And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

This is the seventeenth of 17 essays that cover our Southeast Asia cruise (March, 2010).  The first paragraph of the seventeenth essay reads as follows:  "We are touring the best-preserved imperial palace in all of China, the five-century-old Forbidden City located in the center of Beijing.  Our guidebook, Beijing Encounter (by Lonely Planet), says that the 14 Ming emperors and 10 Qing emperors “became absorbed in the splendor of life inside the palace.  The royal mealtime took up much of the day.  By the time Empress Cixi took power, she was getting twice-daily meals consisting of over 100 dishes” (p. 11)."
                                                                     
                                                                                      

Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

Princess cruise line provided the shuttle to the airport, and we discovered that Beijing has one of the most attractive, tourist-friendly airports in the world.  It is clean, toilets are spotless, airport personnel are helpful and friendly, and the methods used for boarding the aircraft are efficient and effective.  What a delightful way to end our Southeast Asian experience!

And Then Some News