September 24, 2010 – Day 43 (271 Miles).
Today we made home. We unpacked. Jan did laundry, got groceries, got the cable restarted, and later went to the high school homecoming parade (a couple of floats had family on them). I got the mail restarted, mowed the front lawn, and got a haircut (the first one in 7 weeks).

September 23, 2010 – Day 42 (402 Miles).
Though today was a travel day, it was a good & interesting day. Along the way we stopped in Winterset, IA to visit with Alan & Diana. Unfortunately Diana wasn’t available. If Alan decides to give up his day job he would be a very good tour guide & Chamber of Commerce ambassador for his community. He showed one of seven cover bridges of the Madison County and showed us some the locations where the movie was made. Also on the tour was John Wayne’s birthplace and related sites. He then showed other sites including homes (etc.) of the Underground Railroad. There was even a peacock. After good lunch with him at a sport bar, he finished the tour at their beautiful home. We continue our trip east stopping at a few rest stops. The last one was near Tiffin, IA. This is one of the most unique & pretty rest stop with each of the 9 picnic had a backstop having an unique quote. The inside & outside of the building was also attractive & unique. We saw a peacock, a Pamida (a small town Wal-Mart; Iowa people understand) and there was more. We finally saw the first car with Tennessee plates, leaving only Hawaii that we didn’t see. It’s seems fitting that we stayed at the same motel as the first 2 nights of this trip and we walked the Southpark Mall. A little trivia: it’s 455+ miles across NE & 300+ miles across IA.

September 22, 2010 – Day 41 (449 Miles).
Today was a travel day to Lincoln, NE and basically nothing much to report again. By the way it’s 402.78 miles across WY. Today we were in our 12th state of the trip with 3 repeat states to go. The wind was quite strong driving, but it felt good not driving in mountains. The last couple of days in CO & NE we saw oil rigs (some working & some not). We didn’t see energy windmills but saw several working old fashioned water windmills filling stock tanks for cattle and some horses. We also saw some llamas. After an evening bite, we did a little socializing with a couple from Wisconsin at the pool. Our room was on the top floor and we had a balcony which we used soon.

September 21, 2010 – Day 39 (274 Miles).
Today we headed south to Broomfield near Denver and spent time with Janet (friend & dinner mate from our first World Cruise). She gave us a tour of her home and around the Del Webb retirement center where her home is, including the community center (very nice). She took us to a very nice & enjoyable restaurant. We enjoy socializing and could have visited more. The one stop missing is to see Fannette (another friend & dinner mate from our first World Cruise), but she is in the Dallas area. We then headed north and west to a short visit in Rocky Mountain National Park. The routes to and from the park were as beautiful as the park. Then back to Wyoming to spend the night in Cheyenne.

September 20, 2010 – Day 38 (384 Miles).
Today was another travel day to Laramie, WY and basically very similar to yesterday trip (more mountains and different terrain). We did have a great Fairfield Inn waiting for us at our stop, with pool and all.

September 19, 2010 – Day 37 (353 Miles).
Today was a travel day to Ogden, UT and basically nothing to report. However the terrain was ever changing. Many of the energy windmills were seen and we met truckloads of parts going west. The CRV will be glad to home & out of the mountains.

September 18, 2010 – Day 36 (292 Miles).
Today we did the River Walked and then hit the road. As we left Portland we saw Mount Hood in the difference, but as we got closer we couldn’t see it because the view was blocked by other landscape. Shortly after leaving Portland we stopped & viewed Multnomah Falls at the Columbia River Gorge. What a beautiful sight. We did a little walk up toward the top, but didn’t go all the way. We later stopped at a few more sights that were the stops. On the way Ontario we saw many herds of cattle and sheep. Other animals were llamas, horses, deer, and chipmunk. The terrain was ever changing but enjoyable. The CRV continues to work hard through the mountains and past 180,000 miles today.

September 17, 2010 – Day 35 (54 Miles).
Today we got some much needed rest although Jan did 3 loads of laundry. We had a very enjoyable lunch with Margaret (friend & dinner mate from our first World Cruise). She looks good and is busy as ever. The evening meal was with nephew Jeff. After the meal Jeff showed us his beautiful loft & dog. Great times were had with each Margaret & Jeff. They both picked restaurants with good atmosphere and food. They are both good ambassadors for Portland and gave suggestions on places to see.

September 16, 2010 – Day 34 (244 Miles).
This was a very long day as the day was 37 hours long. We started riding the shuttle bus to the Shanghai airport after a quick breakfast. The trip took about 2-1/2 hours and the distance is unknown. We took the connecting flight from Tokyo to Seattle. The flight took approximately 9 hours to fly 5015 miles. In Seattle we caught the shuttle to the motel where canceled our reservation, got the car & headed toward Portland. We took the scenic route through Mt. Rainier National Park. Earlier on the trip we could see Mt. Rainier from Seattle very clearly (beautiful sight) but the day was very cloudy & rainy. Though Mt. Rainier was not visible, the view of trees, valleys, and water falls & streams are worth seeing (beautiful). We found a motel and later a Mexican restaurant as we needed a break from Chinese food.

September 15, 2010 – Day 33
This was the second day at the World Expo & only four of went this time. Once there the couples went their separate ways & returned to the hotel separately. Our first stop was 3 hour wait at the GM pavilion. Every second was worth the wait for the presentation of the future in the year of 2030. We did go into many other but lesser pavilions and Jan’s added to her pin collection. Both days were very tiring, but well worth the experience.

September 14, 2010 – Day 32
This was the first day at the World Expo. Only 10 of us went & 4 left early because on the heat, the tremendous crowd, and other reasons. Our guide got into the Italian pavilion through the express line. This was the best of the day and was the only time the remaining six were together. By eating at Papa John’s we were able to avoid must of the rain. Jan’s began collecting lapel pins by trading USA flag pin & other methods. Only 4 of us took the shuttle back as the other couple stayed later and use a taxi. Three of us couples went to the Bund to view the lights on the buildings across the river & on the many boats. We returned for a relaxing meal at the hotel.

September 13, 2010 – Day 31
The boat docked in Wuhan Passenger Port. Wuhan is the capital of the Hubei Province. Here we visited a renowned museum with wonderful artifacts dating to the Warring States period. The museum has 4 floors and is very modern, spacious and very enjoyable. Before we left there was an enjoyable musical performance of the museum’s noted collection of chimes & bells. The original chimes & bells are billed as the eighth wonder of the world as are each the Great Wall and the Terra Cotti Warriors. On the shuttle to the airport for the flight to Shanghai a box lunch was served. In Shanghai we checked in at the Weston (another 5-star hotel & the best I’ve been in). Beijing is considered a modern city. Xian is city of the past (history). Shanghai is considered the city of the future. The other communities are hot (temperature).

September 12, 2010 – Day 30
Don decided to stay close to the cabin, so I joined the other cruisers to visit the elementary school which Viking sponsors. The bus took us through the streets of Jingzhou where we saw many local shops selling everything from produce to hardware. When we arrived at the school, the children aged 7 to 9 were lined up along the entrance to welcome us. Some gave paper flowers which they made; others offered a high 5. There was an outside performance by the kids. They did dance routines, much like cheerleading with acrobats. We then went into the classroom and each child grabbed an adult to sit at their desk. They showed us their books, (many books were stuffed into their backpacked) and were especially proud of the English words they knew. A couple of the kids did a song and then some of the cruisers were asked to sing. One of our group sang “Mack the Knife”, but another sang an old Girl Scout song with hand movements. She said she didn’t want the kids to be left with Mack the Knife. The kids were dressed much like our own grandchildren, fashionable jeans and a lot of them had shirts with a Disney character. It was then back to the ship and we cruised that afternoon and through the night. Don did see a brief fireworks show from the bow of a freight boat the others were at the school.

September 11, 2010 – Day 29
I awoke at 2:30 A.M. and saw the boat leaving the 5th & final dock. Total descent going through the 5 locks was 300 feet. After breakfast we departed for a bus tour of the Three Gorges Dam site. The dam is 1.3 miles wide and 610 feet tall, China’s largest construction project since the Great Wall. Starting 1994 the project took 15 years at a cost of $30 billion. The water has level above the dam has raised 110 meters (361 feet) which has covered many villages. The government has built many new homes, etc. to accommodate citizens without homes. In the afternoon the ship sailed through the Xiling Gorge, the largest of the Yangtze River Gorges zigzags for 47 miles. Shortly after the boat went through the big dam’s (in the middle of the Xiling Gorge) lock with 4 other boats. Late afternoon Mahjong lessons were conducted. The game seemed more difficult to learn than bridge. Then we watched the film the boat’s cameraman is making to sale. After very good company & dinner the evening was capped off with several members of the boat’s staff performing a variety show. The show was far better than the Peking Opera back in Beijing. It was a party night during & after the performance which included dancing & good social.

September 10, 2010 – Day 28 (75 Miles).
Libby was the onboard river guide with landscape informative as the Viking Century Sun sailed through the Qutang Gorge (shortest & narrowest of the three gorges). After arriving in Wushan we transferred to a smaller excursion boat to cruise on the Daning River into the exquisite Lesser Three Gorges for the rest of the morning with multiple guides giving information about the wonderful sites. Once back onboard the ship sailed through the Wu (Witches) Gorge (with Libby again providing narration) toward the Three Gorges Dam. There were lectures, tea time, and vegetable carving. Approximately 10 P.M. the boat started the trip through the Three Gorges Dam ship locks which took 3 to 4 hours. We watched as the boat entered the 1st & 2nd locks before returning to our cabin. Before hitting the sack we touched the wet side of the 3rd lock as the ship & 5 various other boats were descending.

September 9, 2010 – Day 27 (170 Miles).
We began the 6 day cruise on the Yangtze River which is about 6380 Kilometers long making the third longest river. Special along the river are Pandas, White-fin dolphins, Yangtze Sturgeons, and Yangtze alligators (all endangered Species). Population along the river is about 400 million. During the night we traveled to Shibaozhai; about a 12-hour trip. Shibaozhai Pagoda is a gem of Chinese architecture on the Yangtze River. The day started with breakfast buffet, lectures, and lunch. After lunch a visit to the Shibaozhai Temple; a 12-story pavilion built in 1650 along the Yangtze. Many of us climbed to top for breathtaking views of the river below and each story had statues & other artwork. The way up & down are stairs that are steep and exhausting on such a hot & sultry. The evening was a brief “Welcome Reception” cocktail before the evening meal.

September 8, 2010 – Day 27
Chongqing (called Yu for short) is located within southeast China’ Sichuan Province but since 1997 it has been an independent metropolis. Located on the confluence of the Yangtze and Jailing Rivers, this famous “Mountain City” or “Foggy City” is home to some 6 million people while approximately 30 million people live in the surrounding area. Daniel (our guide for the 14 days) again presented information on what lies ahead and talked about Chongqing on the bus ride to the Viking Century Sun. There was photo stop of about twenty minutes on the bus ride. Once we arrived we just walked down several steps, across a barge onto to the “boat” and into our cabin.
The rest of the day we unpacked, ate, and socialized. Until now passengers have been group into 5 separate “families” each having with the same guide (Daniel is with us 24/14). While on the boat we’ll mingle with other passengers some. On board are 171 passengers & 150 staff.

September 7, 2010 – Day 26
The agenda started with the view of the Terra Cotti Warriors which is very interesting. There are 4 dig sites; one with nothing found and the other 3 are amazing and in separate buildings. Also we watched a documentary in a theatre in the round and of course went through the gift shop. At all the tourist spots we go are streets vendors everywhere. It hard to believe that the warriors weren’t discovered until 1974 after being bury for approximately 2000 years. The emperor responsible died about 3 years before they stopped the unfinished project. The emperor also started the construction of the Great Wall. The emperor’s tomb is unopened elsewhere on the many acres property. Then another box lunch for our bus of 33 to fly from Xiam to Chongqing (about 1 hour flight).

September 6, 2010 – Day 25
The day started by riding rickshaws to & from a local lady’s home before going to the Silk Carpet Workshop. We then had a box lunch on the way to the airport to fly to Xiam. When we got to the Golden Flower Hotel we had about 10 minutes to get to our rooms to clean up & changed and catch the bus to Tang Dynasty Dinner & Show. The show had an orchestra, singers, dancers, and acrobats. The performance was very generic and enjoyable.

September 5, 2010 – Day 24
Beijing is considered a modern city. The Great Wall was on the agenda today at the Badaling Hills, one the best-preserved sections of the Great Wall. On the trip & from we passed Disney World which is not open yet. Once at the wall we had a group picture taken before actually walking the Wall, first toward Russia and later toward N. Korea. Lunch was served buffet style another 5-star hotel. Next we walked though the Main Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs where were statures of dragons, elephants, camels, horses, and warriors (four each). Two of each were “on guard”, and two each were at “resting”. At the end of the walk there was a large Turtle stature. We then went back to the hotel to get ready for the Peking Duck Dinner (a lazy Susan buffet) and Peking Opera. Better than half of the audience got a nap during the performance; definitely not worth the expense. The Beijing zoo would have been a much better choice.

September 4, 2010 – Day 23.
On arrival in Beijing, we found our luggage and went through customs. Viking Cruise people met us and other couples at the airport, handled the luggage and transported us to 2, 5-star hotels. After checking in at the Weston, and getting the safe to work by the hotel people, we hit the sack about 2 A.M. A 5 A.M wake up call started our day with a large choice of food at the breakfast buffet. Our day started at 8:30 by meeting other cruisers and our escort, Daniel, (not his real name) who will be with us the entire stay in China. On the way to Tiananmem Square and the Forbidden City, Daniel gave us information on what to expect before starting his tour talk. At the Forbidden City, we learned about the Ming & Qing dynasties, Chinese superstitions, traditions, customs, emperors, the Dragon Lady and other history as well the beauty of the area. Some emperors had up to 55 wives but slept alone. Only the first wife was the empress. There were multiple status of “picking order” for the other wives. Normally the oldest son was the aire to the throne, thus some premature deaths; this changed as to will of the emperor. Emperors normally died in their late teens or early 20’s but some lived long lives. One of the last took the throne at age 3. This is when the Dragon Lady came in to “unofficial” power as this emperor was her son and she controlled his decisions from the behind the curtain behind throne. He died young, she picked a nephew to be next who also died young, and again she picked another nephew to control. She basically ruled from behind the scene from age 27 until she died at the age of 72 a day after picking her 3rd emperor. She brought many artistic developments to the Forbidden City. The Summer Palace was one of her favorite spots. It was the summer retreat and playground for the imperial family and royal court during the Qing Dynasty. It is very beautiful, situated between mountains and a large lake with wonderful landscape and many artful structures. While there, we took a ride on a dragon boat. On the way back to the hotel the driver stopped on the shoulder of road exits where pictures were taken of the Olympics Bird Nest and Water Cube, while Daniel explained history & facts. We went back to our room briefly before grabbing a taxi to & from the Beijing Hard Rock Café where Jan got her 92nd Guitar Pin (the 2nd & last of this trip). The evening was capped off by a buffet at the hotel talking with others of the trip. As the tour traveled between the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace a stop was made for a buffet at another 5-star hotel. The day was enjoyable and interesting but tiring.

September 3, 2010 – Day 22 (5000+ Miles).
We were only on the ground for 2 minutes because of the 12 hour flight and the time zone change. On the flight, we had a snack, a nice box lunch with complimentary wine, a box breakfast and 3 movies on the flight. Of course we had to fill out landing forms. During the flight the outside temperature reach a minus 64 degrees and we flew as high as 36,000 feet high.

September 2, 2010 – Day 21 (10 Miles).
After packing and checking we went to the Westfiield Mall to kill about 4 hours of time and had an enjoyable meal. We took the motel shuttle to the airport and arrived about 3 hours before take off. A very nice gentleman helped check in and stayed with us helping us checking our luggage and getting us through security. When you got extra time to kill everything goes well and fast.

September 1, 2010 – Day 20 (32 Miles).
Today we lucked out; the day started out cold & misty, but got warmer & the sun came out some times. We went downtown early to find an economical parking spot. We went to & through the Pike Place Market. This area is the “city’s heart and soul, a market that opened in 1907 as an experiment in bringing together local farmers and consumers”. The market has fish markets, bakeries, restaurants, and many other businesses. Once through, we went to the waterfront & caught the Waterfront Streetcar Bus (a free ride) to Chinatown. We decided to walk rather than jump on the bus. Stops we made were Union Station, Occidental Park, Pioneer Square (a park with sculptures, mostly totem poles), and the Post Office. We made it back to the Alaskan Way (Waterfront) until we toured the Olympic Sculpture Park. After backtracking a little for lunch we found the Seattle Space Needle (this was the main attraction at the Seattle World Expo in 1962). We spent time looking down at other landscape of the Expo and other sites. On our way back to the car we discovered Seattle Glassblowing Studio. A nice young gent gave a private tour of behind the scene massive inventory (various sizes, colors, materials, etc.). We watched a couple of skilled working on items (no glass blowing). The gallery of products was beautiful pieces of artwork. Back at the motel Jan did laundry and the paperwork necessary to leave the car for the 2 weeks at the motel. We repacked for tomorrow trip. We got our exercise today by walking 9.6 miles up & down hills & stairs. A very good day.

August 31, 2010 – Day 19 (19 Miles).
It was the second rainy day in a row. We went to the Federal Way Commons Mall where we did a lot of walking and had lunch. We did a little shopping, including a new camera since the old one died. Jan also had her hair done (it looks good). Just an uneventful day but a good day.