Gentlemen... Start your engines...

Gentlemen… Start your engines…


Well, Thursday was a glimpse into Shanxi’s past with a trip to the Provincial Museum…. I can definitely say that given some more time here I would like to see a couple more things… The Hanging Temples are here (close to Datong) and they look amazing… The pics I have of the museum model does not do them justice… Suffice to say – you take an ancient monastery (like 1500 years old) and attach it to the side of a rock face –Many, Many metres in the air (75 I think) with basically cantilevers and not much else… There are many other pagodas and temples all over the province with many flavours of religions and histories that one could spend a good deal of time trying to visit.

The museum was the “big outing” of the day, so the rest of the afternoon (after naps) we trucked around the local streets to see what could be seen. It was still brisk, so we really did not put on too many miles, but it was nice to get out and about for a bit. Grabbed a bit of dinner and then returned to try and get some shut-eye for the following day of travel back to Beijing… Only an hour flight, but Miss Muffett has never flown before so you never know. This is where the wheels came off the bus…

After three successful nights and naps putting Mary down, this was not to be on night number four. Can you say shriek like a banshee?? I knew you could… We tried to put Mary down for the night in her crib and she was having N.O.N.E. of that… Wailed like we were performing an exorcism (which the neighbours actually thought we might have been) with fits of kicking and flailing and screaming all thrown into one. Was not a pretty sight really, so up she went to be comforted again (and try to calm her down) but as soon as she got close to the crib it was like a light switch – and we were off again. This pattern continued for about an hour and twenty minutes with no change in behavior, until we laid her down at the end of our bed to re-swaddle her and it was like the another light switch – all was quiet… Whatever needs to be done… she was quiet… So, we boxed her in with some chairs so she would not fall off, and we also tried to get some sleep. When I say would not fall it should probably be SHOULD not fall… Thump in the night (she can really roll around this kid when she is unfettered) and down she goes. More tears :( but a quick recovery and back onto the bed… Same light switch still works… :) So, needless to say the next few bedtimes will be putting all of us to the test… We will see what needs to happen for the rest of the week and when we return home… Keep your fingers crossed :)

...If I need to find a Catholic priest to do some quick work do I have to pay him LOA? Let's see if we get banned from the hotel first... 

Like I said - The pics I took of the model do this place no justice... Here it is and I must return to check it out :)

Starting to get more smiles... Jie Jie is pulling her weight :)

Daddy can even manage to coax a few out of Mary too...

Dressed for a cool outing

Here is our hotel in Tiayuan

One of the historic pagodas that are also in Shanxi - 900 years old and the tallest solid wood pagoda well, anywhere... :)

A little Buddhism as well...

Back at the hotel getting a little play time in

Sharing is coming along fairly nicely

Say Cheese....

Did you see which way they went????