Everyone is a Foreigner

Inside the Arctic Circle

2012-01-25T07:37:00.010+08:00

Abisko, Sweden sits 195 km inside the Arctic Circle. In winter, the sun does not actually appear during the daylight hours, which span from about 10:00-14:00, rather, a slowly emerging dawn melts deliberately into an even slower dusk. The thick coating of white snow everywhere offers some enhancement to the dim light that emerges.

This wild and largely uninhabited part of Lapland really seems like an alien landscape of scrubby, brushy vegetation, majestic mountains with interesting shapes, frozen lakes, and half-frozen streams. With some encouragement and a bit of training from good friends, I tried cross-country skiing for the first time. Though not as exciting as downhill skiing, it really is the best way to explore the frigid extremes of the Arctic Circle. I actually really enjoyed it--like hiking on skis. I learned many cross-country tricks, like how skim quickly along the snow, and how to ski uphill--well, up the small hills that emerge as you hike along on skis.

The lodge at Abisko Touristation has exactly the atmosphere one would expect in such a cold, outdoorsy place. Fireplaces, electric candles in the windows, heating, saunas, simple but clean and functional accommodations, and really great organic Swedish food. All of the staff are super friendly. Best of all, they have free wi-fi.

There is a train station right in front of the lodge. We tried to take the train all the way from Stockholm (16 hours), but an ice storm affected the tracks somewhere en route, and we were forced to fly to the nearest airport at Kiruna and then take the train from there. When I arrived at the Abisko Touristation stop,

it was past 3:00, pitch black, and a blizzard was in full pouf. With snow flying rapidly in all directions, it took a few minutes to orientate myself and see the lodge just across the street.

Since there are only four hours of daylight, it's important to make use of this time for skiing or hiking--and the area around the lodge has great, marked trails everywhere. One of the famous trails--the King's Trail--goes on for 450 km, but 4 hours is clearly not enough time to go that distance. Since it's dark the rest of the time, one can't feel too guilty about relaxing with a book, the net, taking long naps, or watching movies/TV shows on the iPad.

For most people, the greatest attraction is the possibility of witnessing the Aurora Borealis in full, unobstructed, non-light-polluted glory. I stayed up late most nights, and did not manage to catch a glimpse. I'm not too disappointed, though, because skiing to explore Abisko's mountain landscapes covered in snow and ice certainly made the trip worthwhile. Far, far from Barbados in pretty much every way.

Ten Reasons Copenhagen Works

2012-01-06T07:40:00.019+08:00

Rather than bore everyone with the daily activities of my trip, I thought I might just cut to the chase and describe all the things I loved about this charming Scandinavian city. These are simple observations from a short trip, and not a thorough sociological study--so I could be missing the bigger picture one any or all of the following points.

1. Food. Smorgasbords filled with brilliantly smoked laks, five kinds of salami including reindeer, more amazing cheeses than any diet should include, some of the tastiest hearty breads on the planet, real Danishes (called Weinerbrod in Denmark) and delicate Danish butter cookies--both made with real Danish butter. Everything grade A quality.

2. People. Tall, handsome, gorgeous, well-educated, multi-lingual, fit and friendly men and women are everywhere.

3. Transport. Metros and trains that are on time, well-marked, easy to use and go where you want to go. Bike lanes, bike traffic lights, a flat city and drivers who respect cyclists' right of way.

4. Design. Danish design is famous for good reason--function meets attractiveness...from Bodum coffee presses in slick cafes with fab furniture to full-scale, wonderful urban spaces, the Danes make life pleasant.

5. Outdoor Spaces. Running/biking trails lining urban lakes. A park filled with free-roaming deer that was once the king's hunting grounds. Botanical gardens. Parks and more parks. Beautiful, historic squares. Harbors and beaches. Tivoli--an amusement park right in the heart of Copenhagen with charming holiday lights. People are out and about making use of these public, outdoor spaces even in winter.

6. New Year's. On December 31, the normally very orderly, rule-abiding Danes go wild. Fireworks are legal on this one day a year, everyone takes full advantage, starting the noise around 16:00, and continuing on through the wee hours of the morning. It's like being at an outdoor lakeside party with an entire city setting off professional-grade fireworks all around you. Spectacular.

7. Microbrews. Microbrew is big all over Denmark, but in Copenhagen, you must check out Norrebro--where they have a set meal that pairs wonderful foods with even more wonderful microbrews. Think cauliflower-leak soup with New York Lager, pork confit with Ravnsborg Rod (Red Ale), and roasted duck leg with Julebryg (Christmas Ale).

8. Balance. Denmark does have a lot of rules, but rules are implemented with purpose, which makes society both open and functional. Traffic laws are enforced, and the roads are safe for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Bricks of hash are openly sold in stands lining the streets of Christiana, but overall crime is very low, and it's safe to walk the streets at night--which is good since night is really long in winter.

9. On On! The Copenhagen Hash House Harriers really know how to welcome visiting runners, and put on a nice New Year's run/party through the deer park (Dyrehaven).

10. Castles. You can visit several Castles easily by train from Copenhagen. Fredricksborg is a stately, over-the-top, nicely preserved castle filled with famous Danish art and historic objects. 20 minutes out of town by train to Hillerod. There are also bike racks conveniently located on the train, so you can even ride around the charming town once you get there.

Redefining Paradise in Dominica

2011-11-26T21:52:00.022+08:00

Before moving to the Caribbean, naturally, I researched the region's numerous travel spots and added the particularly enticing islands to my bucket list. With miles of rugged trails, pristine rivers, waterfalls, a boiling lake, an emerald pool, hot springs, and super friendly people, Dominica, known as the "Nature Island," topped the list. When a business trip popped up on a Monday following a long weekend, I jumped on the opportunity to spend three days in the mountains.

The airport in Dominica is in the northeast corner, and the capital, Roseau, sits on the southwest side. The only way to travel from the airport to Roseau involves a narrow, bumpy road that winds itself through the rain forested mountains in the center of the island. The trip takes about 90 minutes--Dramamine recommended. While it isn't necessary to drive all the way to the capital to start exploring the back country, as there are trails--including parts of the cross-island Waitukubuli National Trail, the Carib Territories, and mountains nearby the airport, my target was the boiling lake hike, which is accessed via the Roseau Valley--about 20 minutes from Roseau.

I stayed in a small village called Wotten Waven at a guesthouse called Le Petit Paradis, where Joan provides reasonably priced, basic, friendly accommodations in a gorgeous setting. My room had a little deck in back which overlook the surrounding mountains and the guesthouse gardens, which include a number of fruit trees. I picked fresh, delicious pink grapefruits for breakfast every day right behind my room. Joan provides advice and arranges things as necessary to improve her guests' stay. Upon arrival, I immediately purchased my week-long site pass for about $12 USD, which is required to visit all of the places I wished to see, and walked about 45 minutes to Trafalgar Falls.

Trafalgar Falls is actually a pair of waterfalls that emerge out of lush green rainforest just at the end of the road in Trafalgar. The falls are crystal clear, and drop into a boulder-filled river bed where the trail leads. The rocks are speckled with green moss, and washed over with the clear water. Like many places in Dominica, you feel compelled to breathe deeply from the ultra fresh air and simply enjoy the untouched scenery.

After my dinner of creole-Dominican fish and provisions--a selection of root vegetables--Joan sat with me to help work out my plan for hiking to the boiling lake the following morning. Since I was traveling alone, this could be complicated and perhaps a bit expensive. She explained that I would need to hire a taxi to take me to Laudat, where the trail starts, and back, as well as organize a guide to take me along the trail. $15 USD each way for a taxi, and about $60 USD for a guide sounded pretty steep. I asked how far it would be to hike to Laudat, and she responded cautiously that it would be about an hour and provided hiking directions via a footpath behind the primary school in Trafalgar. She suggested that a guide might be found along the way, which sounded like a good idea, since I also might find other travelers along the way. Heeding Joan's warnings that this would make for a rather long day of strenuous hiking, I went to bed early and was ready to rise with the sun the next day.

The hike from Wotten Waven to Laudat is quite nice, but does include some serious inclines. Fortunately, shortly after reaching the main road from my hiker's cutoff behind the primary school, a guy pulled over and asked if I needed a ride. I popped in the back with two young kids and was told that several more vehicles were behind him bringing more kids for a school trip to the boiling lake. Double score: no need for a guide, and a free ride. Two of the three kids in the car had already completed the hike before and said that it's challenging but not too bad, which reassures me that I actually do not need a guide.

The hike starts of pretty light, with a nice ascent up a series of tailored steps.

Toward the end of the first half, however, the descents and ascents become increasingly steep until you reach this amazing lookout atop a mountain peak that provides excellent views of Roseau, the ocean and the surrounding wilderness. Pockets of steam peeking out from the folds of the surrounding mountains hint at the geothermal sights to come. The hike gets trickier as you come down from this, the tallest peak. The steps are less even, steeper, and sometimes entirely decayed. The trail disappears into rocky riverbeds and winds itself around landslides. The valley ahead opens up another world of alien landscapes, where bubbling pools of water spew sulphuric gas.

Greenish-white, crystalline deposits line the steaming waterways. The fresh air is replaced by a distinctive boiled egg-sulphur smell.

This valley itself would have been worth the hike, but continue another half hour or so forward along an ever-rockier and slippery trail, and you reach the second largest boiling lake in the world. Even through foggy clouds, the lake does not disappoint. The trail ends at a viewing point above the lake, and a prepared hiker would need ropes and other gear to actually touch the lake. The view is enough, however, and the spot provides a great view of the entire lake at a comfortable distance. The center of the lake continuously boils in a concentrated area with giant bubbles emerging from below. I rested on a giant boulder, staring at this fascinating landscape for a while before returning back to Laudat.

It took me about an hour to hike from Wotten Waven most of the way to Laudat, three hours to hike from Laudat to the boiling lake, and then two hours back to Laudat. After six hours of intense mountain hiking, my legs were tired, but not entirely exhausted. I rested at the trailhead while munching on a fruit salad provided by a local vendor, and then started to hike back to Wotten Waven.

I passed a ranger along the way who checked my site pass and suggested that I might be able to pick up a ride along the road. Twenty minutes later, a truck passed by and gave me a lift all the way to Trafalgar, where I enjoyed a fabulous sandwich on a french-style baguette and cold Kabuli beer at the River Rock Cafe. River Rock is run by Laura and her husband, who provide amazing food at good prices.

Eat whatever she's cooking, and you will be happily satisfied.

After a brief nap, I enjoyed a full body massage at the guesthouse on a balcony overlooking the beautiful mountains. Joan has a relationship with everyone in town, including an amazing massage therapist she arranges to visit the guesthouse for services. It was an excellent way to end a wonderful day.

The following day was spent relaxing and eating. The morning started with a lazy breakfast at the hotel--Joan made coconut bread, served with guava jelly, eggs, fresh grapefruit juice and Dominican coffee. I visited Screw Spa down the street from Le Petit Paradis for a hot spring bath. One hour is $10 USD and they have a selection of nice pools at different temperatures. The hot water felt heavenly on my sore muscles. After your soak, the hostess gives you a tray of refreshing fruit and cold water. Later in the day, Joan's husband gave me a lift down to Roseau.

I checked into the Fort Young Hotel, which sits right at the edge of the harbor where the big cruise ships dock. The hotel is actually in a historic fort, and the rooms are strangely shaped, but nice and comfortable--with great balconies. Roseau, with its French/Spanish colonial-style buildings sporting second-story balconies and ornate metal work, reminds me of a Caribbean New Orleans. It's most alive during the week between 9-2 for breakfast and lunch.

Dominicans apparently don't really eat dinner, preferring rather to snack lightly on breads and spreads, and so the town is rather quiet in the evening. This makes locating a dinner spot somewhat challenging. Most of the places open cater specifically to tourists, and are correspondingly expensive. I did manage to find a roadside barbecue offering BBQ chicken and simple sides. This was a key find, since Sunday appears to be particularly dead in Roseau.

During the weekdays, the market next to the harbor is filled with vendors selling locally produced handicrafts. Baskets, mats, bags, and bowls can all be found here, though not as cheaply as I would have hoped. The bustling day-time streets are quite a contrast to the peaceful, closed shops of Sunday night. People walk everywhere, and shops of all kinds sell everything from clothes and food to duty free jewelry. For the best gifts, visit the local supermarket, Astaphans, in downtown Roseau. There you will find Dominican jellies, drinking chocolate (a must buy), hot sauces, and coffee. I ate lunch at this awesome local spot called the One Pot. For about $3.50 USD I had a complete meal with fish, creole sauce, lentils, provisions and rice. Best bang for your EC dollar in town!

Dominica has some of the friendliest people in the Caribbean, some of the best hiking in the world, great food, amazingly fresh air, a completely relaxed atmosphere, hot springs, and several active volcanoes. It really is a beautiful place, and now tops my list of favorite places in the Caribbean.

Some treats to consider: The local pastry shops have "patties" like Jamaican patties, that are really a meat pie pocket. A tasty and cheap snack, though perhaps not so healthy. Juice shops are everywhere. I really like the lime and ginger, which is a potent blend of lime and ginger with no sugar. Street side candy vendors sell all kinds of fudge-like confections--ginger, peppermint, cocoa, fruit. Bakeries sell French-inspired baguettes along with all kinds of sweet pastries.

Restaurants to consider: The One Pot in Roseau (on one of the main streets parallel to the harbor), The Talipot (down the street from the Fort Young Hotel lobby)--great art gallery/bistro with reasonably priced breakfast and lunch, River Rock Cafe in Trafalgar (on the way to Trafalgar Falls).

In the photos: 1. The view along the road to Laudat. 2. The road to Laudat. 3. The One Pot. 4. Le Petit Paradis guesthouse. 5. Trafalgar Falls. 6. Goodness from River Rock Cafe. 7. Steaming valley en route to the Boiling Lake. 8. The Boiling Lake. 9. Me at the Boiling Lake. 10. Roseau. 11. The view from the Talipot. 12. The Emerald Pool

Adventures in Bridgetown

2011-11-06T21:47:00.000+08:00

I finally resolved to explore Bridgetown, parts of which was recently declared a world heritage
site. This trip was less about history and more about food. First and foremost, I visited the city's central market, Cheapside. For some reason, I expected a vast outdoor market with a mess of vendors lining the streets of town. Actually, Cheapside is nestled nicely inside a two-story modern building, and aisles of vendors are neatly awaiting customers with fresh vegetables, herbs, spices, fruit, meat, clothing, snacks and even full meals. The vendors are friendly, and offer their fresh produce at what might be the most reasonable prices on the island. I was particularly excited to find green papaya, fresh turmeric, and fresh mint.

The area around Cheapside makes for some fun exploring. The central city is filled with winding warrens of narrow streets with hidden gems selling various cutters, rotis, and snacks. There's even an Asian market a short walk from Cheapside. These narrow streets are packed with pedestrians and the occasional street cart selling anything from pumpkins to snow cones--I recommend the ginger snow cones, which have a wicked bite. One needn't look too far to find interesting buildings or architectural garnishes along these old streets. Downtown also houses the country's Parliament building, which was dressed in Barbados's national colors in honor of the upcoming Independence Day celebrations.

Queen's Park is a lovely park that has a building typically used for art and other displays, as well as a community center. Once when I visited Queen's Park a community steel pan band was practicing at the center. The most interesting feature of the park is the 1000-year old, Baobab tree with a girth of eight feet. This tree is truly magnificent and could provide shade and a seat back for at least ten people at once.

Biking from the South Coast into Bridgetown was not nearly as precarious as I had anticipated. Motorists courteously passed me by when it was safe to do so. Biking really is a great way to explore the inner parts of Bridgetown, as it appears to be a challenging place to park and drive. Unfortunately, there are not many places to safely lock a bike, but no one seems to mind if you take over street signs and poles.

Photos: Cheapside Market, interesting building in Bridgetown, window from a Bridgetown shop, Parliament, the Baobab Tree

Bajan 101: Dolphin Lime Pie Cutter

2011-10-25T21:53:00.001+08:00

Bajan English, like languages the world over, has its own distinctive flavor. I haven't come across many new words, but rather different ways of employing words I already understand in another context. The most common, and arguably most important of these examples often involve food and drink.

A "cutter," for example, is a type of sandwich that comes on a roll or bun. It's sort of like a hamburger, but doesn't necessarily involve ground beef. Menus frequently offer a cheese cutter, ham cutter, chicken cutter, or my absolute favorite--the fish cutter.

My new goal is to find the best fish cutter in Barbados. So far, there are two contenders: Cutters, which offers a delightfully crisp and light fried flying fish cutter; and Cuz's, which provides a hearty piece of pan seared dolphin on these amazing rolls that taste homemade. ("Dolphin," by the way, is not a mammal in Barbadian food parlance--it refers to dolphin fish, a meaty fish that is often cut into thick steaks like cod or marlin.)

Cuz's is a particular favorite because it's basically just a shack with a single purpose--to provide nearby beachcombers with tasty and cheap fish cutters. For just $3.00 a delicious, fresh fish cutter can be yours. With cheese and beer, $5.00. Cutters does have a mean rum punch--so each has its plus points.

Now, your cutter often comes with a side or two. In Barbados, sides come in two varieties--starch and vegetable. Starches are often some kind of pie. "Pie" does not typically have a crust in the same way an apple pie or chicken pot pie might include a flaky pastry, rather, pie seems to be what Americans would likely call a casserole. Macaroni pie is an amazingly tasty, and unhealthy, version of baked macaroni and cheese. This stuff is pretty fabulous, but due to its high fat and calorie content, a sound diet should never include more than one helping per week. Shepherd's pie is sort of like mashed potatoes with a layer of sloppy joe beef in the middle. Vegetables choices typically include a "tossed" (tossed salad, never comes with any kind of dressing), cole slaw, or steamed vegetables.

Another word used in the island's daily linguistics is "lime." Rather than a small, sour, citrus fruit, people are generally referring to a social gathering which involves alcohol. This should be distinguished from a party, which often involves both alcohol and dancing. The term may also be used in verb form, much in the same way as party. So to enjoy oneself with booze and the social company of others, you might say you are liming.

For a proper Bajan experience, you should enjoy a dolphin fish cutter with macaroni pie while liming on the beach. All sorts of delicious.

In the photos: 1. the Cuz fish cutter, with cheese. 2. Cuz's stand. 3. Cutters fried flying fish cutter with macaroni pie.

A Brush with St. Lucia

2011-10-13T08:51:00.008+08:00

I did spend four days in St. Lucia, but since I spent most of the time working rather than exploring and playing, unfortunately, I only got a small taste of what the island has to offer. I stayed in the prime touristy part of the island, Rodney Bay, which really seems like most touristy beachy places in the world. Good sun and sand paired with lots of bars and restaurants. Since September and early Octoberstill fall within the low season, many of the eateries and bars were closed for several weeks.

If you are planning to eat at any place that requires ordering food, make sure you have some time. Most meals took several hours, and since the waiters didn't seem to be in any hurry to keep the beverages flowing, it seems that there wasn't an ulterior motive--

just plain slow. At Tequila Joe's, a bar/ restaurant along the strip, there's even a warning on the menu that they are slow. Anyone interested in fast local food should look for a cafeteria-style spot where the food is all on display and ready to be dished out. These places have food that's really quite similar to the more expensive restaurants catering to the foreign crowd, but it's faster and significantly cheaper.

I arrived on a Sunday, and was told that an Oktoberfest party was happening down the main road. This became a good excuse to check out the local taxi system,

which is comprised of a fleet of privately-owned minibuses running specific, well-marked routes. After about 15 minutes and 1.50 EC, I landed at the same spot where quite possibly every local and quite a few tourists on the island all congregated. The party was surprisingly large, well-organized, and really fun. A big stage stood at the center, and was surrounded by loads of local food stands and a few centrally operated beer stands serving beer from Germany, Suriname, St. Lucia, France, and Mexico.

Procuring a beer proved to be quite a struggle, so once I finally squeezed my way through to the front of the crowd, I ordered two Mexican beers (most of the other nationalities were taken). With a beer in each hand, I then perused the food on offer, and spotted my winner--barbecued half lobsters. Fresh or not, my lobster half was delicious with some garlic butter sauce and a side of plantains.

Apparently the line-up included some big names, like Lady Saw from Jamaica, who I missed earlier in the day. Whoever was playing later in the evening was lively, and kept the crowd happy with covers of popular local Soca and Reggae hits.

One morning, I explored Pigeon Island, a national park on a small peninsula with a killer view and some historic ruins.

Fort Rodney is perched at the top of a big, rocky hill and has nearly a 360 ocean view that is definitely worth a short, sweaty climb up the hill. Pigeon Island also has a couple of nice beaches where you can rent chairs and chill out for a few hours. It's a lovely park that would probably be suitable for weddings--and apparently hosts many.

Other than that, I managed to get in quite a few nice morning runs. The dude selling coconut water fresh from the coconuts in front of my hotel got to know me by day four.

St. Vincent, the merits of modesty, and a steaming volcano

2011-10-02T23:34:00.000+08:00

St. Vincent is an island formed from volcanic activity, and the steaming volcano Soufriere stands as an active reminder of this fact. Bold, black sand beaches ring an interior stacked with inclines, hillsides and mountains. These hills are dotted with colorful houses similar to those seen all over the Caribbean. The island is large by Eastern Caribbean standards, lush, and very green with few people to count for a census. The largest "city," Kingstown, has a population of a mere 19,000.

On Friday nights, the center of town comes alive with a street party. This night scene is a bustling mix of makeshift bars, food stalls, booming loud music, and street dance-offs. At one end of the street stands Famous Ritchie's--easily found by the trail of smoke pouring out of Ritchie's pit grill, and the amazing smell of artfully barbecued meat.

Ritchie knows how to smoke meat, and he makes some mighty fine sauce, as well. By far the best meal to be found in St. Vincent can be yours for EC$15 (or about US$6). For this modest sum you will savor pork ribs or chicken that has been smoked just so that a crisp crust forms on the skin, which preserves the tenderness of the silky meat along the bone. Topped with that smoky-spicy blend of vinegar-molasses-peppery barbecue sauce and served with salad and fries, this really is a small piece of heaven placed in a cardboard box.

I ate Ritchie's barbecue two nights in a row, and on the second night, I chatted with him about American barbecue. He has ambitions of entering one of the big smoke-offs, or even opening a barbecue chain in the U.S. I offered my humble opinion as a girl from Texas who seriously loves barbecue-- definitely enter a smoke-off, then worry about a franchise. I casually mentioned the event I was in town to promote, and invited him to attend. Later that evening, Ritchie showed up at the event with two bottles of his homemade sauce, freshly made just for me.

Traveling to St. Vincent on business doesn't leave much time for exploring, however, on my single free morning, I set my mind on hiking up la Soufriere.

Having never hiked to the crater of a volcano before, I could not allow this volcano to just stand there without ever feeling my footprints. As September is low season in the Caribbean, the tour companies don't have too many people expressing interest in taking tours up the mountain. I called a few places...one company had gone bust, another wouldn't take just one person, and the hotel balked when I suggested that I simply rent a car and hit the trails alone. (Apparently, there have been some "incidents" with tourists meeting unsavory characters on the trails.)

Being the only soul on the island with a desire to climb the volcano seemingly brought me to a dead end. Fortunately, the hotel found an awesome cab driver who was willing to drive me there, and the taxi arranged a guide to take me up the mountain. All of this was expensive, but not unreasonable, considering my overall experience and the time involved for both the driver and the guide. It was really nice to have the entire trail for myself, too.

The drive to the trailhead outside of Georgetown is about 1.5 hours from the tourist hotels in Villa, where I stayed. Along the way, my taxi driver stopped at a roadside vendor selling callaloo soup. EC$3 gets you a steaming hot cup of hearty soup made with a local green called callaloo, mixed with breadfruit, dumplings and some kind of meat. The taxi driver says the guy works for the post office and only has the chance to sell his soup on weekends.

We met the guide at the bottom of the scraggly road that winds its way up to the trailhead, and then took this road through coconut and banana plantations partially up the mountain. The trailhead is well-marked, with a clean bathrooms. I learned that my guide is one of two employed by the National Parks department to maintain the trails. I guess you can't ask for a better guide than the guy who made the trails. My friendly and very humble guide was good company along the 3 hours or so that we hiked up and down. He spoke about his job, and how he creates steps and drainage systems to prevent trail erosion. I learned about his family, including his grandchild who attends a locally available preschool (fabulous that St. Vincent has an early education program). Particularly interesting were his stories about the illicit marijuana grown on the mountain by Barbadian and

Trinidadian traffickers who work with speed boats that pick up the weed from the coast on the other side. Apparently the police periodically come around to burn down the pot fields. The police/coast guard try to catch the speed boats, but he says the drug traffickers' boats are faster.

The trail is impeccably maintained, and a wonderful hike. At the start, we passed through jungles of steaming, hot rainforest, largely staying beneath a canopy of trees. As we neared the crater, the vegetation shortened, and then thinned. The very top thinned to a mossy mix of plants that sparsely covered areas in between gravelly flows of volcanic black rocks. The air was cool, and the wind was quite strong as we reached the crater. We couldn't quite see the crater at first due to a thick fog that swept across in waves.

Parts of one side would appear beneath the clouds, and then another. Finally, the entire crater became visible in its full, lush glory. The space was enormous and almost entirely carpeted in green, except for the small crater lake resting in the basin. A trickle of steam emerged from the pile in the center--a gentle reminder that this volcano may be sleeping, but is not dormant. Standing at the rim of this volcanic crater, I felt so happy that I just couldn't stop smiling. As I started to make my way back, just at the last moment, my guide said, "You want one last look?" I did. It was hard to turn around again.

On the way back to Villa from Georgetown, my taxi driver stopped at Diana's Jerk Centre. This local restaurant just off the main road serves a mean steamed fish for a reasonable EC$15 (yes, they have jerk, too). The best meals in St. Vincent seem to be the most modestly priced. I spoke with the driver about all things St. Vincent--rum shops, the new international airport, and the local ice cream. Guinness ice cream, which I had tried the day before and loved, is something for which he has a bit of a weakness.

St. Vincent is a modest place filled with modest people. The beaches may not be the best in the Caribbean--but so what? There are miles of great beaches in the Caribbean, but you can't find sincere friendliness, genuine warmth, kick-ass barbecue and a wicked volcano just anywhere. I can't wait to go back.

Discovering the East Coast

2011-09-19T22:40:00.002+08:00

If you think of Barbados as vaguely ham-shaped, then you can picture that I live on the bottom, west side of that ham. My area is commonly referred to as the South Coast. If you drive straight north of where I live, then you would travel through Bridgetown and reach the popular West Coast. The West Coast is where many of the fancy hotels, bars, and restaurants stand. The South Coast also has a fair share of these things, but a bit less so than the West. Now, the whole eastern side of the island is called the East Coast, and, perhaps because of its significantly smaller population, this area seems to receive far less attention than any other part of the island. After this past weekend, the East Coast will be receiving quite a bit more of my attention.

On our first sunny day in a while,

two friends and I set out late Sunday morning ready to explore. Having read a fair bit about Barbados before moving here, I found that most describe the East Coast as "rugged," "less developed," "less crowded," but beautiful. As soon as we curved northward on the east side, it felt almost as if we had suddenly landed on another island. In comparison to the densely populated West and South Coast, the East Coast feels like a relaxed, unpretentious holiday destination on a remote island. We winded along tiny roads that passed through hilly towns hugging the ruggedly beautiful coastline. The scenery left us fascinated, stunned, amazed and ready to explore further.

At the southern end of the east side stands an old, rusting lighthouse at ragged point. The lighthouse and its decaying attached buildings sit perched at the top of a cliff that leads down to a rocky bay. The blue waters below churned around clusters of rocks that appear to have snorkeling potential on a calm day. Hiking opportunities also seem to be all around this place as well.

Continuing north, we cruised through banana plantations, more awesome coastal views, and a few farms. We passed a sign on side of the road boasting "local lettuce" and another further up that advertised "turkeys for sale," and just in case you were wondering, "yes we have chicken." I think some local shopping with a cooler in the back might be in order on the next trip out here.

A little gem of a schoolhouse at Codrington College is accessed along a palm tree-lined driveway and lies nestled amongst lush

vegetation. This site was left by Christopher Codrington to become part of Barbados's higher education system. Now part of the University of the West Indies, it offers courses in religious studies with the Anglican church. The gentle arches overlook one of the most spectacular views on the entire island--a delightful village perched at the foot of a tiny church to the south, lush hills rolling along the coast to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean in full panorama.

A wonderful rum shop painted in Heineken green stands just up the hill from Codrington College and since it essentially faces that same magnificent view, probably has the best patio of any rum shop in Barbados. We stopped in for a refreshingly crisp Banks beer, enjoyed with a fair bit of fresh air on a tidy veranda. Life felt like a holiday. A handful of friendly locals in the rum shop simply relaxed and enjoyed the good weather while reading the newspaper or playing dominoes.

The last stop on our amazing excursion was Bathsheba, home of Barbados's most famous surfing spot--the Soup Bowl. Sunday afternoon must not have been a time for primo surf, as there were only a few stragglers left in the waves. Bathsheba is a modest coastal town with a scraggly beach dotted with wild rock formations shaped by years of harsh winds and waves. A full lunch of grilled kingfish, salad and baked potatoes accompanied by a fierce rum punch at Dina's Cafe hit the spot. Low key, lazy, lovely.

Barbados has so much to offer beyond its pristinely beautiful white and even pink sand beaches. Those looking for something off the beaten trail should certainly check out the East Coast. It's wild, wonderful, and just a little bit wicked.

Even paradise has its problems

2011-09-13T21:01:00.004+08:00

As a tropical storm stood ready to blow across Barbados this weekend, most people were focused on being prepared for possible water and power outages. The storm brought some high winds, heavy rain, and a large amount of sargassum seaweed to these white sandy shores. Miami Beach was clean and clear before the storm, and covered in large fingers of brown mossy seaweed afterwards.

The problem of sargassum seaweed in Barbados and around these parts of the Caribbean apparently extends well before this storm. Local commentators and news organizations have engaged in a healthy debate about where this stuff is coming from. I've heard that it's a cyclical phenomenon that comes around periodically and is totally natural. Others have criticized industry and shipping companies of dumping chemicals into the sea that stimulate seaweed growth. A marine biologist reported to a local newspaper that the influx is caused by "trichodesmium or sea sawdust, which is found in nutrient poor tropical or subtropical oceans and is most frequent in March." Another news source recognizes that currents do bring the seaweed to Barbados regularly, but this year is unexplainably different.

Whatever the cause, how people are managing this mess is also interesting. Locals who have started small businesses by mulching the seaweed has been a common story on local radio. In a sharp piece criticizing the island's response, one Phd suggests that Barbadians unlock the food production potential of this salty weed. If the salt is removed, apparently it makes great compost. Massive beach cleanup efforts have been launched by local conservation authorities, and others have volunteered to pitch in. I joined a group who worked for a few hours to clean up long beach--both garbage and sargassum. After many bagfuls, we had only managed to clear a small patch. Perhaps a bulldozer would have been more effective.

I was sad to see the beaches covered in the somewhat smelly stuff. Hopefully the massive, island-wide beach cleanup planned for this weekend will make more of a dent than my few bagfuls. (The first photo is Long Beach. The last two photos are both of Miami Beach--before and after the seaweed.)

Welcome to Barbados

2011-09-05T20:22:00.001+08:00

I arrived in Barbados on a typically hot afternoon, greeted by a bright blue, sun-shiny sky. Being my first day, I was introduced to the townhouse near the sea that will be my home for the next two years. I am just a few minutes’ walk from Miami Beach (also called Enterprise Beach), which is popular among locals and tourists alike. This delightful beach has both a calm and wave-rich section and is lined with palm and pine tress, which provide refreshing shade from the often brutally hot Bajan sun. That short walk from my front gate along a rocky coastline down to the white sands of Miami Beach provides stunning views of the brilliant blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Needless to say, I am head over heels in love with my new house.

A short visit to the grocery store was enough to set me back $90 and walk away with just a few sacks of food and supplies. Being a small island and subject to stiff import duties, stuff is relatively expensive here. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the availabil

ity of locally grown fresh produce such as sweet pumpkin, cucumbers, peppers, fresh herbs, onions, and more. The fresh herbs are a particularly nice surprise, as they are both plentiful and inexpensive. A coworker later introduced me to a veggie vendor who parks a van right in front of Miami Beach every morning except Sundays. This friendly vendor makes buying fresh, local veg and some fruit ridiculously convenient. He also seems to serve as a local creditor and messenger. I witnessed a woman drive by and say to the veggie man, “Would you pass along a message to Thomas? And give me a piece of that watermelon—Thomas will pay when he comes.”

The next morning, I went for an amazing run that involved following the curves of at least three different beaches, with brilliant views all along the way. I had been told that running was virtually impossible in Barbados due to the road conditions. Just in my first five days, I managed to run over twenty miles, and all in deliciously clean air. The key seems to be an early start, which helps avoid both traffic and heat.

Friday night, I ventured out to Oistins, which is a famous nightlife spot right next to the biggest fish market on the island. Tourists and locals flock here on Friday nights to enjoy Banks beer or rum cocktails along with superbly barbecued fresh fish that has been marinated in each vendor’s version of Bajan seasoning. This concoction involves a variety of fresh herbs and a dash of scotch bonnet pepper, which is a bit like habanero, but so far doesn’t seem quite as spicy. It seems to be the Bajan version of jerk seasoning, and is super tasty slathered on today’s catch. Fish dinners seem to come standard with a tiny salad and your choice of “peas and rice” or “macaroni pie.” Peas are a Caribbean pidgeon pea, which is sort of like a cross between a pinto bean and a chick pea, but smaller. Macaroni pie is a mighty homemade form of mac and cheese that is oh so yummy, but really is a heart attack in waiting. I expect the

re to be a future post dedicated solely to Bajan food, so stay tuned for more on this tasty topic.

Saturday morning I went to Brighton Farms, which is a morning farmer’s market on a plantation selling fresh local produce, locally produced crafts, baskets, bread, home-smoked bacon (oh my!), and ready-to-eat/drink food and coffee. I picked up some more yummy fresh food, must-have bacon, and enjoyed a Belgian waffle with coffee. The place is particularly appealing for folks with kids, since it has a lovely lawn and play area. All the kids can run wild while moms and dads relax with some coffee.

In the late afternoon, a kind hasher picked me up to take me to my first run with the Barbados Hash House Harriers. They are a great bunch—about 50-60 participants and good mix of ages, locals, ex-pats, runners and walkers. The run was a fantastic first for me—11 kilometers of trails through sugar cane fields in the southern part of the island. The weather was steamy, but some cloud cover provided a bit of relief. (On a side note, I am realizing that I may have under-purchased on sunscreen—did I mention that the sun is brutal?) Both Mount Gay Rum and Banks Beer sponsor the Barbados Hash—so you can get seven drinks for 20 BDS. This hash is not all-you-can drink, which suits me fine, since all I can drink is usually just two or three. Lots of folks bring snacks, cakes, etc for the bar, and many stayed, chatting until close to 21:00.

Sunday morning I woke up super early and ran with some folks for about eight miles. Running before dawn definitely helps beat the heat, and made me tired enough for a three-hour nap afterwards. I sense that this will be a pattern in the coming weekends—early rise to enjoy a cooler morning run or bike ride, and then a long afternoon nap through the hottest part of the day. Later, I walked over to the fish market and picked up some “dolphin” which is actually a type of fish they sometimes call mahi mahi or dolphinfish for $2. I cooked it in Bajan seasoning sauce that I picked up at the supermarket across the street –pretty tasty and much cheaper than the stalls at Oistins. In the evening, I went with some Hashers to the Cruising Club, which is basically a beach pub with open construction facing the water with steps leading down to the white sand—a great place to watch the sunset with a couple of Banks beers. After the sunset, we went to a local nightlife spot frequented by a young crowd. The Hashers wanted to see this cover band aptly named Xerox. Apparently two of the band members are also part of another band that plays original music. Hopefully I can explore this scene more later.

My first few days in Barbados have been nothing short of amazing. Great people have warmly welcomed me to the island, and given me a sampling of its wonders. I have learned a few important lessons so far:

Surfing is going to require a lot of practice and patience. Fortunately, I have a couple of years.

No amount of sunscreen can protect my lily white skin from the Bajan sun. One surfing lesson was enough to scorch the backs of my legs. UV-blocking clothes are on their way.

Bajan food is pretty tasty, but perhaps not best for a weight-loss or low cholesterol diet plan.

The giant black and yellow caterpillars I have seen on my runs are called frangipani worms and turn into giant grey sphinx moths. These things are at least six inches long and quite pudgy.

When ordering any cocktail involving rum in Barbados, be prepared for a stiff drink.

At Home in a Strange Land

2011-08-29T05:28:00.014+08:00

I have been neglecting this blog for the past three years. Excuses abound--censorship, lack of time, the advent of facebook-- but I will avoid boring anyone with the gritty details.

Since I have been back in the United States for the past few months, I will start with some thoughts and observations on my own country. Whenever I come home, I can't help but identify with Bill Bryson's commentary in I'm a Stranger Here, Too. I often feel the sense of simultaneous belonging and non-belonging that is often described by expats and emigres the world over. "Home" means many things in my lexicon. Home is Dallas, where I attended first grade through undergrad and where my father still lives in the house in which I grew up. Home is Kansas City, where my mother, brothers, and step-father have lived for the past ten years or so and I visit each time I come to the United States. Home is the entire country--all of these 50 states, even those I have never visited. Home is also wherever I am living and working for the time being--in the past this has been Kaohsiung, Taipei, Washington, and Chengdu.

This time around, I have been in the United States since early May. I started by touring the West and visiting some of the country's most famous, most spectacular, and most interesting places:

I landed in the Big D. Coming back to this

mammoth of a metroplex is always surreal. Vast expanses of eight-lane highways that are still clogged with traffic. Outside of rush hour, huge SUVs fly along freeways, oblivious to anything in their pathway. Dallas is not a great tourist destination, but it is known as an easy place to live. With more shopping square footage per person than anywhere else in the world, cheap housing, no state income tax, and a sprawling variety of suburbs in which to find your dream house, Dallas presents an attractive draw to the thousands who move southwards every year. What makes me most proud of my home state, however, is its food. Comforting without losing its edgy flavor, Texas cuisine is among America's best and most distinctive. The six flags over Texas really say it all in terms of culinary influence (with the addition of German influence for smoked meats and beer). We took Mexican, Spanish, French and frontier food to its peak, mixed them together and created culinary delights such as chili, fajitas, and pit-roasted brisket. Tex-mex, bayou crawfish, and Texas barbecue really are spectacular.

I hiked through the second largest canyon in the United States--Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas panhandle. In the early hours of the morning, coyotes howled and the sunrise painted the already striped canyon walls with even more vibrant colors.

I drove for miles along Route 66, passing by Cadillac Ranch just outside Amarillo, Texas. Old, rusty Caddys covered in graffiti poke out of a vast plain in this distinctive piece of Americana art.

I passed through the pinon forests around Santa Fe, and then relaxed for a few days in the old town, enjoying the cool, sunny weather and beautiful architecture. It was a real pity that the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum was closed, but the others in town were fascinating enough. The real pleasures of New Mexico often appear on your plate in the form of green chile stew, enchilladas or huevos rancheros.

I endured a blitz snowstorm while going through Flagstaff, Arizona on the way to the Grand Canyon. Unprepared for the cold weather, I stopped at a Sam's en route, where I ran inside with flip-flop-clad feet to buy some socks and a sweater. That same night, while sleeping in Arizona's oldest hotel in Wilson, just south of the Grand Canyon, several inches of snow fell from the mid-May sky. The Grand Canyon Hotel is probably one of America's best values--adorable, clean, reasonably priced, charming, free coffee, and an hour away from the Grand Canyon itself. Then, of course, there is the actual canyon. The name really does say it all—the Grand Canyon is truly grand. When I first stood at the edge of its rim, all I could do was gape in awe. I stood in awe of its size, scope, and riot of colors—a uniquely stunning landscape. It is also true that words are incapable of capturing a minute sense of this outdoor wonderland. Time only allowed for a day hike along the Kaibab Trail. Amazing.

I gaped at the impressive displays of human creativity, excess, and unrestrained consumption in Las Vegas, Nevada. This city really does just pop out of a vast, empty desert. Skyscrapers, casinos, swimming pools, shopping malls, bars, liquor stores, and thousands of hotel rooms test the limits of the fragile environment and limited resources of the Mojave. It represents a fascinating part of Americana that still boggles my mind.

I drove across the gorgeous, wide, alien landscapes of Utah, passing through Zion National Park. Stunning landscapes line entire stretches of road throughout southern Utah, and the sheer number of National Parks in the state certainly attest to its splendor. Huge, unforgiving, colorful, rocky cliffs, mountains and odd rock formations are everywhere, keeping civilization at a healthy distance.

As I entered Colorado the wet, wooded, alpine landscapes seemed to enclose around the car, as the roads hugged precariously along the base of the Rockies, which were fragrant with pine and still frosted with snow. Breckenridge welcomes skiers and snowboarders from every corner of the globe and feels like a college town without an actual university. Small, with lots of local watering holes and dives, it is fun to explore even if you are not planning to hit the slopes. Denver has a great beer scene, good diners, and some awesome live music venues to explore.

After traveling and exploring for weeks, arriving in Kansas City was a much-needed welcome home. Besides the comfort of family, Kansas City's familiar bars, museums, creative restaurants, and superb barbecue are always a treat. Located smack in the center of the Continental United States, filled with adorable, middle-class ranch homes on tree-lined streets, and filled with some of the friendliest folks in the country, nowhere defines middle America better than Kansas City. One of my favorite museums--the Nelson Atkins--was hosting Monet's Waterlilies. Let's not neglect that barbecue. While "American" style barbecue is often cited as originating in Kansas City, Kraft barbecue sauce really is a pale imitation of its origins. Folks will argue which is best--Oklahoma Joe's, Smokestack, Arthur Bryant's--but each bite of KC's smoky, sweet, slightly peppered meats is a little gift to the palate. Best enjoyed with a pint of locally brewed Boulevard beer.

I hiked through the lush, insect-infested Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri. A brilliant secret to traveling in the United States is that many of our National Forests have excellent, free or really cheap camping facilities. I stayed in a free camp site in the Mark Twain that was clean and provided all my basic needs--fresh water, a toilet, and even barbecues. Located at trailheads, these camp sites are convenient, economical ways of getting into nature and seeing some of the best America has to offer. The trails were well-maintained, but still rough enough to be enjoyable, even if I was accosted by thousands of tiny beasts.

I rode in a tiny pod that climbed up the Arch in St. Louis. The Arch provides some spectacular views of the city and that pod is just fun. St. Louis is a fun city to explore, with distinctive boroughs and a great local brewery--Schlafly. Soulard Market is a great treat--with local purveyors of cured meats, fruits, vegetables, fresh donuts, and loads of other deliciousness.

I experienced the big city life, with midwest charm in Chicago, Illinois. Great museums and a Great Lake, fantastic parks and public spaces, great ethnic diversity, and accessible public transportation make this town a must-see on any tour of this country. Deep dish and BYOB are the city's culinary trademarks. Both are pretty fabulous.

A short stop in Madison, Wisconsin was enough for this little University capital city to make an impression. Modest, earnest, friendly, and warm are words that come to mind when I think of Madison. In this state, beer is a passion--their baseball team is even named the Brewers. The state's most remarkable foods all are pretty awesome accompaniments to beer consumption--cheese curds, Teddywedgers (an enormous cornish pastry), burgers...it's a good thing that folks in Madison are also pretty active. Biking and hiking trails abound.

I explored the museums and markets of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Minneapolis/St. Paul is home to some very prominent immigrant communities--including Hmong and Somalis. I visited a Hmong market in St. Paul and felt transported back to Thailand. Papaya salad, beautiful textiles, and interesting Southeast Asian produce were all mixed together in a grand market where few were speaking English. The Minneapolis Museum of Art is an impressive collection of every kind of art and artifact imaginable. As my uncle said, it's a virtual fire hose of culture pointed right at you. Minneapolis also has what just might be the best radio station in the country--the Current, which is a public radio station playing a great stream of new, not-so-mainstream music.

During my road trip across the West, I rediscovered America. I was amazed, delighted, confused, disgusted, overwhelmed, saddened and uplifted. This blog tends to focus on the positive sides of things--which is why I won't spend too much time talking about the problems that definitely exist in the United States. Unemployment, obesity, over-consumption, waste, ignorance...to name a few. However, while there is unemployment, there is still growth in some areas; where there is obesity, there are Americans attacking mountains and trails with fervor; where there is over-consumption and waste, there are Americans creating better ways to recycle; and where there is ignorance, there are Americans leading the world in innovation with Facebook, Twitter, iPads and Androids. It's been a good ride America. Until next time.

I am moving to Bridgetown, Barbados this week. Stay tuned for my adventures in the Caribbean.

All around Manila

2008-02-09T23:15:00.001+08:00

We left at the break of dawn to catch the Jeepney to the airport. Our plane left early, which gave us some extra time to play in Manila before heading back to Taipei the next early morning. We went back to Francois’s place, dropped our bags, took showers, and grabbed Francois, before heading out to explore. In one day, I finally managed to actually see Manila. We started in the posh district nearby Francois’s flat. This area pretty much looks like any mall/ shopping district you might see in suburbs like Plano, Texas, or Overland Park, Kansas. It has Starbucks, California Pizza Kitchen, and lots of shops that would fit right in back in the States. We ate pizza, and took a cab to the Pearl market across town. Hint number one about Manila: when taking a cab insist on the meter, and get out if the driver wants to negotiate a set price. The pearl market is full of stuff…lots of Chinese fakes, clothes made in Thailand, and of course pearls. Not knowing anything about pearls, I refrained from getting swindled, and just bought a couple of shirts instead.

On to Chinatown next, where we learned from Francois that the Philippines has a rather large ethnic Chinese population—around 10 percent. This group, called the Tsinoys by the locals, is apparently largely integrated into the remaining population, but there is still a Chinatown, with Chinese shops selling Manila-style Chinese food and baked goods. There is a large church in Chinatown, known as the Binondo Church, that was originally built long ago and then destroyed and rebuilt several times starting in 1762 when the British invaded Manila, then restored in 1854, then damaged badly in World War II, and finally restored to its current state.

From Chinatown, we traveled by metro to Malate. This bustling area is emerging from what appears to be a somewhat rough neighborhood. The streets are lined with restaurants, bars, and clubs. We found a pub and enjoyed a few bottles of San Miguel, before moving next door for food. While eating, we told Francois about our experience at the KTV hut in Coron Town, and so we were inspired to seek a KTV spot in Malate. We sang Toto, Madonna, Michael Jackson---all the standards. A few hours and much cheese later, we emerged laughing and hoarse. Onward we moved to the rock club where the Filipino cover bands play. This is a phenomenon in the Philippines…cover bands. When you listen to the radio and hear Hotel California, it’s probably not the Eagles’ version. Anyways, so there they were, a really talented cover band with some hip guys and one scantily clad female. They even took requests. It was great. At one point the band turned to the only table full of foreigners and asked where we came from. Since Francois, Werner, Hugh, and Francois’s coworker were all South African and outnumbered the rest of us, they shouted “South Africa!” The lead singer paused, and seemingly confused said, “South Africa?!” A guy at a neighboring table approached Werner and in disbelief asked if they were really from South Africa. Werner affirmed this fact and even presented his passport. The guy was still confused that three white guys could be African, and then asked me if we were really from South Africa. I also confirmed that the three gentlemen were indeed from SA. He again pointed out that they were white, and so, not wanting to go into the entire colonial history of Southern Africa, I told him, “You know the Spanish came here long ago, right?” “Yes…?” “Well, the British also came to South Africa a long time ago.” “Ohhhhh……I see.” He didn’t seem confused anymore, but as we were leaving he insisted on getting Werner’s phone number.

We turned in pretty late, and had to rise quite early to catch our flight back to Taipei later that morning.

A warship, an oil tanker, and a Cross on a hill

2008-02-08T22:15:00.001+08:00

Most of our friends departed Coron on Friday morning, and so Werner, Hugh, and I were the three remaining from our group of nine. We started our last day in paradise with two wreck dives. These two were both much larger than the two we experienced earlier in the week. The first one, Akitsushima, was a massive warship lying on its side. It had been damaged quite severely, and apparently sank quickly due to the wreckage. A lovely reef grows on the side facing the sun, and even the sides are lined with life. Again, we saw giant lionfish, angelfish, and scorpionfish…but this time we also played around with a seahorse. The dive master knew exactly where to find them on the top of the ship, which now faces the side. This first wreck was a bit uncomfortable, as some of the spaces to explore inside this wreck are quite small. I have yet to get used to being in a tightly enclosed rusted box 30 meters under the surface.

The second wreck, Taiei Maru, was less intimidating from my perspective. This oil tanker was the largest of all our wreck dives. The inner sections of the ship had these towering compartments with ladders descending into the deep. I couldn’t even see the bottom of the boat when we swam along the ceiling. One side of the ship was snapped apart from the rest, and the debris, shrapnel, and wreckage spreadin

g across the sea floor at that section is amazing to see. All of these chunks and pieces of twisted metal are now encrusted with corals and teeming with fish and other sea creatures. Since this ship is just huge, the scale of everything boggles the mind. For more information about the wrecks, including some sketches, you can check out this website. I think the names might be different, as I found many people use different names….since they were really guessing at the Japanese names.

http://www.diveright-coron.com/sites.htm

When we returned to Coron from our last dives, Werner and I set about exploring the town. We searched for the trail leading to the cross on top of a hill framing the back of Coron Town. After some random wandering, we asked some locals to help us find our way, and managed to find the stairs leading upwards. The climb isn’t really too much effort, and the view is worth the trip. Much of Busuanga Island and the surrounding Calamian Islands are visible from the top. We stayed long enough to watch to sunset.

When we returned to our hotel, we found Hugh peacefully enjoying a massage in the room. The hotel has an affiliation with a professional massage therapist, so it’s actually real massage, not “massage” wink-wink. At a price tag of less than 10 USD, we had to sign up. Ahhh….and we didn’t even have to leave the room.

No corals, no tourists

2008-02-07T10:15:00.006+08:00

We rejoined with the big group, chartered a banca, and headed for a more distant island recommended by the banca captain. The captain offered to have our lunch prepared, we just had to bring the food. Prior to departure, we stocked up on food at the local outdoor market stalls near the dock. Loaded with friends, vegetables, chicken, sausages, drinking water, and a big fish, we were ready for the beach. This island took nearly two hours to reach by boat, but it was worth the ride. The beach itself was mostly shells, rather than sand, but the palm trees clustered next to the shore were all strung with hammocks. Ahhhhh....a hammock, a warm breeze, the soft splashing waves, and a novel created the perfect relaxing environment--so relaxing that most of us fell asleep and didn't realize that our food had been prepared and was waiting for us at the picnic table!

The owner of the island encouraged us to snorkel amongst the islands surrounding corals, boasting of their beauty. His claims were not unfounded, as these corals are definitely gorgeous. Lush corals of all shapes and sizes form an underwater crayola garden of color. I spotted tiny fish busily moving about their reef homes. A blood-red clownfish seemed a bit miffed and uncomfortable by my presence, and nervously swam up to my mask a few times perhaps in an attempt to protect his family of little clowns. The corals stretch along a very shallow shelf near the shore, and I believe they extend down a ridge that would make for a beautiful dive. After my brief sample of his reef, the owner asked, "You liked it?" I told him, "Yes, the corals are spectacular!" He proudly explained, "I protect the corals. Many years I protect the corals. No corals, no tourists." He's definitely got a sustainable business plan I can support. I learned that many of the reefs, like the one at CYC were terribly damaged by fishing practices involving dynamite. This is not allowed nowadays, but it takes reefs decades to regenerate from these types of loses.

The day passed lazily, but at the same time surprisingly swift. We returned rather late, and the drivers had to carefully navigate back to Coron Bay in the dark. After some more meat on a stick, we showered and readied ourselves for a nice meal at one of the best restaurants in town, Cafe Coron. We were not let down by everyone's recommendation of this spot, as the pizza, kinilauw, and salads were top.

Wrecks!

2008-02-06T14:29:00.002+08:00

After an amazing day of diving, we were ready for more, and ready to experience the Japanese World War II wrecks for which Coron is so famous. This time we split from the non-diving crew, and headed out to see what happens when a Japanese gunboat and cargo ship fall to the bottom of the ocean. Our first dive site was East Tangat, which is a gunboat or submarine chaser that had fallen fairly close to the shore of an island, and therefore is situated in fairly shallow water. The tip can actually be seen from the surface. This is apparently a good starter wreck dive, as the boat wasn’t too large, and there isn’t too much to see on the inside. For me, beginner or otherwise, it was still a fantastic new experience. The boat is completely covered with marine life. We saw these enormous bat fish, which look like massive angelfish, angelfish, lionfish, and many other creatures I wouldn’t be able to name. We briefly went inside a few parts of the boat, and though a bit dark, it was still possible to see the inside. It’s amazing the difference the sun makes, as the inside has far fewer animals than the surface of the boat.

The second wreck, Olympia (original name Morazon), was a cargo ship of some kind, and though it is large, it isn’t one of the largest in the Calamaian Islands. Our dive master, Gerd, gave us some interesting information about this particular ship. Apparently, it was made by the British in 1908, and was later captured by the Japanese in the early '40s, reaching its ultimate fate at the bottom of the pacific. I particularly enjoyed this wreck, inside and out were spectacular sites to see. The We passed around the outside shortly before going inside. This being the first big wreck I had experienced, everything was strange and exciting. Since the ship sits on its side, the inner sections are all distorted, rusted, and somewhat mysterious and I wouldn’t have been able to identify what I was looking at without assistance. There is a big hole in the middle of the side of the ship, which is now facing the sun. When you enter what I believe is the boiler room, you see these massive round iron structures, and with the light suddenly pouring in from above, the effect reminds me of an underwater cathedral. Stunning. The whole experience is incredibly overwhelming, because there is something fascinating to see in virtually every direction—twisted metal, rusty shrapnel, chambers within chambers, random floating fish. This is all happening while you are attempting to control your own movements, and not bump into any poisonous scorpionfish.

The outer section of the boat facing the sun was an amazing sight to see, as the newly formed corals are teeming with colorful, vibrant life---silver schools of yellow fin tuna cascading in the waters above, lionfish the size of my head, blood red clownfish prancing among the anemones, angelfish. I wish we had had more time to explore the outside, as I enjoyed that even more than the strangeness of the inside. It’s amazing how this wreck changes and adapts to the sea life that envelops it.

In the evening, we ate at the local fried chicken place. Mina found a local dance club creatively called "Hard Rock," though I am positive that it holds no affiliation with the famous chain. The plastic chairs and tables, along with the extremely local flavor make it far more interesting. Exhausted from the dives, I turned in early, but I managed to click some photos of my friends enjoying the party before heading out.

Alien landscapes in hot water

2008-02-05T12:36:00.001+08:00

On the third day, we finally organized our first dive. Werner and I were hoping to see a wreck to begin with, but decided that a warm-up dive would be better for a start. The day’s plan was to visit the CYC reef near the mangrove beach we visited a couple of days earlier, and Barracuda Lake. The reef at CYC is ok, though I think all reefs are beautiful, even if this one is not world class. It was good to refresh my skills, as I had only been diving once since my open water course in Thailand about 18 months ago. Our friend Hugh was completing his open water course, so the lighter dives were probably a better choice for all of us. Our non-diving friends accompanied us with snorkel gear and kayaks so that they could also enjoy the islands.

The Barracuda Lake is an amazing dive. The experience begins by climbing a series of steep, sharp rocks while wearing all of our scuba gear. Never having hiked up volcanic rocks wearing a heavy scuba tank before, this proved to be a challenging task. When the steps were particularly tiny and at a significant distance apart, I needed a bit of a push from behind! The surface and setting of the lake appear quite similar to Kayangan Lake . This is the other volcanic lake found on Coron Island, but this one has layers of geothermal water. When diving, you see these massive underwater volcanic rock formations that seem like what some alien movie might recreate. The floor in one part is lined with this silky, silty, jelly-like sediment that is strange to feel. As you float among the alien rock formations, you pass between the hot water—about 38 degrees celcius—and the cooler surface water. Each time I descended into the hot water, a blanket of warmth enveloped my entire body. It’s definitely an unusual, yet amazing experience. At the far bottom, apparently the water is tea-colored with zero visibility. We only went down about 30 meters, and enjoyed extremely clear water with excellent visibility. It was great to dive again!

When we returned to Coron, we hired some trykes to take us to the salt water hot springs on the other side of the island. Against the recommendation of the tryke drivers, we piled five people on each modified motorcycle vehicle. This proved to be challenging, as the bikes struggled to hoist all of us uphill and we had to get out and walk while Werner helped the driver with a push a couple of times. We arrived at the springs and relaxed in the piping hot water for an hour or so. The spring is right next to the shore, and is in a sort of natural-ish pool. It has concrete sides, but a rocky bottom. The super-salty, super-hot water was a relaxing way to end the day.

Beauty on the beach

2008-02-04T11:42:00.000+08:00

The rest of our crew arrived late on our first day in Coron, so once they arrived we pretty much finished a beer together, ate some local fried chicken, and went to bed. The next morning, we didn’t really get moving until late morning, which is too late for diving, but early enough for island hopping. With a larger crowd, we hired a larger banca and were taken to a couple of different beaches. The first was a small, but long island, with a nice beach and trees stretching along its length. This islands corals were quite nice for snorkeling, and the beach was great for lounging—apart from these massive orange ants that went about attacking Werner’s hammock! We relaxed at this beach for a few hours before moving on to our first private, meaning pay-beach. We immediately discovered the benefits of paying, as Banol beach is truly stunning. Fluffy white sand, perfectly clean, nice picnic tables, and secluded. Aside from our group, there was only one family of three on the beach. The waters gently flowing onto this beach were also brilliantly clear, full of corals, sea urchins, and volcanic rock. This beach is located on the side of Coron Island, the same island with the two volcanic lakes, and so the beach is secluded by these same pointed rocks that hide the lakes. It makes for a lovely scene, and a wonderful place to lie on clean, soft pearl-white sand and feel the warm breeze whisk across your face.

When we returned to Coron, we had our first of many pork kebabs from the street ladies. I suppose you can’t really go wrong with meat on a stick covered in sticky barbecue sauce for about 15 cents. In the evening, we ate dinner at a lovely restaurant called the Mermaid, which sits on the end of a dock in Coron harbor. The food was delicious, particularly this Filipino dish called Kinilauw, which is a raw tuna salad in a strong citrus-vinegar sauce with lots of garlic, onions, and chilies. This dish is not for the soft-stomached. Yummm.

Busuanga

2008-02-03T18:27:00.000+08:00

Heeding the advice on my e-ticket, we arrived at the Domestic terminal in Manila two hours before our flight. We might have been a bit overzealous, being the first to check in for the flight to Busuanga. As we sat, dazed in the airport terminal awaiting our boarding call, over the speakers we hear a voice inviting all passengers to join in the morning Mass. A priest emerged and led the airport congregation in Mass, and song. All of the Filipinos rose at varying times to sing hymns to the recordings played over the loud speakers. I don't know how long the Mass continued, as a man holding up a "Busuanga" sign silently flashed the congregation, which I assumed signaled that we were to board our plane.

The Asian Spirit plane that took us an hour south to Busuanga might be the oldest plane on which I have ever ridden. I sat backwards, facing the plane-ful of passengers. This is an unusual feeling, because when the plane takes off, your body is thrust forwards (which is backwards for the plane), and it's necessary to hang on in order to stay seated. When I went to use the lavatory, I found the toilet seat was broken. As with most people in the Philippines, the staff were pleasant and friendly. Most importantly, however, we touched down safely, so overall the flight was all right.

The Busuanga airport might be the most primitive one I have yet to visit. The airport consists of a single runway, and a small building that functions as the terminal. It's not so much a building, but rather a sort of pavilion with bars around it. We waited for some guys to load the luggage onto a pushcart, wheel it over to the pavilion-terminal, and lay them on the ground outside. I reached to grab my bag, but one of the workers motioned for me to step around to the other side of a short fence where he would hand me my bag. Outside the airport, we found the Asian Spirit Jeepney already full, and so were directed to negotiate with an independent Jeepney owner (the only one there) for a journey into Coron Town. Considering that the runway appears to be the only paved surface for miles, I figured that this was a perfect opportunity for this guy to rip off the tourists stranded at this airport in the middle of nowhere. I was pleasantly surprised when he quoted the same 150 pesos per person as the regular Jeepney. So, we rode the Jeepney for about 45 minutes along a dirt road through the island. On our way to town, we passed lovely forests, a few streams, one house and some grazing cattle. I think we found the out-of-the-way haven we were seeking.

Coron Town is a modest place with a few lodges and dive resorts. Many tourists stay on other, smaller islands in the seas facing Coron town. We had hoped to do this as well, but were unable to locate an island with affordable, available accommodation. We did find a place that had space for all nine of the folks in our party. On our way back into town, we ran into a guy who hooked us up with a banca (a kind of boat), and a cooler box filled with beer and water. We were ready to go island hopping! Our first stop was Kayangan Lake on Coron Island (not to be confused with Coron Town, which is on Busuanga Island). This volcanic, pristinely clear lake is nestled beautifully among the pointy peaks of the island and is reached by climbing over a hill and then descending down into the lake. The lake's water is just a trifle salty, and was the perfect temperature for a refreshing swim. Along the edge where the trail from the other side of the hill leads, is a long wooden bench, built upon the porous volcanic rocks lining the edge of the lake. These rocks are dotted with a kind of shelled animal and what appeared to be freshwater lobster, though I could only see their feelers.

After a long swim, the banca swifted us off to another island called CYC (I never managed to find out what these letters actually mean). This public island has a couple of beaches, sandy and shell. The sandy beach has a patchy group of mangroves and, unfortunately, a thick carpet of garbage in some parts. Being public, I suppose that means everyone can use it, but nobody cleans it. We pretty much spent the rest of the afternoon lazily hanging out on the beach, dipping into the clear ocean waters, and absorbing the warm sun we had been waiting to see for so many weeks.

Manila in a flash

2008-02-02T17:33:00.000+08:00

When I arrived at the Manila airport, one of the first things I notice is how friendly and courteous everyone is. When you ask someone a question, the answers often begin and end with ma'am or madam. People smile often smile when they are talking to you, and the courtesy, helpfulness, and friendliness all seem entirely sincere rather than put on for the purpose of making money.

I didn't have much of an opportunity to experience the city, since the sun went down shortly after I arrived in town. Shortly after arriving, I joined the rest of my group, who had flown much earlier in the day, for a trip out to a night market. Although the market does have a few vendors selling garlic peanuts, and steamed corn-on-the-cob, the focus is more on clothes. For food, the market street is lined with fast food chains, including many from the States---Kenny Roger's fried chicken, Wendy's, McDonald's--but also a few new ones like Jollibee. We popped in at the Jollibee, where I ate the Nacho Overload, a nacho and french fries conglomeration topped with some meat, mayonnaise, and cheese. A pretty constant line of colorful Jeepneys flowed through the center of the market street, filling the air with fumes and adding to the overall atmosphere of the market.

Anticipating our early flight to another island in the Philippines the next day, we all headed back for a brief night's rest.

oooo La La Shan

2007-10-14T06:57:00.000+08:00

Werner and I made a resolution this, probably our last, year in Taiwan to take in as much of the natural scenery as we can. In order to benefit this goal, we started by investing in a better scooter. Though this one is still 125cc, it has a much more comfortable design--particularly for the passenger--and should be able to encourage us to explore further than on the bumpy regular 125 we were using.

Our first expedition took us along the northern trans-island highway, where we stopped at both Xiao Wu Lai 小烏來, and LaLa Shan 拉拉山. The first half of the journey there unfortunately passes through the massive urban sprawl that covers most of northern Taiwan. But once we left the city, we found ourselves on a most pleasant stretch of narrow mountain highway. The city quickly dissipates into stunning mountains inhabited mainly by trees, bamboo, and other forest life. This road itself can certainly be considered a destination in itself, as it follows a lovely river valley and passes through some amazing sights. After about an hour, we arrived at Xiao Wu Lai, a small scenic area sectioned off by the government as a protection/eco-tourism spot. Though it isn't a massive area, it boasts a few lovely waterfalls, and a hiking trail. We missed out on most of the hiking trail because of the typhoon that blew in a couple of weeks ago, but we did manage to see the waterfalls, and pass through the forest for a little while. Along the top of the main waterfall, stands this massive boulder that appears to be balancing its tremendous weight on a small rock. A Taiwanese visitor spoke with me for a bit about this rock and boasted about its amazing tenure in its current position. Apparently, it has survived typhoons and earthquakes without budging a centimeter.

After a quick bite in a local restaurant with a fabulous view over a mountain, we pushed forward to LaLa Shan. We reached the base of this next scenic area in about an hour, but drove a further 30-40 minutes to the small village further up the mountain. The views as we ascended the mountain became increasingly beautiful. We peered at the mountainsides below dotted with houses and farms here and there. The man attending the entrance booth mentioned a campsite called Rui Shi 瑞士 (which means Switzerland, by the way) on Zhong Xin Road. Since it was too late to see the main attraction, the ancient forest, we started looking for the campsite. First, we managed to locate Zhong Xin Road, hidden behind a building, and took this road further up the mountain. The air became thinner, and cooler as the scooter struggled up the narrow road. By the very end, the path turned into rocks and dirt, but we made it to the top, and found our campsite. Though the weather was quite chilly, our reception was exceptionally warm. In typical Taiwanese fashion, the owners of the campsite welcomed us openly, but with surprise. "Where is your car?"
"We came by scooter."
"Really!? Did you bring a tent and other things?"
"Yes, we have a tent and sleeping bags."
"Have you prepared any food?" On this point, we had to admit we were not prepared. "I can cook food for you, but I am not very good at cooking. It's mother-style simple fare. Is that ok?"
"Of course! We will eat anything. Thank you!"
So we set up our tent, while the nice grandma made us dinner. It quickly turned dark, and the sparse lights along the mountainsides below started popping out in the night. Without much to do, we sat for a while and enjoyed the gorgeous sunset and then the evening view. This campsite definitely holds one of the best views. A bit later, the food was ready, and we enjoyed mama-style Chinese food. She came out later to ask how everything tasted, and we said it was great. She apologized for charging us the equivalent of 3 USD for the meal, but explained that it is difficult to take supplies to the top of a mountain. We responded that of course, we understand, thinking the whole time that 3 USD was entirely reasonable! The couple who runs the place continued to worry about their foreign guests, and asked if we had any hot water. Since we didn't, they prepared a thermal pitcher for us, and put a plate of fruit on the side. Without much to do but gaze at the view, we went to sleep pretty early, hoping to see the ancient forest in the morning the next day.

We did arise fairly early, though actually getting out of the layers of warmth in the tent was a challenging endeavor on such a cold morning. We deconstructed everything, packed it all back on the scooter, and heading down the narrow dirt path. The ancient forest was actually quite a distance away from the little village where Zhong Xin Road began. We drove for 30 minutes or so, and finally reached the spot where we parked the scooter and began hiking through the old forest. This forest full of ancient cypress trees has a real magical atmosphere. The forest floor is covered with ferns and dew-covered, berry producing plants, while moss covers everything like a fluffy green duvet. The area is well marked, with signs everywhere explaining facts about the forest, and it also has a nicely developed trail through the trees. The cypress trees are of course, the main attraction, and for good reason. These patient giants have been slowly watching over this forest for thousands of years (literally). The signs marking each of these Shen Mu 神木, or "God Woods," gives all of the specs for each tree. The oldest one we saw was 2,800 years old, and entirely amazing. Each tree has slowly woven its way into the fabric of its environment--wrapping themselves along the curve of the mountain; roots stretch out for meters along the edges of a trail; the trunks are all part of the mossy blanket as they are each frosted with green. Each one of these trees is a kind of miracle, it seems. The Japanese found these same trees in Ali Shan, but cut them all down to make tea tables. These trees, however, remained hidden and escaped their axes.

We enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest for a few hours, before our growling stomachs won the struggle, and we headed out of LaLa Shan. We drove nearly straight back, stopping only for lunch, gas, and for a head of mountain cabbage.

Mid-week Party

2007-10-10T23:13:00.000+08:00

Tuesday evening, I rushed home to finish making some salsa and generally prepare the apartment for the folks we had invited to our house. In general, October is probably the best month to plan for a barbecue, but since we had that late super typhoon, I suppose the heavens would be uncooperative. Who could have predicted that a drippy Tuesday would be such a great day for a massive party? Even considering the Wednesday holiday, we were all pleasantly surprised by the turn out for our "barbecue."

Roasted meat or none, the 50+ folks who milled around our apartment for the evening all seemed to be enjoying the joyous, if cramped surroundings. Most of our friends, and some folks we just met joined the party. The photographic evidence here includes an array of shoes collected at the door of my apartment, and the final shot of the beer match. Werner pitted himself against two other guys to see who can drink a cup of beer the fastest. As you can see from this pic, he is coming down only as the other two are still finishing the last of their brews. At the end of it all, we had 10 bags of recyclables and garbage, along with what seemed like every dish in the kitchen to clean. Judging from the clean-up alone, it was a good night!

Assessing the damage

2007-10-07T17:36:00.000+08:00

As typhoon Krosa advanced toward Taiwan, the wind and rain began to pick up little by little. That was Friday night, as a large group of friends all enjoyed a few beers at the Taiwan Beer Bar. At the bar, we were warned not to sit under the coconut trees because one might fall on us. The large leaves of the tree did begin falling more and more as the evening continued, though I don't think anyone was attacked by a falling coconut.

By Saturday morning, the typhoon fully reached Taipei. The intense winds increased by the hour until at one point, I looked out the window to see the rain blowing horizontally. Yes, the rain was not coming down, it was being blown straight across the sky. I suppose that is what 175 km/hour winds will do! Whew! It was intense.

We decided to pass our confinement by cleaning the apartment. Periodically, as I scrubbed the kitchen, the wind would blow the door open that leads to a small balcony attached to the kitchen. As I peaked outside that same balcony, I could see bits of debris floating by, and hear strange noises of unknown items being ripped from whatever they used to be attached. We had contemplated inviting folks over for movies, but we decided not to endanger anyone's lives by asking them to step outside the house.

In the evening, the wind appeared to have calmed down a bit, and the rain, though still present, had subsided. Werner and I were feeling a bit of the cabin fever, so we ventured out and assessed the damage. Several trees lining our street had fallen down, along with a number of signs, some tiles, and random other items. Overall, considering the severity of the storm, I'd say that my neighborhood managed to emerge fairly well. According to the radio, however, other parts of Northern Taiwan were less lucky. Something like a million people were without power by the end of the day. Since the workers can't go out during the storm, these folks just had to wait until Sunday for their power to come back.

On Sunday morning, I wandered out again, in order to assess what damages my area suffered. This morning, life was getting back to normal, as most shops reopened, and even the traditional vegetable market was up and running. Posted, you will see some pictures of some of the damage caused by the typhoon. Mostly, just signs and trees were blown down.

Free food, good music

2007-09-30T22:00:00.000+08:00

Since we had an extra day squeezed into our holiday weekend, we had to make it up on Saturday. The one-day weekend was too short, as expected, but we managed to make use of it well.

In the morning, we wandered around a mountainous area north of Taipei and walked some of the hiking trails. The trails are well maintained, and lead through some lovely wooded areas. The area also seems to have few a fruit and vegetable farms in addition to the trails. We picked up some dragon fruit and a strange. long vegetable that sort of resembles zuchini. That veggie turned out to have mild flavor and a nice, crunchy texture. I have no idea what it's English name is, but the Chinese directly translates to watery melon (though the word only loosely translates to melon).

Later, we headed to a park near Taipei 101 where a music festival dedicated to Daniel Pearl was being held. We initially thought the fest was free, but upon arrival found the tickets to be 200NT. Though not much, we opted for hanging out on the grass in the back, before the entrance gates. An acquaintance of ours was volunteering at the entrance table, and asked if we were interested in helping out for an hour, since she was a bit short handed. Werner and I were easily persuaded by the free food and drinks that come with being a volunteer.

The festival had some good acts. Many were basically ex-pat bands, though there was this excellent Taiwanese band that sort of reminded me of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The musical genres were quite varied, enough to maintain everyone's interest. Overall, it was a both fun and economical way of passing a Sunday.

The long, wet ride.

2007-09-25T20:14:00.000+08:00

We had such great weather for many days in September, and so our hopes were set on going camping for our long, holiday weekend. Unfortunately, a typhoon came through the preceding Tuesday, and that brought heavy rain for about a week. We tried to remain optimistic about the whole thing, though, packing our tent even in the face of a foreboding cloudy sky. Our initial plan was to get a group together and bus it down to Hualien, where we would meet a company to take us white water rafting. Upon learning that only package tours have buses going to Hualien, we had to rearrange our plans. After going back and forth about our options, we finally decided to take our chances on the scooter.

Colleen took the train to Su Ao, a spot on the east coast meant to have cold springs and a great camp site nearby. We followed on the scooter, and unfortunately, we didn't travel far before the skies began dumping all of its moisture on top of our heads. The rain came down so hard that we had to take a break and assess the situation. I discovered that my shirt and pants were pretty much soaked, leaving me to wonder about the effectiveness of my raincoat and waterproof overpants. The rainshield intended to keep our bags dry was also unable to cope with so much water. Well, we pushed onwards, and eventually made it all the way to Su Ao, where we met an also drenched Colleen. Since pitching a tent in torrential rains is not anyone's idea of a holiday, we opted for a hotel. After checking in and sorting through our things to find the least wet of our clothes, we went out in search of seafood. Being near the sea, Su Ao is supposed to have an excellent selection of fresh fish. On this matter, Su Ao did not disappoint. We found this very modest line of shacks filled with plastic stools and makeshift tables displaying freshly caught seafood, and choose one of the restaurants. The food here was not only fantastic, but also incredibly cheap. This adds yet another example to how the best food in Taiwan is found in the most unpretentious of restaurants.

The next morning we enjoyed our surprisingly good breakfast buffet that was included with our hotel room. On the top floor of the hotel, a restaurant with huge picture windows facing the harbor made for a nice good morning. Additionally, the rain seemed to have taken a break, and allowed the sun to come out briefly. This gave us a pinch of hope for the coming day.

After breakfast, we packed up our things, and headed for the cold springs. The cold springs are actually really cold...too cold for a gal who spent a whole day being soaked on a scooter. But the atmosphere was nice, and I just soaked my feet in the chilled pool. Colleen went back to Taipei, but Werner and I decided to head onward, as the weather did seem promising. It stayed relatively nice for another hour of driving toward Hualien, but eventually the rain caught back up with us, and we were yet again drenched by the time we reached Hualien in the late afternoon. That evening, we met some cool people from Wisconsin, who are also teaching in Taipei. We went out to this great all you can eat Japanese barbecue. Like a lot of Japanese food, it was DIY, so we got the raw meat and a grill and set to roasting. Andrew, Andrew, and Jaclyn proved to be great company, and are interested in taking more scooter trips in the future. Though my sore bum was protesting at that moment, later, this would be great news.

The next morning, we were greeted by somewhat clear skies, and decided to take a drive through Taroko Gorge, just north of Hualien, the Andrews, and Jaclyn joined us, and so we managed to squeeze in at least a couple of hours of sightseeing on our water-soaked trip. The gorge was just as beautiful as always, and after so much rain, the mountains were dripping with newly formed waterfalls. We hoped that the good weather had finally come, and that we could camp at least one night for our trip. Unfortunately, that was not meant to happen, because shortly after we left the gorge, the downpours found us yet again. Considering our options, we decided to push through all the way to Taipei, which took nearly 8 hours, through the rain. When we arrived in Taipei, our bums were both pretty sore. In fact walking and sitting were both challenging activities for quite some time!

Seeking relaxation en masse

2007-09-09T19:24:00.000+08:00

Once, when Werner and I were taking a Sunday scooter ride through the mountains visible from our apartment windows, we stumbled upon Maokong. This tea growing and drinking area winds along the sides of the mountain and aside from relaxing with a pot of wulong, there are hiking trails for the more actively inclined. At the time Werner and I originally visited this spot, there were a few visitors, but by and large the place was quiet. So we stopped to enjoy a small bite and admire the lovely forests and tea terraces visible from most of the tea shops.

Just after we left for our China/Vietnam trip, a new attraction opened in Taipei. The Maokong Gondola takes passengers from the Taipei Zoo area all the way up through the mountains to the very same quiet place Werner and I had visited. After returning to Taipei, we seized a clear Sunday and headed to the gondolas. Upon arriving, we learned that everyone else in the city shared our same idea. After waiting for about an hour, we finally boarded the spacious cable car, and began our ascent through the lush forests of the mountains. The car stops a couple of times, once inside the zoo, and another time at a famous temple before reaching Maokong. This was certainly the most popular destination, and the place was no longer the quiet tea plantation we remembered. Nonetheless, enough tea shops dot the hills to make it possible to avoid too many people.

We walked around a bit, and finally chose our spot to test the tea. The tea is served in a specific manner, whereby the table is given a tray with a hole in the bottom that has a long tube attached. That tube drains into a large bucket under the table. This initially confused me, but the reason for the drainage was soon made clear. The tray has two little pots for making tea--one made of a kind of red clay or porcelain, and the other of glass. A separate hot plate with the boiling water is presented to the side of the table. The dry tea leaves are placed in the red clay teapot and then hot water is poured in that same pot. The clay pot steeps until the tea reaches the level of strength or bitterness preferred, and then the hot tea is poured into the glass pot. From the glass pot, it is at last poured into the small teacups in the hands of everyone at the table. Each bunch of tea leaves has the potential to make a few pots of tea, and with the added glass pot, we needn't worry about the tea getting too bitter as it steeps too long in the leaves. The tray catches all the extra water, and the used up tea leaves are simply dumped onto that same tray.

Well, after several pots of tea and some delicious food, we made our way back down the mountain. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long for the cable cars this time around.

Ghosts and Incense in Taipei

2007-08-27T18:32:00.000+08:00

We rose early to take our newly found, cheapest possible route to the airport from Hong Kong. We took the same train that we took from Lantau the day before, for 17 HK dollars, and then took an airbus from just outside Tung Chung station for 3.50 HK Dollars, which in total was cheaper even than the buses from inside the city center, and much cheaper than the Airport Express train that costs 100 HK dollars. We didn't want to withdraw any more money and have extra currency leftover, so we were on the thrifty side at the bitter end.

Anywho, so we boarded our separate planes on their way to Taipei. I arrived just before 1:00 to a very bright and clear Taiwan entirely visible from the plane's window. As the airbus pulled into the city, I started to notice the offering tables scattered about town for the initiation of Ghost month. Particularly around our apartment, which is also full of large business buildings, the broad tables laden with goodies and incense could be seen everywhere. Soda, roasted duck, fruit, canned food, etc was offered to the Ghosts, and crowds of employees stood behind the tables bowing with sticks of incense in hand.

We are back home! We registered for our Chinese classes, and took naps to help recover from the colds we seemed to have contracted somewhere in HK.

Thoughts on China coming soon...when I decide what I think about it all....

Dried fish on Lantau

2007-08-26T18:07:00.000+08:00

On the last full day of our trip, we rose early to take the ferry to Lantau. This "outer island" is massive, when compared with HK Island. We landed at Mui Wo on the southern end and immediately noticed the stark contrast to HK Island and Kowloon. Mui Wo basically is comprised of a small beach and some 4-5 story buildings that appear a bit rough around the edges. The entire area is surrounded by lush green forests, and one would have no notion that this is the same Island where one could find both Disneyland Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Airport. We waited for the next bus to Tai O, a fishing village about 45 minutes away. The drive is quite pleasant, as the bus passed little villages, more forests, several nice looking beaches, and a couple of schools, including Fat Ho Secondary School (sometimes the Cantonese phonetics just don't work in English).

Tai O is a nice getaway from HK, as it is small, incredibly modest, and completely out of the way. The village still includes many houses built on stilts over the water. This makes for some convenient fishing, as I saw some folks sitting on their porches with a hook and line hanging over the side. We ate a delicious meal in a local restaurant and walked around looking at the interesting houses and surrounding mountains. The village seems to liven up on the weekends with a fish market, specializing in all forms of dried seafood. Dried fish, shrimp, shark, eel, and whatever else you could want from the sea can be seen hanging from the eaves of houses and shops everywhere in the market.

We tried to take a bus to Long Beach, but were misinformed about which bus to take, so we ended up on the other side of the island---the one close to Disneyland and the airport, where it looks more like an extension of HK. After waiting futilely for another bus, we just decided to take the train we just discovered back to Mongkok and start preparing for our trip back.

We walked around Mongkok one last time and enjoyed one last taste of that delicious barbecued pork from a little vendor. The take away guys seem to have the best tasting pork!!

We packed our bags while watching the Incredibles on TV.

The Peak and the Pollution

2007-08-25T17:37:00.000+08:00

The day began with a dim sum lunch with Esther at Tsim Sha Tsui. The food was delicious, as expected from a restaurant called "Very Good," and we enjoyed the opportunity to see Esther just before she headed off to Changsha in Hunan Province to begin her teaching program there.

Aside from tall buildings and great food, Hong Kong Island boasts few tourist attractions. We visited the major one--the Peak train. This train takes its passengers to the top of Victoria Peak, a mountain in the center of the Island, and climbs very steeply all the way there. We rode what felt like nearly straight up, but is probably something like 45 degrees. Either way, it's a pretty unusual train and it even has a pretty long history. Check that out, if you like, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_Tram
From the new observatory/ designer mall, the view of the skyscrapers below is spectacular-- at least it would be without the cloudy haze.

The rest of the day was spent wandering around markets and crowded streets and of course eating more barbecued pork!

This is Hong Kong.

2007-08-24T17:11:00.000+08:00

The train arrived in the afternoon at Kowloon. We found a hostel with open rooms in a building close to Mongkok MTR station in Kowloon. It seems that smaller guesthouses in Hong Kong simply own part of a high rise and rent rooms from their selection. So, inside Sincere House, there were at least 8 different places to choose from. This was pretty convenient, since the place we found only had availability for one night. Downstairs, one floor, and there's space for tomorrow!

By the time we got settled in the hotel, we had reached a ravenous state of hunger, having only eaten breakfast some 6 or 7 hours earlier, and so we wandered the nearby busy pedestrian streets in search of HK style food. We had some time to search, while we waited for Esther to join us for a short visit. While searching for the right restaurant, I observed the madness that is HK. This place is packed with everything...shops, bright lights, neon, food, night markets, and people. People are everywhere. The place always feels crowded, particularly so because not only are the streets crowded with cars and pedestrians, above our head are strewn bright signs that extend over the streets. Any usable space is used here. Anything.

MX (美心) was the food choice--a HK-style fast food place gave us our first taste of Cantonese barbecue and noodles in HK.....mmmmmm...... Afterwards, I developed a strong addiction to the sticky-sweet pink barbecued pork for which HK is famous. Fortunately, it is also widely available down most side streets of the city. One taste, and you must have more pork!

Later, we met up with Karen, Kong, and other HK natives who all met in Tibet. We met at Central station on Hong Kong Island. This was my first taste of the crowded, tall metropolis that is HK. We took the ferry across the water from Kowloon. The view from the tip of the peninsula is simply remarkable. Widely spread before you are skyscrapers of every design and sparkle--they flash and beam their lights across the bay as if to boast the immense wealth that went into them. All this in the past few decades--amazing! When we met the group, they led us to an artsy bar near, but not on the bustling nightlife street of Wong Kai Fong. We chatted and enjoyed a few glasses from a pitcher of overpriced Tsing Tao beer, and overall had a great time. Late in the evening, or rather, early the next morning, we were hungry for snacks. Wernere and I suggested some local restaurants, but the crowd of locals insisted on McDonald's. Globalization hit HK a few years back!

Shanghai's twin towers

2007-08-23T16:51:00.000+08:00

A late party makes for a late start the next day. We had to check out at noon, and we didn't go downstairs until 11:50.

For our last day in Shanghai, we had just enough time to wander around the Pudong area. This is the cluster of super tall, shiny buildings we had been staring at from across the Huangpu River while walking along the Bund. The area is still expanding by Bigfoot's leaps and bounds. From a park in the middle, we counted some 6 or 7 giants under construction. Among those monsters soon to be finished is the Shanghai World Finance Center, which is meant to be about the same as Taipei 101 in height, but nothing will beat the one in Dubai. It stands next to the current tallest building on the mainland, the Jinmao Tower. Like most financial districts, there are not too many sights besides the actual buildings, so a short visit was enough. We couldn't bear walking around any longer in that Shanghai heat, either!

Our train to Hong Kong left at 5:00pm, and took 20 hours to reach Kowloon the next day. We prepared ourselves with books and snacks, so the ride seemed to pass not too slowly.

Ancient beauty in modern Shanghai

2007-08-22T12:24:00.000+08:00

Today was largely dedicated to the massive Shanghai Museum. This fabulous place has a monstrous collection of ancient Chinese pottery, bronze work, painting, jade and calligraphy. Again, it is stunning to see the skills already developed by humans living 3000 years ago. We wandered this spot until our feet were tired. Then we rested, and wandered again until completely exhausted. For about four hours, we gawked at beautiful, old things.

The evening was reserved to celebrate Werner's birthday. Fortunately we had run into some folks who studied at our same university in Taipei who also know a group of expats living in Shanghai. The night was poised for success.

We started at the rooftop bar of the Captain Hostel, which has an excellent view of the Bund/ Pudong area. The drinks are expensive everywhere in Shanghai bars, but we caught a two for one happy hour and only paid 40 yuan for a couple of beers, rather than for each. Then, we went to an Australian barbecue restaurant, but chatted with the group of expats rather than eating. Werner and I escaped the 100 yuan buffet and found a local place with cheap food nearby. Then on to Zapata's for a raucous ladies night. I don't know how many expats live in Shanghai, but it seemed to me that every one of them who is under 30 was at this club. There were people packed inside, upstairs, and outside in a massive courtyard. The party continued well past when we left at 2 am. Some late night noodles/rice for us and we were off to bed.

Dancing in the park

2007-08-21T11:21:00.000+08:00

We rose leisurely and enjoyed a great breakfast buffet at the hostel for the low low price of only 15 yuan. After finding some local tea from around the lake, we headed for the train station. We arrived in Shanghai in the early afternoon and checked into a hotel situated in the same area where we found the modern art museum. For the same price as two beds at the hostel, an en suite room can be had in a very modest hotel. Later we went out in search of good Shanghainese food, and found it at Bai's restaurant in the French Concession. We ate very nice tender fried beef, some salty, yet very tasty wild veggies, and Shanghai salty chicken.

After we left the restaurant, we noticed a gathering in the neighboring park. The park was full of people dancing. At the center were folks dancing in pairs, and they were surrounded by individuals either warming up to the idea of dancing, looking for partners, or getting a lesson from a burly guy in a white tank top with very light feet. This all was coordinated to loudly blaring sino-synth karaoke-style music.

Hangzhou and the lake

2007-08-20T11:06:00.000+08:00

After a late start, we got to the train station to buy tickets for our short trip to Hangzhou. We started at the main train station, where for some reason the woman sold us tickets departing from Shanghai South station. We then dragged ourselves across town and discovered a structure resembling a modern airport terminal rather than a train station. This glass and steel round building was indeed Shanghai South. Having missed breakfast, we ate some overpriced pizza and salad at a bistro inside before boarding the train. We arrived in Hangzhou at 3:00, and took local bus Y7 to the West Lake area. This recently built, posh area beside the lake was a relaxing break, despite being part of a city of 6 million people. The lovely gardens of lush green and calm lake are nicely lined with a stone walkway that is softly lit at night. Though the area is posh enough to support Maserati, Ferrari, and Porsche dealers, we found a gem of a hostel, Mingtown Hostel, with great rooms at reasonable prices.

Modern art and Shaoxing opera

2007-08-19T10:38:00.000+08:00

We set out to explore the Duolun culture street area in the northeast part of town. This area is less intensely urban than the inner city near the bund, but is still part of the 20 million people stretch, to be sure. We wandered through interesting alleys, art galleries, and then the modern art museum, which though small, had a nice collection of contemporary art on display. This modest place is certainly worth a short visit, especially since it's only 5 yuan for students to get in!

Later that evening, we went to a Shaoxing opera, or Yueju as it is called in Chinese. This was a great cultural experience, as the customs of watching a Chinese opera seem quite different from what I am used to for Western performances of opera. When we entered the posh theatre, we noticed folks had brought snacks and were enjoying mini picnics of fresh fruit, nuts, and KFC in their seats. As the curtain rose, and the lovely set and intricate costumes were revealed, people cheered, applauded, and continued to talk and chat, not whisper, even as the performance began. This talking calmed down a bit as the show continued, but never completely stopped. The crowd applauded at what seemed at first to be awkward moments. The clapping doesn't always follow the conclusion of a solo, as I have experienced in Western opera, but often as the artist is singing. It seems that people applaud when they like the content of the lyrics, or just as soon as they hear something they like. At least that was my deduction from what we witnessed throughout the performance. We managed to follow some of the words, with the assistance of the Chinese lyrics posted on either side of the stage, and Werner's electronic dictionary. Being the first entire Chinese opera I have seen, it was an impressive experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. From the small excerpts of Beijing opera I have seen and heard, the Shaoxing opera sounds more melodic and less piercingly plucky. The entire cast of the opera we saw was made up of women, some playing the male roles. I generally understood the storyline with the exception of this glowing ball that seemed to have some significance that passed above my head.

Shining Shanghai

2007-08-18T00:32:00.000+08:00

A city of 2o million people greeted us as we exited the train station. The high rises surrounding the crowded station was only a sample of what we would soon find in the city center. The metro station felt even more confusing and crowded than the main train station. People were pressing, forcing, and pushing themselves against everyone else. There are no observed rules regarding boarding or exiting a train-- just get on or off using any means necessary. Even small children have already developed their aggressive pushing skills.

When we emerged from the underground metro at People's Square in the central part of the city, Shanghai's skyline of giant skyscrapers stood 360 degrees around us. The city has a definite urban flavor--gritty on the edges, polished along the skyline, posh people, poor people, crowded, full of concrete, lights, and neon--it's all there. Our hostel has a great location near the bund and the Huangpu River, where the dazzling riches of Shanghai can be seen living on either side of the riverwalk.

Later in the day, we went out exploring the city. At 3:00 in the August afternoon, Shanghai swelters in sticky heat. We ate some large watermelon slices on sticks to cool off a bit as we walked through a lovely bamboo park. Eventually, we found ourselves in Old Town--which is a combination of new shopping centers housed in traditional Chinese tiled, pointed-roof buildings and alleys where people live in genuinely old, low lying buildings. These alleys draped with hanging clothes and bustling with children, grandmas and shirtless men playing cards looks and feels like a real hutong. The shops sell the standard souvenirs like t-shirts, Mao watches, and jewelry. One tried to coax me into her shop by shouting, "Look! Look! Mao. You like Mao?" he he he, hmmmm .....

At night, we took another stroll down the riverwalk along the bund, now all flashing lights glittering on the water. We attempted to sample the city's Saturday nightlife without success. Not knowing where to go, we ended up only finding lame, western-style, expensive pubs along Mao Ming Road. So, we just enjoyed a couple of beers while walking through the posh French Concession.

Beijing to Shanghai

2007-08-17T00:26:00.000+08:00

This last day in Beijing we spent mostly packing and taking care of our visa extensions. We caught our Shanghai- bound train at 7:00 pm after plodding our way through a chaotic Beijing train station. I must say that I am not quite sure that I understand the entry procedures for this station, as the blobs standing before the entrance appeared to have no order or organization. Additionally, the guards posted at each line seemed to have different rules for passing the gates. Werner put his huge pack on a scanner, much like those seen in airports, while I passed through without taking off my pack in another line. Whatever, at least we made it before the train departed.

The 26-meter Buddha

2007-08-16T12:55:00.000+08:00

It seems that the days clear of air pollution have certainly ended. Though the day before had a bit of the white haze floating around, today was much worse. The skyscrapers were often masked behind this white-ish haze. We had a short day of sightseeing today. Starting in the afternoon, we visited the Lama Temple, or the Yonghe Gong. This massive temple and monastery began its construction in 1694 and includes elements of both Tibetan and Han style, though it is a Tibetan Buddhist temple. The complex has a lovely garden and several temples with similar figures inside as the ones we saw inside many monasteries in Tibet. By far the most impressive sight at this temple is the 26-meter tall wooden Buddha that was carved from a single piece of white sandalwood. I read in one guide book that this tree traveled from Nepal to Beijing, and that journey took three years! It is a stunning sight to behold. The Buddha is so imposing, that a visitor cannot even really see it. The head pushes right up against the ceiling and my neck doesn’t quite bend that far back to properly view anything that high from a close proximity. No photography is allowed inside any temple, as many people believe that photographing Buddha brings bad luck.Following the Lama Temple, we visited the Confucian Temple and the neighboring university. This school is no longer in operation, but during the Ming and Qing dynasties, it served as a sort of cram school for the civil service exam. This exam seems to beat any modern test, as very few managed to succeed. On the university grounds, you can see the stone dissertations of some ancient graduates. Most of the temple and school are under reconstruction, and not really visible, unfortunately. Nearby a tree that has aged a few hundred years sat a Confucian monk painting a skilled portrait of this same tree. Perched with his canvas and calligraphy brushes, the man with a long white beard appeared to be meditating as he painted, though periodically interrupted by tourists.

Liu took us to a local, cheap and delicious Uiygar restaurant with food from Xinjiang province. We had sampled some Xinjiang food in other areas of China, but an new spot recommended by locals is always welcome. We ate some spicy noodle squares, kebabs, and sautéed veggies. Nice! The rest of the day/evening, we watched a few DVDs and relaxed.

Luxury in Summer

2007-08-15T12:38:00.000+08:00

Liu started by taking us to a traditional Beijing teahouse. Situated in a humble and very local market, this spot is not on any tour. When we entered the teahouse, a very casually dressed man announced our arrival in his thick Beijing accent “San wei lai le!!” Three people have arrived! The inside was not particularly busy, which is likely normal for a Wednesday afternoon. The people sitting at the tables on the inside were mostly men, and they seemed to use this teahouse as a spot to really relax, and take off their shirts. On the weekends this place offers live performances of traditional Chinese music, like Beijing Opera, or other types of singing and instruments.

After spending some time relaxing with a pot of tea, we were prepared for our majo r tourist attraction of the day: The Summer Palace. This palace was constructed and reconstructed a couple of times with a definite theme of decadence. The palace grounds surround a lake, and for a fee, you can ride a boat around this lake. Walking around the lake was a beautiful experience by itself. Every walkway is lined with lovely trees, and flowers. Periodically, we passed a colorful tower, temple or pavilion in traditional Chinese style. Some of the buildings are under restoration, but enough remain to make the experience worthwhile. As we approached the main temple sitting atop a hill, we followed a long, roofed pavilion that stretches for what seemed to be at least a kilometer. It is as if the Empress decided that when she takes a walk around her palace, she wouldn’t want either the sun or the rain to touch her, and carrying an umbrella is beyond an Empress, of course. We didn’t have enough time to see nearly everything, but we did experience the luxury of the Emperors and Empresses for a brief time.

On the Wall, in a tomb

2007-08-14T11:34:00.000+08:00

An early start for us to visit the great wall. Before making the trek all the way out 1 ½ hours outside of town, we made a stop at a Carrefour supermarket to pick up some lunch snacks. The place hadn’t opened yet, but folks crowded outside waiting for the doors to open like vultures waiting for an animal to die. When the doors opened, the rushed inside, literally running into the store. We more casually joined the rush and noticed that the main attraction was the fresh meats at the back. With meat prices rising some 45% recently, it seems that folks are in a rush to get their hands on some.

Anyways, then off to the wall. The long thing snakes through the mountains and over the freeway. All of these sections are restored it is an awesome sight—because of its size, but also because of the crowds of tourists who flock there. We passed a couple of tourist sections of the wall and held out for Badaling, which is apparently the largest section for tourist. We took a cable car up the mountain and then began our hike along the wall. Up and down not only stairs, but sheer rock that could function as a slide, we made our way along with everyone else. The scenery is lovely and the overall experience is worth the trip. It is particularly fun to witness the ladies in heeled, fancy shoes attempt to navigate the slippery slides downwards.

After our trek along the wall, we went to Dingling, the Ming Dynasty tomb of Zhu Yijun. This site includes a couple of museums of relics supposedly taken from the tomb. Our driver informed us that these items are really just good fakes placed in lieu of the real things to deter thieves. A good talent for fakes seems to be a theme here…The gardens and pavilions leading up to the tomb are nice and lush. All along the way signs are posted reminding visitors to be responsible tourists and not step on the “luxuriant grasslands” or draw on the walls.

The tomb itself is part of an underground palace. First, we descended a few flights of stairs underground into this marble palace. It is pretty simple in style and design, and is sparsely decorated, but the fact of it being so enormous and entirely underground is quite impressive. The somber, cool, yet awesome atmosphere seems suited to a burial chamber.

Before heading back to the house, we went to a computer mall in the technology section of town. Werner wanted to buy a cord for Mr. Els, and such a simple and inexpensive item was difficult to locate in a maze of high-end computer products. The sales methodology is much different in China, it seems. The sales reps all speak enough English to say things like “Hey, just take a lookie! iPod! iPod! Cheap for you! We have HP, HP!” but shouting isn’t the only technique employed. They reach out and grab you along with their sales pitch. This place gives new meaning to the term aggressive sales.

The art of negotiation

2007-08-13T11:10:00.000+08:00

We met Esther in town at the Ya Shao market. This four-story complex of small stalls specializes in fakes of all brands. Polo shirts, Todd’s handbags, Adidas shoes—you can find it all here, but not really! Bargaining is the name of the game. 280 yuan—what!? 60. Ok Ok, I give you cheap price—200. No—60. Ok ok—150. Bye. Wait wait—come back. 60 is ok? 80? No—60. Ok ok—60, this is very cheap for you. I still wonder if maybe I got ripped off at 60!

Then we went to a massage center recommended by Esther. Here, they have the 78 yuan weekday special. 1-hour massage, all the food, and all the drinks are included. What a relaxing deal.

Our tourist attraction for the day was the Houhai Hutong. Hutongs are the old alleys that typify old Beijing. Before coming, I had read an excellent novel/memoir written by a Taiwanese woman who grew up in a Hutong, Lin Hai-yin. Memories of Peking: Southside Stories inspired me to visit these places in Beijing, so when I heard that some of these Hutongs were saved rather than torn down to make way for high rises, I was excited. Houhai is now a nice area with a lake/pond surrounded by bars and restaurants. Though it has become a sort of tourist attraction, it retains the feel of a neighborhood inhabited by real people. The locals bring out their folding chairs and tables to play mahjeong and dominoes in the shade of a bunch of trees. They were all comfortably dressed in sleeveless white undershirts and shorts. Walking off the beaten path brings sights of older buildings with plants growing on the rooftiles, colorful red doors, and bicycles resting beside them. Now the area is both nostalgic and polished. Authentic hutongs consist of small houses without plumbing, so one can imagine the smell. I don’t know for sure how the locals feel, but I imagine that they also appreciate the upgrade.

Later that day, we met Mr. Els at a delicious Beijing Duck restaurant. We enjoyed a whole duck along with some appetizing side dishes such as a sautéed walnut blend. Yummy!

Industrial art space

2007-08-12T17:37:00.000+08:00

We lazily left close to 11and met Esther at 798 Factory—a spiffy warehouse/ art district. The area is basically full of independent art galleries occupying what used to be an arms factory. The buildings maintain their industrial ambiance, but in a tastefully artistic way. Wide, rusting, elevated pipes still follow the streets, brick walls are missing a few squares at the edges, and a few windows are broken—but the swinging, hip atmosphere of an arts district is definitely present. Leave it to specially talented folks like these artists to turn an arms factory into a fabulous haven of studios.

We saw some intriguing work inside some of the galleries. There is photography, oil on canvas, multi-media, sculpture, installation, collage…art spills out of the galleries and into the spaces between, with large sculptures standing amidst the narrow lanes.

Interspersed in among the galleries are trendy shops and restaurants, also displaying artists’ work. We chose a spicy and scrumptious Sichuan place with a cultural revolution motif. The miniature Mao in pink plastic tells me that the paintings on the wall lean more to the satirical rather than serious side. We went back to the house early, so that I would have enough time to prepare a nice Mexican meal for Werner and Mr. Els.

Red square and the fabulous Forbidden City

2007-08-11T17:09:00.000+08:00

We left around 10 to head into town with our driver, Liu. Liu is most helpful and knows where everything is in town. He took us to the Tiananmen square/Forbidden City area, where we ended up spending most of the day. Tiananmen is very large and full of people on a Saturday. Of course, it still has all of the usual attractions. The cultural revolution-era sculptures depicting the struggling working man stand at each of the four points around the Mao Memorial (which was unfortunately closed for renovation, so we couldn't photograph that massive queue of Chinese pilgrims). Massive red flags are everywhere, and there is that ubiquitous portrait of Chairmain Mao at the gate. I was actually glad to witness the whole crowded spectacle. Throngs of people wrestled for the best photo spot…Babies with their bums hanging out ran around…People loudly sold ice water and popcicles to help mitigate the heat on this clear day. It is all part of being at one of the most popular tourist spots in China. Our driver told us that most of the people we saw were not from Beijing—he could tell from their appearance.

The Forbidden City was an experience. After paying the 60 yuan entrance fee, we went into the gates and found ourselves in a nice courtyard. Unfortunately, the main buildings were all covered in green tarps and scaffolding and therefore were not visible. At this first sight, I felt a bit disappointed—one courtyard that is mainly under construction? Sigh. But no—the thing goes on and on for several more courtyards beyond the first—through ornately decorated building after beautiful building we walked. Articles from the imperial court form the basis of a few museums inside. From one point, a particularly elevated balcony, clusters of golden rooftops appear before you. Wow. At the end of it all, there is a charming garden with pavilions in imperial style and these massive porous rocks used as decoration. Taken as a whole, the Forbidden City is baffling and simply amazing.

Afterwards, Liu took us to a nice snack street. He recommended that we try the cold zha jiang mien (or fried sauce noodles)—a Beijing specialty. The cold noodles are topped with a very rich, salty sauce. It’s a nice summer snack.

This is Beijing

2007-08-10T17:05:00.000+08:00

We woke up well-rested on the cushy train and were picked up at the train station by a car and driver. The driver took us across town to Werner’s family friend’s house in an ex-pat community on the outskirts of Beijing. He warmly invited us inside and showed us around the house before leaving for work. We had the driver for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, our first destination was the foreign police where we had to sort out our visa extensions. We spent most of the day running around arranging forms and paperwork until 4:30. We had the general situation figured out at least before dinner.

We at dinner with Mr. Els at the complex clubhouse and then enjoyed some wine and snacks back at the house until late in the evening. Mr. Els is a very warm and friendly man who warmly invited us into his home. We certainly welcomed the comfortable break from hostels and shared bathrooms.

My first impression of Beijing is one of awe. This city is massively spread out over a huge area. Newly built and being built skyscrapers can be seen in every direction. The streets are all pleasantly lined with plants and trees. Trash is seldom seen piled up along the road. So far the pollution has not been nearly as bad as Xi’an. Essentially, it is nothing like any other place we have seen in China.

Thousands of years of history

2007-08-09T12:16:00.000+08:00

On our last day in Xi’an and with too much to do, we woke very early to catch an 8:00 bus to the Terracotta Army. The dreary rain made it a perfect day for visiting indoor exhibitions. The warriors have a complex of several buildings including one for each of the three excavation pits and a museum. The museum holds a few examples of the weapons held by the warriors at the time of discovery. When buried long ago, artisans coated the metal with a special chemical that has kept them sharp all these years. Also in the museum are a couple of bronze chariots and horses found nearby the warriors’ necropolis. Each of the pits are entirely enclosed in massive buildings. The first and main pit is in a building resembling an airplane hangar. It is pretty interesting to witness the sheer scale of the whole thing—with hundreds of warriors lined up for eternity.

With the bus, we were back in town by 1:30 and had lunch before meeting Vickey to visit the Shaanxi History Museum. The museum has an impressive collection of artifacts from the area. Xi’an has quite an interesting and long history, once being the center of Chinese civilization for some time. The artifacts start from 5000-7000 years back and work their way through the Qin, Tang, and Wei periods. One vase or water container had a unique design that involved filling the thing from an unplugged hole in the bottom through a sort of tube leading into the vase. The water then rests around the tube inside the vase, rather than pouring back out the open hole.

Later, we boarded our train to Beijing. We found ourselves on a particularly fancy train, in our own private compartment, with an en suite bathroom, televisions and lounge chair! We thoroughly enjoyed the non-stop, posh 11-hour ride!

White haze

2007-08-08T12:09:00.000+08:00

A groggy morning awaited and drew on into a groggy afternoon. The day was mainly spent walking around the center of town and running errands. The weather was pretty steaming hot, especially after being in cooler Tibet. The white polluted haze surrounding everything in sight welcomed us to our first massive Chinese city. With a population of close to 7 million people, Xi’an is larger than most American cities.

We passed by a few attractions of the city—the Bell Tower, an old-style building in Chinese style that is a sort of clock tower, the city walls and gates are interesting to pass, being largely restored and in tact. We also visited the Muslim quarter and browsed around the shops there. In the evening, we returned there for dinner with a couple of Dutch guys from the hostel and enjoyed some street food as well as some interesting noodles.

36 hours on a train

2007-08-07T11:51:00.000+08:00

We boarded the train for Xi’an at 8:00a and the train left the station promptly at 8:30a. Ready for a 36-hour train ride? Well, I was somewhat prepared with books, character practice workbooks, an iPod, and the sleeper car. I was about as ready as anyone can be for the long haul. The train is very modern, nice and clean. We enjoyed its air conditioning, heating, carpet, and hot water—perfect for the families’ bowls of instant noodles.

As we passed through Tibet, we saw mostly mountains, yaks and sheep. At lunch time, Werner and I decided to sit in the dining car for a change. Fortunately, as we ate and were looking through the broad windows of the dining car, the train passed by the side of Namtso Lake we couldn’t see when we were there before. This long section of the lake took almost 20 minutes to pass, and we were happy to see it again in all its clear splendor.

In the evening, Werner and I returned to the dining car and enjoyed a couple of Budweisers with our meal—yes Bud on a train in China!

When we arrived in Xi’an on the 8th at 8:30p, we checked into a hostel near the train station and immediately showered. After almost two days on a train, a good washing was certainly in order. We caught up with a couple of girls we met in Tiger Leaping Gorge, Vickey and Steph, along with a big group of other English teachers in Xi’an. We went to a KTV lounge that was similar to the posh ones we have been to in Taiwan. Instead of a menu, however, there was a little market where a waiter carried our basket for us through the store as we selected snacks and beer. She then accompanied us to our private KTV lounge with our purchases. The selection of English songs at this KTV is much more extensive than any of the spots we visited in Taipei, and so we all had a great time singing to the Beatles, 70s classics, Madonna, etc until our voices retreated into Laryngitis.

Last days in Lhasa

2007-08-05T11:49:00.000+08:00

Werner was sick and in bed most of the last couple of days in Lhasa. I went shopping in the Barkhor area and practiced my bargaining skills. The prices quoted were always highly inflated. The vendors see a tourist and initially quote as much as 10 times more than the final price. But when you pull the walk away…wait wait come back-I give you cheap price….and eventually you get a more reasonable sum. We stayed in a really nice guesthouse in an alley off of the main road to the train station and the airport. This traditional Tibetan style building was pretty new and clean. The walls and ceilings were ornately painted with flowers and designs in similar colors as many of the temples we visited.

Temple ruins

2007-08-03T22:27:00.000+08:00

Recovering from colds and that feeling of yuckiness that comes with being in a car for five days, Werner and I just relaxed pretty much the whole day. Reading in the hotel room, lounging in a cafe while practicing characters...that was our day.

In the evening Werner and I joined Karen and her friend Kong to visit a nearby temple. This temple burned about three years ago and now stands in ruins. It is surrounded in barbed wire so that no one may wander around inside and get hurt. It is interesting to see how the building was affected by the fire. The large, red, front doors remain in tact, and you can even make out some of the original mythical paintings near that door. The top floors are largely missing, and the walls are in shambles. Some of the embelishments on the stones remain, however.

Day 5: Lingering at the Lake

2007-08-02T22:23:00.000+08:00

On our last day of the trip, we mainly just hung out around the lake. The sun rose to another clear day. We slowly climbed the rock overlooking the lake, pausing frequently to rest and admire the view. At such a high elevation, it is easy to find yourself out of breath, and we didn't want to aggrivate the possibility of altitude sickness. From the top, the size of the lake is more apparent, stretching in panoramic broadly from right to left.

After noon or so, we hopped back in the van and headed to Lhasa. After the same series of road blocks and pauses, we made it to Lhasa at about 5. We found a hotel with space, and said goodbye to our humble guide Huh-joop.

Day 4: Namtso Lake, aka Sky Lake

2007-08-01T22:10:00.000+08:00

The drive to Namtso Lake took more than nine hours. Along the way, the police set up road blocks to monitor the speed of each vehicle passing through these dangerous roads. At a road block, the police issue a ticket that lists the time the vehicle should arrive at the next stop. It does encourage the drivers to move slower, but not quite slow enough, as every car usually makes a stop for at least 10 minutes before reaching the next road block to extend the time appropriately.

When we arrived at the entrance to the Namtso Park, we each paid our 80 yuan entrance fee. The road just goes up and up and up from there. At the mountain pass where we caught our first glimpse of the sky-blue lake, we reached an altitude of over 5,000m! The lake itself sits at 4,700m and is the world's highest salt water lake. The surrounding snow-capped mountains bypass an elevation of 8,000m!

There is a camp set up between a couple of mountains near the lake. With one semi-permanent fixture called a hotel, and other large tent hotels, this makeshift resort can hold many people. We opted for the semi-permanent hotel, which still has no running water. When we asked about the toilet, our guide told us, "It's out back." "Where?" "Anywhere. Natural toilet." The hostess of the hotel directed me to an outhouse-style communal toilet about a two-minute walk away.

We arrived at the lake with more than an hour's daylight left and set about with lovely blue skies and could take some beautiful photos. The Tibetan name for the lake means sky lake, so named for its brilliant blue color. The water is a lovely, deep blue and is also pristinely clear. The Tibetans consider it a holy lake. Perhaps because of this reason or perhaps because of the altitude, no one can be seen swimming, boating, sailing, etc. It is the largest untouched lake I have seen.

We stayed near the shore to watch a spectacular sunset. As we walked back to the camp, a bitter cold wind blew right at us, cutting through our clothes and moving our eyes to sting and water. The night was cold. After drinking some hot tea and eating some hot food, we immediately retired under the thick blankets provided by the hotel. After 11:30 the camp turns of all the generators, making the entire place pitch black. The view of the stars was stunning, though it was difficult to find a toilet, natural or otherwise in such darkness!

Day 3: Sakya

2007-07-31T21:59:00.000+08:00

We had another long drive from Gyantse through Shigatse and then on our way to visit Sakya. Along the way we stopped at a water-mill barley flour plant. It looked like a farm house from a distance, but up close, you could see the canals of water directed underneath the house to propel the wheels that grind the barley. Inside, a thin mist of barley flour fills the air. Blankets form cones that funnel down to the stone grinder below.

Another stop was the Tsola Pass, which was a mountain pass decorated with Tibetan prayer flags and had beautiful views all around.

Sakya is a small town and the houses are all painted in dark greyish black with red and white stripes, which contrasts the mostly white buildings in most other places in Tibet. The monastery was relatively unharmed by the cultural revolution. It was, however, being restored when we visited. It was built in the 15th century and is a massive walled complex of temples and housing for the monks. The main temple and assembly hall is enclosed in an enormous structure. Inside are large figures of Buddha. Each Buddha's head is enveloped in a giant, golden, round halo. Due to the reconstruction, we were unable to see many parts of the monastery, but we did walk along the wall enclosing the compound. On one side ofthe monastery is a mountain, and dotted along that mountain are several other small monasteries, according to our guide.

We ate lunch in Sakya and then drove back to Shigatse where we stayed in a hostel near the Tashilhumpo Monastery we saw the day before.

Day 2: Dreshidili!

2007-07-30T21:30:00.000+08:00

The day began with our long drive to Shigatse. Along the way, we made a few interesting stops. The first was a small temple supported by 17 monks. Gandenchikholi was originally built in the 15th century and was rebuilt under the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. Prior to when it was destroyed by the red guards in 1952, it was a large monastery housing a number of monks.

Our second stop was the most interesting "factory" I have ever seen. Set into the banks and the bed of a river, wheel propelled by the currents form the base of an incense factory. The wheels power this pounding equipment that crushes a fragrant reddish paste into a pulp.

The drive took us through some lovely scenery. In Shigatse, we saw another massive monastery--the Tashilhumpo. One of the temples inside the monastery contains perhaps the largest Buddha I have seen. It towers above the crowds of visitors who creen their necks to see him. The rest of the monastery includes two more temples and living space for over 900 monks. The walls surrounding the complex are lined with thousands of prayer wheels that pilgrims turn as they walk the entire length of the monastery.

We then went to Gyantse, a small Tibetan town that has a couple of tourist attractions. We arrived too late to enjoy either the monastery or the Dzong (castle), though we tried to climb up to the castle and were asked to go back down because it was closed. We walked through the Tibetan section of town and found many smiling faces greeting us with friendly hellos. Many of the Tibetans could be seen traveling on horsecarts or walking casually along the streets.

We peaked inside a family Tibetan restaurant and saw a few very happy and friendly folks welcoming us to join them. When we went in, the owneress helped us to order food and drinks. The locals already seated in the place were on their 10th bottle/can of beer and implored us to also enjoy a few brews with them. As soon as we had beer and four cups, they were eager to share their drinking customs with us. The word spoken during a toast us "Dreshidili," which has many meanings--from hello to congratulations or good health. After clinking glasses to "dreshidili" many times and taking photos together, the friendly folks showed us how good friends toast by hooking elbows and drinking face to face--and each time emptying the thankfully small cup. All of the people in the small restaurant had permanent smiles--genuine, warm smiles--on their faces all night. The restaurant itself feels more like dining in someone's living room, with cushy benches lined with Tibetan rugs and colorfully painted coffee tables perched close to the seats.

As the night and the drinking continued, everyone became more and more open and relaxed. After the hooked-elbow toast, one woman pressed her forehead against mine as a gesture of friendly affection, and others did the same. A few women began singing and others joined in on the beautifuk song. The singing turned into yet another drinking exercise after a while. Even the owneress was joining the joyous party. At first, she was sneaking a thimble-sized cup from time to time, but as the night grew longer, she was looser and openly joining our toasts. Werner made a new friend with a young man--one of the women's sons. He gave Werner a hat and a silver Tibetan bracelet, and Werner, in return, gave the young fellow a hat and an African beaded bracelet. The boy was touching his new treasure for the rest of the evening. Julian's bag had a tear that the owneress noticed and proceeded to mend for him. We were all in awe the entire time at our superb luck in meeting these lovely people. They shared a glimpse of their lives we could never have seen on an organized tour. They sang because they enjoyed singing, not because we were tourists tipping the locals to perform, not because we asked them to sing, but because they wanted to sing. Of all the local experiences I have had, this was one of the most precious.

Day One: Buddhas and horses

2007-07-29T14:38:00.000+08:00

The guide and driver arrived early and ready for all of us. We departed at about 8:30a and made our way to Tsetang. Along the way, we stopped at a stone-carved and painted Buddha Shakyathukpa, a representation of the present age Buddha. He is also known as Sakyamuni in Sanskrit. (I have to admit that my knowledge of this Buddha ends there.) We also passed two important rivers. The Hasakitchu River originates at Nyenchen Tangtha Mountain near Namtso Lake, and flows into India. The Yarlung River starts near Mount Kailash and is considered a holy river to Tibetans.

In Tsetang, we registered with the PSB and obtained further permits. Then we drove five km to the Yumbulagang. Some still consider this to be the oldest building in Tibet, as it was originally built in the second century BC for the king of Tibet at the time. Most of that original nine-story structure was destroyed during the cultural revolution and was reconstructed in 1982. The current structure stands on top of a rocky mountain and overlooks the surrounding agricultural fields and village. From the base of the mountain, you can choose to ride a camel, horse, or yak, or of course walk on your own two feet. We opted for the cheaper choice. At the top, the fee for entering the now small temple is a costly 60 yuan. There are two small rooms on two floors. Both are colorfully decorated and crowded with clothed statues of kings, lamas, and Buddhas. Each figure was sculpted and painted with expressive faces and a particular hand position. They also were dressed in ornate robes of golden brocade and people had added their khatas and offerings of money tucked into the figures hands and robes.

From the top, we noticed a large gathering of people lined up along a dirt road. A local visiting the Yumbulagang told us that there was a horse competition happening and that we could still hurry and catch it. So we climbed down and joined the crowd of locals enjoying the occaision. The riders wore bright red, gold, black, blue and other colors in their costumes, while the horses were decked out in equally multi-colored regalia. Everyone at the horse festival was smiling, cheering, and having a great time.

We then proceeded on our way to the Samye Monastery. Samye is only accessible by a non-paved road that was particularly muddy at times due to the recent rains. We waded through squishy bits and crossed rivers that spilled raucously over the road, creating a deep, wet pathway.

The monastery in Samye is very large, housing 500 monks. The temple was destroyed during the cultural revolution, so the original 8th century buildings can no longer be seen. The reconstruction was completed in the 1980s and it resembles many other monasteries, but grander in scale. The statues are massive-about twice the size of a person, and stand imposingly above the visitors. There were several rooms filled with these impressive figures in different sizes of large. Each of the inner rooms were dimly lit with candles. The smell of yak butter candle wax strongly pervades each room. The yak butter is also used to hape a sort of offering. The butter is molded into a sort of drop-shape and decorated with barley and colorful designs. The area around Samye is quite modest and unpopulated. It seems that the monastery comprises most of the area's population.

We took the muddy, water-ladden road back to Tsetang and checked into a fancy hotel, as the city pretty much lacks any budget accommodation. The four of us enjoyed a hot pot feast across the street and went to bed.

Nobody's mistake

2007-07-28T14:17:00.000+08:00

The guide and the vehicle greeted us early in the morning. Unfortunately, the car would not accommodate four people with a guide and a driver. So we had to fight with the travel agency for quite some time over the phone while still standing in the parking lot. We called the representative in Lhasa...it's not my problem, call the guy in Zhongdian...it's not my problem, talk to the people in Lhasa. ARG! Eventually, we all went over to the agency to duke it out from there. We went back and forth over our options, discussing what we were told and what they sent and the discrepancies between the two. We could pay an extra 2,200 yuan and get a big van (even though the amount we already paid was supposed to be enough for four people), we could go back to having only 3 people, we could get our money back. When we decided we would rather have our money back than deal with the organization who lies and accepts no responsibility for anything they say or do, suddenly that was no longer an option. When we contacted the guy in Zhongdian for the third time, he finally started to offer a real solution--pay an extra 500 yuan and get a big van that could hold everyone. Then, we learned that our guide only speaks English and Chinese, when we were promised a guide who could speak Tibetan. To be fair to the first guide, he was trying his best to help us all resolve the situation, and in the end we rejected him. They then told us that a Tibetan guide is very difficult to find at this time of year, and since we made the first guide very unhappy, now there is no guide for our trip. They said this without offering any alternatives. You have no guide, and that means you can't go on your trip. Of course I say, well that must mean that you will return our money, right? I mean we certainly can't pay thousands of yuan for absolutely nothing! Of course there is no fault or responsibility. But, they did say that they would start looking for a guide and let us know later in the day if they found one. Sigh.

After more than four hours of arguing at the agency, we were more than ready to leave, get a hotel and eat. We checked into a hostel and went to eat at this nunnery restaurant which was pretty good and extremely cheap. We got a whole thermos full of milky sweet Tibetan tea for 1 yuan, and large dumplings (momo in Tibetan) for 5 jiao (fifty cents) each. Then all four of us pretty much relaxed for the rest of the day. At about 7:00, the agency called to tell us that all was worked out and we could see the car and meet the guide and driver, who turned out to be Tibetan. So in the end it seemed to work out, if only after a grand struggle.

Korean BBQ in the evening, and off to bed somewhat early for us to be ready for the real trip to start early the next day.

The lanes of Lhasa

2007-07-27T20:27:00.000+08:00

In the morning, we walked to the travel agency to get our money back for the guide in Lhasa, and passed the Potala Palace. Arranging tickets inside is quite difficult, so we just took some photos from the outside. Across from the Potala is a giant concrete square from where everyone photographs the palace. A tall flag pole bearing the Chinese flag stands boldly in front of the palace. There is also a very communist "peace" monument of some kind at the back of the square. A bit later, we joined Karen, and all four of us went on a nice walk through the back alleys of the town. Even though we followed a path recommended by the lonely planet, we didn't pass many other foreigners. The route took us by a monastery where they print what appeared to be scriptures in Tibetan by hand with ink and wooden rollers. We continued through smaller streets with local shops selling yak butter, interesting flat breads, yak meat, and whatever else. We came to the small Muslim quarter, which has a decent sized Mosque, non-Muslims not allowed, and a few Muslim restaurants. We had lunch at one of these neat places. Each of us ordered beef noodle soup and a bowl of Muslim tea. The tea had a nice blend of tea leaves, dried fruits, rock sugar, and flowers. Our journey then found a nunnery that has been in operation for a long time. They have a promising restaurant, but we were too full to try it! On to another old, yet small temple. We ended up back in the Jokhang market area.

Karen decided to join our group of three to tour the areas south of Lhasa and Namtso Lake, so we contacted the agency to confirm the details. After some checking, all was said to be ok.

In the evening, the four of us went to a very local Tibetan restaurant and ate Tibetan dumpling soup. The place was patronized only by Tibetans, who were very curious about us. They were disappointed in our inability to speak Tibetan, showing a strong aversion to Chinese. The owneress/hostess was very friendly and attentive. She managed her customers with grace and style, in her neat dress and nicely upswept hair. The dumpling soup was tasty, and the beer was pretty cold. Being the excellent hostess that she ws, our small cups never went empty as long as there was beer left in the bottle.

Flying up to the roof of the world

2007-07-26T19:59:00.000+08:00

All three of us--Werner, Julian (the young American student from Montana who is part of our three-person "tour" of Tibet), and myself rose too early to arrive at the Tibet Cafe as instructed by 7:30a. By 8:00, the guy hadn't shown up to escort us to the airport, so we started asking worried questions. After waking the boss, he remembered that the plane only leaves at 10:30, and we needn't have come until 9! Oh well, so we hang out for another hour before going to the airport. The Zhongdian airport is new, clean and tiny. The sole gate only says "gate," without any number. The flight to Zhongdian was nicely uneventful. We passed through some lovely snow-capped mountains not too far below the plane. In Lhasa, our guide waited for us bearing a sign saying, "R. Zaspel welcome to Tibet" and the same long white scarves I saw attached to the door of the temple. These Khata were drapped over our necks like a Hawaiian lay. The drive to Lhasa was a bit long and we learned a lot from our guide along the way. He apparently went to Dharamsala at the age of 6 and studied there and in Delhi for 16 years before returning to Tibet to be an English guide last year. He seemed to have an ambiguous opinion about the new railway, citing others who are not so happy about the mass Han relocations. As we approached the city, coming in the opposite direction, the road was filled with hundreds of military trucks draped with red ribbons on their grills. We watched truck after truck pass in awe and not really knowing their purpose. Also, lining both sides of the street were military complexes and government buildings, each with two soldiers, one armed with a rifle, guarding the gate. We passed by the amazing Potala Palace on our way to the travel agency, where we were instructed to go, but not recognized. After calling a few people and waiting for some time, a girl came in who knew about our trip. We were then told that we don't really need an English guide in Lhasa, if we chose not to have one. This was a little frustrating since the guy in Yunnan firmly insisted that we must have a guide every day, but in the end it was a welcome surprise, since we could receive some money back. Then we checked into a guesthouse, the Pentoc, in the Barkhor area of town. We asked the guide to take us to a local Tibetan restaurant that didn't even have English menus. He took us to an expensive place operated by a friend where he gets a commission of some sort. When we went back to the GH, he said that he had other business to take care of, which irritated us a bit since we had paid for a whole day, and it was only 4:00. He agreed to continue on with us, but only after he remembered a special "art gallery" he wanted to show us. Insisting that we should stay inside this gallery for at least 15 minutes was a sure sign of yet another commission spot. Werner dodged the guy's persistence by walking around the famous temple, the Jokhang, and basically ignoring the guy's talk of art galleries. After about 15 minutes, the guide asked if he could go, and we relented, not wanting to visit any further commission spots. So, free to go where we pleased, we continued to explore the area around the Jokhang. This very holy temple for Tibetans is surrounded by people praying, kneeling and laying on the ground in openly devout ways. An open air market selling religious items, jewelry, t-shirts, Tibetan tapestries, etc, surrounds the entire Jokhang. Most of the goods on display seem to suit the mood, with the bold exception of the large, yellow plastic blenders. In the evening, Werner and I went out and found a nice cafe operated by a guy from Hong Kong and his Thai friend. The atmosphere and music were nice. We ended up chatting for a long time with the owner, Kong, and his friend Karen, visiting from Hong Kong.

Bring on the thermal underwear

2007-07-25T19:46:00.000+08:00

The weather was quite cold and rainy--so much so that I bought some thermal underwear at a local supermarket. It felt like London in mid-winter! Most of the day, we just wandered aimlessly in the rain and worked out the final details for our trip to Tibet. We ate breakfast at a local eatery, where I had noodle soup and a steamed egg for 4 yuan. Budget breakfast! When the rain subsided, we made our way via city bus to the 300-year old monastery complex north of town called Ganden Sumtseling Gompa. It is a sprawling complex of hundreds of mud buildings spotting a large hill, and at the top of the hill sits a series of temples that are still in the process of being rebuilt and painted. Inside the temples are rows of Tibetan carpets pointing to the altar at the back of the building. During group prayer, the monks gather in this assembly hall and sit on these rugs. Hanging from the ceiling, I saw many colorful round things made of brocade cloth. Many of the elaborately constructed outer doors have these long white scarves tied to the thick, ringed, metal handles. The walls are intricately painted with mythical scenes in bold colors. The surrounding mud houses are quite modest in comparison to the elaborate temples, though they often have a flourish of color around the doorways. The monastery was damaged and nearly destroyed during the cultural revolution, and I don't think the restoration has returned it to the original structure, but rather rebuilt with a vague resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa.

When we returned to the old town, we went to the square, and ate various kinds of food grilled on sticks. Beef, corn-on-the-cob, potatoes, mushrooms, and peppers--all covered in hot chili powder--yummy!

Later in the evening, that same square was filled with townsfolk and tourists alike dancing in a big circle. It was a great site and seemed to go on for quite some time.

Leaping to Shangrila

2007-07-24T19:29:00.000+08:00

We woke for an early-ish hike further down the mountain, and towards the Yangtze River. The hike through cornfields, very narrow or non-existant paths, and slippery mud would have been impossible with our 15kg packs, but for once free of the weight, the trek seemed almost easy. When we got back to our GH, we packed, ate some lunch and then took a van back to Qiaotou. The road to Qiaotou is full of fallen stones, boulders, a waterfall washes across it, and at one point, a massive landslide blocks vehicles from continuing. At that spot, the first van stopped, and we walked across, urged to move quickly by the locals in fear of more falling rocks. On the other side of the landslide, vans line up waiting for passengers. The rest of the road was quite and adventure! It hugged the side closely, where further evidence of receding rock could be seen. Looking out of the window at the drop at the edge of the road was dizzying. In Qiaotou, we waited for a bus to take us to Zhongdian, but instead took another van for 25 yuan each. We meet up with our Tibet travel buddy Julian, by chance, at the bus stop and he joined us for the ride. We arrived in Zhongdian at about 6:00p, and checked into the dorms at a youth hostel on the edge of the "Ancient Town," which is actually still largely under construction. It seems that for the benefit of tourism, the town has been rebranding itself as a soprt of gateway to Tibet. So, it's name has been changed to Shangrila and it has constructed this old town with stone pedestrian streets lined with Tibetan-style wooden buildings. It echoes of Lijiang and Dali, but in Tibetan style. The town is actually part of greater-Tibet, though not part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and the population includes about 50% ethnic Tibetans. The Tibetan name for the town is Gyelthang, thus giving this little place three different titles. The weather is also quite chilly, likely due to the high altitude of over 3,000m.

Waterfalls and wet feet

2007-07-23T19:23:00.000+08:00

We had a much shorter hike this run, though some of it was pretty challenging. We crossed three or more waterfalls that flowed across the trail, thus soaking our shoes and socks. At one point we found ourselves treading on extremely narrow paths while gripping carefully at any tree we could reach. Of course while we were struggling, some guys came up from below and shouted that we were not actually on the trail anymore. Much of the hike that day was spent in the rain, unfortunately, but we didn't slip all that much. We stopped for a bite at Tina's guesthouse, and then walked down a paved road the rest of the way to Walnut Grove, a small village where we stayed at Woody's Guesthouse. Since we arrived relatively early, we had ample time to read, relax and rest. Having our own cozy room with an en suite bathroom was also nice.

The long hike

2007-07-22T20:12:00.000+08:00

In the early morning, we awoke to rain and dense clouds covering the mountains visible through our window. By 10, however, the rain subsided, and we began climbing again. Soon after beginning our hike, we met with the 24 bends ascending up, up, up the mountain to an eventual height of 2,660 meters. The trail followed yet another beautiful series of sights. The clouds lifted a bit, though the peaks of the mountains remained pretty well covered for most of the day. Occaisionally, the clouds would lighten into mist, giving us a brief glimpse at the tops hiding above the heavens. On the opposite side, we passed a couple of water falls, that though probably massive, appeared long and slender against the ominous slopes. On our side, we passed two waterfalls as well, one that must have been cutting its way through the mountainside for centuries, as it had made its own gorge into the rock.

After reaching the top of the 24 bends, and the descending, we took a break at another friendly GH, the Tea Horse, for some lunch. We hiked the last couple of hours on fairly even trails, though the rain returned and followed us all the way to the GH for the night. The Halfway House was busy and bustling with many hikers, but we were still lucky enough to get a double room with another stunning view. This spot is a bit higher than the Naxi family, and therefore much cooler. We wrapped ourselves in blankets and sweaters to warm-up. As we were getting ready to sleep, Werner went into our room and immediately saw a mouse scurry across the floor, so I went to ask the management about it. They sent a young lady with a big can of bug spray to deal with the problem. She managed to scare the mouse out from under the bed and send it running to my pack and then bouncing off the window until it found its way out of the window. The whole time the mouse was in view she shook her hands in the air and squealed. I think that she and the mouse were equally scared.

In the presence of giants

2007-07-21T19:56:00.000+08:00

We wandered around again for a while in old town before going back to the Tibet Cafe, where we arranged our trip to Tibet. The owner was on his way to Zhongdian, and offered to take us along. We rode in his Mitsubishi SUV 4x4 along more lovely mountain roads that eventually found the Yangtze River. We were dropped off in Qiaotou, a little town where the trek through Tiger Leaping Gorge begins. By some accounts, the Yangtze River has carved the deepest gorge in the world here, and the locals have cut a trail along one side and built guesthouses along the way to support the daily handfuls of hikers passing through.

We stopped into the Gorged Tiger Cafe, where a woman named Margo from Australia made us some delicious chicken wrap sandwiches. She sort of held this attitude that mothers have when they are irritated with their children or husbands, but she was helpful nontheless and gave us some advice and a map. We set out at about 3:30 or 4:00 and started hiking up a road that turned into a trail. The trail gradually ascended up a mighty mountain side along the gorge and the Yangtze. The view of these breathtaking peaks is completely beyond description. I will say that their imposing size and beauty leave viewers feeling awestruck and very tiny. As we continued hiking among these giants, the views only became more amazing, with a higher and higher perspective. It took us about 2.5 hours to reach the first guesthouse, Naxi Family. Along the way a man with a horse followed us, hoping we would hire him to carry our packs. He dissappeared for a while after Werner told him he doesn't need a horse because Werner is a horse. But, the guy eventually returned, I suppose thinking that we would eventually cave in and hire the horse. We toughed it out and made it there fine on our own. At the GH, the friendly folks there showed us our room with a marvelous view of the giant mountains across the gorge. We ate a tasty, well-earned dinner, and then hung out by the fire drinking beer with some fellow hikers, Sarah, her mom Bernie, and a swiss guy. The beds had fluffy comforters and we slept like logs the entire night.

Dinner at Mama Naxi's

2007-07-20T19:44:00.000+08:00

The continuous rain convinced us to postpone our plans to hike through the mountains and stay on in Lijiang a second night, but since our fab guesthouse was full, we decided to move to a recommended place called Mama Naxi's (pronounced Nah-shee). Naxi is the local minority culture seen in Lijiang with some locals wearing Naxi traditional dress. I am not yet sure what that is, but I think it's likely best represented by the special vests I have seen old women wearing, rather than the sparkly young girls with some kind of bizarre headdress and long white gowns in the bars at night.

Anyways, after two hours of searching, we finally found Mama Naxi's, but only after someone came to get us. We checked in, ate a lunch there for 3 yuan, and went to retrieve our bags at the first place. Of course, it only took ten minutes to walk back. For dinner, Mama Naxi provides a grand family-style feast with at least 6 different dishes shared between about 10 people. When one plate is empty, someone immediately replaces it until no one can stuff anymore food in their bellies. If your rice bowl is low, someone comes over and puts more food in it. Mama walks around ensuring that everyone is satisfied and well fed. The food was absolutely delicious, filling, and a well-balanced meal--just what you would expect from Mama, and all for 10 yuan ($1.75).

In the evening, we passed this wild bar street that defied the peaceful intension of an old town. People were dancing and watching others dance while swaying to the music--overall a bit surreal and misplaced, but difficult to convey in words.

Lijiang and the new ancient city

2007-07-19T21:00:00.000+08:00

We took the 10:30 bus to Lijiang, and I was fortunate enough to sit in the front seat of this mini-bus and therefore had the best view. We passed through some tall mountain roads, more agricultural fields and beautiful villages painted on the sides of mountains. At one point we reached an elevation above the clouds and could look across at this roof of fluffy white cotton crawling along the mountain peaks. It was enough to move our entire bus full of locals to gasp. When we arrived in Lijiang, we tool a city bus to the ancient town and checked into a fabulous guesthouse and by far the cleanest. This place also commands a nice view over the tiled rooftops of the old town. We then set out to find the tour-guide cafe for our trip to Tibet. Armed only with a small map bearing no names, we finally found the place after about an hour. Our trip to Tibet was getting more and more expensive as we talked to the main man in charge of Tibet tours at this place...so we started out searching for and internet and some friends to make the trip cheaper. In the process of our wanderings through the old town, we found some very interesting places outside the lanes with one small shop after another selling the same things. The more charming places were so tucked away, that we got lost beyond all belief--North? We wandered through the lanes and winding stone streets for several hours before eventually figuring out where we were and then how to get back to the Tibet cafe. There, we met an American guy also trying to arrange a trip to Tibet and we tried to work out the rest of our details.

Lijiang is meant to have the look and feel of an old Chinese town. The old town is a maze of narrow, stone streets lined with houses with traditional Chinese tiled roofs. Most of these "old" buildings are not too old, having been built since the late 1990s. There was an earthquake then that destroyed many buildings, but since that time, the government rebuilt everything with the idea of creating a popular tourist destination. Most of the tourists are Chinese, and most of the shops they wander around sell the same things....tea, dried meat, tie-dyed clothes, scarves, wooden ornaments, painted t-shirts, and this really kitchy cowboy hat that comes in many colors. The main entrance to the old town has this water wheel, obviously new and a huge stone facade carved with old-ish looking scenes--just like you might expect the entrance to "China: The Ride" to look like at Universal Studios or Epcott Center. It also boldly boasts is status as a UNESCO world heritage site with this giant seal. When you wander into the back alleys and less commercial streets, some pleasant sites can be seen. I often felt like a shadow might be lingering on the roof above waiting to leap from house to house.

Another day in Dali

2007-07-18T10:12:00.000+08:00

The weather was not cooperating with our plans to go on a hike and travel to a nearby village on the Erhai Lake. Rain forced us to simply wander and relax most of the day. We finalized our travel plans to get to Lhasa after some difficulty, and ate a few traditional Bai dishes. Bai people are one of China's minority groups and are prominent in Dali. The food we tried was pretty good--very sour and salty. The papaya chicken was particularly tasty as the strong sour flavors blended well with spicy and a dash of sweet. We ran out of clean clothes, so I walked around town in my swimming shorts and newly purchased t-shirt. Our guesthouse had a free laundry service, but it was self-dry. Due to the cool rainy weather , an outdoor line-dry wouldn't quite work, so I pulled a McGuyver and used a space heater, dental floss, and a couple of sticks to hang and dry my clothes in the bathroom of our room.

Dali

2007-07-17T23:00:00.000+08:00

The bus pulled into the station in Xiaguan, near Dali, at about 3 AM. At first, I thought this was just another rest stop, but we didn't go anywhere for a while. The night bus was supposed to take 9 hours to get there, but apparently it takes the same 5 hours as a day bus--its just that the last 4 hours are spent on the bus sleeping while it waits at the station. Unfortunately, the driver turned on the lights periodically and shouted out the name of a new destination for a bus transfer. That, combined with the farts passed all around the bus, and other miscellaneous grunts and moans kept me pretty awake most of the time. I actually welcomed the time for getting off of the bus and heading toward Dali Old City. We took a minibus for 3 yuan each, including our bag fee, into Dali and checked into a hotel with an amazing, massive buffet breakfast for 10 yuan, or about $1.50.

Dalie is a charming town filled with old buildings, some made from mud-brick with the old-style curved-tile Chinese roof. Those newer buildings have, for the most part, been constructed to blend in with the older ones, preserving the atmosphere of an old town. A few of the main streets have canals running along one side. These canals are not too wide and are often covered with concrete bridges enabling pedestrians to access the numerous shops lining every street. Dali is filled with all manner of small shop...tourist shops, book shops, tie-dyed textiles, embroidery, cloth paintings, clothes, bars, restaurants, you name it Dali has it in a small shop. The brilliant weather wasn't too hot or too cold, and after a brief spell of light rain in the moringin, the day was blue, clear and bright. the mountains to the east and west, and lake to the east make for a lovely backdrop and great photos.

While wondering, I stopped to admire some embroidery and was invited to visit the vendor's nearby house, where he stored hundreds of embroidered articles from shoes to bags and belts and decorative pieces. The house appeared to be very old and it was one of those made sturdily of mud, with wooden floors and stairs. It was just as interesting to see the inside of the house as the embroidery. I bargained for a beautiful black, white, and colorfully embroidered belt. We also visited the Dali Museum, which though small and only has a few artifacts, was worth a visit due to its nice buildings and charming gardens. Some of the Ming Dynasty pottery and clay figurines were nice to see.

In the evening, we tried some street vendor food--one things involved grilling a type of thick, chewy "bing" or flat bread and filling it with several kinds of salty-sour-spicy condiments. The end effect is quite tasty, and all only for 1 yuan. Then we tried a fabulous local restaurant, which we thing to be muslim operated, judging from the women in head scarves managing the kitchen. They served beer, however, so we were not too sure. Anyways, the food was brilliant and again very reasonably priced. After dark, we stopped for extra shirts, being out of clean clothes and stumbled upon a bar with interesting live music. Two guys sat cross-legged on the floor--one guy played a variety of percussion instrument. The other played wind and string instruments while using his voice and pedals to manipulate the sounds. A few songs were played, but most were really long compositions. I generally liked the music, bus after a poor night's sleep on the bus, their soft, ambient sounds were lulling me to sleep!

Modern China in Kunming

2007-07-16T10:17:00.000+08:00

We awoke to our very first whole day in China. The weather in Kunming was pleasantly cool, clear and dry. We set out to arrange further travel plans, and run a few errands before heading further north. Along the way, we found one of Kunmings famous noodle restaurants that serve "Over the bridge" noodles. This style of soup is served unassembled on a series of separate small plates and a couple of bowls. First you recieve the raw meats, greens, pickled bamboo, egg, and noodles. Then a steaming hot bowl of broth arrives ready to add all of the fresh ingredients. Mix it all in, let it sit a few minutes, and enjoy. The meat slices are thin enough that the piping hot broth nearly immediately cooks them. All together, the noodles are delicious and the bowl is so enormous that an average person could not possibly finish a whole bowl.
We also found a 4 story Wal-mart--yes Wal-mart in China!

Later, we went out in search of these Muslim restaurants seen in our guide book. We took the local bus for 1 yuan, and walked the rest of the way. Next to a newly constructed high rise, we found our line of restaurants. All of the folks working there were pushing us to eat at their place, so we paper-scissor-stoned for one. The folks gave us the royal treatment and the most delicious food...skewers of spiced meats, and this lovely sauteed vegetable, along with a lovely Xinjiang tea. The people were very interested in us--where we came from, etc. They were very friendly and encouraged us to visit their home, Xinjiang if we could.

We walked back to the hostel through this modern, European-style plaza surrounded by sky scrapers, McDonalds, KFC, outdoor cafes, etc. At night, we boarded our overnight bus to Dali. The bus has a packed series of tiny beds ready for the passengers to rest for the evening, blankets included.

Thoughts on Vietnam

2007-07-15T19:58:00.000+08:00

We originally planned on spending about 10 days in Vietnam, but because of how much the country has to offer and because we were enjoying ourselves so much, we decided to stay and extra five days. The country is full of surprises, as we were constantly discovering interesting spots to visit, and therefore extending our stay longer and longer.

The people in Vietnam are very friendly and helpful. People often greet others with a smile, and warmly welcomed foreigners. I never felt like I was getting the run-around by anyone. We bargained frequently, to be sure, but I don't think that we were ever really ripped off anywhere. The tours are just like all tours...a little campy, too well planned, and commercial, but that said, at least it gives travelers the opportunity to meet others.

The traffic in Vietnam is a phenomenon I have not witnessed elsewhere. Most of the vehicles on the road are motorbikes, and very few people bother with things like helmets. It seems that the dotted line in the middle of the road serves as a mere suggestion of where you should drive, as folks frequently ride on the opposite side of the road, to overtake other vehicles, or just because. Motorbikes scoot around the lanes sideways, and turn left from the right lane, or righjt from the left lane. The general rule is that the largest vehicles rule the road, so if you are driving in the correct lane and a giant bus starts driving at you head on, you should brake and/or get out of the bus's way. When crossing the road, rarely will you find a pedestrian crossing, but if one is found, don't be fooled, it doesn't actually mean that you are safe! The best way to cross a road is one step at a time, in between passing cars, bikes, and buses.

Vietnam is really hot, and I don't think I have ever perspired that much before in my life. I only brought 2 T-shirts, a couple of tank tops, and two pairs of pants...so I had to wash often. There was no way of rewearing those clothes that I sweated completely through....ewwww. The bright sun gave us pretty blue skies and thus lovely pictures, though. The one exception, of course was Sapa, where I first wore my sweater.

The larger cities are developing at an astounding pace, and we realized as our bus was leaving Saigon for Muine, that we really hadn't seen the whole city. The bus passed through these areas near the river with towering, high-rise apartment buildings, suave department stores, and other very modern, wealthy buildings. This provided a stark contrast the the road we took into town from the airport, where the sidewalks were in crumbling ruins. Hanoi also had its share of designer-label shops placed throughout the city. Factories of all kinds line the road from Hanoi to Haiphong--sewing machines, clothes, food products....etc.

The countryside is quite picturesque, green, clean, with mountains framing the rice fields for much of the mid to northern parts of the country. People can be seen carrying anything on a pole and two baskets, or a motorbike. I think that Vietnamese people have mastered the art of transporting goods by motorcycle, especially considering that traffic! I saw folks carrying panes of glass, long building supplies, piles of green leafy veggies, chickens and other livestock, and pretty much everything else.

So, in short, in a place with friendly people, the cheapest beer in the world, beautiful sights, charming towns, killer coffee, and cheap and delicious food you can't go wrong.

Across the Border

2007-07-15T10:03:00.000+08:00

So from Sapa, we rose early in the morning to begin the process of crossing into China. We arrived at the border at about 9am Vietnamese time, and passed through both sides with no problems or hassles. Despite stories of scam artists charging bogus bridge crossing fees and the like, we didn't have any of these problems. In China, we hired a sort of tram-bus to take us to the bus station. We booked tickets to Kunming, and then went to a neighboring cafe to relax a spell before boarding the 10 hour bus. We sat and chilled in a cafe with mango smoothies. Thinking that we had plenty of time to kill, we ordered some fried rice and a whole chicken from the restaurant across the street. Then, one of our travel buddies, Danielle suggested that we check the time, as it probably changed when we arrived in China. Unfortunately, it did, and we realized that we had missed our bus! Werner and I ran back to the station, hoping to organize tickets for the next one. The next one happened to be ready to leave, so we all ran with our bags, quickly paid for our smoothies and fried rice (that we didn't get to finish) , and rushed to the bus. We sat down and the bus pulled away-the last one until later in the evening.

The bus ride to Kunming followed a narrow, winding, pot-hole-ridden, and sometimes slippery road, but despite this, the ride was actually quite pleasant due to the stunning views. We passed through magnificient green mountains, some covered in forests of bamboo and other trees, others gracefully terraced with bright green fields of rice. We passed tea farms, fruit trees, charming little villages, and beautiful mountain after mountain. These scenes are difficult to describe, and even the most precious of Chinese landscape paintings falls short of the real sight. It's a shame the bus couldn't stop and let us take some photos.

The bus arrived in Kunming quite late, so we simply checked into a hostel for the evening and went to sleep.

Cool Sapa

2007-07-14T13:48:00.001+08:00

So we arrived at the Lao Cai train station at 5:00am, where we were eventually awakened by the driver of a minibus going to Sapa. Sapa is about 1.5 hours by bus from Lao Cai, up a few mountains. Once we arrived in Sapa, we were pleasantly greeted by the cooler mountain air...ahhh...after baking on that hot boat for two days, this was a welcome feeling. We met an Australian couple, Scott and Danielle, in our compartment of the train, and then another couple from the boat at Halong Bay happened to find the same minibus as us. We all wandered around in search of a hotel for a couple of nights, and eventually found a suitable spot. Though the weather was a little uncooperative with rain in the morning, by afternoon, it had cleared up, and we lazily walked through town, continuing to enjoy the pleasantly cooler temperature.

The views from everywhere in the town are amazing. The giant green mountains are frosted with fluffy clouds. Some mountains are terraced with green steps of rice paddies. The terraces are artfully sculpted into the sides of the mountain, and seem to move perfectly with its contours. Everywhere in town, friendly Hmong women and girls approach the tourists and ask a slew of questions...where are you from? How old are you? How long do you stay in Vietnam? before showing off their handmade goods for sale. Hmong women are quite talented with all forms of needlepoint and quilting. They standardly offer pillow cases, blankets, hats, belts, and bags all handmade and hand dyed with indigo. Besides the cloth goods, they also want you to buy their giant hoop earrings, and silver bracelets.

In the evening, we again enjoyed the cheap street beer, though in Sapa, the going rate is 3000 dong per glass of beer.

Tomorrow, we are off on our way across the border and into China!!!

Cruising Halong Bay

2007-07-12T19:37:00.000+08:00

So we took a tour of Halong Bay, which lies along the coastline to the east of Hanoi. Hundreds of green, rocky hills rise from the calm waters of the bay. Most of the hills are not too tall, and also completely untouched. The whole area of Halong Bay is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, partially because of its caves, but also simply because of the lovely, unique scenery.

Our tour began when we left Hanoi in the morning and took a minibus for a few hours to Halong City. When we arrived at the bay, we boarded our boat where we would be spending that day and night. We ate lunch on the boat, and cruised around the bay, admiring the beautiful scenery. A bit later in the day, we visited one of the many caves that are hidden underneath these hills. The cave we saw is apparently the largest and most impressive of the above water caves. Our guide mentioned that the Chinese came (I am not sure if he was referring to a Chinese company or the Chinese government) and made the cave more accessible to tourists, and added these swankin' colored lights to illuminate the inside of the cave.

Close to sunset, we stopped at a floating fishing village. It seems that the people here, simply anchor there boats in this little cove at the end of the day to form a very small community of fishermen. From their boats, we took brief kayak trip through a hole in one of the hills rising from the water. The kayaking was fun, especially once some of the other folks on the tour initiated a water-flinging war, based upon the slogan of their Thai tourguide--No wet no fun! The kayaking was unfortunately short, I suppose it was long enough, though, to make my arms a bit tired. When we got out of the kayaks, some local entrepreneurs greeted us from their rowboats filled with bottled water, oreos, beer, and other treats. "I sell cheaper than the boat!" meaning cheaper than the big tourist boat to which we were attached for the night. I was somewhat, but not entirely amazed by the tenacity of folks in Vietnam...any opportunity to make money is not overlooked, whatever the effort involved may be!

Next, we parked our boat for the night in a calm area occupied by some hundreds of other similar boats, and enjoyed some swimming. The water was warmer than bath water, and great for diving into from the boat. Then, dinner on the boat, and a few beers on the roof while watching the sunset, and then the sky fill with stars. Some of the people there caught a glimpse of a couple of shooting stars.

The next morning, after a sparse breakfast on the boat, we wandered around the bay some more, and then ended up at Cat Ba Island, were we dropped off a few of the folks on the boat, and then changed to another boat. This boat cruised around the bay for another hour or so before stopping for some more swimming, and then headed back to the docks. On the shore we were shepherded around like the throngs of other tourist sheep lolling about in the intense heat. Eventually a minibus took us to a restaurant, and then yet another minibus took us back to Hanoi.

In Hanoi, Werner and I chilled on the street with some more 2000 Dong beer. You can never go wrong there! In the evening, we caught our overnight train to Lao Cai, which is close to a mountain town called Sapa, and right on the Chinese border.

The Old Quarter in Hanoi

2007-07-12T19:29:00.000+08:00

We arrived in Hanoi later than we were told, but we kind of anticipated that anyways based on our other bus rides! We were told upon arrival that the long distance buses are too big to enter Hanoi's city center, so we had to take a taxi the rest of the way. Fortunately, a guy who wanted to rent us a room in his hotel footed the taxi bill, even though we didn't even stay in his hotel. Upon checking in, we made our way out and about Hanoi, again until we became to hot to tolerate being outside any longer. We managed to see the Temple of Literature, which previously served as a sort of school for "Mandarins." I didn't get a complete historical background, unfortunately, and the heat clouded my senses.

In the evening, we went out to try the 2000 dong beer advertised at every roadside spot with plastic chairs on the sidewalk. 2000 dong translates to about 12 US cents, by the way, so that means that for 1 USD, you can drink 8 cups of beer from a cool keg. Bingo, baby! We did control ourselves, though, mainly because we had made plans to head out to Halong Bay in the early morning.

The Purple Forbidden City, and Nguyen Tombs

2007-07-12T18:54:00.000+08:00

Hue really has a lot to offer in terms of historical sites, and so we began the day early by renting a motorbike and immediately set out to explore. Our first stop, the Purple Forbidden City, which is an amazing enclosure of temples and palaces surrounded by a moat. The place is enormous, and interesting to explore. Some of the structures are well restored, while others are in ruins. What is left of the Citadel stands at the back of the city, a reminder of the devistation of war. Hue was the imperial capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen dynasty from 1802-1945, and this Forbidden City was the center of it all. Apparently, it was managed in a similar fashion to the Chinese equivalent, whereby the Kings collection of wives all lived inside, and only the King and eunichs were allowed inside certain areas. The lush gardens make for a beautiful setting for this collection of interesting buildings. Ponds filled with water flowers are spread around the inside, and nicely arranged, but not too well manicured flow er beds nestle around every corner.

The next adventure was locating one of the four Nguyen tombs located outside of Hue City. We took the motorbike in the direction suggested by the lonely planet, and continued along, asking a few folks along the way where to go next. Eventually we landed upon the latest of the tombs, Khai Dinh, which is marvelously set into the side of a hill. This tomb was completed in the early twentieth century, and blends both Eastern and Western architecture, to create a place I certainly wouldn't mind resting in for all eternity. The view is particularly gorgeous, as it faces wooded, rolling hills and the river. Nearby, we found a second tomb, and this one among the oldest. Minh Mang was built in the 1800s for a King who, according to a guide I overheard, had over 70 sons and 60 daughters. I wonder if he remembered all of their names.... Most of the buildings of this enclosure remain in tact, though some are in various states of disrepair. The overall feel reminds me of the Purple Forbidden City itself, with its collection of water gardens and red temples.

By the end of the day, we were dehydrated and tired, and ready to sleep. We made it back to Hue just in time to catch our overnight bus to Hanoi, which was full and took about 14 hours.

To Hue

2007-07-08T18:25:00.000+08:00

The day began with a stroll around the old town of Hoi An. Here, we looked around and photographed the amazing old buildings lining the streets. I bought a few paintings from one of the many talented local artists with shops around town. As we nearly died of heat exhaustion, we decided to cut our walk short and head for a cafe and some cold water before heading out on the bus to the next stop, Hue.

The bus ride to Hue is reported to be one of the most beautiful rides in Vietnam, and it doesn't disappoint, with its miniature towns dotting a lovely coastline, wooded mountain passes, and interesting coves. We arrived in Hue in the early evening and went for a cyclo ride to the train station, where we found all trains to Hanoi booked for the next 2 days. Then we walked along the river back toward our hotel, looking for food along the way. The first spot only had beverages on offer, so we tried the local Festival beer. The next place served the local specialties of shrimp cakes wrapped in banana leaves. These sticky, pasty rice cakes have either a crispy-fried whole shrimp inside, or a lovely mixture of shrimp dices with a tasty sauce. Werner unfortunately missed out on the shrimp cakes, being allergic and all, but he enjoyed another beer! Later we managed to find food without shrimp in it for him to enjoy.

Hoi An and the Marvelous Champa Ruins

2007-07-07T19:56:00.000+08:00

From Nga Trang, we took the overnight train to Danang. The train was definitely a relic of an earlier time, and in the "soft-seat" section, we sat cramped together in two seats that did recline. The reclining seat seemed to irritate the elderly man sitting behind me, as he frequently grumbled and kicked the back of my seat, but finally decided to rest his bare feet in the space in between the window and my face. Later, I draped the curtain to at least mask the appearance of toes at my eye level.

We arrived in Danang around 11am, and we quickly made our way to a charming town set upon a river called Hoi An. This UNESCO world heritage site is a real treat to visit. The old town center is full of interesting, old buildings from as early as the 1500s. We tried some of the local treats of the town, including this type of noodles that is only available in Hoi An, as it is made from the water that comes from a particular well in town. Cao Lau is a chewy kind of noodle that is served with a fishy sort of sauce, and fresh greens of sorts, like mint, basil, and lettuce. It's a nice, and cheap snack. Another tasty local treat of Hoi An is a type of dumpling shaped like a flower called White Rose.

We spent some time the first day wandering about town, and napping. In the evening we browsed through the area of town where it seems that the locals hang out, as we hardly encountered a single foreigner. The next day, we rented a motorbike and took a ride into the countryside to a set of Champa ruins about 35km away from Hoi An. The drive can only be described as picturesque, as we passed by rice paddies, scores of water lillies, delightful and colorful villages, palates of chiles and corn drying in the sun, and all set among a backdrop of beautiful mountains. Though the weather was blistering hot, we managed to make it all the way to the ruins, where we again found few tourists. Aside from a small group of Vietnamese visitors, we were basically the only people there! The ruins are a marvelous site to see. According to our entrance tickets, the Champa people built the ruins from the 4th to the 13th centuries AD and were considered to be the masters of using bricks. Most of these Hindu temples were constructed entirely out of bricks, but without the use of mortar. Though in various states of disrepair and increasingly yielding to nature, enough remains to make a worthwhile visit to yet another UNESCO world heritage site.

Mui Ne to Nga Trang

2007-07-05T16:53:00.000+08:00

In the morning we negotiated to rent a motorbike for a half day for about $3. From the GH, we took the scooter out to explore the area, mainly to find the famous sand dunes. We did find the red sand dunes, where an army of 8-10 year old children swarm all tourists in the hopes that the tourist will hire the kid to help him or her slide down the sand dunes. We first stopped in a restaurant across the street from the dunes for breakfast. I ordered an egg sandwich, that was presented separately, with the egg and bread on different plates. I guess I constructed my sandwich to slowly, as the owner immediately came over to grab my sandwich and put it together for me. As she explained something in Vietnamese, I just smiled and nodded. It was a good sandwich.

Then to negotiate with the kids. I actually hate supporting the kids who sell things in any country. I would much rather they be in school than arguing with me about the price of a slide down a sand dune. Unfortunately, I think the locals have given kids a monopoly on this activity, so we had to pick some kids from the 20 or so who begged for our business. Eventually we went down the sand dunes, and it was good fun. Even though I managed to get sand in every crease of my skin, I didn't come away with any bruises or scrapes. Then back to arrange for travel to Hoi An. We decided to first go to Nga Trang, where we could then get on an overnight train to Hoi An, but along the way we met some travelers who mentioned that Nga Trang is reported as being the best diving in Vietnam. So, after a long bus ride, including the repair of a flat tire, we arrived at about 7:00pm in Nga Tran and began investigating the diving centers in town. The folks in the centers were all really honest and wanted us to know that visibility is somewhat poor, at about 6 meters, and the larger marine life like sharks and manta rays are all gone. The corals are still beautiful, and there are alot of interesting small fish and other creatures, though. So we decided to stay and give it a go.

The next morning we rose just after the sun and joined the crew for our dives. We learned that the company we hired is owned by the Vietnamese government, but that didn't seem to mean anything substantial. Our leader is a local divemaster, and is quite competant in the water. He led us through the corals of two local sites, both were a bit foggy underwater, but that didn't interfere with us seeing some cool stuff. The corals ARE beautiful, with brilliant shades of neon yellow, blue, peachy orange, and of course many others. We also saw several lionfish, a jellyfish, forests of anemones, clownfish, some plants that look like feathers, and lots of other fabulous creatures. I was reminded of how alien and bizarre, though stunning, the underwater environment is. Some of these coral formations and other tube-like creatures look like the inspiration for sci-fi films. They were a great couple of dives.

After the dives, we are hanging out in a cafe waiting for our train to take off toward Danang, and then a bus to Hoi An, our next destination. Photos coming later, when I get a good connection!

Small boats in the Mekong Delta

2007-07-03T16:36:00.000+08:00

Another early start, this time on a tour to the Mekong Delta, which is about an hour south of Saigon by bus. The tour was like all tours, a bit kitchy, often informative, sometimes annoying, but overall pretty good. The bus conveniently stopped at several spots where the tourists could purchase local goods. Every bathroom break was at a souvenir shop or somewhat expensive restaurant. We started in the delta at this boating dock, where the tour guide explained the plan for the day, but unfortunately, I couldn't hear any of it, so I am not so sure of exactly what I saw during the day. I do know that we went on a boat across a river to an island where we saw how a famous kind of coconut candy is made. To make the candy, they extract the white meat of the coconut and some coconut oil, and boil it for 45 minutes to an hour. Then, it cools into this chewy taffy like candy. The guide said that there's no sugar added, since the coconut is already sweet enough. They do add things like peanuts and this green leaf juice that I have never seen before.

Next, we tried some local kumquat-honey tea while the tour guide showed off a python and let others wrap the snake around their necks. I am not so sure what the snake has to do with the delta, as he said that they don't really hang out around there. Maybe he needed something to entertain us while we drank our tea. We walked to a local restaurant on that same island and ate lunch--a Mekong Elephant Ear fish. Then off on another boat that took us to yet another set of boats, but these were much smaller. These 4-passenger boats, paddled by two locals took us through little, narrow fingers of the delta and off onto another island. We again sat down to eat, this time entertained by a few locals performing traditional music. Then back to the bus and onwards to Saigon. We caught the 8:00pm bus to Mui Ne, which arrived at about 1:00am at a guesthouse next to the beach where we found a room for $5 a night.

The Retro Palace and around HCMC

2007-07-02T15:40:00.000+08:00

We awoke early to head off to the Chinese consulate to apply for our VISAs. The process was relatively painless and fast, so off to the first sight of the day. The Independence Palace has a nice location in a beautiful park in Central Saigon. The park has a sculpture garden and remarkably tall trees that tower over you, creating a lovely shaded space. The palace itself is a relic of mid-century architecture and design. The furniture in hues of avocado green, browns, rust, orange, and yellow must be original from construction. The palace used to serve as the President's quarters and as a diplomatic venue in the days when the country was divided between the north and the south. Next stop--the large central market selling everything from fake branded clothing, weasel coffee, shampoo, jewelry shoes, food, fresh meats, vegetables, fruit, etc. Later we took a cab to guitar street--a particular street where shops sell stringed instruments like guitars, mandolins, pipas, erhus, and some things I had never seen before. Werner had a fine time popping from shop to shop asking folks to demonstrate their hand crafted instruments some folks were sitting in their shops shaving, polishing and carving instruments.

Back to the consulate to retrieve our passports..whew, an expensive VISA at $105, but hey we can go to China, and the VISA took one easy day! We managed to see the Notre Dame Cathedral of HCMC, which was close to the consulate. The inside was closed, but the outside made for some nice photos. On the way back to the GH, Werner got a haircut complete with face and neck massage. After dark, we went to a Jazz Bar called Sax n' Art--quite a spiffy place with a posh atmosphere, low lighting and attentive wait staff. The food and drinks are more expensive than most places in Saigon, but still reasonable considering the quality of the food and the live music. The 5-piece jazz band was really worth seeing. All of the musicians are quite talented and after a planned set list, they just accepted requests, pretty much honoring anything asked--even one that wanted something by the Beegees.

Ho Chi Min City, aka Saigon, aka the Paris of the Orient

2007-07-01T15:20:00.000+08:00

We arrived at the airport at 12, and then took the local airport bus for 3000 Dong, or about 5 cents, each--each meaning each person and each backpack. The bus dropped us off in the backpacker district which is full of guesthouses, roadside stalls selling french bread pate and laughing cow cheese sandwiches, tour agents, souvenir shops and the like. The number of foreign tourists are denser in this area than the rest of the city, but in comparison to other spots like Thailand, there are overall far fewer. As soon as the bus dropped us in the tourist area, proprieters of guesthouses and hotels began approaching us, obviously in need of a room, as we still carried our backpacks. In a back street we found a room in a modest place for $8 per night. The currency of choice here floats between USD and Vietnamese Dong, with hotels and tours preferring dollars and shops and stalls taking Dong. After settling in the hotel, we walked around the immediate area for a bit--through streets, alleys, past food stalls and restaurants. Our first meal in Vietnam consisted of beef Pho noodle soup and iced coffee. The coffee here is this thick black stuff brewed with a tin filtering device set atop a glass. It's excellent iced with sweetened-condensed milk. In the alleys, we weaved through narrow passages only accessible by bike or foot and took a look at local life in the city. As it was Sunday afternoon, many folks were chilling out on their spotlessly clean, cool tile floors napping or watching TV. When we lost our way, people kindly pointed to the way out. The shops are generally relaxed when customers browse through. They aren't too pushy or annoying at all. At times, when sitting in a cafe, a wandering salesperson would offer books, jewelry, sunglasses, newspapers, etc. but only a few of these ask more than twice or linger a bit too long. I have seen a few children selling gum and they can be more forceful with their cute faces. In the evening, after our own afternoon nap, we went out for a beer. We looked for a local-style spot and soon realized the futility of such a search in the backpacker district, so we settled on a spot with plastic chairs sitting outside under an umbrella to fend off the rain. With no other seats available, we sat at a table occupied by two older foreigners and a local guy who appeared to be a prostitute of sorts. I think my suspicions were confirmed when a woman came over and told the foreigner sitting accross from the local guy that he needed to decide soon because the local is very busy. That was just a bit uncomfortable!

Charming Jiu Fen

2007-06-24T19:50:00.000+08:00

This weekend we tried to make the most of our one day off, as Saturday was a make-up day for last weekend's extra day on Monday, by taking a day trip to a spot north of Taipei. Our friend even let us borrow her car, so we actually had a small road trip through the mountains.

Jiufen is a small town nestled in the mountains overlooking the northern coastline. The name Jiu Fen loosely translates to nine packages, because the town originally only had nine families, who would each receive a package each time the mail came around. Today, it is basically a tourist attraction, but picturesque, with lots of stairs winding up and around the mountainsides through the town. Because of its stellar view, charming location, and interesting shops, it is a popular weekend destination. Many of the locals make the most of the weekend swell by renting out their garages for 100NT per hour parking or selling souvenirs in their shops. Several people run tea and coffee shops overlooking the ocean below and the surrounding mountains. We spent the afternoon meandering through the narrow streets, browsing the local shops, tasting some local food, and taking lots of photos. Many of the shops sell similar things...Chinese style clothes, small toys made in China, etc.. but a few shops feature more unique artisan-style goods such as handmade purses or jewelry, as well as art. I found this great shop where you can buy a little black stone and have it engraved with whatever Chinese characters you desire or pictures for the low price of 50NT--less than 2$ and cheaper than an hour of parking! You can see a picture here of the man engraving my stone, which now has a picture of a fish on one side and the character for Autumn, 秋, qiu, which is part of my Chinese name. Lei-qiu (lay-chiou).

It's one of those must-see destinations in northern Taiwan that we had yet to visit, and it was worth the trip.

Back to Sun Moon Lake

2007-06-21T09:36:00.000+08:00

Taiwan enjoyed a rare four day weekend due to the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. We decided to use this time to take a road trip around the island with a total of eight people in a van. This idea was completely planned with a van rental reservation and all of our friends ready to go. Unfortunately, the car rental company decided that since we have been in Taiwan for more than 30 days, we are ineligible to rent a vehicle. After spending a few hours at the car rental facility on Friday night, we came up with plan B: take a bus down to Sun Moon Lake and rent scooters there. We found a bus company close by that left at 6:00 AM the following morning. We arrived in Puli, a town a short drive from the lake, where we managed to rent scooters. I suppose since a scooter is worth far less than a van, the scooter rental shop didn't care too much about how long we have been in Taiwan. She did make us sign some hefty affidavits certifying that we would pay far more than the scooters' actual value if we didn't bring them back. Well, after haggling with rental places for much too long, we were finally ready to relax near the lake. Upon arriving at the lake, we located our accommodations for the evening. Since the hotel was nearly the same price as camping, we opted for sharing a hotel room. Due to the rain that later came, this proved a wise decision.

In between showers and downpours, we did manage to tour sections of the lake. We went for a ride around it, and noticed that the level of the water is much lower than the previous visit. At the end of the first day, we ate some local food and then sat on the docks that covered the partially dry lake bed. We noticed a singles dance had been organized that evening with food and beverages for the party-goers. Later a few guys from the party came out to chat with us and invite us to the party, which we learned was sponsored by a Mormon church in Taiwan. We didn't think the bottle of wine we were enjoying on the dock would be welcome, so we respectfully declined.

The second day, we climbed to the pagoda tower commissioned by Chiang Kai-Shek, and this time, climbed to the top of the tower. We got stuck at a cafe with no available seats during one downpour, where we simply sat on the steps and waited out the rain. The weather was actually a bit chilly with the rain and elevated altitude, so we thought we might check out a hot spring. Since there are no springs near the lake, we took the scooters to the other side of Puli, where we found a spot with outdoor pools and views of the surrounding green mountains. When we finally departed the spring and made our way back to the lake, we enjoyed an unusual, yet scrumptious meal at this outdoor garden restaurant. The chef created a selection of dishes that mingled fruits like mango, pineapple and melon together with other ingredients like vegetables, meats and spices. This may not sound too good to the traditional palate, but the effect was actually quite delicious.

The third day, we woke early to return the scooters in Puli. We arranged for a bus to take us to the local Gao Liang brewery. The brewery doesn't offer too much to see, but enough to make a few pictures of the traditional urns used to brew the wine. They did have an interesting series of photographs from the massive earthquake that struck the middle of the country in 1999. Those photos made me feel lucky that I have not experienced such an earthquake. In many buildings, the first floor was entirely destroyed, so in the photo, you see a tilted building sitting atop a squashed first floor. Other buildings were just entirely destroyed. Before leaving the brewery, we sat down to a tasting. Whew! That Gao Liang is vile stuff! It's a bit like pushing pure alcohol down your throat....at least the shots were small, and we shared!

Then, we were off to Taizhong, where we decided to stop for an evening before heading back to Taipei. We went for a walk through the center of town where a series of nice parks can be found and two interesting museums. Though the museums were closed, we did get a feel for the city a bit. The roads are much wider and there are far fewer scooters than in Taipei or Kaohsiung. It seems that folks prefer to drive cars there. We made our way to this posh district with an outdoor cafe street where we ate at an Italian restaurant. This area is similar to the cafe streets you find in many European countries, and makes for relaxing night out. Later, we ended up at this game center with air hockey tables, video games, batting cages, and bowling alleys. We tried just about everything, except the batting cages, which were too popular. We managed to bowl a couple of rounds, and Werner demonstrated his natural talent for bowling, scoring over 100 in his second game in 10 years!

The following morning, we visited the National Art Museum, which was open this time. It is a great place, very modern in design and with worthwhile exhibits, that were all free! Finally, we made our way to the bus station and boarded a bus to Taipei. Despite our initial obstacles, it turned out to be a nice trip.