Big Wave Bay

Big Wave Bay
Not just another beach!

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Terracotta Army

My Dear Great Ones,
Celia and I spent four very interesting days in Xi'an China.  A city of about 12 million! it was China's  ancient capital and was governed by a long succession of powerful emperors.  The first Emperor of China had life size statues built which are truly a wonder.  Here  is a little wikipedia blurb about them:
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary artburied with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting the emperor in his afterlife.
The figures, dating from approximately the late third century BCE,[1] were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, outside Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits near Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum.[2] Other terracotta non-military figures were found in other pits, including officialsacrobatsstrongmen, and musicians.
Celia and I were impressed and it is for sure a "must see," when coming to China.  


 We obviously came on a good day, considering how many gates there were to herd people into the site.  Whew.


 The main attraction was located in a massive building which protects the statutes from the elements.   Very imressive.



















A museum nearby has  some warriors behind glass.  The detail of each statue is amazing.







So there you have it.  Next week I have pictures from the Xian wall.  Another very impressive tourist site.

Have a great week.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Some Random Hong Kong Shots


Hello My Dear Great Ones,
Here are a few random shots that I took of the city that I love over the last few weeks.

 View of Central, on the island.  The ICF and ICC buildings are the tall silver ones.


 Night time view of Central from on high.


 Iconic nighttime views from Jordan on Kowloon.





The world famous rugby 7 tournament was in town and I checked it out.

Rugby and beer go hand in hand.

Scene outside of the rugby stadium.


Have a great week everyone!

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Hong Kong Selfie Time

Hello My Dear Great Ones,
Below are a few selfies, all taken in Hong Kong, which gives you another insight on how interesting this place is.


In the jungle....




 At a market...

 Chinese medicine store...
 Street scene...
 Hong Kong rooftop scene...

 Hanging with some locals...
Have a great week!

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Saturday, April 6, 2019

Trying out the New Lens

Hello My Dear Great Ones,
I got a new camera for my birthday and  like a kid I love playing with it.  Here are some samples of what the camera can do:


The following three pictures are taken from the same spot.  This is the entrance to our country park which is near our home.  It has a bus stop and a little food kiosk.





The following two pictures were taken from the same spot .  The lens is great.




The following are scenes from our country park:





The following four are pictures of the public estate that is near where we live.





 Roots.

Some wildlife and scenery near our home:




 See the monkey in tree?  Below is a close up taken from the same spot with the great lens.



Have a great week everyone.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk