| Whilst in Phoenix, we visited the Chinese Cultural Centre which
includes shops and a cultural garden. At the front is this typical Chinese
gateway with its characteristic roof shapes. |  |
 | There are
several small buildings or pagodas each in their own bit of garden, each with
an associated plaque describing what they are a copy of in both English and
Chinese. |
| One picturesque spot is this circular hole in a wall. We did
get a photo of us posing in it but the light levels were by now so low, it
came out blurred. |  |
 | The supermarket
was fascinating and full of unusual items for the local Chinese population.
They prefer their food to be really fresh and there are tanks of catfish
swimming around in somewhat cramped conditions. Not something you would see
in a western supermarket. |
| They also have live lobsters although there were fewer of these
(probably because of the price). |  |
 | We didn't buy
this one at the Chinese super-market but we did buy one, cooked it in a big
pan of boiling water and enjoyed it with a couple of excellent bottles of
wine. Well, wouldn't you look red if you had been boiled?. |  |
 | We also found a
Durian fruit in the Chinese supermarket. We had heard of these but had never
had one. They are supposed to be absolutely wonderful although you are
banned from taking them into a hotel in Penang because of the smell. I
thought it was over-rated. |  |
 | 'Greater' Phoenix is a
conglomeration of several cities of which Phoenix is one. We went to a concert at the
Arizona State University in the city of Tempe. The concert was free and the orchestra
was competent if not exciting. |
| The music was varied from a violin concerto to Tchaikovsky to
a choral piece and ended with Christmas carols from the Arizona Mormon Choir. |  |
 | The streets of
Tempe were well lit up for the Christmas season. This style of wrapping
lights around all the tree trunks and branches is very popular over here. |
| Very colourful but slightly more unusual were the shapes
projected onto the side of this grain elevator. |  |
 | Grass is
relatively uncommon in gardens in Phoenix, but saguaro and other cactus on a
sand or gravel base are common. Just under the arms of this cactus is a hole made and
used as a nest by the gila woodpeckers. Few saguaro avoid their predations. |
| Most houses of any size also have a swimming pool but not all
have such prolific citrus trees as this one. This one is a tangelo, a cross
between a tangerine and a grapefruit. Navel and other oranges, lemons
and limes also grow in profusion. They are ready to pick in the winter,
generally late December onwards. Jan particularly liked the reflections in the pool. |  |
|