We
got to sleep in again until 6:30 so we could leave for the Silk Factory by 8:30 where we learned that silk worms make
the ultimate sacrifice to give us silk….they get boiled alive after they have
spun their silk cocoon. Each cocoon is one single thread that can be up to 1000
meter in length and is very strong. Then
we pulled out our wallets again to buy silk stuff and souvenirs…linens,
clothes….the carpets were beautiful but who can get those in our one suitcase!
Then
back on the bus for a three hour ride to an ancient village, west of
Beijing called Chuandixia. Through interesting countryside that looks
like it is a very hot spot or weekend get away in the summertime. Lots of “holiday resorts” go carts, swimming
pools (we think), fruit groves. The
whole area around Beijing is still in winter and they don’t get much rain or
snow…..grass is brown and there are no leaves on the trees yet, I’m sure in the
next months they will be full of beautiful blossoms
The village is or will be like a Bakerville….old
buildings, plaques tell what different homes or rooms were. We did have lunch there, cooked and served by
a village family. The family has lived there for 14 generations spanning 400
years. There are still people who do live there full time and there are hostel
like inns and a small gift shop that had better prices than the silk factory in
the morning and the jade factory yesterday…so of course we spent a little more
money.
 |
| Chuandixia |
Then back to Beijing…… a little different route back
that led us to a few wrong turns that
had the bus making u-turns on a
very, narrow steep mountain road…much like the Hope Princeton in the 50’s. We finally arrived back to the hotel at
6:30pm….only to hit the hotel bathrooms (I don’t think we have told you about
the toilets yet!)and run to the local bakery
to get delicious pizza slices and sandwiches and cookies for dinner….to
be back at the bus by 6:50 so we could get back on the bus to drive another
half hour to go to see the Kung Fu performance……no, not the fighting but a
musical lengend about what kung fu means. The theatre was very hot when we
arrived but got cooler when the performance started. It was very good, lots of loud music, lights,
colours, acrobat and kung fu moves
That’s why we were so tired when we got back! Then we still have to pack for the train.
No comments:
Post a Comment