Sullivans' Travels

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China 2010

Aug 31, 2010 - Sep 13, 2010
My cousin moved to China for her husband's job and I knew right then that we would be going to China!!
Our first foray into Asia...how could I pass up this opportunity?!
Our first stop was Suzhou (about an hour and a half west of Shanghai) to spend 4 days with my cousin and her family. They showed us around their lovely town and also the beautiful water town of Tongli. We had a great time with them and learning what life is like for expats living in China.
We said good bye to them and next it was on to the fascinating and bustling city of Beijing for 5 nights. It goes without saying that one of the highlights here was our day hiking on the Great wall of China at Mutianyu! You hear about it all your life and then to actually BE on the Great Wall is breath-taking!
We LOVED exploring Beijing! Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, getting lost in the interesting, authentic ancient hutong neighborhoods and the beautiful, serene and entertaining parks, where we watched Beijingers play, exercise and relax in the calm oasis amongst the hub-bub of a city with 20 million people! The temples, the food, the $10 foot massages!!! We had a blast exploring this captivating city!
Next it was on the the province of Sichuan in the west to Chengdu, home of the giant pandas! It was my dream to see them up close and maybe even get to HOLD one....which we did! What a thrill that was! To get to touch such a beloved and rare creature! We only had a short time here, but got a taste of another bustling city...Chengdu has a population of over 10 million!
So, up until this point we had 10 awesome days and still on the agenda was the countryside of Yangshuo and the modern, global city of Shanghai to wrap up our trip.
But, unfortunately, I came down with a pretty bad food-borne illness and due to a separate serious health condition I have, we decided it was safest to cut the trip short and return home 3 days early.
We were naturally disappointed but knew it was best and could only look back with sheer joy at all the wonderful experiences we had during those marvelous 10 days! We got to see so many wondrous sights and do so many amazing things...and we'll have incredible memories to last a lifetime!
So, these are some of the photos that capture the wonder of China as we experienced it.
Hope you enjoy them!
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  • My cousin Paige welcomed us to her home in Suzhou where they showed us around for a few days.

    My cousin Paige welcomed us to her home in Suzhou where they showed us around for a few days.

  • A rainy morning exploring Suzhou temples.

    A rainy morning exploring Suzhou temples.

  • Jinli Lake, Suzhou

    Jinli Lake, Suzhou

  • Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou

    Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou

  • Just one of the many good signs we saw while in China

    Just one of the many good signs we saw while in China

  • Sometimes the translation just doesn't come out right :)

    Sometimes the translation just doesn't come out right :)

  • Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou

    Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou

  • Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou

    Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou

  • Ruiguang Pagoda
Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou

    Ruiguang Pagoda Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou

  • Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou

    Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou

  • Humble Administrator's Garden
Suzhou

    Humble Administrator's Garden Suzhou

  • Humble Administrator's Garden
Suzhou

    Humble Administrator's Garden Suzhou

  • Humble Administrator's Garden
Suzhou

    Humble Administrator's Garden Suzhou

  • Humble Administrator's Garden
Suzhou

    Humble Administrator's Garden Suzhou

  • Beautiful lotus flower

    Beautiful lotus flower

  • Typical scene in new Suzhou

    Typical scene in new Suzhou

  • The huge Auchan supermarket in Suzhou!
There were 110 checkout aisles...no kidding!!!

    The huge Auchan supermarket in Suzhou! There were 110 checkout aisles...no kidding!!!

  • Some of the selection in the meat section of the supermarket...eewwww!

    Some of the selection in the meat section of the supermarket...eewwww!

  • Tongli Town, outside Suzhou.
An age-old but very well preserved water township with a history of more than 1,000 years.

    Tongli Town, outside Suzhou. An age-old but very well preserved water township with a history of more than 1,000 years.

  • Tongli

    Tongli

  • Untitled photo
  • Tongli

    Tongli

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    Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou
    Ruiguang Pagoda
Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou
    Panmen Scenic Area, Suzhou