Sampan Tour

"Sampan Tour" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/500 sec, ISO200
“Sampan Tour” China, 2018

こんばんは。Today our ship cruised into the Three Gorges section of the Yangtze River and the scenery changed from great to AMAZING! The banks of the river rose steeply on either side and as we cruised along, one of the ship’s guides explained how the river changed when the dam was built, how the local populations were relocated, and also a bit about the “hanging coffins” which are stone coffins that were found high in caves along the walls. It’s still a mystery as to how they got there, which amazes me.

"On the Yangtze" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/1700 sec, ISO200
“On the Yangtze” China, 2018

But the highlight of the day was definitely the sampan boat tour, which took us into a narrow gorge, The Shenong (Goddess) Stream. Our tour guide was excellent, funny, and cute and we were kept entertained the whole time learing about the local traditions, the way people live, and for this particular tour, a bit about arranged marriage! It was so interesting to learn about local matchmakers and the customs surrounding arranged marriages. I have to say that I’ve been very happy with both our main guide and the local guides so far on the trip.

"Sampan Tour" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO1000
“Sampan Tour” China, 2018

After the sampan tour, we had a few activities onboard the ship before arriving at the Three Gorges Dam, where we entered the locks. I stayed awake for the first lock, but then was so tired, that I decided to call it a night.

"Through the Locks" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/35 sec, ISO6400
“Through the Locks” China, 2018

Talk to you tomorrow!

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Shibaozhai Excursion

"Pagoda" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO200
“Pagoda” Shibaozhai, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today’s travels took us to the town of Shibaozhai to visit the fantastic temple and pagoda. As you can see from the photo above, this pagoda is very tall – there are 99 steps to the top. But getting to the actual pagoda was a little bit of a journey as well because we had to walk up a hill from the ship, then across a suspension bridge known as the “Drunken Bridge” because you feel a bit tipsy due to the up and down motion of the structure.

Most of the tour group accompanied the local tour guide to the top of the pagoda and were rewarded with an amazing view of the surrounding scenery including the Yangtze and ship. It was interesting to hear how the region was affected by the Three Gorges Dam Project, and in the case of the Shibaozhai pagoda, a giant dike was constructed to protect it from the rising waters.

On the way back to the ship, my brother and I decided to take a short detour through the town and check out the local happenings. I enjoyed taking some street photos, but soon it was time to return to the ship.

To finish off the day, a bunch of us hung out in the lounge and had some fun on the dance floor which is something I rarely do! In fact, the only time I dance is during family reunions so I guess this as appropriate timing. 😆

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~

"Excursion" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec, ISO200
“Excursion” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Shibaozhai Temple" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/900 sec, ISO200
“Shibaozhai Temple” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Local Tour Guide" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/340 sec, ISO200
“Local Tour Guide” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Brothers" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO320
“Brothers” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Shopkeeper" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/75 sec, ISO3200
“Shopkeeper” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Leisure" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/75 sec, ISO3200
“Leisure” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Stroll" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO800
“Stroll” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Gametime" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/7.1, 1/40 sec, ISO3200
“Gametime” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Fun Times" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/50 sec, ISO6400
“Fun Times” China, 2018

Chongqing and the Ship

"SimCity" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/600 sec, ISO200
“SimCity” Chongquin, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

I started the day with a quick jog around Xi’an before returning to the hotel and getting ready for the next leg of our trip: the city of Chongquin and boarding the river cruise ship.

The flight above Chongquin was absolutely stunning – I have never seen a more impressive city from the air. It honestly looked like a creation from SimCity! There were winding rivers, modern bridges, skyscrapers galore, and other details such as highway clovers and sporting stadiums. It was surreal!

Anyways, after we landed, we took a short bus ride to the cruise ship where we would be spending the next several days, traveling down the Yangtze river.

"The Ship" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/320 sec, ISO200
“The Ship” Chongquin, 2018

The check-in process was quick and we were soon settled into our cabin and the drinks started flowing. 🥂

"Champagne Toast" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/140 sec, ISO200
“Champagne Toast” Chongquin, 2018

As the sun went down, the city of Chongquin started to light up and a festive feeling came over the entire ship. It really felt like a new phase of vacation was beginning!

Dinner was delicious, but everyone was tired from a long travel day, so it will be an early rest for us. 😴 Please enjoy these pictures from the day:

"Party Boat" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec, ISO6400
“Party Boat” Chongquin, 2018
"Party Boat" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec, ISO6400
“Party Boat” Chongquin, 2018
"Crazy Town" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/120 sec, ISO200
“Crazy Town” Chongquin, 2018

またね~

Day in Xi’an

"Pit #1" Xi'an, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/5, 1/40 sec, ISO3200
“Pit #1” Xi’an, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today was one of the highlights of our trip to China: seeing the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an. Pit #1 was absolutely stunning. As you can see in the photo at the top of the post, the actual structure is huge! To see the large army of individual statues lined up was breathtaking.

Our tour guide explained about the discovery of the army, the restoration, the in the statues, etc. It was fascinating to also learn that the wooden parts had all disappeared because of the decomposition due to the soil. All that is left was the terracotta, which was fired in a kiln, and the metal parts of the weaponry such as the blades and arrowheads.

"Acclimating" Xi'an, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2.2, 1/60 sec, ISO800
“Acclimating” Xi’an, 2018

In other parts of the exhibit, we saw figures in various states of restoration, from discovery to completion. It seems like such painstaking work, and it looked like there is a ton to be uncovered still. I can imagine that it could be a dream come true to be able to work on the restoration if you were in that field.

"Back" Xi'an, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/3.2, 1/60 sec, ISO3200
“Back” Xi’an, 2018

After viewing the Terracotta Army, we went to a terracotta workshop, where we watched a short demonstration on how terracotta is made, and then, of course, there’s a huge shop for you to purchase souvenirs. We also enjoyed a buffet lunch, of which the best dish was the fresh noodle bowl. It was fun to watch the chef create the noodles right in front of you. And the taste was delicious! Couple that with the local beer, and I didn’t really need anything else from the buffet table. 😀

"Noodles in Flight" Xi'an, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2.8, 1/350 sec, ISO400
“Noodles in Flight” Xi’an, 2018

We returned to the hotel in the early afternoon and had a few hours to spare before dinner so we took a walk to the nearby mall. Normally, I don’t like to go to malls, but I find malls in unfamiliar countries to be fascinating. Things are familiar, but always with a local twist. And of course, I love the local ads:

"On the Street" Xi'an, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/240 sec, ISO200
“On the Street” Xi’an, 2018
"Yezi" Xi'an, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/420 sec, ISO200
“Yezi” Xi’an, 2018

I don’t know exactly what is being advertised, but it’s so cool to see the everyday local flavor.

"Puma" Xi'an, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO400
“Puma” Xi’an, 2018

I took the following photo of Chinese-labeled Kewpie and sent it to Mariko. She told me she didn’t need me to buy any souvenirs from the trip, but after seeing the photo she gave me my marching orders to pick up some Kewpie and also some local stir-fry seasoning packs. I’ll see if I can find some in Shanghai before the trip is over.

"Kewpie" Xi'an, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO640
“Kewpie” Xi’an, 2018

It was a great day in Xi’an, and the evening activities are still to come! But I’ll end the daytime part with a couple more photos:

"Noodle Man" Xi'an, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2.8, 1/480 sec, ISO400
“Noodle Man” Xi’an, 2018
"Warriors" Xi'an, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/5, 1/20 sec, ISO3200
“Warriors” Xi’an, 2018

またね~

Hutong and Tea

"Bell Tower" Beijing, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4.5, 1/1000 sec, ISO200
“Bell Tower” Beijing, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today was our last day in Beijing, but before we left for Xi’an, we visited a Hutong, or old neighborhood, and visited a world-renowned artist who paints the inside of glass objects. It was amazing to see how she uses a curved brush to apply the paint so delicately and precisely.

"Painting" Beijing, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO1600
“Painting” Beijing, 2018

Next, we traveled by rickshaw to the Bell Tower (钟楼) for a tea-tasting. We tried five different kinds of tea, and then had the opportunity to buy the tea, of course. It was fun and delicious!

"Tea Prep" Beijing, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/60 sec, ISO3200
“Tea Prep” Beijing, 2018
"Tea Cup" Beijing, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/100 sec, ISO400
“Tea Cup” Beijing, 2018

 

After the Hutong tour, it was time to head for the airport and catch the flight to Xi’an. And that is where I’ll end today’s update.

See you tomorrow!

おやすみ

"Red Door" Beijing, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/110 sec, ISO200
“Red Door” Beijing, 2018
"To Xi'an" Beijing, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/1900 sec, ISO200
“To Xi’an” Beijing, 2018