Goodbyes and flight home

The morning of the 17th we gathered in the lobby of our hotel for a group picture prior to boarding the bus for the trip to the Hong Kong airport and flights home. Our trip has been a great 17 days, the amazing thing is we'll actually get home before we leave, due to gaining a day as we travel home. We exchanged email addresses and promised to post our photo's on the group Shutterfly site that Cindy is going to set up. What a great trip we have had. Our guide Joy has been the best, we all agreed that she made the trip, none of us got sick, lost, or had any types of problems, no overweight charges. We all know that lot's of us were over weight with our luggage. I for one had to buy a suitcase in the Stanley Market, couldn't get home without one. But I always seem to come home with a new suitcase, Rusty swears I've never met a suitcase I didn't love and have to have. Hopefully I haven't bored all of you and you have enjoyed this blog. I only wish I could have done it while I was traveling in China, but that wasn't possible. But that old saying better late than never. Happy reading until my next travel adventure. Cheryl

Aberdeen Harbor Junk Boat Ride

Today we went down to the Aberdeen Harbor which in 1966 was home to thousands of refugees from Red China who were fleeing the Communist Cultural Revolution. They lived on junks tied together large families, with no bathrooms, no water, it was really a terrible sight. The British government was overwhelmed with the refugees and didn't know what to do with them. But today it is a beautiful harbor all the squalor is gone. Lot's of junks used as fishing boats are left, yachts, and tourist junks. We boarded one for a 30 minute tour of the harbor. It was a very nice tour.

Kowloon & Hong Kong

We left Guilin and flew to Guamgzhou, a prosperous city in southern China. Here, we boarded a high-speed catamaran for a ride through the Pearl River delta to the scenic harbor of Hong Kong. Their we transferred to our hotel in heart of bustling Kowloon, near the harbor promenade. We stayed at the Regal Hotel Kowloon. The next morning we took a drive to the island of Hong Kong and up to Victoria Peak for a view of the whole Hong Kong harbor. At the top of the peak we saw the old red tram that climbs the hill from the floor of the valley up to the peak. I took this tram in 1966 when I visited Hong Kong when I lived in Taiwan, when my first husband Ray was stationed there in the Air Force. What a difference 40 years has made in Hong Kong and Kowloon. Barbara is standing by one of the Green old trams that used to climb the hill. In the evening we walked down to the waterfront from our hotel to watch the harbor laser light show across the harbor from Hong Kong to Kowloon. It lasted for 30 minutes and it was a beautiful show. It was all timed to music. Cindy and I went to Outback and had a good steak dinner, we had enough Chinese food to last for a long time.

Guilin Li River Cruise

Today we we journeyed by bus to the Li River to board a triple Decker boat for a four hour ride down the Li River. We saw the magnificent towering limestone pinnacles and the misty waters of the fabled Li River. The Limestone mountains along the river are thousands of years old. They are the ones you see in all the Chinese paintings of mountains, they are even featured on the back of the Chinese 20 Yuan paper money. Many of you saw this on my Christmas card and probably wondered what the heck is this? It was quite the trip. Along the way vendors rowed up along side our boat and tried selling items while tied up to our moving boat. The tour guide said be sure and not pay before you get your item, otherwise they leave and you never get your item. We also saw the fishermen that fish with the cormorant's (large black birds with rope tied around their necks so they can't swallow the fish). At the end of the journey there was a great small city with a great bazaar where we shopped, shopped, and bargained till we couldn't carry anymore. Great day.

Reed Flute Cave & Waterfall Hotel

Today we flew to Guilin, upon arrival we travel by bus to visit the Reed Flute Cave. The cave was very large, the staglagtites were illuminated by neon lights and it made the cave very neat looking, better than just any old cave. Lot's of steps, but not more than I could do. I'm actually getting in better good shape during this trip. In the evening we walked downtown and found the KFC then we walked over to a park and found the Waterfall Hotel to watch the waterfall coming over the top of the hotel. I'd never seen anything like it. The hotel is actually in the Guinness Book of Records.

Chongquing Zoo

Today we left the Yangzte river at the city of Chongquing. Chongquing is the largest city in the world 33 million people. Plus they have the most amazing zoo. We arrived just in time to see them feeding the giant Panda's. What an incredible site that was. The Panda's are so cute.

Scenes along the Yangzte River and Three Gorges