The second blog is having trouble publishing, but it will be on your way soon. I hope. This is the third blog and our fifth day. The night sleeper from Beijing to Nanjing was memorable. It was out of a movie. The train itself was sleek and bullet-like. The compartments were fit with table, tv, a wide window, and four beds (bunkbeds). We were cozily rocked to sleep. You would be very impressed to know that 18 students managed to pack and get themselves off the train at a "quick stop" at 6:20 in the morning with full luggage, backpacks, etc.
Our breakfast in Nanjing was dumplings...plates and plates of very special dumplings. After breakfast we had a full day of sightseeing in Nanjing, a beautiful town with many stores, museums, flowers, water, and people. Here it was the plum blossom festival season as opposed to the peach blossom. We took a surrey with a fringe on top through a forest to a gorgeous mountain to see Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum. We saw Confucious Temple and the Zhanyuan Garden. The garden was actually the ex-house of a famous soldier with trees over 300 years old, koi, waterfalls, and serene peacefulness whichever way you looked.
We ended the day in Nianjing with the Zhonghua Gates and hopped back onto the bus for a four hour drive to Hangzhou. We arrived to meet the host families and Philippe Dietz. The room where the children were presented looked like the UN. All the children were excited about their new adventure.
We will all be checking with with the children in the morning at school. What a great bunch of children.
*In 2020, the International School of the Peninsula (ISTP) formally changed its name to Silicon Valley International School (INTL) to better reflect its bilingual programs, location, and international values.
