View of Xiamen, China

Nanputua Temple

Mother and son out for a drive

Ingenious those Chinese

Temple

Temple

Buddha

Bill and I in front of Temple

My helper even if I didn't want to go up those steps she grabbed my arm and held on and up we went!  She was a Gem only English she knew was 1-2-3 when she took a picture.

Temple

Classroom in musuem

Tailor

Xiamen, China

Friday, March 16, 2012

Today we docked in Xiamen, china our tour guide pronounced it Siamen.  Anyway we saw a lot and I was pleasantly surprised by this city.  It was a built up city, modern and clean.  

Our first stop was the Nanputuo Temple.   I have never seen so many Buddhas in one place.  Some are scary looking but the best one My picture did not come out good because it was dark and rainy was the laughing Buddha.  He is the one you usually see the FAT BUDDHA, that’s why he is happy.  All the people were leaving food for him!  When we got to the temple our guide Jo explained what we would see all of a sudden it started to rain and I went looking to put up my hood and it had stopped.  Well it didn’t stop but one of the women from the tour company was holding an umbrella over me.  The next thing I know she took my arm and helped me up all the steps.  She spoke no English took our camera a few times and took our pictures or just mine and the only English she spook was 1-2-3 when she was taking a picture.  Very sweet. I gave her $5. when we got back to the ship, she didn’t want to take it and I made her and she hugged me.  Our guide Jo was a young girl who has been doing this for over a year and today was her last tour she is going home she misses her family too much she is from Inner Mongolia.

Our next stop was a museum about the Chinese who emigrated to different countries and it was really interesting unfortunately it was three staircases so I only did one floor.

As we were driving through this lovely city we saw all kinds of things it was truly a nice city.

Our last stop was Dr. Tea tea shop.  where I had to finally use the rest room and of course it was a hole in the ground but this one had a flush.  Went into the little room they jammed the 28 of us, Bill had gone ahead to get a seat thank goodness he was on a long bench the chairs were like something the kids use!  I posted a picture.  We watched the ceremony of washing the tea leaves with boiling water and making the tea.  They served us 4 different types of tea I did not buy any as I bought some in Hong Kong and these were much more expensive.  The only thing if you bought tea you got a Pee Pee Boy.  I am not kidding  it is a terra cotta like little boy you pour the hot water on his head and he pees.  I really wanted to buy one figured the kids would get a kick out of it.  A few of us wanted one but they would only sell it with the tea!  So no Pee Pee Boy.  I am attaching a copy of the paper they gave us with instructions on how to make tea and all about the Pee Pee Boy because I know you.  You are all saying “She’s making this up”.

It was then back home to the ship where I am resting because we have a cocktail party this evening with our Travel Agent.  Wish Violet and Jackie were here they did so much for us to get this cruise done but I will meet some others from Cruise Professionals.  Then we have dinner and after dinner tonight is the “Lucky Fortune Fair” for an evening of fun, food and games around the Neptune Pool.  So I will post about that tomorrow.  Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day here as we are a day ahead and a sea day so there are all kinds of things planned!

Stay tuned.

Or as they say on the Soap Operas.  Tune in tomorrow for another chapter of How the boat floats!!!!!

Tea making instructions nd how to use PEE PEE BOY

Replica of ships Chinese immigrants came over in

Little chairs that they sat on