Before the Cruise...

We are getting more used to the holiday schedule here in China.  And having a sister with the BYU Kennedy Center teachers gives us an in with the tours they plan for those holidays.  So off we went to Chongqing (used to be called Chungking) for the Tomb-sweeping holiday, April 4.

And true to Chinese fashion, in order to make more of a single day, the government declares a 3-day holiday but two of those days have to be made up on the next Saturday and Sunday. 

  

 In theTianjin airport (which is a nice airport, by the way), I wondered what was exactly meant by "kiss n bake"?  Kiss the proprietor, and she'll bake cookies for you?

 It's a bit over 2 hours' flight to Chongqing, but what a difference!  

Tianjin was still just thinking about spring coming, but it was already well under way in Chongqing.

I love spring breaks that actually help you enjoy spring.

Next to our hotel was an elementary school.  Chinese students gather for exercising instead of recess.

There is music and they sing along and do calisthenics, and their rows are absolutely straight!

These kids were SO cute! 

 We went a day early to do a bit of exploring on our own before the cruise began.

We rode the subway (6 RMB a ticket=$1.00) and visited a very old Buddhist Temple.

The old architecture amidst a very young and vibrant city was such a stark contrast;

wood versus glass and steel.  

 In one section of the temple, I was startled to see this emblem.

Then I began to realize it was incorporated a lot in the Buddhist themes.

Someone said it isn't the same as a swastika--it's pointing a different direction.

 Kevin certainly seemed to enjoy the holiday, to Alice's chagrin.

Chongqing was the home base of the Flying Tigers, a World War II group of volunteer pilots who flew supplies in to help the Chinese fight against the Japanese, and they flew in over "The Hump"--the Himalayan mountains!  It was daring and dangerous.  An average of 15 planes a month were lost.

Kevin decided that he looks like General Stilwell. 

 And who would have thought that we'd find U.S. Army jeeps in China?

 Then we went to a market area next to another Buddhist temple.

I couldn't get the little boy to look at me, but I loved the child seat!

 We stocked up on some nuts and other snacks for the cruise,

and for 3 RMB (about 45 cents), Alice got a dense cotton candy flying saucer-looking thing.

Our cruise began at 8:30 pm, so we had a nice Chinese meal arranged by the tour,

and looked around downtown.  Alice mentioned wanting to see New York City someday,

and we said "it isn't be very much different from what you are looking at right now."