Day 25 - Over So Soon?

This picture was uploaded from my phone at just a few minutes into the start of today. We were waiting to board the five-hour, China Eastern flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Shanghai, China. You may note, we were at C11. What a neat airport! There is an authentic jungle walk enclosed inside it. (Okay, some of the sounds were obviously recorded.)



After getting to China at around 7:00 am, we had to go through immigration and then back into the airport because Pudong has no transit facilities! Companies and organizations in China have quite a little work to do to become efficient and customer friendly. We were supposed to board at 12:45 pm but actually started about an hour late. It must be said that of the five separate flights on China Eastern this trip, this was the only one that didn't depart on time.

Yawn. We flew another nine and a half hours into YVR. Yet as we crossed the International Date Line, we were able to make pretty good time. We actually got in from Shanghai before we left there. Our touch down in Vancouver was at about 9:35 this morning.

Needless to say, we aren't going to amount to much of anything for the rest of today. The gas fireplace is running and two loads of clothes are drying. Lunch has been eaten and I just got back up from a long soak in the hot-tub. So, I hope you weren't expecting any mind-blowing commentary in my blog today. That will not happen.

Day 24 - Bye, Bye KL!

What a sad sort of day! We had one last day to look around Kuala Lumpur and we did a tiny bit of souvenir shopping. Something will pop up in the souvenir cabinet from this trip. We took this picture today at one of the MYDIN department stores. We have been in several and they have a lot of bargains. We have to head towards the airport at about 9:00 pm tonight. There's a direct express train that runs every twenty minutes from KL Sentral. We'll be on one and then heading back to Vancouver via transit in Shanghai.

The next blog post will be written from the same continent as many of my daily readers. Bye!

Day 23 - Penang to Kuala Lumpur

We spent the better part of the day heading south. The promise of a 4.5 hour trip between Penang and KL is a bit of a myth, I think. Today, it was closer to 1.5 hours longer than that. It seemed we had to drop passengers off at two other bus terminals in the far-flung suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.

It was uneventful but I guess that, in a way, is a blessing. I surely looked out on massive acreage of planted palm trees. We climbed impressive mountains on the road that runs the length of this part of the country. KL now seems like a comfortable old shoe as we stayed here four nights at the beginning of the time in Malaysia. It's nice returning to a place where one has already come, seen, and conquered. The sad part is the realization that tomorrow is our last day here. In fact, we'll be heading to the airport at around 9:30 pm for our flight back to YVR through Shanghai. I would really like to stay longer on this vacation.

We just returned from having dinner in the KL Sentral area near the YMCA here. Under normal situations food, for me, seems more of a practicality than my recent extravagances. I didn't read the book but found the movie Eat, Pray, Love astonishingly annoying. To me, the main protagonist came across as impressively whiny, spoilt, and immature. I have got to say though there are have been moments when I can sort of relate to the Eat part in the last few days. I was in hot chipathi up to my elbows devouring each peice wrapped around a succulent chicken or vegetable morsel wondering how things could possible be better. Malaysia really seems like a place where can let one's taste buds take their own adventure. In Malaysia I see how food really is an art form!

Day 22 - Taman Negara Pulau Pinang

I got a little sad when I saw the date today. Our vacation is due to end so soon! We spend the day of October 9th getting back to Vancouver. Then, we had to make it seem one step closer by buying bus tickets back to Kuala Lumpur. It takes nearly five hours with breaks as the distance is about 370 kilometers (230 miles). We have to get on a bus at 9:45 tomorrow. I could use a few more weeks here, I think.

This morning we decided to visit the Penang National Park or as it's called in Malaysian, Taman Negara Pulau Pinang. We had to find Bus #101 which is no easy task. If there's anything which needs improvement on the island, it's a more consistent transit system. The buses don't seem to follow much of a schedule, nor even a set route in fact. The price varies on distance which can cause trouble when boarding as well. As well, the whole city is not pedestrian-friendly.



Yet, there are many more things which we've found favorable. For one, we love the choice of restaurants. We have had some fantastic Indian meals for the equivalent of just a few dollars including the pop. Secondly, all the vegetation is lush and tropical. This means Jay is forever seeing something growing which he is familiar with. Unlike in forests at home, most plants here are used in the local cuisine. In addition, there's a broad mix of history and culture. Exposure to a variety of experiences makes life interesting. Lastly, people seem friendly and easygoing. All these factors really do invite one to return. I can really see us spending additional time in Penang someday.

Day 21 - Batu Feringgi

The YMCA breakfasts here are a bit skimpy. I've probably consumed more calories in the past three weeks than in an ordinary month though. On the other hand, I've probably walked more in the past three weeks than during an ordinary half year.

After breakfast we asked about a Thai and another Burmese Buddhist Temple that looked close on the map. The front desk lady said that, indeed, they were within walking distance. So we started the morning by walking the tree lined streets towards Wat Chayamanklakaram and the Dharmikarama Temples. First, we accidentally came across an additional one with a "lifting Buddha" at the Buppharam Thai Buddhist Temple. It's not in the tourist information. We following along oral directions to find the ones for which we were originally searching.



After, we noticed that we weren't far from the sea. In fact we saw Bus Route #101. We knew that these were destined for the northern beach area. We'd been used to paying for local bus trips and were unready for the 2.00 (66 cent) charge each to go to Batu Feringgi.

Now I have another beach for retirement consideration. Closer to town there were enormous towers which I'm sure from a ship make the coastline look like Waikiki. Yet, even a mere 13 kilometers along, the more typical, poor beach scene still exists. I liked how the mountains are fairly close to the water. It reminded me of Unawatuna, Sri Lanka, or maybe south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Both areas have been the subject of a lot of post-work daydreaming over the last few years. Now add Batu Feringgi ...

Day 20 - George Town

Representing the British era at the end of the 1800's, George Town, Penang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I must say that I feel as though we thoroughly explored it. We explored partly using a free bus service that runs loops around a lot of the heritage sites. We must have looped at least a half dozen times today. We are not far from Komtar Tower and all transit seems to loop through there too. We visited downtown in the morning and walked through Little India, and the famous Campbell Street. Many of the buildings, were built in the late 1800's or early 1900's and look similar to the old buildings found in Chinatowns of west coast American cities. After a break in the afternoon, we went back during the evening. The picture below was taken from the Esplanade.

Day 19 - Express Through Jungle

We spent a good portion of the day in this bus heading north from Kuala Lumpur. Our 9:30 departure really didn't get rolling until 10:30. Then it was a straight shot up the motorway. It was all four or six lane highway which would be recognizable as a piece of Interstate to US readers, except it was all left-hand drive. We got into Butterworth at about 3:30 but didn't cross the Penang Bridge and to the bus terminal in Georgetown until about 4:00.

We took a taxi to the YMCA as they had reservations for us. In most of the world, that organization still offers accommodation to anyone at comparably-cheap hotel prices but with the assurance of a good clean room.



We only went out to find a restaurant so far. Yet, we've got three complete days to explore the area. It reminds me of Hawaii but with a lot more colonial and world history. I think I am really going to like our short stay in Penang.

Day 18 - Buying Bus Tickets

The Puduraya Bus Terminal is the main point at which buses leave for all over Malaysia as well as for Thailand. This morning we found the easiest transit directions and completed a dry run to pick up tickets for tomorrow morning. I guess it just received a one-year makeover and was reopened this spring. It was a very effective design and much more like an airport than what one might recognize as a bus depot. We got tickets for a 9:30 departure for Penang. There were quite literally dozens of companies from which to choose.



While out, we walked around the central area stopping at the Central Market and past the Masjid Jamek. As today was free for thousands of workers, many were downtown changing money, making calls home, and shopping. It reminded me of Mumbai. The Market itself has been at this location since 1888 although the current building was designed in the 1920's. It was not what Jay expected. It was all made over into a modern mall-like market. I think the complete lack of fresh fruit made a previous trip to the Bazaar Baru Chow Kit much more satisfying for him.



In the evening, we returned to the same basic area but focused on the Masjid India streets of vendors. I had sort of forgotten how much I missed Asian markets. I had flashbacks to days in the Middle East. Today though, while we were out, a huge rain storm came. One might think we'd be used to that living in Vancouver but here the rain was hot. Honestly, I have drunk cups of tea cooler than the water that fell from the sky. Then, within an hour everything had dried and the temperature had dropped by a few degrees.

I'd forgotten how tiring a hot, humid climate can be at first. I think a daily nap is an absolute necessity if one is out and about in the mornings. But the tradeoff seems most worth it; any patch of untended ground turns into jungle with wild banana trees. I think I could take a yearly three month break from Vancouver's cold winter rains. How does one spell e-a-r-l-y -- r-e-t-i-r-e-m-e-n-t?

Day 17 - Batu Caves

This morning we took the commuter train to the Batu Caves. It was a warm day of about 32C (90F) but the sun seemed especially strong when climbing the 272 steps to the Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Murugan. That made the complete morning.

After an afternoon rest, we visited a club. We ate Chinese for lunch but Indian for dinner.

Day 16 - Snooping Around in the City

We had a very nice breakfast at our hotel. What we didn't have enough of last night was quality sleep. So today, we've demoted ourselves down eight floors as we could hear the sound of the elevator all night. I think there may have been a problem with one as every single time it stopped at a floor we could hear a clunk sound from our room. The apparatus must be several floors above and although there was a corridor between us and the shafts, we heard a sound like someone rapping on the wall. Each and every floor! I think it is easy to get used to a consistent sound, but of course an elevator's routing is anything but systematic.

At around 9:45, after putting our bags downstairs at the front desk, we jumped on and off the LRT and monorail systems still looking around Kuala Lumpur. Of course, as a general rule, it's famous sites first, right?

We went directly to the Petronas Towers. These twin towers were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004. It was a little discouraging to discover the bridge between the towers is closed until December for renovations. In consolation, that part of the structure only appears about half way up. There are beautiful grounds and park behind the towers and shopping galore within them.



We saw jumpers from the other tall structure here. Base jumpers with parachutes are in competition from the KL tower. We also stopped at other stations just to see what was around. We came across a nice street market at around noon when all the office workers were out buying food. We came back to the hotel area for our own lunch though. We ate South Indian. By then it was 2:00 pm and upon arriving our new room was ready. Although only in the room long enough to unpack and type this, it seems to be without hint of elevator noise.

Later in the evening we went to Chinatown. It really isn't far away. There's a famous street that is chockablock full of various type of vendors. We couldn't be convinced to buy a thing though. It's called Jalan Petaling. I really, really love KL and Malaysia so far. It seems time to be postcardish: Having a good time. Wish you were here!

Day 15 - Hello, KL!

At 1:15 this morning the Kuala Lumpur Aiport was just about deserted. We did appreciate the quick, automatic, three-month visa avaiable directly from immigration. The airport was cavernous and beautiful. After picking up the bags from the luggage carousel we walked to the front. It seemed the airport hotel we'd read about was transit only. We're really not Pan Pacific type of hotel guests. Yet fortunately, there was a hotel association booth near the airport's exit. We decided as it was getting on toward 2:15 to stay at a guesthouse near the airport. The main airport train to Kuala Lumpur Sentral doesn't run at night. A sleepy driver arrived after about 15 minutes. It was a LONG drive to it but he once got to 140 km/h on the near empty highways. We went to bed at 3:00 am. It was not really a private home but rooms made in one building of a shopping complex.

We woke up at 10:00 am and discovered that we were just one stop up from the airport on the fast airport train. It was literally a 10 minute walk but the owner wanting to ensure we wouldn't miss the 11 o'clock train, drove us over to the terminal.

We got to Sentral quickly. China was an experience, but I already feel at home here. It has something to do with the palm trees and banana trees I can see from the window. We're staying at the Hotel Sentral. It seemed a bit expensive on Expedia but it clearly is a cut above for this neighbourhood. We're in the 13th floor and it is perfectly located right next to the monorail. In fact we already took it to its end and found a typical Asian market. Jay seems very excited seeing mangoes, jackfruit, and Indonesian snake fruit. In fact he bought all of them for snacking. At least we have a hotel room refrigerator and will be here for four days in the city.



We wandered around earlier this evening and stopped by to watch a Hindu Puja at a close temple. We're very close to Little India. Within the one block area near the Hotel Sentral there's also a mosque, a Methodist Church, and a Chinese Buddhist Temple. I am very much going to love it here. It's got the tropical climate, an amazing collection of cultures, and it seems like nice-sized, easy-to-navigate city.

Day 14 - The Last Day in China

It felt a little odd knowing that we would be eating our last breakfast in China this morning. We did so and packed up our belongings for a 10:00 am checkout from the hotel. We left the bags with the front desk at that point.

We decided today would be suitable for a boat ride on the river. It is quite a hike from the East subway stations as first one must walk all the way through the Bund towards the river and then all the way up the river to the pier. I wish I'd worn a pedometer during this vacation just to see the kilometers I've logged so far.

The Bund is has an amazing variety of architecture given its wonderfully colourful past. If one had the time, it'd be fun to catelogue the various building styles left by the British, French, and cosmopitian colonial past. I bet it's well documented online, so I must remember to research this. Many historical buildings bore a registered plaque and the listing must be available on the Internet. It's good that that side of the river was protected. The other side, Pudong, is where all the towers have been built during the last fifteen years..



We got to the wharf after the 11:45 departure, so walked around a bit and bought tickets for the 12:45. The only boat running was a tour that only lasted 45 minutes, but it turned out to be perfect. We ate lunch right in the wharf restuarant floor. The whole building looked as if it may have been built for last year's International Expo. Today parts were sadly empty.

After we returned we walked all the way back down the Bund to retrace our steps to East Nanjing. Rather than get right in that station, we took a little streetcar train down the pedrestrian road and got back on the subway at the People's Square stop.

We had to return to the Holiday Inn Express just to pick up our luggage and then back down to take lines #3 and #2 to the airport. We left at 4:45 for the trip to PVG. It was rush hour but then it always is in China. China Eastern check in at the airport was like a cattle stockyard. The line for all the evening flights formed a single line that snaked back and forth at least a half dozen times. It was getting on to almost exactly 7:00 and we weren't yet to the front. Luckily, Jay heard the announcement for closure of our flight in two minutes. We left the line and went to the single 'late window' for boarding passes. Phew.

Now we're on the flight heading our way towards KL. It should land at around 1:00 am.

Day 13 - Some Very Uncoy Koi

This morning we visited the Jade Buddha Temple. I took a a few dozen pictures and some turned out very well. The one koi pic is a not a very good composition, but I thought it interesting for adding here at my eJournal and images. The bottom picture is also not a good photo but it sure expresses something about what we did this evening.

We bought tickets for the Oriental Pearl Tower. It is the 'bubble structure' on the Pudong side in yesterday's photo. We bought the expensive tickets for about $25 to go to every level. It also included a few amusement rides in the bottom structure and free admission to an interesting Shanghai museum. Overall it was a good value considering we spent at least three hours in the tower. We went up at dusk and, of course, descended well after dark. The second photo isn't me. On one of the observation floors the outer six feet or so was glass. Even though I know it was structurally safe, that fact couldn't convince my brain. I did sneak across and grab the rail near the outside glass several times. The photo is just a guy who wasn't bothered by vertigo.

This time must vow when getting back to upload all my pictures to Flickr pronto after getting home. I still have a cache of photos from vacations past which have not made it online.

Sadly this is our last night here. Tomorrow, we have most of the day as we don't head to the airport until 5:00 in the evening. Then, we're on the plane for a very inconvenient arrival in Kuala Lumpur at 1:00 in the morning. We'll probably spend the remainder of first hours in Malaysia at the airport hotel.

Day 12 - More Shanghai Exploration

We started the day after our Holiday Inn Express Eastern/Western breakfast by scouting to find the Long Hua Temple. We had to take Line #3 from the Shanghai Rail Station and exit at the Longcao Road. Next we walked about fifteen minutes east.

The temple was an amazing oasis in the middle of a very busy city. After being here for nearly two weeks, I'm very used to the enormous crowds now. I have almost forgotten the adjustment needed when navigating the streets and subways during the first few days. The relative quite of the temple made the visit all the more special.

Most international cities have areas that just draw in the crowds. In NYC, people go to Times Square, in Barcelona everybody strolls the La Rambla, and in Paris it's the Champs-Élysées. For the same reasons, this evening, we had to head back to Nanjing Road and the Bund.



We walked the length along the river to the end which has a passenger ferry. We crossed to the Pudong side and walked back to Lujiazui. The picture above was one of about a million we took of the Pudong side from the Bund.

Day 11 - Using Asia-Miles Points

It was a flawless trip back to Shanghai today. We'd arranged to use some expiring air-miles for the flight from Xi'an. We did have to get up at 6:00 am. We asked for a 6:15 wake up call from the hotel staff in case we missed our alarm. It came at 6:50 which is one of those language things, even though we asked for six - one - five as well.

We had to take a bus back to the Drum Tower intersection and get an airport shuttle from in front of the Melody Hotel. We missed one at 7:20 as it was full but another left at 7:35. It was an easy commute out of town as it is Sunday. The scope of some of the housing complexes being built here cannot help but amaze one. Some enormous towers of 50 stories are sometimes built in groups of 12 to 20. I cannot even fathom the number of faucets for these developments much less the kilometers of plumbing and wiring installed. The last section of road was a tolled, ten-lane road built expressly for airport access. Save for a few taxis it was fairly empty this morning.

We checked in quickly and had to wait nearly an hour for the 9:30 boarding. Then, it was smooth sailing, so to speak, for the two hour flight into PVG.



This time we wanted to try the maglev train. We spent an extra $6 just to ride on the only commerical magnetic levitation train on the planet and travelled its 30 kilometer route at just about 300 kp/h. Then we connected to the regular subway system and came back to the Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Zhabei. We only booked the first two night in China here but decided that we liked this hotel enough for the last three.



It's the little things that amaze one. For example, when walking back from dinner and exploring the area around the main Train Station, we came across these dancers. It looked like a flash mob, but I'm sure this area is commonly used for this purpose.

Day 10 - The Warriors

It's one of the most ultimate narcissistic demonstrations ever. Well, the Pyramids in Egypt are grand, I suppose. Yet, I find the idea of having an army with thousands of clay solidiers and infantrymen created as a protection after the death of one and one's family, the ultimate gift for the emperor who has everything.

We took the regular 7 RMB bus to the site of the Terracotta Warriors. So, in fact the tuktuk driver's charge of 15 RMB to get to the train station cost more than the subsequent one-hour, 35K trip. We found the excavation pits interesting. The figures themselves were mostly pieced back together and stand under enormous buildings. I think I figured out why they seemed important to me. Their discovery was in the 1970's. I can remember first reading about them in a National Geographic when in school. I didn't remember that they were 'discovered' by farmers trying to dig a well.

The complex is quite large and can accommodate thousands of visitors. We ate lunch at around 2:00 pm when leaving the site to take the same #306 return bus back to the city. We passed thousands of highway-side vendors trying to sell pomegranates and persimmons.



As it was getting dark, we took a bus (about 10 cents) a few kilometers up the road toward the Drum Tower. We walked the market area of the Chinese-Moslem quarter. It was fascinating. Remembering the Arab market of last year's trip to Fes, Morocco came to mind but with a distinctly different flavour.

Our time here is over. We will be using Asia Miles reward points for tomorrow's flight from Xi'an back to Shanghai. It leaves at 10:00, so we'll have to be up at around 6:00 to get ready and be at the airport. Shanghai seems like our home in China and we'll be there until Wednesday.

Day 9 - The Beginning of the Silk Road

I suppose as a Westerner, I could call it the end of the road. Whatever its name, the concept is still all about trade, history, and the history of trade. The picture here is a mosque in Xi'an. It's a physical manifestation of the ancient trade route from here to the Middle East and beyond.

I've seen my share of places of worship of Moslems while working in the Middle East and travelling many places on the globe. I never, however, saw one that looked quite like this. It did have بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم written on the very front.

Travel is brain food. Although my blog entries seldom hint at it, I spend most every day away from home thinking about the world and how it works. That is exactly why we go places. I'd venture that the thoughts I experience when traveling actually make me a different person. That person is much broader and flexible, if not necessarily smarter.

Getting to Xi'an was a horrible experience. The train ride would have been awful enough due to the cramped conditions, lights, and cell phones ringing all night. Already enough time has passed that it'll become one of those 'remember-when' stories. The train was scheduled to arrive at 9:00 am but by the time we were standing in front of the station, the enormous clock had both hands on the twelve! Now if we ever have to wait in queue for anything I can just remark to Jay that the situation seems like getting from Beijing to Xi'an. Honestly, for all my complaining, it is part of the journey that I will never forget. If we'd paid five times more, we could have been resting soundly in sleeper cars. Yet, I suppose getting to meet real Chinese, like the kid who'd made the trip to Beijing expressly to see if he could get into university, was the stuff of real traveling. Personal opinion: If visitors only go places in a tour group, they might as well stay home and watch a travel video on their own living room television.

We are staying not far from the Chinese-Moslem area of Xian, near the historical center and within the walled old city. We ate dinner before finding the section but will make sure to try and have dinner there after getting back from seeing the Terracotta Warriors tomorrow.

Day 8 - Just Hanging Around the Zoo

Today we weren't in such a hurry to get up. We had to check out of the hotel by noon. We finished breakfast and were ready to leave for the day at 10:00, so checked out then and left the bags at the front desk.

Now what to do for the day? If monkeys can accomplish the title, I guessed we could. We'd read that the Beijing zoo would only take an hour and of course we already viewed these creatures at the San Diego or Smithsonian zoos, but we could see the ...



... closer to their original home. We were a little surprised as we were at the zoo between 11:00 and nearly four in the afternoon. Some parts were a little neglected while other parts superb. The pandas were typically panda-cute. It takes an hour to see only the pandas maybe.

We were planning to have dinner at our hotel but they were having some sort of special party in the restuarant area. Therefore, we went to a favourite one across the street. Things were getting late. It was getting close to 7:00 and we had to be at the train station by 8:30. We had to pick up our bags at the hotel and then get on transit. Just getting to the station from the hotel took the better part of 20 minutes. We'd never done the exact ride, so the time was a little unknown.

We did know that we needed to take a taxi from one where we'd exit the subway to Beijing West. Of course train travel is important in this country due to enormous population. I read online somewhere that Beijing West is the longest train station in the world. For what I saw, I have no reason to doubt that claim. We ended up hiring an unofficial taxi, and only being let off about a half mile from the front door. Then once through security and into the well-organized maze of tracks, we ended up boarding the exact car (about a quarter of mile down the track) with about three minutes before the wheels started turning.

We opted for cheap seats rather than a sleeper. What an enormous mistake! I am in car that states it seats 118. We have assigned seats as we booked earlier in the week. However all these folks in the aisle, didn't and don't. There must be twenty between us and the nearest toilet. They have been offered plastic benches for a price, but many are just going to hang on for the next tweleve and a half hours I guess. I can hardly move. I hope I make it without loosing circulation or my mind.

We'll be in Xi'an in the morning.

Day 7 - Praying for the Harvest or Olympic Gold

This was our last 'normal' day in Beijing. As tomorrow we will have the complete day but leave by train to Xi'an tomorrow evening at 8:30 pm by train. Even though that give a whole lot of time between breakfast and departure, we do also need to check out of the hotel at noon tomorrow.

We decided to use the last full day to visit the Temple of Heaven.

After a little nap time the hotel we wanted to see the site of the Summer Olympics. The two main structures: the Bird's Nest and the Aquatic Center are attractions. Getting there was easy and as it got dark the buildings came to life.

Day 6 - The Forbidden City

We're in a routine that includes getting up early, making coffee in the room, showering and dressing, and then going down for breakfast in the hotel. Usually these things are all accomplished by 8:00 am. Alas, after tonight, we have only one more night in Beijing!

The weather was perfect again today. I'd heard about polluted skies in Beijing but it was perfectly blue today and completely sunny. What's 25C in Fahrenheit? (I'm good at both scales but not at conversion.) It was a grand day to get to the cultural sites of Beijing. We again headed for Tia'anmen Square. I am still impressed with the cleanliness and orderly crowds. I am beginning to notice the Chinese who have traveled far to visit their capital city. Some look a little more village than the city folk. Some look Tibetan. There are many types of faces, shapes, and sizes.

We walked in the Tian'anmen Gate (with one with Mao) as it's the first step towards the Forbidden Complex. We even paid a little money to store bags and to climb the stairs to the Gate as well. The view of the Square is, of course, stunning from up there. We even bought a souvenir of several pins in a small box. The curiosity cabinet back in New Westminster is pretty full of world-wide clutter, so we keep new items very small.

Then, we continued walking after purchasing entrance fees to the complex itself. Mostly built in the 14th through 16th centuries, it is immense in scope. We'd read up and figured we'd get just an audio guide. After discovering there was no way to pause the electronic gadget with a GPS built in, I returned it for a refund. We learned all we needed by reading the large signs in English and evesdropping on the multitude of tour groups passing through at the same time. It took about 2 1/2 hours to get to the exit on the opposite end.

After that, we continued to stroll in the same direction and walked into Jingshan Park. It lines up with the end of the complex and is up quite a hill. Oh, those poor legs that climbed the Great Wall yesterday! There was a large Buddha in the pavilion on the peak.

We walked down the other side through the park that has many significant stories from China's emperors of the ancient past. We hit a nice street on the other side and had a wonderful lunch at a very cheap restaurant.

Again we just got back from a local restaurant near our hotel and we ate far too much for about $10 total. I'm going to need a crane to get on the airplane out of here.