China Day 6 -- Ghost City of Fengdu

Our last day on the Yangtze was my favorite and most everyone else's least favorite. We had a morning excursion to the Ghost City of Fengdu and after that, well nothing. Lots of free time to do, well nothing until dinner and the talent show. Having no real or imagined talent myself, I didn't need to spend a lot of time practicing my singing or dancing, or whatever it is that talented people do before a show.

I have lots of free time to hang out on our little deck and watch the Yangtze go by. Actually I saw this guy go by. Interesting. The river is full of full-sized barges, cruise ships, and zillions of sampans. This guys grabs his inner tube, two sticks for paddles, and of course the flag of mainland China.

By the way, I should point out that if you go to China, do not wear Crocs. Our friends John and Julie, who previously took this tour, gave us excellent info on every stop and city. They gave us wine, dinner, slides, and a perfectly accurate explanation of what to expect. One small problem: they said nothing about wearing Crocs, my beloved goofy shoes.

Here's why: This is the reaction of the Chinese people when they see white people wearing Crocs. All 1.3 billion people had the same reaction. Every time.

On to Fengdu!

We board the bus and head for the Ghost City of Fengdu. The city was depicted as the 'City of Ghosts' in two ancient, classic Chinese works. The origin of the town's extraordinary reputation can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.) when two officials, Yin and Wang, became Taoist recluses here and eventually Immortals. Their two names combined sound like "King of Hell."

The ghostly town has many Hellish paintings and torture scenarios. I loved it. Devils and goblins were everywhere.

There are two ways to get up the mountain into the city. Walking 1000 steps in the 1000 degree heat, or sit in cool comfort.

Keep in mind that one must follow the rules carefully before boarding the chairlift. And, of course the signs in China are always clear. I worried about #1.

Lots of cool things are in Fengdu. One of my favorites was the "Big Head."

Also, we are doing our roof at home to look like this.

The Chinese love roofs, doorways, thresholds, gates, and walkways. Short on dragons this month? Just use cranes.

Check out the temples. This is what really makes the Ghost City so interesting.

Gateway to the world. Walk through...

...and look down....

One last look at the cool stuff in Fengdu!

She says, "Hello, hello, money, money, one dollah!"

I say, "Hey kid, beat it."

She says, "Look pal, buy my crummy little map or I will kick you in the knee. You see this face? You think I'm kidding?"

I say, "Hey Lisa! Check out the cool map I bought!"

Speaking of Lisa...I later learn from our tour guide that the ubiquitous fans are "for ladies only." A male who uses them is considered a "playboy," an effeminate and lazy person.

I'm ok with that and bought several. These portable air conditioners really saved our lives in the high heat and humidity. The Chinese claim to have invented fans. More than 3,000 years ago, fans were made with bird's feathers and were an outstanding characteristic in imperial pomp. They added gracefulness and charm to court dancers, who achieved the appearance of heavenly phoenixes. Hey whatever...just keep 'em going...I'm hot.

Typical shot seen all over China: cute kid, proudly displayed by Grandma while the parents are off working.

After dinner, everyone played a game called "Put-five-ounces-of-Superglue-on-your-hands-and-affix-yourself-to-another-person."

I can't figure out why Lisa is so happy here. We have to pack up and fly out in the morning. I am sad to leave the river.

So long, Yangtze.