Rob & Bob's blog 8

Note that we checked into Hong Kong this afternoon and we can now access the blog... as well as Facebook again!

January 10-11, 2012 Blog Entry

This morning was our last in Xi’an before traveling to Shanghai. We had the morning and early afternoon to enjoy a few of the finer attractions of Xi’an, including the Muslim Quarter of the city where the Great Mosque is located and finished up by visiting a local museum.

The day started with a wonderful breakfast spread at our hotel, followed by a rush to bet packed and load the bus to enjoy the city for as long as possible.  First we went to the Muslim Quarter and visited the Great Mosque. This was a unique experience to visit an ancient worshipping place for the people of this city. It was interesting to visit with our tour guide about the perception of Muslims in China and some of the parallels and comparisons we made about our own culture. 

The mosque was in traditional architecture and was absolutely gorgeous. The park that surrounded the mosque was equally as beautiful, many of us wished we could have been visiting during the summer to see the plants in bloom and many of the fountains and ponds in working condition.  

We then traveled to the Shaanxi Museum where we had the opportunity to move around freely and take in thousands of priceless Chinese relics. After a brief opportunity to explore we circled the wagons to head to the airport to leave for our next destination, Shanghai.

Little Aaron & Big Aaron leading us into the Shaanxi Museum

We had Hot Pot for dinner tonight!

Yum - Hot Pot!

Everyone got his or her own little burner with spicy water and plain water and we then enjoyed cooking our own vegetables and meats!  It was very tasty!

You could tell there was a lot of excitement in the group to get to our next city, especially one that has the reputation of being the “Paris of the East”. Upon arrival we stopped for dinner at a local restaurant and just checked into the hotel for the night. 

Our first full day of Shanghai was a little different than our other days in China. We traveled to visit a small river town called Wuzhen. This town had a different feel than the other Chinese cities as it was smaller, working class type of town so it seemed very similar to the Midwest towns many of us come from. 

Wuzhen fishing village

After an afternoon of taking in the beautiful scenery and bartering in the local markets we traveled back to Shanghai for dinner and a boat tour on the river to see the beautiful night skyline the city provided. This is when we truly saw why the city has earned its title of “Paris of the East”. The night sky was filled with skyscrapers and unique, new wave architecture, lined with beautiful multi-colored lights. 

"Paris of the East"

It really was something that many of us have never experienced outside of Las Vegas or New York City. At the conclusion of the day you could tell the group was exhausted after the long day of traveling and sight seeing, so the night was fairly uneventful as many of us simply fell asleep. Can’t wait to see what our next few days have in store for us!

What we miss from home…

It feels like a month ago when our class was hiking on the Great Wall or visiting the Shaanxi Museum.  Throughout the trip everyone has had to make “sacrifices” during every day experiences.  As we ride the bus to visit our next stop you can hear the stomachs turning for hunger when we drive by a McDonalds or KFC (or “Kung Fu Chicken” as our guide says it’s known as in China).  We have talked during free time with each other and feel that it’s the little things that we miss the most and that we take advantage of when at home.  It has been a great experience with the culture difference but it would be nice to have a large glass of milk with dinner rather than only three options, coke, sprite, or beer.  The girls are complaining their legs hurt from all the squatting they have to do when using the restrooms or sleeping in your own bed rather than a bed that feels like a bag of rocks.  The trip has been an experience we will always remember and even though we may feel a little home sick or miss a nice home cooked meal, the “sacrifices” we are making are all worth it.  Before we know it we will be arriving home to Minnesota, we are all very excited for the rest of the trip and the many new experiences we will have.  Thanks for catching up with the blog and hope you enjoyed.

Much love, Bob n Rob