GCDS Does China by the Numbers:
1,300,000,000 people (thank Buddha it's the low season)
16,506 - distance traveled, in miles, in a plane
11,000 - highest elevation reached, in feet
8,000 - number of terracotta warriors spotted (approx)
3,300 - steps climbed up the Great Wall (approx)
1,000 - money spent on tea for the McCloskey household (in Yuan)
500 - conservative estimate for one missing pair of sunglasses, in $US
225 - average weight of Tang Dynasty women, in pounds
217 - Bloon levels reached
123 - "cutes" heard at the panda reserve
50 - happy travelers
29 - provinces
23 - longest door to door journey, in hours
20 - lazy susan meals
12 - unforgettable days
10 - Mary's tour guide ranking (on a scale of 1-10)
9 - scorpions eaten
8 - sicknesses battled
7 - flights
6 - earliest morning departure time, Beijing standard time
5 - silkworms eaten
4 - tour guides (city & national)
3 - trips to KFC
2 - meals it took for the novelty of authentic Chinese food to wear off
1 - Oliver reprise in Tiananmen Square
Countless - Kung Pao Chicken consumed, Amanda Happy House requests, Paula negotiations (with vendors AND tour guides), Scrabble tiles played, Temple Run coins earned, and incredible memories.
Thank you Jack/Mr. Jepson, parents, students, Mary, Helen, Jheshe Nima, Blue Flag Jack, GCDS, Mao, and Buddha for the memories!
Pictures to follow.
Love,
The Lehns
Saturday, March 31, 2012
GCDS Does China - Day 10 - Chengdu
8:30 wake-up calls for a 10am departure for the day's fun felt quite luxurious this morning. Only one person meeting for the "group" run is indicative of how packed our days have been and how exhausted we are.
We had a couple of brief excursions today before the farewell banquet. Lunch at the Sichuan Cooking Institute was delicious, and although our guide failed to keep our attention, seeing ancient artifacts; learning about the flipping, sun burning, & dewing of the peppers; finding one of the restaurants we had enjoyed featured on their wall of fame; seeing Babe all grown up; and peering through the clear glass wall to see the cooks preparing our meal in the kitchen kept our interest. Not many 15 year olds (or "blog" authors) got excited for the embroidery workshop, but the craftsmanship on display blew us all away.
Our farewell dinner banquet was fit for an emperor with about 20 delicious dishes served in our private room. Our last Sichuan hurrah at this gourmet restaurant was overshadowed, however, by the night's entertainment. The outpouring of emotions during poems, songs, jeopardy, toasts, and thank yous summoned laughter and tears among our already nostalgic group. We have been promised the transcripts from all of our talented bards and are also thrilled that Rebecca has it all recorded. Since going to bed meant accepting the finality of this trip, everyone stayed up when we got back to the hotel. The parents treated everyone to Pizza Hut (21 delicious dishes!) as we relaxed and shared stories while Marty, Hanley, Eric, Lisa, and Rebecca tickled the ivory in the hotel lobby/bar to put the finishing touches on an amazing journey to the other side of the world.
Love,
All of us in China
P.S. We have one final trip recap email coming and then will be in touch about picture sharing. We miss you guys already!
We had a couple of brief excursions today before the farewell banquet. Lunch at the Sichuan Cooking Institute was delicious, and although our guide failed to keep our attention, seeing ancient artifacts; learning about the flipping, sun burning, & dewing of the peppers; finding one of the restaurants we had enjoyed featured on their wall of fame; seeing Babe all grown up; and peering through the clear glass wall to see the cooks preparing our meal in the kitchen kept our interest. Not many 15 year olds (or "blog" authors) got excited for the embroidery workshop, but the craftsmanship on display blew us all away.
Our farewell dinner banquet was fit for an emperor with about 20 delicious dishes served in our private room. Our last Sichuan hurrah at this gourmet restaurant was overshadowed, however, by the night's entertainment. The outpouring of emotions during poems, songs, jeopardy, toasts, and thank yous summoned laughter and tears among our already nostalgic group. We have been promised the transcripts from all of our talented bards and are also thrilled that Rebecca has it all recorded. Since going to bed meant accepting the finality of this trip, everyone stayed up when we got back to the hotel. The parents treated everyone to Pizza Hut (21 delicious dishes!) as we relaxed and shared stories while Marty, Hanley, Eric, Lisa, and Rebecca tickled the ivory in the hotel lobby/bar to put the finishing touches on an amazing journey to the other side of the world.
Love,
All of us in China
P.S. We have one final trip recap email coming and then will be in touch about picture sharing. We miss you guys already!
GCDS Does China - Day 9 - Chengdu
We rolled out of the hotel at 6:13am, just 13 minutes after our scheduled departure - a new group record! The ride to the Panda reserve and breeding grounds brought us well out of the city, on smaller and smaller winding roads to the top of a gorge plush with bamboo forests for a unique experience with these endangered animals. You earn your keep at the reserve: upon arrival, we spent some time cleaning up bamboo scraps, bamboo leaves, and bamboo poop; we shattered the thickest shoots, transported vats of water, and brought pandas some of their favorite snacks. We all knew these specialists eat bamboo leaves, shoots, and branches, but we were surprised to find they also enjoyed carrots and some "cakes" made of some combination of bamboo, honey, and soybean paste. The grounds have an enclosed pen that opens up to a simulated natural habitat for each panda. The chores allowed us to donate time to the preservation efforts while getting up close and personal with the Pandas. We saw young pandas & old pandas, baby pandas & toddler pandas, male pandas & female pandas, climbing pandas & rolling pandas, hungry pandas & sleepy pandas, laughing pandas & whining pandas, black & white pandas! Pandas!! Later, visitors had the opportunity to become donors, for which they would receive a panda photo-op or a few minutes of free play with one of the younger animals depending on the donation. Unforgettable.
Hot pot for dinner was an experience! We/they put everything but the kitchen sink into our boiling broth for our Chinese fondue dinner: Chinese hot dogs, Chinese meatballs, lotus root, rice noodles, wheat noodles, beef sukiyaki, chicken feet, chicken head, and a few UFO's (unidentified floating objects). A couple of 9th graders accidentally (or so they said) tasted their first rice wine. We cut them off as soon as everyone realized what they had been served.
A Chinese opera and fine arts display that we likened to a Chinese variety show capped off our second to last day. Some acts didn't translate too well (literally and figuratively), but others were awe inspiring. A couple of highlights were a Shadow Puppeteer who left you wondering if he only had two hands and the famous (in this neck of the woods) mask morphing men of whom we demanded an explanation for their slight of hand. Mary and Helen would only offer that it was magic, but reminded us that we could Google it (even in China).
One more day!!
Love,
All of us in China
Hot pot for dinner was an experience! We/they put everything but the kitchen sink into our boiling broth for our Chinese fondue dinner: Chinese hot dogs, Chinese meatballs, lotus root, rice noodles, wheat noodles, beef sukiyaki, chicken feet, chicken head, and a few UFO's (unidentified floating objects). A couple of 9th graders accidentally (or so they said) tasted their first rice wine. We cut them off as soon as everyone realized what they had been served.
A Chinese opera and fine arts display that we likened to a Chinese variety show capped off our second to last day. Some acts didn't translate too well (literally and figuratively), but others were awe inspiring. A couple of highlights were a Shadow Puppeteer who left you wondering if he only had two hands and the famous (in this neck of the woods) mask morphing men of whom we demanded an explanation for their slight of hand. Mary and Helen would only offer that it was magic, but reminded us that we could Google it (even in China).
One more day!!
Love,
All of us in China
GCDS Does China - Bonus Entry #2
We have only partly been kidding about the rising GDP over here. In honor of all the treats coming back to the states, here are the most impulsive purchases (witness by your "blog" authors):
Honorable Mention: Industrial powered laser pointers
#5: The 72nd Longchamps bag
#4: "yak horn" back scratcher
#3: 3 ft Samurai sword(s)
#2: Panda vest(s)
#1: Personalized Jepson terracotta warrior (luckily nixed by Barbara at the penultimate moment)
Lots to look forward to in addition to your loved ones returning!
Love,
All of us in China
Honorable Mention: Industrial powered laser pointers
#5: The 72nd Longchamps bag
#4: "yak horn" back scratcher
#3: 3 ft Samurai sword(s)
#2: Panda vest(s)
#1: Personalized Jepson terracotta warrior (luckily nixed by Barbara at the penultimate moment)
Lots to look forward to in addition to your loved ones returning!
Love,
All of us in China
GCDS Does China - Day 8 - Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu
More great views and the lure of Scrabble, needlepoint, email, "blogging," Fifa, Bloon, etc, etc. were welcomed distractions from the winding roads and near death passes in the left lane in our commercial busses. We reached the airport safely and survived a turbulent flight #5 en route back to Chengdu.
We were treated to an ancient custom upon our return to Chengdu: KFC with fries! This may as well have been filet and pinot judging by the unanimous celebration from kids and adults alike. We even heard a "food glorious food" chorus in the back of the bus.
More glorious than the fried chicken was our afternoon bike ride through expansive blooming yellow rapeseed plants that summoned thoughts of Oz. Obstacles like open manholes, dirt piles, swarms of bees, and oncoming traffic made the brief 3 mile ride very exciting! Some of the group was dropping like bees, falling behind the group to observe the bee keepers in action, taking a wrong turn off the red paved course, pausing for some Kodak moments, or even just manning the manhole, but we all convened at the end for our excursion to Old Chengdu Town.
The old town had great feng shui with Yellow Dragon Creek running down the quaint pedestrian way. We wandered the street lanes and saw the old water mill, herb shops, beautiful blooming flowers (iris and cherry blossoms), and the famous Sichuan hot chili peppers. Down off the Tibetan plateau, temperatures were in the 70s and boys bought waterbottle squirt guns to cool us all down with the spray - what a difference from the 40 degree weather we woke up to this morning!
Back on the bus and off to dinner, we suddenly heard chants of "Oh mani nemo yes a laida..." and looked up to see cars, rickshaws, trucks, and bikes dodging us as we barreled down a one way divided highway the wrong way!! We made it to dinner without even a ticket and enjoyed one of the best feasts of the trip with a spread of spicy Sichuan dishes.
It was easy to convince everyone that the early curfew was for their own benefit because we are all geared up for another highlight tomorrow: The Pandas!
Love,
All of us in China
We were treated to an ancient custom upon our return to Chengdu: KFC with fries! This may as well have been filet and pinot judging by the unanimous celebration from kids and adults alike. We even heard a "food glorious food" chorus in the back of the bus.
More glorious than the fried chicken was our afternoon bike ride through expansive blooming yellow rapeseed plants that summoned thoughts of Oz. Obstacles like open manholes, dirt piles, swarms of bees, and oncoming traffic made the brief 3 mile ride very exciting! Some of the group was dropping like bees, falling behind the group to observe the bee keepers in action, taking a wrong turn off the red paved course, pausing for some Kodak moments, or even just manning the manhole, but we all convened at the end for our excursion to Old Chengdu Town.
The old town had great feng shui with Yellow Dragon Creek running down the quaint pedestrian way. We wandered the street lanes and saw the old water mill, herb shops, beautiful blooming flowers (iris and cherry blossoms), and the famous Sichuan hot chili peppers. Down off the Tibetan plateau, temperatures were in the 70s and boys bought waterbottle squirt guns to cool us all down with the spray - what a difference from the 40 degree weather we woke up to this morning!
Back on the bus and off to dinner, we suddenly heard chants of "Oh mani nemo yes a laida..." and looked up to see cars, rickshaws, trucks, and bikes dodging us as we barreled down a one way divided highway the wrong way!! We made it to dinner without even a ticket and enjoyed one of the best feasts of the trip with a spread of spicy Sichuan dishes.
It was easy to convince everyone that the early curfew was for their own benefit because we are all geared up for another highlight tomorrow: The Pandas!
Love,
All of us in China
GCDS Does China - Bonus Entry #1
We have certainly been adventurous with the Eastern cuisine as we immerse ourselves in Chinese culture; however, some longings from home understandably arise. Here are some special requests from our solo travellers (and allergists) for their welcome home meal:
Fruit loops with American milk (HG)
Grandma's Chicken and Pasta (MVP)
Pesto pasta and a smoothie (EK)
Frijoles! (GA)
Waffles (CG)
Chipotle (WA)
Garden Catering (HF)
Dominoes (SS, BF, DM)
Moe's Juicy Loosey Burger (RK)
Big Mac (JHD)
Steak (beef, not yak) (EG)
Pink Berry and Joey B's (HK)
Colony Pizza (CG)
White Rice with some soy sauce (JK!!)
Sorry if we have raised expectations by compiling this list!
Love,
All of us in China
Fruit loops with American milk (HG)
Grandma's Chicken and Pasta (MVP)
Pesto pasta and a smoothie (EK)
Frijoles! (GA)
Waffles (CG)
Chipotle (WA)
Garden Catering (HF)
Dominoes (SS, BF, DM)
Moe's Juicy Loosey Burger (RK)
Big Mac (JHD)
Steak (beef, not yak) (EG)
Pink Berry and Joey B's (HK)
Colony Pizza (CG)
White Rice with some soy sauce (JK!!)
Sorry if we have raised expectations by compiling this list!
Love,
All of us in China
GCDS Does China - Day 7 - Jiuzhaigou
Like the great wall, Jiuzhaigou National Park did not disappoint. The many colorful lakes scattered about this pristine mountain setting made the blues of the Caribbean look like the Hudson. Waterfalls and snow capped mountains put the exclamation points on this natural treasure. To maximize our time in the 240 sq mile park we were bussed from site to site to see as many of the 114 extraordinarily turquiose lakes and countless vistas as possible, but we were still able to stretch our legs plenty and enjoy some beautiful trails.
We've been pushing hard to catch early flights, learn from our knowledgeable guides, and see much of what China has to offer, so were rewarded with a trip to a Tibetan massage parlor this afternoon. Though hesitant at first, most of the group endulged in the pampering. Laughs, shrieks, and relaxation filled the air as roomfulls of students, parents, and chaperones had their pressure points poked and prodded. A few candid reactions should give you a sense of the excitement:
"Ooowwwwwwwww!!!!!"
"Do you have girlfriend?"
"Mary, how do you say too high!"
"I think she just touched my private square."
"I just got spanked."
"We love Yak Yepason!!!"
After dinner we made a quick stop at a mini-mart to stock up on snacks before a traditional Tibetan performance. Some of us jumped at the opportunity to try yak jerky, Chinese candy, and rice cookies while others played it safe with Snickers, Oreos, and Sprite. The performance used modern dance, comical expressions, Stomp-esque prop usage, blaring music, the Brad Pitt of goats, and impressive choreography to tell the story of one woman's journey to enlightenment. We could see our breath as we empathetically felt for her as she froze to death on the final leg of her journey. This was our second favorite traditional Chinese performance, after the acrobat show.
Jiuzhaigou is about as close to Tibet as most travellers get at this time of year, near the anniversary of the recent turmoil. We were introduced to much Tibetan culture in Jiuzhaigou; the ubiquitous prayer flags and prayer wheels remind us that we are blessed to see this beautiful place.
Love,
All of us in China
We've been pushing hard to catch early flights, learn from our knowledgeable guides, and see much of what China has to offer, so were rewarded with a trip to a Tibetan massage parlor this afternoon. Though hesitant at first, most of the group endulged in the pampering. Laughs, shrieks, and relaxation filled the air as roomfulls of students, parents, and chaperones had their pressure points poked and prodded. A few candid reactions should give you a sense of the excitement:
"Ooowwwwwwwww!!!!!"
"Do you have girlfriend?"
"Mary, how do you say too high!"
"I think she just touched my private square."
"I just got spanked."
"We love Yak Yepason!!!"
After dinner we made a quick stop at a mini-mart to stock up on snacks before a traditional Tibetan performance. Some of us jumped at the opportunity to try yak jerky, Chinese candy, and rice cookies while others played it safe with Snickers, Oreos, and Sprite. The performance used modern dance, comical expressions, Stomp-esque prop usage, blaring music, the Brad Pitt of goats, and impressive choreography to tell the story of one woman's journey to enlightenment. We could see our breath as we empathetically felt for her as she froze to death on the final leg of her journey. This was our second favorite traditional Chinese performance, after the acrobat show.
Jiuzhaigou is about as close to Tibet as most travellers get at this time of year, near the anniversary of the recent turmoil. We were introduced to much Tibetan culture in Jiuzhaigou; the ubiquitous prayer flags and prayer wheels remind us that we are blessed to see this beautiful place.
Love,
All of us in China
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