Day 6 Wednesday October 21 2015 Xi'an Terra Cotta warriors

Day 6 Wednesday Xi'an a full day. We visit 3 pits and are amazed to see the 6000 life size terra cotta warriors. A mausoleum for the first emperor Qin Shi Hang who unified China in 211 BC. Each warrior was different in facial expression. Some had their weapons by their side,Their horses and chariots were there too. Really amazing. ( all in organized rows). WE visit a museum on site showing close up of weapons and are shown how everything was made. Tonight we have a special dumpling banquet followed by Tang Dynasty music and dance show.

Day 5 Beijing to Xi'an

Day 5 Tuesday Beijing to Xi'an

This morning we get an early visit to see the panda bears. We are in time to watch them eat their bamboo shoots. Next. we visit the Temple of heaven, a materpiece of 15 century architecture where former emperors prayed for harvest every year. We take a high speed bullet train to Xi'an- a beautiful smooth ride. We pass many farm lands. We stay at Titan

Times hotel. Very nice.  

day 4 Monday we visit the soul stirring GREAT WALL

Day4 Monday October 19 Beijing We bus to the Great Wall wow 12,000 kilometers in total Snaking across China. It is the only earthly evidence of man visible from space. We climbed a short distance some went all the way to the 3^rd tower. Back to Beijing Still blessed with great weather-23”. We have lunch then go Hutong-

Hutong

a 700 year old traditional cottage neighborhood. We visit a family in one of the quadrangles. We get a fun rickshaw tour around ancient alleyways of Hontong. Tonight we have Beijing Duck dinner. Very good no bones

Day 3 Sunday October 18, 2015

Day 3 Sunday October 18 Beijing Breakfast is a western buffet. We take a bus today. a along walking day we got a wheelchair for Ruth Ann with a driver $50.With pusher.

We start with Tian'anmen square-HUGE ,the largest

public square in the world and the site of many historic events. What a crowd of people worst than Disneyland. Next is the Imperial Palace, also known as the forbidden city. Here 24 “sons of heaven” ruled from the Dragon throne. We had lunch Chinese style with large turntable in the middle. Very good didn't know what I was eating but tried most.

We visit the Summer Palace , the retreat for the former Empress . It was located by the Kuming lake. Beautiful views. Before dinner we go to a traditional pharmacy . We also visit a jade factory

.We had to pack our big suitcase to transfer to Xi'an ( we stay at same hotel) and we take a bullet train tomorrow. .  

Day 2 Saturday October 17, 2015 Beijing

China

Day 2 Saturday October 17, 2015 China Beijing

We have a good sleep @ the airport Travel lodge after a good breakfast we go to Park and Fly then the airport. Air Canada gets us wheelchair assistance for Beijing airport as it is huge. Good thing we did .We were able to pass long line ups for customs and baggage claims We are met by local guides at 2pm and go for a local resturant for our welcom dinner. Things are looking good temp is 23 with smog. Roads are very congested ,

 China used to run with bikes but now cars are everywhere new cars too. Bikes , petal and electric and motorcycles do not use headlights, they also do not wear helmets. Sure would not want to drive in China. Supposed to be a special lane for bikes, rickshaws also use these lanes ?????We are taken for dinner before the hotel. Typical round tables with lazy Susans. A good variety of food lots of vegetables including rice and a beer. We stay in the Oriental Bay hotel. We are on the 22 floor. Beautiful large room with huge bath and shower. No view just more buildings and smog. Beijing was formally known as Peking.

day one in China

China

Day 1 Friday October 16 Vancouver to Beijing China 

We have a good sleep @ the airport Travel lodge after a good breakfast we go to Park and Fly then the airport. Air Canada gets us wheelchair assistance for Beijing airport as it is huge. Good thing we did .We were able to pass long line ups for customs and baggage claims. 
Day 2 Beijing
Things are looking good temp is 23 with smog. Roads are very congested , China used to run with bikes but now cars are everywhere new cars too. Bikes , petal and electric and motorcycles do not use headlights, they also do not wear helmets. Sure would not want to drive in China. Supposed to be a special lane for bikes, rickshaws also use these lanes ?????We are taken for dinner before the hotel. Typical round tables with lazy Susans. A good variety of food lots of vegetables including rice and a beer. We stay in the Oriental Bay hotel. We are on the 22 floor. Beautiful large room with huge bath and shower. No view just more buildings and smog. Beijing was formally known as Peking.

Ready for China

 October 15 2015 Thursday -Thanksgiving has come and gone. Sherri and family, Hudson and Dina blessed our party. All our medical stuff is done-eyes,teeth,and body. Cliff and RuthAnne arrived on schedule. Today we go to Marlen travel where Lin will get our seats for the plane and book our Park-fly. Hopefully I will be able to post in China

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getting ready for China and an art show

David Kilpatrick's paintings

September 30 Wednesday 2015

Today we did a trial run to the airport for the busy time in the morning. We left at 7:45 and got there at 9:15, bumper to bumper but no accidents. We checked out some motels near the airport, The Travel Lodge would give us a room for $82 plus taxes. We phoned Cliff and Ruth Anne ( people who are going with us) and they agreed as we wouldn't have to get up so early. They will come to our place on the Oct 14 and stay the night here. We picked up all the travel stuff today.

Saturday Sharon and I went to Art in the city ( surrey). We went to the Newton culture center first , here they had about 8 artist and a pottery demo. They also had food- a veg platter,a plate of mixed sweets and coffee. Our first house was at David Kilpatric a great realest painter ( paintings everywhere) the next house was Roland Longson,an abstract painter plus a photographer who took pictures through glass- very interesting. We really liked his photo's. Those were the only houses we had time for as Sharron had a cometment. Will make sure we go next year,

Shannon and Ethan safe on Americian soil

Friday September 25 2015

We are feeling better now that Shannon and Ethan are on American soil. All the staff met in Rhode Island and will be working their way to New York on the CV9. Ethan said the worst waters on the Atlantic trip was off Nova Scotia. They will be doing New York waterways cruises with the boss and guests. I had my cancer check up and everything is good. We got our medication for down South, next is travel insurance. Sherri and Gerry are busy as Madison is in gymnastics and Brownies and Carter is in hockey and Cubs. Our son-in-law Gerry is in the top 25 in Canada for excellence at CIBC. We are looking forward to our China trip October16-29. I am hoping I will be able to post. When we come back we will be getting ready to go South.

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a fun week with Shannon

Shannon brought me a puzzel

Thursday September 17, 2015

Sorry for so long without posting but this time it is because we were too busy with the twins birthday ( yes they are 7). they had a pool party at their local pool. Shannon was here for 2 weeks and we had a great time. We went to the aquarium in Stanley Park always a fun place. I haven't cooked for a long time as Sherri had us over often.

Shannon paid for a spa treatment for me just love it. The 3 of us Sherri, Shannon and I went then we went to the Cactus Club for lunch. We also went for pizza and the White Spot so Shannon could get her Canadian food fix. Ethan is crossing on the CV9 (the Atlantic ) and should be in New Port Rhode Island soon. Shannon gave all of us sweaters from Norway. We are sure spoiled.

boat all done and bike lessons

July 30 2015 Thursday

Just watched another milestone in the twins life. They got their own bikes. They got lessons for 5 days. They both did very well. Our boat is on the grid to get her bottom cleaned and zinc's replaced. Also the boat is inspected for insurance purposes. Now we should be out for the rest of the summer. The long weekend will be spent at Clemmy then home to get groceries for the Howe Sound – Center Bay, Ekins ,Snug Cove and Gibsons .

fire smoke hinders boating

July 10 Friday 2015

Sorry it's been so long since I posted but not to much has been going on. We are hampered by all the smoke from the forest fires so we have been moving from the house to the boat in the shed. Doctors appointments all over with the doctor found a pill that seems to be working for his leg pain. The heat is taking a tool on Bill buying, fans have helped. Hopefully the heat and the smoke will diminish and we can get on with life.

family going to sparks and beavers

Madison goes from Sparks to Brownies

Wednesday we go and watch the flying up party Sparks to Brownies, Brownies to Guides Guides to Rangers