"FU One Time" - Marie Richards

Furman Spirit Pervades China.....

Go FU!

Paladins Everywhere

Even a Purple Bus!

And Purple Dumplings!

"Land of Contrasts" - Marie Richards

China, the land of pagodas and construction cranes.

"Clean Air in Xian" - Kate Kaup

All things are relative. I woke up this morning in Xian, looked out the window at a city covered in brown thick smog, took a deep breath and thought “aaahhh! It feels GREAT to be able to breathe in the air again!” It was a bit tough to breathe in Lhasa given the altitude, but at least the air was crisp and the sky blue. Here in Xian, there is a constant brown haze mixed with the dust of the large-scale construction projects in progress across the city.

"Lhasa with Xian" - Coleman Shouse

We are off to see the “soldiers” this morning. Xian was the first and longest serving capital city of China. There are about 80 burial sites in Xian. As I went outside this morning there was the strong oder of burning coal and the sun was filtered by dense smog. This is a strong contrast from Lhasa where the air is clear and the sun is bright.

As we drove to the Lhasa airport yesterday we stopped in a small natural village and visited the family. They served us tea and allowed us to see the interior of their home. That was a special experience. Somewhat later on the main highway to the airport we stopped at a Buddhist shrine. I spent most of the time watching the activity on the highway. Remember that we were in the middle of nowhere but there were people walking dogs, selling melons with their children helping, small tractors with large trailers, trucks, modified garden tractors with carts, modified motorcycles with carts, cars, buses and bicycles most with carts. All of these modes of transportation safely share the same space. By the way I have seen only one pickup truck since being in China.

The temperature in Xian today will be in the high 80's.

"The Sequel" - Marie Richards

After a brief absence in Tibet,

the Lazy Susan has returned for it's sequel:

"Furman Eats China"

"Last Day in Tibet" - Tom Triplitt

On Saturday in Tibet, we visited the Samye Monastery, the oldest monastery in Tibetan Buddhism. The Monastery was amazing, getting to see the room where the Dali Lama slept and entertained guests while visiting there. As we were leaving the monks were just settling down to study and began chanting and playing music. Although we felt a bit like intruders, it was a moving experience.

Traveling to the monastery may have been the most interesting part. To say it was remote would be a bit of an understatement. We traveled two hours by bus to a ferry stop, then took a 30 minute boat ride upstream on the Yalungtzangpo River and then another 30 minute bus ride over dirt and sand roads to get to the town and monastery. We had lots of laughs over lunch and restroom facilities. We raced back to Lhasa for a traditional Tibetan dinner and native dance performance before turning in.

On the way to the boat

The Ferry!

Our Boat Guide

On the River

Bus to the Monastery

Local Dance Performance

Chairman Kate actually let us sleep in on Sunday! We did not have to board our purple bus until 9:30 AM for a relaxing day and our flight to Xi'an. We stopped by a Tibetan rug factory, a roadside shrine featuring a Buddha carved into a rock face and the home of a Tibetan family in a typical village.

Our hosts in the village

After an uneventful flight from Lhasa to Xi'an and dinner in the Xi'an airport (another lazy susan) we arrived at the beautiful Sheraton Xi'an hotel about 9:30 PM.



Tibetan Rug Workers

"Tibetan Idol!" - Marie Richards

A local man competes for fame and fortune on the next hit series, Tibetan Idol!