Sally J

This may be My last entry. I have to give back my wifi device when I get to the airport. Since we last met together I have cruised the Yangtze River, seeing the most famous gorges in the world and one of the biggest dams too. I met some wonderful people as we were on the boat for 3 days. One of the few times I was sad on this trip ws when we were going to be seated for meals onboard. When I came in all the English speaking people were sitting at other tables. I asked if anyone at my table would be English speaking. The table seats ten and the five there were all Chinese. I had just been alone enough and felt bad that I wouldn't get to know anyone. Why do ... read more

We drove about 2 hours yesterday outside of Chengdu to the city of Leshan and the Temple of the Giant Budha. On the way I saw many fields of rice, lotus flowers, corn on the cob corn( those were small areas like we would have in our backyard), grape vineyards and they we're covered with netting. When we got to Leshan, we went to the Giant Budha which is carved in the side of a mountain that is made of sandstone. There are 3 large rivers that converge in front of it. We first walked up the mountain to see it from above and then took a boat to see it from below. This is the story. Haitong, a monk in 700ad saw that many fisherman were being killed by flooding in the area so he ... read more

June 19: I am having an amazing time. I did not want to follow the plan for the day so the guide and driver took me on a quest for a yak. I was tired of the city and temples. We drove up into the mountains to see how the farmers and nomads lived. And God was so good. They said that the Yaks would be high in the mountains by now. But God... We found a herd and herdsman and walked right up and took pictures. Then on the way back a woman had a cow and I asked if I could take her picture and she invited me into her home and let me take pictures and gave my guide and I butter tea. It is black tea with milk and butter in it. ... read more

I am waiting in the Xian Airport and it is huge. My guide had never been in this area before. Much is new. There is constant construction going on everywhere, huge, high rise apartments. They look to be made of mostly cement on the outside and gray or tan. They are not adorned. And they are going upeverywhere. There are huge cranes on top of them. In the city there will be fancy hotels and behind or next to it very humble streets and shops. It is fascinating to look. This morning the power went out over the whole city and was still out when I left. It was getting hot in the hotel. They did have a generator so the elevators worked. But in the streets all the shops were dark except for an occasional ... read more

Pedestrians do not have right of way. Neither do cars. It is every man for himself. Mantra for drivers: "Good honk. Good brake. Good luck" Lane divisions are optional and mostly ignored. Driving thru the middle of one is preferred. Bricks and mortar are everywhere. There are small piles along sidewalks, in front of homes, in parks. Everything is made of bricks (sidewalks, homes, walls)and there seems to be a constant need for repair. Speaking of sidewalks, they are wide and have a section going down the middle that is an entirely a different pattern and color. It is for the blind. I was impressed. Diapers are not in use for toddlers. Their pants are slit open from front to back and their little bottoms exposed. Cute but whoa? And we thought that Canadian geese made ... read more