Dispatch: Sausalito

I love my Blackberry because it allows me to stay connected, whether I am in my office or on the summit of a mystical mountain. So during our two weeks in China I used it to focus on the upcoming Presidential election and ongoing Olympic coverage.  I noticed that American bloggers and pundits who were focused on the Olympics had difficulty disassociating athletic competition from their perception of the Chinese government’s human rights and power abuses. I believe that many if not most of those individuals have never been to China and that many if not all of their observations are either steeped in ignorance or provided without proper context.

The games were not overly organized and security was not ponderous. Remember, we live in a 21^st Century world where Terrorism is a very real threat and extra steps are necessary to halt its advance and stifle its destructive potential. Security stations at the Olympic Village were similar to those at any airport in America, except the Olympic security personnel thanked you for, “Allowing us to check you.” Spectators did not push and were patient. There was special access for the elderly, families with small children and physically challenged individuals. There were no overt terrorist threats and the competition proceeded smoothly and without incident.

The game did not lack spontaneity. Olympic spontaneity should be defined by the competitors and the competition; not by the entity hosting the games. Michael Phelps shattered Olympic records at will and set a new standard for athletic achievement. An unknown runner led a spectacular Jamaican team and singlehandedly dominated men’s short distance races. China obliterated expectations by winning 51-Gold Medals and almost doubling their previous best, thereby giving notice that they are an athletic power that cannot be ignored. The American men’s basketball team was a crowd favorite, unless they were playing against your country, making their games among the most popular events at the Olympics. The Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube, two of the most beautiful structures ever built, turned the Olympic Village into a surrealistic, otherworldly experience at night.

China is an ancient culture. Indeed, a piece of carved jade in the Shanghai museum dates back 10,000 years. However, China as a modern nation is only 60-years old. When the Communist party took control in 1949, the Chinese had suffered from a millennium of near universal poverty because of rampant corruption and imperialistic victimization.  There is no doubt that oppression still occurs or that certain types of freedom are lacking, but certain comparisons are fair and valid. When the United States was 60-years old we enslaved black people, only allowed substantive white men to vote, and were in the midst of a westward migration that encouraged genocide against Native American’s.  A viscous and bloody Civil War was still 20-years in our future and the principles outlined in our Constitution were beyond the grasp of most people. Arguments were often settled by gunfights and crime was rampant.

China, a country of 1.35-billion citizens, is controlled by a no-nonsense one-party, centralized government. In terms of population the only valid contemporary comparison is to India, a democracy with a population of 1.6-billion people. However, in terms of human rights, India continues to maintain a rigid, oppressive class structure has anchored many of its citizens into hopeless poverty. The children of Chinese peasants dream of college and prosperity is achievable and is becoming commonplace. The Chinese cannot openly protest their government, but neither do they worry about the kind of civil unrest and riots that are commonplace in India. 

I am certainly no expert, but I do believe that Ms. Mai, who we met on our second day in China, provides a perfect metaphor for the modern Chinese experience. As she explained as she was pouring our tea, her family has harvested tea in the same village for hundreds of years. Her mother picks the tea and her father dries the tea. But, because they saved their money and worked hard Ms. Mai was able to go to college and get an education. Now, she drinks the tea, has assembled a brilliant presentation on the health and social benefits of green tea and has great expectations for a bright and prosperous future.
That’s all I have to say.

Dispatch: The Water Cube

Another fabulous day at the Olympic Village as 54-speed walkers embarked upon the 50-km walking race, a punishing three and a half hour endurance event that bookends the decathlon competition on the Bird’s Nest track. Europeans were expected to dominate the walking race, but in the decathlon American Bryan Clay was the clear favorite as his mastery and dominance in every skill only increased his lead as the ten events followed each other. Alas, it wouldn’t be until the evening competition that he finally won the coveted Gold Medal. Led by Alex Schwarzer of Italy, who set a new Olympic record of 3:37:09, 47-speed walkers crossed the finish line over a forty-five minute time span.  Several collapsed and were attended to by ever ready medical professionals. There were no exotic herbs or acupuncture treatments for the wasted racers, instead copious amounts of water were poured over their dehydrated bodies and down their throats. All but one exited track without assistance. I cannot imagine what was going through their heads as 60,000 appreciative fans cheered their reentry into stadium as they watched themselves cross the finish line on the mammoth high definition monitor beyond the finish line.

We passed time exploring the Olympic Village prior to the eagerly anticipated 7 pm men’s 10-meter platform preliminary diving competition. We bought trinkets at the Olympic mega-store, then Violet, the girls and I picnicked on the green with some delicious Big Mac meals before heading to the National Aquatics Center, popularly known as the Water Cube.

 It’s alive!!! The outer shell of the Cube consists of more than 10,000 interconnected Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE film) cells.  Up close inspection the Bird’s Nest is reflected in the individual cells, and if one looks even deeper I swear that you can observe its molecular structure. During daylight the position of the sun plays off of the four walls and individual cells in different and breathtaking ways. The Water Cube seems to be responding to your impressions of its magnificence.

The interior of the Water Cube doesn’t disappoint either. It is consistent with the ETFE cells, and not only because the walls are translucent. Various water elements seamlessly integrate the theme of flowing energy that permeates the entire building. The competition venue itself is much more than the racing and diving pools. From our vantage point in row one, level one, we were able to appreciate the sophisticated design elements and functionality that have received universal praise from the most important critics of all: the athletes.

As Bachman Turner Overdrive said, “You ain’t seen nothing yet”. Upon leaving the Water Cube on a dark, clear and breezy night it becomes obvious what the buzz is all about. The stadium beneath the Bird’s Nest silver shell explodes in deep, rich, red lighting. You literally have to stop for a moment to let the breathtaking sight register.  However, the crowning architectural achievement of Olympics is the Water Cube after dark. A beautiful rainbow of changing color pulsates and shimmers around the four walls giving the impression that the Water Cube is a living and breathing entity that has honored us with its presence so that we can delight in its wonder and surprise.

You can see it in the thousands of faces milling around Olympic Village at night. We are all sharing something special. I don’t know if it is the presence of world class athletic achievement, spectacular and meaningful architecture, the obvious emergence of China as world super-power or perhaps a combination of all of these things and more, but we are all witnesses to a special moment in time. Anyway, we had about 2-minutes to process all of this before Kelby broke away at walking race pace and announced that he had found the money spot for perfect pictures of the Bird’s Nest.

We caught up with him about 20 minutes later.  The stadium was beautiful but our Canon PowerShot cameras and marginal skills were not up to the challenge. Kelby reluctantly followed Violet, the girls and I back to the Water Cube, which beckoned with every pulsating change. Before we arrived he said that he was going to see if we could ride the elevator to the top of the Olympic tower. We didn’t see him again for 90-minutes, effectively anchoring all of us at a disadvantageous location. Alas, our Olympic finale was cut short. The girls and I did return to the Water Cube for a few minutes, and Eva did spend about 20-minutes there looking for Kelby, but to no avail. Eventually, sometime around midnight I returned to the apartment with the girls while E and V made one more lap around the village. Finally, at 12:17 a.m., I received an email from Violet saying that they had found Kelby and that he had been at the Water Cube all this time taking pictures of tourists so that they could maximize their Olympic experience. Go figure!!!

Dispatch: Bird's Nest

The summer rain challenged our indomitable spirit today, but we donned our poncho’s, caught our taxis and bee-lined to the competition. The stadium filled slowly and the events were postponed for about an hour, but everything ultimately went as planned. After giving the issue serious consideration I have come to the conclusion that women speed walkers have the best rear ends of any of the athletes. That is not to dismiss runners, jumpers, throwers, fighters, or shooters as all of the athletes are amazing to look at, but there is something about the walkers.  Perhaps it is the particular discipline or maybe the muscles that are used but those little puppies stand proud and firm.

While we are on the subject, do you have any idea how many pretty Chinese women and girls there are? Literally hundreds of millions, but you only have to look at one to imagine the possible variations on this theme. The younger generation is particularly hip and stylish. They love to wear bold colors and logo shirts. They are not as sophisticated in their choices as say, Europeans, American’s or New Zealanders, but if history is any kind of guide it won’t be long before they catch up.

Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni (Beijing Welcomes You) is the unofficial theme song of these Olympics. It drills itself into your brain like a McDonald’s commercial. Not unlike 1985’s We Are the World, it features national and international celebrities endlessly repeating a cute but annoying chorus at various cultural sites throughout China.   Jackie Chan’s voice is so filtered that it sounds like he is channeling Mili Vanilli. Violet has taken to humming the repetitive little ditty in her sleep.

The days of U.S. Olympic track and field domination are but a memory. While we definitely hold our own, international competition is fierce, determined and bows to no one. With the exception of China, which is the obvious favorite in this city of 15.8 million and country of 1.35 billion people, all of the athletes are cheered on with equal enthusiasm. The other day when we were at the Silk Road a tall black athlete was mistaken for Kobe Bryant. The ensuing near riot was the closest thing to violence that I have heard about thus far.

For dinner we taxied to a restaurant called the Noodle Loft that we first heard about on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. They serve a variety of noodles that are prepared with flair in the open kitchen. Justine wanted ‘noodles made with one chopstick’ while I opted for ‘noodles made with scissors’. Eva didn’t like her endless green noodle tossed from afar into boiling water. Perhaps she should have ordered ‘noodles made with a knife instead.

Russian speed walker Olga Kaniskina totally dominated the women’s 20 Km. walk this morning and entered the Bird’s Nest to a standing ovation a good minute ahead of her nearest competitor. Fifteen minutes later the last and 41^st place finisher entered the stadium to a nearly equal reception.

Dispatch: The Great Wall

No Olympics for us today. Instead, we hired a car and driver to take us to the Great Wall, the airport’s new Terminal 3, the Beijing Hutongs, and finally Tiananmen Square.  Our first destination was the Mutianui section of the Great Wall which is about an hour outside of Beijing. We were allotted an hour and a half to sightsee so we blasted through the trinket village with blinders on. A breathtaking cable car ride later and we were there. Justine and I waved to God because the Great Wall can supposedly be seen from outer space and I believe that’s where heaven is. Kelby proceeded to document every brick with his camera. Based upon our last experience on the Great Wall, which left us crab walking for a week, we slowed down our pace, got in lots of pictures and were only 15-minutes late getting back down the hill. “Welcome to the mutinay Great wall next time” greeted us on a banner as we exited the trinket village.

Our next destination took us from one of the ancient wonders of the world to the newest wonder of the world. Terminal 3 is the largest airport terminal in the world. Spanning 254 acres the terminal was specifically built to handle Olympic traffic. Altogether the three buildings of terminal 3 house 445 lifts, 1,800 miles of cables and a car park for 7,000 vehicles. The roof of the main terminal building mirrors the color scheme of the Forbidden City and covers over 80 acres and measure 800m across at the widest point. We didn’t go in any farther than the entrance, but guess what? We did take a bunch of pictures of the breathtaking new facility.

The driver negotiated a free lunch as a condition to taking us to Terminal 3 since it wasn’t on our original itinerary so he took us to a dumpling house where the seven of us scarfed down 9-different varieties of dumplings before heading out to Beijing’s Hutongs, which are the traditional narrow alleys, many of which have been destroyed to make way for the future and for the Olympics. Our intimate tour included a visit to a traditional Hutong residence. Typically built as a series of small buildings arranged in a quadrangle around a courtyard and hidden behind a red door pregnant with status symbolism, the home we visited has been occupied by the same family for more than 180 years. I didn’t ask, but I suspect that the mortgage has been paid off by now. We toured the rest of the Hutong in a rickshaw before being deposited back at our van.

Tiananmen Square, which sits just north of the Forbidden City covers 100 acres, making it the world’s largest open-urban plaza. While Kelby took pictures of every paver, the rest of us wandered around doing our best to avoid stepping into other people’s snapshots, Oh, and there are many other people all over urban China. If one is going to enjoy China one must accept huge crowds everywhere and be prepared to defer to vehicles, pedestrians, and any other moving object that gets between you and your destination. Afterwards, we ate a quick dinner at a Japanese fast food joint near Tiananmen Square and taxied back to our apartment to catch up on Olympic developments. Damn, the Chinese have 45 gold medals. Based upon TV coverage many of them were earned playing ping pong and badminton.

Dispatch: The Silk Road

It was another pristine day in Beijing. There were no traffic jams and the security lines at the Bird’s Nest were short and quickly maneuvered. Too bad most of us were suffering the residual effects of the previous night’s dinner. It made for a less than celebratory atmosphere in our tiny contingent. It was women, women, women on the track and field. America’s athletes were superb, with all of 200-meter contestants easily winning their heats and all three of the long jump contestants moving on to the finals. However, both of the women’s hammer throwers were pitiful; finishing at the bottom of the pack. Afterwards we caught taxis to Silk Road in the Chao Yang district.

I have never seen anything like Silk Road which is possibly the largest and most expansive knock-off mall in the world. Located near the CCTV Tower, the Silk Road building is seven-stories of fake merchandise ranging from Nikon cameras and designer watches to Tommy Bahama shirts and Olympic trinkets. A premiere destination for tourists in Beijing, Silk Roads narrow aisles were jam packed with a United Nations contingent of bargain shoppers. Pretty young sales clerks, forever flirting and playing coy; compliment potential customers as they punch sales numbers into calculators. “You look so handsome Mister. You buy, you buy? Give me your best deal,” was repeated into narrow stall after narrow stall. Silk Road has to represent the hardest sell that I have ever experienced. It is not a negative experience, but it is overbearing and it does wear one down after a bit.

Silk Road represents the Olympic  knock-off shopping experience. It is not for the faint of heart or those inexperienced in product negotiation.  You know that you are on the right track when the flirting stops, the clerk’s eyes go narrow and their fingers fly furiously over the calculator keyboard. Be willing to walk away from a negotiation and chances are that they will accept your final offer and everybody will walk away happy.

Unless you have dedicated your life to shopping, Silk Road will wear you out very quickly. The girls and I spent an hour negotiating Tommy Bahama shirts. Although we were successful, I was burnt by the end of the deal. While waiting for the wives and nieces, all better trained for bargain shopping, I sat outside and watched a parade of Olympic athletes, including Australia’s beautiful diver Sharleen Stratton, leave and enter the shopping center. Even they looked beat upon exiting.

Absolutely exhausted from the experience we crossed the street for a western style dinner at the Blue Marine. The steak and fries at this little French Bistro was better than we could have expected, and for me at least, a welcome change from Chinese food.  Two Russian wrestlers, at least they looked like Russian wrestlers, purchased pirated DVD’s from the proprietor at the table next to ours.  

Imodium is great stuff. By the end of the day I was feeling much better. Simultaneously exhausted and exhilarated, day two of our Olympic adventure fulfilled all of our expectations.

Dispatch: Beijing

How many Stephanie's does it take to answer a question? I will tell you at the end of this post. Who would have thought that Beijing would ever be used in a sentence with the phrase blue sky, but that is exactly what happened yesterday as our first Olympic experience occurred under pristine conditions. In fact we got so cocky that we were totally surprised and unprepared for the dinnertime downpour. We braved the elements and met Stefanie Dang (Lucas’ niece) for dinner at Dadong Kaoya Dian, a restaurant famous for its succulent roast duck. We ordered a feast and spent more than two hours at the big, open, modern and very popular restaurant, which makes it all the more ironic the we all spent the night performing our various renditions of the Beijing Bosa Nova back at the apartment.  Best Peking Duck ever? Not if you are the duck.

While we were waiting for our table famed TV chef Martin Yan walked through the door. I waved to him and he came over for a brief introduction and a picture with the girls. It turns out that he and Violet know many people in common. This is the second time during the trip that Six Degrees of Jackie Chan has demonstrated how truly small the world really is.

Taxis are extremely cheap in Beijing and very clean. The Mandarin word for taxi is taxi and once you find one you can get almost anywhere for $3 or $4. It is fast becoming our preferred mode of transportation.  I am blown away at how cosmopolitan and modern Beijing is: a vast improvement over our visit of a decade ago.  I just watched the sunrise, which is a very good omen in Beijing and can see the new CCT V tower from our window, which means that visibility will again be unlimited, so once the Imodium kicks in we should have another fantastic day at the Bird’s Nest. If the Russian women’s gymnastics team is outside exercising again this morning I am going to take some pictures of them.

Yesterday we sat at ground level 25-rows back from the track and today our seats are only 11-rows back. Since all of the seats in the Bird’s Nest are covered by its architectural canopy we don’t need hats, shades or sun block, but a few little American Flags would be nice so we could show a little nationalistic pride.

As dinner was winding up, but not the experience of dinner as it turned out, we couldn’t figure out the ingredient that flavored our shaved ice dessert. Although she very good at conversational Mandarin S. Dang couldn’t understand the answer, which left it to S. Mar to ask, in Mandarin, if it was persimmon. Now you know the rest of the story.

Dispatch: Bird's Nest

Another smooth flight and we arrived in Beijing full of anticipation. Our apartment at Star City is serviceable, but not nearly as nice as the promotional pictures would have you believe. The Russian delegation is staying here as well and as we left the building this morning the Russian women’s gymnastics team was exercising in front of the building. Gymnasts are so tiny that they make Eva and Justine look tall. Anyway, we now have a new team to root for.  Twenty minutes later and we were dropped off at the Nation Athletic Stadium, known throughout the world as the Bird’s Nest. Wow! What an awesome facility.

Security was a breeze and we were soon inside the Olympic facility snapping pictures like crazy. We lapped the Bird’s Nest in what can only be described as a Kodak moment, forever impressed upon our memories. Eventually we wandered into the Bird’s Nest fully expecting to be directed toward the nosebleed section. Instead we found ourselves on ground level within spitting distance of the track. Woops, I forgot that spitting has been banned until after the games. Our fantastic seats were equaled by Stephanie’s reaction. Rarely does one see such unguarded joy on a face.

There weren’t any gold medal rounds on the track this morning, but we watched women’s hammer throw, men’s preliminary triple jump, 200 & 400 meter race, and 100meter hurdles. It is true that being there is an unmatched experience. Somehow, the pomp and circumstance that is portrayed on television is stripped away as you watch mere men and women compete on the world stage. Hamstrings are pulled, tears are shed, and triumph is experienced when that rare combination of training, technique and talent pays off in a world class performance.  We ate hot dogs, but they were cold and we probably won’t buy them again tomorrow morning. 

The crowd was ecstatic and cheering on every athlete. Of course the Chinese got the loudest cheers, especially one woman who automatically qualified for the hammer throw finals which will be held sometime tomorrow. In subsequent heats American hurdler Terrence Trammell and 2004 Chinese gold medalist Liu Xiang pulled up lame and had to withdraw. Both were running in lane 1, which for some reason was a very unlucky number today.

The last name of one of the German hammer throwers was Klaas. On this day she was the only Klaas that didn’t make the cut.

Dispatch: Week One

An informal poll conducted at the Shanghai airport reached the following conclusions.

1. Huangshan has left the greatest impression thus far. It is a spiritual and mystical destination that looks exactly like the pictures. There is no doubt that the Yellow Mountain holds a special place in all of our hearts.
2. We are eating a lot of good food. Of course this observation is disputable and  depends upon the style and kind of Chinese food that one has become accustomed to.
3. The last time that we visited China was in 1999. There has been a sea change in the ensuing 10-years. China has definitely grown up. There are more cars and fewer bicycles on the road. The roads themselves, especially the freeways, are pristine and relatively empty. The middle class has grown significantly and desire Western fashion and trends.
4. The architecture is cutting edge. There are more 21^st Century concept skyscrapers in Shanghai than there are in the rest of the world combined.
5. The intimate and beautiful tea ceremony in Hengzhou was an uplifting, educational experience that settled the group, provided us with insight into the Chinese mindset and hopefully set us all upon a road to peace and tranquility.
6. It is hard to find a good drink in China. Especially for breakfast.

When we were here in 1999 everybody smoked; now there are restrictions upon smoking and there are far fewer people smoking in public places. The public has a green consciousness and takes pollution, and by extension global warming, very seriously. In this respect there is very little difference between American and Chinese people.

The Chinese seem to have a true affection for Americans. The Olympic coverage is very respectful of America’s efforts, especially those of Michael Phelps. The people that we have met are genuinely friendly and respectful. Many are interested in who we are and what we think. There is little to no hostility outside of taxi drivers exploiting local ignorance, and that is as much a universal truth as the sun rising in the east.

One could visit China annually and still only scratch the surface. We are handicapped by time limitations. For instance, we went to the Shanghai Museum which chronicles ancient Chinese art. The collection has more than 120,000 pieces on display. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to go into the museum, but we took for many pictures using it as a backdrop.

The Chinese seem to be making an easy transition from the past into the future. You know it wasn’t that many years ago that China was a third world country. China detonated its first atomic bomb in 1964 and then completed the Nanjing Yang Tze Bridge in 1968, signifying its emergence as a force in the world. Although Chinese society continues to transform itself, there is no doubt that they are an emerging superpower and a force to be reckoned with.

I am so glad that we made this trip because I truly believe that we are witnesses to history.

Dispatch: Shanghai

With a population of more than 18-million people Shanghai is one of the most densely populated locations on earth as well as being one of the two most important cities in China. Its futuristic skyline is as breathtaking as its culture is rich in history and complexity. With nowhere to go but up, high-rise apartment and condominiums would be located within spitting distance of each other if spitting had not been outlawed until the Olympics are finished. You could walk the streets forever and never repeat yourself. Feel social and want to meet everyone? There are two options: visit the official Olympic kiosk on Nanjing road; or forget about it. Which makes it all the more remarkable that Stephanie literally bumped into a friend of hers from Chinese school at CCSF.

Our guide Johnson threw in an extra half day tour to maximize our Shanghai experience, so we had opportunities to spend money in more places than we had expected. We began with a foot massage and pulse diagnosis at the Shanghai People’s Health Ministry. All was cool, our feet were luxuriating and our tensions relieved until Dr. Lee, the snake-oil salesman, predicted early deaths and decrepit lives for the adults. Instead of bowing to fear and unloading several thousands of dollars on herbal medicines Kelby settled for a jar of snake oil (seriously) and we headed out for the next economic opportunity.

The Yuyuan Shopping City packs more people into a defined space than anyplace I have ever been.  That old Shanghai hand Justine bee-lined to the NanXiang Street Steamed Dumpling shop and went to the end of long line waiting to purchase Shanghai Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao). While the girls waited, and we knew that we wouldn’t lose Stephanie if she was in a slow moving line, Kelby and I maneuvered the circuit. We saw every trinket and artifact that we had already seen on the trip: hand painted fans; jade jewelry; Chinese paintings and calligraphy; crystal paintings and much more. However, it was of lesser quality and it was being sold in a frenzied environment devoid of charm or circumstance. We held onto our wallets, did our best to avoid the hustlers and after an hour threaded our way back to the dumpling line. Justine had made friends with the girl in line in front of her and fast enemies with an old lady who inserted her grandson into the front of the line.  It was tense for a few minutes because the little brat wouldn’t concede his stolen space, but Justine persevered. We shared the delicious and delicate dumplings and I contemplated on what a rotten human being that little boy would become as an adult. 

The old fat lady at the Feng Shui museum was scary. We didn’t buy any of her overpriced products, but I do believe that she chastised our guide for her own shortcomings. I feel sorry for the girls that work for her. The wide eyed stare that I took for admiration was no doubt abject fear of their employer. After dinner at the Dragon Boat Restaurant we returned to the hotel to await phase two of our great adventure.

Dispatch: Nanjing

There are three thing that one must do when visiting Nanjing: eat the salty duck; visit the mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat Sen; and spend tourist dollars. No, wait a minute, the third is actually visiting the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, which was the first major modern technological accomplishment completed without assistance from the outside world. It is four ugly miles long and approximately 300-trains and 60,000 cars cross it daily. When it was completed in 1968, Chairman Mao decreed that tolls would never be collected for crossing the bridge out of respect for the local population upon whose backs it was constructed. Too bad the Chairman doesn’t sit on the Golden Gate Bridge Board.

With a population of more than 5,000,000 Nanjing, a sprawling metropolis along the lower Yangtze River is built around an ancient, partially intact wall. For the first time on our trip we found ourselves in a traffic jam which gave our driver Mr. Zhang ample opportunity to demonstrate his total lack of driving skill. He splits lanes, drives downgrades in neutral, presumably to save gas, and challenges little old lady pedestrians and 18-wheel trucks alike. I’m not sure Kelby is too happy about sitting in the front seat of our 15-passenger Ford van, but at this point he would be hard pressed to find anyone willing to trade with him.

Fortunately we packed well because by the time we arrived at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen mausoleum it was pouring rain. We donned our raingear and chased the girls, who looked like twin Sponge Bob Square Pants in their yellow ponchos, up the 392 stairs required to pay our respects to the father of Chinese freedom.  The combination of heat, humidity and exertion turned the ponchos into plastic saunas and by the time that we returned to the base of the mausoleum I was as wet and sticky as…oh, never mind. 

At the hotel Violet, Kelby and I went to the lobby bar for a drink as a preliminary basketball game between China and Angola was getting under way. We each ordered off of the bar menu. With much prompting and assistance from Kelby and half of the hotel staff he got his glass of ‘imported’ red wine about 20-minutes later. At the beginning of the second half my martini arrived and half way through the 3^rd quarter Violet was served a warm but passable bloody Mary. Finally, we toasted China’s impressive victory and went to bed.

Shortly before heading to Shanghai we visited the government controlled jade store where we were given lessons in grading jade and buying jade. The group passed both tests with flying colors. We thanked our excellent local guide Fred, had lunch and headed to Shanghai, a four and a half hour white knuckle journey along a pristine highway, ever closer to our Olympic adventure. Oh, and the salty duck is as well named as it is overrated.

Dispatch: Tunxi

If it walks like a duck there is a good chance that it/he/she has just spent 36-hours chasing panorama’s on Huangshan.  Personally, I was not sorry to see the last of the Yellow Mountain. As breathtaking as it is one pays dearly for every magnificent vista. If you aren’t climbing (and climbing and climbing and…) then you are being asked by Uncle Kelby to face the camera for yet another photograph. Late in the afternoon the girls and I were standing on the precipice admiring nature’s miracle when Kelby instructed us to turn around and smile. I briefly contemplated hurling myself over the side of the mountain instead. Truth be told, at the end of the day there will be a payoff for every picture taken and every smile forced because Huangshan is truly unique and holds its own with any of nature’s other wonderments.

With the exception of Old Town, a series of connecting streets that have been preserved in the traditional style, Tunxi is unremarkable. A truly small town with only 150,000 inhabitants Tuxni serves as the gateway to Huangshan, as is reflected in the names of many hotels, banks and restaurants. The curator of a local art museum gave us a private tour and we were privileged to wander among ancient and modern paintings that are sure to deteriorate in the uncontrolled environment which in this case was sweltering heat.  At the end of the tour we found ourselves in a, surprise, gift shop/gallery where we bargained and cajoled some pretty good deals on high quality paintings.

We spent the rest of the day exploring Old Town, resisting the temptation to purchase calligraphy sets, dried mushrooms and hand painted fans. I don’t know if it was the Olympics or the heat, but we were again seemingly alone in a special place preserved by time. Stephanie couldn’t have gotten lost if she had tried. When dinner time came around, which is not necessarily something to be anticipated, Mr. Wang took us to a restaurant that is one of his ‘personal favorites’. We sat at the window table, and as the weather cooled the streets filled with locals and tourists and we had one more front row seat for the promenade of humanity, meandering, working and simply living in a charming little corner of the world. There weren’t any menus so the girls and I trekked to the open kitchen and selected dinner by sight, smell and pure dumb luck. Kelby followed us, taking picture after picture until the manager told him to stop. It ended up being a spectacular meal and a great way to end a perfect day. At least that is what we thought at the time.

We arrived back at our hotel and were greeted by a red carpet lined with formally dressed employees and as much majesty and circumstance as you can imagine. Surprised yet again, we proudly approached the welcoming committee only to be directed away from the red carpet. We were asked to leave the lobby so that they could properly greet the government official whose arrival was imminent. Designated as a 5-star hotel, the girls said that their room was the best that they had ever stayed in. We all took full advantage of the plush facilities, lounging in our robes, soaking in our tubs as we watched the Olympics on the little HDTV’s in our respective bathrooms and thoroughly enjoying the benefits of our 5-star rooms at the end of our 5-star day.

Dispatch: Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

Huangshan, the Yellow Mountain, is a world heritage site in Eastern China. Although not nearly as famous as its namesake the Yellow River, which was immortalized by I.P. Freely in his mandatory sixth grade reader of the same name, the Yellow Mountain holds its own as a premier wonder of nature.  A four hour drive from Hangzhou through rolling hills, sleepy villages and endless tea farms, the yellow granite fingers of Huangshan rise 3,000 feet toward the heavens.

We ascended Lotus Peak in a cable car that offered 10 minutes of silent meditation, or picture taking frenzy depending on who one is with, and were quickly engulfed in the ubiquitous mist. Once we arrived at the top we hiked for 30-minutes before arriving at our hotel, stopping often to take pictures of the majestic panoramas. Since most mountains have erratic, vertical topography, we climbed and descended more stairs that I dared count. A pattern quickly established itself. The adults would climb a few hundred steps, stop in silent agony as the burn in our calves receded and then chase the next vantage point.  Stephanie and Justine left the rest of us in the dust and soon lost us on the mountain edge trail. We finally found them, framed by the beautiful Huangshan pines and granite peaks that ascended like gnarled fingers, at one of many rest stops along the way.  After another picture taking frenzy, and there would be many over the next two days, we continued to the Ben Hai Hotel which is considered a 4-star facility, but only by remote mountain standards.  Our day guide, Mr. Wang, got us checked in and then took us on a short trek to point out the best spots to view the world famous Yellow Mountain sunrise which was scheduled for 5:35 am. After dinner we arranged to meet in the lobby at 5:00 am, retreated to our rooms to watch the Olympics, which are featured continuously on no less than 4-separate channels, and promptly passed out.

Dispatch: Hangzhou

This morning our local tour guide Mr. Fish took us to Lingyin Buddhist temple, situated on Feilaifeng, a craggy mountain near Hangzhou. Legend has it that the mountain, the peak that flew from afar, was originally located in India, the birthplace of Buddhism, and relocated during the night in a display of Buddha’s omnipotence.  Anyway, more than 300 religious carvings on the side of the mountain depict Buddhist icons, the centerpiece of which is a famous and awe inspiring 1,000 year old laughing Buddha. Surrounded by a perimeter wall the Temple consists of 3 pavilions, a gift shop and is infused with the scent of constantly burning incense.  A massive, gold plated Buddha looks down in benevolence from each of the pavilions. They depict various phases of Buddha’s life and as such each is thematically unique. One of his protectors was a woman who only discovered forgiveness and enlightenment after devouring 1,000 children. Yes, we are talking cannibalism and it is almost enough to make one long for the gentility of pedophile priests.

Once we finally located Stephanie we traveled a short distance to a green tea village where we were educated on the health benefits of green tea. Our guide, Ms. Mai, revealed the wonder of the delicate tea leaves as if in an infomercial. At one point she even poured green tea into a glass full of raw rice that was soaked in iodine. Within 2-minutes the water was clear, leaving the stained rice at the bottom of the glass. 15-minutes later and the rice was white again. It was just like that commercial on late night cable TV where the bearded guy with the loud voice screams the benefits of…well I’m not sure what he is selling, but you get the point.  Ms. Mai was much gentler and prettier than the bearded guy with the loud voice, but she equally effective with the hard sell, because we bought armloads of the stuff and swore that we would change our ways and drink green tea after every meal.  On the way out Kelby bought 4-beautiful, hand painted fish renderings, inspired no doubt by our local guide Mr. Fish. If you want to see them just ask him and he will pull them out from under the couch in his living room and show them to you.

Westlake, on the western edge of Hangzhou is a huge tourist attraction, drawing millions of Chinese to its lotus, peach and willow tree lined shores every year. Kelby and I were possibly the only white guys in the teeming masses, and in one Hollywood moment a young father asked Kelby to pose for a picture with his three small children. How he was able to have 3-kids without being castrated is beyond me, but Kelby was happy to oblige and the young family walked away happy and excited. So, if you are ever feeling down and out just have your picture taken with Kelby and your troubles will be lifted. Maybe in 1,000 years tourists will travel to Westlake to gaze upon an iconic statue of the white man who brought joy to little children. We walked, we took a boat ride, and we took pictures and exhausted ourselves in the wonder of Westlake, a monument to tradition, natural wonderment and landscaping. No wonder Marco Polo called Hangzhou the most enchanting city in the entire world.

Dispatch: Hangzhou, CN

Ok, so far everything has gone very smoothly. Everybody showed up healthy, happy and excited to be embarking upon our Olympic adventure. The flights were smooth, the planes were half full and each seat was equipped with a multi-media entertainment console. They fed us two meals and a bowl of noodles prior to landing.  The meals were so bad that the flight attendants belittled the food as they served it to us, describing the choices as leather or feather. Even the chocolate pudding had a chemical tinge and odd consistency to it. That having been said it was really quite delicious.

We arrived in Shanghai and breezed through immigration and customs. Once we were sure that we hadn’t lost Stephanie we found our tour guide Johnson. He is a very pleasant young man of 24 who speaks very broken English and sorely requires an orthodontist. We found our van, driven by Mr. Zhang who is a Shanghai man. Shanghai men are dedicated to their family. They earn the money and then give it all to their wife. They clean the house and cook the food. I want one.

It is hot and muggy outside, but at an endurable level. Fortunately, we packed appropriately. The air quality in Shanghai, indeed on the trip to Hangzhou, is surprisingly good. Visibility is unlimited and majestic cumulus clouds dominate the clear blue sky.

It took us about 3-hours to arrive at our first destination, Hangzhou. Hangzhou is a small town of only 5,000,000 people.  It is very cosmopolitan with young lovers dressed in the latest knock-off fashions, holding hands as they stroll down wide, well maintained boulevards. Watching their smiling, carefree faces you would never imagine that they are the very same people, who once they get behind the wheel of the proliferating population of torpedo-cars take on many of the characteristics of kamikaze pilots. Interestingly, I haven’t seen any women drivers yet. Perhaps they haven’t developed the requisite death wish necessary to drive in China.

Upon arriving in Hangzhou we were taken to a very popular restaurant. Kelby and I shared a beer as everyone else used the pot of tea to wash their utensils. And here I was always under the impression that tea was for drinking. The first dish was gray tofu in gray gravy, followed by 8 or 10 other dishes, some of which were identifiable and some which were not. Dinner turned out to be quite nutritious and surprisingly good.
Our hotel is a Day’s Hotel, which is really a Day’s Inn, but in China. We have small, but clean rooms in close proximity to each other. Last night after we got settled in we went to the lobby bar to watch the Olympics on the big screen TV. The cocktail waitress kicked us out so we took a stroll instead. By 8 pm, Violet and I were in our room, overtaken by exhaustion, anticipation and adventure. It is now 2 am. She is reading and just told me that I am being longwinded in my message. Some things just never change.