Shaolin Temple Day

Today was a good, but long day.  We left for the Shaolin Temple at 8:30 and returned at almost 7pm.  It was a long bus ride into the mountains.  It would have been a beautiful drive, but it was so smoggy L.  We arrived and got into the park and then ate lunch inside in a restaurant.   It was traditional Chin#ese food.  We even had one dish that Maggie has made for us before.  We walked by “troops” of Kung Fu students that were saying cadence.  Some looked to be about Fu Xing’s age.  There are 20,000 students there studying Kung Fu.  We then went to see the pagoda forest, which has over 250 pagodas which are tombs for the Shaolin monks—well the ones that gave enough money to the temple to have a pagoda built for them
<><>

<>

<><>

On the bus to Shaolin Temple



Getting ready to go in



Kung Fu students



Not sure how this lady stayed in business?



In the pagoda forest

Fu Xing with his friend Casey from San Diego

Then we walked to the actual temple(s). I am not too interested in these, they all look and smell the same, like incense, and have a false god in them. We had an interesting exchange with FuXing about these “gods” that I will write about when we get home.

With Baba by a big tree



The son of the dragon - rub for good luck

Then it was off to the Kung Fu show. I felt like I was in Chinese Branson. It was a little disappointing, but Fu Xing loved it and I guess standing in the hot waiting mass (not line) was worth it?

We then went on our walk back to the bus. I bought some waters because we had run out. I gave one to Kevin, Fu Xing and I had one. There was one left that I kept. I decided I should drink it because I had really been sweating and not going to the bathroom all day. We stopped and bought a souvenir for Fu Xing (he got us a really good deal!) and something for William (because we love his parents so much)!

Chinese corn field on the way to the bus

We finally made it to our bus. There were little old ladies and men waiting by our bus. It broke my heart that they were out there begging. Our guide said it would be okay to give them our water bottles, but we had already given them to someone else. I just always feel bad that they are at this stage in their life and they have to do this to survive.

Kevin and I sat in the back of the bus because FuXing had decided he would like to interact with the other kids. He had been kind of avoiding them up until today. It was fun to see him make friends with Joshua who is 7 and play with/avoid the 3 girls in the back, ages 4, 5 & 6. He was so good about sharing snacks and even comforting one of the girls that fell and got hurt by giving her a skittle. So sweet!

Kevin got drafted to play Barbies (see picture).  I had drank all that water and had to go to the bathroom so badly that I thought I might have to ask one of the other parents for one of their babies diapers so that I didn’t embarrass myself by wetting my pants.  We finally stopped and I went in as fast as I could.  It was a squatty potty and I didn’t have the ability to think about how to go on one because I had to go so badly.  I ended up just sitting on the nasty floor because I didn’t care at that point.  Our guide was having a shouting match with the workers about us using the facilities.  I told her as I went by that I would pay 100 RMB ($15 USD) to use the bathroom!  Kevin was great and kept going up and telling the guide that I really needed to stop until they finally stopped.  Ahh the memories J

Kevin loves Barbies



FuXing and Joshua from Denver

We ate supper in one of the hotel restaurants because we were so beat from the heat and traveling today. Kevin had a cheeseburger and I had a tuna sandwich—both were great. FuXing had noodles, but they had fatty beef in them and he did not like that at all. He has been a great sport today and we are still in awe that he is our son! We see more of his personality coming out each day and he really is an amazing boy!

Tomorrow we will travel to Jiaozuo and have a very short visit at Eagle’s Wings and then off to the notary office. I guess it is best how it is all working out, so that those left behind won’t feel too badly by us being there too long. Fu Xing will be able to tell them goodbye, and we can deliver our donations and gifts. I hope we can come back someday to visit and volunteer. I know I will be a crying mess tomorrow. Hope I do not scare FuXing too much.