Uncle Markie out and about.
Refresh for a different picture!
Random thoughts to summarize the trip. Masses of coal burning plants make the Yangtze a permanent inversion zone as well as many other parts of the country. Truly amazed at the number of capital infrastructure projects that are going on in China. The only thing communist in this country is the [...]
The forced march is over! Great fun, but exhausting. Found David in the dining room and turned in my evaluation and an envelope with his tip. After the usual Beijing breakfast which mow includes a Berliner we are on the bus by 8:20am with the people staying at the other hotel already on board. [...]
Early day today with an 8am departureick. Lots of dumplings at breakfast and a rarity for me a Berliner actually TWO Berliners they were the best doughnuts (jelly, as in President Kennedy) that Ive had in my life. Couple of pieces of sushi and some hash browns, and lox no [...]
Breakfast was good not as good as the Shangli-La, but not a mediocre as the Sofitel (thought Id put up with the breakfast for the size of the rooms!) 8:15am start this morning, 8am start tomorrow morning ick and it sounds like a killer day. With the traffic, it took us [...]
Bags out by 8am, on the bus by 9am, breakfast buffet starting at 6am. Damn I feel like sleeping in. Breakfast is much more plain that the room. No mimosas in site. Another long day today. Had to run next door and take a picture of the Xian Peoples Hotel (three stars). First stop [...]
Hows that tooth you might ask. After finishing off half a bottle of Martys wine, and sleeping on it not really any pain a little sensitive, but workable. Early morning luggage out by 6:30am, breakfast until 8:45am when we disembark. Usual breakfast, twice as many mimosas since I was cleared out of the [...]
Into the dining room just after 7am for my mimosa and eggs Florentine the Florentine was a little over done, but looked better than the Benedict of yesterday morning. I was about ready to leave as Marty and Eric arrived too early for them as well. Todays itinerary has something like 800 [...]
The breakfast club assembled again this morning half the table with their champagne and mimosas, the other with their juice (Frank and Frank). Had the muesli and scrambled eggs they had eggs benedict this morning but in the steam tray it wasnt holding up well the hollandaise had congealed and it [...]
The breakfast club assembled again this morning half the table with their champagne and mimosas, the other with their juice (Frank and Frank). Had the muesli and scrambled eggs they had eggs benedict this morning but in the steam tray it wasnt holding up well the hollandaise had congealed and it [...]
The standard breakfast routine. The photo at the right is of our breakfast crew. The two Franks on the right and Joe and Al are on the left. Todays big adventure is the tour of the Three Gorges Dam project. And big it is the damn is nearly one and a quarter miles [...]
Ive taken the last couple of days to making Nescafe in my room for that first cup of coffee for the day. Means that at least I can form words by the time I show up to the dining room. Mimosas, scrambled eggs, and sausage starting to get into a routine for breakfast. We [...]
Breakfast started with the muesli this morning and of course, the mimosa. It wasnt quite enough so I went back for scrambled eggs and sausage. I fear to pull the scale out in the bathroom even with all this walking. The morning tour (promptly at 9am with Swiss precision Viking River Cruises is [...]
Sunny side up with toast and sausages and the every present mimosa. Sort of sitting in my stomach as a rock as we begin our morning outing to the Hubei Provincial Museum and Bells performance. The museum itself is the contents of one tomb they found in 1978 from the Waring States period, which [...]
Another early rising this morning 6:15am. Decided that Nescafe in the cabin was better than getting dressed and going up to the sixth floor for coffee only slightly better. Today after breakfast is a two hour bus ride to some porcelain district so Im not sure Jingdezhen should be todays journal entry, or the [...]
Once again, Eric, Marty, and I marveled at the new delights to be found on the buffet. Something tells me that the breakfast on the ship wont compare to what we are having here. Checked out, paid for my Duck Curry (Y130) and headed to the bus. Davids talk this morning was on the [...]
Met Marty and Eric for breakfast. Good to see them again. The breakfast buffet was nothing short of stunning. From raw fish, to Cheerios, to Dim Sum to pastries, to the standard make to order eggs. I really must take photos tomorrow morning. Its spread across THREE rooms so it wont fit in one photo. [...]
The airport in Shanghai is nice and modern, with lovely touches i.e. an ATM machine even before you get to customs and immigration. The Avarian Bird Flu Desk (one of three forms you fill out) wasnt a delay, the delay was at Immigration (fifteen-twenty minutes), and at baggage (another fifteen-twenty minutes). Customs was a [...]
The adventure begins with a nice lunch at the Yankee Pier after doing a little book shopping. Got a book on the wine industry in California as reading material will probably pass it on the Jimmie when Im done with itsaw one on Tiki Culture in the US, but thought Id get that one [...]
Caught the first bus to the airport. 6:57am at the corner of the 2nd Street Extension and Jackson, a mere two and a half blocks from my city apartment. Only a couple of people in line in front of me to check in. Guess thats an advantage of being a United Premier flyer. Didnt get [...]
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