Sunday outing in Lanzhou

 After almost 24 hours of flying and being in 3 airports we finally reached our destination, the little town of Lanzhou in Central China. We had a good night sleep and the next morning we decided to visit a Buddhist grotto. We couldn't find any tour company in town to take us. So we had to go alone. The people at the front desk of our hotel was very helpful, take a local bus to the long distance bus station, take another bus to the reservoir. So off we went. The Liujiaxia reservoir is huge, it used to belong to a family. And tucked in one corner of the reservoir is the Buddhist grotto we want to see.

 Once there we paid for seats on a speed boat or a launch. This was the more expensive but faster way to get to the grottoes. The speed boat can take 8 people at a time, so you have to wait to meet up with other individual groups and once the boat fills up, we left.

 One can also take the slow ferry which is cheaper.The speed boat takes 1 hour while the slow ferry takes 2 and 1/2 hours just to get there. Coming back adds to the time spent just on the water. Some who took the ferry to get there refused to return with the ferry, it just took too long. They had to pay extra to find space on the returning speed boats.

The buses in China

This was the first time I traveled in long distance buses in China and it was only my third trip there. I liked it. We rode the trains too and they were crowded. I sort of prefer bus travel. We rode on local buses as weel and it cost only 1 yuan per ride. China is incredible value for the travel dollars. I highly recommend it.

Back from China

I just got off the plane. Traveling to the interior of China is not for the faint hearted. It is hard but if you have the stomach for it, the rewards are like nothing you'll ever get from anywhere else. We went, again, to Gansu province, this time to a little place at one corner of the Tibetan plateau called Xiahe or Little Tibet. Here is found a Tibetan monastery, the most important one outside of Tibet. My two traveling companions, Zack, my nephew and Sophie, my sister in law, both read, write and speak Mandarin. It did not make things easier because they were not involved in making the itinerary. I was the only one who took care of all the logistics. When I get lost, they are lost too. Anyway we managed and had a great time. I'm looking to planning a trip to Tibet proper.

Leaving...

Leaving for China this weekend.

Temple of Zeus

I have a few more pictures of Jerash to post. Then I'm off to Central China and Shanghai, can't wait. I'm in a kind of lull right now, totally uninspired.

A lazy sunday

A cup of tea, fresh strawberries, French macarons..... this is the life..... life before the wandering wanderlust hits.

Staycation

My backyard, with a cup of tea, a new book and some magazines..... that's the life. One day I'll spend more time doing this than the other things that I now do.....working none stop and traveling to far off places.

On the road again

Cold showers, freezing rooms..... I don't know why I do it and do so much of it. Then again there are converted palazzos like this one in Catania, Sicily. This one is a crummy hostel but the owners were really nice. We've stayed in more expensive converted palazzos in Sicily. In China most cheap rooms have something leaking in them but then again we've found some really decent newer hostels. Our accommodations on the road run the gamut, from decent to downright awful. We're still undeterred and will keep on traveling.

The cardo in Jerash

There is a cardo in every great ancient Roman city. A long walk way that spans the entire city depending on how big the city is. Everything else would radiate from the cardo, whether they be temples or businesses. It's no different in Jerash. This is a very impressive cardo. It showed the importance of Jerash in its heyday. The postings on this trip is ending and I'm running out of steam and inspiration. My next trip is May 18 when I return to another part of China.

The oval plaza

A huge oval plaza in the South gate of Jerash. I only realized just now that we actually entered by the South gate. It was a long day and we were getting tired. We didn't spend the time in Jerash that would justify the size of the place.

Hadrian's arch, Jerash

Built in 129 to 130 AD to honor Hadrian's visit to Jerash. It is as magnificent as the arch in the Forum in Rome.

A very sweet video

My friend Maia from julia warr on Vimeo.

Jerash 1

A huge Roman settlement... we only had a couple of hours to spend here. There were huge crowds from all over the world. It is an amazing place. As usual there was this long walkway so typical of ancient Roman settlements. We were supposed to meet up with friends to visit Jerash together. We tried to check up on a few churches in Amman because they said they were going to church first. But we couldn't find them. We discovered that Jordan still have a sizable Christian population and the churches are thriving and unmolested by their rival religion.

Other uses of a TV

The programs were all in Arabic, so we never turned the TV on. I'm surprised because some hotels do provide CNN or BBC but not this one. I remember a hostel in Rome that forbids hanging wet laundry on their furniture. I only do it in the night and then in the morning, put the almost dried laundry into the closet. Another thing, they just provide enough hangers. I've taken a few days off from posting. The hours I spent at work is just insane and has driven any creative juices I might have out of me. I work over 55 hours a week.

Jerash

Gerasa is the ancient name of Jerash, somed 50 Km to the north of Amman. This is the valley of Gilead as mentioned in the Old Testament. The song goes like this.... 'there is a balm in Gilead....' It had its glory days during Emperor Hadrian's reign even though the place is much older. At the entrance is this massive and glorious arch built by Hadrian.

Lunch

On our way to Jerash, we stopped for lunch. Hummus, Babba Ganosh, flat breads and mixed grill, it was delicious. Now we're ready to tackle Jerash....

Bedu coffee

It is really good if made right. It is grainy because they have no way of filtering the coffee and they add a pinch of cardamon to it. On this cold and frosty day it was a welcomed drink. MMmmmmmm

Ajlun castle

 You don't want to be the target of these...

Years ago I was in a medieval castle in the French Pyrenees, I saw these stone pellets and also an armor of chain mail.That was an interesting visit. This morning we were taken high up the mountains in Northern Jordan. Jordan is a land of contrast, the desert in the South and the lush mountains in the North. So on this foggy morning we arrived at Ajlun castle. As with all castle, it was sited at the highest point of the mountain with a perfect look out for whatever comes from below. Today it is being restored and is popular among locals. It is sited in a forest reserve with trekking possibilities.

Snow in Jordan

In the higher elevations in Northern Jordan, the rain turned into snow and the locals came out to play in the snow. It was a beautiful sight. We thought we might see snow in Petra but we did not. They say snow in Petra makes Petra even more beautiful.

Mosaics

It is sad to be stepping on mosaics a few hundred years old and left out to the elements. It was raining and there were puddles everywhere. These were beautiful mosaics.

The Golan Heights

The hills beyond the valley is the Golan Heights. It used to belong to Syria but now is occupied by Israel. It is impossible to travel without before involved in politics of some sort. I have seen pictures of the Golan Heights in Spring. The wild flowers are a spectacle and numerous tours visit to see the wild flowers. Because of the problems in Syria and the close proximity to Jordan, many visitors are afraid to visit. Jordan is suffering because of it. It is very safe in Jordan and the people wants people to know they are very welcoming.