CHINA …

Started our China tour in bustling Hong Kong. It was hot, had a fun time, how very British in many ways. We had ‘High Tea’ at the Peninsula Hotel, pricey but worth it. We got really used to hoping on the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island it is a very efficient means of transportation. Take a ride on the double deck bus, for mere pennies. Don’t forget to take the funicular up The Peak, to enjoy the great view of the harbour and the city.

Took the train to Guangzhou, mainland China, where we then got on an overnight train to Guilin (14 hrs). The train stations are really crowded, but the trains a great, just remember to bring your own food. Remember to get a ‘soft sleeper’ for overnight travel. The soft sleepers only have 4 people per sleeper, the other sleeper is call ‘hard sleeper’ and can have up to 6-8 people in them, and are not nearly as nice as the ‘soft sleeper’.

From Guilin had a 1.5 hr drive to get to Yangshuo. Yangshuo has some of the most spectacular scenery and relaxed atmosphere in the country. We rode bicycles into the countryside it was like a traditional Chinese painting! Mountains, rivers, bamboo, rice paddies and water buffalos. The vendors stall are all so colourful and great prices as well, just remember to bargain, it is a game and can be lots of fun. Went to a traditional Chinese market, really interesting but an eye opener – snakes, frogs of all sizes, pigs blood along with all kinds of freshly slaughtered meat and fresh vegetables – not for the squeamish,,,

No trip to China would be complete without cruising the Yangtse River. We boarded the boat just outside of Yichang and would end in Chongqing, taking in the famous section knows at the Three Gorges. So many of the areas have changed due to the rising water of the Three Gorges Dam. We went through 5 locks. Phenomenal undertaking, 1.5 million people have been relocated. Already so much has changes along the Yangtse, in another couple of years so much more will be under water.

Our visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base outside of Chengdu was fabulous. We got to see a 7 week old baby. The Pandas are just like big stuffed bears!!!! While in Chengdu we went to see the 200-year old Sichuan Opera what fun. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province, the food here is spicey with peppercorns and chillies. The parks in Chengdu are wonderful to walk in, you can see people playing mah-jongg, ballroom dancing or doing tranditional dances, stop and have some tea.

We headed for Songpan located high on the Tibetan Plateau, this area is really not touched by tourism. We had a very special occasion happen while here. The office of tourism was having its official ribbon cutting ceremony (office was just opening after a year of planning). There was all sorts of entertainment in the square. Dancers, Tibetan singers, children dancing, mandolin players. We were the only non-locals to attend this special occasion. We had a journalist take our pictures and talk to us and take us around town so he could write an article about the tourist in Songpan… If you need/want a deep message this is the place to get one. For $3.00CAD you can get a 1-hour full body message, painful but you do feel good after.

We headed further north through the grasslands where the nomads were tending their flocks of sheep and herds of Yak. We were stopped often because of cattle crossing/walking on the road. Langmusi is very tiny village, mostly Tibetan and surrounded by beautiful mountain peaks. This remote town had absolutely great ‘yak burgers’. The streets were cleaned by families of pigs wandering freely. You just had to be careful of the metre deep drains on each side of the dirt road. There are 2 Tibetan monasteries here which you can going in a spend time wandering around for a fee. The ‘Sky High Burial’ ground is inside the monastery area. We visited a local school here and had fun with the children. We left Langmusi over rough dirt/mud roads heading for Xiahe, which has the largest Buddhist monastery outside of Tibet. We had a tour of the magnificent 18^th century Labrang monastery with its 4km circuit of prayer wheels that surrounded the monastery, rest of the time spend just walking around and exploring the markets and shops.

We took another overnight train from Lanzhou to Xi’an arriving early morning. We head to the famous Terracotta Warriors, absolutely fabulous. We got there early so for about 1 hour there were very few tourist then later in the morning it got really crowded. Walked along the top of the city wall, separates ‘Old Xi’an’ from the New and modern Xi’an. The Muslim markets are great and a good spot to sample some great food.

We ended our trip in Beijing after another 14 hr. overnight train trip. Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City not to be missed. Be sure to do a tour of the Huotongs, they are slowly disappearing, but I believe that the government is going to keep the area as a heritage area. Don’t missing having Peking duck in the city that invented it. We travelled for approximately 3 hrs each way to get to the area of the Great Wall were we did our 12.5km hike. One of the most memorable spots for me was when we reached to top of the Wall to start our hike, and I looked at the view and as far as I could see the Great Wall snaked its way over the crest of the mountains and the tours poked through the mist – whow!!! - awesome.

One cannot leave Beijing without shopping at the Silk Market, Pearl Market and Fashion Market easily accessible by subway or taxi. Be prepared to bargain, bargain, bargain.

I have fabulous memories of our China trip that will last forever. China is a huge country of extremes – from the fast paced extremely modern cities to dirt roads and the quiet rural settings of the small villages along the Li River with the exquisite scenery of the Karst landscape. It is a country that is exploding into the 21st century.

TURKEY …

Istanbul is a combination of the old and new. The new area of Istanbul is very cosmopolitan and modern while the old area is as the name says small streets, little unknown hotels quaint but also changing in character to be more modern. This is where we stayed, in a small wooden hotel called the Pina. It was a great location because we could walk to The Blue Mosque and Sophia’s Palace and also the Grand Bazaar. These 3 sights are not to be missed. Make sure when you are in the Grand Bazaar not to miss the Spice Market. Brace yourself to be hassled by the shop keepers and also be ready to haggle when you purchase something. The sights and sounds of Old Istanbul are amazing. The Call to Prayer 5 times a day, the carpet hawkers, street vendors, people trying to have you hire them as guides are all a little intimidating at first but you quickly get used to it. Don’t be afraid to be forceful when you don’t want to be bothered or are not interested in what is for sale, it is all a game.

Izmir is a modern bustling city with a wonderful promenade and cafes. We stayed here only a couple of days. Took a bus south from Izmir to Dalyan located on the Aegean. The 6 hour bus ride was great, we were served sandwiches, drinks and had a host go around with an antibacterial hand wash before and after we ate … what service!

Our tour started in Dalyan where we explored Greco-Roman sites, many of them off the beaten track and rarely visited. We took a small boat through reedbeds (which was like working your way through a maze) to the ruins of Caunus, an important city circa 400BC. We climbed to a high point of the Citadel , the panorama was spectacular, overlooking the reed-beds all the way to the Aegean Sea.

If you want some beach time, take a boat to Iztuzu Beach, perhaps one of the best beaches in Turkey. The water is warm and the sand is wonderful. Also there are change rooms and a restaurant.

The number of ancient ruins in this area is unimaginable. Most are not even touched as yet, left to decay on there own (not enough money). We stopped at many of these ruins and were just blown away. At the ruins of Alinda, a place where time stopped at the close of antiquity and now seems to be part of a lost landscape. Olive trees are growing in the ancient theatre, cows graze everywhere and yet you can still see the theatre and rows and rows of seats and outer buildings. Situated on a rocky hilltop close to the village of Karpuzlu, this was Ada’s capital; and she built a wall around her city in circa 344BC. She welcomed Alexander the Great who in turn rewarded her with the governorship of the Carian region. Our next stop Didyma, where the Temple of Apollo held an oracle as important as the one at Delphi, in Greece. The massive columns have fallen. Here there is a wealth of intricate carvings indicating the power of the cult of Apollo. Then onto Miletus, where the 15,000 seat theatre is evidence of the city’s importance in Greek and Roman times. Miletus was situated on a harbour in ancient times but gradually silt totally filled in the area which caused people to abandon the city because there was no long easy access to the sea, now the area is very rich farm land. We arrived at the smaller & more picturesque site of Priene perched on a hillside overlooking the Menderes (ancient ‘Meander’) valley. This Ionian city was untouched by the Romans so gives you a vivid picture of the scale and layout of a typical city of the 4^th century BC. In viewing all the above ruins we were the only ones there (16 in our group including guide). We stayed in Selcuk, with its prominent Byzantine fortress and remains of the huge Temple of Artemis, once considered to be one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World, but sadly totally destroyed. We got really spoiled with only ourselves at these incredible sites.

We visited the great Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, once visited by Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, and also by the evangelist St. Paul (which inspired the Epistle to the Ephesians). A lot of money has been spent excavating at Ephesus and the reconstruction is fabulous. Be prepared for huge crowds. After being spoiled with the other sites it was hard to take the crowds, try and get there as soon as it opens and be prepared to spend at least ½ a day. Leave the crowds of Ephesus to be greeted with more crowds at Pamukkale (‘frozen waterfall’) with its warm mineral pools. High on an escarpment Pumukkale has been an attraction since Roman times (as Hierapolis, a health spa). The view overlooking the Menderes Valley is so peaceful. We arrive at the ancient site of Aphrodisias late afternoon. This is one of my most favourite sites, the late afternoon sun turned the columns golden and the small theatre had a very personal feeling about it. The city was also renowned as an artistic centre. The athletic stadium is one of the best preserved from the classical world.

We leave behind the wonderful ruins and thoughts of ancient times and head for the beautiful Taurus Mountains where we will hike from village to village staying in homes of the villagers for the next 5 nights. On average we walk 6 – 7 hours each day. The homes vary from being quite modern to very quaint, but we did have hot water every night for a shower. Which felt absolutely fabulous after trekking on dirt trails, over rocks all day. The food was basic but tasted great – ‘hunger makes good kitchen’. Some of the homes we shared room with 6 people others with 2 so you can’t be modest!!! The villagers and farmers we met on our trek were wonderful. So kind and generous and wanting to share what ever food they had. They are very hard working and at times we wondered how they grew any crops at all on the soil they had to work with. What a fabulous way to get to spend time with the locals. Winding our way down to meet the bus we rounded a corner and there below us was the most spectacular bay with a gulet anchored and the sun sparkling on the water it took our breath away. Wouldn’t have missed this hike for the world..

Ended our journey with a week on a gulet – just 8 of us. Oh, what fun, to be on a 25 metre wooden boat that was fashioned after the old style fishing boats. We had a captain, cook and a general helper. We sailed from one wonderful cove to another, swam in the beautiful clear warm waters of the Aegean, ate, sipped, slept under the stars and just enjoyed. A fabulous way to end our unforgettable journey to Turkey, would recommend this way of travel to everyone.

CROATIA… Cycle, Cruise & Land Tour

The Dalmatian coast is littered with over 1000 islands and has some of the best cruising in the Mediterranean. We started our cycle & cruise on an ‘Old Timer’. These Old wooden boats have been in families for years being passed down from father to son. We set sail out of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is a delightful walled town, with great restaurants where you can enjoy local cuisine and fabulous historic monasteries, palaces, museums and old buildings. Now restored following the damage from shelling in the Siege of Dubrovnik in 1991-92. UNESCO has granted Dubrovnik World Cultural heritage status as one of the world’s finest examples of a fortified medieval town.

We leave Dubrovnik and sail towards the forested island of Mljet. We cycle this National Park which has 2 beautiful salt-water lakes. On an island in the larger lake we visited the Monastery of St. Mary, built in the 12^th century and still used today. There is a wonderful serenity to this area.

Next stop is Brna on Korcula Island, this area is little-visited and traditional part of the island. As we leave town on the coastal road, we work our way to Prizba and to Grscica where a swim cools us off. Then continue to the town of Blato, which contains buildings associated with the patron saint of the town, St Vincenca, including All Saints Church. Historic buildings abound including the baroque summerhouse "Castle Arneri" in the centre.

Korcula Town - is a wonderful walled town, with its red terracotta roofs, stone cathedrals and winding roads. We cycled west along coast-hugging road with fabulous views across to the Peljesac Peninsula, we passed by tiny fishing villages and peaceful bays and inlets on our way to Racisce a delightful bay where we had fabulous chocolate cream cake and pivo. Later that evening we went to Lumbarda to do wine tasting and in particular to taste the famous Grk white wine and have a chance to taste the local cheese and olives – fabulous… Not to be missed is the performance of ‘Moreska’ dancing – unique to Korcula.

Sudurad on Sipan Island is the largest of the Elafiti Islands. It is a rich fertile region where grapes, figs, olives, citrus fruits, carob and pomegranate grow. In the 15th century the elite of Dubrovnik built residences here, the best know being Sorkocevic’s or Duke’s Palace in Sudurad. We cycle to Sipanska Luka, which is a picturesque little town on a bay where we sat sipping something cold and watched an exciting game of bocce ball in this sleepy almost forgotten little corner of Europe.

We end our cycle portion in Cavtat (founded by the Greeks in the 3rd century BCE) where we cycle the Konavle valley. Cavtat is a busy tourist town, but once outside of the town we cycle through the Konavle region, an area rich in traditional and folklore, where local people can be seen farming in a way unchanged for many years. We had a fabulous lunch, the meat was cooked slowly under a clay pot.

Now onto the land portion – leaving Dubrovnik we drive and take a ferry to Split via Peljesac peninsula with its many vineyards and along the Cetina river and gorge. Split is a great seaside town with lots of great restaurants and a wonderful promenade with ‘watering holes’ to sit at and watch the world go by. A walk around the cellars and courtyards of the Roman palace of Diocletian is a must. Recommend to take a guided tour, very informative.

We leave Split and head deep into the mountainous hinterland of Croatia to Plitvice Lakes, the first and most beautiful National Park in the country. We spent a fabulous time hiking the trails, following the 16 crystal-clear lakes on their dramatic descent over 92 travertine barriers and waterfalls. Then, following scenic country back roads, we make for the northern Dalmatian coast and ferry to the lace-making island of Pag also known for its cheese – Pag Cheese (similar to parmesan, but softer).

After a morning walking the streets of the Old Town of Zadar we follow the twisting Dalmatian coast road south, pausing at the picturesque coastal towns of Sibenik and Primosten en route to Trogir. Give yourself time to explore the delightful town of Trogir with its narrow alleys, hidden squares and plentiful cafes. We end our tour here….

Some helpful tips – tap water is drinkable throughout all of Croatia. The Croatians currency is the Kuna – you can change euros for kunas at any bank in Croatia, however if you need to change in the reverse or have other currency you must go to Exchange offices. The Exchange offices are sometimes hard to find and the hours can be a little unusual. ATM’s are available in all the towns and cities and are easy to use.

Canadians don’t require a tourist visa just a valid passport (must not expire for 6 months after your return date) also there is not an entry/exit fee. Keep in mind that the infrastructure (main roads) is minimal and what you think might take just an hour to drive will take double that, so don’t be in a hurry.

1000 islands dot the coastline, but only 65 are inhabited, so makes for a sailors dream come true.

Towns become really busy in July and August, so if you want a vacation that is not too busy with tourist go in June, September & October. The Adriatic is a beautiful aqua colour and so clear and by late summer the water is really warm. Remember to bring aqua shoes because the pesky sea urchins abound.