China Travel Log 2016 - Home sweet home

Fellow Virtual Travelers and Historians,

Welcome to our new followers, as this will be your first email update after our recent trip to China (October 14 - November 8, 2016)! We had to resort to a GoogleGroups list for updates in China, because of internet speeds (or lack thereof).

We've been home for a week now and while we're still confused about what side of the planet we're on, we're making slow progress on a number of fronts. From unpacking, disinfecting suitcases and washing clothes, to reviewing photographs for a 2017 China Temple Archeology calendar, we are feeling amazed at the intense and productive trip we survived!

This email (and photos listed below) as well as the emails we sent out while in China, have been posted to our website blog for easier sharing with family and friends: http://SacredMountainOdysseys.com/blog/

There are many more memories and stories to tell, so stay tuned! For now enjoy this smattering of photos from our recent trip. These are from our days on Wudangshan and Huashan.

Guan Di Temple - this ancient temple on Wudangshan, stands in memory of General Kwan Kung.

Guan Di Temple - this ancient temple on Wudangshan, stands in memory of General Kwan Kung, a martial arts hero and legend that will play an important role in our myths and legends books.

Monkey Valley - after devastating flooding.

Monkey Valley - immense flooding from recent downpours, destroyed the rock and concrete foot passage across the river, just above the waterfall. On the day we stopped by, mist and rain made it too treacherous to attempt a crossing.

Huashan peak - lots of tourists around besides us!

Huashan Peak - the number of tourists this late in the year, amazed us.

Huayin City - view of the city below, from one of Huashan's numerous craggy peaks.

Huayin City - view of the city below from one of Huashan's numerous craggy peaks.

Huashan cat - one of two kitty beggars WAY up on the mountain!

Huashan cat - much to our surprise, as we were preparing to assault the plank walk using climbing gear (before we knew it had been closed due to high winds), a couple of cats came by asking for handouts. This is WAY up on one of the mountain peaks!

Blessings,
Dennis & Anita

China Travel Log 2016 - The Old Summer Palace

Fellow Virtual Travelers and Historians,

When you open your arms for blessings, amazing things can happen. We decided a day-excursion to the end of the Great Wall at the Bohai Sea, was too involved (and expensive) for this trip:

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/scene/hebei/shanhaiguan/laolongtou.htm

So instead, we stayed in Beijing and visited an historical site recommended by Master Karl (who had only heard of it and has had it on his bucket list for a decade or so).

The Old Summer Palace is near in proximity to the Summer Palace we visited yesterday and is almost as large! Its history began in the early 1700's and is just as intriguing. The grounds are breathtaking, attracting artists from around the world to paint and draw water, forest and architecture landscapes. There are not nearly as many tourists and the cost of entrance is much less.

https://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/garden_perfect_brightness_02/ymy2_essay01.html
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/yuanmingyuan.htm
https://photo.chinatour360.com/beijing/yuanmingyuan/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Summer_Palace

 We are next off for a 3-day adventure to begin research on a sacred mountain we've not considered before for a book. We'll let you know more, when we know more. There may be nothing left to write about at this point in history (or there never was anything)… We'll likely not have any internet access and will be flying home from Shanghai on November 8th. A night without a day. Allowing us once again to get home before we even leave Shanghai!

Thanks for traveling with us again and watch for more stories and photographs! A thank you to ALL of you who emailed us. We will have been gone for 26 days and we miss our home and our friends! At this point, among the three of us, we already have 4,500 more photos to sort through.

Gazebo and walkway - one of many as you meander the many paths.

Gazebo and walkway - one of many as you meander the many paths.

Lake and willow trees- there are a number of lakes, lush gardens and trees, creating reflections that are amazing.

Lake and willow trees- there are a number of lakes, lush gardens and trees, creating reflections that are amazing.

Artist - folks using all kinds of mediums were busy throughout the park, crafting their art.

Artist - folks using all kinds of mediums were busy throughout the park, crafting their art.

Haiyantang Ruins - these ruins had been an intricate water clock.

Haiyantang Ruins - these ruins had been an intricate water clock.

Yuanmingyuan Haiyan - in a drawing from its heyday, this shows the water clock as it stood intact.

Yuanmingyuan Haiyan - in a drawing from its heyday, this shows the water clock as it stood intact.

Ruins Column Top - the top artwork of a VERY tall pillar, left standing alone.

Ruins Column Top - the top artwork of a VERY tall pillar, left standing alone.

Dashuifa - an elaborate combination of buildings, fountains, walkways and statues.

Dashuifa - an elaborate combination of buildings, fountains, walkways and statues.

Blessings,
Dennis & Anita

China Travel Log 2016 - Travel and Summer Palace

Fellow Virtual Travelers and Historians,

Surprise, we're in Beijing! It is now almost 6 am on November 3rd. On November 1st, after a day of early morning train travel from the base of Wudang mountain, then connecting with a domestic flight and finally a sardine-packed taxi ride with a Jackie Chan look-a-like, we made it to Beijing, the capital of China. Ask us about Vladimir from Russia sometime!

Yesterday morning, we rose and found breakfast in an authentic Chinese local restaurant (NOT like Chinese food in America!), then headed to the Summer Palace for additional photography.

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/images/map/beijing/yiheyuan.jpg
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/summer.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Palace

While we've been to this location a number of times, it is huge and there still remains territory to explore! We accomplished one of our goals - to retake photographs of the paintings of the Long Corridor. Many cultural and martial arts legends are contained in these paintings and were used by us, as chapter tittle pictures in our '10,000 Steps Straight Up' book.

As you can see, the skies are finally clear and we're no longer being pelted with rain! Keeping our fingers crossed for continued good weather for photography!

View of the Long Corridor that winds along Kunming Lake.

View of the Long Corridor that winds along Kunming Lake.

View of Kunming Lake and a Dragon Boat, from the Long Corridor.

View of Kunming Lake and a Dragon Boat, from the Long Corridor.

Bridge over a waterway.

Bridge over a waterway.

Pastoral view from an arched bridge.

Pastoral view from an arched bridge.

Ornate roof ornaments.

Ornate roof ornaments.

Temple area on the way back down the mountainous terrain.

Temple area on the way back down the mountainous terrain.

Blessings,
Dennis & Anita

China Travel Log 2016 - Ancient Temple Trek

Fellow Virtual Travelers and Historians,

Today dawned clear enough for us to complete a temple trek on Wudang mountain! With about seven hours of no rain, we successfully visited the Gaundi Temple for some indoor photography (courtesy of Victor knowing who was the key-keeper), the Change-Mind House, Needle Grinding Well and Dragon Spring Temple.  We were not able to complete our missions in either Monkey Valley or down the river toward the Five Dragon Palace, due to flooding that makes those valley treks impassable now.

All of these locations will play a part in our next book. We have to say that when we start down muddy forest trails following Victor, our hearts start to thrill with anticipation of what treasures are waiting to be found. The flute music he plays along the way creates an atmosphere of serenity.

By the time our mission was complete, the craggy mountains were again shrouded in mists and mystery, and rains were gently falling.

Victor leading us through the forest.

Victor leading us through the forest.

Dennis and Master Karl at the Guandi Temple.

Dennis and Master Karl at the Guandi Temple.

Ancient front wall of the Guandi Temple.

Ancient front wall of the Guandi Temple.

Roof ornament on an ancient temple.

Roof ornament on an ancient temple.

Flora along the forest trail.

Flora along the forest trail.

Rugged and ancient mountains of Wudangshan.

Rugged and ancient mountains of Wudangshan.

Blessings,
Dennis & Anita

China Travel Log 2016 - Philosophers

Fellow Virtual Travelers and Historians,

We are now on Wudangshan and it's still raining, as it was in both Xi'an and Ling Bao. To back track a little, the reason we visited Ling Bao was to research a mountainous pass that is famous in China's history. In ancient times, the Xi'an area was often chosen as the dwelling place for emperors, because it was protected on both the east and west sides by narrow passes that were easily protected. We are interested in Hangu Pass due to the part it plays in the story of the Chinese philosopher Lao Tze:

http://bridging-eurasia.org/en/node/327
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangu_Pass
http://news.everychina.com/vz4046a1-hangu_pass.html
http://news.everychina.com/wz41eee4/hangu_pass.html


If you're like us, you spend some time in your life reading about philosophies that may help you deal better with the tough questions that life asks us. It has been interesting to us that the great philosophers of history lived during the same time period (like Socrates and Plato). Many of these philosophers and teachers taught the same principles of success, such as: 'Treat others as you would like to be treated.' (This is found in both the Tao Te Ching and the Bible.)

Lao Tze another of those philosophers and is generally credited with writing the book 'Tao Te Ching'. As with any legend there are numerous theories about who did what when, but our favorite story describes Lao Tze as an old man who headed west to find immortality. As he passed through Hangu Pass, the guard stopped him and challenged Lao Tze to record in writing, all of his great teachings. Lao Tze did so and now we have passages such as this to reflect on:

In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don’t try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.
— Lao Tze

With the heavy rains, we did not get to set foot in the actual pass, so we're considering this trip to be a scouting mission for Hangu Pass. While the memorial park was beautiful, we'll have to come back again someday to see the mountainous pass! Sunny, the guide we reconnected with while we were in Xi'an, said he'd be able to help us on future trips and research to this area!

Hangu Pass in the early 1900's.

Hangu Pass in the early 1900's.

Dennis dwarfed by the memorial statue of Lao Tse.

Dennis dwarfed by the memorial statue of Lao Tse.

One of the serene views within the Hangu Pass Memorial Gardens.

One of the serene views within the Hangu Pass Memorial Gardens.

Blessings,
Dennis & Anita

China Travel Log 2016 - Xian

Fellow Virtual Travelers and Historians,

We are now in Xi'an for a couple of days of rest from our travels and research. We reconnected with a guide from our original 2002 expedition, Sunny, who bought us a wonderful dinner the first night in this city. It was awesome to spend some time catching up on what has happened in our lives over the last 14 years.

On our 2002 trip to China, Sunny's tenacity in climbing Huashan while carrying a suitcase, so impressed us that we wrote about him in the '10,000 Steps Straight Up' book, starting on page 96. We gave him an autographed copy of the book, much to his excitement! While he no longer leads tour groups (he has become a certified convention planner - there are only 18 such certifications in the entire country), our 2002 expedition is one of the tour groups that he remembers with fondness!

After a restful night at the Howard Johnson hotel, we decided to tour inside the Old City Wall on our first full day of 'taking it easy' and ended up walking 7.4 miles!

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/citywall.htm

No wonder our feet were hurting, after shopping in calligraphy shops, visiting small and hidden temples, and climbing the Bell Tower.

Our mission today, is to visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda:

http://www.chinagreattravel.com/xian/big-wild-goose-pagoda.htm
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/bigwildgoose.htm
http://www.greatwalltour.net/xian/attractions/big-wild-goose-pagoda.html
http://www.chinamaps.info/Big%20Wild%20Goose%20Pagoda/Big-Wild-Goose-Pagoda.htm

This evening we're off to Wudangshan to finish research there. Our monk friend, Victor, will meet us at the new Wudang mountain airport after we arrive this evening. There is no more need to travel through rural China on a 10-hour train ride to get to Wudang mountain! We'll have one evening in the city, then head up the mountain for 4 days of hiking and photography.

We'll be in touch with email updates, as we can!

Blessings,
Dennis&Anita

The Three Musketeers with our Huashan guide from the 2002 expedition, Sunny.

The Three Musketeers with our Huashan guide from the 2002 expedition, Sunny.

The old city wall of Xi'an with its moat.

The old city wall of Xi'an with its moat.

Low ceilings for Master Karl, in the old Bell Tower within the old city wall.

Low ceilings for Master Karl, in the old Bell Tower within the old city wall.

Hidden garden in old Xi'an.

Hidden garden in old Xi'an.

China Travel Log 2016 - Ling Bao

Fellow Virtual Travelers and Historians,

Today is Monday, October 24th. Yesterday we traveled by train from
Huayin at the base of Hua mountain, to Ling Bao in the interior of
China. Train travel in China can be nerve-wracking as you only have two
minutes to get on or off the train with all of your luggage. We were on
our own with no guide. On the escalator ride up to the platform, an
older lady fell and the attendant had to stop the escalator, which meant
walking our heavy luggage back down and then up the steps to the
platform. With that lost time, we jumped on the first car we could,
planning to walk up the train to our assigned Car # 3.  By the time we
got to our seats, we'd arrived at our destination! And no doubt
entertained everyone watching us pass through their cars!

After exiting our train, we were the only people on the train station
platform. All signs were in Chinese. We finally figured out where to go
to get a taxi (down a curving hill) and found one that actually had room
for all of us and our luggage. The 40 minute taxi ride into Ling Bao
took us through the most rural of China sights.

The closer we got to our destination, the more we resigned ourselves to
accommodations that would match our first trip to rural Wudangshan in
1996. We envisioned dirty water coming out of the bathroom pipes and
holes bashed in the side of the bathtub to allow water to run across the
bathroom floor to the drain on the other side of the room. And then
there were the rats climbing up the curtains in the dining room…. and
the very large bugs... One of our mottos: Prepare for the worst, hope
for the best.

As our car ride continued, the rural sights and sounds started to turn
into more modern buildings, paved streets without potholes, and
eventually skyscrapers. Still prepared for the worst, we exited the
taxi, paid our fee and were greeted with an English-speaking hotel
manager. In the middle of nowhere in China, we came across our first
English-speaking hotel staff!

Then it got even better. The hotel is magnificent, with jade carvings,
fine shops, room amenities of all kinds, air conditioning and heat!  
Thank you, Sun Bing of CITS Sunshine Travel in New York!

Today it is still overcast and our mission was to travel by taxi to a
location called Hangu Pass. This trek is important to both our Wudang
and Hua Mountain Odyssey books.

Watch for our report of Hangu Pass - we're excited about the stories we
learned today!

Rural sights on the way to Ling Bao via high speed train.

Rural sights on the way to Ling Bao via high speed train.

Master Karl moving luggage through the train cars.

Master Karl moving luggage through the train cars.

Grand piano in the Lingbao hotel lobby. Atop a Koi pond, nonetheless.

Grand piano in the Lingbao hotel lobby. Atop a Koi pond, nonetheless.

Jade boat for sale in the hotel lobby.

Jade boat for sale in the hotel lobby.

Blessings,
Dennis & Anita