Posts filed under 'Travel'
During my walk around the cabin grounds, I snapped a few shots I thought I’d share.
…some simple wildflowers on the side of the road:
… a local berry plant (apparently the berries & roots of this plant are poisonous, but many people actually make salads from the leaves. I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I’d be willing to take the risk on that one!)
…a wonderfully shaped weed growing out of the surrounding stones. (Isn’t nature’s geometry fascinating?!)
…and some beautiful rock ground cover
When I took a closer look at the rocks all around the cabin, I actually began noticing that many of the stones had quartz stripes running through them. I was amazed….I’ve been collecting those stones for years, but have only been able to find them previously on the shores of Ireland & Costa Rica. To think there are thousands in Oklahoma is bizarre! I even have art prints in my house of this type of stone. I collected about 10 of them and am hoping to do some still-life photography with them soon, so I’ll post pics when I do.
My sister-in-law cooked a great dinner for us of grilled burgers, sweet potato souffle, asian slaw salad, & corn on the cob. After we had our fill, we put the kids to bed & pulled out the poker chips.
Now I have to preface this by saying…I’ve only played poker a handful of times in my life. I’m by no means a real poker player. In fact, I don’t even really know the rules because I always forget what makes a good hand & what beats what.
What I soon found out, though, was that not knowing what I had in my hand actually helped. Well - that and a dash of luck, of course! No one could read if I was bluffing or not because I didn’t even know what I was holding half the time. *LOL* Slowly my chips started accumulating. I thought it was a fluke. And for some reason, I kept getting more and more winning cards. Mike started commenting that we needed to go buy a lottery ticket…my odds were so uncanny. When it finally got down to only my brother and I left at the table and we were on the final hand (winner takes all), I was pretty sure that I had nothing. As he revealed his cards, I laid mine down and realized I had a flush. I said, “I think I have a flush thing!” We ended up doubling over in laughter because he totally didn’t see it coming & neither did I. I might have to take up this poker thing after all!
Hard to believe this was my chip pile!
August 21st, 2007
We woke up early on Day 2 to the voices of my niece & nephew. It’s amazing to see how much energy they have in the mornings…and to think we were all that way once! *LOL* We had a wonderful breakfast (loved the tea ring mom), and I took the opportunity to get a better view of the cabin by daylight. What a hidden jewel of a place! Here are some pics to give you a better idea of what it was like.
The front exterior:
A side view complete with hot tub underneath:
One of three different viewing balconies:
The fire pit where my family made s’mores the night before.
And here’s the rocky road leading up to the cabin:
The inside of the cabin was beautiful as well. Here’s a view of the living room…
Dining area…
And master bedroom…
After breakfast, we headed out to the lake. We rented a boat that would seat all 8 of us with my brother in the Captain’s chair. We spent the next four hours soaking up the beauty of the lake. Unfortunately, I didn’t take my camera for fear of dropping it oh so gracefully into the water. But it was truly breathtaking. My parents had bought two large inter tubes & we found several different swimming spots to hang out in. It was perfect weather for a lake day…slightly overcast & the water had to be around 80-90 degrees. Couldn’t ask for better. We even broke out the fishing rods & did a bit of fishing, but didn’t get any bites. I was quite the tomboy back in the day & used to love to fish as a little girl. I’d say I haven’t been fishing since I was around 10 years old, maybe? Anyways - I forgot how to cast the rod and flung at least 3 good worms off the hook into the water until I figured out how to release the line. heehee Guess I’ve become a city girl. 
After the boat trip, we returned to the marina & headed back to the cabin. Mike & the kids had a watergun fight…which resulted in him stepping into a mound of fireants behind a tree. Yikes! Luckily he was only bit by 6 or 7 of them, so it could have been much worse. I took a nature walk around the place and snapped a few interesting shots I’ll share in my next post. 
August 20th, 2007
Welcome to Blackberry Lodge!
This past weekend, my parents rented a beautiful log cabin in Southern Oklahoma near Beaver’s Bend lake. The whole family got together for a couple days of boating, fishing, swimming, home-cooked meals, etc. What a treat! This is definitely the way to do the camping experience. You get the rustic atmosphere without all the rough stuff (yes, we even had cable, wireless, & stainless steel appliances.) Ok…so maybe it doesn’t qualify as camping, but we did get a taste of mother nature! *LOL* My only regret is the lobster-red sunburn that I took home with me. (Mental note - wear more sunscreen.)
Mike & I left for the lodge on Friday night. About 5 minutes into the 3.5 hour drive, we were bombarded by sheets of rain so thick you couldn’t see a foot in front of the car. Crazy enough, this was only a foreshadowing of the weather to come… About 2 hours later, we were in one of the most horrific lightning storms I’ve ever experienced. Veins of light flashed across the sky & we heard terrible shocks of thunder nearby. At one point, we passed two major blazing fires on the side of the road where trees had been struck by lightning bolts! The flames were rising in spite of all the rain. I began saying Hail Mary’s in my head…and I’m not even Catholic anymore! *LOL* To top it all off, the cold rain combined with the warm air & created huge clouds of fog. So at this point, we had torrential rain, hazy fog, death-bolts of lightning, and a car that’s going 50 mph. Not good.
Mike insisted that being on a one-lane highway near the trees was helping us because the lightning would hit the trees before it would hit us. Hmmm…not so comforting. I asked him if people survive getting hit my lightning because I’d heard that cars were “grounded”. He told me with the amount of voltage coming through the car - we’d be dead in seconds. After swallowing down a muscle relaxer that the doc had given me for my recent headaches…I decided we just might survive this thing after all. About 20 minutes later, the lightning stopped, and the rain became manageable. Eventually - we made it up the dirt backroads to our final destination…Blackberry Lodge. Mike took his death-grip off of the steering wheel, and I stumbled out onto solid ground. We’d made it! whew!
After feasting on my mom’s leftover BBQ brisket (yum yum!), we retired for the evening. The next day would prove to be a bit more relaxing…
August 20th, 2007
I don’t remember much. After we boarded the flight from Shanghai to LA…I read a book, then fell asleep and actually didn’t wake up until shortly before landing! We had a several hour layover in LA, then made it home to Dallas. I think it took a little less time than what it took to get there (30-some hours). We were exhausted in the end, but the trip was totally worth it. We’re even thinking of going back now on one of GAT’s other tours. Hope you enjoyed the posts & pictures. Guess now we’re back to regular programming.
June 18th, 2007
As one of our final experiences on the trip, the tour company arranged for us to ride the Shanghai Transrapid train, otherwise known as the Shanghai Maglev (magnetic levitation train), to the airport. It is the first commercial high-speed maglev line in the world.
Construction began on the $1.2 billion train in March 2001, and public service commenced Jan 2004, so it is fairly new. Made from German technology, the train can reach an impressive 350 km/h (217 mph) in 2 minutes, with a maximum speed in normal operation of 431 km/h (267 mph). It runs from Longyang Road station on the Shanghai Subway line to Pudong International Airport and takes only 7 minutes and 20 seconds to complete the journey. The cost is about $5 USD for a one-way ticket.
Our bus driver dropped us off at the train entrance & began his journey to meet us at the airport. Needless to say - we beat him. *LOL*
Here’s a pic of the inside as we were boarding…
And below is proof that we really did go as fast as they said we would!
June 18th, 2007
To get some last minute shopping done, we were taken to Yuyuan, Shanghai’s Old Town district.
This was the main Chinese district of downtown Shanghai during the colonial era (1842-1949). It was encircled by a wall that came down when the last dynasty fell, in 1911. The old city wall, 27 ft. high and 3 miles round, dated from the 16th century, when it served as a barrier against Japanese pirates. It is considered the oldest district of Shanghai; its shops, the most traditional; its steamed dumplings, the best. (And I had some…so I know that it’s true!) Within this former walled city, the Old Town Bazaar is now a large pedestrian mall and alleyway labyrinth. There are hundreds of traditional Chinese craft & souvenir shops.
You can literally get lost in the alleyways (they all look the same after awhile!)
In one of the courtyards, sits this golden money tree. Each red ribbon has a coin attached and you throw it up onto a branch for good luck.
If you read my tea farm entries, you will recall the “art teas”. Here are some examples of different art teas for sale.
The main square of Old Town has two strangely familiar sights…Dairy Queen …
And of course…Starbucks!
There is also a famous tea house in the main square…
And a department store, I believe, in this beautiful building…
I picked up a few gifts (can’t reveal them here) …and then went back to the bus. Our next stop is the high speed Shanghai Maglev train!
June 18th, 2007
On the morning of Day 8, we had a buffet breakfast, packed our bags for the last time, & headed towards The Bund.
“The Bund” refers to a historical area of Shanghai that centers along Zhongshan Road on the west bank of the Huangpu River. Most of the buildings here were built around the turn of the century. Formerly the financial hub of Eastern Asia, the Bund once housed banks & trading houses from all over the world as well as hotels, consulates, a newspaper, and even a Masonic Club. When Communism took hold of the country, most of the financial institutions were moved and the hotels and clubs closed or converted to other uses. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, with the thawing of economic policy in the People’s Republic of China, buildings on the Bund were gradually returned to their former uses. It is now one of the most popular tourist sights in Shanghai. I have been told that it is quite gorgeous lit up at night…but here are some pics of it in the morning.
A close-up of the Customs House clock, the largest clock in Asia. Both the clock & bell were built in England in imitation of Big Ben and shipped to Shanghai in the 1920s.
The flag atop the Merchants Bank Building…
Further down the Bund are some more modern buildings…
And across the harbor is the striking skyline of Pudong.
Since the beginning of its development in 1990 when plans were first announced, Pudong has emerged as China’s financial and commercial hub. Amazing to think that only 15 years ago, this was all farmland!
Next stop - Shanghai’s Old Town Shopping area…
June 18th, 2007
After a nice dinner, we drove to Shanghai and arrived at our hotel in the evening. Here are a couple of pics of our front lobby.
Love the fountains…
And the lily arrangement…
Since we knew we only had one day left before leaving, and we’d acquired quite a few goodies along the way, it was time to do some luggage shopping. There was no way it was all going to fit in the suitcase I brought with me! Luckily, our hotel was only a 10-minute walk away from the main commercial shopping strip in Shanghai. We walked down to a department store since we had about an hour before the stores closed. I went up to the luggage department and was pretty bummed at first.
The prices were all far higher than I was willing to pay - around $100 USD+. Just couldn’t bring myself to spend that kind of money for a piece of luggage I didn’t really need except to ship a few items home. As I left the department, I ran into one of my fellow tour mates. I told her my dilemma and she said for me to go right back to the department with her. Lucky for me, she spoke fluent Chinese. She explained the situation to an associate and after about five minutes of going back & forth, the associate brought me to a large piece of luggage that was perfect for my needs. Not only was my friend able to negotiate a 30% discount, but they also took another 100 yuan off the price! All in all, I was able to purchase it for around $40 USD. Not bad for something that started over $100. It’s times like those when I wish I could speak more foreign languages. *LOL*
So the next trick was trying to get this huge piece of luggage back to the hotel. My friend Sean was kind enough to tote it back almost the whole way (since we had decided to walk instead of get a taxi). I picked up a few other items at the department store but can’t say what they were since a few folks reading this might be getting them as future gifts!
June 18th, 2007
Here is the landscaping we saw as we entered onto the official Temple grounds…
And an initial ornate sculpture:
The Lingyin Temple consists of five different halls: The Hall of the Heavenly Kings, The Grand Hall of the Great Sage, Yuayan Hall, The Hall of the Medicine Buddha, & the Hall of the 500 Arhats. Mike & I visited three of these. Although we couldn’t take pics inside the buildings, I have a few exterior shots I want to share & some comments on the experience:
1) The Hall of the Heavenly Kings
This hall is the formal entrance of the temple and contains a large statue of the laughing Buddha. Arranged along the left and right are the Four Heavenly Kings. Remember the guys with the scary eyes from a previous post? Well I have since learned that they are the Four Heavenly Kings or the four guardian gods. They are the protectors of the world and fighters of evil, each able to command a legion of supernatural creatures to protect the Dharma. Guess that makes the scary eyes a requirement. *LOL* What is interesting about this hall is that it is as large or larger than the main hall of most temples, reflecting Lingyin’s status as the centre of Buddhism in south-eastern China. Here is a peak into the front door from outside…see the scary eyes?
2) The Grand Hall of the Great Sage
The second and principal hall is separated from the Hall of the Heavenly Kings by a large courtyard, featuring a raised lawn bordered with trees.
The Grand Hall stands 110 feet tall. It houses a statue of the historical Buddha that was carved in 1956 from camphor wood and coated with 60 taels of gold. (FYI - a tael is an Eastern measurement - but just know that 60 taels is a lot!). This is the largest wooden Buddhist statue in China. There were mats placed at the base of it for worship and we saw a number of people bowing down in reverence. At the back of the main statue is a large screen that features the carved images of some 150 Buddhist personalities. I have to say that Mike and I were probably more impressed with the carved wall than we were of the huge golden Buddah! The wall stands about 100 feet tall and you can stand there for hours soaking in all the details.
3) Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats
The Hall of Five Hundred Arhats faces the western side of the courtyard in front of the main hall. The building has a complex floor plan, shaped like a Buddhist swastika. Arranged along the arms of the swastika are five hundred slightly larger-than-life bronze statues of the 500 arhats. (FYI - an arhat is basically an enlightened disciple of Buddha who has realized Nibanna, the culmination of spiritual life.) Each statue is seated on a unique ornate seat. At the centre, where the arms of the swastika join, stands a bronze canopy housing statues of four bodhisattvas representing the four cardinal directions. This is currently the tallest solid bronze structure in the world.
Now - what I can say about this hall is that it was an amazing maze of very unique & different statues. Some of them were even kind of surreal…people with two heads (I’m sure symbolic of something), monkeys dangling from arms & shoulders, etc. It was extremely interesting and was another place you could get lost in for hours viewing all the details. But in actuality, you could also just get lost…because the swastika structure really is built like a maze. Once we got into the building, we had one heck of a time trying to find out way out! Eventually we did, and were able to meet up with our group prior to departure.
Here was a neat stone carved pagoda we saw on our way out of the temple grounds.
We also passed by these waterways:
And here is an outside view of one the temple buildlings from beyond the temple gates:
When we exited, we went by some of the wonderful stone carvings again, and I snapped a shot of this guy:
Next stop, Shanghai!
June 17th, 2007
After a wonderful lunch, we headed towards the Lingyin Temple Scenic Area.
The front gate had a beautiful textured gold sign
Once inside, we were greeted by a series of statues of important Buddhist prophets & historical figures:
These were followed by the amazing Feilai Feng, or commonly translated as “Flying Peak”. This limestone mountain has dozens of intricate Buddha carvings on its side, complete with dangling vines like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. It was absolutely breathtaking. I felt like I was on ancient hallowed ground. My pictures don’t do them justice…but here are a few that take you through the grounds…
We first stepped into the Cave of Golden Light. Dating back to 951 AD, the “Three Sages of the West” carving shown below is the earliest carving according to historical records.
We then saw a series of incredible limestone carving grottos on the side of the mountain.
This pic always makes me smile.
This guy looks like he has a secret…
This statue was in the cave of the Goddess of Mercy…
Here is some ancient writing found on the way out of the cave…
Next came another cave with a good luck Buddha inside. Women must touch Buddha’s hand with their right hand and then place their hand in their pocket (to bring themselves money & good fortune). Men must do the same with their left hand.
After finishing the outer grounds of Lingyin, we were ready to enter the actual temple…
June 17th, 2007
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