 |
|
|
Tibet 2008: Spiritual Roots and Natural Wonders
An amazing itinerary! Why just follow the bus-tour masses when you can enjoy an exclusive Jensen Tours adventure with a small group of friends?!
On this trip, you will experience the surprising diversity of Tibet’s spiritual and natural heritage. We will see Lhasa and Potala Palace, of course but will also explore many of the most ancient and sacred sites in other parts of Tibet. Don’t be satisfied with anything less!
Tentative departure: May 9 to May 24, 2008* (Ask about other dates and specialized itineraries for your private group of family or friends!)
Est. cost: $2985 (including ALL hotels, guides, most meals and ALL air and land travel costs inside China!! – excluding international airfare)
(Cost is based on 11 to 15 participants, double occupancy-for a group of 10 or fewer, the cost may increase. However, SPECIAL GROUP RATES ARE AVAILABLE if you have 5 or more persons for any JENSEN TOURS group!)
(Single supplement: est. $540)
*(Check with us about other dates for your group. See optional travel extensions at the end of the itinerary.)
TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
Potala Palace, Lhasa
May 9: depart USA.
Beijing to Lhasa. In 2006, the world celebrated the advent of one of the most fascinating technological marvels of the new millennium a train to Lhasa at altitudes that seemed impossible in the past in some places above 15,000 feet!! Not only was new mechanical technology necessary for the train itself, but it also required the construction of the world’s highest tracks and tunnels through some of the world’s most beautiful and forbidding landscapes! Visitors from all parts of the globe have come to marvel at this achievement, and now we will experience it ourselves!! We will travel through some of the world’s most spectacular scenery: from the comfort of this state-of-the-art train, we will see astonishing vistas in the mountains and highlands of Tibet and Qinghai Province.
Day 1: [May 10]: Arrive in Beijing. Transfer to train for departure to Tibet (D)
Days 1-3: [May 10-12]: Travel from Beijing to Lhasa. In the sleeper berths, you will catch up on your rest as we sail through the night. By morning we will be traveling past Xi’an in Shaanxi Province. During the day we will head west through Gansu Province and fly into the vastness of Qinghai past lakes, plains and deserts toward our destination. By the second morning, we will be turning south, rising toward the “rooftop of the world.” On this day, our fantastic journey will take us through the remote landscapes of the Qinghai/Tibet highlands. We will cross broad, winding rivers and glimpse glacier-capped peaks. As we cross into Tibet we will also pass the world’s highest railway station at an altitude of more than 15,000 feet! (For anybody who needs help with adjusting to these altitudes, there will be oxygen available.) Across the permafrost of the high plateau, we will press on through the wide expanses of the sparse desert grasslands where rare, protected Tibetan antelope can sometimes be seen against the background of snowy plains and peaks. Finally, we will descend past small cultivated plots of barley past farmers and their yaks into Lhasa Valley where Potala Palace perches above the city. (B, L, D on train)
Note: Although we do not anticipate any difficulties, the popularity of the new train and the complexities of the reservation system are challenging. In case of unexpected difficulties, we will arrange flights from Beijing through Chengdu to Lhasa.
 
Qinghai/Tibet Railway on the high plateau — Highest railway altitude at Tangla Mts
Lhasa. Lhasa is the exotic and beautiful capital of Tibet, the rooftop of the world. In the vastness of the Tibetan plateau and among many of the highest peaks in the world, it is possible to
experience the history and customs of the ethnic Tibetan nomads, the distant monasteries, and the rich beauty of the mountains. Here you can witness the spiritual traditions, the arts and crafts and the gentle humanity of the Tibetan people.
Day 3: [May 12] Arrive at the Lhasa airport and transfer into the hotel. (Hotel in Lhasa)
Day 4: [May 13] Today, you will get acclimatized to the altitude here in the Tibetan highlands. It is recommended that you take it easy and let your body adjust. Of course, here in Lhasa and at any place during our stay in Tibet there will be oxygen available if your body needs a boost. If you are feeling up to some exertion, you can opt to visit a nearby monastery, such as Sera or Drepung, or you can walk in the park near the base of Potala Palace, or shop at the market stalls and shops in the old city. (B) (Hotel in Lhasa)
 
Jokhang Temple with view to Potala — Barkhor market
Day 5: [May 14] The entire day will be spent getting acquainted with the city of Lhasa. Here we can visit some of the most sacred sites of Tibetan Buddhism and can contrast those traditions with modern Lhasa growing up around them. We will visit the Potala Palace, once home to the Dalai Lamas and one of the centers of government and religious authority in Tibet for more than 1300 years. Nearby are the ancient alleyways of the Barkhor neighborhood and market where all manner of traditional goods are for sale and where colorful Tibetan pilgrims converge from all points of the compass to visit one of the most sacred places in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple. You will want to join them on their rounds through the temple where you can feel their intense faith, and you will certainly want to walk the kora, the pilgrimage route around the temple, with them. Jokang was built in the 7th century to receive a gold statue of Buddha, a dowry of the Chinese Princess Wencheng, who became one of the most storied and beloved women in Tibetan history after she arrived in Lhasa to be married to the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. (B, L, D) (Hotel in Lhasa)
Kham (Eastern Tibet). The “Land of Four Rivers and Six Ranges” is really a world apart! The landscape, climate, people and the flora and fauna lend this region a sense of uniqueness. We
will spend several days in the Kongpo Region, which is culturally, ecologically and even linguistically quite distinct from other parts of Tibet and which, for many centuries, kept its independence even from the rulers in Central Tibet. The local costumes, the most sacred sites of the native Tibetan Bön religion, the lush forests, deep canyons, alpine lakes and towering peaks will envelope us in a magical atmosphere, not found elsewhere. In the remoteness of these mountains, the Yarlung-Tsangpo River cuts through one of the world’s deepest chasms and turns south towards India, where it is known as the mighty Brahmaputra.
Day 6: [May 15] The previous day will only whet your appetite for Lhasa’s fascinating sights and people. We will depart for other adventures, but we will return again to Lhasa to give us time for personal exploration of the city’s exotic charm. We will head east from Lhasa to arrive via the Tibet/Sichuan highway in the Kongpo region. One of our first adventures will take us to Draksum-tsoalso known as Basong-tsoa beautiful alpine lake surrounded by peaks stretching heavenward to above 20,000 feet in height! In addition to the natural beauty of the lake, a highlight is a visit to the charming Tsodzong Monastery and one of its lovely chapels on an island just off shore. We will proceed to the base for our stay in Kongpo near the small village of Nyingtri. (B, L, D) (Hotel in Nyingtri)
 
Tsodzong Monastery on Draksum-tso — 2500-year-old cypress trees
Day 7: [May 16] Though Nyingtri is only a small town, it is one of the most important
centers of the native Tibetan religion Bön which antedated the arrival of Buddhism from India. Above the town is Bön’s most sacred mountain, Bönri, where the legendary founder of the religion, Tonpa Shenrab, is believed to have defeated his foes. Nearby Bön monasteries, such as Neche Goshog and Yungdrungling will introduce us the tenets and practice of this ancient faith. We can learn how Bön influenced the development of the Tibetan branch of Buddhism and how these faiths cross-fertilized in developing their beliefs and practices. The Bön faithful come to this region from far and wide, and we can observe how their practices differ from those of Buddhists as we join them on their processions around their sacred sites. -In this area, we can also see some of the wonders of the areas unique and sometimes lush flora, including massive cypress and juniper trees, believed to be about 2,500 years old. (B, L, D) (Hotel in Nyingtri)
Day 8: [May 17] From the Kongpo region, we will return to Lhasa for an overnight stay on our way to the South and Southeast for our further adventures. (B, L, D) (Hotel in Lhasa)
The Yarlung-Tsangpo Valley. This region is the heartland of old Tibetan culture and especially of Tibetan Buddhism. The river nourished the early tribal cultures as it meandered through the valley. In the 6th century, the Yarlung Valley kings conquered and unified the Tibetan plateau and then settled in Lhasa from where they ruled for the next several centuries. Although there was massive damage to many of the sacred sites here during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, other monasteries and temples survived and many have been lovingly restored by the
Tibetan people.
Yumbulagang fortress
Day 9: [May 18] From Lhasa we will travel through the mountains and along the Tsangpo River. We will visit the spectacularly located Yumbulagang fortress, high above the Yarlung Valley. It is reputed to be the oldest building in Tibet, and commands a view of the entire region. In Nedong, now part of the town of Tsetang, we will settle into our hotel. (B, L, D) (Hotel in Nedong)
A chˆrten at Samye Monastery
Day 10: [May 19] Today we will visit one of the deservedly most famous monasteries in Tibet: Samye. It has a 1200-year-long history and was the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet, founded shortly after the mid-8th century. The first 7 Tibetan monks were ordained here, and Indian and Chinese scholars were invited here to assist in translating the Buddhist texts into Tibetan. In about the year 790, it was the site of the Great Debate of Samye, which pitted Indian-oriented and Chinese-oriented Buddhist scholars against one another and helped to determine the unique direction of Tibetan Buddhism. The layout of the Samye Monastery is particularly fascinating: it was constructed in the form of a gigantic mandala, a representation of the universe according to Buddhist teaching, and it will envelop us in the history, art, and iconography of Tibetan tradition. -If weather and time permit, we can drive up the Chongye Valley, surrounded by rugged peaks, to the site of the Tombs of the Kings, massive burial mounds of at least 10 of the original Yarlung kings, most of which pre-dated the ascent of Buddhism in Tibet. The most revered is the Tomb of Songtsen Gampo, the great 7th-century king whose marriage to wives from Nepal and from China paved the way for the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet. (B, L, D) (Hotel in Nedong)
Tsang Province. Over many centuries, political and religious dominance of the Tibetan Plateau shifted back and forth between Lhasa and this region to the west. This area and in particular,
Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse is the traditional home of the Panchen lamas, who competed for influence with the Dalai lamas in Lhasa, and who have been among the most revered Tibetan leaders for many centuries. The dry, high desert mountains and valleys, dotted
with small barley farmers’ fields and nomads with their yaks give this region a powerful and massive feel.
Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse
Day 11: [May 20] Today, we will explore Shigatse. This is the second largest city in Tibet, and is filled with activity. Particularly fascinating is the 15th-century Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas and the site of their burial stupas. It is therefore one of the most important sacred sites in Tibet. Here you will learn more about the history of the great Panchen and Dalai Lamas and their roles in traditional and modern history. You may want to join the pilgrims as they circle the monastery and explore the temple halls and passageways. You can also join pilgrims on the kora path around the monastery and on the hills above it. This will take you to the white tower from which enormous, colorful sacred pictures thangkasare hung during religious festivals. (B, L, D) (Hotel in Shigatse)
Approaching the great Kumbum at Gyantse
Day 12: [May 21] Gyantse is located in the Nyang-chu Valley, one of the most fertile in this stark desert region of Tsang Province. As in many parts of timber-poor highland Tibet, yak and cow dung patties are dried in the sun on the walls of the farmhouse compounds for use as fuel. This is an area in which polyandry (marriage of 1 woman to several husbands) is still widely practiced in the countryside. Gyantse had an important historical role especially in the 14th and 15th centuriesÖas a crossroads of the trade routes between Lhasa and Shigatse to the North and West and Bhutan and India to the South. During that period, Pelkor Choede Monastery was built, including its most famous structure, the Kumbum: we will join the faithful circling this, the largest chörten (or stupa) in Tibet. Unlike most stupas, this massive tiered structure contains a maze of chapels inside. You can circle through them as you climb to the roof for a view over the temple complex and the old city, and, here beneath the gold dome at the top of the structure, four sets of painted eyes gaze across the landscape. At this monastery, dogs typically laze in the courtyard, where they are always welcomed, based on the tradition that, after death, bad monks are reincarnated as dogs. -Return to Lhasa. (B, L, D) (Hotel in Lhasa)
NOTE: Anyone who chooses to make an optional 3-day trip to Mount Everest Base Camp, will depart from Shigatse, instead of returning to Lhasa! See details below for “Option 1″ details.
Monks “debating” at Drepung Monastery
Day 13: [May 22] Free day in Lhasa. Take the time to wander and shop and sightsee around Lhasa. You may want to explore Drepung Monastery where for centuries successive Dalai Lamas were trained. If you are fortunate, you may witness the monks at their afternoon “debating” in the courtyards of Sera Monastery or at Drepung. The gardens and historic rooms of Norbu Lingka, the Dalai Lama’s summer palace may entice you. Or you may want to simply wander the streets and markets with the pilgrims and visitors. (B)
Day 14: [May 23] Flight from Lhasa to Beijing. (B) (Hotel in Beijing)
Day 15: [May 24] Return to the US.
NOTE-BEIJING OPTION: An extension in Beijing is possible. You may extend your stay in Beijing for 1 or 2 days before returning to the US. We will arrange for an excellent hotel and for guided tours of the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and other sights. See below for “Option 2″ details.
“OPTION 1″
4-DAY EXTENSION to Mt. Everest (Chomolongma):
See note on Day 12 of the above itinerary!
Chomolungma (Mt. Everest)
Extension day 1: [May 22] Travel from Shigatse to Tingri. (B, L, D) (Hotel in Tingri)
Extension day 2: [May 23] Today we will hope for clear weather as we approach the most highest, and in many ways most revered, mountain in the world…Everest (Chomolungma to the Tibetans). We will over the Gyamtso La Pass to the town of Tingri, where we will change our mode of transportation. In small vehicles we will drive into the nature reserve set up to protect the most spectacular mountain environment in the world here at the heart of the Himalayas. We will pass mountain farms and nomads driving herds of yaks. Our goals are the small Rongbu MonasteryÖthe world’s highestÖand the Everest Base Camp at the foot of Rongbu Glacier. From here we will hope for a clear view of Chomolungma. Towering over the Sino-Nepal border with an elevation of nearly 8,850 meters (about 29,035 feet), it is the highest peak in the world. But it is not alone! Within a 20 km radius, five of the 14 highest peaks in the world (each with an elevation of over 8,000 meters) reach into the heavens. After our exploration, we will return to Tingri to spend the night. (B, L, D) (Hotel in Tingri)
Extension day 3: [May 24] Long day’s return journey back to Lhasa. (B, L, D) (Hotel in Lhasa)
Extension day 4: [May 25] Flight from Lhasa to Beijing. (B)
PLEASE NOTE:
This trip to the Mount Everest region is long and strenuous! You should only consider it if you are in very good physical health. Even those in good health may react negatively to the high altitudesÖat some places in excess of 17,000 feet! Although the trip will be undertaken by vehicleÖno overland trekking will be involved!…it may still be physically difficult for some people.
The day-trip from Tingri to Everest Base Camp and back is slow travel over largely unimproved dirt roads. Much of the trip is on narrow switchbacks up and down precipitous slopes and over high passes. (The government has announced road improvements; however, as of summer 2007, there were no paved roads beyond Tingri, and many parts of the road were ungraded, bumpy and steep.)
There are no guarantees concerning the weather! Given the condition of the roads, the time at the Base Camp area will be limited. If the weather is clear, of course, the view of Everest and her sister peaks is one of the most spectacular mountainscapes in the world. It is also possible that clouds may come in and obscure the peaks completely. The months of April and May are typically one of the best times for viewing the mountains, but the conditions are always unstable.
“OPTION 2″
1- or 2-day stay in Beijing
See note on Day 15 of the itinerary!
Beijing. The capital city of China is one of the most historicÖand at the same time one of the most modernÖcities in China. We will only have time to unwind from the international flight and
enjoy a meal and a night’s rest…but you may choose to extend your stay here at the end of the trip to visit the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Tian’anmen Square and other gems of China’s past and present.
Extension: Transfer flights for departure from Beijing to the USA(B) Or you can extend your China stay for a few days. If you wish, we will arrange for an excellent hotel and for guided tours of the main sights. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the hutong neighborhoods, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and Tian’anmen Square are just a few of the things Beijing has to offer.
The Great Wall at Badaling, near Beijing
|
|
|
China 2008: A New and Ancient World
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
China 2008: A New and Ancient World
Our most diverse and exciting itinerary yet! Why just follow the bus-tour masses when you can enjoy an exclusive Jensen Tours adventure?!
On this trip, you will see China’s highlights, but you will also seek out some of its most enticing byways with a very small group of like-minded explorers and with our local Chinese friends. Don’t be satisfied with anything less!
Tentative departure: April 11, 2008 (Ask about other dates and specialized itineraries for your private group of family or friends!)
Est. cost: $2955 (includes ALL hotels and land costs, most meals and SIX flights inside China!!-excluding international airfare)
(Cost is based on 11 to 15 participants, double occupancy-for a group of 10 or fewer, the cost may increase. However, SPECIAL GROUP RATES ARE AVAILABLE if you have 5 or more persons for any JENSEN TOURS group!)
(Single supplement: est. $540.)
*(Optional extensions in Shanghai and Suzhou are possible. See details below.)
TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
Beijing: Here the new and ancient worlds collide. Amid the bustle of a vast and modern city, there are some of the most astonishing and beautiful manifestations of the past. You will visit The Forbidden City to glimpse the opulent life and traditions of the Ming and later Qing emperors who ruled into the 20th century. Sacred sites, such as the Temple of Heaven or the Yong He Gong lamasery, will introduce you to some of the powerful spiritual traditions of Chinese culture. You will explore the narrow alleys of some of the old hutong neighborhoods and dine in style on delectable Beijing duck and other culinary specialties.
Day 1: depart USA (B, L, D on airplane)
Day 2: arrival-transfer to Wang Fu Jing Grand Hotel-welcome dinner. (D)
Day 3: Tian’anmen Square with Mao Memorial Mausoleum-the Forbidden City and Jing Shan Park-lunch-Temple of Heaven-hutong tour by pedicab-dinner of local Beijing specialties. (B, L, D)
Inside the Forbidden City in Beijing
Day 4: Morning trip to the Great Wall at Badaling-lunch-afternoon options: visit the Summer Palace or explore other sites your own, such as the Yong He Gong Lama Temple, Beihai Park, museums, galleries, markets, etc. (B, L, D)
The Great Wall at Badaling
Chengde: A real jewel, overlooked by most foreign tourists in favor of the sights in Beijing, Chengde was a sleepy village until just over 300 years ago, when Emperor Kangxi decided to build a summer villa in the mountains to escape the bustle and heat of the city. The charms of the hills, lakes and gardens were not lost on Kangxi’s successors, who were also interested in promoting Lamaism (Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhism) and who received envoys here from these far-flung tributaries of the empire. Therefore, samples of religious architecture from these ethnic regions were constructed on the hills around the palace compound. By the time the great emperor Qianlong completed his additions, the walled compound was bigger than Beijing’s Forbidden City and Summer Palace combined and was surrounded by a dazzling array of magnificent temples. We will stay in a charming, traditional-style courtyard hotel adjacent to Puning Monastery.
Day 5: Like the emperors, we will travel through farmlands and mountains to Chengde-lunch-visit the Imperial Mountain Villa, including royal apartments, lakes and gardens-dinner-overnight at Puning Hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 6: Visit Puning, The Temple of Universal Peace, built in 1755 as a replica of the Samye Monastery in Tibet. We will also visit the magnificent Putuozongchengzhimiao, also built in the 18th century as a copy of Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. From its rooftop we will have panoramic views of the mountains, fantastic rock formations and shrines that drew the Qing emperors to spend so much of their time here. Lunch. In the afternoon a pleasant hike or chairlift ride to Club Rock and Toad Rock, oddly shaped peaks towering over Pule Si, The Temple of Universal Happiness, will give us vistas over the palace and monasteries. In neighborhoods near our hotel, we can sometimes find evening gatherings of locals, engaged in community dances such as Yangge. (B, L, D)
Day 7: Morning return to Beijing airport for a midday flight to Xi’an. (B)
Xi’an: Long before Beijing became an important city, Xi’an was the center of the Chinese world for many centuries. It certainly rivaled Rome and Constantinople as the greatest and most cultured city in the world. It is the only large Chinese city with nearly intact city walls, which date originally from the Tang dynasty about 1500 years ago and were reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty. More than 2000 years ago, Emperor Qin Shihuang unified all China for the first time and ruled from here. (Film buffs should see Zhang Yimou’s movie Hero, which fictionalizes events surrounding the ascent of this emperor.) Near the mound covering his vast and still unexcavated tomb complex, a peasant digging a well in 1974 made one of the 20th century’s most important and amazing archeological discoveries-the buried army of at least 8,000 to 10,000 life-size warriors and horses, fashioned of terra cotta and outfitted with arms and even chariots.
Terra-cotta army on the march
Day 7: After our flight from Beijing to Xi’an we will transfer to our hotel in the lively center of the walled city near the Bell Tower and Drum Tower. From here, we will walk to the Great Mosque and explore the bustling surrounding market area. The Great Mosque, which is still an active place of worship, was built in Chinese architectural style and so does not resemble the common Western stereotypes of mosque architecture. Here we can gain some insight into the long and rich Muslim heritage in China. Nearby, we will enjoy a dinner of justly famous Xi’an dumplings, and will take an evening stroll around the fountains near the Big Goose Pagoda. (L, D)
Famous dumplings in Xi’an
Day 8: This morning we can explore the Shaanxi Museum, which houses a beautiful collection of art and artifacts from China’s many dynastic ages and will head out of the city to the highlight of Shaanxi Province archeology: Bingmayong, the terra-cotta army! This really is one of the wonders of the world, and we will learn much about Emperor Qin ShihuangÖabout his accomplishments, ruthlessness and legacy. Lunch. Transfer to the airport for a late afternoon flight to Guilin. (B, L)
Guilin: In and around Guilin, we will begin to experience the lush southern reaches of China. The entire region, especially along the Li River, is studded with incredible karst peaks which jut vertically from landscapes of rice paddies, scenic villages, and farmers driving their water buffalo ahead of them. At every turn, the scenes are like classic Chinese paintings, come to life. One day, we will also drive through the bamboo forests in the mountains to see amazing vistas of rice terraces like steps to the clouds and to visit some of the many ethnic minorities of the region such as the Zhuang, Dong and Miao people and especially the charming women of the Yao villages with floor-length hair and rich musical and handcraft traditions.
The fantastic landscape along the Li River, Guangxi Region
Day 8: Evening arrival from Xi’an-dinner and stroll around the lakes near the Guilin Park Hotel. (D)
Day 9: Today promises to be a highlight of our trip: a morning on the Li River, sailing on a small river cruise boat from Guilin to Yangshuo. We will pass through a surreal landscape of peaks and sheer rock walls draped with lush greenery. Whether the day provides stark sunshine or ethereal mist, every bend of the river reveals a fantasy world. Lunch on board. In the afternoon we will visit an ethnic village park for a ride in small boats past houses, gardens and fields. Villagers from local ethnic groups demonstrate handcrafts and provide entertainment. After dinner, you may choose to attend an optional evening of dance and acrobatics at a theater in Guilin. (B, L, D)
Long-haired Yao women
Day 10: All-day trip into another storybook region in Guangxi Province, near the town of Longji. The rugged mountains of the Dragon’s Backbone harbor tiny ethnic villages and picturesque rice terraces up to the mountain crests. If the weather is clear, we can ascend (on foot or by sedan chair!) to lookout points above the houses and fields, where we will also have lunch. Especially delightful are the long-haired Yao women, who can be persuaded to demonstrate their dancing and singing and to show off their amazing tresses. We will visit one of our favorite Yao villages, before returning to Guilin for dinner. (B, L, D)
Warm welcome in the Longji mountains
Day 11: Morning visit to scenic sites in Guilin, including Qixing Gongyuan Park, Elephant Hill, and the lakes and riverside of this charming city-lunch-afternoon flights via Kunming to Lijiang. (B, L, D)
Lijiang: Yunnan Province in the Southwest of China is amazingly varied. It includes many minority nationalities and vastly different landscapes, from jungles along the Burma border to high mountains near Tibet. It is impossible to see everything in one trip, but we will take time to explore carefully one of the most beautiful regions. Lijiang lies in the far northwest of the province and is the home of the Naxi people, an ancient and strongly matriarchal group descended from Tibetan tribes. The old city is a maze of winding, cobbled lanes, gushing canals, stone bridges and low-slung wood-and-tile houses. This area may have inspired the fictional “Shangri-La,” and you will venture out to see some of the towering peaks, deep valleys, and mountain meadows where yaks are the local livestock.
Day 11: Evening arrival at the Yulong Garden courtyard hotel, nestled in the edge of Lijiang’s Old Town.
Naxi traditional dancing in Lijiang
Day 12: To get acquainted with this amazing town, we will take a morning walking tour of the old city, including Sifang Jie (the old market square, where Naxi men and women gather daily to socialize and dance) and the Mu local chieftain residence. After a lunch of local food, we will visit Yuhu Naxi village and the former home of Joseph Rock (the famous and somewhat eccentric Austro-American botanist and explorer who stayed on and off in the Lijiang area from 1922 to 1949). Fortunately, little seems to have changed here since Joseph Rock left. If the weather is clear, a stroll from the old town to the park around Black Dragon pool will provide beautiful views to the surrounding mountains. You may want to attend an optional evening performance of Naxi ceremonial dancing and music, led by a dongba, a Naxi spiritual leader in full regalia. (B, L, D)
Naxi women’s social hour in Lijiang
Day 13: Today we will go to the high meadows around Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. If the skies are friendly, we can see the snow-capped peaks and glaciers. We will stop at the white water river, see herdsmen with their yaks, and take a lift to Dragon Spruce Meadow to enjoy the forest and mountain vistas. Lunch-then free time to explore the city, shop for handcrafts, and watch the Naxi people dance in the town squares. (B, L)
Dance performance in Lijiang
Day 14: For another mountain adventure, we will go to Tiger Leaping Gorge. After making its first bend, the Yangzi River (here called the Jinsha Jiang) rushes between peaks some 12,000 feet above it! Everywhere here are breathtaking views of one of the deepest chasms in China. Lunch-afternoon return to Lijiang. Free time for exploring and shopping in the old town. After dinner, you may choose to attend a charming dance performance at the local theater, celebrating the ethnic diversity of Yunnan Province. (B, L, D)
Day 15: Flights from Lijiang to Kunming to Shanghai for connection to the USA.
Shanghai Option: You may extend your stay for 1, 2, or several days in the amazing city of Shanghai. Once it was seen as the exotic, mysterious and lawless city of adventurers, gamblers, dandies, tycoons, missionaries, pimps and international intrigue. Now it is a stunning modern metropolis of skyscrapers and high finance, but it still retains some vestiges of its past. We will be happy to arrange for a hotel in the city center and will help you organize your time to enjoy this fascinating city. You may want to ascend to the top of the tallest buildings, take a cruise on the Huangpu River to see the stunning cityscapes, visit one of the most interesting museums in China, or go shopping in the maze of the Yu Garden market or in the modern malls!
Shanghai, Pudong District
Shanghai, Suzhou and Tongli Option (5-day extension with 3 nights in Shanghai and 2 nights in Suzhou): The first “Grand Canal” was in China, not in Venice! And it was really grand…almost 1800 kilometers linking Beijing in the North and the Hangzhou/Suzhou area in the Yangtze River delta! Parts were constructed already in the 5th century BC, but the major construction was a massive undertaking over less than 5 years at the beginning of the 7th century AD; it was refurbished again in the 13th century. This transportation route brought much wealth to trading and manufacturing centers, and Suzhou became one of the most elegant of those prosperous cities, praised by Marco Polo when he arrived in 1276. Like most of the area’s river cities and towns, it was laid out on a network of canals. The following centuries saw the height of Suzhou’s glory. As it became the leading silk producer in China, wealthy and talented people flocked there, constructing villas and beautiful private gardens for themselves. These classic Chinese gardens such as the Humble Administrator’s Garden are still among the highlights of the modern city. An interesting new feature is a nearby museum, designed for Suzhou by the famous Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei (Louvre pyramid, New Building of the National Gallery in Washington, etc.), who was born here in Suzhou and spent his childhood in these gardens, since one of the most famous was owned at the time by his grandfather.
On a quiet canal in Tongli
To get a feel for the water towns of an earlier age, we will spend a day at the nearby village of Tongli. In the heart of this village, little seems to have changed and we can explore the alleys, gardens and canals on foot and by boat…a romantic step back through the centuries. Shanghai will bring us back to the 21st century in a very big way! Although it is among the most populous cities in the world studded with skyscrapers in every direction Shanghai has also retained a sense of human scale. It is filled with lovely public spaces parks, squares and pedestrian areas. The old Western colonial buildings along the riverfront (the Bund) are integrated into the high-rise cityscape around them. It is a city that pulses with business during the day and with nightlife in the evening. You will enjoy the lights of Nanjing Road and of the Pudong district, one of the fastest growing forests of skyscrapers in the world. You can ponder Chinese art and history in one of China’s best museums, or you can shop in the markets and stores.
[Cost will depend on the number of participants.]
|
|
|
The Mystery of Tibet 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Mystery of Tibet 2007
Tentative departures: May 9 to May 24, 2007 *
Est. cost: $2395
(Including all hotels, land travel costs, guides, most meals and all flights inside China!! – Excluding international airfare)
(Cost is based on a group of 8 to 10 participants, double occupancy-Single supplement: est. $490.)
A two-week adventure for just a few good friends in Tibet and Sichuan Province! Also Beijing option.
*(An optional extension in Beijing is possible.)
TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
Potala Palace, Lhasa
May 9:: depart USA.
Beijing to Lhasa. In 2006, the world celebrated the advent of one of the most fascinating technological marvels of the new millenniumÖa train to Lhasa at altitudes that seemed impossible in the pastÖin some places above 16,000 feet!! Not only was new mechanical technology necessary for the train itself, but it also required the construction of the world’s highest tracks and tunnels through some of the world’s most beautiful and forbidding landscapes! Visitors from all parts of the globe have come to marvel at this achievement, and now we will experience it ourselves!! We will travel through some of the world’s most spectacular scenery: from the comfort of this state-of-the-art train, we will see astonishing vistas in the mountains and highlands of Tibet and Qinghai Province.
May 10: Arrive in Beijing. Transfer to train for departure to Tibet (D)
May 10-12: Travel from Beijing to Lhasa. In the sleeper berths, you will catch up on your rest as we sail through the night. By morning we will be traveling past Xi’an in Shaanxi Province. During the day we will head west through Gansu Province and fly into the vastness of Qinghai past lakes, plains and deserts toward our destination. By the second morning, we will be turning south, rising toward the “rooftop of the world.” On this day, our fantastic journey will take us through the remote and stunning landscapes of the Qinghai/Tibet highlands. We will cross broad, winding rivers and pass through gorges surrounded by glacier-capped peaks. As we cross into Tibet we will also reach the world’s highest railway station at an altitude of more than 16,600 feet! (For anybody who needs help with adjusting to these altitudes, there will be oxygen available.) Across the permafrost of the high plateau, we will press on through the grasslands where rare, protected Tibetan antelope can sometimes be seen and which are surrounded by the astonishing peaks of the Himalayas. We will cross the final mountains into Lhasa valley where Potala Palace perches above the city.
Qinghai/Tibet Railway on the high plateau — Highest railway altitude at Tangla Mts
Lhasa. Lhasa is the exotic and beautiful capital of Tibet, the rooftop of the world. In the vastness of the Tibetan plateau and among many of the highest peaks in the world, it is possible to experience the history and customs of the ethnic Tibetan nomads, the distant monasteries, and the rich beauty of the mountains. Here you can witness the spiritual traditions, the arts and crafts and the gentle humanity of the Tibetan people.
May 12: Arrive at the Lhasa train station and transfer into the hotel.
May 13: Today you will get acclimatized to the altitude here in the Tibetan highlands. It is recommended that you take it easy and let your body adjust. Of course, here in Lhasa and at any place during our stay in Tibet there will be oxygen available if your body needs a boost. (B, L, D)
Jokhang Temple with view to Potala — Barkhor market
May 14: The entire day will be spent getting acquainted with the city of Lhasa. We will visit the Potala Palace, once home to the Dalai Lamas and the center of government and religious authority in Tibet for more than 1300 years. Nearby, are the ancient alleyways of the Barkhor neighborhood and market where all manner of traditional goods are for sale and where colorful Tibetan pilgrims converge from all points of the compass to visit one of the most sacred places in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple. You will want to join them on their rounds through the temple and feel their intense faith. Jokang was built in the 7th century to receive a gold statue of Buddha, a dowry of the Chinese Princess Wencheng, who became one of the most storied and beloved women in Tibetan history after she arrived in Lhasa to be married to the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. (B, L, D)
May 15: The previous day will only whet your appetite for Lhasa’s fascinating sights and people. We will depart for other adventures, but we will return again to Lhasa to give us time for personal exploration of the city’s exotic charm. This morning we will leave on our journey heading south and west over Kambala Pass to the glistening magnificence of Yamdrok Lake. Then we will press on past glaciers, snowcapped peaks and over mountain passes to Gyantse. There we will join the faithful circling the great stupa of Kumbum at Pelkor Choede Monastery. From here we will press on to the market town of Shigatse to spend the night. (B, L, D)
Chomolungma (Mt. Everest)
May 16: Today we will hope for clear weather as we approach the most highest, and in many ways most revered, mountain in the world…Everest (Chomolungma to the Tibetans). We will over the Gyamtso La Pass to the town of Tingri, where we will change our mode of transportation. In small vehicles we will drive into the nature reserve set up to protect the most spectacular mountain environment in the world here at the heart of the Himalayas. Our goals are the small Rongbu MonasteryÖthe world’s highestÖand the Everest Base Camp at the foot of Rongbu Glacier. From here we will hope for a bird’s eye view of Chomolungma. Towering over the Sino-Nepal border with an elevation of 8,848.13 meters, it is the highest peak in the world. And it is not alone. Within a 20 km radius, five of the 14 highest peaks in the world (each with an elevation of over 8,000 meters) reach into the heavens. After our exploration, we will return to Tingri to spend the night. (B, L, D)
Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse
May 17: We will return to Shigatse, where we will have more time to enjoy the town and its history. This is the second largest city in Tibet, and is filled with activity. Particularly fascinating is the 15th-century Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas and therefore one of the most important sacred sites in Tibet. You may want to join the pilgrims as they circle the monastery and explore the temple halls and passageways
May 18: Return from Shigatse to Lhasa. (B, L, D)
May 19: Drive to Namtso the world’s highest salt lake where sapphire water is surrounded by vistas of peaks. The 5 small islands in the lake are believed to be incarnations of the Buddha of Five Directions, and Buddhist pilgrims come from all parts of Tibet to walk the circuit around the lake. On the return to Lhasa, we will visit the Yangbajing hot springs, surrounded by a surprising oasis in the barren plateau. A thermal plant now generates much of Lhasa’s power needs here but the bubbling springs, spouts and geysers are also a favorite stop for bathers. (B, L, D)
Monks “debating” at Drepung Monastery
May 20: Free day. Take the time to wander and shop and sightsee around Lhasa. You may want to explore Drepung Monastery where for centuries successive Dalai Lamas were trained. The gardens and historic rooms of Norbu Lingka, the Dalai Lama’s summer palace may entice you. Or you may want to simply wander the streets and markets with the pilgrims and visitors. (B)
Chengdu. The capital of Sichuan province is one of the most vibrant cities in western China. We can enjoy some of the city bustle and also get away to scenic spots away from the urban area. From here we will visit the Great Buddha at Leshan, an astonishing 8th-century sculptural and engineering feat, some 230 feet tall and other scenic and historic sights. We can also visit the panda research center to see where scientists are trying to protect and breed both greater and lesser pandas which are at home in the regions mountains.
May 21: Arrive in Chengdu. Spicy Sichuan cuisine is world-famous, and we won’t miss teasing our palates with the rich flavors that are so unique here we will enjoy dinner and an evening introduction to the city. (B, L, D)
The Great Buddha at Leshan
May 22: Drive to Leshan where the Great Buddha and other shrines are carved into the native stone above the confluence of three rivers. From a boat below or from the hills above, he inspires awe. To experience local life away from the big city, we will also take in the ancient charms of Lingyin Temple and Huanglongxi Old Town; here the well-preserved old Sichuan architecture has attracted many Chinese filmmakers to use the town as the backdrop for their movies. (B, L, D)
Panda Research Center
May 23: We will drive out beyond the city to spend the morning at the Panda Research Center. Here you can see more pandas in one area than at any other place in the world, and you can learn about the efforts to breed and preserve these magnificent animals. As time allows in the afternoon and evening, we will visit the marvelous Wuhou Temple which commemorates Zhuge Liang, a hero of the Three Kingdoms period some 1,800 years ago, and will amble through Old Jinli Street, which was already a famous craft and merchant center in the same era or we can visit Wenshu Monastery where worshippers pray in the beautiful halls and gardens or stop for tea and vegetarian cuisine. (B, L, D)
May 24: Morning flight from Chengdu to Beijing.
The Great Wall at Badaling, near Beijing
Beijing. The capital city of China is one of the most historic and at the same time one of the most modern cities in China. We will only have time to unwind from the international flight and enjoy a meal and a night’s rest…but you may choose to extend your stay here at the end of the trip to visit the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Tien’anmen Square and other gems of China’s past and present
May 24: Transfer flights for departure from Beijing to the USA (B) Or you can extend your China stay for a few days. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the hutong neighborhoods, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and Tien’anmen Square are just a few of the things Beijing has to offer.
|
|
|
Italy the Art of Passionate Living – 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Italy the Art of Passionate Living – 2007
Tentative itinerary: A 16-day adventure-June 22 to July 7, 2007 Estimated cost: $3349 (excluding airfare)
Group size is limited!!! This is a small private groupÖby invitation only.
Depart USA: June 22
Venice: 4 nights (June 23-27)
(2 special meals)
Venice is truly one of those few places on earth which is a unique testament to the greatness, imagination, adaptability and ingenuity of the human spirit. It is still staggering to contemplate that a great and powerful city, which attracted the finest art, architecture, music and cultural events of each age for well over 1000 years -not to mention attracting riches from the exotic ends of the world- could have risen on the mud flats and small islands of a shallow lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. In few other places did human beings become so wedded to a watery environment (almost becoming amphibians, some have joked) and then transform those inhospitable surroundings with such magnificent style.
By the time Marco Polo and his father Nicolò set off for China and the court of Kublai Khan in the 13th century, Venice had already been a powerful force in the trade, politics and warfare of the known world for centuries. Venice had grown wealthy and also had developed a unique system of political leadership under the rule of the Great Council and the doges.
We will spend 4 nights in Venice. We will explore on foot and by boat the different districts and islands which make up the city. With the help of colleagues and friends who make this area their home, we will wander along the maze of streets and waterways, but we will also help you and allow you the time to find your own passions and interests.
And we will savor the taste of Venice’s culinary tradition with its wealth of seafood dishes, pastas, risottos and more and also the wines from the Veneto region that are an important part of Venetian good living.
Art, literature and architecture that shaped our western consciousness is on display all around the city and in the surrounding countryside. On one day, we will venture outside the city with our local friends and will explore historic villages, such as Arqua Petrarca, and the hills and vineyards where the great 14th-century poet Petrarch spent his last years. In Venice and the Veneto region, Andrea Palladio, one of the most famous of all European architects built many of his greatest masterpieces in the 16th century.
The churches, palaces and museums are filled with masterpieces of visual art. You can indulge your interest in Gothic icons, or Renaissance masters, or can ogle the shocking 20th-century collection at Peggy Guggenheim’s former home.
Lake Como: 2 nights (June 27-29)
(1 special meal)
From Venice we will head west and will stop in the fascinating city of Vicenza, where we hope to visit with some local friends. In the 16th century, this was also the home of one of the seminal figures in Western culture, the architect Andrea Palladio, and some of his most important creations were built here, including the justly famous Villa Rotonda.
We will have an idyllic interlude in the mountain lake district near the Swiss border. The area around Lake Como (a region that includes other magnificent lakes: Garda, Maggiore and Lugano, for example) is simultaneously intense and relaxing! The alpine peaks are reflected in the deep, cold blue of the water. This has been a favorite European get-away for centuries! Even the Romans came here to relax! It’s a great place for a big dose of nature and elegance.
We plan to stay in Bellagio, the famous village at the tip of a mountainous peninsula in the center of Lake Como, where lovely lakeside promenades and delightful cafes look across the lake to the mountains and surrounding villages. You can take a ride on the ferries to the city of Como and to other towns and villages around the lake. Or we can take an excursion to Lugano or to another of the charming towns and lakes in the region. You may just want to walk along the lake and the hillsides to enjoy the views and the gardens.
Portofino: 1 nights (June 29-30)
At one time, Portofino was just another fishing village on the Ligurian seacoast. But the charm of the rocky coast and the tiny harbor was discovered many years ago by the international yachting crowd, who made it into one of the most exclusive little towns in Italy. All this has made the character of the place decidedly upscale but has not spoiled the beauty of this rugged peninsula and the old houses surrounding the harbor.
We will stay directly on the rocky coast in Santa Margherita. Private cars are generally barred from the village of Portofino itself, but the local bus can take us the short distance from the hotel. There you can laze in a harbor-side restaurant or café or can hike up to the church of San Giorgio and the fortress to look down on one of the loveliest little seaside villages in Italy.
Montgufoni Castle:
7 nights (June 30-July 7)
(3 special meals)
Tuscany! The word itself is somehow magic! In so many ways Tuscany seems to be the very cradle of our Western culture: we think of artists and architects: Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Boticelli, Brunelleschi; of poets: Dante, Boccaccio; of political leaders, demagogues and reformers: the Medici princes, Machiavelli, Savonarola; of scientists and engineers: Galileo tested his theories about gravity here, and Leonardo’s imagination planned machines which could not be built until the 20th century.
Yet Tuscany is so much more than Culture with a capital “C.” It has kept its rural, small-town folk atmosphere to a remarkable degree. Farmers, housewives, shopkeepers and children gather in town squares which have appeared the same for centuries; local residents may live in stone farmhouses or in village apartments above the bakeries and butcher shops which have been managed by their families for generations; many of them tend vineyards which may have produced wine at the time of Caesar; they meet in hilltop cafes and on country roads to chat, to gossip and to strengthen their bonds of family and friendship. In the Chianti Valley and in the neighboring regions, winegrowers, large and small, tend their vines to produce an incredible variety of tempting beverages. Along with those wines, country inns serve up local cheeses, sausages, fresh vegetables, tasty pasta and succulent meats.
On our way from Portofino, we can make a stop in Pisa at the Campo dei Miracoli for a look at one of the most stunning groupings of medieval buildings in Italy: the baptistery, the cathedral and its campanile (the famous Leaning Tower)!
Then we will spend an entire week in apartments of the historic hilltop Castelo Montegufoni!! It is in the countryside surrounded by gardens, its own vineyards and olive groves. The week will be organized to allow for flexibility, depending on your interests. On many days you will have options. Some of you will want to spend more time among the artistic glories of Florence, and some would prefer to loiter in towns in the Chianti region, or just take a day to relax and stroll to nearby towns. We will do our best to help you find your own favorite places.
Your choices will include excursions to nearly every part of Tuscany: You will want to amble around Florence to remember the brilliant and ruthless Medici family; also the glorious old city of Siena, the fantastical hilltop towers of the village of San Gimignano, or perhaps the mighty Etruscan walls of Volterra await us; the towns and local wines of the Chianti region are incomparable; fortified towns high on the hills, like Montalcino, are magical invitations to stop for some wine and experience another time and another world. The wines of Tuscany vary from crisp whites to the justly famous reds: Chianti Classico, Brunello, Vino Nobile; we will search out some wines to tease our taste buds that are new to all of us. And your faculty have favorite places completely away from the tourist routes!
Depending on the make-up of the group, we will try to adjust our visits to accommodate your interests. Help us plan the exact itinerary!! We intend to make daily excursions: Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano, Volterra, Siena all await us.
Return to USA: July 7
Other information:
-Breakfast included at hotels in Venice and in Bellagio.
-Montegufoni Castle is not a hotel: everyone will be accommodated in apartments in the historic building. Each apartment is unique, but all have bedroom(s), bathroom, living and dining areas, and fully equipped kitchens. We will provide basic supplies, such as coffee and bread, for your breakfasts. Beyond that, you can make whatever you want; you can eat in the apartments or on the castle terraces; you can eat alone or share the morning with others from the group.
-We will provide a number of other special meals for the group as listed in the itinerary. We do want to share some specialties of each region with you and show you some of our favorite hang-outs; however, we do not want to force everyone to eat pre-arranged meals at pre-set times every day! Part of the delight of travel is searching out culinary adventures in smaller groups. We will always be available to share these adventures with you and to help you find your way.
-At Montegufoni, meals are offered most evenings in the castle. They are usually delightful family-style meals for which you can register in advance. Also, the small towns nearby have delightful restaurants and trattorie, where you can get everything from pizza to pasta to bistecca fiorentina.
|
|
|
China 2007: Builders of the past and future
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
China 2007: Builders of the past and future
Tentative departures:
April 11-24, 2007 (An optional extension in Shanghai is possible.)
Est. cost: $2955 (excluding international airfare)
(Cost is based on a group of 11 to 15 participants, double occupancy.)
(Single supplement: est. $510.)
Price includes all hotels, land costs, tours, guides, most meals and 5 flights inside China!!
Beijing, Xi’an, Lijiang, Three Gorges, Shanghai and much more!
The group is hosted and directed by Gen’l. Manager TANG CAI and Prof. DORYL JENSEN.
Forbidden City fortification tower | 
Shanghai, Jin Mao Tower,
one of Asia’s tallest buildings |
TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
(Most meals are included in the cost of the tour: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
Beijing: Here the new and ancient worlds collide. Amid the bustle of a vast and modern city, there are some of the most astonishing and beautiful manifestations of the past. You will visit The Forbidden City to glimpse the opulent life and traditions of the Ming and later Qing emperors who ruled into the 20th century. Sacred sites, such as the Yong He Gong lamasery or the Temple of Heaven, will introduce you to some of the powerful spiritual traditions of Chinese culture. You will explore the narrow alleys of some of the old hutong neighborhoods and dine in style on delectable Beijing duck and other culinary specialties.
The Great Wall at Badaling
Day 1: depart USA (L, D on airplane)
Day 2: arrival-transfer to Wang Fu Jing Grand Hotel or similar-welcome dinner. (D)
Day 3: Tian’an men Square with Mao Memorial Mausoleum-the Forbidden City and Jing Shan Park-lunch-Yong He Gong Lama Temple-hutong tour by pedicab-dinner of local Beijing specialties. (B, L, D)
Day 4: The Great Wall at Badaling-lunch-afternoon options: visit the Summer Palace or explore other sites your own, such as the Temple of Heaven, Beihai Park, National Museum of China, China Art Gallery-Beijing duck dinner. (B, L, D)
The Great Wall at Badaling
Xi’an: Long before Beijing became an important city, Xi’an was the center of the Chinese world for many centuries. It certainly rivaled Rome and Constantinople as the greatest and most cultured city in the world. It is the only large Chinese city with nearly intact city walls, the foundations of which are originally from the Tang dynasty about 1500 years ago. More than 2000 years ago, Emperor Qin Shihuang unified all China for the first time and ruled from here. (Film buffs should see the movie Hero, which fictionalizes events surrounding the ascent of this emperor.) Near his tomb, a peasant digging a well in 1974 made one of the 20th century’s most important and amazing archeological discoveries-the buried army of at least 8,000 to 10,000 life-size warriors and horses, fashioned of terra cotta and outfitted with arms and even chariots.
Terra-cotta army on the march
Day 5: Morning flight from Beijing to Xi’an-lunch-afternoon exploration of city, including the impressive city walls, Shaanxi Museum, and the Great Mosque with its lively market-near our hotel in the vibrant city center around the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, we will enjoy a dinner of famous Xi’an dumplings-evening stroll around the fountains near the Big Goose Pagoda. (B, L, D)
Famous dumplings in Xi’an
Day 6: This morning we will tour the excavations and museums at Bingmayong to see the Terra Cotta Warriors and to learn about the early history of China explore the city impressive city walls and visit the Shaanxi Museum, which houses a beautiful collection of art and artifacts from China’s many dynastic ages-lunch-afternoon flight to Kunming and on to Lijiang. (B, L)
Lijiang: Yunnan Province in the Southwest of China is amazingly varied. It includes many minority nationalities and vastly different landscapes, from jungles along the Burma border to high mountains near Tibet. It is impossible to see everything in one trip, but we will take time to explore carefully one of the most beautiful regions. Lijiang lies in the far northwest of the province and is the home of the Naxi people, an ancient and strongly matriarchal group descended from Tibetan tribes. The old city is a maze of winding, cobbled lanes, gushing canals, stone bridges and low-slung wood-and-tile houses. This area may have inspired the fictional “Shangri-La,” and you will venture out to see some of the towering peaks, deep valleys, and mountain meadows where yaks are the local livestock.
Day 6: Evening arrival at our courtyard hotel, the Yulong Garden Hotel, nestled in the edge of Lijiang’s Old Town.
Naxi traditional dancing in Lijiang
Day 7: To get acquainted with this amazing town, we will take a morning walking tour of the old city, including Sifang Jie (the old market square, where Naxi men and women gather daily to socialize and dance) and the Mu local chieftain residence. After a lunch of local food, we will visit Yuhu Naxi village and the former home of Joseph Rock (the famous and somewhat eccentric Austro-American botanist and explorer who stayed here on and off from 1922 to 1949). After dinner, you may choose to attend a charming dance performance which celebrates the ethnic diversity of Yunnan Province. (B, L, D)
Naxi women’s social hour in Lijiang
Dance performance in Lijiang
Day 8: Today we will go to the high meadows around Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. If the skies are friendly, we can see the snow-capped peaks and glaciers. We will stop at white water river and where you can take a ride on one of the herdsmen’s yaks, if you would like. If the weather is clear, we will take a lift to Dragon Spruce Meadow to enjoy the forest and mountain vistas. Lunch-then free time to explore the city, shop for handcrafts, and watch the Naxi people dance in the town squares. (B, L)
Day 9: For another mountain adventure, we will travel to Tiger Leaping Gorge. After making its first bend, the Yangzi River (here called the Jinsha Jiang) rushes between peaks some 12,000 feet above it. Everywhere here there are breathtaking views inside one of the deepest chasms in China. Lunch-afternoon return via Naxi villages to Lijiang. (B, L, D)
Day 10: Flight from Lijiang to Chongqing. (B, L)
Yangtze River and Three Gorges: The history of China has been written largely by the rivers that have carved their paths through the Chinese landscape for thousands of years, and none is more storied and important than the Yangtze. For all of recorded history, ships have sailed the Yangtze deep into the interior of Asia, making it a main artery for trade and commerce-the Three Gorges area was always held to be one of the most beautiful (and in the past, most treacherous) stretches of the river. The farming on the Yangtz’s vast flood plain below the Three Gorges has provided sustenance for much of the Chinese population, but its periodic rampages have also cost hundreds of thousands of lives. The Three Gorges region has long been famous as one of the most scenic stretches of the mighty river. For nearly a century, Chinese leaders have considered the idea of taming the mighty river. Now, despite all the controversy, the impossible has become a reality. Far and away the largest dam and most powerful hydroelectric project in the world, it stands more than 600 feet high and almost 1 Ω miles across. Critics have fretted over the impact on the environment and the displacement of the human population. Supporters point to its potential to prevent floods, to generate enormous amounts of clean energy, and to expand the reach of the largest ships, which will travel through its mammoth locks and far into the interior of China.
Whatever your opinion, the recently completed dam is certainly one of the wonders of the 21st century. We will take a 3-day journey on a luxury ship through the beautiful Three Gorges; we will stop at scenic towns and sites of natural beauty along the way and will sail across the gathering waters to tour the great dam itself: the world’s largest engineering project.
Three Gorges scenery
Day 10: Arrival in Chongqing. We will settle into our cruise ship cabins, and will then enjoy the rich and spicy cuisine that makes this region so famous. (D)
Day 11: In the morning, our deluxe ship will depart downriver. In addition to enjoying good food and on-board entertainment, we will make an afternoon stop at Fengdu, with its amazing temple on Mt. Minshan that chronicles the many stages of the ancient Chinese vision of hell. Then we will press on for a relaxing evening and good rest on the water. (B, L, D)
Day 12: Today will find us in the heart of the Three Gorges (Qutang Gorge, Wuxia Gorge and Xiling Gorge). We will leave the boat for a side trip into the beauty of Daning River’s “Lesser Three Gorges.” Then we will continue along the main river into the growing reservoir behind the great dam. (B, L, D)
Three Gorges Dam with massive ship locks at right
Day 13: This morning we arrive at the Three Gorges Dam. We will disembark and enjoy a tour of the amazing achievement to get a first-hand impression of the scale and functioning of this monumental structure. We will transfer bus to the Yichang airport for our flight to the astonishing city of Shanghai. In Shanghai you can take an evening stroll along the Bund with its old colonial buildings along one side of the Huangpu River and the futuristic panorama of the skyscrapers of the Pudong district across the water. And you will want to find a place to enjoy the justly famous cuisine of the city. (B, L)
Day 14: Use the morning to amble along Nanjing Road, the heart of commercial Shanghai. If you want, you may opt to ride the Maglev train to the airport for your flight back to the US at almost 270 miles per hour!!!
Or, if you prefer
Shanghai Option: You may extend your stay for 1, 2, or several days in the amazing city of Shanghai! Once it was seen as the exotic, mysterious and lawless city of adventurers, gamblers, dandies, tycoons, missionaries, pimps and international intrigue. Now it is a stunning modern metropolis of skyscrapers and high finance, but it still retains some vestiges of its past. We will be happy to arrange for you to extend your hotel stay in the center of this fascinating city. You may want to ascend to the top of the tallest buildings, take a cruise on the Huangpu River to see the stunning cityscapes, visit one of the most interesting museums in China, or go shopping in the maze of the Yu Garden market or in the modern malls!
Shanghai, Pudong District
|
|
|
The Mystery of Tibet 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Mystery of Tibet 2006
Tentative departures: April 27 to May 11, 2006* and September 7 to 21, 2006*
Est. cost: $2195
(including all hotels, land costs, guides, most meals and all flights inside China!! – Excluding international airfare)
(Cost is based on a group of 8 to 10 participants, double occupancy – Single supplement: est. $449.)
A two-week adventure for just a few good friends in Tibet, Sichuan Province and Beijing!
*(An optional extension in Beijing is possible.)
TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
Potala Palace, Lhasa
Day 1-April 27: depart USA.
Beijing. The capital city of China is one of the most historic and at the same time one of the most modern cities in China. We will only have time to unwind from the international flight and enjoy a meal and a night’s rest…but you may choose to extend your stay here at the end of the trip to visit the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Tienanmen Square and other gems of China’s past and present.
Day 2-April 28: Arrive in Beijing. Welcome dinner and overnight rest. (D)
Day 3-April 29: Flight to Chengdu.
Chengdu. The capital of Sichuan province is one of the most vibrant cities in western China. We can enjoy some of the city bustle and also get away to scenic spots away from the urban area. From here we will visit the Great Buddha at Leshan, an astonishing 8th-century sculptural and engineering feat, some 230 feet tall and other scenic and historic sights. We can also visit the panda research center to see where scientists are trying to protect and breed both greater and lesser pandas which are at home in the regions mountains.
Day 3-April 29: Arrive in Chengdu. Spicy Sichuan cuisine is world-famous, and we won’t miss teasing our palates with the rich flavors that are so unique here we will enjoy dinner and an evening introduction to the city. (B, L, D)
The Great Buddha at Leshan
Day 4-April 30: Drive to Leshan where the Great Buddha and other shrines are carved into the native stone above the confluence of three rivers. From a boat below or from the hills above, he inspires awe. To experience local life away from the big city, we will also take in the ancient charms of Lingyin Temple and Huanglongxi Old Town; here the well-preserved old Sichuan architecture has attracted many Chinese filmmakers to use the town as the backdrop for their movies. (B, L, D)
Panda Research Center
Day 5-May 1: We will drive out beyond the city to spend the morning at the Panda Research Center. Here you can see more pandas in one area than at any other place in the world, and you can learn about the efforts to breed and preserve these magnificent animals. As time allows in the afternoon and evening, we will visit the marvelous Wuhou Temple which commemorates Zhuge Liang, a hero of the Three Kingdoms period some 1,800 years ago, and will amble through Old Jinli Street, which was already a famous craft and merchant center in the same era or we can visit Wenshu Monastery where worshippers pray in the beautiful halls and gardens or stop for tea and vegetarian cuisine. (B, L, D)
Day 6-May 2: Morning flight from Chengdu to Lhasa Gankhor airport.
Lhasa. Lhasa is the exotic and beautiful capital of Tibet, the rooftop of the world. In the vastness of the Tibetan plateau and among many of the highest peaks in the world, it is possible to experience the history and customs of the ethnic Tibetan nomads, the distant monasteries, and the rich beauty of the mountains. Here you can witness the spiritual traditions, the arts and crafts and the gentle humanity of the Tibetan people.
Day 6-May 2: Arrive at the Lhasa Gankhor airport and transfer into the city for a day of
getting acclimatized to the altitude here in the Tibetan highlands. It is recommended that you take it easy and let your body adjust. Of course, here in Lhasa and at any place during our stay in Tibet there will be oxygen available if your body needs a boost. (B, L, D)
Jokhang Temple with view to Potala — Barkhor market
Day 7-May 3: The entire day will be spent getting acquainted with the city of Lhasa. We will visit Potala Palace, once home to the Dalai Lamas and the center of government and religious authority in Tibet for more than 1300 years. Nearby, are the ancient alleyways of the Barkhor neighborhood and market where all manner of traditional goods are for sale and where colorful Tibetan pilgrims converge from all points of the compass to visit one of the most sacred
places in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple. You will want to join them on their rounds through the temple and feel their intense faith. Jokang was built in the 7th century to receive a gold statue of Buddha, a dowry of the Chinese Princess Wencheng, who became one of the most storied and beloved women in Tibetan history after she arrived in Lhasa to be married to the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. (B, L, D)
Day 8-May 4: The previous day will only whet your appetite for Lhasa’s fascinating sights and people. We will depart for other adventures, but we will return again to Lhasa to give us time for personal exploration of the city’s exotic charm. This morning we will leave on our journey heading south and west over Kambala Pass to the glistening magnificence of Yamdrok Lake. Then we will press on past glaciers, snowcapped peaks and over mountain passes to Gyantse. There we will join the faithful circling the great stupa of Kumbum at Pelkor Choede Monastery. From here we will press on to the market town of Shigatse to spend the night. (B, L, D)
Chomolungma (Mt. Everest)
Day 9-May 5: Today we will hope for clear weather as we approach the most highest, and in many ways most revered, mountain in the world…Everest (Chomolungma to the Tibetans). We will over the Gyamtso La Pass to the town of Tingri, where we will change our mode of transportation. In small vehicles we will drive into the nature reserve set up to protect the most spectacular mountain environment in the world here at the heart of the Himalayas. Our goals are the small Rongbu MonasteryÖthe world’s highestÖand the Everest Base Camp at the foot of Rongbu Glacier. From here we will hope for a bird’s eye view of Chomolungma. Towering over the Sino-Nepal border with an elevation of 8,848.13 meters, it is the highest peak in the world. And it is not alone. Within a 20 km radius, five of the 14 highest peaks in the world (each with an elevation of over 8,000 meters) reach into the heavens. After our exploration, we will return to Tingri to spend the night. (B, L, D)
Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse
Day 10-May 6: We will return to Shigatse, where we will have more time to enjoy the
town and its history. This is the second largest city in Tibet, and is filled with activity. Particularly fascinating is the 15th-century Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas and therefore one of the most important sacred sites in Tibet. You may want to join the pilgrims as they circle the monastery and explore the temple halls and passageways.
Day 11-May 7: Return from Shigatse to Lhasa. (B, L, D)
Day 12-May 8: Drive to NamtsoÖthe world’s highest salt lakeÖwhere sapphire water
is surrounded by vistas of peaks. The 5 small islands in the lake are believed to be incarnations of the Buddha of Five Directions, and Buddhist pilgrims come from all parts of Tibet to walk the circuit around the lake. On the return to Lhasa, we will visit the Yangbajing hot springs, surrounded by a surprising oasis in the barren plateau. A thermal plant now generates much of Lhasa’s power needs hereÖbut the bubbling springs, spouts and geysers are also a favorite stop for bathers. (B, L, D)
Monks “debating” at Drepung Monastery
Day 13-May 9: Free day. Take the time to wander and shop and sightsee around Lhasa. You may want to explore Drepung Monastery where for centuries successive Dalai Lamas were trained. The gardens and historic rooms of Norbu Lingka, the Dalai Lama’s summer palace may entice you. Or you may want to simply wander the streets and markets with the pilgrims and visitors. (B)
Day 14-May 10: Flights to Chengdu and to Beijing. (B, D)
The Great Wall at Badaling, near Beijing
Beijing.
Day 15-May 11: Depart from Beijing to the USA(B) Or you can extend your China stay for a few days. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the hutong neighborhoods, Summer
Palace, Temple of Heaven, and Tienanmen Square are just a few of the things Beijing has to offer.
|
|
|
Mozart and Much More Salzburg Festival 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mozart and Much More
Salzburg Festival 2006
Celebrate Mozart’s 250th Birthday
Exclusively for the North Carolina Symphony
Tentative departures: July 29 to August 9, 2006
Est. cost: $4200 (excluding airfare)
(Including 1 opera, 2 concert tickets)
TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
This is not a typical agency-style mass tour! The group will be kept very small and the schedule is flexible, so that you can pursue your special interests. We have booked excellent accommodations at wonderful locations in Vienna and Salzburg. By signing up now, you will be given the opportunity to choose tickets for your own favorite operas or concert performances. You may purchase tickets for as many additional performances as you wish! -Prof. Doryl Jensen and his Austrian colleagues will be your hosts.
July 29-Depart Raleigh to Prague
July 30-Aug 2 -Prague: 3 nights
Before arriving in Salzburg, we will relish the rich Czech cultural heritage and exciting contemporary life in Prague. Few large urban centers can match the beauty of the cityscapes along the Vltava River in the heart of Prague. And few have preserved the architectural variety found here from Romanesque chapels and crypts to the Gothic towers of St. Vitus Cathedral or from lavish Baroque palaces of old noble families to odd cubist structures of the early 20th century.
This city has not only been the focal point of Czech culture, but also a vital center of European history. For centuries it was one of the great cities of the Austrian empire, and a number of emperors made this their capital most notably the scholarly and quirky Emperor Rudolf II, who drew the greatest artists, scientists and philosophers of his day to his brilliant court. Jan Hus preached in Prague at Bethlehem Chapel and led Europe’s first great Protestant movement a century before Martin Luther. At Prague Castle in 1618, the spirited Czech nobles
threw the emperor’s ambassadors from a window, an act of hands-on diplomacy that brought vicious retribution from Vienna and ignited the Thirty-Years’ War that devastated most of Europe.
And music! Prague has always been a city of music. Although Mozart often felt ill-used by the archbishop in Salzburg and unappreciated by the public in Vienna, he experienced some of his greatest triumphs in Prague. We will visit Bertramka villa, where he worked and lived.
We will not forget Prague’s recent role in reshaping Europe! Although the Prague Spring in 1968 was crushed by Russian tanks and Czechoslovakia became one of the most repressive and orthodox of the Communist regimes in Europe, the desire for change was not extinguished. In one of the most unlikely scenarios of modern Europe, a little-known playwright-Vaclav Havel-and a group of actors, writers and artists met in a Prague theater and the “Velvet Revolution” they inspired brought down the government without violence, a key factor in changing the face of all Central and Eastern Europe.
Of course, we will visit the grand sites of the city, but we will also take walking tours through the Old Town and across the Charles Bridge to the Lesser Town and Castle District to find unexpected pleasures in the city byways.
Aug 2-Aug 4 -esky Krumlov: 2 nights
Much of Southern Bohemia seems still locked in a time-warp. Some towns and villages seem barely changed since the Middle Ages and Renaissance. We will settle into one such town, esky Krumlov, in a bend of the storied Vltava River (the Moldau), below one of the largest fortress castles in Central Europe and in the heart of the Bohemian Forest. Here we will wander through the cobble-stoned streets up to the historic castle.
If some in the group want to explore beyond the city, we can take a daytrip to Telc; the arcaded facades of its intact 5th-century core surround one of the prettiest small-town plazas in Central Europe.
Aug 4 -esky Krumlov to Salzburg
On the way to Salzburg we will travel beside the Vltava River through forest and villages to the Austrian border, and will descend from the plateau into the Danube River valley. The highway will take us past some of the lakes and peaks of the Salzkammergut region, and will
Aug 4-Aug 9 -Salzburg: 5 nights
The Salzburg Festival is one of the grandest and most famous of all the summer music festivals in Europe. It was begun in the 1920′s by the famous theater director Max Reinhart with the help of composers, dramatists and musicians and has grown into one of the best-known showcases of musical and dramatic art in the world. We have access to hard-to-get tickets to a dazzling array of operas and concerts for a full week in Salzburg and its glorious surroundings.
The musical feast here will be amazing in 2006! This is a very special year in Salzburg. In honor of Mozart’s 250th birthday, the Festival will stage all of his operasÖin addition to the numerous other concert delights. Our schedule will be flexible. Those of you who sign up for our trip will be able to request tickets to hear your favorite musicians and your favorite music.
With our faculty you will also be able to explore the history and broader culture of the region, and they will introduce you to their friends, show you their favorite places and help prepare you for concert and opera performances.
The history of this city goes back to Roman times when the region was an important source of an extremely valuable commodity in the ancient Roman Empire salt. Later, the Archbishops of Salzburg ruled the city and territory for centuries. They exploited its salt-wealth to build the Old City we see today. There are historic and scenic delights for us at every turn: the imposing fortress castle which dominates the old city, St. Peter’s Abbey (from whose kitchens food has been served continuously since at least the 14th century, and whose church guards the graves of the pious and the famous, from Saint Rupert to the composer Michael Haydn), the Cathedral, the Nonnberg cloister (where St. Ehrentraud founded monastic life for women in the 9th century), Mirabell palace and gardens (built by Archbishop Wolfdietrich for his wife!!), the houses where Mozart was born and spent his childhood…. all these things and the maze of narrow streets and spacious plazas will invite us to feel the spirit of past centuries. We can also visit Hellbrunn Castle near town where the ingenious waterworks will show us the boyish trickster in one archbishop and will keep us all on our toes.
The 19th century explorer Humboldt considered Salzburg to be one of the three most beautiful cities in the world. You will have plenty of time to roam through the town.
However, we will also enjoy day-excursions into the surrounding mountains and the lake country where Alpine peaks reach for the heavens and where villages and farms are perched above crystal-clear water.
Aug 9 -Return Salzburg to Raleigh
|
|
|
A Central European Odyssey 2006-Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Central European Odyssey 2006-Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic
Tentative departures: Aug 9 to Aug 24, 2006
Est. cost: $3195 (excluding airfare)
(including all hotels, land travel, guides and many meals)
TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
The cultural diversity of Central Europe awaits us on this adventure. Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic will show us historic cities, charming villages, and richly diverse customs and landscapes. Probably because of the division of Europe during the Cold War, Americans have often failed to distinguish between the richly different cultures of Central Europe. But this adventure will introduce us to 3 different nations, each with its own unique history and its own traditions.
This is not a typical agency-style mass tour! The group will be kept very small and the schedule is flexible, so that you can pursue your special interests.-Prof. Doryl Jensen and his European friends and colleagues will be your hosts and will help you to find your own adventures.
Aug 9-Depart USA to Warsaw
Aug 10-Aug 13-Warsaw: 3 nights
(all B, + 2 special meals)
Warsaw has both a glorious and tragic history. It has been the capital city of the Polish nation since the 16th century and was beautified with grand palaces and gardens. However, it also suffered repeated devastation by foreign armies and lost its capital status when Poland was partitioned by the great powers of Europe in 1795. Despite more than a century without a country, the spirit of the Polish people survived.
It seems a miracle that historic Warsaw exists at all. The ancient core of Warsaw-including even the old Royal Palace-was systematically destroyed by the German troops as the end of World War II nearedÖwhile the Russian troops waited across the Vistula River (Wis≥a) instead of trying to stop the slaughter and destruction. Despite that tragedy, the Poles’ pride in their history determined their decision to carefully rebuild the Old Town brick by brick, using old paintings and other documents to insure authenticity. Wandering the streets, it truly seems that these winding streets have stood undisturbed for centuries. Here we will enjoy hearty traditional food, visit the historic
palaces, and amble through the narrow streets. We will remember the great minds and talents who came from this place-people as diverse as the ultimate Romantic composer Frédéric Chopin, the scientist Marie Curie (born Maria Sk≥odowska), the novelists Henryk Sienkiewicz and Adam Mickiewicz, and the pianist turned prime minister Ignacy Paderewski.
The grand summer palaces and gardens of two of Poland’s most famous kings are worth our exploration. Wilanów, a grand Baroque estate, was built for Jan Sobieski, who was responsible for much of the defense of Europe against the Ottoman Turks, including leading the troops that broke the Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683. The
neoclassical Lazienki Palace and its beautiful park were built about a century later by King Stanis≥aw August, who was also responsible for many of the glories of the Royal Palace in the center of the city.
Aug 13-Aug 14-Czstochowa: 1 night (L, B)
We will stop at Kazimierz Dolny, a charming and ancient town named for one of Poland’s greatest kings, which is a center for local artisans and artists.
Then we will press on to spend a night at the spiritual heart of Poland at Czstochowa. Here, the hilltop monastery of Jasna Góra is one of the world’s greatest places of pilgrimage. For at least six centuries, the faithful have been drawn to pray to the patroness of PolandÖthe icon of the Black Madonna. You may want to explore the opulence of the shrine and also join the pilgrims in their devotions in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin, where the icon is periodically uncovered to the accompaniment of a theatrical fanfare.
Aug 14-Aug 17 – Kraków: 3 nights (all B + 2 special meals)
There are few more lovely urban areas than the historic heart of Kraków, which was the ancient capital of Poland before the ascent of Warsaw. The legends tell that it was founded on Wawel Hill after the defeat of Krak, a terrible dragon that lived beneath it. In the 14th century, under King Kazimierz the Great, it became one of the great European centers of Renaissance learning; its university, founded in 1364, was the second oldest (after Prague) in Central Europe, and one of its most famous students was Nicolaus Copernicus (Miko≥aj Kopernik), who revolutionized the world’s view of the universe.
More recently, the world has known Kraków because of its long association with Karol Wojty≥a (Pope John Paul II). During his tenure here as the bishop of Kraków, he became known for leading the resistance to communist rule in Poland.
The Old City is compact and filled with the feel of ages past. In the middle of town is the Rynek G≥ówny, which was the largest and most impressive market square in medieval Europe. In the 16th century, the city fathers beautified it with a lovely and distinctive Renaissance-style covered market at its centerÖthere you can still amble past craftsmen’s stalls or relax in the cafés around the square. On one side, the tower of the Mariacki Church looms above the city center. Its high altar is a masterpiece of carved and poly-chromed wood by the Nuremberg
Renaissance master Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz, in Polish). From that tower a lone trumpeter still play a haunting melody to commemorate a predecessor whoÖaccording to legendÖwas killed just as he trumpeted the warning of
an attack on the city by Tartar invaders some 600 years ago.
The streets and alleyways all around are filled with historic structures, wonderful museums (the Czartoryski
Palace Museum houses an astonishing collection of Old Masters, including Leonardo da Vinci‘s Lady with an Ermine), and fascinating churches (one of my favorite stops is always at the Franciscan church, were I can admire the stunning stained glass by one of Poland’s art-nouveau masters around 1900: Stanis≥aw Wyspiaski).
Above a bend in the Vistula River (the Wis≥a) at the south end of the Old City, is the legendary place where the city was founded, Wawel Hill. There is even a cave near the river where the horrible dragon was said to have lived. As you ascend, you will see a statue of one of the great military heroes of Poland, Tadeusz Koúciuszko, who also became one of the great heroes of the American Revolution after he helped lead the American troops for 5 years in their battles against the British. The fortifications, the views over the city, the old castle and archeological excavations are all worth exploring. But the glory of Wawel is the Cathedral: like England’s Westminster Abbey,
Wawel Cathedral contains the tombs of most of the country’s monarchs. We will learn about some of them, such as
King Ladislaw Jagiello and is beloved Queen Jadwiga and King Kazimierz the Great.
Aug 17-Aug 19 – Levoa: 2 nights (all B + 1 special meal)
From Kraków, we will ascend toward the magnificent alpine peaks of the High Tatras. The tiny village of
Chocho≥ów has kept its traditional log architecture, and the lovely town of Zakopane is a center for skiing in the winter and for hiking in the summer.
Then we will cross the Tatras into the lovely mountains and valleys of Slovakia. From the town of Levoa, we will spend a day exploring the villages, castle ruins and mountains. If the weather is good, we may take a gondola to the high peak of Lomnický ätít or a float trip on the Dunajec River.
Aug 19-Aug 21 – Tel: 2 nights (all B + 1 special meal)
Much of Southern Bohemia seems still locked in a time-warp. Some towns and villages seem barely changed since the Middle Ages and Renaissance. We will settle into one such town, Tel. Here the arcaded facades of its intact
15th-century core surround one of the prettiest small-town plazas in Central Europe. From here, we can also visit other towns, including Cesky Krumlov, located in the heart of the Bohemian Forest in a bend of the storied Vltava River (the Moldau), below one of the largest fortress castles in Central Europe.
Aug 21-Aug 24 – Prague: 3 nights (all B + 1 special meal)
Here will relish the rich Czech cultural heritage and exciting contemporary life in Prague. In fact, the city is so interesting, that you may want to extend your stay.
Few large urban centers can match the beauty of the cityscapes along the Vltava River in the heart of Prague. And few have preserved the architectural variety found hereÖfrom Romanesque chapels and crypts to the Gothic towers of St. Vitus CathedralÖor from lavish Baroque palaces of old noble families to odd cubist structures of the early 20th century.
This city has not only been the focal point of Czech culture, but also a vital center of European history. For centuries it was one of the great cities of the Austrian empire, and a number of emperors made this their capital most notably the scholarly and quirky Emperor Rudolf II, who drew the greatest artists, scientists and philosophers of his day to his brilliant court. Jan Hus preached in Prague at Bethlehem Chapel and led Europe’s first great Protestant movement a century before Martin Luther. At Prague Castle in 1618, the spirited Czech nobles threw the emperor’s ambassadors from a window, an act of hands-on diplomacy that brought vicious retribution from Vienna and ignited the Thirty-Years’ War, which devastated most of Europe.
And music! Prague has always been a city of music. Although Mozart often felt ill-used by the archbishop in
Salzburg and unappreciated by the public in Vienna, he experienced some of his greatest triumphs in Prague. We will visit Bertramka villa, where he worked and lived.
We will not forget Prague’s recent role in reshaping Europe! Although the Prague Spring in 1968 was crushed by Russian tanks and Czechoslovakia became one of the most repressive and orthodox of the Communist regimes in Europe, the desire for change was not extinguished. In one of the most unlikely scenarios of modern Europe, a little-known playwright-Václav Havel-and a group of actors, writers and artists met in a Prague theater and the “Velvet Revolution” they inspired brought down the government without violence, a key factor in changing the face of all Central and Eastern Europe.
Of course, we will visit the grand sites of the city, but we will also take walking tours through the Old Town and across the Charles Bridge to the Lesser Town and Castle District to find unexpected pleasures in the city byways.
Aug 24 -Return Prague to USA
Or you may choose to say an extra day or two in Prague. We will help you arrange for the extension.
|
|
|
China 2006: A New and Ancient World
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
China 2006: A New and Ancient World
Tentative departures: April 11, June 2, September 15, October 13*
Est. cost: $2799
(includes ALL hotels and land costs, most meals and SIX flights inside China!!-excluding international airfare)
(Cost is based on 11 to 15 participants, double occupancy-for a group of 6 to 10 participants, cost will be approx. $2949.) (Single supplement: est. $489.)
NOTE: SPECIAL GROUP RATES ARE AVAILABLE!
Get friends or family together and let us personalize your trip.
*(An optional extension in Shanghai is possible for all departure dates.)
TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
Beijing: Here the new and ancient worlds collide. Amid the bustle of a vast and modern city, there are some of the most astonishing and beautiful manifestations of the past. You will visit The Forbidden City to glimpse the opulent life and traditions of the Ming and later Qing emperors who ruled into the 20th century. Sacred sites, such as the Yong He Gong lamasery, will introduce you to some of the powerful spiritual traditions of Chinese culture. You will explore the narrow alleys of some of the old hutong neighborhoods and dine in style on delectable Beijing duck and other culinary specialties.
Day 1: depart USA (B, L, D on airplane)
Day 2: arrival-transfer to Wang Fu Jing Grand Hotel-welcome dinner. (D)
Day 3: Tian’an men Square with Mao Memorial Mausoleum-the Forbidden City and Jing Shan Park-lunch-Yong He Gong Lama Temple-hutong tour by pedicab-dinner of local Beijing specialties.
(B, L, D)
Day 4: The Great Wall at Badaling-lunch-afternoon options: visit the Summer Palace or explore other sites your own, such as the Temple of Heaven, Beihai Park, National Museum of China, China Art Gallery-Beijing duck dinner. (B, L, D)
  
Chengde: A real jewel, overlooked by most foreign tourists in favor of the sights in Beijing, Chengde was a sleepy village until just over 300 years ago, when Emperor Kangxi decided to build a summer villa in the mountains to escape the bustle of the city. The charms of the hills, lakes and gardens were not lost on Kangxi’s successors, and by the time the great emperor Qianlong completed his additions, the walled compound was bigger than Beijing’s Forbidden City and Summer Palace combined and was surrounded by a dazzling array of magnificent temples. We will leave our heavier luggage in Beijing and take overnight bags for a stay in a charming, traditional-style courtyard hotel adjacent to Puning Monastery.
Day 5: Morning train through the farmlands and mountains to Chengde-lunch-visit the Imperial Mountain Villa, including royal apartments, lakes and gardens-dinner-overnight at Puning Hotel. (B, L, D)
  
Day 6: Visit Puning, The Temple of Universal Peace, built in 1755 as a replica of the Samyai Monastery in Tibet. We will also visit the magnificent Putuozongchengzhimiao, also built in the 18thcentury as a copy of Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. From its rooftop we will have panoramic views of the mountains, fantastic rock formations and shrines that drew the Qing emperors to spend so much of their time here. Lunch-afternoon return to Beijing for overnight at Wang Fu Jing Grand Hotel. (B, L)
  
Xi’an: Long before Beijing became an important city, Xi’an was the center of the Chinese world for many centuries. It certainly rivaled Rome and Constantinople as the greatest and most cultured city in the world. It is the only large Chinese city with nearly intact city walls, originally from the Tang dynasty about 1500 years ago. More than 2000 years ago, Emperor Qin Shihuang unified all China for the first time and ruled from here. (Film buffs should see the recent movie Hero, which fictionalizes events surrounding the ascent of this emperor.) Near his tomb, a peasant digging a well in 1974 made one of the 20th century’s most important and amazing archeological discoveries-the buried army of at least 8,000 to 10,000 life-size warriors and horses, fashioned of terra cotta and outfitted with arms and
even chariots.
Day 7: Morning flight from Beijing to Xi’an-lunch-afternoon tour of the excavations and museums at Bingmayong to see the Terra Cotta Warriors and to learn about the early history of China-we will see the lively city center around the Bell Tower and Drum Tower where we will enjoy a dinner of famous Xi’an dumplings–evening stroll around the fountains near the Big Goose Pagoda. (B, L, D)
Day 8: This morning we can explore the city impressive city walls and visit the Shaanxi Museum, which houses a beautiful collection of art and artifacts from China’s many dynastic ages-lunch-afternoon flight to Guilin. (B, L)
Guilin: In and around Guilin, we will begin to experience the lush southern reaches of China. The entire region, especially along the Li River, is studded with incredible karst peaks which jut vertically from landscapes of rice paddies, scenic villages, and farmers driving their water buffalo ahead of them. At every turn, the scenes are like classic Chinese paintings, come to life. One day, we will also drive through the bamboo forests in the mountains to see amazing vistas of rice terraces like steps to the clouds and to visit some of the many ethnic minorities of the region: particularly charming are the women of the Yao villages with floor-length hair and rich musical and handcraft traditions.
Day 8: Evening arrival from Xi’an-dinner and stroll around the lakes near the Guilin Park Hotel.
(D)
 
 
Day 9: Today promises to be a highlight of our trip: a morning on the Li River, sailing on a small river cruise boat from Guilin to Yangshuo. We will pass hrough a surreal landscape of peaks and sheer rock walls draped with lush greenery. Whether in stark sunshine or in ethereal mist, every bend of the river reveals a fantasy world. Lunch on board-afternoon visit to a village tourist park for a ride in small boats past houses, gardens and fields. Villagers from local ethnic groups demonstrate handcrafts and provide entertainment. After dinner, you may choose to attend an optional evening of dance an acrobatics at a theater in Guilin. (B, L, D)
Day 10: All-day trip into another storybook region in Guangxi Province, near the town of Longji. The rugged mountains of the Dragon’s Backbone harbor tiny ethnic villages and picturesque rice terraces up to the mountain crests. If the weather is clear, we can ascend (on foot or by sedan chair!) to the lookout points above the houses and fields, where we will also have lunch. Especially charming are the long-haired Yao women, who can be persuaded to demonstrate their dancing and singing and to show off their amazing tresses. We will visit one of our favorite Yao villages, before returning to Guilin for dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 11: Morning visit to scenic sites in Guilin, including Qixing Gongyuan Park, Elephant Hill, and the lakes and riverside of this charming city-lunch-afternoon flight via Kunming to Lijiang. (B, L, D)
Lijiang: Yunnan Province in the Southwest of China is amazingly varied. It includes many minority nationalities and vastly different landscapes, from jungles along the Burma border to high mountains near Tibet. It is impossible to see everything in one trip, but we will take time to explore carefully one of the most beautiful regions. Lijiang lies in the far northwest of the province and is the home of the Naxi people, an ancient and strongly matriarchal group descended from Tibetan tribes. The old city is a maze of winding, cobbled lanes, gushing canals, stone bridges and low-slung wood-and-tile houses. This area may have inspired the fictional “Shangri-La,” and you will venture out to see some of the towering peaks, deep valleys, and mountain meadows where yaks are the local livestock.
Day 11: Evening arrival at our courtyard hotel, the Yulong Garden Hotel, nestled in the edge of Lijiang’s Old Town.
 
Day 12: To get acquainted with this amazing town, we will take a morning walking tour of the old city, including Sifang Jie (the old market square, where Naxi men and women gather daily to socialize and dance) and the Mu local chieftain residence. After a lunch of local food, we will visit Yuhu Naxi village and the former home of Joseph Rock (the famous and somewhat eccentric Austro-American botanist and explorer who stayed on and off in Lijiang from 1922 to 1949). After dinner, you may choose to attend a charming dance performance which celebrates the ethnic diversity of Yunnan Province. (B, L, D)
 
Day 13: Today we will go to the high meadows around Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. If the skies are friendly, we can see the snow-capped peaks and glaciers. We will stop at white water river, see herdsmen with their yaks, and take a lift to Dragon Spruce Meadow to enjoy the forest and mountain vistas. Lunch-then free time to explore the city, shop for handcrafts, and watch the Naxi people dance in the town squares. (B, L)
Day 14: For another mountain adventure, we will go by way of Stone Drum Town and Qiaotou village to Tiger Leaping Gorge. After making its first bend, the Yangzi River (here called the Jinsha Jiang) rushes between peaks some 12,000 feet above it. Everywhere here are breathtaking views of one of the deepest chasms in China. Lunch-afternoon return to Lijiang. (B, L, D)
  
Day 15: Flights from Lijiang to Kunming to Shanghai for connection to the USA. Shanghai Option: You may extend your stay for 1, 2, or several days in the amazing city of Shanghai. Once it was seen as the exotic, mysterious and lawless city of adventurers, gamblers, dandies, tycoons, missionaries, pimps and international intrigue. Now it is a stunning modern metropolis of skyscrapers and high finance, but it still retains some vestiges of its past. We will be happy to arrange for a hotel in the city center and for other services if you wish.
|
|
|
Wine and Culture 2005: The Magic of Spain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wine and Culture 2005: The Magic of Spain
May 12 to May 27, 2005
Estimated cost: $3795(excluding airfare)
Enjoy the wines of Penedes, la Rioja, Priorato, the Basque Country and Galicia with us and explore thousands of years of history in storied Spain.
ITINERARY:
Depart USA: May 12
Barcelona: May 13-17 (4 nights) Our adventure will begin in Barcelona. It is the ancient seat of Catalan language and culture, the vibrant home of the fantastic architecture of Antonio Gaudí, and was the host to the 1992 Olympics. Four nights in this exciting city will give us time to stroll along the Ramblas, explore the old Gothic quarter, and be astonished by the flamboyant modernist structures in the Eixample neighborhood (such as the still-unfinished church, Sagrada Família, with its swirling stone shapes which are partly covered with colorful tiles and mosaics and the Gaudí houses such as Casa Milà and Casa Batlló). For art lovers, the city has wonderful museums: the Museu Picasso, the Fundació Joan Miró and many more. Of course, we will sample the wines in the nearby regions of Penedes and Priorato. And we will savor the tastes and the atmosphere of this region, which maintains its own language and only reluctantly became part of greater Spain.
Possible day-trips:
1) To Figueres to the Dali museum
2) To Sitges beach town and art colony
3) To Poblet and/or Santes Creus monasteries
4) Wineries: Penedes for cava and Priorat for rich reds
May 13-Fri: arrival, city stroll, dinner
May 14-Sat: arrival (Jim et. al.) -Barcelona city exploration
May 15-Sun: Figueres…maybe Banyuls-Sur-Mer and Collioure
May 16-Mon: Aviño cava-split groups: 1) to Priorat wines and 2) to Poblet and Sitges
Haro: May 17-21 (4 nights) Then, from our base in the Rioja district in northern Spain, we will have not only fine Rioja wines to challenge our palates, but we will have charming towns, busy cities and beautiful countryside within our reach. We can visit the city of Bilbao with its celebrated new Guggenheim Museum, one of the world’s most celebrated and unusual recent structures.
Parts of this northern area are also home to a fascinating people, which may be the most ancient ethnic group in Europe…the Basques. They are famous for their seafaring, their independent spirit, their fantastic restaurants, and their unique language. San Sebastian (Donostia in the Basque language) is a lovely and elegant seaside city; here you can sample a unique range of tapas and other culinary delights, you can wander the streets of the old city and enjoy the harbor and the rugged coast. In a spectacular setting on that coast and in an expansive open-air museum, you can find the works of one of the most renowned Basque artists, the sculptor Eduardo Chillida.
Other potential stops:
1) To the monasteries of San Millán or Leyre
2) To the new museum of modern art in Vitoria (Gasteiz)
3) To Guernica
4) Tastings of delicious red and white wines from Rioja, Navarra and Basque country
May 17-Tue: travel from Barcelona to Haro; stop in Navarra region at Otazu winery
May 18-Wed: San Sebastian, Chillida installations, Basque country
May 19-Thu: Bilbao and the Guggenheim, Haro town and group wine instruction
May 20-Fri: split groups: 1) Rioja wineries and 2) Vitoria art museum and San Millan monastery
Oviedo: May 21-23 (2 nights) We will also explore some of the picturesque towns along the greatest pilgrimage route of the middle ages. For many centuries before the advent of modern transportation, the devout and the opportunistic from all parts of Europe crossed the Pyrenees and stopped at the towns and churches in this area on their way to pray in Santiago de Compostela. Perhaps no other pilgrimage route in Europe was as famous in the middle ages, and today believers still follow these paths.
Possible regional visits:
1) To Santillana del Mar and nearby mountain villages
2) To the restored country estate of my friend Pablo Pasqual near the Atlantic coast of Asturias
3) To Oviedo and the pre-Romanesque churches of Asturias
May 21-Sat: travel from Haro to Oviedo; medieval sites
May 22-Sun: possible visit to my friend’s country estate; mountain and coastal villages
Santiago de Compostella: May 23-27 (4 nights) Like medieval pilgrims, we will follow the valleys into the rugged north-eastern corner of Spain…into Galicia, a mountainous land surrounded by the wild Atlantic currents. This is a country of hearty fishermen and farmers, but the pilgrims who came from all over the continent to the grave of St. James brought many foreign influences. In the center of Santiago de Compostela is an ensemble of historic structures that has few equals in Europe. We will want to join the modern-day pilgrims in visiting these sites and in observing their devotion.
Possible day-trips:
1) To coastal wine and fishing villages (A Coruña, or Muros and A Toxa, for example)
2) Possible visits to some of the Corpus Christi festivities in Pontevedra or other towns
3) Crisp white Galician wines-Alberiño, etc.
May 23-Mon: travel from Asturias through the coastal mountains to the province of Galicia
May 24-Tues: city of Santiago de Compostela
May 25-Wed: Alberiño wine tour and/or coastal fishing villages in the Rías Baixas region
May 26-Thu: possible Corpus Christi events
Return to USA: May 27…or continue on for your private adventures.
|
Copyright © Jensen Tours. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | |
