Well, It’s been a while since I posted. So let me give you a synopses of all that’s happened since my last post.
Spent 2 days in Manila visiting various places in the city. I visited the Intramuros – the original walled city, the Manila Cathedral which was being renovated, Fort Santiago, were Rizal was imprisoned and took his last steps before being executed by the Spanish. Took a walk in the Baluarte de San Diego, the old Spanish battlements and then the San Augustine Church. I took a tour of the Casa Manila- a replica of an 1850’s home depicting life under Spanish rule. The next day I visited the Quiapo Market and the Quiapo Nazarine Church that the market surrounds.
Had a lunch in the Manila Hotel and got a tour of the General Douglas MacArthur suite where MacArthur resided from 1935 to 1941.
Then on to Kong Kong. The weather for the first time was not sunny. The ship was docked at Kowloon and so to get to Kong Kong Island, I had to take the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbor. Hong Kong was mostly in a fog. Went on The Big Bus tour where you were able to get on and off of the bus lines in as long as you were continuing in the same direction. I got to see the Stanley Market and Aberdeen to see where families live on sampans and junks. Later that evening, I did the ship sponsored Night Lights Tram tour to Victoria Peak, which was a bust because of the fog.
The next day caught a flight to Guilin, China. Got there around 6 PM. Stayed in a 5 star Sheraton. Next morning we took a trip on the Li River – nice scenery, but I thought it was a little long. Then we had a lunch in a hotel. – sort of a buffet on a Lazy Susan. After that to the airport for Xian, the old capital.
We then had another lazy Susan lunch We got to Xian late at night and started out the next morning to visit the Wild Goose Pagoda, a jade factory, the Ancient City Wall. We then had another Lazy Susan lunch, and then visited the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum. The museum was amazing. Then it was off to the airport for Beijing.
Next Installment will be From Beijing to Durban, South Africa.