Places we have been : an update

The following are the places that we have been since 2001

2001
June Beijing, Chengde & Tianjin

2002
May Shanghai

2003
Sept France

2004
June Italy
July Perth
Dec Kunming

2005
May Yangon
Oct Greece
Nov Bangkok

2006
March Siem Reap
May Tioman Island
June Japan
August Club Med, Bintan Island
Sept Melaka
Oct Russia

2007
May Turkey
Oct Kuala Lumpur
Nov Egypt

2008
May Desaru
June Sentosa Island
Nov Prague & Budapest
Dec Hong Kong

2009
April Sedili
Sept Xian
Nov South Korea
Dec Taiwan

2010
Sept Kunming, Dali, Lijiang & Shangrila
Nov Gold Coast & Sydney

2011
August Solo & Jogjakarta
Sept Penang
Dec Hanoi

2012
April Jordan
August Silk Road, China
Nov London

London Calling

We are going to London on 8th November 2012. Memories of my student days in London now seem not that long ago. I was Called to the English Bar at Lincoln's Inn on 27th July 1990. It is now more than 22 years and I can't wait to go back!

 

Likewise, Connie was enrolled as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in 1993 and came back in 1994.

We will be staying 7 nights in Earls Cour

White Pagoda Hill Park

This hill takes its name from the 13th century pagoda, Bai Ta, which was built as part of a temple at the hill's summit.

Reminds me of the Long Corridor of the Summer Palace

 The first flight of stairs to the top

The Zhongshan Bridge

The Zhongshan Bridge

Lanzhou by the Yellow River

Almost at the top of the hill

The White Pagoda

Unfortunately, we were unable to make our way to the pagoda  as certain sections of the route were closed. This is the highest point we managed

.

Gansu Misc

These are the miscellaneous pictures of us in the Gansu province.

Drum Tower of the Ming Dynasty in Zhangye

Buying grapes from the street vendor

Wei? Ni Hao!

Yogurt is very popular here

On the way to the airport

Zhongshan Bridge

This 234 m long and 7.5 m wide bridge was completed in 1907. It was renamed Zhongshan Bridge to commemorate Dr Sun Yatsen.

"The first bridge across the Yellow River"



Walking across the Yellow River



By the time the Yellow River reaches Lanzhou, it has become muddy brown, having picked up soil, silt and industrial waste along the way. Once the "cradle of Chinese civilization", now it is one of the world's most polluted rivers.

The Waterwheel

Lanzhou was known as the "City of Waterwheels". This is because Lanzhou is the only city which the Yellow River flows through.

 

Ther are two  waterwheels here

 

 

The Yellow River

The Yellow River or Huang He is the second longest river in China after the Yangtze and the 6th longest in the world. It begins from the Banyan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China and flows to the Bohai Sea in the east. It is the "cradle of the Chinese civilization".

Statue of the Mother of  Yellow River

The Yellow River

Xilan International Hotel, Lanzhou

This hotel has a revolving restaurant.

 

The indoor pool

 

Lanzhou

Lanzhou is the capital city of Gansu Province. This is the last stop of our travel along the Silk Road. Lanzhou was an important stop at the beginning of the Hexi Corridor.

Our first introduction to Lanzhou was a couple kissing

 

 



 

 

 

 

 Wangfujing Shopping Centre

 

 

 

The river is now a playground

 

 

 

 

 

 

Different kinds of tomato

 



We bought our dried food stuff here

 

 

Lei Tai Tomb

This is where the Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow was found.

 

 

 

 

The replica of the bronze army found in the tomb

 

 

 

 

This is the tomb of General Zhang of Zhangye from the Eastern Han Dynasty

 

 

 

Inside the Tomb

 

It was known as the Lei Tai Tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty because of the adjacent Temple of the Thunder God. (Lei = Thunder, Tai = Tower )

 

 

 

 

 

Temple of the Thunder God