So... after 322 days, 46 weeks, 18 countries, 3 continents, 25 airports, 18 train stations, 6 bus trips, 9 car rentals, countless subway, taxi, city bus, pedicab, and autorickshaw rides, and 78 different beds, we are home.
What can I say... it was an exhilarating, exhausting, growing, and emotional experience, and I was fortunate enough to share it with two of my favourite people in the world. We are home and God has been gracious. We travelled safely and are in good health... what more can I ask for! My worldview is forever changed but my faith in humanity has been strengthened.
"I'm so glad we had this time together, just to have a laugh and sing a song. Seems we just get started and before you know it, comes the time we have to say.....so long." (with thanks to Carol Burnett)
Thanks for traveling along with us via our blogs. I hope you enjoyed your time away as much as we did.
It's been eleven years but we're baaaaack! Back to revisit familiar places and back to discover some new ones.
What do: 1) a visit to IKEA 2) a subway ride to see the Olympic Bird's Nest, and 3) a tedious game of RISK all have in common? It must mean that: A) we were in need of an amazing cultural experience (you did see Bernie's blog on IKEA, didn't you?) B) we needed to visit the touristy sights even if the smog was unbelievable (the trip was made more memorable by meeting a very handsome Italian gentleman Francesco who works in the luxury fashion industry... think Gucci and Prada) 3) the smog was SO bad and it turned into an incredible thunderstorm so we needed to amuse ourselves indoors or D) it's what makes China, China? Thank you for picking D.
Highlights of our second time in China included revisiting the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, traveling to Xian to see the Terracotta Warriors, and climbing a portion of the Great Wall. We added the new experiences of navigating and negotiating our way around the huge Panjiayuan Market (it was an experience we won't soon forget) and we rented bicycles in Xian and rode around the ENTIRE city wall.
Add to that a fantastic walk through the Hutongs of Beijing, a visit to Chairman Mao's mausoleum (yes, he is dead), and a wonderful weekend away with Rod and Kath, their kids and their kids' friends, and you have another amazing, exhilirating trip to China.
Since our last visit eleven years ago a number of changes have occurred. Say good-bye to the drab Mao era pants, shapeless skirts, and sensible shoes, and hello to short skirts, shorter shorts, and insanely high heels. What North America has done for cleavage, China has done for legs. She's got legs, and she knows how to use them...
A special thanks has to be said to Rod and Kath Suderman for their hospitality during our stay in China. They make living and working in China seem so easy and really helped us navigate our way around Beijing and the rest of China with lots of friendly advice, great insights and a wonderful home where we could rest and recharge our batteries. Their amazing experience and expertise was invaluable and without it our time in China would have been memorable in a totally different way! Thank you Rod, Kath, Chris, and Jesse... we couldn't have done it without you.
