Guada, but we are in the beautiful mountains of Guadalajara, Mexico. Rio Caliente is an oasis of relaxation and beauty. The hot spring pools send mists of steam swirling into the clean mountain air. The temperature is cool and breezy. Our casita has its own fireplace. Ina [View Full Entry]

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We began our morning at the silk factory seeing first hand how silk is made. We got a chance to see the different stages of development of the silk worm and how the threads are unraveled from the cocoons. As we toured the factory, we learned how the silk is threaded, dyed, and then put to use. We watched oriental rugs being made and silk bedding being stretched. It was amazing. In the afternoon, we went for a walk along the riverside to see the city skyline before going to see the Yu gardens. It was a busy afternoon of shopping [View Full Entry]

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We spent the day going through the final locks of the Three Gorges Dam. It was an extrodinary experience seeing the countryside of China along the Yangtze River. On the cruise we had so many memorable moments. From late night chats on deck to learning Mahjong (a local game) and from gorges to bridges, our voyage was amazing. Today we'll post pictures of our Daning River small boat excursion to show you some of the most serene and lush scenery we've encountered. Our blog is short only because we're tired but expect us to ramble on tomorrow about our adventures in [View Full Entry]

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Ni Hao from the Yangtze River. After Tai Chi classes at 6:00am, we watched the sunrise over the first of the major gorges. It was stunning. Misty fog around the mountains and the quiet morning made the scene seem surreal. Then we boarded small boats to cruise down some of the tributary rivers. Our river guide sang us folk songs and told us about life before the dam was built. It was the bitter sweet taste of progress as he described life before and after the dam. We have one more night on the cruise before we arrive at the Three [View Full Entry]

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We began our morning with a city tour of Xian. We visited the city wall fortress and strolled along the top. To one side was the ancient city and to the other the modern Xian. It was a sharp contrast of architecture. We took a short flight to Chongqing and then visited the former home of General Stilwell. Our final stop in Chongqing was the musuem of the Flying Tigers. Late last night, we boarded the Victoria Rose our River Boat. We'll be sailing down the Yangtze for three days. Arriving in Fengdu in the morning. Until then... Love, Rickelle & [View Full Entry]

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When I was in college studying archeology, I read dozens of books and articles on the painstaking work of repairing the ruins of the Terracotta Army. Today, Kallie and I got to experience the awe of seeing 6000 soldiers in Pit 1 alone. Each face was unique, each soldier waiting to come alive from the earth. There were chariots, infantry, archers, and each had its own artisan and his own name. The extreme detail that went into this after life legacy has made it the "Eight wonder of the World." After we settled into our hotel, our group headed out to [View Full Entry]

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Can you hear the drums waking the city of Old Beijing? We began our morning at the drum tower listening to the ancient ritual wake the city. Twenty-five drums beat together representing the weather, the time, and the season. In ancient times the drums were a way of communicating important information from village to village. After the drumming ceremony, we began our rickshaw ride through the neighborhood. Children waved and shouted “Hello!” as we rode by. This was our first real glimpse at what life is like for the locals. We rode past their markets, their barbershops, and t [View Full Entry]

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We began our adventures today with a tour of the most prominent jade factory in Beijing. We learned the process of jade crafting, how to tell the quality of jade, and how to value it. Then they set us loose in a huge store of treasures. It was irresistible. We had just learned how precious this stone is and how much it means in the Chinese culture, there was no way to walk away from these beautiful works of art. Kallie bought some presents that I can't disclose here since they are surprises for home, but I was not nearly as [View Full Entry]

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