Click on the map to see the details of the True West fall trip
We continue south and establish our next base camp at Fairystone State Park. Again we use the Smart for side trips to a couple of rounds of golf and exploring. With a visit to Mt. Mitchell, 6,684 ft, we have now visited the most northern, Mt Washington and most southern peaks east of the Mississippi…looking forward to the Rockies.
We continue down the Blue Ridge Parkway thru the Shenandoah Mountains to Asheville where we will spend a few days exploring the richness of this area.
Grove Park Inn, the Biltmore Estate, art galleries, fine restaurants and a lovely setting. Having visited both Jefferson’s estate at Monticello and Vanderbuilt’s Biltmore Estate on this trip, we were stuck with the similarities between these two men and their dreams to create sustaining monuments. Both Jefferson and Vanderbuilt grew up with inherited wealth, were very highly educated and had world class libraries, both multi-lingual, and both self trained in design and construction. The technologies employed, the self sustaining nature of the estates with massive employment or enslavement and the ultimate financial failure of both. It would make an interesting book.
Click on the map to see the details of True West fall trip.
Returning from China, we spent a few days with some of Marcia’s family in Topsail Beach, NC, then flew up to Boston to pick up the GMC for the trip south.
Its not common to have a lobster boat meet you at the airport and then have boiled lobsters on the way to Hull, but the Mahoneys are uncommon friends. After a night in Hull, it was off to RI to visit Dan’s brother and two of his nephews and families. From there we headed over to Newport, RI for a couple of day visiting the Mansions and the Old Round Tower for 1421 fans. 1421 refers to Gavin Menzies book that declares that on March 8, 1421, the largest fleet the world had ever seen set sail from China to “proceed all the way to the ends of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas.” and one branch of this fleet ended up in Rhode Island.
Then it was on to visit Kristi in NJ, from there a Smart side trip to NYC with a visit to the Cloisters, a broadway show and Sunday morning at St John the Devine for the blessing of the animals…even Lola.
On to VA with first stop at Gettysburg, the Bluemont Vinyards to see Jennifer and Joe Shailor. A stop at the Kisielnicki family home on 44th Avenue…yikes 11 kids and one bathroom! A visit to the homestead gave Dan a much better appreciation of Marcia’s sense of personal space. A stop at the Vince, Patsy and Megan Trovatos in Easton, Md , then on to see Marcia’s brother Tom and a round of golf. Across the Chesapeake Bay in both directions, then up to see Dan’s classmate Dick Rounds with golf at Indian Creek
We thought we were going to have to pry Kristi out of Hong Kong. While only 7 million people, this is the most densely populated place on earth. It also has the worlds most developed public transportation system, it is used by 90% of the populations…double decker trolleys!!
Strictly tourists here, we took the bus tour with side trips up to the Peak by cable car, up the escalators (cover about 20 blocks up the mountain), ferry to Kowloon, and out to Resolute Bay where we almost got in a swim before the weather turned.
Wrapping up the trip, we all reflected on what we had seen and heard and what it meant for both the Chinese and Americans.
Our first observation is that Americans should not be mislead by the media snippets that seem to constantly project the idea that the China model is about to fail. In two decades, this model has lifted a record number, say 400 million people, out of poverty. It is a model that can coherently address issues such as alternative energy, urban planning, economic development, religious and ethnic tolerance, etc. The mass of people are moving forward and not held under some kind of intolerable yoke.
The second observation is that for at least another decade China will be absorbing raw materials at a growing pace. Cement, steel, you name it. They will do what they need to do to assure future supplies of these materials. We, as Americans, do not have some inalienable right to cheap energy or raw materials….we are going to have to pay the market rate.
The third observation is that at least some parts of China are no longer a developing country. These areas are as first world as it gets and will be competitive in education, research, development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing as any western companies we know today. The Chinese have built more miles of infrastructure such as roads, railroads, subways, runways, tunnels, bridges, power lines, dams, water lines, sewer plants and more square feet of real estate: industrial, office, residential, retail, educational, health care in the last decade that the rest of the world combined. They are or shortly will be the largest consumer market in the world. They will soon be setting the standards for all the goods produced.
The fourth observation is that while we argue about Tea Parties, teaching evolution in the schools, and the reality of climate change; as a country we fall further behind the rest of the world in many aspects we hold dear. Further, more and more of the world is looking with reasoned skepticism as to our claims of superiority on many fronts. While as a people we are loved and respected around most of the world, as a nation we have become a debtor with diminishing respect around the world.
Marcia continues to ponder the question….which are more important to the future of the society ….. the individual rights that Americans so cherish or the collective thinking that is so deeply ingrained in Chinese culture in order for the society to survive?
In closing, I would urge each of you who care about these issues to read ‘When China Rules the World’ by Martin Jacques.
Wuhan (sister city is Pittsburg) and Guangzhou (Canton) two of the industrial capitals of China and offers little to the tourist; however, Dan really wanted to get a feel for the industrial heartland. Additionally, these two cities are connected by the fastest passenger train in the world…top speed 217 mph, average 196 mph.
Wuhan as dirty, crowded and bustling with activity. Much to our surprise, I charming guide Vivi took us to a new Museum that featured the artifacts from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng. This tomb dates from 433 BC and was discovered in 1977 during excavations for a new factory. Wuhan is also home of the East Lake, the largest urban lake in China covering over 12 square miles. While a decade behind the first tier cities, Wuhan will be transformed in the next decade.
The four hour train ride took us through miles of country side and many third tier cities, over 900 miles at close to 200 miles/hr. This train is equal to the best in Europe and Japan and makes American trains a joke. The Gov. of California was visiting to see he if could buy one…and borrow the money.
Guangzhou was the first Chinese city to open up to western style capitalism in the early 80’s. It does not have much else to recommend it these days. A sprawling city of 15 plus million, it has a long way to go to catch up with Beijing and Shanghai. Off to the ferry to Hong Kong.
With a population in excess of 19 million, Shanghai is a city of old and new…..and is the largest city in China. The Bund, the oldest section of the city, has a skyline that resembles London dating back to the late 1800’s. However across the river in the newest section, the city has some of the most interesting architecture we have ever seen. This entire area was rice paddies 10 years ago and has since been transformed in preparation for theWorld’s Exposition.
World Expostions are designed to bring the countries of the world to a particular country as opposed to bringing visitors from abroad. The attendence was running at a rate of 600,000 per day all summer. The wait to get into popular exhibits typically exceeded 12 hours. Just wait until these hordes of people start traveling internationally.
Howard has arranged for us to see the city at night on one of the numerous ferries on the Huangpu River….both sides are magnificent. The Bund is well lit from the traditional bottom up while the opposite side is a fantasy of neon lights that take off in every direction.
We loved Lijiang!…the Jackson Hole of China and our first 5 star accommodations! Our hotel, The Crowne Plaza, was directly next to the ancient city which has been transformed into a picturesque tourist destination. Water features are the recurring theme….waterfalls and canals running throughout the narrow shop lined streets, restaurants and markets. If it’s made in China you will find it here. We visited this area again and again looking for souveniors, dinners and ambience….we were never disappointed.
The next morning found us climbing in altitude again this time to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain National Park first by bus and then via cable car. At the top was the Yak Meadow, home to another Buddist Temple and the base of the Mountain. Unfortunately for us the clouds kept the summit of the mountain hidden. After that we ventured into the village that was home to Dr Joseph Rock. He lived and studied in this are for 27 years and was well loved by the local people. A wonderful little side trip.
The next day we visit the local park that houses a man-made lake formed from an underground spring that is the headwaters of the water in the ancient city. We all agree it is a serenely beautiful park. Afterwards Dan and Howard head off for a game of golf while Kristi and Marcia head to the spa for a much needed massage. Can we stay an extra day?!
But we are off to Shang-Hai via Kumning and the World’s Exposition.
Xian was the capital for China for many centuries and is home to many of the treasures of the country. A contemporary second tier city with a population of approximately 10 million. It shows all of the conflicts of urban growth; past and future….air pollution at its worst & subways under construction….coal fired power plants & wind farms….massive in-migration & thousands of new apartment buildings….and then there’s the poor tree lined boulevards trying to survive.
Our guide Neil starts us at the Museum of the Terra-Cotta Soldiers. We are all blown away by the scope of this undertaking……there are 3 pits of which only 2 are currently under excavation. Discovered in 1974, having been lost for thousands of years, this find represents a level of artistry, organization and wealth unknown in the West.
From there we went to the city wall. It was 100 feet deep, 100 feet high, had a moat, guard posts along the way and at all 4 corners. It was truly “the Great Wall” of city walls…..an astonishing feat for the Zhou dynasty….582 BC…..before the Caterpillar dynasty!
The Tang dynasty was responsible for the evenings entertainment…..a wonderful presentation of music, dance and acting…..truly on the level of a Broadway show.
Giant Big Goose Pagoda….652 AD…..a temple that was built to last. If we could build like this today all of our infrastructure would still be standing for centuries. In the 25 years since Dan was there the redevelopment around the pagoda is almost Disney-esque at a quality level that Walt would be proud of.
After 3 days we are off to Lijiang via plane with a quick change in Kumning.
It’s 6 am and we are off for a 12 hour ride on the only pressurized train in the world. Our average elevation will be 13,000 ft with a peak over 16,000 ft.
We travel in a first class compartment with four bunks, over and under. Additional oxygen is available at each bunk. We are the only Westerners on this train….as usual.
The trip starts out with snow capped mountains, plenty of yak and herdsmen but very sparsely settled. The train has opened up Tibet and with it comes new electric lines, rebuilt roads and cell towers. Clearly, life was simple…yak, yak butter, yak meat, yak clothing, yak, yak, yak! While still simple for some, it’s off to the city for a better life for many. For the Chinese government, their development of the smaller cities is essential to keep folks near home. There were a number of train stations that were not yet operating and so the journey continued…..talk about thinking for the future.
The middle of the trip brings hours of monotonous high plains….Kristi and Howard decide it is a perfect time to catch up on some much needed sleep. At 16,000 ft the attendant tells us that we are passing the highest lake in the world….it is the color of the Caribbean Sea. The only inhabitants taking advantage of the views are some yaks and sheep. We all speculate that there will be a 5 star resort here in 5 years……with oxygen masks!
We arrive in Golmund….it is now 9:30 and we have been on the train for 12 1/2 hours. It is an industrial city of 270,000….the smallest city we will visit on this trip. It is also home to the second largest salt lake (after the Great Salt Lake in Utah) which we visit in the morning.
The Chinese are harvesting the salt and other minerals employing 20,000 residents. We witness a shift change on our back to the city….we count 68 transit buses transporting the workers to the plant. Unbelievable.
But even more unbelievable is the news that the road to the airport has been shut down for a military exercise. Our industrious guide quickly takes charge of the situation and commands a couple of tuks-tuks to get us to our destination. Of course the airport is shutdown as well and all flights have been cancelled. Howard negotiates a lunch at the police commissary and it is excellent. The most important question of the day comes from our host who wants to know if American policeman can have a moustache and if suspects really stop on command….LOL!
Finally on the plane on to Xian with a layover in Xinging.
We arrived in Lhasa by air from Beijing in the afternoon with great anticipation of both the scenery and the spiritual presence of the capital of Tibet and home of the Dalai Lama.
We stayed at the Sheraton Four Points, 11,450 ft above sea level. The streets are filled with Tibetans in traditional dress for the older generation and western dress for the younger generation. First stop was Norbulingka, the summer palace, that was rebuilt after being damaged during the Chinese invasion in 1959. Next stop was the Potala Palace, the shared residence of the King and the Dalai Lama for many centuries. Here we got our first taste of the current Tibetan Buddhist religion and the relationship between the monks and the followers. The interior of the this temple, like the others we saw, was dirty, poorly illuminated with rancid yak butter candles and a few lights, obsessed with money in small denominations everywhere and totally void of any spiritual grace.
The older generation of Tibetan’s are clearly dedicated in their religious practices witnessed by the prayer wheels, flags, and pilgrimages. On the other hand the monks appear as insolent beggars who refuse to do any work on behalf of either their followers or historical assets. It was very disillusioning.
Off to Sera Monastery, lunch, then off to a Temple in town. In each city we had a local guide and driver, in this case the guide could not seem to get the message that ‘shopping at in-laws’ was not the priority…after HY intervention we had a new guide in the morning.
Clearly we did not have an ‘altitude strategy’. All suffered from headaches, weakness, etc….Dan was down for the count. With Howard’s aid, Dan was treated by a local doctor with 20 years experience with the Chinese Airforce and a specialist in altitude sickness…oxygen, IV’s, many pills and recovery by the AM for the 6am departure for the train.
Beijing was the start of an extraordinary 18 day trip for Dan, Marcia and Kristi thru China hosted by Dan’s mentored son Howard Rafla Yuan. Howard is from a distinguished Chinese family that was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution. With help from his family and the Williston Northampton School, Howard got to the USA in 1983 and completed his education with a Ph.d in Ceramic Engineering. He has been back in China for the last decade running a very successful subsidiary on an American company. In addition to being our native speaker he provided a unique perspective on these two cultures and their futures.
After 15 hour flights, we arrived at midnight on the 27th and were met at the airport by Howard. The first day included a visit to the Great Wall atMutianyu with a cable car ride up and a toboggan ride down. Later in the day we visited the Forbidden City, followed by dinner and a night visit to the site of the Olympics.
Dan had first been to Beijing 25 years ago and can attest to the enormous change that has taken place to both the people and the place. This is now a first world city of 15 million.
