The last slice of duck

No worries she brought out a pristine copy, and wrote 200 Yuan. I then wrote 23 Yuan and she asked if I meant Australian dollars. I said no, and she wrote 180 Yuan. I wrote 18 Yuan, and she laughed a lot more asking if I meant US dollars. I said no, so she asked me to write the real price I was prepared to pay. I wrote 30 Yuan with a circle around it and big arrows pointing to it. She said ok and I paid the 30 Yuan (A$5.00) for a book that I was very happy with; another of the other benefits of having a good guide.

A small portion of the Great Wall at Badaling

The Great Wall at Badarling, under light snow (from my book, The Great Wall)


Our guide Michelle mentioned that the Great Wall was the only ‘man-made’ structure that was visible from space. I mentioned that it was now possible to read a paper over someone’s shoulder from space using modern lenses. Michelle did say that she had not heard of such a thing, and appeared a little miffed that one of the Great Walls claim to fame had been debunked. Most of the Chinese we spoke to seemed very proud of China’s accomplishments, and very patriotic. I think an admirable thing, but it should be tempered a little with the occasional reality check.
A ‘virtual’ tour may be taken at the following site: http://www.chinavista.com/travel/greatwall/greatwall.html Another view of the Great Wall at Badaling

The Great Wall stretches more than 10,500 li (5,500 kilometres), it extends through deserts, grasslands and mountains from eastern to western parts of North China. Not all the current wall is intact, and most of it has not been restored. The Badaling section was restored in the 1950’s and 1980’s. It was listed as part of the world cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation in 1987.
The wall started as a series of disparate earthen walls, built by individual states, around the seventh century BC, which has been described as the Spring, Autumn and Warring states period in Chinese history. In 221 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang (221-210 BC) united the whole country. To maintain national unity and prevent the northern nomadic tribes (Mongols) from harassing the central plains area, he directed that The Great Wall be built, which started from Lintao in the West and ended in eastern Liaoning. The construction of the Great Wall stepped up during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when China’s engineering technology reached new heights. The l was beached in the 13th century by the Mongols and then again in the 17th century, by the Manchu. The Great Wall was more solid and better designed for defence purposes under the influence of the Ming Dynasty, the section at Badaling being a good example, which was built around 1505. The Great Wall in the form we see it now was mostly built during the Ming Dynasty. The completed wall began in Shanhaiguan and ended in Jiayuguan, running through China’s seven northern provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. The wall links thousands of battle forts, passes and beacon towers. Each battle fort was designed to be just two arrow shots away from each other, so that the area between each tower could be covered from one fort or the next. The wall rises and falls with the mountains, and is seven to eight metres tall and five metres wide, it could accommodate five horses going side by side.


Places to visit:
1 Jiayu Guan
2 Badaling and Juyong Guan
3 Mutianyu and Huanghua Cheng
4 Simatai
5 Shanhaiguan
On the way back to Beijing we encountered a little more traffic, I guess as a consequence of meeting up with the ‘rush’ hour. We also saw an accident at an intersection between a motor cycle and a car. It was pleasing to see that the motorbike rider was not injured though his bike was cactus.
We arrived back at our hotel at 1700 and before Michelle left Adam organised for her to be our guide on a city tour the next day. Sheila and Rosalind took some guidance from Michelle about where to shop while Adam went for a massage, and I had a little rest and another swim in the hotel pool. I found it amazing that such a great facility and there was only three guests using it including me.
We met up in the Red Moon bar, on the ground floor, for pre-dinner drinks, and then to the Made in China restaurant again for dinner at 2045. Adam had ordered another of their other famous dishes, it had ‘Peking Duck’ the first night in Beijing and as we had al enjoyed that we then had to sample the ‘Beggars Chicken’. Before the main course was served we had to work our way through a host of other dishes that included: jelly fish, real foie gras, and Kobe beef all of which were excellent. When it was time to clear away the debris and serve the main course a chef arrived pushing a trolley, on which was a large clay ball in which the chicken, stuffed with mushrooms and lotus leaves had been cooked. Adam was offered a mallet with which to crack open the ‘Beggars Chicken’, but I think he wisely demurred and allowed the chef to break ope the clay and serve the chicken. It was not just having dinner it was a gastronomic experience, which was enhanced by another couple of bottles of good French wine. We were again the last to leave the restaurant feeling replete and brimming with bonhomie.
Sunday 18th September
We met up for breakfast at 0700 as our guide Michelle and the driver were picking us up at 0800 to go to the Lama Temple/Yonghe Lamastry near the Yonghegong metro/subway station., The Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. As we approached the temple there were masses of people all hurrying in the same direction many of them carrying huge bundles of incense sticks under the arms. Michelle explained that it was the day marking the start of the ‘Moon Cake’ festival and was a time when many Chinese visited the temple to pay their respects to their ancestors. Again the benefits of a personal guide became apparent as we were shown past the queues at the gate and joined the fast growing throng.
The temple was constructed during the 17th century and converted into a Tibetan lamasery in 1744. Its five main halls are a stylish blend of Han, Mongol, and Tibetan motifs. The first hall has a traditional display – the laughing Buddha, Milefo, back to back with Wei Tuo, the protector of Buddhist doctrine and flanked by the Four Heavenly Kings. Yonghe Hall further inside the complex has three images of Buddha flanked by eighteen’luohan’ (those freed from the cycle of rebirth). Enen further in is the Tibetan-Styled Falun Hall also called the Hall of the Wheel of Law in which there is a statue of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The most impressive artefact however is within the towering Wanfu Pavillion (Wanfu Ge), it is a 17 metre high statue of Maitreya (the future Buddha) carved from a single block of sandalwood.
In front of each hall people jostled each other to find the spot they wanted to make supplication with their incense before planing the ‘spent’ sticks in large braziers. There were a huge number of used sticks creating large fires, and copious amounts of smoke. The crowding became so intense that on one of her forward bows one lady started to get some unexpected hair hi-lights; luckily she had a friend behind her who quickly patted out the flames. When the friend started to cuff her around the head the devout worshipper was a little nonplussed, but quickly realised the cause, said her quick thankyou’s and returned to her devotions. A virtual tour of the temple may be seen at the following site:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/China/Beijing_Shi/Beijing-1024960/Things_To_Do-Beijing-Lama_Temple_Yonghegong-BR-1.html
We felt very privileged to have been there on a day that had such significance for so many people who were demonstrating a fervour that we had not expected in this significantly secular state. Michelle did point out that there were a few people in the crowd wearing traditional Tibetan costume, and she expressed the view that many of the others were also Tibetan; this was not surprising as Tibet is part of China, and this Temple is very important to many Tibetan Buddhists.
From the Lama Temple, we quickly got into our car that Michelle had organised with her mobile, and we escaped the ever-increasing crowd. It was about a thirty minute drive west until we reached the Summer Palace.
The sprawling grounds of the Summer Palce (Yihe Yuan) next to Kung Ming lake, served the Qing (pronounced Ching) Dynasty as their imperial retreat from the stifling summer heat within the confines of the Forbidden City. Although it was an imperial park in earlier dynasties, it was not until the time of Emperor Qianlong (reigned1736-1795), that the current layout of the Summer Palace was created. However, the Summer Palace is most associated with the Empress Dowager Cixi, who ordered it to be rebuilt twice, once following its destruction by French and English troops in 1860, (one can’t trust European tourists), and again in 1902 after it was plundered during the Boxer rebellion. I was left with an overall impression that it was a little ‘light on’ with regard to artefacts, and I suspect that when the Nationalist Chinese went to Taiwan (Formosa) a few bits and pieces went with them, and are featured in the Summer Palace museum there. It would also seem reasonable to conclude that the ‘cultural’ revolution would have seen the destruction of many items. A couple of Chinese people did say to us that the destruction of historical and cultural items were reprehensible aspects of the cultural revolution that they were sad about, though also philosophical, in that they know they can’t change the past, but recognise that they need to learn from it so that those excesses will not be repeated.
A virtual tour may be taken at the following site:
http://www.thebeijingguide.com/summer_palace/
The entrance is through the East Palace gate, from where one moves through a sequence of halls starting with the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, which was the principal ceremonial hall and housed the throne on which sat the Empress Dowager Cixi. Then in sequence: the Hall of Jade Ripples; the Garden of Virtue and Harmony, a three story building that served as a theatre, where the court’s 348 member opera entertained Cixi.
Just a little way north east was the Garden of Harmonious Pleasures, which was Cixi’s favourite fishing spot. However I think it is best to keep walking west to the hall of Happiness and Longevity alongside Kunming Lake, and then enter the ‘Long Corridor’, it is a 728 metre covered walkway with the overhead beams decorated with over 14,000 scenic paintings. About half-way along, on your right hand side is Longevity Hill which is dominated by the ‘Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha’, the tasteless jokes about the name of the tower are best untold.
It was another warm humid day, and we were pleased that the walkway was open to the slight breezes coming off the lake. At the end of the walkway is a boat pier at which we joined the queues to board large passenger ferries to take us back to a pier near the main gate. A great idea as not only does it say one a walk back against the tide of other people coming through, it also saves ones feet the hike back and provides some different views of the complex. Most of the boats had large dragons on their prows that some may feel is a bit kitsch, but I think fit the context.
The northern side of Kunming Lake featuring the ‘Tower of the Fragrance of Buddha’ on the right had side of Longevity Hill, and the ‘Temple of the Sea’ on the top of Longevity Hill .


The ‘marble’ boat on the left hand side was reportedly paid for by Cixi, from funds that were meant to be used for the modernization of the Imperial Navy The superstructure of the boat is made of wood painted white to look like marble. I think however that this ‘crime’ of Cixi’s was not all that big a deal as the cost of the white painted wood would not have bought many improvements for very many ships.
More detail of the ‘Marble’ Boat.

From the Summer Palace, we were taken, apologetically, by Michelle to a factory/showroom that started with a quick demonstration on the growing and harvesting of freshwater pearls. I must admit that I did not know that the each of freshwater grown oysters can yield over a dozen pearls, I guess one of the reasons that the single pearls from the seawater grown oysters are more rare, sought after and subsequently more expensive. The only thing that piqued my interest a little was the huge range of products that contained freshwater pearls or their dust, these included creams, make-up, lotions and potions; and of course a enormous range of jewellery. I was pleased that neither of the ladies seemed to be that interested either so we quickly left and headed for the ‘Temple of Heaven’.
It was about a thirty minute trip by car. The whole complex is more correctly called Tian Tan, containing the Qinian Dian, or ‘Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests’. There is in fact no single temple building per se at Tian Tan.
It was originally built in 1420, during the Ming Dynasty. It is one of the largest temple complexes in China and set the benchmark for a balance of architecture and symbolism. It was at this site that the Emperor would make animal/food sacrifices and pray to heaven and his ancestors at the winter solstice. As the ‘Son of Heaven’, the Emperor could intercede, on behalf of the people, with the gods, represented by their spirit tablets, and pray for a good harvest in the next season. The site was off-limits to the common people during the Ming and Qing dynasties, another way of adding to the mystique and majesty of the Emperors.
From the entrance to the large and pleasant site, that also attracts early morning practioners of Tai Ji Quan (Tai Chi), one climbs a wide set of stone steps to the ‘Round Altar’ the site at which the Emperor’s sacrifices were made. If one stands at the centre and speaks one’s voice is clearly heard all around the altar site, again another device that enhanced the stature of the Emperor when he spoke.
Steps up to the Round Altar


The Round Altar

It was only a short walk to the next impressive building that is called the:
Imperial Vault of Heaven, the store for the spirit tablets of the gods.


Around ‘Imperial Vault of Heaven’ is a semi-circular wall, which enables one to whisper to another person on the other side of the ‘Imperial Vault of Heaven’, another part of the Emperor’s magic.


The triple gates at the entrance were accessed according to status, the officials through the west gate, the Emperor through the east gate, and the gods through the centre.

The Qinian Dian, where the Emperor prayed for a good harvest


The golden finial, at a height of 38 metre is apparently prone to lightning strikes, the blue colour of the roof is representing the colour of heaven.
The caisson ceiling of the Qininan Dian,atop the ‘Dragon Well Pillars, has a gilded dragon and phoenix at its centre. The hall is built entirely of wood without using a single nail.


The Dragon Well Pillars


On the way out, heading eastwards along some corridors, we encountered a young lady ‘busker’ singing and dancing Chinese Opera to accompaniment from taped music on her ghetto blaster. There were about thirty Chinese people watching her performance; one lady, who I guess was in her late sixties, decided that she could do as good as, or better than the busker, and joined in, mimicking the young ladies movements. We thought at first that the elderly lady was a comic part of the act, but Michelle, our guide, said “no she is just having fun at the girl’s expense.” She even borrowed one of the young ladies fans to assist her with the performance. The busker was less than impressed even though the small crowd were amused at the older ladies antics. Discretion being the better part of valour, the young lady retreated to the bench, I guess in the hope that the older lady would also end her performance. Nah she was not going to give in or give up, and with a couple of sneers at the young girl really got down and boogied. I was quite taken with the whole scene, put my camera, and back-pack down then joined the lady ‘on-stage’. This was a source of great amusement for the growing crowd, and before my stamina failed I think we had an audience of fifty or more. As I staggered off stage left one Chinese chap came up to me, mimicked some of my moves, and gave me the thumbs up. We persuaded Adam to have a dance with her as well, though I think a little more inhibited than I was. It was short but enjoyable relief from just ogling sacred sites and artefacts.
A virtual tour may be seen at the following site:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/China/Beijing_Shi/Beijing-1024960/Things_To_Do-Beijing-Temple_of_Heaven-BR-1.html
We got back to the hotel at 1630 and had time for a short rest, shower and change before meeting up with Adam and Rosalind at 1800 to walk to a restaurant at the back of Tian’an Men Square. The restaurant had been recommended by Seamus, a fellow partner of Adam’s, who works in the firm’s Shanghai office, and who spends a week every six weeks in the Beijing office.
We used a pedestrian underpass to get to the other side of the main street and walked west towards Tian’an Men Square. On the way I was fascinated to see a kerbside entrepreneur selling packs of the ‘IRAQI Most Wanted’ playing cards. I could not resist buying a pack for about a A$1.50. When I turned them over I was interested to see at the bottom of the ‘United States of America Defense Intelligence Agency’ emblem the legend ‘Made in China’. I thought that the ‘fake’ would have been copied to the last detail so found it intriguing that the packs of USA distributed cards in Iraq were made in China. “Ah the benefits of free trade and the world economy.”

The pack of cards

We reached Tien’an men Square we walked towards the rear of the square along the eastern side. There were many kite flyers/sellers there using the sky as there shop window and as it got dark it was very entertaining as some like huge birds also had winking ‘led’ lights in the fabric of their kites. On the way back Adam and Rosalind bought a couple of small ones for their nephews in Perth Western Australia. It was amusing to see that after a ‘retailer’ had secured a commitment to buy a kite they would then offer the purchaser the opportunity to buy a large reel and line to go with the kite. In Adam and Rosalind’s deal they did not buy the reel and line, as it would have made the package heavier to post. The area behind the square is not a salubrious as the main tourist areas, but was certainly buzzing with people and traffic. It took a little while to find the restaurant, that is part of the China Quanjude (group) Co Ltd (wwwquanjude.com.cn). The one we were looking for was their oldest restaurant, and Adam had made a reservation there requesting their signature dish the ‘Peking’ Duck. We were shown to our table in the middle of a huge bustling restaurant, of which the majority of patrons were Chinese. We had another huge and varied banquet with many courses culminating in the ‘Peking Duck’ that was carved next to our table by a chef wearing a surgical mask. I don’t know if the mask was an allusion to the surgical precision with which he carves or an indictment on some of the odours. After the meal Adam was given a card that recorded the fact that our duck was the 115,130,940 roast duck to be served by the restaurant. On one wall was a very large electronic ‘scoreboard’ that ticked over every time another duck hit the plate. In that restaurant was a large mezzanine floor for more diners, and while we were there we saw at least two ‘tour’ groups ushered up the stairs for their Peking Duck experience in Bejing. On the front of our ducks death warrant was the legend: ‘To the Great Wall a Trip for Real Heroes, Peking Duck at Quanjude, Food for Real Gourmets’. I think one could put a case for transposing the legend to read:
‘To the Great Wall for Food for Real Gourmets’, remembering the semi-dried strawberries etc, and ‘Peking Duck at Quanjude, a Trip for Real Heroes’ when one remembers the quantity of courses, and their uncertain origins.
Quanjude is pronounced “chaun-ju-day”.

Our ducks death warrant

As we were finding our way back to Tien’an men Square, and it was getting a little late, Sheila was a bit nervous of walking down the pedestrian underpasses so we ‘braved’ the traffic and dodged our way across one of the major roads. Sadly as we got across the road, we found that we were stranded on the road side of pedestrian barriers designed to stop people doing what we had just done. I am sure that as we lifted Sheila over the barrier a bus driver brought his vehicle very close to the road side to provide some extra incentive. It worked. It was a warm humid night, and we did think about getting a taxi back to the hotel, but of course they were all on the ‘wrong’ side of the road to the one on which we were. We got back about 2200 and flopped into bed exhausted after another long, tiring, but very satisfying day.
Monday 19th September
This was Adam and Rosalind’s last day in Beijing before they headed back to Bangkok while Sheila and I went to Xian.
We had a late breakfast, finishing about 0910 and then walked to the subway station, Wangfujing, just about 100 metres west of the hotel, and for about fifty cents Australian each bought tickets to take us three stops to Yongan Li, where there is a bargain shopping complex over the station. It is called ‘Silk Street’ market. The market is in fact four floors of fake designer gear: shoes, jumpers, coats, belts, and of course handbags. Rosalind and Sheila were keen to hunt out, and haggle for a bargain including a handbag as an eighteenth birthday present for the daughter of a family friend. Sheila and Rosalind were in their element enjoying that very girlie pastime together. Meanwhile Adam and I decided to walk back to the Oriental Plaza complex, where our hotel was; and also visit his firm’s office in a tower block near the hotel. It was also our plan to catch up with Seamus. It took us a few attempts to find their office as the firm was not listed in the tenant’s directory of any of the buildings. Our search was assisted by Adam making a few telephone calls to their offices in other cities. When we went into the offices they were very pleasant with great views and we met up with Seamus after a few minutes and then had a slow coffee in ‘Starbucks’ that is on the ground floor of a neighbouring tower block. I was a little concerned as I knew that Sheila did not have any keys to our room and she would not be able to get in if they had arrived back before us. We need not have worried as both Sheila and Rosalind were in our room when we returned. They encountered a cleaning lady near our room and after showing them Sheila’s passport as proof of ID they were allowed into the room. But of course Sheila’s passport was in the safe so it was good that she remembered the combination. The girls were keen to show their purchases and I think we made the appropriate appreciative sounds. Sheila also mentioned that on the way back on the subway she had become concerned that she had lost her ticket and another lady was going from passenger to passenger ‘checking their tickets’. Rosalind was able to reassure Sheila as the ‘ticket checker’ was in fact a beggar asking for alms.
The car, driver and guide turned up at 1500 as requested to take Adam and Rosalind to the airport. Sheila and I went down to the very large shopping mall beneath the hotel complex and after much scrutiny of the various food malls decided to have sushi at a ‘sushi train’ bar followed by Hagen Daz ice creams for dessert. When we got back to our room we just ‘veged out’ for a while.
I did notice that there was a red light flashing on the telephone and when I got around to checking it out there was a message that did not make a lot of sense to me, but I was not fazed by it. We decided that rather than go out again we would order a room service meal and settled on hamburger, chips and salad; washed down with a couple of Chinese beers.
A knock at the door preceded a typed message from the front desk to the effect that the guide, Kevin, who took Adam and Rosalind to the airport would be returning with our tickets to Xian and Shanghai. The message made a lot more sense when I checked the safe and found that we did not have our air tickets for the rest of the trip. We then had a call from Adam and Rosalind saying that on their way to the airport, Rosalind had checked their tickets and found that they still had ours from when we gave them to Adam at check-in at Bangkok airport. After check-in Adam had given them to Rosalind for safekeeping and that was what Rosalind did. When I got a call from reception that our tickets were there to be collected I was somewhat relieved. After dinner we sat in bed and watched a Korean comedy program that appeared to be very funny even though we could not understand Korean of the Chinese sub-titles. Later we watched a Chinese Opera that was also very good. We tried to get to sleep early as we were checking out early for our 1000 flight to Xian.
Tuesday 20th September
Sheila was up at 0600 to wash her hair (again). I got up at 0630 for a slow shower before breakfast.
When we went down to checkout Martin Lloyd, the front desk manager came up to me and told us that the general manager Mr Schuller would be writing to us and they would refund the difference in the room rates to Adam. I said that I was happy for them to do that as a gesture to Adam for the inconvience and stress that he had been caused. I was then given our account to check and it appeared to include meals that Adam had already paid for and then some meals in another dinning room that we had not used. I said that I was happy to pay for the room service meal that we had the night before, but not for any others. They said that they were very sorry and they would contact Adam and sort it out. We e-mailed Adam from Xian about the further stuff ups. We also suspected that perhaps the Frenchman who had been ejected from our room had charged up to the room meals that he had enjoyed. We were then introduced to the General Manager Mr Schuller who told us that he was very sorry for the mistakes at check-in, he was mortified when I explained about the mistakes at check-out as well. Subsequently we were told that the hotel would reimburse Adam for all charges because of the mistakes. They did say that it would take some months because of Chinese currency regulations, and some difficulties in sending money out of China. Our car driver and guide, arrived on time with a decent taxi this time and it took just about an hour to get to the domestic airport, traffic was no problem. Our check-in did not open until 0930 so we told our guide to leave as we could manage from there. The guide that day told Sheila that she did not get paid by the tour group operator that she worked for, she relied on tips. The transit vans/taxis guides a provided by that operator in Sydney I will not mention as they are not anyone I would recommend. But Gray Tours and Michelle are excellent.
It was a very pleasant one and a half hour flight to Xian.
There was only a slight amount of air turbulence, but most of that I attributed to the two German tour groups seated behind us.
A very smooth landing at Xian and Wendy (brave lady in Chinese apparently) was there to meet us, but was very worried when there was only the two of us as she was told to pick up Adam, Rosalind, Sheila and I. It was annoying that the tour operator from Sydney had us picked up in another crap transit van that had no luggage room, and very little leg room. I was pleased when we arrived at our hotel the Shangri-La Golden Flower,
http://www.shangri-la.com/ 8 Chang Le Road West, Xian 710032 China.

Front view of the hotel


It started to rain quite heavily so after we booked in, and booked a car, driver and car for some tours, we sent an e-mail, from the business centre, to Adam and Rosalind, letting them know we had arrived safely. We then decided to explore the hotel a little, and have a coffee in the ground floor lounge. The variations between counties and regions are interesting experiences. Sheila’s flat white coffee was served in a very large soup cup, while my hot chocolate came in a tea pot with a cup and saucer. I must admit we also had the largest plum Danish pastry, each, we have ever seen.
An afternoon nap, before dinner seemed the civilised thing to do. Luckily I booked a table for diner for the Mexico promotion night, as the little snooze was not broken until 1915 leaving just enough time for a quick shower and shave before dinner at 20000.
Diner was an eclectic buffet, that seemed quite surreal, a Mexican night in the middle of China, featuring a Mexican quartet going around the tables and the American tour groups in full voice accompaniment. To go along with the theme we ordered Pina Colades with our meal, but I don’t think that they were anywhere near any alcohol in the mixing. Of course we ate too much again especially desserts, so staggered up to our room at 2100 to get some needed sleep before another early start.
21st September 2005-10-24
Michael, our guide, picked us up at 0800, with the driver and a sleek Buick sedan, a very comfortable car with leather seats, and many electric gizmos. One feature that quickly intrigued me was a letter that appeared in the top right had corner of the driver’s rear vision mirror. As we left the hotel it quickly changed from N to W then N and finally E for a while.
Yes it was part of an on-board global positioning system that indicated to the drivers, and passengers, when the car was headed North, East or whatever. The Buick was build by General Motors Shanghai, and apparently cost US$40,000 another sign for us that Chinese economy is booming.
Xi’an, capital of the province, Shaanxi, had served as the capital city of ‘China’ for eleven dynasties over a period of 4,000 years, including the Western Zhou, Western Han, Qin, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui and Tang. Xi’an reached the peak of its status during the Tang dynasty; when its position at the eastern end of the Silk Road, made it a commercial hub, attracting many merchants and faiths, including Christians, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Manicheans and Buddhists. Unlike many city walls in China, including Beijing’, most of them flattened, Xi’an’s walls are still intact forming a fourteen kilometre rectangle around the city centre. In 1370, during the reign of Hongwu, the first Ming Emperor, the walls were built on the foundations of the Tang imperial palace, using rammed earth, quicklime, and glutinous rice. The 12 metre high walls have bases up to 18 metre thick. The best place for visitors to climb to the top of the wall is at the South Gate, but more of that later, as our first objective was the site of the ‘Terracotta Army’. It was only a forty minute drive and it was good to get there early before the hoards of coaches that were to arrive as we were leaving.
The Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974 by four farmers who were digging a well.
The four farmers who discovered the Terracotta Army; two of whom work at the museum signing souvenir books and postcards.


The figures are all modelled from yellow clay on the site, and genuine replicas are made from the same clay. Apparently ‘fake’ replicas can be bought in the city, but they are not made from the same clay. The life-size figures, were made to guard the tomb of Qin (pronounced Chin) Shi Huangdi, the despotic ruler who unified China over 2,200 years ago.
Excavations so far have discovered three main pits containing 7,000 (life size) soldiers, archers,, horses and other ‘camp followers’. Pit one contains the infantry and is like a huge aircraft hanger, at the back of which is an area that they call ‘the hospital,’ in which smashed fragments are painstakingly reassembled. Each of the warriors is unique, featuring different, expressions on their faces, hairstyles, belts, clothing and footwear.
Pit number one


A virtual tour may be seen at the following site: http://www.chinavista.com/travel/terracotta/warrior01.html In the next picture one can clearly see where the walls were originally roofed with tree trunks under which was matting and soil. The roof was torched by some later general and that was why the roof caved in at that time and crushed the army beneath.
This picture shows some detail on some warriors

Pit two which is even larger than pit one
Pit two is filled with cavalry and soldiers, and pit three near by appears to be the command centre, with 70 high ranking officers. The high ranking officers can be identified from their more elaborate two-layered knee length tunics, tassels on their tunic and far more elaborate hair styles. The warriors were originally painted in vivid colours (most of which has disappeared after exposure to the air) and equipped with weapons including swords, spears, bows and arrows, most of which rotted away many years ago.
More detail
The Terracotta Warriors are just one part, the army, defending the necropolis complex. About 1.2 kilometres west of the pits containing the army is a large hill, yet to be fully excavated. This hill is believed to be the actual burial mound of the Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, who was very concerned about the ‘after life’ and his legacy. In creating his tomb he used 700,000 people over 36 years. Historical sources portray a miniature plan of his immortal empire including a floor featuring rivers of mercury beneath a ceiling studded with pearls to represent the night sky. The complex reportedly contains 48 tombs for the emperor’s concubines who were buried alive with the emperor, a fate also ‘enjoyed’ by the workers to prevent the location and design of the tomb being known. As often has been said: “the devil is in the detail” and it would appear that the concubines and tomb builders did not read the work place agreements closely enough.

The hill containing the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi huangdi


The modern buildings and their grounds are spotless and very picturesque and we would have happily spent a lot more time at the site, but of course also had other places to see during our brief stay in Xi’an.

According to Chinese analysis, an intact bronze sword, discovered in pit number one, contains 0.6 to 2% chromium, with a thickness of 10 micron, which acted as a protective coating against corrosion during the long burial. ‘The modern chrome-plating technology appeared in western countries in the 1920’s to 1930’s, but it apparently had been used in Chins 2,200 years before.’ For unknown reasons the technology was ‘forgotten’ for over 2,000 years. But the again it is claimed that ancient Greeks had ‘electric’ batteries, and much ancient learning was destroyed in AD 391; by the order of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, a strong champion of Christian orthodoxy, who wanted destroyed anything remotely pagan, including the teachings of the famous Greek philosophers. I guess that Emperor Theodosius and President George W Bush have been listening to the same god.
We both thought that the Terracotta Army was spectacular and far exceeded our high expectations.
One unexpected experience was in the toilets in the museum that are the ‘squat’ type toilet featuring a porcelain hole in the floor. The cubicles were very modern and clean with the option of curtains that one can draw across for privacy. However while I was washing my hands after using the urinal, I noticed behind me an elderly chap, in a three piece suit, squatting in his cubicle, his trousers around his ankles curtain wide open, and he was not inhibited at all about his straining and groaning.
Our next sites were to be the Great Goose Pagoda and also the city walls. On the way we went to a jade factory and silk picture gallery. The jade has not only physical beauty for the Chinese, but also spiritual significance and the prices certainly reflected all of that being way out of our league. In the silk picture gallery they were keen to show us the ‘museum’ quality pictures that are exquisite, but many of them were way over US$100,000 each. I felt that we should have been charged a fee just to look at them.

Our Room in the Shangri-la Golden Flower Hotel Xi’an

The tour hi-lights for us: the army and the Dayan ( Great Goose) Pagoda

We took some sage advice from our guide and returned to our hotel for lunch and a rest before at 1400 start on the afternoon sites. The first was the Dayan Ta, or Great Goose Pagoda, that was built during AD 652 in memory of the Gaozong Emperor’s mother, Empress Wende. The monk Xuanzang, who travelled to India, via Central Asia, returned with bundles of ‘sutras’ teachings and spent the rest of his life translating the sutras from Indian Sanskrit into Chinese, and officiating at the temple. The 64 metre high pagoda built under the instructions of the monk are used for the storage of the ‘sutras’. I paid a small extra fee for the pleasure of climbing to the top of the pagoda while Sheila and Michael waited in a small garden near the base. There are great views from the windows on each landing and particularly the ones at the top landing, where one can see across much of Xi’an and it pleasant streets. At the top was a plinth with some large stylised footprints set into it; a young man was doing red coloured rubbings of these feet and their surrounding symbols. Some of the symbols were the ‘correct’ form of the swastika so I figured that all things considered the feet etc must have some significance to Buddhists so I bought a copy for about A$10.00 taking it back to Bangkok as a present for Adam and Rosalind’s housekeeper Kuhn Noy.
It was only a couple of kilometres from the Dayan Ta Pagoda back to the inner city and the South Gate.
The South Gate of Xi’an City Wall


The balustrade that sticks out of the wall at intervals is a very clever defence mechanism. Directly behind the balustrade, at the back of the enclosed courtyard is the main door into the city. This door is very thick and well armoured. In the sides of the small courtyard are the very small doors to the outside of the walls. Attackers would have to approach the walls under a hail of arrows etc if they were able to withstand that they had to force the small side doors to gain entrance to the courtyard that contained the main door.
The narrow doorways meant that few attackers could get into the courtyard at anyone time, and when they did they had defending warriors hurling spears, arrows, fire, and rocks down on them from all four sides. I found it small wonder that they have survived intact for so many centuries. I think that these walls and their defences have featured in many Chinese historical films. On the way back we passed the Sofitel Hotel, that looks an especially modern, great looking, hotel that has the advantage of being inside the inner city, and on the main street, I think worth considering as an option if you visit Xi’an.
Michael asked if we would mind going for a short detour visiting a silk fabric, carpet factory and showroom. We had no objection as I like seeing how the carpets etc are woven, and was committed to not buying anything. Of course that commitment was mine, and did not extend to Sheila who bought a large silk ‘Peacock’ design shawl. We were shown some young ladies weaving the silk carpets at large hand looms and it was fascinating to see them follow the very intricate patterns, printed on bits of paper pinned to the wooden frames of their looms. When we got back to the hotel we arrived just before the President of Djibouti (in between Ethiopia and Somalia with a coastline on the Red Sea), so we got to walk the ‘red carpet’, and imagine all the security guards were for our benefit. It was only a few seconds after he had walked into the lift to take him up to his room that the red carpet from the front door to the lift was ‘lifted’ and taken away. I felt a bit sorry for one of the Chinese security guards as there was not enough room for him to squeeze into the second lift with the rest of the guards, and he was left to race up the stairs. It was a bit of fun to ponder on the reasons for his visit as we did not think that Djibouti was a big player in the world economy, so Sheila thought that he might be in China for medical treatment, whereas my guess was that China was wining and dining him to get support for a vote at the United Nations forums.
We only had time for a shower and change of clothes before taking a 13 yuan (A$2.10) taxi to see a show at the ‘Shaanxi Sunshine Beauty City Grand Theatre’ followed by dinner. This excursion was on the recommendation of our guide Michael and one that was a great night out. The show was excellent, with the costuming and dancing superb, being even better than the ‘Tales of the Silk Road’ that we had seen in Melbourne a few weeks before we left.
The performances included items called:
The Sky-Flying Dance, The Korean Dance, Ode to Immortals of Wine, that was very amusing, Drum Dance to the Yan Melody, a Sword dance, Beautiful Moon-light with Flowers Riverside and the Graceful Green Willow dance. Some of the dancing clearly showed some Indian influence and would have looked at home in ‘Bollywood’
At our round table in the stalls ( a weird seating idea) were three Americans from a tour group. They told us that they had just flown in from Shanghai two hours late, and had not been to their hotel yet, but whisked of to this theatre; much to the chagrin of ‘the wife’. The husband asked us “what tour group are you with Mac”? When I said that we were not with a tour group they both expressed the thought that we were very brave to travel on our own. When I demurred from that suggestion he asked, “don’t the police keep stoping you and asking to see your visa”? When I told them that we had not experienced this at all, and we felt completely at ease he then stated, “don’t you realise that this is a communist country”. I shifted my chair a little to concentrate on the opening of the show, and avoid this sort of dialogue that was going to end up with me expressing an opinion that is not conducive to Australian and United States of America ‘good ‘ relations.
Outside of the Shaanxi Sunshine Beauty City Grand Theatre ( I think the name has lost something in the translation)


Inside the theatre
Some pictures of the cast

Michael, our guide, had written out a card for us to show the staff at the theatre to ensure that we were looked after properly and this proved very useful after the performance when we were not sure where to go for dinner. We showed the card to a lady in the foyer who was very elegant in costume, and although she could speak no English she proved to be an excellent guide showing us to the Hong Yun Dang Tou Restaurant, next door, staying, until we were seated at a good table, on our own, away from the large groups. The meal was sumptuous and for us an improvement of the Cantonese cuisine, it mostly featured five or six ‘entrée’ courses of different types of steamed buns (dumplings). When I say different types it was not just the fillings that were different, the colours included bright green for some, and pale purple for others, but all were yummy. I was feeling pleasantly full when a copper cauldron over a bed of coals was deposited in the middle of the table. It was about five litres of ‘Chicken soup’ that our waitress informed us was a famous dish called ‘Queen Mother’s Hotpot’, the result of a request from a Dowager Empress one time who wanted to eat something different.
There were some other bits in the soup that made it different, and I tried my best to consume as much as I could; remembering gratefully that it is considered polite in China to finish eating before all the food has been consumed so that you are tacitly stating that the host provided more than enough food.
It was only a six yuan taxi trip back to our hotel (A$2.00), I guess as there was less traffic, it was a great last night in Xi’an and a city that we would be more than happy to visit again, but for longer.
22nd September 2005
We woke about 0850, our longest sleep-in for many days, we must have needed it, and it was very enjoyable. We were a little concerned about missing breakfast so had a rushed shower and jogged down to the restaurant. No problems, and it appeared we were not the only ones who were a little tardy that day, and we had a long relaxed very large breakfast.
We were taken to the airport by a different guide and driver to the ones that had picked us up (organised by the unnamed Sydney tour operator), we think that Wendy and her driver had given us the flick as we had not booked any tours with them. The guides intelligence system is good, as she stated that she knew that we had organised our own tours through the hotel. There was no rancour just the statement that she knew.
It took about an hour and a half to get to the airport, and we again told the guide not to wait as we were comfortable seeing to our own flights.
While we were waiting for our flight I heard a group of Americans complaining AGAIN, about the lack of ‘western’ type toilet pedestal seats. I was very tempted, again, to ask them how they felt about sitting their bear bums on toilet seats on which many thousands of strangers had sat before them, also reciting a little poem I had seen as a kid:
“please don’t sit on this toilet seat, the crabs in here can jump two feet!”
We were about half an hour late landing in Shanghai, but the airport is very efficient and our bags were on the luggage carrousel as we arrived to pick them up. Our guide (Sydney tour operator organised) was called (Lee Da) Darren Lee, he began by berating us because there was just the two of us not the four he said he expected. Not a good start for Darren and it went downhill from there on in for Darren, as he tried the ‘hard sell’ trying to get us to book tours with him in Shanghai. When I suggested to Darren that we were a little tired and just wanted to rest before deciding what to do, he shut up for about thirty seconds and then started again suggesting that he would meet us at 180 for coffee and discuss with us what tours we wanted and also that he in fact had his own tour company and was happy to cut out the Sydney operator. We were relieved to get to ‘The Peace Hotel’ and pleased that we did not see Darren Lee again.
After we booked in we went and talked with the concierge about getting our own guide and driver and booking some tours. He was helpful at doing this though I was surprised that I had to go to a bank on the corner and get cash to pay him for the guide/driver/car and tours, rather than just charge it to our room. www.jjtravel.com
The rooms at the Peace Hotel are very ‘Olde Worlde’ and I did see one guide made a comment that: “the staff and plumbing need some attention”, that is accurate. But the historical ambience makes it a great experience.
Shanghai, ( meaning: above the sea) is located on the banks of the Huangpu River ( a mere 110 km long) close to where it meets the Yangzi River and their outfall into the China Sea 28 kilometres downstream. Shanghai is China’s largest and most dynamic city, with a population well over 13 million people. It has the status of ‘autonomous municipality’ which has enabled it to ‘enjoy’ and explosion of economic and industrial development making it one of the fastest growing cities in the world. In the 13th century Shanghai became a minor county seat and remained so until the mid-19th century when British commercial ambitions led to war with China. It would seem that access to large numbers of consumers has been a rationale for a number of wars over the last two previous centuries at least. The ensuing Treaty of Nanking allowed the British to trade freely from certain ports, including Shanghai. As has often been the case with other examples of commercial success, Shanghai soon became a centre of glamour, high living and decadence. It had been divided into various ‘concession’ areas, where foreign national created miniature stylised versions of their home country. First was Britain, then France, the United States of America, and Japan. The Bund of quay along the Huangpu River is still lined on one side with colonial style buildings evidence of the time when Shanghai was the third largest financial centre in the world. In 1949, when the Communists took over the city was stripped of its decadence.
In the mid-20th century the Pudong area, across the river from the Bund, was Shanghai’s poorest quarter, a squalid huddle of slums and brothels, and also the home of the notorious gangster Du Yuesheng or Big Eared Du. In 1990 the Pudong area was declared a Special Economic Zone, starting a ‘revival’ for the city. The Special Economic Zone status caused investment to pour in at a frenetic pace. I don’t know what the Special Economic Zone status does to attract the investment, perhaps Australia should do something like that for Tasmania, but then again maybe they should not. Shanghai is at the cutting edge of business, fashion trends, and has a throbbing nightlife with many clubs and bars.
There are three main areas in Shanghai, the Old City to the south is typically Chinese, with alleys, markets and temples. It is also the site of the Yu Gardens, Shanghai’s finest traditional garden and one of our ‘must see’ spots. The former concession areas comprise the French Concession to the west of the Old City, and the British and American Concessions- collectively known as the International Settlement- to the north. This is where the Bund, also known as Zhongshan Lu, is located a very broad riverside promenade next to which are ‘grand’ colonial buildings including the Shanghai Club and the Peace Hotel, our hotel for the next few days. Nearby are Shanghai’s two main shopping streets, Nanjing Lu and Huaihai Lu. Across the river Pudong on the eastern bank of the Huangpu is now an immense business district, with some of the highest buildings in the world, the Jinmao Dasha, includes the Grand Hyatt Hotel, and has an 88th floor observation deck that looks down on the ‘bizarre looking’’ Oriental Pearl TV tower that includes large conference facilities, and across the river to the centre of the city and Remin Da Rao, (Renmin Square) that includes the Shanghai History Museum, www.shanghaimuseum.net
The Peace Hotel is one of the most distinctive buildings on the Bund and was built in 1930 by the millionaire, Sir Victor Sassoon (I think an Iraqi Jew), I don’t know how or why he was knighted as his ‘underworld’ connections were well known.
As soon as one walks through the front door one is transported back to the 1930’s, and an Old Jazz Band, that performs every evening in a small bar on the ground floor adds to the ambience. The members of the band look as if they are the original members.
Across the road from the Peace Hotel, is a building that was formally the Place Hotel, built in 1906, and was for a long time one of the best hotels in Shanghai, until it became part of the Peace Hotel in 1949, known as the Northern Wing of the Peace Hotel.
After unpacking our luggage we went up to the roof top bar and enjoyed a couple of G&Ts, though here again the staff need some attention as we took a long time in attracting theirs.
A view across the river from the Peace Hotel to Pudong showing the Oriental Pearl TV Tower

From the roof of the Peace Hotel looking down stream towards the sea
From the roof of the Peace Hotel looking up-stream
View straight across the river from the roof of the Peace Hotel again showing the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, and the much larger Jinmao Dasha tower, second from right
We changed for dinner and decided that we should try the dining room on the 7th floor of the Peace Hotel. After exiting the lift one has to wander through a large wooden floored ball-room with at least four large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and then around a couple of corners to either an Italian restaurant of Chinese. “When in Rome”, so we opted for Chinese and had a table by the window overlooking the river, a great view! Of course we ordered far too much again, and decided that we needed a walk along the Bund to work of some of the feast and enjoy ‘promenading’ with the locals. It was pleasantly warm and there were thousands of people with the same idea, but it was not too crowded as the Bund is very wide and very long. There were lots of street hawkers selling various things, but mostly the services of professional photographers. There were a couple of chaps selling Kites which they were very adept at flying high above us. I think that ‘hawkers’ is a very appropriate description as many Chinese have the habit of ‘hawking’ and spitting their phlegm onto the pavement. Not an attractive sight, but I guess they are not impressed with the Western habit of coughing into a handkerchief then putting the soggy rag into our pockets contaminating our clothes.
We walked all the way to the end of the Bund, passing a number of cruise boat terminals on the way. These boats are a good way to see the sights from the river and are very popular. The “Boo Yeow Cher Cher” phrase, (no thank you) was again very useful, and much used, it seemed to deflect any concerns about us not buying anything. After we crossed back via a pedestrian underpass to the Peace Hotel corner we kept walking along Nanjiing Dong Lu in search of a shop where we could buy some socks for Sheila. Of course we found many shops that sold socks, but Sheila needed to search for the best bargain. After locating the ‘best buy’ I took Sheila back to our room, collected some money, went back and bought the desired socks. We showered and were in bed by 2200 as we had an early start in the morning (0800 departure) and needed to have breakfast first. Breakfast was in the same dinning room in which we had dinner and as is our usual we ate well while enjoying the view, especially groups doing Tai Chi on the Bund.
Annie, our guide arrived on time with the car and our driver. It was a two hour trip to Zuzhou ( the Venice of China) and our first stop at the Pan Men Scenic Area, Beisi Ta temple complex and the Ruigang (North Pagoda), which is a remnant of an earlier temple complex that has been rebuilt. The pagoda’s main structure dates from the Song dynasty, but it’s foundations supposedly date from the Three Kingdoms era (AD 220-265). Towering 76 metres high it is octagonal in shape, and has sharply upturned eaves. This time I declined the opportunity to climb to the top, remembering my climb up one in Xi’an.
The next three photographs are of the Beisi Ta, Ruigang Pagoda and some of the very pleasant surrounding garden

The next two pictures include Sheila our guide Annie, and me in the gardens of the Beisi Ta pagoda

We walked to see a 90 metre section of the old city wall, and a very nifty water gate that if breeched by enemies would lead them into a narrow area surrounded by four balustrades from which the defenders could rain down arrows etc.
Water gate operating mechanism

The Weng Gate now a shop/museum on the top of the wall near the water gate
Nearby I had the opportunity to show my prowess at using a Chinese Bow and Arrows, with a target about fifteen metres away. After ten arrows the target was without blemish and Sheila and Annie were most amused declaring the city lost and any attackers very safe if I was a defender.
Our next stop was at the Master of Nets Garden, originally known as the Fisherman’s Retreat, it was laid out during the Southern Song Dynasty, and was renamed the Master-of-Nets Garden in the reign of Emperor Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty. The outstanding feature of this small, but elegant garden is that it integrates living rooms with landscaped gardens. The physical centre is a pond surrounded by roofed walkways and pavilions and is decorated with a profusion of trees, flowers, shrubs and rockeries. Small areas appear much larger because of their clever design and use of perspective. In 1997 The Master-of-Nets Garden was inscribed on the World heritage List by UNESCO. It should not be confused with Zhuozheng Yuan, the Humble Administrator’s garden, Suzhou’s largest garden and considered by some to be the finest, worth a visit also, but not worth trying to pick the best as each has their merit.

The Moon Comes With Breeze Pavilion in the Master-of Nets Garden

The next two pictures are of areas within the Master of Nets gardens

The highlight of the day was the Zhou Zhuang water village at Suzhou, it is nicknamed the Venice of China. We walked along the banks of the Grand Canal, that is tree-lined in many places, and also features great little bridges, shops and restaurants. Annie organised a boat for us so we could enjoy the scenery from the canal as well. An added bonus for about A$5.00 was our boatman singing traditional songs about his village and it’s history. I felt that I should contribute also and started to sing ‘Advance Australia Fair’ as loud as I could. Annie and Sheila said that they would pay me to stop as my voice was no where near as good as our tenor boatman. I think that he felt some sympathy for me and gave me the opportunity to power and steer the boat with it’s one large oar at the stern. I was pleased that I did not disgrace myself at that.
It was very apparent from the festive mood of all the tourists, both Chinese and International that Zhou Zhuang is a magical place that casts a pleasurable feeling spell over all who visit. We could have easily spent many hours more if not days just wandering around exploring the little nooks and crannies and soaking up the rich history.

Trees alongside the canal

One of the boatmen who was a lovely looking lady

The Grand Canal Zhou Zhuang water village in Suzhou

A canal view

A café on the canal

Bridge over a canal

John and Sheila feeling good about where we are together

Annie, our guide and Sheila

A minor canal

Our tenor boatman

More pictures of our tenor boatman

Our other boatman

Sheila and I are convinced that any visit to Shanghai should include the Zhou Zhuang Water Village at Suzhou. While on the way back to Shanghai I was taking more notice of the ‘countryside’ and was astounded to see mile after mile of new factories and housing developments. We saw many mansions that would not be out of place in Sylvania Waters Sydney and would be out of the price bracket most Australians could afford. The industrial development is huge and I was told includes most of the world’s car manufactures from Europe America and Asia, I also noted that Rolls Royce Aero Engines are now being made in Shanghai. There are also large cement factories, steel producers etc in fact I think that almost any industrial/ commercial product is being produced in some form or other in China. It would appear that the rest of the world wants access to the two billion consumers in China and the best way of doing that is producing the goods in China; and any excess production down the track will be consigned to the rest of the world.
As we had been walking around a lot Sheila was keen to have a foot massage at the Health and Fitness Centre in the Peace Hotel. Sheila suggested that I have a full body massage while Sheila had her feet massaged. I reluctantly agreed and while Sheila was taken off for her foot massage; Judy my masseuse took me off to a little room and a towel covered couch. I took off all my clothes and laid face down on the table as she covered me from the waist down with another towel. Judy did a great job on my shoulders etc and then started to work on my legs. She was a very good masseuse and also was a very good looking young lady with a great figure. She indicated that I turn over and she started to massage my chest muscles with both hands as she stood near my head. After stretching down to massage my stomach she whispered into my ear “you want sexy massage”? I thought about it for a fraction of a second and said “sorry”; Judy thought perhaps I had not heard her properly and bent further down to whisper directly into my ear brushing it with her lips “you want sexy massage”? Was this beautiful nubile young lady interested in my body as I was such a lithe, good looking young chap? Nah silly old bugger might be parted from some of his money. I concluded that it would have been demeaning for the both of us and said firmly no, with a wry smile. Judy kept going with massaging my legs and although she did not ask again she allowed her fingertips to accidentally touch intimate parts of my body, with perhaps the hope that I might change my mind. It was a great massage even without the extras. Judy then told me that the time was up and while I got dressed she was speaking Chinese to one of her colleagues, then told me that Sheila had requested a pedicure and Sheila had suggested I have a foot massage at the same time. I agreed as it had been Sheila’s idea and I was led into the same room as Sheila. It was a larger room with a number of large chairs and Judy commenced my foot massage while Sheila’s feet were ‘operated’ on by a chap with his first aid box. The main tool that he used looked like a very long sharp chisel and he wielded it with great accuracy, much to Sheila’s relief. While Judy was massaging my feet she looked at me a little quizzically and I found out on the way out when I asked why Sheila had suggested I have a foot massage. Sheila told me that she had not suggested it so we figured that it was Judy’s way of making up some money that she had ‘lost’ with me not paying for the extras. It was interesting when we asked for our massage costs to be charged to our room and when we checked out from the Peace Hotel our Hotel account include an itemised bill with the item for our massages being referred to only as barber shop, A$200.00 for a haircut a bit pricy, but for what we had priceless.
So if you have a spouse who has stayed at any hotel in China, and their hotel bill includes ‘barber shop’ then they might have been getting their hair curled in some interesting ways. After our massages we went for another walk along the Bund and a small meal in an Italian restaurant a few doors down from the Peace Hotel, it was a sort of cross between McDonalds and Pizza Hut, but was all we wanted. When we walked back to the Peace Hotel we decided to go into the Jazz Bar, I think there was a cover charge of about A$10.00 and as we did not have a reservation we could not get a table, just a couple of stools at the bar. It is a high black topped bar that although lacquered bore the deep scars of many patrons over many years and if the walls could talk I think there would be many a fine tale about the goings on that they have witnessed. Bryce Courtney’s book ‘Brother Fish’ includes references to Shanghai and the experiences of one of the characters with Sir Richard Sassoon. We went back to our room about 2100 after another tiring day to ensure we were rested before the next day’s site-seeing.
Saturday 24th September 2005
We had breakfast at 0800 and again watched the morning aerobics on the Bund while we ate. Annie and our driver picked us up in front of the Peace hotel at 0903; we were a little tardy as we had been delayed, paying homage to the porcelain god, who needs a bit of attention to his plumbing to prevent the fifteen or twenty attempts at full-flushing.
Our first stop was the Yu Gardens, Bazaar and the Huxingting Teahouse. The majority complex I think is quite new, but the reproduction of the old style buildings is superb and very appealing. The Yu gardens have walls that divide it into six scenic areas, that makes it seem a lot larger than it is in reality, but it is a marvellous oasis in the middle of a very large industrial city.

A pagoda like building in the Yu gardens Bazaar area

The next series of pictures are on the bazaar area then of the Yu Gardens themselves


With Sheila and Annie in the middle foreground

Note the ‘Starbucks’ sign bottom left

The Moon Goddess I think

The Huxingting Teahouse is on the left.
It was built in 1748 by cotton merchants only becoming a tea house in the late 19th century. A zig-zag bridge to the teahouse protects the structure from evil spirits as, apparently evil spirits can only travel in straight lines.


A blurred John and Sheila with the teahouse in the background

Some finial details on a roof in the Yu Gardens

Yu Gardens

Annie explaining a motif about Confucius to Sheila

Just another tourist in the Yu Gardens

Just another tourist looking a little fishy, carping on about something

Annie and Sheila, bottom left; the other dragon on the wall has only four claws, not five likes and imperial dragon, so as to not incur the wrath of the Emperor. (I think one as fallen off as I could only see three)

A building in the Yu Gardens

Another building in the Yu Gardens, not the decorations of the roof

Another couple of inanimate dragons
A doorway, behind which, was just a gardener’s shed, but the form was I think interesting


John and Sheila in front of a rock in the Yu Gardens, there are about twenty six apertures in the rock over my head and one incense stick lit at the bottom will smoke through all the holes. Very auspicious so we were told.

Some more exquisite roof detail in the Yu Gardens

A trysting place in the Yu Gardens

Another view of one of the dragons

Some ethnic minority dancers strutting their stuff in the bazaar. Apparently there are fifty three distinct recognised ethnic groups in China.
Our next visit was to the Shanghai Confucian Temple that combines an ancient architectural complex and school which pay homage to China’s great thinker and founder of the Confucian culture. Since its establishment in 1249, the school and temple were moved to the current site in 1855. On either side of the entrance to the Da Cheng Hall are two wishing trees to which students tie red ribbons asking for success in their exams. Our guide Annie admitted that she had tied ribbons to the tree on the right hand side for help with her exam results. It was also interesting that Annie told us that she received an extra fifteen marks in her final exams because of her ethnic minority status.



A gateway in the Shanghai Confucian Temple

One of my favourite pictures, Confucius, in the Shanghai Confucius Temple
The next series of pictures are of various Buddha incarnations (statues)


Sheila enthralled by another Buddha artefact
There is a very large display of many items for sale, and one of the staff showed us around, and tried to do a good selling job with us. We were told that 80% of the selling price is used to educate poor students, and it would have been nice to buy something, but they are of ‘museum’ quality and way out of our price range. While we were there an American couple mentioned loudly that their friend the Ambassador had recommended the place for buying artefacts to add to their collection. Good luck to them.
Our next site was the Jade Buddha Temple that is the most famous of Shanghai’s temples, Jufo Si, that is located in the northwest part of the city. It was built in 1882 to enshrine two very beautiful jade Buddha statues that were brought from Burma by the Abbot Wei Ken. The temple was originally located elsewhere, but after it was damaged in a fire it was shifted to the current site in 1918. After being closed for almost 30 years, I think because of the ‘cultural’ revolution, it was reopened in 1980, and now has over 100 monks. Built in the southern Song dynasty style, it has sharply curved eaves and figures on the roof. Its three main halls are connected by two courts. The first hall is the Heavenly King Hall, where the four Heavenly Kings line the walls. The Grand Hall of Magnificence houses three incarnations (statues) of the Buddha, while the Jade Buddha chamber contains the first jade statue, a large reclining Buddha. The finer of the two statues, is in an up-stairs room. It is carved from a single piece of jade, and this seated jewel encrusted Buddha is exquisite, and was the only object in China we were asked not to photograph. The atmosphere in the room is very serene, and we felt very much at peace admiring this amazing incarnation of Buddha and its beatific smile. We were enjoying the whole experience until the room was invaded by a Spanish tour group. “Ole bloody ole”.
On the next page is a picture of the reclining Buddha, on the following page is a picture of the seated Buddha I did not take the photograph, but found it on a ‘virtual’ tour site with the option of e-mailing it to a friend, so I thought that there would be no problem including it.

The jewel encrusted, seated Buddha, that is two metres high, and carved from a single piece of white jade. We were told that during the ‘cultural’ revolution many items like this were destroyed, but the Abbot at the time covered the statue in thousands of pictures of Chairman Mao and this students/ soldiers from destroying it.The next site was the Tian Hou Silk Company yet another ubiquitous factory tour with the opportunity to see and buy. The first thing on the agenda was lunch, and we were shown up-stairs to a very large restaurant that was full of tour groups. We were pleased when Annie showed us unto a private dining room, and yet another huge feast was laid in front of us. We invited Annie to share lunch with us, as we had done each day, but she demurred telling us that she had to eat with the driver. We did not eat much as it was hot and humid and it was not our custom to eat much at lunch time. After lunch Annie introduced us to the factory manager who gave us a private tour and explained the silk gathering and spinning process. I was intrigued to hear that the best silk is made from threads gathered from the cocoons that only contained one pupa. They have the one fiber spun around them and are more easily unraveled in one fine fiber. Many of the cocoons have two or more pupae in them, and this makes it impossible to unravel the one single fine thread. The coarser mixed threads are used to make the quilt padding for silk doonas. The silk doonas were superb very light and great for insulation against both the hot and cold. After the tour we were shown into a very large retail area with many silk items for sale including the doonas. We were invited to join some of the workers in spreading out the large silken layers onto tables to form the basis of the quilts. It was like stretching out large pieces of cotton wool into large rectangles, then laying more and more into the silken sandwich. I was very impressed and at A$150, at the time of writing, for the dearest one I was quite keen to but; especially since they do a very good job of ‘shrink wrapping’ them and packing into boxes with handles as very easy carry-on luggage.
However Sheila asked some important questions: “ Can you wash the quilts and what size are they?”
No the silk quilts inside can not be washed, but the cotton ‘doona’ covers can be washed. I suppose not much difference between them and our feather doonas, but the biggest or smallest problem was currently the largest size was still to short for our beds.
I still think it is worth exploring and their address is:
Tian Hou Silk Company
308 Hongjing Road
Shanghai
Tel: 021 64060528
Fax 021 64060578
Mail orders can dispatched to anywhere in the world via:
Mail order
Tel: 021 64064176
Fax: 021 64064177

By the way the pupae do not go to waste after they are immersed in boiling water to kill the pupae and allow the unravelling to begin, the pupae are gathered and eaten. Our son Adam told us recently in Bangkok that he had eaten silk pupae. Adam will eat most eastern delicacies, but he has said that he will pass on the pupae next time.
This picture shows a worker harvesting the silk threads, the manage telling us about the process and Sheila. The blue bowls are for collecting the pupae snacks. In the trough of water behind the blue bowls are the white silk cocoons.

The next site was the Shanghai Museum, a modern looking building that has a very pleasing design and houses a fantastic collection very well displayed.
http://www.shanghaimuseum.net/
When we entered the foyer of the museum it was very busy as they were setting up a stage for the French Ambassador to speak about Franco/Sino relations and cultural exchanges. The extra crowds, heat, and humidity got the better of Sheila and she quickly developed a migraine. A visit to the ladies was made more difficult as security was being tightened with the Ambassador arriving. Annie had to do some quick talking to be able to get back into the exhibits halls find me and reunite us. Meanwhile I was loitering in front of a display of 11th century bronze bells as the exhibit included sounds of the bells being played. The benefits of a private guide and car were again demonstrated as we were able to cut short the tour of the museum and take our car back to the Peace Hotel, getting Sheila to bed in our quiet darkened room.
We said our goodbyes to Annie and our driver thanking them for all their help.
To give Sheila some peace and quiet I went for a walk along the Bund and then to some shops in search of ‘Mars’ or ‘Snickers’ bars as I think that they are very therapeutic. I returned to our room at 1630, with a Chinese version of Dove chocolate, Sheila was still in bed and not feeling much better and Shanghai Dove did not help. We decided that we would stay in for the night as we were to get up at 0500 next morning for our flight to Bangkok.
Sheila was feeling a bit queasy, asking if I could go down to the hotel bakery, and get something bland to eat to help settle her stomach. The bakery did not have many options left so I returned to our room with a packet of shortbread biscuits. Nah not bland enough, undeterred I ventured out again and walked up the length of Nanjing Road to Renmin Square looking for a small supermarket. Touts on the street offered a variety of other merchandise during my search including girls and boys, I declined. In the end I went into the Sofitel Hotel and asked the concierge for help. He told me there were lots of little supermarkets down the little laneways off the main street. He was correct, but again not much that I thought would fit into the category of bland. I spotted some local version of ‘Pringles’ and made my way back to the Hotel to check if ‘Pringles’ might fit the bill. Yes ‘Pringles’ and some lemonade would be good. Back out again and I bought the lemonade and the Chinese ‘Pringles’. I did not have my glasses with me so I was not able to decipher the particular flavour I had bought. My decision was based on the colour of the tube. When I got back to our room Sheila was able to see that orange coloured tubes of Chinese ‘Pringles’ were something like ‘Sweet and Sour Pork with Chilli’. Not a good idea for any patent with migraine and a queasy tummy. I went back out again, with my glasses and found a shop that sold genuine ‘Pringles’, but ‘Sour Cream and Chives’ flavoured. Rather than add to my stock of ‘rejected’ food I went back to check that these would suit the patient. Hallelujah, they fitted the bill so back to the shop again, and I was lucky enough to buy the last tube, and also turn down a couple of invitations to take coffee with some young ladies to ‘improve their English speaking skills’.
Saturday 25th September 2005
We received our telephone wake up call at 0500, washed and packed and in the foyer for 0550 to meet our transport to the airport. In my pocket I still had two dinner vouchers, for the Peace Hotel dinning room, from the night before so I went outside and gave them to a taxi driver who was waiting on the taxi rank outside. I hope that he was able to use them ok. Our guide and car arrived on time, though it was not Darren Le, we think that he gave up on getting extra business from us and I was pleased, and I could not have stood him pounding my ears again. Our guide was a young girl, another language student, and I think quite bright as she picked up quickly that we were not very communicative at that hour of the morning. It only took 40 minutes to get to Pudong International Airport as the traffic was very light at that time. We again told our guide that we did not need help to check-in and we let her go with the car.
Check-in was no problem and we had managed our spending quite well as we were down to 3 Yuan, about 50 cents Australian. Travellers are not supposed to take Yuan out of the country and it will not be exchanged back into other currencies. We did contemplate a cup of coffee, but 45 Yuan was a bit rich for me. We settled back in the gate lounge waiting for our flight and Sheila was treated to a young man next to her hacking, hawking and clearing his nose by sucking it back into his throat. Not a great look or sound, especially early in the morning. If there had been other seats we would have happily moved, our major concern was that he would be seated next to us on the plane.
We were two hours late taking off because of a refuelling problem, I think that they did it by hand-pump in the end, and we were fed our in-flight breakfast while we were on the tarmac. This turned out to be the only meal during the four hour flight to Bangkok.
Because of our delayed flight we had to deplane at the domestic terminal and board buses to the international terminal and immigration. We got through immigration very quickly and our baggage was not far behind us at the carrousel. We were feeling quite pleased with our rapid transit, but then had to wait for Adam and Rosalind for 30 minutes. They had not checked the flight arrival times so had turned up when it was first scheduled. When they learned that we were delayed two hours at take-off they decided to go shopping allowing an extra half an hour for baggage collection like last time. No great dramas except fitting our cases into the boot with their new computer, speakers, monitor etc but no worries for me. Soon after we arrived back at their apartment Adam quickly unpacked and set up all their new equipment and Adam demonstrating his skill using http://www.googleearth.com/ and showing very clear close-ups of views of cities all around the world.
As it was a Sunday, their housekeep, Kuhn Noy was away for the day visiting her brother and sister. Rosalind made dinner that included very large bowls of lentil, leek and garlic soup. Dinner was superb and I was soon making noises about needing to go to bed and catch up on some sleep after our early start. Well that was the plan but after a few ‘Adam’ strength gin and tonics we were treated to a demonstration of the super new sound system with the computer and it was 2345 before I staggered off to bed. One of the side effects of lentil soup can be some flatulence and accompanying ‘wind’ pain.
I woke at some ungodly hour still three-quarters asleep and not sure if I was in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Bathurst or Bangkok. As I staggered around in the dark, I encountered a door, and as I was feeling around for the light switch to the bathroom a little voice in my distant consciousness was saying “It is the cupboard not the bathroom, it is the cupboard not the bathroom ,don’t squat here.” About two circumnavigations of the bedroom were needed for me to regain enough consciousness to find the bathroom door and gain admittance to the site of the porcelain temple at which I could pay true and necessary homage. I went to the bathroom about three times that night, lentils are great for a purge!
Monday 26th September 2005
Sheila was awake at 0645 inquiring as to the time and despite my protestations that it was too early insisted on putting the light on and checking the time on my watch. Sheila’s was still on Sydney time. Some very little time later it was better to agree to Sheila’s enquiry as whether or not I would like a cup of tea, so she would go to the kitchen and give me some respite from the requested chat about what we might do for the next few days in Bangkok. As luck would have it Rosalind was in the kitchen and I was fortunate enough to get my tea much later, after their ‘girly’ chats about secret women’s business.
Rosalind was keen to install an anti-virus system on their new computer, recently experiencing some difficulty in getting the download of the system she purchased on-line. In exasperation, Rosalind reverted to another ‘20 day trial offer’ system at least getting some protection for their system.
Sheila and Rosalind decided to go out to do some banking, shopping, and I think get some more foot massage.
I decided that I needed a ‘vege-out’ day and spent most of the morning and afternoon reading a book of Adam’s called ‘Banker to the Poor’, the autobiography of Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank. It is a very inspiring book and I think should be compulsory reading for every person who is bigoted about Muslims.
I also went down to the pool for a swim, the first twelve laps were very hard ‘yakka’ and I did not think I would keep going. But they did get easier and it was only after 110 laps that I gave up. (15 metre pool). I was concerned about losing count of the laps so I used a large fallen leaf as a marker between tiles on the edge of the pool; moving it along after each ten laps. A Burmese lady came into the pool area with her cleaning equipment and looked at my leaf a couple of times with tidying intent. On the swimming legs that I swam away from her I was very keen to get down the other end and be back on the return leg to see that my leaf was safely in position and my count safeguarded. As she got her mop out and started to swab the tiles surrounding the pool edge my level of anxiety increased and I powered down, nah floundered down, the next lap and made a great show of picking up my leaf and making it wet and pasting it above the water line on the vertical pool tiles with its stem just showing above the pool surround. Goodness knows what the lady thought of my (farang) pantomime, but my performance appeared to work, my leaf was left in situ until I completed my swim. I staggered out of the pool thinking that the least I could do was to ditch the leaf in the garden beds so that it could not be a source of friction between the cleaner and her boss.
We had a light dinner of spinach pie and asparagus, that was a relief from having such large meals for most of the last couple of weeks. Adam had to do some work in their study preparing for an important all-day meeting the following day.
The rest of us started to watch a DVD of one of the ‘Hornblower’ series, that one was called ‘Frogs and Lobsters’. It is a great series that we enjoy watching, but Rosalind Sheila and I were feeling very relaxed and went to bed about 2230. One of the other things that Rosalind and Sheila had done during the day was to visit a child adoption agency to get some paperwork associated with the possibility of adopting a child. It is an exciting possibility that we hope comes to fruition for them and us ( as Grandparents).
Tuesday
I was up late again, enjoying the less frenetic pace. One of the things on the agenda is a visit to the Australian Embassy to get some more of the necessary documentation associated with the possible adoption. We went to a store which is five floors of shops dedicated to selling computers and their associated stuff, Pantec Plaza, I think. Rosalind wanted to buy ‘Microsoft Office’ to install on their new computer. We could have got a Thai language version there and then, but did not think it would be appropriate even given Rosalind’s expertise. The English language version was not going to be available for about 45 days and then would cost about A$700.00. In the end it was easier for us to buy one in Bathurst for about A$250.00 and post it to them. Of course pirate disc copies were available for about A$16.00, but one is not able to register them and we thought not worth the risk. We went up and won a few floors a few times checking availability and prices etc; that is what girls do and then repeated the checking etc for the prices on some blank CDs. Of course we ended back at the first shop we looked in, but the need to ‘check prices’ was assuaged.
The Grand Hyatt Hotel complex was our lunch venue in a superb tea-room under the hotel. On the way to lunch we called into a very exclusive shop that deals only with the top brands in watches. We asked if they would take a couple of links out of a watch band, on the watch, which Rosalind had given to Sheila a couple of days before. It had been a ‘free gift’ that Rosalind had been given with some other purchase. The young man who assisted us smiled very sweetly, asking us to be seated while he had our request handled. They took the watch away while we drooled over the display cabinet in front of us that included some ‘fun’ beach-wear watches that were a snip at over A$700.00.
They brought it back to us on a velvet cushion asking Sheila to try it on for fit. Sheila asked for one more link to be removed, it was removed, then brought back a few minutes later for madam to try again. We asked if there was any charge, he just smiled and said “no charge madame.” We then went to the hairdresser for Sheila’s appointment at 1500, but we bumped into Thai time, and he was not there; the staff saying there was a misunderstanding and could madam return on Wednesday. We walked to the Australian Embassy, we had to leave all bags, telephones, etc at the guard post, security appeared very strict with metal detectors at two security points we passed through on the way in. Whenever I go to somewhere like the Embassy I always come away thinking “nah they are not very helpful and not interested in being so”. Back home for afternoon tea and a telephone booking for dinner at ‘D’dalat’ a Vietnamese restaurant near Adam and Rosalind’s apartment. When we arrived for dinner in Soi 23 we discovered that there are two ‘D’dalat’ restaurants one being called ‘D’dalat at Indochine’ the larger of the two and not the one which we were told was the best.
When we entered the restaurant in which we thought we had made the reservation we were told that we were in the wrong one, but ‘mai pen rai’ ( no worries mate) they owned both restaurants and happily made a table available for us. Adam ordered the meal for us as he knows far more about selecting good items on the menus in Asia. I ordered a Chilean ‘Black cat’ red wine (merlot) in honor of a Chilean friend of ours, Bill Kaufman, who died about that time five years ago while Rosalind and Adam lived in Singapore and we were visiting them. Bill had been looking after our dog Chloe when he died, so we always try to remember him at times we are away.
Wednesday
While Adam was at work Rosalind, Sheila and I went to the Siam Tower shopping centre so that Sheila could get her hair cut at ‘Tony and Guy’. While Sheila was getting her hair cut Rosalind and I went for lunch and to buy some tickets for the cinema to see ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ starring Johnny Dep. We went into the first cinema in the Siam Centre and were directed up to a cinema at which the movie was not showing. Rosalind then asked for the APEC cinema, where she had seen the movie advertised as being shown. We were told that it was in the next building down the street on the 3rd floor. We checked at the information desk on the ground floor, they confirmed that the APEC cinema was on the 3rd floor of the next building. After we had climbed past a building construction site we found a way into the next building and again checked with the ground floor information desk. “Yes APEC cinema on 3rd floor”. We went around and around trying to find a way to the 3rd floor until we arrived on the 4th floor. We found a security guard, who when asked for help said that he would take us to the APEC cinema on the 3rd floor. The guard escorted us via the lifts to the 3rd floor, shooing other shoppers out of the way while he carried out his mission. On the 3rd floor he pointed us down a corridor insisting that we would discover the APEC cinema. It turned out to be the ‘APEC Nail and Manicure Centre’. We went back down to the ground floor and looked around outside for inspiration. Across the road was the APEC Cinema centre, but when we went inside Rosalind was not sure it was very clean. In fact she was convinced that it was very dirty. So it was decided that we would go to a 1645 session at the cinema in the World Trade Centre which Rosalind knew was very good. We went back to the apartment for a quick wash and brush up before returning to the cinema. There were only four other patrons in the large very plush theatre. I guessed that it was near the end of the run of the film. The seats are the most luxurious cinema seats I have sat in, very well upholstered and reclining. I enjoyed the Thai advertisements before the main feature, trying to guess what they were advertising. I was also intrigued that at the start the national Anthem is played with film publicizing the ‘good works’ of the king. Everyone stands to attention as a mark of respect and it was a ritual that we were happy to follow.
After the film, which we enjoyed, we went home for Haw Mak, a favorite dinner of ours prepared by Kuhn Noy. Rosalind and Sheila then watched a ‘Dave Allen’ DVD while I wrote and e-mail to the Grameen Bank offering some ideas I had about disaster management in developing countries. Rosalind copied my photos across to a cd and then we all went to bed as we had to get up early, Rosalind was taking Sheila and I to a Pilates class at 0730.
Thursday morning
We staggered out of bed at 0630 and Kuhn Boon Chuay drove us to the Pilates class at 0730 for a 0800 start. The traffic was lighter than expected so we got there with plenty of time to spare. The class was conducted by an American lady, in a studio three floors up with no lift. I think that the stairs themselves should count as a workout. I thought that Pilates was going to be a bit ‘wimpy’ as I was the only bloke in the class. Wrong, it is not fast and furious, but is a very good work out and makes one aware of previously hidden and unexercised muscles. I should have suspected it when I noticed that the instructor was as lean as a whippet with a stomach as flat as an ironing board. We all think that Pilates is a good keep fit option that we will explore more often.
After Pilates we went home for breakfast and consumed various courses as we were ravenous. Sheila and Rosalind then went off for manicure foot massage etc while I wondered off to the local shopping district and my barber. I was surprised that my barber recognised me from my last visit, though I don’t think she has many ‘farang’ customers especially ones who want a number ‘one’ cutter used. In the afternoon I was ‘cleaning-up’ Rosalind and Adam’s old computer to keep my mid off the fact that we were heading back home tomorrow, and that was far too soon.
That night Adam and Rosalind took us to the Dome Restaurant and Distil bar at the top of the State Tower. It is sixty four floors up and the great meal was accompanied by a natural light and sound show across the horizons of Bangkok. http://www.thedomebkk.com/ The Dome at State Tower was also playing host to meeting of ‘epicureanmasters’ November 14-19 2005 http://www.epicureanmasters.com/ that featured ten chefs with accolades including over twenty Michelin stars between them.
We were of course the last to leave again, but Adam insisted that they don’t mind at the least as he spends as much there, each year, hosting guests as I would have earned in a year.
It was a marvelous night in Bangkok and a fitting climax before we caught the afternoon flight back to Sydney arriving about 0600 local time, and then catching a mid morning flight to Bathurst. Our friend Ian was at the airport to pick us up and take us home. Walking it the door seemed a surreal experience after so many experiences in such a short time.
Thank you Adam and Rosalind for yet another great holiday.
The golden ‘Dome’ restaurant at the top of the State Tower in Bangkok, sixty-four floors up