by John Foltin
Next, they toured Banteay Srei, a temple constructed in the tenth century and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. While not nearly the size of Angkor Wat, it was still impressive to see.
After a short lunch, their next stop was Ta Prohm, a twelfth century temple built by Jayavarman VII as a shrine to his mother. It was unique as there were many trees and vines growing out of the structure, though recently some work had been done to clear away some of the foliage.
The last stop on the tour of Angkor was Bayon, a fifty-four tower temple built in the late twelfth century. Throughout the temple were over two hundred carved faces of Avalokitesvara, or “Lord who looks down”. As his name suggested, the faces looked down.
Throughout the tour, Chadwick held hands with Brianna. He made sure to let Kristen see this. Sure enough, she did. And yet to Chadwick’s surprise, she was unphased.
In fact, she was happy. You see, on the advice of Todd, Patricia started talking with her, and they quickly became friends. A few other ladies took note of this and began talking with Kristen again. She was no longer a pariah. She felt a bit normal.
Todd saw the smile on her face, and it brought a smile to his. Now, if only he could work up the courage to talk to her and not scare her off.
Again, Richard tried to talk to Patricia and make things right between them. But she was too preoccupied with her new friend Kristen to pay any attention to him.
They had little time to settle in when they got back to the hotel. They had a long flight ahead of them and needed to leave as soon as possible.
They checked out and left for the airport.
Seven and a half hours later, the plane landed in Jinan, China. They left to check into the Hotel Sofitel Jinan Silver Plaza.
After time to unwind, they boarded buses to go to Kong Miao in Qubu. After an hour and a half drive, they arrived in the hometown of Confucius.
This temple was the largest and the oldest devoted to the memory of Confucius. The complex was the second largest historical building complex in China. It had a total of four hundred sixty rooms and covered sixteen thousand square meters.
At the center of the complex was Dacheng Hall, translated as “the Hall of Great Achievement. It was supported by twenty-eight pillars. It served as the place to offer sacrifice to the memory of Confucius.
In the center of the courtyard in front of Dacheng Hall was the Xing Tan Pavilion or “Apricot Platform”. It commemorated Confucius teaching students under an apricot tree.
After touring the complex, they returned to Jinan for the night.
Douglas and Mei-Xing had dinner at Lao Hangzhou Jiu Wan Ban. She was happy to have some native food, the first time she had tasted such since she left China as a young child.
Christopher and Leigh had dinner at Jingya. Kristen and her new BFF Patricia spent the night just walking about the city and talking.
The next morning they checked out and boarded a train. Two hours later, they arrived in Beijing, where Mei-Xing was born.
After checking into the Peninsula Beijing, they left for the Temple of Heaven. First, they saw the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a triple-gabled circular building built completely out of wood, but not a single nail in the building. It was said that the Emperor would go there to, as its name said, pray for good harvests.
Next was the Imperial Vault of Heaven, a single-gabled circular building resembling the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. It was surrounded by a smooth circular wall called the Echo Wall that could transmit sounds over large distances. The two were connected by the Vermilion Steps Bridge, a raised walkway.
Finally, they saw the Circular Mound Altar, an empty circular platform on three levels of marble stones, each decorated by lavishly carved dragons. The center of the altar was a round slate called the Heart of Heaven, where the Emperor prayed for favorable weather.
From there, they went to Tiananmen Square, the site of a pro-democracy protest back in 1989. This was the third largest city square in the world. The Square was originally built in 1651. During the 1950’s, it was enlarged to four times its size.
Located in the middle of the Square was a mausoleum dedicated to Mao Zedong. Previously on that site stood the Gate of China, the main gate of the Imperial City. Also located on the Square were the Great Hall of the People and the National Museum of China.
They also saw the Monument to the People's Heroes, a ten-story obelisk built in memory of the martyrs who laid down their lives for the revolutionary struggles of the Chinese people during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
For their last stop of day one in Beijing, they visited the Forbidden City, the Chinese Imperial palace for almost five hundred years. It was the world’s largest surviving palace complex. It was divided into the Outer Court and the Inner Court.
The Outer Court was used primarily for ceremonial purposes. Among the buildings they saw in the Outer Court were the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
The Inner Court was the residence of the Emperor and his family and was used for day-to-day affairs of state. Among the buildings they saw in the Inner Court were the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Union, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
When they returned to the hotel, Todd decided to stay in. He knew he had to finish his story for Kristen, and time was running out. He had to finish writing it, then revise it.
Mei-Xing took Douglas to meet her grandmother Hui-Ying, whom she hadn’t seen since she was three years old. Her grandfather Shen died a few years before.
Hui-Ying had a traditional Chinese dinner prepared for them, with hot and sour soup, Peking duck with pancakes, wonton, and steamed egg cake.
After dinner, Hui-Ying embarrassed Mei-Xing by showing Douglas baby pictures of her. Overall, Douglas enjoyed his time finding out more about her heritage.
Chadwick and Brianna had their second date. It started with dinner at Xiyu Shifu, followed by dancing at the White Rabbit.
Patricia, Kristen, and a few other girls took Leigh out for a bachelorette party. It started with dinner at Taipo Tianfu Shanzhen. After dinner, they went to the Chaoyang Theatre to watch the famous Chinese acrobats. Actually, they tried to find a strip club to take her to, but due to the limited time available, they decided on a clean night.
Christopher opted for a quiet night at The Teahouse of Family Fu for a night of poetry and tea. It inspired him to write his own vows for his upcoming wedding.
While Richard still wanted to make things right with Patricia, he could never get the opportunity with her. So, for now, he put that on the back burner.
The next morning, the group left for a trip to the Great Wall of China. While impossible to tour the entire wall, they did visit the portion near Beijing.
Among the parts they saw were the Badaling Great Wall, which was the most preserved section of the Wall, the Mutianyu Great Wall, the Jinshanling Great Wall, and the Juyongguan Pass.
When they returned to the hotel, they checked out and boarded a train. Five and a half hours later, they were in Shanghai, the largest city in the world by population.
They checked into the Peace Hotel, but most didn’t stay in their hotel room for long.
Richard, Chadwick, and a group of guys took Christopher out for a bachelor party. After dinner at Su Zhe Hui, they went for a night of dancing at the Shelter. Chadwick gave a local some money to dance with Christopher. When things started getting a bit too provocative, Christopher pulled away. Still, everyone had a good time.
Douglas and Mei-Xing had a nice Sichuan dinner at Bo Guo Bu Yi, then went to have some fun at Jin Jiang Amusement Park.
BFFs Kristen and Patricia went shopping at Woo Scarf & Shawl for some silk scarves, then to Yi Long Court for some Cantonese food.
Todd finally found the inspiration for the ending for his book. Now that he had the beginning and end finished, he only needed to fill the middle.
Leigh heard a
bout a challenge at Lupu Bridge, the second longest arch bridge in the world. It was called the Shanghai Climb. She rode an elevator, then climbed three hundred sixty-seven steps along the arch to the observation deck on the top of the bridge.
The next morning, they left early for a busy day of sightseeing. It started with a trip to Jin Mao Tower, a tower that ranked as the ninth tallest building in the world. They looked over Shanghai from the observation deck on the eighty-eighth floor.
Next to the Jin Mao Tower was the Shanghai World Financial Center, an even taller building. It ranked as the fourth tallest building in the world. It stood one hundred one stories and at 1555 feet offered the world’s highest observation deck.
As they left, they passed by the Shanghai Tower, which was under construction. When completed in 2014, it would stand one hundred twenty-eight stories and over two thousand feet tall. It would rank only behind the Burj Khalifa as the tallest building in the world.
Next, they saw Chenghuang Miao, or “the City God Temple”. The temple was dedicated to three city gods: Huo Guang, Qin Yubo, and Chen Huacheng.
That night, the group saw the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe at the Shanghai Center Theatre. This was the first mandatory nighttime event for the entire group.
Chadwick made sure that he and Brianna sat in front of Kristen. He wanted her to see everything that was going on.
He wasn’t the only guy that wanted to sit near her. As she warmed up to her new female friends, other guys started to pay her attention again.
Todd never lost sight of her, but he also didn’t sit by her. Instead, he sat beside Douglas and Mei-Xing, who was reliving one of her first memories.
The next morning, they checked out of the hotel and left for the airport.
CHAPTER TEN
Two and a half hours later, they landed in Tokyo. They checked into the Park Hotel.
Once they cleaned up, they left for the Meiji Jingu Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the spirit of Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shoken. The shrine was located in a forest.
The group was told of the many religious customs of Japanese culture so no one was offended. At an archway or tori, you bow once. At the main shrine buildings, you bow twice, clap twice, and bow again.
The shrine was divided into two major areas. The first was the Gaien, the outer precinct. At the center of this precinct was the Kaigakan, with eighty paintings depicting the lives of the emperor and empress honored there. The Gaien also included the Kinenkan, or “Memorial Hall”, and the National Stadium, where various sporting events were held.
The inner precinct was the Naien. Part of the Naien was the Homotsuden or “Treasure Museum”. It was here that the Constitution of the Empire of Japan was drafted.
While there, they saw a Shinto wedding taking place. Leigh, knowing her own wedding was taking place in a few days, got the first signs of cold feet here.
Seeing her a bit distraught, Christopher tried to lighten the mood. “I hope we don’t see Godzilla here today.” That smart remark put a bit of a smile back on her face.
Next, they visited the Sensoji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest and most popular temple. Unlike Meiji, this was a Buddhist temple.
The temple was dedicated to the goddess Kannon. According to popular lore, two brothers fishing in the nearby Sumida River netted the catch of their lives, a tiny golden statue of the Buddhist goddess of mercy and happiness who was empowered with the ability to release humans from all suffering. That statue remained there, but was not available to the public.
Next to that temple was a Shinto shrine, the Asakusa Shrine. The shrine honored the three men who founded the Sensoji: Hinokuma Hamanari, Hinokuma Takenari, and Hajino Nakatomo.
They also saw the Tokyo Sky Tree, the tallest tower in the world at two thousand eighty feet. The only structure taller than it was Burj Khalifa. However, it was still under construction, so they couldn’t go inside the tower.
The last stop on the tour was Shofukuji Temple, the first Zen temple built in Japan.
As they had started to do the night before, guys had begun to follow Kristen around, rebuilding her entourage. Surprisingly, Chadwick was not a part of it. All of his efforts to make her jealous by flaunting Brianna in front of her were for naught.
By the end of the tour, Leigh was more relaxed and even excited about her upcoming nuptials. If anything, Christopher’s feet were getting chilly.
Still, that night, they went out to eat at Waentei-Kikko. After dinner, they visited a nearby Shinto temple to discuss what took place in a typical Shinto wedding.
Kristen ditched the guys for a girl’s night out at Ageha. Kristen told Patricia how she liked the attention the guys were giving her again, but also told her that they would be friends regardless. She asked Patricia for a possible recommendation.
She thought back to her talk with Todd and how he was interested in her. She brought his name up. For as long as they had been on the trip, Kristen still didn’t know which guy was Todd. They spent more time talking about him.
Speaking of Todd, he went with a few other guys to the Tokyo Dome to check out a baseball game with the Yomiuri Giants.
Douglas and Mei-Xing had dinner at Casita, then went to Shinbashi Enbujo Theater for some Kabuki.
With her roommate out with the girls, Brianna invited Chadwick over. One thing led to another. Before the night was out, they had sex for the first time.
The next morning, they left Tokyo and boarded a train. Three hours later, they arrived in Matsumoto.
After checking into the Buena Vista, they left for Matsumoto Castle. However, they were only able to see the outside of it due to damage sustained from an earthquake a few months prior.
When they left the castle, they toured the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum, which was based on the Sakai collection dating back five generations.
That night, Christopher and Leigh went shopping for their wedding kimonos and everything else they would need for the next day. They also felt the need to expand their wedding party. They asked Douglas and Mei-Xing to join the party before they left. They said yes.
Mei-Xing and Douglas went to eat at Nomugi. Most of the rest stayed in the hotel.
Richard finally got the opportunity to make amends to Patricia. They talked about how much he had changed since high school. He told her that he had seen the light after his father passed. He was no longer willing to sit back and watch the world fall part around him and not try to change it for the better.
She told him that she could no longer have anything to do with a person like that. She walked away.
Word started getting out that Kristen had a birthday coming up shortly. Guys started thinking of how to impress her. It became a competition about who could buy her the better gift.
Todd was oblivious to the conversation. All he could think of was how he was going to get her story finished before the end of the trip.
Chadwick had gotten what he wanted from Brianna. Now, he had to get rid of her. He would find that would be easier said than done. She was enamored with him.
The next morning, they checked out and left for the train station. Two and a half hours later, they arrived in Kyoto.
Both Christopher and Leigh were nervous as they boarded the train. Weeks had become days, and days were now hours.
They checked into the Hyatt Regency. Christopher brought his aoiri-hakama for the ceremony. Leigh brought her kimono, hood, and makeup. However, they would need to carry those to several other sites since Rokuonji Temple was later in the tour.
The first stop was Kiyomizu Temple, a Buddhist temple. Beneath the main hall was the Otowa waterfall, where three streams flowed into a pond. Rumor had it that the water from the falls had wish-granting powers.
Part of the temple complex they saw was the Jinsu Shrine, dedicated to Okuninushi, the goddess of love and “good matches”. Inside the shrine was a pair of “love stones” placed twenty feet apart. Lonely visitors could try
to walk from one to the other with their eyes closed. Success in reaching the other stone implied that the person would find true love.
Several of the group tried this. Some succeeded; others needed help, which meant a go-between would be needed to find that love.
Kristen decided to try it. This surprised some of the group. How could somebody as beautiful as her be lonely? What they didn’t know was that she felt more alone than just about anyone else there. She made it to the other stone without assistance.
Shortly after her was Todd. He looked around for Kristen before he started. He needed that one vision to guide him. As he was about to be shoved to keep the line going, he saw her. His love for her directed him to the other stone in little time.
As they left, Christopher saw a place that sold incense and everything else they needed for a wedding in a Zen temple.
Next, they went to Nijo Castle. It contained two concentric rings of fortifications, each consisting of a wall and a wide moat. Inside those rings were Honmaru Palace and Ninomaru Palace.
Ninomaru Palace consisted of five connected separate buildings. One of the most striking features was the "nightingale floors" in the corridors. To protect the occupants from sneak attacks and assassins, the builders constructed the floors of the corridors in such a way as to squeak like birds when anyone walked on them.
They saw the Willow Room, the Young Pine Room, the Retainers' Room, the Reception Room, the Ministers' Offices, the Imperial Messenger's Room, and the Great Hall.
When they left, they finally made it to the Rokuonji Temple, a Zen Buddhist Temple. The temple was also known as the “Golden Pavilion”, mainly because the top two stories of the three-story temple are completely covered in gold leaf.
They stepped out to the strolling garden, where the wedding would take place. In order for Christopher and Leigh to get married, however, they would have to do it with another couple. They were fine with that.
Jodi and Mei-Xing helped Leigh get dressed for the ceremony. Her face was painted white, as was tradition in Japan, and dressed head to toe in white with a white hood. Christopher changed into his black kimono and met Leigh at the start of the wedding procession.