China Travel Log

Fellow Virtual Travelers,

Well, we attacked Hua Mountain and Hua conquered us!  Again.  This was our third visit to this monumental mountain range that translated is 'Flower Mountain'.  The name is due to the five petaled peaks that make up the mountain: North Peak, South Peak, East Peak, West Peak and Central Peak.  The entire mountain is white granite with sheer thousand foot cliffs, outcroppings and cornices. It is easy to slip and fall in good weather and it's tragic that numbers of people meet their accidental deaths on this mountain every year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hua

But I get ahead of myself….  After checking into the hotel in the city at the base of Hua and getting ready for bed Saturday night, we could not get the room to warm up!  So Dennis went to get the hotel floor attendant (the rural areas have this service on each floor of the hotels to provide assistance, hot boiled water, etc.)  After she made numerous phone calls from our room to the front desk, we were connected with our local guide Jim, who explained that the hotel controls the room temperature and it cannot be changed.  If you get cold, there is an extra quilt in the closet. Okay then!  T'was time to get out the long johns!  Glad we brought them!

Then, to prepare for re-packing our backpacks to lighten the load to hike up the thousands of steps of Huashan, we set the alarm extra early.  But… the alarm did not go off (or we slept through it) and had to miss breakfast in hotel.  So we suffered by eating our instant oatmeal in the room while we prepared for the mountain assault!

The Assault on Hua:  We made the trek from north peak all the way to east peak before the rain came. We managed to get some video footage of the struggle to climb the steep and narrow dragon ridge knife edge along the way. Defeated by Hua weather, we walked down the wet & slippery granite steps and made it back to north peak in about an hour. BUT THEN, we waited in line to catch the cable car the rest of the way down the mountain with thousands of pushing and shoving Chinese for 2 more hours, while standing in the rain. As the rain increased, the temperature decreased. Once, this environment caused some locals to get into a fist fight in the line behind us. A hot shower in the Xian hotel felt very good and helped reduce the chills!

So while we made much progress hiking, in spite of the crowds and weather, we did not accomplish one of our goals. The Huashan Plank walk:
http://www.wherecoolthingshappen.com/huashan-crazy-plank-walk/

We've all decided that we'll have to come back someday for another attempt...

Today, we're finishing some touring in Xi'an and then off to the most remote sacred mountain on this visit:  Wudangshan!

Again, thank you to everyone who is emailing us!  It helps us feel very connected to home while in a very foreign environment!

Blessings,
Dennis & Anita

China Travel Log

Fellow Virtual Travelers,

Oh my!  We have not been letting grass grow beneath our feet!  As mentioned in our last update, we spend Friday at the Shaolin Temple, the Pagoda Forest, rode the cable car part way up the mountain for valley sights, drove to Luoyang, only to catch another bullet train to Xi'an.  It is strange to know that one is traveling across the country at 144 mph (or 240 kilometers). Once in Xi'an, we enjoyed local cuisine at a local restaurant, providing tastes we'd never had before!  This is an interesting trip in that while we have local guides for each city's touring, we are on our own sometimes, getting from city to city!  'Here are your train tickets, go to platform 4, get on car 5.  Don't dilly dally as you have 2 minutes to get on the train with all your luggage and they will not wait for you...'  Ack!

Check out where we've been the last two days!
Shaolin Temple
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_Temple
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/henan/luoyang/songshan_shaolin.htm

Pagoda Forest
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagoda_Forest_at_Shaolin_Temple
http://www.chinatouronline.com/china-travel/luoyang/luoyang-attractions/Pagoda-Forest_383.html

Then getting up in Xi'an, we drove out of the city to tour the Terracotta warriors and tomb site of China's first emperor who'd ordered his tomb site constructed while he was still alive.  This emperor, Qin Shi Haung Di sought immortality while alive and was given mercury as a potion to extend his life (mercury lasts a long time, right?).  We suspect that the mercury is what ended his life around the age of 50.  In his tomb mound, he ordered rivers of mercury to be placed, and the site is still so toxic that it has not been opened or excavated!

Terracotta Army Museum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/

Qin Shi Haung Di tomb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/mausoleum_1.htm

West Jade Temple at the base of Huashan. This temple grounds was under construction in 2002 and is a small replica of the Forbidden City in Beijing! It is mostly finished and is new construction that looks very old!  We've not been able to find any information about this beautiful sight on the internet, which is too bad!  If any of you find something, let us know!

Doctor Hua To's grave
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Tuo
http://history.cultural-china.com/en/50History63.html

Since last visiting all of the places above, we are shocked with the changes and construction that has happened since 2002!  Sometimes we could not even recognize the place!

Tomorrow we will be climbing Huashan (Hua Mountain):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hua

We've not had a chance to reply to all the emails we're getting from you, but please know that we enjoy hearing from each and every one of you!

Blessings,
Dennis & Anita

China Travel Log

Fellow Virtual Travelers,

We left Zhengzhou this morning by van for a 1.5 hour drive to the Songshan mountain range - this is where the Shaolin Kung Fu art was born 1500 years ago and is at the heart of this art that we study!

Songshan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Song

Dengfeng:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengfeng

Wow!  We had a change of itinerary today that turned into a real treat!  Chenjiagou (Chen) Village turns out to be on roads that are not passable - 3 hours of travel one way and no guarantee that we could get there, as none of the local guides have been on the road we would have had to take.  Not only that, but the Shaolin Weapons Factory has moved and no one knows where it is now…  This is where our art's weapons have been crafted by hand - one hammer strike at a time, etc. We got to see the factory in action in 1996 and had hoped to capture some video of their work.

Having those two events cancelled, we asked our local guide for other ideas that wouldn't take as long and he suggested two other tours.

The Songyue Temple with China's oldest Pagoda (which was built-in 523 AD). And the Fawang Temple which is an active Buddhist temple and Kung Fu school.  Attached is a picture of the rare treat of seeing a local class practicing.

Songyue Temple:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songyue_Pagoda

Fawang Temple:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fawang_Temple

This morning we kept our itinerary plan to visit the Zhong Yue Taoist Temple and got to meet the oldest Taoist Monk at the temple who is a friend our local guide. He has been at this temple for 30 years and previously spent time at both Wudangshan and Huashan (both of which we'll be visiting in the next few days).  We got our picture taken with him - he was full of laughs and fun!  Check out the temple here:

Zhong Yue Taoist Temple:
http://www.chinahighlights.com/dengfeng/attraction/zhongyue-temple.htm

Our big event of the evening was doing our laundry in our hotel room, in order to make it through the rest of the trip with clean shirts and socks.  No small event!  Hopefully they dry enough to pack by morning!

Tomorrow, we'll be off to the Shaolin Temple itself and it's pagoda forest. Then back on a train to the next city!

Blessings,
Dennis & Anita

China Travel Log

Fellow Virtual Travelers,

We left Zhengzhou this morning by van for a 1.5 hour drive to the Songshan mountain range - this is where the Shaolin Kung Fu art was born 1500 years ago and is at the heart of this art that we study!

Songshan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Song

Dengfeng:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengfeng

Wow!  We had a change of itinerary today that turned into a real treat!  Chenjiagou (Chen) Village turns out to be on roads that are not passable - 3 hours of travel one way and no guarantee that we could get there, as none of the local guides have been on the road we would have had to take.  Not only that, but the Shaolin Weapons Factory has moved and no one knows where it is now…  This is where our art's weapons have been crafted by hand - one hammer strike at a time, etc. We got to see the factory in action in 1996 and had hoped to capture some video of their work.

Having those two events cancelled, we asked our local guide for other ideas that wouldn't take as long and he suggested two other tours.

The Songyue Temple with China's oldest Pagoda (which was built-in 523 AD). And the Fawang Temple which is an active Buddhist temple and Kung Fu school.  Attached is a picture of the rare treat of seeing a local class practicing.

Songyue Temple:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songyue_Pagoda

Fawang Temple:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fawang_Temple

This morning we kept our itinerary plan to visit the Zhong Yue Taoist Temple and got to meet the oldest Taoist Monk at the temple who is a friend our local guide. He has been at this temple for 30 years and previously spent time at both Wudangshan and Huashan (both of which we'll be visiting in the next few days).  We got our picture taken with him - he was full of laughs and fun!  Check out the temple here:

Zhong Yue Taoist Temple:
http://www.chinahighlights.com/dengfeng/attraction/zhongyue-temple.htm

Our big event of the evening was doing our laundry in our hotel room, in order to make it through the rest of the trip with clean shirts and socks.  No small event!  Hopefully they dry enough to pack by morning!

Tomorrow, we'll be off to the Shaolin Temple itself and it's pagoda forest. Then back on a train to the next city!

Blessings,
Dennis & Anita

China Travel Log

Fellow Virtual Travelers,

While it seems we've been here for at least two days, we got to the Dongfang Hotel at 1 AM only this morning.  Planned and executed a busy day!

We got up at 6 AM to prepare for our first day in Beijing. The Forbidden City is where we spent our morning.  The grounds are expansive and mind boggling!
Then we walked up on Coal Hill, which has a nice pavilion that overlooks the Forbidden City. In the time of the Emperors, this huge hill in the middle of the city was made from all the coal slag, left over from heating the Emperor's Forbidden City palace buildings.

Forbidden City
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_City
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/forbidden.htm

Coal Hill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingshan_Park
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/jingshan.htm

We visited the Confucius temple and Lama temple and the famous drum and bell towers of Beijing.

Confucius temple and museum:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_Temple_of_Confucius

The drive back to our hotel seemed long in rush hour traffic. There are now 7 million cars in Beijing. It is quite obvious that traffic regulations differ between countries. In the US stripes on the highway are the law, in Europe, painted stripes are guidelines, in China they are merely decorations. We watched an old man dragging a wheeled suitcase across a busy boulevard, head-on into on-coming traffic, oblivious to any danger. He made it across, but we wonder how???

We ate at a local small cafe, and enjoyed a nice "traditional" Chinese meal.

Lastly we walked to a nearby theater and watched a performance of Beijing opera. Still sounds like fighting cats, but definitely a unique cultural experience.

Lots on miles on foot already, with little rest. Definitely will sleep good tonight.

Blessings,
Dennis&Anita

China Travel Log

Fellow Virtual Travelers,

Here we are in Beijing!  It took a total of sixteen hours of airline travel with some layover time to get to our first China destination.

So far…  Pre-trip packing until 2 am (Sat Oct 13th).  Who has the duct tape and bailing wire in case repairs are needed?  Who has cold medicine, flu medicine, Advil, aspirin, mole skin, bandaids, hand wipes, alcohol swabs, camera filters, lens cleaners, usb drives, camera cards, Chinese surge protectors, transformer, American power strips, pigtails, etc.  Where we're going these items are not readily available, if at all!

Then to DIA for a 2 pm flight on Oct 13th to Detroit and a direct flight to Beijing leaving Detroit at 10 pm.  We flew over the North Pole and even though it was dark outside the whole way, knowing that we were that far north, felt strange!  Arrived at the Dongfang Hotel about 1 am and caught some sleep before we head out to tour today on Monday October 15th (it's about 8 am local time).

There are three of us traveling:  Dennis, Anita and Karl (a fellow Kung Fu student also involved in our prior Shaolin Expedition in 2002). Our travels now are a follow up to the 2002 and 2003 trips, gathering more photos and stories!

For those who weren't involved in our original expeditions, check out the pages we're in the process of re-building:

shaolinexpedition.info

Now that we're in China, we are planning on only sending email updates (no googlegroups website access).  If you reply to our emails, it looks like we can pick them up just fine in China, so thank you to all who have been sending well-wishes!

Let the adventure begin and we are honored that you're traveling with us!

Dennis and Anita Lunt