This past June, I was privileged to travel to China with our school district. Our Team consisted of six high school students and five staff members, including Dr. Porter! Our journey in China began in Beijing, where we took in the entire city in about two days. Highlights included the Great Wall of China, The Forbidden City and exclusive views of private homes followed by rides on rickshaws. Next, we traveled to Xi'an, where we visited with our sister school. We visited the archaeological site of the Tomb of Qin Shi'huangdi, the People's Provincial Museum (amazing!) and beautiful city parks. From Xi'an, we took a long train ride to Chongching, the largest province in China (over 34 million people!). Traveling through the countryside by train was a highlight for me, as I got to see farmers and their families working on terraced land and using anything but modern equipment. I took amazing pictures! Chongching might be compared to our San Francisco, in terms of the terrain. HILLS, HILLS and more HILLS--a runner's dream! I saw aspects of life in this large city that are difficult to describe--poverty, porters, beautiful views, the highest point in the area and babies being carried in baskets on their mothers' backs. The next leg of our trip included a 3-day trip on the Yangtze River with our Team. We got to see caves on the cliffs and the waterline goals of the current Three Dams Project, which is displacing over 2M people from their current homes. The project will allow for better, faster water travel for boats of all sizes. Our two-week trip ended in Shanghai, which was the most Westernized location of our trip. We passed by dozens of American fast food restaurants daily and saw a mix of many cultures. Shanghai offers a beautiful nightlife and modern city transportation. We got a treat when we ate at Pizza Hut upon arrival--American food was wonderful for all of us! Our plane ride home was long but short. We were exhausted but filled with excitement to see our families and sleep in our own beds. I will share pictures from my trip this fall, in an after school school session for any student to attend.
