The Sanderson Sisters in China

My mom and Aunt Marjory came to Nanjing to visit us April 1-16. We were happy to show them our life in Nanjing and to explore some new places as well. They won the award for "best sports" for their flexibility and enduring interest in all things Chinese. Keep reading to take a look into their travels. Warning: contains TONS of photos!



I picked them up in Shanghai after a very long flight on China Eastern Air. They seemed to fair well on the flight. Jesse surprised them and joined me in meeting them at the airport. He hid by a pop machine until an opportune moment came to appear. We stayed in a small boutique hotel in the French Concession of Shanghai.

We had a short time in Shanghai to see the Shanghai Museum. It was a cool, beautiful spring day...maybe a little warmer than Minnesota! Their arrival in China was tempered by the news of long-time friend Norma's critical illness and then the news of her passing. We were all sad to hear of her death.

They arrived in Nanjing to see the peach blossoms, as well as many flowering shrubs, trees, and plants. Perfect timing for a visit. Here they are in a garden close to our home on Purple Mountain.

A special event for us was to visit the Amity Bible Press in Nanjing. My mom has been a long-time supporter of the American Bible Society and she had showed us a brochure about the press before we ever came to Nanjing. It was very exciting to see the large scale production of Bibles and to get to see some of the final products that they produce. The story of the Bible press is encouraging. Go to: http://www.amityfoundation.org/wordpress/?cat=28 to read more about the legal printing of Bibles in China.

Because they were here for a longer visit, we were able to go to a fabric market and pick out beautiful fabric for custom-made clothes.

Here my mom is being measured for a jacket and pants. My aunt looked through the tailor's catalogs and chose a beautiful Chinese silk jacket and silk pants. Keep reading to see the final products.

Our kids had a week of Spring Break, April 4-12. We took a short flight to Guilin in southern China and then a ride in a minibus in a storm at night to Yangshuo. It was a memorable traveling experience from the airline food :-P to the pushy tour groups to the stalling van driver who wanted our future business. We were glad to arrive at our destination! Mom and Marjory were the featured entertainment for Chinese travelers sitting near them.

Yangshuo! A quaint little town on the Li River. The tourist industry began with backpackers, but is now a major sight-seeing spot for Chinese and international travelers. We loved all the cafes that served a western-style breakfast--a rarity in China. Most also had a balcony or terrace for sitting and watching the world while drinking tea or coffee.

We hired a guide, Feng, to help us do many of the activities offered in the area, and to accompany us most of the time. Because it was wet and cool our first day, we took a bus then a local taxi to the Li River for a powered-bamboo boat ride to the most scenic spot on the Li River.

It was no small thing to get us all on a boat--lots of people and steps and other boats to step across! We had to hire 2 boats for our excursion. Here are Mom, Marjory, and Feng.

Cruising right along on the Li River. We stayed (mostly) dry, but it was chilly in the wind. Nevertheless, the scenery was beautiful. The Chinese are especially proud of this area--the 20 yuan bill features a sketch of the Li River on one side.

Glad we packed our rain gear!

We took a short break during the boat trip to use a pit toilet (for a price!) and to have the opportunity to buy souvenirs or hold a pole of cormorant birds for 10 yuan. Jesse was up for the challenge.

And Levi took his turn. The cormorants were used traditionally for fishing on the river by banding their necks so they couldn't swallow the fish they caught. Now they are mostly used for demonstration for tourists.

Beautiful scene on the Li River.

After our boat ride we stopped at a local cafe to warm up with tea and snacks.

The kitchen where our lunch was prepared...it's best not to look too closely!

We took a walk down a very old street. The red dust is from firecrackers. We were there on "Tomb Sweeping Day"--a national holiday in China to remember ancestors.

What could be better after a chilly boat ride than to soak your feet in a tub of hot ginger water? We indulged in a foot massage at our hotel--a necessary part of visiting China!

Old and new. This man would circle the small lake by our hotel, inviting photographs. Our hotel is on the left, right next to McDonalds!

Mom and Marjory on the bridge near our hotel.

Flower girls! The local women make and sell flower wreaths. We couldn't resist the fresh flowers. We hired a driver to take the women and little children on a tour of the rural area around Yangshuo. We saw the typical Chinese scenes we've been anticipating: water buffalo plowing the rice fields, men wearing pointy straw hats, women carrying goods on their shoulders in 2 baskets suspended from a pole, etc. We also stopped at a cave and walked through, testing M & M's endurance. :-/

Thankfully, the weather cleared on our second day and stayed sunny until the day we left. Here is Marjory and Feng near Silver Cave.

We also stopped and saw "Moon Hill," a natural rock formation.

One of MANY tombs we saw throughout the countryside. The red ribbons are for Tomb Sweeping Day--families visit ancestors' graves, offer food and incense, then shoot off firecrackers to send them "home."

While we went on our mellow ride through the countryside, Jim, Levi, and Grace rented motor scooters and burned up the pavement around Yangshuo. We liked Levi's new wind-swept look!

The kids were begging to get massages during their vacation! We found a spot for everyone for about $10/hour. We are warning them that this kind of lifestyle comes to a screeching halt in the USA!

Marjory was a rarity in Yangshuo because she wore leather shoes! All the shoe-shiners in town found her and hounded her for the 5 days we were there. She kept refusing until her last day. Another shoe-shiner saw her shiny shoes later and gave her a look of betrayal...poor guy. (BTW, she broke her thumb in EGYPT in February and had to have it pinned surgically the Friday before she arrived in China...no fun!)

Grandma's turn to hold a cormorant! We went on a boat ride at night to watch a demonstration of the birds fishing.

Ahhhh, the cafes...the tea...the ice cream...take me back to Yangshuo!

Rachel gave rock-climbing a shot. Yangshuo is the perfect place for rock-climbing with its many rock walls. We hired guides and equipment for an afternoon.

Super-girl Grace, climbing to the top!

Jesse (at the top) and Jim (below) scaling the wall. Jesse was the surprise of the day, climbing more than anyone and reaching the highest points!

Levi did a great job--but we expected that!

Jesse must have benefited from reading and watching and pretending to be Spiderman for all those years!

We had one day of bicycling along the river and through the countryside. Mom and Marjory stayed back in town. I planned to go biking, but my gut had other plans! I ended up helping them barter for bargains in the many shops.

A typical scene in the area. Beautiful.

Jim really enjoyed getting close enough to see how the locals live. We sometimes miss being in the rural areas of the country, like we were in Tanzania.

Back home in Nanjing, preparing for Easter. Thankfully, Grandma Claire brought the egg dye! And the jelly beans! We opted for a Thai dinner instead of ham after church at the international fellowship.

We stopped at Xuanwu Lake near Purple Mountain and took a short tour around the lake and its 5 islands. It also has a large section of the incomplete Nanjing City Wall around it.

What else do you do on a rainy day? Drink tea! We went to a tea shop near the Confucius Temple and experienced a tea ceremony and tea sampling. Here we are waiting to sample jasmine tea once the blossom opens in the hot water.

We tried to fit in as many stops as possible on Purple Mountain. Here they are at the foot of the Sun Yat-Sen Mausoleum.

We visited the Nanjing City Wall near Xuanwu Lake. It's not the Great Wall, but it's pretty good!

The view from one side of the city wall--downtown is a mix of the new China with the old.

Pretty snazzy! Or is that spiffy?! Whatever the case, here they are with their finished products and the tailor.

Yucking it up over Wu's fried meat buns and homemade noodle soup. We wanted to share one final authentic Chinese meal with them before they left..except I had mercy on them and remembered to put forks in my purse!

The final leg of our journey was to Suzhou to the pearl market and the silk factory. We learned all about the life cycle of a silk worm and how silk is woven. We made sure they filled their suitcases to overflowing with great finds...even with the extra one Marjory bought while she was here!

We LOVED having Grandma and Aunt Marjory here to see our lives and experience China with us. Thanks for being such willing culture-learners and wide-eyed travelers!