New Thing #77 - MoBot Lantern Festival

Fresh off our barge ride, and with Meredith still in town, we headed to the Missouri Botanical Garden for their Chinese Lantern Festival. Her husband Ben tagged along for this trek, but I think he would have rather gone on the barge ride instead. :)

I'll be honest. This wasn't my favorite new thing to do. Not because of the installations or the artwork or the music or the garden itself. I loved all of that. It was the people I hated. And the heat.

But, mostly the people.

And those people ruined what should have otherwise been a lovely evening.

When it comes to crowds, my fuse lasts about 15 minutes. Add on a sticky midwestern evening, that fuse shortens to about 15 seconds. It amazes me every day the amount of rude people, clueless people, and just downright inconsiderate people there are in the world. Did no one teach them to say excuse me when they walk in front of someone who is clearly trying to read a sign? Or not to stop in the middle of the effing sidewalk to take a photo when there are a dozen people walking directly behind them? Or to wait their turn to view something? Or to just be respectful of other people's time and space?

Let me take this moment to thank my parents and other family members for teaching me how to respect other people. It's too bad their lesson of not hurting people didn't sink in just a wee bit more, because I was seriously ready to cut a few people. Or at the very least, push them into the ponds.

I suppose I should get off my soap box, because I could spend an entire blog focusing on the amount of people that made it onto my shit list tonight. But, I don't really think you want to read about that, so I'll focus on the artwork and what they represent. I didn't get a chance to read all of the informational signs - due in large part to the aforementioned crowd - so, I will relay the information that came in the guide book. It really was all very beautiful, and most of the displays were mechanical. Too bad I didn't enjoy it as much as I should.

MoBot brought this Lantern Festival to the Garden amidst their annual Chinese Culture Days. It doesn't say in the guide, but I'm pretty sure I remember something saying that this is the first time something of this size has been brought to the U.S. So, it's pretty exciting that it's here in St. Louis.

We waited only about 15 minutes to get in, which considering how many people were there, wasn't that long. However, it was pretty toasty out, and I could feel the sweat beads start to run down my spine. After looking at the map, I realized that most of the sculptures were all near the front of the garden. They weren't spread out throughout the entire space as I had anticipated. Which made the clusterf*ck of people exponentially terrible.

Dragon Embracing the Pillars

You can't really see the four dragons in the corners squirting water into the center, but they're there. Dragons are believed to be the rulers of moving bodies of water and symbolize luck, nobility, bravery, strength and knowledge. I love the blue water.

Cute couple. (I won't add the photos Ben took of me. Let's just say he has a knack for taking photos when I look utterly ridiculous.)

Lotus Ponds

This flower symbolizes elegance, beauty, perfection, purity and grace.

The flower in the middle of the two porcelain dragons.

One of the two dragons.

Yes, these dragons are made entirely of porcelain dishes.

In China, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, so there are a lot of dragons throughout the exhibit. China was actually the birthplace of porcelain making, which is why this installation is made of more than 40,000 individual pieces of porcelain tied together using ancient techniques. It's incredibly impressive up close, especially seeing how big these things are. Side note: in our guide, they have fun fact questions next to the explanation of each lantern. For this display, the question was "Do you know what the common English-language synonym for porcelain is?" Ben asked me this question and I immediately answered with "china". He looked at me like I was a freaking genius, and said "how the heck did you know that?" Clearly, he's a dude and has never heard his grandmother talk about her china set and how it it goes to him after she dies. But, I think I'll just stick to the fact that he's a guy and doesn't think about china sets or porcelain dishes. :)

These things were huge and so intricately assembled. Beautiful.

I love the reflection in the water.

So detailed!

It's difficult to see, but smoke has started coming out of the mouth.

You can hear the music in the background and see the mechanics of the head.

Four-Faced Buddha

There are many versions of the Buddha across China, from fat and happy to skinny and covered up. I just couldn't get over the freakishly long ear lobes these guys had.

The Flying Asparas

These are flying celestial beings surrounded by clouds, wearing flowing dresses, but have no wings or feathers. Some can be seen playing musical instruments, but the overall effect is one of grace and elegance.

Double Seventh Festival

This one is pretty difficult to paraphrase, so I'll just copy it as they said. "A young cowherd and a beautiful weavergirl got married without telling the girl's mother, the Goddess. When the Goddess found out, she ordered the girl to return to Heaven. The boy went to find her, so the Goddess created a wide river in the sky (the Milky Way) to separate them forever. But once a year, all the magpies in the world fly up into Heaven to form a bridge so they can be together for a single night: the seventh night of the seventh moon."

Interesting.

The First Emperor's Quest for Immortality

The First Emperor of China was pretty fancy schmancy. He created economic and political reforms, standardized currency, built an early version of the Great Wall, built the Terracotta Army and an enormous road system. However, as he got older, he basically began fearing his own shadow and set out to find a magic elixir to grant him immortality.

Goddess Blessing Buddha

The bodhisattva is an embodiment of compassion and able to relieve the suffering of all living beings. It is most often represented as a beautiful woman in flowing white robes, standing atop a dragon.

Moonlit Pathway

Moons and stars have dated back 2,000 years in Chinese coins. The implied meaning of the star symbol is that Chinese coins should be like the star-studded sky: widespread, numerous and broadly distributed. The moonlit pathway evokes a heavenly sky, but also wealth, power and abundance as you pass beneath the canopy of stars and moons.

I LOVE these little guys!!

Panda's Paradise

Pandas are synonymous with China and there is a protected natural habitat in the southwest Sichuan province.

Zodiac Lanterns

Did you know that the animals on the Zodiac are fabled to have held a race across a river for a place among the signs. Rat used his clever ways to be the first to get across (often at the expense of others), and is the first animal in the Zodiac. The other eleven followed in succession. All the animals have specific characteristics associated with them, and people are thought to assume the qualities of the animals into which year they are born.

Meredith and I were born in the Year of the Ram.

According to the one website I checked (and of course, everything on the internet is true), it says that the ram is thought to be the most feminine sign because it is a very creative sign. People tend to want to do something creative (hey, wait a sec....), are sensitive and caring beings and are adventurers. Sound familiar? Of course, rams are also lazy, require a lot of attention, and can be obstinate. Damn.

You win some, you lose some.

But, get this. The western equivalent to the ram is cancer (my zodiac sign), the color associated with rams is yellow (um, hello!), and I share the symbol with Mick Jagger, Jane Austen, Bruce Willis and John Wayne.

And Pamela Anderson. Again, you win some, you lose some.

Ben was born in the Year of the Snake.

Don't tell Ben that people born in the year of the snake are thought to be the wisest of all the zodiacs. It might go to his head. But, hey, they're also thought of to be grabby and sore losers. Wait, grabby?

We made our way back to the dragons as it got darker so we could see them all lit up.

Love the glowing eyeballs.

Smoking is bad for you, no matter what the Chinese say.

Wishing Well.

There are bells with different wishes - health, wealth, happiness and more. You're supposed to state your wish, throw a coin at the label to ring the bell and the wish will be granted. We did not try this. Mainly because there were about 85 people waiting to do it.

Giant Glowing Nipple....uh, I mean the Heavenly Temple

Does it not look like a nipple? Can't get it out of your head now, can you?

This temple represents the conjunction of the circular Heaven and the square Earth. There is a series of pillars that represent the four seasons, twelve months and twelve traditional Chinese hours.

At this point, we needed to get away from the crowds and take a walk to cool off. So, we headed back to the lake and the Japanese garden. Which is completely unlit at night and full of little blood suckers just waiting to feed on their next prey. The 20 or so bites on my feet the next day are a testament to that. But, at least it was peaceful and we could blot out all of the people that were threatening to make my temper snap. (Oh, and I wasn't the only one. Ben was about as cranky as I was with all of the people.)

Ducks on the pond. They were so cute. Too bad you can't really see them.

Cherry Blossom

In China, the cherry blossom is a significant symbol of feminine power, beauty and love. They smell pretty darn good too.

Colorful Flowers

These were really pretty.

Flowers are a very important part of Chinese culture. Some of the most important ones are orchids, chrysanthemums, water lilies, azaleas and camellias. China doesn't have an official flower, but the two unofficial ones are the plum blossom and the tree peony.

Butterfly Lovers

A tragic Chinese love story, similar to Romeo and Juliet. The two lovers die for their love and transform into a pair of butterflies.

Nine-Dragon Mural

The number nine is very special because it's the largest possible single digit number and nine was considered the number of the Emperor. Pair that with dragons, which have scales in multiples of nine, and have nine versions, it's a pretty powerful mural.

They move!

Wishing Tree

Pay $2 and you get to toss a coin with a ribbon on it into a tree. Make a wish and launch it into the highest branch possible. Something tells me they take all those down every night and resell them to people the next day. If legend is right and my wish would come true, it would only be for about 24 hours.

After the Wishing Tree, we saw some booths where traditional Chinese artists were selling some of their wares. Everything from charcoal portrait drawings to sugar drawings, seal engraving to opera face masks, costumes to embroidery. Some of it was beautiful. Nearly all of it was expensive.

We made it back to the dragons again. They're really pretty all lit up.

You can barely see the head through all the smoke.

Perty reflection.

Lotus Flower Lanterns

I love how some of these are on water. The reflections are beautiful.

The Chinese believe the lotus symbolizes ultimate purity and perfection because it rises untainted and beautiful from the mud. Also, every part of the plant, from the rootes to the petals, can be put to good use and has medicinal properties.

The Dragon Embracing the Pillars again.

The Terracotta Warrior

These warriors represent figures from the "Terracotta Army", a collection of sculptures depicting the armies of the first Emperor of China. These are located just ouside the garden.

Welcoming Dragon

Since we came to the garden from the side and when it was still light out, we didn't even notice this dragon until we were ready to leave. Unfortunately, the head is facing away from us, so we didn't get a good shot of it. One thing to note: dragon years of the Zodiac are the most popular to have babies. In China there are more babies born in Dragon years than any of the other 11 animal years. Interesting.

The Dragon Pillars Gate

This is in front of the entrance, and obviously more spectacular after the sun goes down. It represents a "huabiao". In China, a huabiao is usually erected in front of palaces and tombs as a symbol of the government's responsibility to the people. It's usually decorated with dragons, lotuses and other important symbols.

After a couple hours and numerous run-ins with the crowd, we were ready to go home. I realized later that there were 6 displays we didn't even get to see. I'm not really all that upset though. I don't think Meredith and Ben were either. But, at least they were troopers and braved the craziness with me!

New Thing #76 - Underground Barge Ride

I'm really thankful for Groupon and Living Social. They introduce me to things around St. Louis that I never knew existed, or didn't want to pay full price for. Today's adventure is an underground barge ride in Crystal City.

Yeah, a barge ride. Under ground. Who knew?

Crystal City is only a 30-40 minute drive south of St. Louis, and I didn't really know much about it. Well, other than the less than stellar things I've heard anyways. But, I'm always up for a little adventure, so I figured why not. The deal involved two for the price of one, which is always my favorite kind of deal.

Meredith happened to be in town for a Cardinals game and to celebrate my birthday, and seeing as how she's a big fan of adventure as well, she was the perfect candidate to join me. The website didn't exactly explain much about the facility, other than the barge rides and disc golf, so, naturally, we were a little wary on what to expect.

Fast forward to today, with Google maps in tow, we headed south down I-55. My iPhone was feeling pretty saucy today, because it took us the most roundabout way imaginable. Rather than taking a quick exit to the east from the highway, it took us west, then north and back east. Yeah, we made a giant effing circle. For no good reason. But seeing as how we really had no idea where we were going, we followed along like good little girls. Even when it took us down a one way street. Good thing this is a small town and no one was around to run in to.

Eventually, we neared the end of our journey, and all that lay ahead of us was a gravel road, fences and no signs of intelligent life. A bit further down the road, an old one-lane bridge was followed by a giant creepy looking tunnel. As we often do, Mere and I just looked at each other and said "What the hell did we get ourselves in to?"

At least we were in the right place.

The bridge in our rear view.

When I say creepy tunnel, I'm not joking. I had no idea we'd actually be driving under ground to get to this place. But, we came this far, so I turned my head lights on, and rolled slowly into the tunnel. *Side note, I've been watching the series True Blood recently, and I have to admit, my mind went a little nuts being encased in this dark tunnel, not knowing what was inside it or when we'd get out. It ended up being only maybe a quarter mile long, but I couldn't wait to be out of it. Due to a big curve in the middle, we couldn't see the end of it at first. Back in the light of day we pulled into a small gravel parking lot and headed toward the cave entrance.

Heading into the tunnel.

The entrance to the cave. No one was around, so we weren't really sure if we should just walk in or not.

As we walked in, we could see a soccer game being projected onto the cavern wall. Tables and chairs, a stage and bar awaited us after we walked down a ramp into the main room. Beyond that...total darkness. I checked us in with my deal and the lady turned us over to a guy to take us back to the barge. I just realized I never got his name. For the sake of the blog, I shall call him Luke.

It's hard to see, but the projection is on the wall in the back.

We started the walk toward the barge, and it took quite a bit longer than I anticipated. And it was freezing. I figured it would be cold, being under ground and all, so Meredith and I had come prepared with sweatshirts. But, since it was about 305 degrees in the shade outside, I couldn't bring myself to wear long pants. Fortunately, I wasn't completely freezing, but Luke told us by the time we got to the barge, we'd be able to see our breath.

Joy.

As we walked, Luke told us a little bit about the complex and explained about the disc golf (sometimes known as Frisbee golf). I've never played it, but I know the gist of it. You throw a Frisbee and try to get it into a basket. It's scored like golf is. Well, when I had read about it online, I assumed it was played outside. In the sun. Nope, it's played under ground. In the dark. I have a feeling they go through a lot of Frisbees every year. However, they do offer lights that you can buy to put on the discs, so if your aim is off, you can still find them in the caves. Tough guys like to boast that they don't need lights until they come back after one hole and realize they do indeed need them. I would need them.

As we continued to walk, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was inside of these caves. Some points were fairly short, but as we descended down a slope, the "roof" area got bigger and bigger and I sensed just how large this place really was. There were lights strategically placed along our path, but if those were off, it would be very easy to get lost down there. Tunnels came out of tunnels which led to more tunnels. I imagine the staff has a map, but I wouldn't want to be down there alone with the lights off. Luke said it's his job to turn them off every night and it can get a bit freaky.

No shit.

We eventually came to the water's edge and the barge was just returning from a trip. Perfect timing. Other than the hum of the barge and the faint chords of an Elvis song, it was eerily quiet down here. Peaceful. Haunting. They should use this as a scene in a movie. Or at the very least, for one hell of a haunted house.

The barge docking back to the shoreline.

All lit up. This comes in handy.

The "shoreline".

Two tunnels you can't really see down on either side of the center formation.

Not the best photo, but I like the way the lights went all crazy and the fact that it looks like the water is glowing.

The few passengers on the barge exited, and Meredith and I realized that we had it all to ourselves for the next ride. Along with the captain, who's name I also didn't get, so he's going to be called Bo. The barge itself was pretty much just a flat slab of wood with railings and a motor. They had it strung up with Christmas lights so you could see your way around, and a few tables and chairs littered the center. Also on board were the heat lamps. Thank you dear sweet baby Jesus. 

As Bo and Luke (ha, see what I did there?) traded sarcastic jabs at each other and secured the barge, I got my first view of the water and the caves ahead of us. The water was crystal clear and you could see all the way to the bottom. Granted, we were on the shore, so it was only a few feet deep, but later we'd realize that parts of the lake were 30-40 feet deep. 

This is what awaits us.

Bo started up the engine and pulled us away from the dock. Luke wasn't planning on joining us, but at the last minute, he hopped on board. When there's two pretty ladies on board, how could he resist? I looked around, and the barge really was meant for a party. They had speakers set up and the boys were currently playing a little Elvis, but we could hook up our own iPhones and play any music we had if we wanted. You could even bring on your own drinks. We weren't really planning on partying at this place, but at least we know it's there if we ever want to in the future.

Lots of room for entertaining.

I was really mesmerized by the beauty in the caves as we headed out. Unfortunately, either my camera isn't bad ass enough, or I just don't know how to use it, but I wasn't able to get any good photos down there. I tried numerous different settings, but I eventually gave up and just enjoyed the ride. If you want to see professional photos, check out their website: www.crystalcityunderground.com/Photos.php

This is how the ride went...just staring off into the darkness ahead.

I like the shadowing effect.

Luke is attempting to fish some trash out of the water.

My attempt at photographing the water to see the bottom. Clearly, it didn't work. Which is sad because the water was so clear, and with the glow of the headlights, it was pretty cool to look at.

Again, the headlights on the barge made for great contrasts.

Bo on the left, Luke on the right.

Bo and Luke continued their bickering until I asked Luke if he could tell me more about the caves and how this came to be. I don't really remember what he said, but I have their info sheet, so I'll just go from that. Crystal City was first founded for the making of glass. Silica (sand rock) was found and since it's of superior quality for glass making, the town was quickly settled. What followed was over a century worth of innovation and quality. They started making plate glass in the mid 1800s, but by 1990 it was turned over to the salvage company. Today, nothing remains of the glass factory on site. In 2007, the cave site was bought to be used as a convention, sports and entertainment complex. It covers 200 acres, 150 of which are the lake. Most of the ceilings are nearly 40 feet tall.

Not only do they have the barge rides and disc golf, they also have space for 5 volleyball courts, they hold concerts and wedding receptions, along with an area for pole vaulting. You read that right. Pole vaulting. I'm not sure that's a hot commodity to the public, but if you need a place to pole vault, regardless of the outside temperature, it's game on.

Most of ride was pretty quiet. Bo and Luke kept to themselves, and Mere and I were fairly quiet other than a few laughs here and there. As pretty as it was, it did get to be kind of redundant after awhile. Every pillar looked like the one we passed before, and other than one time where we were able to jump up and touch the ceiling, it was pretty tame. I can imagine it'd be much more entertaining with a big group of people.

 

I hate that these photos suck, but I think it's funny the side is blurry. It makes it look like we were going really fast!

Digging the Elvis tunes.

Coming back to dock.

About 20 minutes after we started, it was all over and we were heading back to dock. The boys told us that we could ride the barge again all night long since we had already bought a ticket. I wonder if that's actually true, or if they were just telling us that so we'd ride again.

As we started the trek back up to the surface, Luke pulled up in a golf cart and offered us a ride. Score. Well, he didn't so much as offer us a ride, as I requested one. In the process he took us to see some of the disc golf holes, as well as the volleyball courts.

Oh, and I made Meredith ride on my lap, so she got the brunt of the cold air rushing into our lungs. Sorry dear. :)

The textures in the walls are beautiful.

The lit trash barrels for disc golf to let people know what tee they're on.

The tee marker and the basket in the distance.

The basket. As you can tell by the photos, they really do play in the dark.

People playing volleyball.

Luke eventually dropped us off at the main entrance, and we took some time to look around and take a few final photos before we headed back out into the suffocating midwestern afternoon.

I have no idea why these figures were there, but it gave us great photo ops.

Oh hey.

Meredith won.

Bar area where they have concerts.

Heading back toward the entrance.

No idea.

The entrance.

It was murderously hot outside, not to mention bright as hell, so it took some getting used to when we got back outside. We headed back through the stupid tunnel and made our way slowly back to civilization. I had a great time, and am so glad we did it. the caves were awesome, and I think some disc golf or volleyball should be in my future. Not pole vaulting though. I don't think I'd make it very far doing that.

The exit tunnel.