Beijing and Shaghai

Getting ready for a 10 day trip to China in November to Beijing and Shanghai. Connie and I will be travelling with my daughter Sarah and Sister-in-law Maria and will be meeting my nephew Ben who will be our tour guide. I'm sure he's thrilled! Ben lives in Shanghai and will be flying to Beijing to join us at our hotel. After 6 days in Beijing we will then fly to Shanghai where we (hopefully) will join Maria's brother Bob and family for a Thanksgiving dinner at their home. Lots of sites to see and not so much time to do it! Everybody is pretty excited! Our Visa's are in order to enter China - Americans are required to have a visa that is good for 90 days visit to China. We're waiting for our tickets to arrive for our Air China flight from San Francisco to Beijing. Smartours (whom we traveled to Thailand in the past offered this trip and we couldn't pass up the deal). The price of the tour and inter-China transport was cheaper than just flying from Chicago to Beijing. Plus, we get 10 days lodging and some meals. They assure us that we do not have to travel with the tour group - merely present ourselves at the departure time to fly from Beijing to Shanghai. Thus Ben the travel guide! He's taken a lot of people to see the sites and I hope he's not too bored with doing it all again. Maria, who is an architect is quite interested in seeing the Olympic sites and there's a chance we can swim in "The Cube".

We'll be flying to San Francisco a day early to ease the pain of the 14 hour flight to China the next day. Sarah is a little apprehensive about the length of the flight (4 or 5 hours is her max. flight to date). I told her that it's not a fun thing to do but the rewards will be worth it. I'm sure we'll recover quite nicely. When we return we're going to spend another 2 days in S.F. to decompress from the trip before returning home. Keep watching for my many reports on activities while in China!

Illini vs Illinois State, September 12, 2009 - Drove down to Champaign for our first Illini game of the season.

The new statue of Harold "Red" Grange on the West Plaza outside Memorial Stadium

Here's an Amish family buggy in Arthur, Illinois an Amish community of 4,500.. We spent the afternoon in Arthur and attended the Straw Broom festival in Arcola.

Although the Illini won, bad things are in store for this season, I'm afraid. Not so good against a team that was not so good. Quite a time I showed my bride on our 21st anniversary! Anyway, here's a little video shot with my Sony camera.

Here's Eddie McGhee scoring on a one yard run:

Videos taken with Sony camera

Here are some videos I shot with my little Sony camera. I forgot to use it most of the time. I have some video of the waterfall that is pretty cool but I shot it vertically and can't figure how to flip it.

Here is a group of indigenous people singing on the steps of a cathedral in Quito.

Heading home 3/08

Blue boobies in silhouette
4 boobies

View out the window at the airport - That's the Ecuadorian flag on the right. Adios, Ecuador!!!

View out our hotel window at about 6:00 in the morning on our final day in Ecuador

We were out of touch from the Internet for quite a while - sorry no posts. Just got back from a nice typical Ecuadorian food dinner in Quito. We're up at 6:00 tomorrow to head to the airport. The mainland of Ecuador is really amazing - the 2 nights we spent in the Andes were pretty spectacular. Once we get back I will update the blog with all we did and anyone interested can take a look. So, we're all alive and well and look forward (somewhat) to our own bed tomorrow night.

UPDATE

Well, it seems Montezuma's revenge has struck. Connie has taken ill in the middle of the night - poor thing. And, once we got home I came down with something as well. 102 temperature and chills you can't believe! I think Connie must have eaten a bad shrimp at the nice Ecuadoran restaurant mentioned above. She made it home a little ashen but was able to eat a little pasta when we returned to good old Chicago. We're both glad this didn't happen earlier in the trip - that could have been real ugly with a capital U.

Alive and well - returning tomorrow (sigh) 3/7

One of many squares that surround catherdals in Old Quito late in the day. Note the Policia - they were everywhere and seemed quite concerned for the gringo safety. They warned us to keep track of purses and cameras as there are incidents of pickpocketing.

The orange and blue groups outside a artisans commune that is in the bottom floor of a cathedral.

Rich and Harvey traveling again, 37 years later!

Famous statue of an angel that sits high up on a hill over Old Quito. The Spanish influence can be felt here in the architectural style of buildings and of course the plethera of Cathedrals. It felt like some of the old towns we visited in Spain - Malaga, etc.

Indigenous people singing on the steps of a cathedral.

Interesting red glow thru the stained glass.
Some bascilica. And how!

Inside a cathedral - looks like Spain!

Lower wall of another cathedral.

Nice gargoyles!

The Bascilica

Returning from a quick shopping trip in a park directly across the street from our hotel in Quito. We stayed at The Hilton Colon Quito and it was really nice.

Connie with sales lady after purchases in park.

David Tivoli with his purchase.

I always wanted to do this...... Saw this mural as we drove by in the bus and snapped a quick image on the fly. Later, thru the magic of Photoshop I added the lady with the fruit.......

And yet another lady added in for fun!

A section of Quito as we approach

Quito from afar

Scenery on the way to Quito

Patchwork gardens in the mountain side. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Bobi couldn't resist the opportunity.

Local couple coming to the baths.

Chio and Connie exit the baths. There's Rich back in the pool.

Connie and Chio enter the baths. These pools are heated with water from thermal springs from the mountains. They are of varying temperatures and this pool was the hottest.

Most of the group - sans the photographer and a couple more.

The view up the waterfall.

That waterfall is just outside the baths.

Here's the other view back towards the town itself (Banos). Banos means "The Baths".

You're supposed to go from freezing cold water into the hot pools. The water is sluiced off directly from the waterfall and let me tell you - it's COLD. If you go back into the hot it's really pretty refreshing after a while. The first blast of the cold is a shock to say the least. This is probably my third trip back to the cold.

Here they are again....

This is just outside the local school. Manuel took us over to see the school because of Rich's interest in education - the business and all. They hope to purchase some land a build a better/ bigger school. This school is considered a real good one in rural Ecuador.

Snuck a look in thru the window. Too early for classes.

Boarding the bus for a short trip to the school.

The other side of the road from Spa Miralinda.

Outside the hotel - just about to leave.

View behind the hotel. The Rio Verde is just ahead of the bus.

Manuel is running for Mayor of Banos. This can be my "I knew him before" picture. Good luck Mr. Mayor!!!!

Chio admired this painting by Patty - her childhood friend and owner of the hotel. It was on display the previous night at the Womans Art Exhibition. We decided it was the least we could do to purchase it for her as a gift. We know can never repay the kindness shown us by our gracious hosts from Guayaquil. We hope you look at this painting when you put it up back home and think of us. We love you, guapacita!!!!!!

Banos – White water rafting, waterfall, Banos art exhibition and dinner 3/06

Here is Patty's family at a Womans Art Exhibition in Banos. Patty and her husband Manuel are the owners of Spa Miralinda. She's quite a renaissance woman - her paintings are on display behind her on the wall. (She's the 3rd from the right). Chio's painting is on the far right.

Here I am with a baby Boa Constrictor on the way to the waterfall. The Shaman's hat completes the image! $1 contribution per photo makes Mr. Boa a real money maker in Ecuador
Here's the group as we prepare for white water rafting almost in the Amazon. The river we were in is a tributary to The Amazon so We were in Amazonia (not on The Amazon). It was still pretty amazing!

Waterfal at El Pallon de Diablo (The Devil's Cauldron) just a 30 minute walk from our hotel in Banos.

This is where we stayed for two nights in Banos. The Spa Miralinda is on the left in this image, with quite a white water river running right next to it!

Here's the front entrance to Spa Miralinda in Banos - The owner is an artist and the spa is loaded with artistic touches everywhere. The gardens are loaded with orchids, and 2 parrots are residents.

The pool area - the river you saw runs just outside the fence line