Kelly's Trip to China

Click on a picture to enlarge.


See page below for Kelly's overview for this trip!

1 - Salt Museum	2 - Staff	3 - Training	4 - Foot Rub	5 - Zhou Xiang	6 - River

7 - Farmer	8 - Dried fruit	9 - Satay	10 - Soldiers	11 - Warriors

1 - Kelly at the Salt Museum

2 - The Peace Corps China Staff

3 - Kelly conducting a warden training session

4 - Enjoying an hour and a half foot massage for $6

5 - Zhou Xiang, the new Security Officer and me

6 - A view of the river from the bridge

7 - The farmer who discovered the terra cotta warriors signs a book for my Dad.

8 - The dried fruit lady in Xi'an.

9 - Kelly eating her chicken satay.

10 - Kelly with the terra cotta warriors.

11 - A view of the terra cotta warriors at the ready.

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November 24, 2002

Hello friends and family,

I have spent the last three weeks staying in one of the world's oldest living civilization...China.  China is the 3rd largest country with over 1.2 billion people and probably even more bicycles. I think the bicycle is the unofficial symbol of China. The bicycles I saw were everything from a ratty old no-brand name bike to a half-decent multi-speed mountain bike to a flashy motorize bike.

China was an awesome encounter and very different from the other Asian countries that I have visited. China's differences probably have to do with its long history of music, painting, philosophy, religion, medicine, architecture and cooking.

Every morning as I left my plush, lap of luxury 5-star hotel, I would pass thousands of ancient-looking elderly people performing the popular slow-motion exercise of tai chi and thought how wonderful!

I spent the majority of my time on the campus of the Sichuan University in the city of Chengdu where our Peace Corps office is located. Chengdu is home of the Giant Panda and is the gateway city to Tibet.

I was also fortunate to jump on an Embassy trip over the long Veteran's Day holiday and traveled to the city of Xi'an, which was once a major crossroad on the trading routes from eastern China to central Asia.  It is now most famous for the army of terracotta warriors, which was uncovered by a few farmers on the outskirts of the city in 1974. I was lucky enough to briefly meet one of the farmers and had him sign a book for my father (see the picture). Xi'an also had a very interesting Muslim quarter's area full of fabulous and inexpensive food and shopping. Xi'an is one of China's many wonders and attracts all kinds of tourist.

China has managed to preserve unique, centuries-old customs and traditions over it 5000 year-old history.  From the falls of dynasties, the rise of emperors, the turning of the revolutionary wheel to the present China continues to awe me. It was also very exciting to be in China during the 16th Chinese Party Congress.

The weather was a pleasure at 50 F most of the time, but there were a few bitterly cold and miserable wet evenings. It was a nice change from the hot and humid weather of the Philippines.

I did try to speak in the local tongue by my less-than-eloquent Chinese disastrously failed me. I couldn't even master the four tones (high, rising, falling and low) of the Mandarin language, it was pitiful!

Ok let's talk about food�the Sichuan cuisine was a culinary adventure (hot and spicy) with excitingly bold and diverse tastes and textures. The food is packed with hot; fiery chili�s that numbs your mouth and makes you tear up immediately. Often the extravagantly display of usually 20+ dishes of mysterious food was elaborately prepared and delicious to say the least.

I flew through Hong Kong both ways and was taken back by its unforgettable landscape. Unfortunately I did not stay over to enjoy the city but did spend a small fortune in the extensive duty free airport shops. 

I felt blessed by the scenery and tranquility of the countryside and hope that I will have energy on my next trip to raft the Yangtze River.

I am taking the Thanksgiving holiday to venture off to one of the Philippines most beautiful and hypnotic islands, Boracay, for a 4-day totally relaxing, feet-in-the-sand and  margaritas-in the-hand holiday. Oh how I do love the island lifestyle!  So Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Peace and love,

Kelly