BootsnAll Travel Network



Xinjiang and Sichuan Provinces (CHINA)

August 4th, 2009

I just came back from an amazing yet emotionally grueling trip to Xinjiang and Sichuan Provinces in China.  My friend Kathleen and I returned earlier than planned (30 days vs 40 days) because of itinerary changes and because, basically we’re really tired, both physically and emotionally.  It was quite a trip, full of pitfalls and scary experiences, but we made it through, alive!  So, first of all, here’s a detailed recap of exactly what transpired when we arrived at our first stop, Urumqi. 

In Urumqi, we arrived one night after a massive riot ‘allegedly’ started by the Xinjiang Uighers killed over 140 and injured over a thousand.  Our taxi driver had to pass through two checkpoints to get us to our guesthouse, which was located right where the fighting took place.  2 days later, the Han Chinese ‘allegedly’ started their own riot in retaliation, and we found ourselves right in the middle of it!  It was the scariest experience I have ever had!

We were in the middle of buying tickets to a wonderful place in the mountains called Tianchi Lake when suddenly, shopkeepers all around us started packing up their booths, yelling that we should get back to our hotel, quickly!  We were just a few blocks away and decided it would be faster to walk, but within moments we could see that everything on the street: shops, banks, hotels, was closing, the sidewalks filling with shopkeepers, employees and neighbours, armed with wooden bats, steel rods, pipes, pieces of wood, anything to fight with.  We started running – our guesthouse was still a block away, but we found ourselves in the middle of two large groups of people, all armed.  Most people just seemed to be waiting, to defend their homes/shops if it came to that; but it was hard to tell who was on whose side.  A few people were yelling and really seemed eager to fight, to taste some ‘blood’.

The next thing I knew, we were pushed with others into a nearby 5-Star Hotel where the manager said we must stay, but cautioned us that they couldn’t be held responsible for our safety since we weren’t actually registered there (go figure!).  After hiding in an upstairs banquet room for a while, we decided to take our chances and make a run for our guesthouse.  In our minds, 5-Star Hotel would be a definite target, while our tiny, cheap Chinese guesthouse would probably be missed in a conflict.  The last memory I have of that terrible afternoon was us running down our back alley, past more employees and neighbours, armed to the hilt, and racing up the stairs to our small room to hide.

Hiding was the worst thing, I felt.  We had no TV and our Internet was blocked.  Text Messaging was cut off, International Calls were cut off, and we couldn’t see anything from our windows.  No communication whatsoever.  It was the ‘not knowing’ that drove me crazy.  By late Tuesday night I had gone through endless possible scenarios.  I decided that early the next morning, 6am, we were going to head out into the street and try to make our way to the highway, hoping to get a lift to the airport, and out of there!  I didn’t care if I died trying; I decided that I would rather die taking action than hiding out in a room, doing nothing.

Later that night, the woman in charge of our guesthouse returned.  She told us that a lot of people had been killed.  In fact, her husband had seen several of his fellow employees beaten to death before escaping himself.  She heard our plans and pleaded with us to stay, to  hide in our rooms for just a few more days – things will surely calm down by then, she said.  Needless to say, I was even more determined to leave early the next morning.  I knew this problem was not going to go away in just a few days, and I was not going to stick around until it did.

At 6am, under cover of darkness, we made our way out into the deserted main street, past several roadblocks manned with police and armed soldiers telling us to return to our guesthouse.  Finally, one officer reluctantly pointed us in the direction of the highway, stating it would probably be reopened at 8am and then we might get a lift with someone.  We were alone on the highway for about an hour; all we saw were convoys of tanks and busloads of soldiers making their way into the downtown area.  But quickly, our luck turned. 

A kind businessman, discovering that his internet had been shut down (guess by who?!!) decided to return home since he couldn’t get any work done.  He picked us up and drove us directly to the airport – we almost didn’t get there, however, as we had to pass through yet another checkpoint where they demanded to see our airplane tickets.  Luckily I had our original tickets showing Urumqi-Kashgar for a departure two days later.  We lied and told them we had changed the departure date by telephone with the airline – it worked!  Those tickets got us through the checkpoint, but I still had to pay full-fare for two new tickets when we arrived at the airport (my original tickets were non-refundable).  But thank goodness I had those electronic tickets printed out! 

It was pretty quiet at the airport; at first I feared it was closed.  But things went pretty smoothly once we purchased our tickets and got through security to our gate.  The airport’s tarmac was teeming with soldiers sitting in large groups, waiting for buses to transport them downtown.  It was pretty creepy.  I’d have loved to take some pictures, but knew it was a pretty bad idea.  I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until our plane left the ground at 8:30am.  Let’s hope things will be better in KASHGAR!!

Okay, I’ll be honest; a few more issues arose during our trip that could have threatened our safety (but didn’t).  Stay tuned, and I’ll tell you more about them.

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I “LOST IT” today!

January 28th, 2009

I “LOST IT” in a sports shop earlier today.  That’s right, it’s not all fun and games when you live in a foreign country.  You try not to let the little things get to you, but sometimes….!

I was waiting in line to buy something, noting how many of the local shoppers were cutting in front of one another; in fact, one couple even had the audacity to approach the Customer Service desk and insist they be checked out there!  As for me, my line was taking forever so I switched to another one.  By the time I got to the counter, the girl said “sorry, this is for Credit Cards only”.

I started to explain about all the lines and the couple at the Customer Service desk, but realized: she didn’t have enough English to understand, and I certainly didn’t have enough Chinese to explain it all.  So I moved away, planning to join yet another line.  But then… my anger erupted – I threw my purchases on a display, yelled my head off and stomped out of the store, shaking my head as I went.  I felt so much rage – in fact it took several minutes for me to calm down again.

Generally, I walk around with a friendly look on my face, one that encourages people to say hello.  But after that incident, when a guy said “hello” to me in a supermarket a little later on, I just glared at him.

I realized I was no longer in the mood for shopping.  In fact, I started feeling quite emotional, and started to cry.  Sometimes I find it so damn difficult getting myself understood.  At times like this I just want to pack it all in and head back to Canada!

It was then that I decided, perhaps I should just head home until I was in a better frame of mind.  It’s not easy for a foreigner to get away with making such a scene – we are so easily recognized.  Hmm, I wonder if that store will ever let me shop there again? 

This kind of situation has occurred before, but usually I manage to avoid making scenes.  I do, however, go through intense feelings of frustration and anger.  They usually pass, but it takes time.  Whenever this kind of thing happens, I usually hide in my apartment until I feel better.  As a result, my students all think I am happy all the time!  Little do they know!!!

I think this kind of thing must happen to most people who live in a foreign country.  I think things slowly build up to the boiling point and finally, one small thing can just set you off. 

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Yangshuo for New Year’s

January 14th, 2009

I just got back from a wonderful holiday to Yangshuo, a picturesque ‘backpacker haven’.  It is located a 2-hour flight west of Shanghai in Guanxi Province, 1 hr. from Guilin City.  This was my third trip to Yangshuo, so obviously I really like the place.  I first fell in love with Yangshou when I visited China as a tourist in 2003 (during SARS). 

In fact, I used this trip to get in touch with a retired Canadian couple who had given me advice back in 2004 when I was getting ready to move to China to teach.  Turns out, they are still in Yangshuo!  So, one sunny afternoon I set out to find the school where they are employed.  Luck was definitely on my side: I ran into the woman as she was walking down the street to her home – one minute later and I would have missed her entirely!  She invited me home with her, where we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and reminiscing about things we miss from Canada, and sharing common complaints about China!

Through the course of my week there, we had lunch one day and met up for dinner 2-3 different times with some of their teacher friends, including another couple from Canada.  By the time I left Yangshuo, I truly felt I was leaving some good friends behind.  But that’s what Yangshuo is all about.  This town is so small that you keep running into the same people.  So, you might as well say hello and get to know them!

There really is something for everyone in Yangshuo.  When I was first teaching in China, I remember persuading a young colleague of mine (24 year-old male) to go to Yangshuo with me for our one-week October vacation.  Obviously he doubted that taking a vacation with someone twice his age would be much fun.  However, we wound up spending 6 wonderful days in Yangshuo and even tried to squeeze in a little extra time, by booking the overnight bus on our very last day, rather than wasting the day travelling.  Our hope was that it would get us back to school just in time for classes the next day (it didn’t – we got held up assisting another broken down bus).  But, hey, it was still worth it!

My colleague and I met up most evenings for dinner, but apart from that, we went our separate ways during the day.  Early on, he made friends with a group of young people and spent most of the week with them, hiking, biking, rockclimbing, rafting and so on.  As for me, I spent the week socializing with people I met on the street (a lot of foreign teachers were around at that time), shopping, reading used English books in the cafes, biking in the countryside and so on.

This time around in Yangshuo, I decided to learn the fine art of Chinese ink painting, and master the game of Mahjong (hey, it’s not so difficult after all!).  I also enjoyed a few massages, and visited a small town in the countryside called Xingping.  The scene shown on China’s 20 RMB note is from there (see photo).

Most people are really friendly in Yangshuo, whether they are tourists or locals.  One evening I spotted a young fellow taking a photo of who, I thought, was his girlfriend.  As is my usual practice, I stopped and asked if I could help by taking a photo of them together.  Turns out, they were both solo travelers who had met at their hostel.  They had then decided to spend the day together.  The fellow, a sales manager from Guangzhou, said they were on their way for dinner, asking if I would join them.  The three of us had a wonderful time exploring the town for a suitable eatery, and finally settling on a barbecue restaurant set up in what is used, by day, as the town’s food market – they cleaned it up quite well for evening’s use, I must say!  We had great fun on West Street after dinner, shopping for a winter jacket for him and driving the salesgirls absolutely crazy!

I also made friends with Lisa, a girl operating the tourist information booth next to my hotel – this is also where I booked my tickets to Impression Sanjie Liu.  It is a show produced and directed by renowned film director, Zhang Yimou (of Beijing’s Olympics Opening Ceremonies, the Movies “Hero” and “House of Flying Daggers”).  Lisa is a real sweetheart and would often call out to me when I passed by her booth.  Needless to say, I was always ready to sit and chat.  One evening, she was outside when I arrived; she asked me where I was going.  “Just for a walk”, I said.  She asked if she could join me since her shift was up.  We had a nice long walk and it was clear that she wasn’t using this as an opportunity to try to sell me something, simply a walk and conversation between two new friends.  That’s what makes Yangshuo so different from other places.  The pace of life is slower here and people seem content to simply enjoy life and make friends, rather than check tourists’ pockets.

I remember when I walked down West Street the first afternoon I got here, shoe shine guys approached me, one after the other.  I’m sure there were at least 8.  I always said ‘no’, but there was one guy who seemed really polite and not pushy at all.  I made a mental note that when I was ready, that was the guy I would pay to shine my shoes.  He approached me every single day.  One day, his eyes lit up when I said “Ming tien” – tomorrow.  So I made sure to say ‘yes’ when he approached me the next morning.  I had him do my shoes a couple of times that week.  On my last day, I gave him a nice tip and got him to understand that I was leaving.  I had really enjoyed meeting him each day.  A nice friendly fellow, making a simple living, and leaving a good impression behind.

Anyway, back to Impression Sanjie Liu – what a show!  Zhang does on water what he has done on film — creates intense emotion through colour, movement and sound.  The performance, with the natural mountains and water as the setting, has become a must for visitors to Yangshuo.  It is performed by a huge cast (over 600) of local villagers and fishermen, particularly local minority groups such as Zhuang and Yao.  However, the stand out performer is definitely the background scenery. The lighting of the karst mountain peaks is truly amazing and is a highlight.  Impression is like nothing else I have seen before. This show is actually played out on the waters of the Li River. 

One performance featured Hundreds of fishermen in straw cone hats piloting narrow bamboo boats into long bobbing lines, and then lifting 100-metre-long strands of red silk, which they undulate until the audience applauds this larger-than-life metaphor for Chinese women washing clothes in a river (see photos). At the same time, scores of spotlights crisscross the sky until it also ripples like a river.  Check out some of my photos.  This show is definitely worth seeing, so be sure to check it out when you’re in Yangshuo!

Yangshuo has a large number of English schools where many young Chinese business professionals spend months at a time enrolled in intensive English classes.  I emailed a young girl I had first met in 2004, to see if she and/or the school was still around.  Turns out, she’s now in Shenzhen, but the school in Yangshuo is alive and well.  Apparently it has also grown considerably.  She contacted a young guy there and told him to expect a call from me.  Long story short, I wound up leading a couple of English Corners (informal conversation classes) while I was in Yangshuo.  I made good friends with a number of the students there, which was great.  It meant I had a list of lunch and dinner dates whenever I wanted them too! 

I did come back with one terrible souvenir of Yangshuo – I caught a terrible cold!  You know, I may come from Canada, but I simply cannot get used to the cold weather in China!  Perhaps it’s the fact that most Chinese keep the doors and windows of their shops OPEN all day, so they freeze!  In Yangshou this was quite common, albeit most restaurants kept an open fire going in the middle of the room where the staff would huddle for warmth.  But trust me, it’s not enough.  I spent one afternoon learning Mahjong and by the time I left, I was frozen through and through.  I headed back to my hotel, had a hot shower, turned on the heating full blast, had the hotel get me an extra duvet, turned on my electric blanket to high, and guzzled gallons of ginger tea – it didn’t work!  I still came down with the worst cold I can ever remember having.   And, worse still it’s the third cold I’ve had this winter!  Each cold has lasted at least 3 weeks!  You’d think I’d be having an easier time of it, now that I’ve lived in China for 4 1/2 years now!

HOTELS – so, for those who wish to know, I stayed at two different hotels: 7th Heaven Café & Hostel, and Lisa’s Mountain View Lodge.  There are tons of hotels Yangshuo so you don’t need to prebook before you arrive.  Take your time before deciding, you can afford to be choosy.

RESTAURANTS – Again, there are tons of restaurants in Yangshuo.  There’s lot of Chinese food around, but Yangshuo is becoming famous because of all the restaurants claiming to make Western Food.  But, it’s hit and miss at some joints.  Café China on West Street has my vote for the best pizza (over Karst and Red Star).  I don’t care what others say.  And my vote for the best American breakfast goes to Drifters on West Street.  You could stay in Yangshuo for weeks and still not hit all the restaurants and bars.

The last morning, I hired a taxi to take me directly to Guilin Airport rather than take 2 local buses and a taxi, as I had done upon my arrival.  In fact, I even paid extra to take the newly opened expressway which reduces travel time from 2 hrs. down to under 1 hr.  But that wasn’t the main reason I decided on the expressway – I heard that it passes through some nice areas.  I have to tell you: it was the most spectacular mountain scenery I have ever seen – highly recommended!

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Weekend Getaway to WUYI!

December 16th, 2008

Let me tell you about my weekend.  Our university organized its Annual Outing for Foreign Teachers.  This year we travelled to Wuyi in Jinhua District, 3 hrs. from Hangzhou.  We visited a really wonderful ancient town (people still live there, so it’s not just for show!).

Then after dinner we went to Wuyi’s famous Qing Hot Springs Resort.  Now, get all ideas of a ‘natural hot spring’ OUT of your head!  The Chinese have built a massive complex on top of hot springs.  When we arrived, there were tons of people in the lobby.  I said if the pools are crowded, I’m not staying!  Well, after a quick change and shower, we entered the Hot Springs Room, an immense space featuring 3 large hot tubs, adjoining a massive pool hosting many different gadgets where one can enjoy surging jets of water (ie there are some ‘water loungers’ that you lay on (immersed in the pool itself).  You simply press a button and jets of water pulse into your body at key massage points – wonderful!

Then we heard about a pool where small fish nibble at the dead skin on your body! Had to check that out!  It was freezing outside that evening, but we managed to find the Fish Pool after meandering our way around many ‘individual hot tubs’ mostly in use by couples.  At night this can become a very romantic place indeed!  Once in the Fish Pool, we had to be quiet and not move so the fish could come and check us out.  Every time a newcomer arrived, we would yell at them to be careful not to hit our legs (where the fish were doing their thing!) upon entering the pool.  It was a pretty cool feeling, I have to admit!

Later on, I sought out the Massage area.  They have a very extensive menu of massages, I heard.  Well, finding the area was not easy. Bear in mind that I can’t read Mandarin.  There was no English signage any where in this facility.  So all I could do was point to my shoulders and say the word “amoi” meaning massage.  People kept pointing down one hallway after the other.  I must have walked for at least 15 minutes (past the cafeteria, the internet bar, massage chair room, another restaurant, computer game room, TV room) before I finally located the right place.  What I was looking for turned out to be simply a young fellow with a clipboard, standing in the middle of the hallway.  Once you decide on a massage, it’s his job to find the appropriate masseuse and room (there are many rooms I found out!).  But there was one more glitch.  I was wearing a wet bathing suit and a terrycloth robe (provided by the resort).  Turns out that I need some special ‘massage clothes’ also provided by the resort).  My poor masseuse grimaced and took off to find me some clothes that would fit (yes, he looted the men’s locker room!).  Once correctly clothed, my back/shoulder massage began.  And believe me, it was entirely worth all the effort it took to find this place! 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this Hot Springs Spa Resort, despite all the people.  It’s really so amazingly large, with so many different rooms, that you honestly don’t notice how many people are there.  We spent 2.5 hours there; I could easily have stayed 4 hours, with no effort at all.  Highly recommended!

The next day (Sunday) we went to a beautiful place in Wuyi called Red Rock Mountain – a beautiful, serene countryside with really spectacular red rock mountains.  I should point out that it was an outstandingly gorgeous weekend – cold, blue skies and sunshine and fresh air … Best of all, no pollution!

All in all, a great weekend getaway!  CHECK OUT MY PHOTOS!

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November in China

November 28th, 2008

OBSERVATIONS

Went shopping at my local supermarket yesterday – I was shocked to observe some staffers culling through fresh eggs,‘tossing’ the cracked ones into a rubbish bin!  There were at least a hundred broken eggs in there!  Now, this is what I don’t understand:  nearby, cooks were preparing various food items which require EGGS!  Now, why wouldn’t the store have the women put the cracked eggs ‘carefully’ into a container and then pass them over to the cooks!  Such an incredible waste!  I could see by the looks on many local shoppers’ faces that they were thinking the very same thing!  Another big “WHY” in my books! 

Here in Hangzhou, modernization is barreling along at an incredible pace – we have import cars on our roads, construction has begun on our first subway line, luxury products are advertised in many shop windows – but still a large portion of the population is barely living a ‘hand to mouth’ existence.  Such wasteful disposal of those eggs is simply beyond my comprehension.  And I now realize this goes on every single store, and probably not only in my local supermarket!

You know, this country is well known for its lack of ‘safety precautions’ and ‘quality construction’.  Evidence of that was the terrible earthquake earlier this year in Western China. My own city, Hangzhou, recently faced a disaster of its own.  We are in the midst of building our first subway system.  Now, this will be of fantastic benefit to our city and its people, but my fears about safety are well founded. 

Last week, during construction a section of subway tunnel collapsed, trapping many workers underground, killing at least 8.  Rescuers said there was no chance of survival for 13 more workers still trapped in the tunnel.  The cave-in originally trapped at least 50 workers and engulfed 11 vehicles.  Questions have been raised about the perceived lack of safety at the site.  The sad thing about this incident is that apparently there were warning signs more than a month ago when cracks appeared on the road surface, and the roadbed near the construction site had sunk.  Admittedly, the construction company did notice these problems and to remedy it, decided to pave the roadbed and insert steel rods – I wonder if their efforts actually contributed to the collapse! 

Many of the victims were farmers from nearby provinces, who receive no construction or safety training before they start work on such projects.  Before coming to Hangzhou to work on our subway, I am told that most were planting wheat at home.  And these are the same workers who build Hangzhou’s skyscrapers! 

Here’s another example of the lack of safety precautions in China:  A friend of mine, from the U.S., is general manager of a company in Hangzhou.  When he first arrived to take up his job as General Manager, he was appalled to see that the factory workers wore no safety goggles and, instead of steel-toe boots, were wearing leather shoes, , runners, with some even wearing slippers!  His managers balked at having to buy the needed goggles and boots, stating the cost would be too high.  My friend said, “the cost to our workers’ health and safety is too high – buy them now”!

In a country as over-populated as China is, people’s health and safety continues to come last, with profit and position being the only consideration.  It’s a tough place for migrant workers to find safe, steady jobs with good incomes.

JANUARY HOLIDAY

I’ve been trying to plan my January holiday, with little success.  I had originally planned to travel to India for a month – well check out the news – I guess India is out now.  So, maybe instead I should go back to Thailand for a second visit – I really enjoyed it there.  Oops, demonstrators have taken over Bangkok International Airport, and violence is sure to follow – I guess Thailand is out too.  I don’t want to lie on a beach, so I guess I will stay in China and head out to one of my favourite destinations: Yangshuo (Guilin).  It is a very laid-back town tucked away in Guanxi Province, completely surrounded by the Karst Mountains that are so characteristic in Chinese paintings.  I’m going to ‘chill out’, do some Tai-Chi, learn how to play Mahjong, try my hand at Chinese painting, take long walks into the countryside and enjoy some great ‘western food’.  Many of Yangshuo’s cafes also do double duty as used bookstores, so I will be in my ‘element’!  And, I’ll save some cash, a definite Plus!

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It’s all good!

November 1st, 2008

A former student called me late last night.  He wanted to hear how I am doing and to say “thank-you” to me.  He is a young businessman working in the construction industry here in Hangzhou.  I taught him Business English about 3 years ago.

Anyway, about a year ago, during one of our chats at Starbucks, I had suggested he apply for a Passport so he would be ‘ready’ should an opportunity to travel overseas present itself.

Well, turns out that this year he has travelled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the U.A.E.  And, he told me he just got back from Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta in India!  It was so wonderful to hear him talk knowledgeably about people and places he knew absolutely nothing about just one year ago!

We talked for almost an hour about his latest achievements and his new company status.  For some time now he has been the only “English-speaking” worker at his company (his English wasn’t that great either!).  During meetings with his customers, the translators were often found to be useless because they lacked knowledge of the necessary construction terms.  So, he set out to learn these himself.  Now, his English is very clear and well enunciated.  He says he doesn’t hesitate to ask people to speak more slowly or to repeat themselves. “In India, some people have very heavy accents”, he said.  I am so proud of him!

My good friend, and former student, is now in charge of several university graduates who will serve under him so he can better accommodate his increased responsibilities.  It is possible that a trip Europe may be on the horizon for next year!

He told me over and over again that “it is thanks to you, dear teacher that I am doing these things today”. 

You know, his words of appreciation came at a really good time for me.  I’ve been feeling a little ‘down’ lately, lonely and depressed.  Hey, it happens, you know!  It’s impossible to always be in a state of high-energy and optimism.  Each and every day people approach me for kind words or advice, or simply just some form of encouragement.  I do love my role of Teacher.  But in many ways I feel like a celebrity who must put on her ‘public face’ every time she steps out the door.  I remember being asked by a student one day“how can you always be so happy every day?”.  I need to remind my students that I too have my ‘down’ days.  I tell them that in class I always try to ‘act happy’ and, after 5 minutes or so, I really do feel happy again!  I encourage them to try it.

So, my student’s call last night has made me think about the work I have done, and the students I have taught since I came to China 4 years ago.  I am still the same person who left Canada – Some days I am happy, some days I am lonely or depressed.  That won’t change.  I went through the same emotional highs and lows back home.  But, what has changed is the fact that here in China I am doing work that really can help some individuals shift their attitudes and make major achievements in their lives.  That’s something I’ve never gotten out of previous jobs before.  And, that’s exciting!   Hey, I’m feeling better already!

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Jordan

August 27th, 2008

I have to say that I fell in love with Jordan!  Its scenery is absolutely spectacular, and the people are really very friendly.  And there’s so much to see – ruined Roman cities, Crusader castles, desert citadels and awesome biblical sites (the river where Jesus was baptized, the fortress where Herod beheaded John the Baptist, and Mt. Nebo where Moses saw the “Promised Land”).  I slept overnight in the desert of Wadi Rum, floated in the Dead Sea (the lowest place on earth), saw firsthand the ancient mosaic tiled map of the holy land in the city of Madaba and, yes, I went to PETRA!

Petra
Most people think that the rock façade shown in the Indian Jones Movie is all there really is to Petra – they’re wrong!  Petra was recently named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and for very good reason.  Built by the Nabatean people who were ‘caravanners’ who travelled all over Arabia, the ancient city of Petra was constructed in a variety of architectural styles.  I’m talking Roman, Egyptian, Mesopotamian as well as local styles – and it works!  To explore Petra’s immense architectural site is truly an amazing experience.  Most people spend less than a day; but three days are best.  As for me, I spent two days on the Petra site and would recommend three if you are an avid hiker – I was dying to climb up into the back hills surrounding Petra for even more adventures!  One can also sign up for multi-day treks to some of the far-reaching sites that most people never see.

To get to Petra itself, one must walk along a long gorge hemmed in by cliffs soaring up to 80 metres high.  Called the Siq, it takes at least 30 minutes which gives you a chance to really appreciate the beauty of its geological rock formations, as well as their colours.  As you round a corner, Al-Khazneh (the Treasury) appears at the end of the Siq – suddenly you ARE Indiana Jones!  Its façade is immense, approx. 43 metres high and it’s difficult to say exactly how I felt when I first saw it – the architectural details are quite astounding.  Carved around the 1st Century BC as a Tomb, it was later used as a temple.  But the skill used in carving it out of the rock is nothing short of genius in my opinion.  You have to see it to believe it!

There is a similar façade located up in the nearby mountains.  It is called Al-Deir (the Monastery).  One can hike up there to see it – it is huge and quite awesome to see at the top of the mountain!  Its architectural design differs from the Treasury, and its embellishments are more simple.  I chose to use a donkey to go up to see it (my knees simply can’t take all those steps, approx. 800 I am told!).  The ride down is much more scary than going up, but I did it!  A couple of times though, I thought I might plummet to my death – at those times I simply raised my head to take in the breathless scenery around me.  I figured if I was about to die, and I was going to die smiling!  But I’m still here to tell the tale and the donkey is just fine!

I highly recommend a visit to Petra.  There is so much to see and many of its sites are quite astonishing.  There is an amphitheatre, tombs, temples, an ancient colonnaded street (columns), even a church and an ancient prison.  I am told that only about 25% of the site has been excavated to date.  Believe me, it is the astounding scenery and spectacular architecture all around you that makes it an unforgettable experience.  GO TO PETRA!

I stayed in the village of Wadi Musa, which starts just outside the gates of Petra.  Many of the cheaper hotel options are located about 2 kms up the hill, but I managed to get a reasonable price at Petra Moon Hotel (JD25 per night if you stay a minimum of 3 nites with breakfast included).  My hotel was within easy walking distance of the site entrance and many shops and restaurants are located nearby.

In Madaba I stayed at the Mariam Hotel which I also recommend highly, and in Amman I stayed at the Palace Hotel – both are great budget options with friendly people and clean bathrooms!

Check out my photos using the link on right of your screen.  A picture can say so much more than words!

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Cairo – Last Words

July 31st, 2008

I’m back in Cairo after an uneventful overnight train trip (thanks to my wonderful eye-mask and earplugs– an absolute must on any train journey!).  I was welcomed back to the Nubian Hostel by their male staff who flirted with me relentlessly.  Egyptian men are so handsome, it’s unbelievable!  And it appears that Egyptian men find me very attractive – they like full-figured women!

 RELIGION – Since about 90% of the Egyptian population is Muslim, many pray the requisite 5 times per day, no matter where they are.  I have run into men praying on the sidewalks, in shops, at the end of a corridor, in shopping malls – you name it!  At Thomas Cook in fact, I saw two men praying on the floor in front of the photocopier!  And last week one man was praying in front of a fire extinguisher!  I know they’re supposed to be facing ‘mecca’ when they pray, but surely they could find a better spot than in front of a photocopier or a fire extinguisher! 

WATER FOR ALL – It’s hot here in Egypt (up to 50 degrees) and we’re basically in the desert.  As a result, for centuries the people in Egypt have put out a complimentary urn of drinking water and cup for those in need.  I have seen them set up in takeout restaurants, markets, mosques, and outside many little shops.  What I can’t get over is the fact that everyone drinks from the same cup – when one gets sick, I’m assuming everyone gets sick!  I appreciate the courtesy though.

SUBWAYS – By far the easiest, and cheapest way to move around Cairo is by subway.  Unfortunately its reach is still quite limited.  In the meantime, it is extremely helpful for women to take the subway as there are specific cars set aside as “women only”.  These subway cars are never as packed as the cars with men so I take the subway as often as possible!  I have been cautioned against taking local buses and standing in the regular subway cars – reason: many foreign women are ‘groped’ by Egyptian men!  Thankfully, it hasn’t happened to me….yet!

RESTAURANTS – Downtown Cairo leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to eating out.  Felfela and GAD are perhaps the only two restaurants I head to each day, with reasonably priced Egyptian foods.  We’re talking Shwarma, Meat Pizza, Felafel and such.  Most menus are limited to meats, breads and rice – it seems that vegetables are in limited supply or perhaps no one likes them, although I have seen lots in the marketplaces.  I’m not sure why we don’t see them on restaurant menus.  Lower priced food stalls are quite filthy which leaves the five-star hotel restaurants.  I have to admit that I did enjoy a wonderful lunch at Oberoi Mena House Hotel this week – it sits directly opposite the Pyramids so you can enjoy the view while you are dining.  It was a wonderful experience for me (but I did pay dearly for it!).

Breakfast is a huge letdown for sure.  Most hostels offer a complimentary breakfast consisting of bread, egg, jam and coffee/tea – every single day!  But, a true Egyptian breakfast can be preordered the night before, consisting of falafel, fuul (beanpaste) and pita bread – problem is, it’s really heavy!  I’d still like to see a western breakfast place open up here – I think it would do very well! 

We have McDonalds, Hardees, KFC and Pizza Hut here but they don’t have prime locations like they do back in China – here in Cairo, they are often located around the corner from a main street, requiring extensive signage for people to find it.  A highlight here are the juice bars – I have stopped several times to have a mango juice which arrives ice-cold (pure mango mixed with slivers of ice) for just one Egyptian pound – it’s a real thirst quencher!   Another interesting phenomenon is that everywhere I go in the city, I see men rushing past me with trays holding glasses of tea – this could be in a back lane, on the city’s main streets, in a shop – turns out that tea is delivered everywhere!  One kind of tea I strongly recommend is Mint Tea – red tea with fresh mint leaves, which is now my personal favourite.  I still wonder if they reuse the glasses, or do they actually wash them first? 

You see, there’s no recycling – if you have an empty bottle or tin can, it goes into the rubbish bin – case closed.  Only a half-assed effort is made to clean the streets and sidewalks (there’s garbage everywhere), and from my hotel room I can see that a lot of people store their own garbage on the roofs of their apartment buildings – what’s with that?  It also seems that many people have constructed small rooms on top of buildings to live in – for staff perhaps?

FASHION – Egyptian Women’s fashion rocks!  I’m serious!  When women go outside, they are dressed to the nines!  While many wear gowns and headscarves, their clothes are often embellished with sequins or embroidery.  Those who wear western clothing always make an extra effort to not only coordinate the colours of their headscarves, but often layer 2-3 headscarves in different ways – I had no idea there were so many different ways to wear scarves over your hair!  But I would have to say that it is the Egyptian Women’s EYES that are the most captivating – most have been blessed with naturally long eyelashes and big expressive eyes which are made up dramatically – this is how they attract their men, I am told.

MEN – I have already said that Egyptian men are quite handsome – well, I can’t say it enough, they really are!  The strange thing however is that most women don’t work, so it is common to see men working in shops we often associate with being staffed by women, ie lingerie shops, McDonalds, accessory shops, etc.  In public, men are much more affectionate than women – they greet each other with a kiss on each cheek (sometimes twice each cheek) and often walk arm-in-arm along the streets.  The women are much more reserved in public.  Quite a large number are completely covered from head-to-toe in their black robes, often wearing gloves, stockings and boots so that no skin shows except around the eyes (in 50degree weather too!).

BIG IS BEAUTIFUL! – I would have to say that ninety percent of the population here in Cairo is huge!  (and I mean fat!)  In fact, I have become very popular here – many men are intrigued by me and especially the fact that I am not yet married (yes, I have already received several proposals).  A move to Egypt may be in my cards yet!

SECURITY – When I first arrived in Cairo, I did feel very vulnerable and unsure of myself.  Now that time has passed by, I do feel quite safe, despite the ongoing harassment from the men.  In addition, there are hugely visible signs of high security here.  Metal detectors have been installed everywhere, from museums to hotels to shopping malls and some restaurants – you soon get used to it once you know they can’t erase your photos.  And on the streets, security guards stand behind large bullet-proof shields on wheels.  Each shield contains a small window so they can hide behind them if necessary.  Again, it’s something you simply have to get used to.

CLEANLINESS – One word:  None.  This seems strange to me since the women are so beautifully dressed and clean themselves!  But, the public areas of Egypt are so filthy that I can hardly wait to return to China (which I used to think was pretty dirty)! It’s five-stars, compared to Egypt!  They do have a very different way of washing floors here though.  They pour buckets of soapy water on the floors and then ‘squeegee’ it out to the streets where it soaks people passing by.  You really have to watch where you’re going.  Now, how’s that for a visual? 

ELEVATORS – Every single elevator I have taken here is the old kind where you pull the metal door closed behind you and can watch each floor pass as the car rises.  If you don’t pull the door closed, that’s okay, but be careful not to fall out!

TRAFFIC – In downtown Cairo, roundabouts are used extensively and traffic jams are common.  Pedestrians have to wind their way through the traffic to get to the other side of the street.  I’m amazed I haven’t been crushed between two cars yet.  And, it doesn’t seem to matter what the street lights indicate – most people don’t obey them.  Another strange thing is that some of the larger streets (with three-four lanes) are blocked during the daytime with cars parked 2-3 lanes across, thereby reducing the road’s available lanes to just one – strange!

ACCIDENTS – Here’s a strange one – Every single day I have seen at least 10-15 people with one arm either bandaged, in a cast or in a sling.  What’s with that?  I mean is everyone cutting their arms on equipment, or falling on a sidewalk and breaking their wrist like that tourist I met last week?  As a result, I am being extra careful as I move around Cairo’s downtown core – it’s really easy to take a mis-step somewhere!

ARCHITECTURE – Now I mentioned that most of the old residential buildings in Cairo are ugly brown buildings.  Although I have seen enough mosques, temples, tombs, cathedrals and towers to last a lifetime, the different kinds of architectural techniques continue to amaze me.  And the local people don’t appear to appreciate it either!  I have seen many areas where people have simply set up their shopping stalls propped up against the walls of a massive old city gate, or erected a huge sign in front of a gorgeous façade of an old building.  It’s quite sad actually, but thankfully there are many restored buildings available to see!

Well, I’ve come to the end of my time here in Egypt.  It’s been a very interesting trip for me.  Will I teach English in Cairo next year?  Nope!  I think I like China even more than ever now!

STAYED TUNED – NEXT WEEK… JORDAN!!

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Luxor

July 29th, 2008

LUXOR is like no other place on earth.  Luxor was the capital of Egypt at one time, called Thebes, so there are an endless number of temples, tombs and museums to be found.  This city and its surrounds are considered to be the “world’s largest open-air museum” because over 90% of Egypt’s treasures can be found in and aound Luxor… and the excavations continue!When we docked in Luxor, I couldn’t get over the number of gigantic cruise ships that had arrived before us. I counted at least 18 (and this is considered to be the ‘slow’ season!).   And I saw many more heading down the Nile towards Aswan. 

We all had the morning free to wander around Luxor and get our bearings. There were tons of things to do: Visit the Luxor Museum, Take a Felucca Ride, Shop in the Market, see the Temple of Luxor… and the list goes on.  What I couldn’t get over was the fact that the Temple of Luxor is located right in the middle of town! You can’t miss it if you simply walk down the Corniche alongside the Nile. At night it is lit up so most of it can easily be seen without having to pay admission.  The adjacent lands have been dug up by archeologists excavating the “Avenue of the Sphinxes“.  It is reputed that this Avenue extends all the way to Karnak which is approx. 1 kilometer away. As a result, all homes and shops which stand in their way are slated for demolition, which is something the locals are not too happy about.  Apparently the Government is not paying enough for them to move out of their homes, so many have been left quite destitute.  I think this is deplorable – I mean, such historical sites really do need to be excavated and preserved in my opinion, but the people should be more than adequately compensated for leaving their homes and having to start over again.  I have even heard rumours that some locals have discovered ancient objects, but have kept quiet about them in order to stay in their homes.  Something isn’t right here, that’s for sure!

I didn’t get a chance to tell you, but the night we docked, we were treated to some dance presentations which included “Sufi” (originally known as Whirling Dirvishes because they twirl in a circle and never lose their balance) and Egyptian Belly Dance. This was to put us in the ‘mood’, I think. Our Maitre ‘D certainly enjoyed the belly dancing a lot (as you can see from my photos!).

I haven’t said much about the ‘hassling’ one receives here in Egypt, but it makes China seem laid-back in comparison.  Luxor is now considered to be the ‘hassle capital of Egypt’. I guess it’s because they only have a limited amount of time to relieve tourists of their hard-earned cash before returning to their cruise boats.  As for me, within moments of setting foot on the promenade in Luxor, I was approached by a local who proceeded to ask the usual questions such as “what’s your name?”, followed by:  “can I show you my brother’s shop?” and so on. I kept walking away from him, saying “No thank you”.  Suddenly two police officers appeared and took him by the arm to a waiting police car. Looks like the Luxor Police are taking a strict approach in an attempt to limit the hassling of tourists. But, it’s big job.  In fact, one evening, six of us went shopping in the markets but we wound up returning to our boat angry and frustrated.  The shop keepers are all over you when you shop, to the point where you throw up your arms and run out of the stores.  You actually are afraid to show interest in anything.  In fact, I finally sat down with one young fellow and suggested he try a different tactic – when the customer actually enters the shop, open up the jewelry cases and let them browse without interference.  He tried it out on a European couple who made three purchases which brought him a very nice commission indeed!  He was very happy, and then gave me a nice deal on some silver earrings!  The big problem in Luxor is that there are far more shop keepers than there are tourists, and far more merchandise than could ever be sold in a year, that’s for sure.  Everyone is desperate to make a sale (and it shows),  with the result that most tourists actually buy less than they had planned, or nothing at all.  No one wins out in the markets of Luxor unfortunately.

Our tour leader suggested that we visit Luxor Museum during our free time, but I was hesitant – to be honest, I hate museums. Of course the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was quite the exception.  Anyway, I took his recommendation and checked out Luxor Museum. Turns out, a mummy that is suspected to be Ramses I was found in a small museum in Niagara Falls, Canada and was finally returned to Egypt in 2003.  That mummy was on display at Luxor Museum in a darkened room, without most of its wrappings. It has been so well preserved that most of the body’s skin and hair is still intact. And because so much was found in Tutankhamun’s tomb, many items found their way to Luxor Museum, including model boats, leather sandals, arrows and golden statutes. Now this museum is first-class, with spotlights, well labelled information, beautiful display cases and such. They also have an excellent slide show to view before entering, which provides good background about the exhibits inside. Definitely worth a visit!

Late one afternoon we headed off to KARNAK using horse-drawn carriages, riding along the banks of the Nile. Karnak was built by many pharoahs over a period of 2,100 years (with each one trying to outdo his predecessor in architectural achievement).  The sheer size of the site makes you feel that you could lose yourself inside.  Thankfully we had our very own Egyptologist to take us around to make sure we don’t miss anything important, and to provide more detailed information about the lives of the pharoahs who worshipped there.  It’s more than a temple – Karnak is a spectacular complex of 10 cathedrals, sanctuaries, temples, pillars, and obelisks dedicated to the Theban gods. No words can describe all that can be found here, or the feelings and emotions that arise.  The size of the columns and obelisks continues to astound me – I can’t figure out how they carved them and then managed to erect them into place, without the use of machinery!

And if the site of Karnak wasn’t enough, we spent our last morning at VALLEY OF THE KINGS! Rising at 5am we took a ferry side to the West Bank where we quickly mounted our DONKEYS and set off for the Valley of the Kings!  Actually, this was one of my favourite experiences.  As we rode along, we saw the sun rise, watched several hot-air balloons in the distance and of course enjoyed our donkey rides.  Unfortunately, most of my pictures turned out quite blurry, thanks to the movement of the donkeys.  But believe me, donkeys are much more comortable to ride than Camels!  There isn’t much to see above ground at the Valley of the Kings.  Corridors have been carved deep intot he valley which lead to burial chambers deep underground! The walls of the different tombs are covered in amazingly well-preserved paintings of gods and godesses of Ancient Egypt. But it is the complex hieroglyphics that continue to draw my eye. I would love to purchase a piece of stonework with such hieoglyphics on it, but haven’t had much luck to date.  Our admission entitled us to visit 3 different tombs and our guide helped us to choose three that would give us the best overall experience. She also recommended that we pay an extra admission to visit Ramses V/VI which had only recently been opened to the public – in fact, that information is not contained in any of the guidebooks yet!  This tomb was definitely the best choice, with our group being the only people present!  The guard inside even opened a gate to let us walk right up to the sarcophagus and and coffin to take a closer look, because we were such a small group!  But the arched ceiling with its perfectly preserved paintings kept us in awe. I still can’t believe I have seen so many ancient sites in their original state, that are so incredibly old!  Excavations and discoveries continue at Valley of the Kings.  I am told that in 2005 a tomb was discovered containing a perfectly preserved mummy – so the digging continues! 

On our way back, we took a bus instead of the donkeys, for obvious reasons: 1) it was 10:30 am and getting hot (50 degrees), and 2) we were a little ‘sore’ from the early morning ride. We stopped off at the workers’ village, Deir El Medina where we entered two more tombs.  Turns out, the workers built tombs for each other as well.  Most of their tombs contain only one chamber, but the wall paintings are absolutely magnificant!  It looks like they kept the best for their own tombs, rather than the pharoahs!

NEXT POST: BACK TO CAIRO!

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Cruising up the Nile (Aswan to Luxor)

July 27th, 2008

The ‘night train’ to Aswan from Cairo was interesting, to say the least.  We slept in seats, tilted back as far as they could go, twisting ourselves up into pretzels, in our efforts to get comfortable.  I am so glad that Emirates Airlines hand out eye-masks – anything to block out the glaring light since the trains are lit up all night!

Arriving in Aswan was a welcome relief – it is a world away from Cairo!  The pace of life is much slower and the town is small enough to explore on foot.  The Nile is really quite beautiful here, with golden sand dunes reaching right down to the water’s edge and scores of white-sailed feluccas (traditional canvas sailing boats of the Nile) gliding around the islands.  Our cruise boat, the MS Melodie was moored here, as were a score of others.  Aswan takes full advantage of this opportunity by constructing its huge bazaar, crammed with shops and stalls, right down the main street in front of the train station and next to the Nile!  Sadly, we didn’t get to stay here long enough to improve our haggling skills! 

Our boat is considered one of the best ‘small’ boats on the Nile.  I say this because the majority of cruise boats along the Nile look like huge apartment complexes perched on barges – they’re gigantic!  Our boat has only about 20 cabins and is ideal for the small groups that travel with Imaginative-Traveller.  During our 4-day cruise, we had only about 20 people aboard, but we enjoyed all the amenities of the larger boats, including our own pool, albeit a small one at that!  The Melodie has a large sundeck with a Jacuzzi, dip pool and covered terrace.  The food was pretty good too, a mix of Egyptian and Western dishes.  The overall atmosphere was informal and relaxed, with an excellent service from the friendly staff.

 We dumped our stuff off on the Melodie and then headed off on our very own Felucca for an afternoon sail despite the fact we were all exhausted (we were delayed on the train for an extra six hours!).  But the sail was quite wonderful; we even stopped off at Elephantine Island to meet up with a Nubian fellow who guided us around the island so we could see first-hand how some Nubians live.  Most of their homes here are made with mud-bricks, then white-washed and painted in vibrant colours (and porcelain decorations) reminding me of Spain or Greece. 

The Nubians are the local ‘indigenous people’ of Egypt I am told.  Many lost their original homes when the Aswan Dam was being built. This particular group relocated to Elephantine Island.  Nubians are quite easy to identify as they are very tall and slender and much darker in complexion that other Egyptians.  Heading back to our cruiseboat in the late afternoon sun was wonderful and seeing the contrast between the golden sand dunes on one side of the Nile, compared to the lush green farmland on the other was quite astounding and difficult to express in words!  The Nile is very clean here in Aswan, and is actually used for drinking water by most of the locals! 

ABU SIMBEL 

One of the highlights of my trip was our excursion to Abu Simbel.  Despite our early wake-up call (three thirty), this trip was amazing.   The temples at Abu Simbel are located deep in the heart of the desert, miles from anywhere.   In order to reach the site, we had to rise at 3:30 AM and join a Police Convoy.  In many parts of Egypt, it is necessary for travelers to be accompanied by high security (as a result of some attacks on tourists in the late nineties).  The police are still taking no chances.  But, picture this: buses, cars, mini-buses all racing down a highway in the middle of the desert at breakneck speeds!  Personally, I think the convoy makes us more of a target.  The convoy from Aswan to Abu Simbel leaves at the same time, each and every day.  We spent 2 hours at the site and then had to repeat the trip back.  Easy to plan a ‘hit’, don’t you think?  Strangely enough, despite the gorgeous scenery along the way, most of us spent the time sleeping!  I did wake up in time to see a real ‘mirage’! 

Built in the 13th Century BC, the temples at Abu Simbel remained totally hidden by sand until 1813.  And 150 years later they were in danger of being submerged by the rising waters of Lake Nasser, a man-made lake formed after the Aswan High Dam was built.  In fact, UNESCO dismantled the temples (and the cliffs out of which they were carved) and reassembled them on higher ground.  This site is still considered UNESCO’s greatest achievement to date!  What makes these temples so special is certainly the size of them, and the incredible carvings, but the entire site was cut up into over 2,000 huge blocks, weighing from 10-40 tons each, and then carefully put back together again, like a humongous puzzle over a 4-year period (at a total cost of over 40 million dollars in 1968 when it was opened to the public – a large sum at that time!).  As I said, the site itself is quite amazing, but then you find yourself looking more closely to see where the blocks end and the next ones begin.  The views over Lake Nasser are also incredible, along with the fact that over 20,000 crocodiles are reputed to live in its waters!  No swimming for us, no matter how hot it gets (and I’m talking close to 50 degrees celsius)! 

Over the next couple of days we cruised along the Nile, relaxing in the sunshine, drinking in the desert views, reading, sipping Mint Tea, Limoon Drinks, Kardcaday Tea (Hisbiscus Tea) and simply taking a vacation from our vacation.  We weren’t entirely idle though.  Each day required stops at some major temple sites such as Kom Ombo perched on a hillside overlooking the Nile (we arrived before any other boats and had the entire site to ourselves), and Edfu which is considered one of the best preserved temples in all of Egypt.  Edfu is a magnificent temple dedicated to Horas, the falcon-headed God.  The reason it is so well preserved is the fact that it was covered with desert sand which protected it from the elements.  The reliefs carved into its temple walls and pillars are done on a grand scale indeed.  It also has some secret passageways and hidden rooms which unfortunately were ‘off-limits’ to tourists – damn!  

Football/Soccer is a favourite past-time here in Egypt as well.  One evening in Edfu we tried to do some shopping, but most villagers were crowded around their TV’s which they had placed outside for all to view while continuing to ‘watch’ their shops.  They had no time for us.  It was a nice change from the usual ‘haggling’ we were getting used to. 

Stay Tuned – Coming UP: LUXOR!  (Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, Karnak) 

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