Day 6: Tourist Attractions

No adoption activity today either. But, our guide planned a big day of tourist activities for us and the Stewarts (Robin, Zoe and Poppy).

We started out at the Six Banyan Tree Buddhist Temple. In addition to being interesting from an historical and architectural perspective, it is also an active temple. While we where there they had a "service" which started with a couple of hundred monks and followers chanting as they walked through the temple grounds single file into a main gathering building.

In the hall of the three giant Buddhas (about 15 ft tall) Amy talked to the master who agreed to do a blessing on us and the babies. And even though it is not our faith and tradition, we felt it was a special cultural opportunity and a way to honor her birth culture. This was most confidently not a tourist blessing, because a couple of local women also got in the act and had the master bless several jade pendants during the same ceremony.

We went around the wooden gate and knelt in front of the Buddhas. The master quietly chanted a few lines then sprinkled water from a leaf onto each of our heads. We bowed and that was it.

Next we went to a fancy Tea House where we had a tea-tasting, much like wine tasting in Napa. The hostesses and our guide explained the different types of tea and different qualities. As you can imagine, Kelsey was in paradise and I knew this visit would set us back a bit financially. Outside the tea house we walked through the Bonsai Garden.

We had lunch at Hong Xing Seafood restaurant where Amy had reserved a private dining room for our group. Entering the restaurant we ordered lunch from the many tanks of live fish and sea creatures as well as glass cases of other dishes. Then went up to the private room, complete with private restroom attached.

The only disappointment of the day was the Trade Fair Market. Amy had touted it as a good place to get good Chinese arts and crafts, jade and porcelain. We bought some things and then found nearly everything for 1/4th the price outside our hotel. I think Amy gets a commission for bringing people there, so I don't mind too much.

I went to the gym for the first time in three weeks in my ongoing preparations for the Tour of Anchorage in March. It's hard to believe I signed up for that now that Keira is with us. But, a commitment is a commitment. "Tally-Ho!"

We decided to give Keira a bath which went off without much excitement. She was not fussy about it at all.

On our way to dinner we took our clothes to Dong and his wife. They own one of the teeny, tiny shops outside the hotel (see yesterday's blog). Dong, like all the shopkeepers will do your laundry. So we dropped ours off with him.

Saw lots police on the streets tonight; then noticed many, many more locals in and around the hotel. When we came back in from dinner the hotel was PACKED with people. There had been some sort of Christmas Banquet or Fair or something in the hotel. By the number of people on the street and in the hotel I'd guess a couple of thousand people were there for it. Locals in the hotel were taking pictures with their kids by the Christmas decorations - very cute.