I'm back sort of!

4/30/2014

I am making a comeback on my blog thanks to my iPhone. Hats off to our guide Alex who was attempting to track down my iPad. Sadly no luck...so all photos here are from my phone only.

Yesterday we went to the Terra Cotta Warriors. Check it out on Mellissa's excellent blog at: mellissak.weebly.com

One thing I wrote about and lost on my ipad. As we drove from our hotel we saw an old man on the city wall practicing with a sword, reminding me of the master in the movie 7 Samurai. It brought me back to the end of the movie where the master looks out to the graves of his friends as the rice farmers are singing and bringing in the crops. Last line of the movie is from the master. "We have lost." So sad.

Ok enough of that. Today is the Summer Palace, Forbidden Palace and a pearl factory.

Our Beijing guide said something interesting. Beijing translates to "northern capital." He also said the right way to carry yourself as a man in China is you "don't want people to know you are coming until you've arrived." Interesting. Some people back home can learn from that!

Here is an odd observation for the guys. Urinals with motion detectors here rinse water before you go, not after like at home. Seems odd. And it may account for the fact the washrooms here always smell bad.

The Summer Palace was like everything in China. Large. Took a lot of pictures but didn't pay attention to the education part.

Had lunch and was treated to the Bryan Adams song Everything I do I do for you in Chinese Muzak. So charming.

Not to sound like a broken record but the Forbidden City is absolutely GIGANTIC. 10,000 people serving the Emperor and 3,000 concubines. How he ever got anything done with that many concubines is beyond me. Might be the reason rule ended in the 1920's...

We just had the most ridiculous dinner where a table of French people in a tour started to chant a song. Enter the Saskatoon team who equaled them. Next thing you know singing and cheering and the wave through the place. It ended with team Canada singing our national anthem. Beer played a pivotal role.