2014 – 13: Great Wall, Xi’an, Guilin & Munich

I was in 5 different cities across 3 different countries on 2 different continents over the past 2 weeks. This blog is jam-packed. Picking up from last week’s spring break in China, we toured a restored section of the Great Wall.

 

People of a certain age (like me) will remember Richard Nixon’s visit in 1972. China was rather isolated in those days, and this trip started new dialogue between our countries.

 

Kayla and I accepted the challenge to hike from tower 6 to tower 23. This sounded easy at the onset…

 

… but was much more difficult than it appears.

 

The Wall was built in various sections here-and-there throughout the course of 2400 years, from 700 BC to 1644. Over time, these random barriers were eventually connected.

 

The Wall started as rammed dirt and several sections were later reinforced with stone and brick.

 

More than 21,000 km long (13,000 miles), the Wall was built in an east-west direction to prevent invasions from the north. The Wall was effective up until 1644 when the gates were opened to the Manchus and an alliance was formed.

 

Here’s a wide shot showing a ridge in the distance.

 

And here’s the close up. This is about 2 km away (the way a crow flies), but due to the snaking nature of the Wall along the mountaintop, there is about 10 km of Wall constructed to reach this point.

 

It’s a myth to say the Great Wall is the only man-made structure visible from space. After much debate amongst astronauts, it’s best to say the Great Wall can be seen from space with the naked eye, under favorable viewing conditions, if one knows exactly where to look.

 

This section was exceptionally steep and long.

 

But after several hours, we reached our goal of tower 23.

 

Beyond this point, the Wall is un-restored and covered with trees.

 

Then began the long journey back. Our legs were quite rubbery.

 

Hiking the Great Wall of China was an incredible experience we’ll always cherish.

 

The next stop on our China adventure took us to Xi’an (SHE an), one of four ancient capitals of China.

 

Walking the streets reminded us of Old Delhi…

 

…however in this case, they have beef.

 

With a 14 km bike ride, we circumnavigated the old city wall.

 

We also used this electric-powered rickshaw for transportation in town.

 

But the big attraction just outside of Xi’an is home to the Terra Cotta Warriors. They were commissioned by Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of a unified China some 2200 years ago.

An estimated 8000 slightly larger-than-life sized warriors were created and buried to guard the emperor’s tomb in 210 B.C.  Obsessed with immortality, he expected this army to fight his battles in the imperial afterlife.

 

However, he was so despised by his soldiers, they destroyed the warriors immediately upon his death. Everything was buried under 2-3 meters (6-9 feet) of dirt and forgotten.

 

Then on March 29, 1974, (40 years ago today) a local farmer was drilling a well for water and discovered the warriors. What an amazing find.

 

Of the estimated 8000 warriors, nearly 3000 have been painstakingly restored (it takes one person one year to restore one warrior).

 

Notice the variation.

 

This was not a “one-size-fits-all” production. Each warrior was customized.

 

The detail is impressive.

 

Horses were included as well.

 

Huge sections of the pits are still under excavation…

 

… and wide sections are yet to be explored.

 

Every warrior found to date was destroyed, except this one, who is kneeling.

 

None of this was in my history text books when I was in high school.

 

Here’s the famer who made the discovery in 1974. He received 300 RMB ($50 USD, or about a year’s wages at the time), but he returned the money since it was on government land. He’s now a celebrity and autographed our book on the Terra Cotta Warriors.

  

Our final stop on the China adventure was Guilin (GWAY lin). 

 

We enjoyed a 4-hour boat ride down the Li River.

 

20 million visitors a year come to experience the peace and tranquility of the surroundings.

This area was once ocean floor some 200 million years ago. Earthquakes over the centuries pushed up the earth to form these majestic mountains.

 

This is the exact spot made famous via Chinese currency.

 

These mountains are featured on the backside of the 20 RMB bill.

 

Later we experienced an authentic bamboo boat ride.

 

The boat is created by strapping 10 bamboo logs together.

 

Along the way, we witnessed four couples posing for wedding photos utilizing this memorable backdrop.

 

That concludes our spring-break tour through China, which was jam-packed with adventure. 

 

We returned to Delhi, just long enough for me to trade suitcases and head for Munich. Our flight path took us across the Crimea Peninsula. Looking out the widow, I could not detect any suspicious troop movements.

 

The i3 is quite visible in Munich.

 

Expanding on this theme of energy efficiency, bikes are now available for cycling between BMW buildings.

 

On the flip side, I heard and smelled this Trabant before I saw it. During the days of communism, this was THE car of eastern Germany.

  

It was great connecting with colleagues from the markets.

 

Left to right: An Indian working in Malaysia, an American working in India, and a Korean working in China.  

The tour of Dingolfing was a big highlight. There you have it, photos from 2 continents over the past 2 weeks. Enjoy. ts

 

2014 – 12: Beijing

Last Friday evening, we celebrated Greg’s 13^th birthday.  Nana watched via Skype as he blew out his candles.  A few hours later, we were on our way to China for Spring break. 

 

Our journey began in the nation’s capital, Beijing. We enjoyed navigating the Hutongs (alleys) in search of Peking Duck.

 

We passed on this opportunity to sample scorpions on a stick.

 

We found Peking Duck and gladly accepted assistance.

 

We asked for cake in honor of Greg’s birthday, and received this instead.  Chang Sou Mian, a noodle soup with a cooked egg. is the traditional birthday dish, known as long-life noodles. Greg was born in 2001 — year of the snake.

 

The next morning, we toured the Forbidden City (commoners were not permitted, thus the name “Forbidden”). 

 

It was built over 14 years from 1406 – 1420 during the Ming Dynasty.  Fans of the 1987 Academy Award winning Film, “Last Emperor” will recognize this location.

 

The Forbidden City served as the capital for 24 emperors through the Qing Dynasty.  The “inner-war” began in 1911 and lasted nearly 4 decades until the communists under Chairman Mao Zedong took control in 1949.  During this struggle, the Qing remnants fled to Taiwan.

 

Some 30 minutes away, we visited the Temple of Heaven, built in 1420.  The Emperor visited twice a year and fasted for 3 days in search of good health and good harvests.  They sacrificed pigs, sheep and birds to the God of Heaven.  There was no organized religion, but merely “God in Heaven.”

 

In China, 4 is an unlucky number, while 8 is very lucky.  However, the Emperor had his own special lucky number of 9, which is why this door has 9 rows of golden knobs across, and 9 columns down.

 

We later visited a fresh water oyster farm where this 5 year old oyster contained 22 pearls.  In a youngster like this, the pearls are ground and used as a rejuvenating face cream.

 

The older oysters (up to 13 years) produce larger pearls for jewelry.

 

From there it was off to the Emperor’s Summer Palace, with its 999 steps.

 

Later, at this tea ceremony, we sampled 5 different flavors. Each tea comes with its own list of health benefits.  Lychee Black Tea was our favorite (which benefits the skin).

 

From there it was off to Tiananmen Square, site of the famous pro-democracy student protests of June, 1989. 

 

The square now contains two huge video screens, but you can bet, there’s no reference to the incidents of 1989.

 

Keeping a close eye on it all is this painting of Chairman Mao, who is still prevalent in Chinese society (he’s featured on all paper currency). 

Then Amit and his family hosted us for dinner Sunday night. 

 

Monday took us to the Great Wall of China (more on this adventure next week).

 

Familiar faces were spotted during a quick visit to the BMW office in Beijing.

 

Ohioans will recognize the gentleman on the right (his tie color was the perfect choice for our visit on St. Patrick’s Day). Also, see bonus photo at the end.

 

From there, we saw the Chinese acrobatic show, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

 

Then we strolled “Ghost Street” in search of dinner…

 

…and found “Hot Pot.”  We cooked all our meats and vegetable in this boiling broth.  It was absolutely delicious.  As you can see, we completely maximized our first 2 ½ days in China.

 

As we departed Beijing, we were surprised to see that First Lady, Michelle Obama is following in our footsteps.  She toured Beijing’s Forbidden City on Friday with her mother and daughters before heading to the Great Wall of China.  Then they’re off to Xi’an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors.

 

We saw the Warriors on Wednesday. 

 

Here’s an advance peek at an upcoming blog. Look for more of our China adventures next week.  ts

Bonus photo: I had dinner tonight in Munich with this family from Ohio.

2014 – 11: Leper Colony

Before jumping into this week’s topic, Holi was celebrated at our offices on Friday.  As this photo indicates, Holi (pronounced “wholly”) is known as the festival of colors.

 

We’ve had an unusual amount of rain, which is very uncommon at this time of year.  This puddle caused us to turn around and try another way.

 

Kayla had a busy week with her “mini-course” program which takes the classroom into the community. Here they guided students from a local school around the area of India Gate, Delhi’s most noted landmark.

 

At the zoo, they spotted a white tiger.

 

And later in the week, they painted classrooms at the local school…

 

…using bamboo ladders.

 

But the most memorable part of the week included a Leper colony tour in Delhi.

 

That’s Kayla on the left.

 

Leprosy deadens the nerves, primarily in the hands and feet. Cleaning is required daily…

 

…followed by bandaging. 

 

Kayla was amazed that patients could walk without much limp.

 

Leprosy is more a social disease vs. medical. There’s a negative social stigma which has carried over for centuries, however, contagiousness is controlled with medication.

 

These children live in the community of 4,000 and are Leprosy-free. It’s operated by the Hope foundation which provides housing, medicine, vocational training, job opportunities and school for the children. Enjoy your week.  ts

 

2014 – 10: Grand wedding + Holi + Grease

A recent grand wedding in Mumbai was on a scale like nothing I’ve ever seen before.  Here’s the entrance.

 

Ganesha was there to greet everyone.

 

The outdoor venue was completely created from a vacant city block – larger than a football field.

 

There was a lengthy cue to meet the bride and groom on stage.

 

Huge video screens broadcast the live activities for the 3,500 guests.

 

We enjoyed food from across India, and around the world.

 

Back at our hotel, this man was searching for (and finding) mosquitoes with this electronic bug zapper.

 

Last Saturday (March 1), was the Holi festival at the school (note: the actual Holi holiday is March 17 this year, however the school celebrated early due to spring break).

 

While the American northeast was getting pounded yet again with another snow storm and bitterly cold temperatures, here’s a look at the Holi activities in Delhi. 

 

Holi is the festival of colors.

 

Bright colored powders are playfully thrown at each other.

 

Greg is in here somewhere (not exactly sure where).

 

Even the adults get in on the fun.

 

Volunteers were also recipients of the powder they passed out.

 

Water is a big part of the event.

 

There was water everywhere.

 

Finally, we caught a brief glimpse of Greg.

 

And within 45 minutes, it was over.

 

The balance of the week was busy.  Wednesday took us to Mumbai for a client meeting.

 

Thursday’s lunch with the ladies marked a 300% increase within the sales and marketing team (it was fortuitous in that unbeknownst to me at the time — International Women’s Day is celebrated March 8).

 

Friday brought recognition to the F&I team at one of our dealerships.

 

Then Friday evening it was time for the school musical “Grease.”

 

Kayla sang and danced her heart out.

 

The sets were impressive.

 

The song “Greased Lightning” is about teenage boys who want to “soup up” a car to attract girls.  This performance actually included two females (dressed as boys).  Look in the back row.  That’s Kayla with as much hair as possible tucked under the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap.

 

The show was very entertaining (and streamed live over the Internet). 

This was another key milestone in Kayla’s senior year.  Enjoy your week.  ts

2014 – 09: Ajanta Caves

Picking up from last week, Greg and I toured the Ajanta Caves, two hours outside of Aurangabad.

 

There are 30 caves in total which were all cut by hand beginning some 2200 years ago, directly into the side of this cliff.

We removed our shoes prior to entry.

 

The caves were cut in two phases, with several centuries in-between.

 

Founded in Buddhism, there are 25 resident caves and 5 dedicated to worship.

 

What you see is one piece of rock, completely carved by hand.

Many of the caves contain paintings, seen in 3 styles:  Narrative (telling the story of Buddha’s life in former incarnations), decorative (for ceilings) and portrait.

 

The rock was chipped away and left with a rough surface.  Plaster was then applied followed by mineral paint imbedded in the still-moist plaster.  This fresco style was used throughout.

 

All paints came from natural minerals.  Red from ochre, black from sood and white from limestone. Blue was unavailable locally and thus the mineral lapis lazuli was imported from Afghanistan.  It was quite expensive and used very sparingly.

 

Flash photography was prohibited inside any of the caves containing paintings.  Greg provided the light source here with his flashlight.

 

Some caves were multi-level, up to three stories.

 

We climbed these steep and dangerous stairs (something you’d never see in the U.S.).

 

Somewhere around the year 1000 AD, the caves were abandoned.  No one knows why for sure, but apparently the monks moved onto Nepal, China and Sri Lanka.

 

The caves were overgrown with dense jungle and “lost” to the outside world for hundreds of years.

 

In 1819, a tiger hunting expedition led by a British man named John Smith “rediscovered” the caves which had since been home to wild animals for some 800 years.

 

Along the way, Greg became an instant celebrity. 

 

One student from a school group wanted a click, and then they all suddenly wanted to pose with Greg.  Why?  White skin.

 

We hiked to the top of a peak opposite the caves.  Here you can see the full “horseshoe” shape of the cliff.

 

On our second day, we toured Ellora Caves, some 45 minutes outside Aurangabad (a different direction from Ajanta).

 

Unlike the Ajanta Caves which are all Buddhist, the 34 Ellora Caves represent three religions:   12 are Buddhist, 17 are Hindu and 5 are Jain.

 

These caves were hand-carved between the years 600 – 1200 AD and were never “lost” to the outside world.

 

It’s suspected this was a dining hall.

 

Who likes caves?  Bats do.  This ceiling is covered with bats who frequently swooped low over the heads of visitors.

 

There are two sects of Buddhists:  Hina Yana and Mahayana (which includes idol worship). Here are two Buddhist monks in prayer.

 

There are 5 positions of Buddha:  preaching, meditation, wish-giving, protection and touching mother earth.

At Ellora, Buddha is shown seated, with legs down (vs. legs crossed meditation position at Ajanta).

  

Switching religions, this Hindu temple next door was by far the most impressive at Ellora. 

 

It is open-air and was carved from the top-down.

 

Again, everything you see is one piece of rock, carved by hand.

 

The detail is impressive.

 

Here’s a close up shot of Greg…

 

… and here’s a wide shot.

 

Here is the view from his vantage point.

 

Can you spot Greg in this photo?

 

There’s Greg. Visitors have complete freedom of movement throughout the structures.

 

The final set of caves were carved by members of the Jain religion circa 1000 – 1100 AD. 

 

Once again, the level of detail is impressive.

 

This was a memorable adventure to Ajanta and Ellora Caves, which was preceded by our jaunt through the cotton factory. We’re thoroughly enjoying our Indian exploration.  ts