Just a lazy day at the beach after the earthquake. We didn’t go too far out as the water was pretty rough. Here are a few fun shots with my old Canon S200 and the underwater enclosure. I guess this is what we look like through a fish’s eyes
For our second day, we decided to head north and cover the rest of the island. Much of the north and northwest part of the island is government owned land. There was a beach at Ritidian Beach that we wanted to visit, but we were stopped by a police road block. We were informed that "There is a situation and you need to turn around and go back." The police officer was extremely polite and friendly. We found out later that there was a boat found onshore and eight illegal immigrants were arrested. Check out the news story: http://www.kuam.com/news/27087.aspx
The map that were given to us by Avis was not very good and was missing a lot of roads. It was very cartoon like. Hence our journey in search of beaches on the northern half of the island was not very successful.
We got a little frustrated and stopped at Jeff’s Pirate Cove for lunch. The maps that were for sale were not much better than what we were given. It seems like Guam could use a good map maker. Anyway, I was pleased with the meal and they even played some Phish while we were there! :) We ended up running into John (a private pilot from the US that we met last night in the Marriott Executive Lounge). He had been to this place several times. It’s a small world and an even smaller island. :) At the end of our meal, our waiter told us about Tarzan Falls on Route 17. His directions were spot on. "Make a left on to 17 and then drive until you see a lot of shoes hanging from the wire." We’ve never gotten directions like this before.
Upon reaching falls trail head we decided to skip the hike as the sign said it was about 1.5 hour hike to the falls and there was not enough time. Plus there was nobody else in site and we didn’t want to encounter any brown snakes on our own.
We drove south towards a tiny beach that we had past the day before. While Susan relaxed and took in the scene, I had some fun taking pictures of the different crabs on shore.
Going even further south, we found ourselves back at the Saluglula Pool. We were hoping that the bacteria levels were lower today, but it was not the case. That didn’t stop several people from taking the plunge. Susan and I were not as daring. We ventured on some different paths that we didn’t cover the previous day. This yielded a great view from the top of a few tough rocks. Check out the video below.
Just up the road from the Saluglula Pool was an elementary school that had several latte stones on the grass. These used to be pillars in the old Chamorro houses.
This was our final stop of the day and went back to the lounge to chill. We met up with John again and another guy Wade (also a private pilot from the US). The four of us walked to Ban Thai, a Thai restaurant. The food was fantastic and very authentic (the same as what we had in Thailand). Of course I got my chilies and fish sauce (my favorite Thai condiment) to add to the hot factor. I am sure I will be paying for that later.
I always used to think the US day began on the tip of Maine or Puerto Rico for that matter, but I completely forgot about Guam.
Our day started out by jumping in the car and heading south. Our hotel sits on the coast of the Philippine Sea (the west coast of Guam) in a section of the island known as Tumon. I think it means Tourist Hub in Chamorro (the native’s on the island and their language), Since the island is not that large, Susan and I decided to drive around Guam. This island is full of history and should be a destination for any WWI or WWII history fanatic.
Our first stop was at a beach that hosted a replica of the Statue of Liberty. I think this one has a much better view than the one in NJ.
Along our drive we stumbled upon Namo Falls Park. This appeared to be a small privately owned piece of land that happen to have a gorgeous waterfall on it. I didn’t feel bad paying $5 each to support the local folks at the park. Walking a few hundred yard you come face to face with an impressive 3 tiered waterfall. This is one of my favorite waterfalls to date. The jungle / rainforest like setting made the ambience even better. I would put this up there with the Milla Milla Falls that we saw in the Tablelands region of Australia.
After a few moments absorbing this park we drove further south stopping at Ga’an Point to visit the National Historic Park. On the coast here, there are old guns that the Japanese used in WWII as well as several bunkers that are still intact. Even though it was a war, I think this would have been a location where I would like to have been stationed. What a view!
Continuing on the drive we stopped at a convenience store which was next to Taleyfak Bridge.
It wasn’t until after I climbed down to grab a few shots that I saw this sign…
From here we drove around the southern tip of Guam past Cocos Island and Magellan’s Landing. Many dispute the point of his landing, but I am willing to accept this as the location.
Just down the road from this is San Dionisio Church which made for a nice shot as it was in direct sunlight.
Also on the southern point, in the village of Umatac sits Fort Soledad on the coastal hill. This was used to protect the Spanish trade from pirates in the 1800s.
On the eastern side of the island (the Pacific Ocean side), there is one of the most magnificent sites on the islands (as far as I am concerned), the Saluglula Pool. This is a must see for any visitor to Guam. Unfortunately, during the time of our visit a sign was posted recommending not to swim in the pools. This was due to high bacteria levels. The pools are checked weekly.
Our final stop of the day was at Talofofo Falls. It was too late in the day to go into the park and to warrant the $20/person fee. Instead, I just took a few pictures of the pigs that were running around in the parking lot. Not something you see everyday on the mainland. At least in Northern NJ.
We went back to the Marriott to enjoy the happy hour in the Executive Lounge and called it a day.
Other comments…
I think the gas prices here are regulated or all gas stations are owned by the same company. Of the dozen or so stations that we have seen the prices are all the same, $4.01/gal for regular and $4.18/gal for premium.
There are a lot of abandoned cars here. It seems like if you don’t want your car anymore, you just drive it into the brush on the side of the road and leave it there.
It appears that a lot of beaches here are on private property. The ones that are public seem to have a lot of broken glass. I am not talking about sea glass that you can add to your collection. This was cut your foot and get a ton of stitches glass! Susan and I picked up several pieces walking along the beach and threw them out.
Guam is like the Virgin Islands to the Japanese. This is a very popular tourist location. Most of the businesses around the hotel were karaoke clubs, gun clubs, spas, and gentlemen’s clubs. According to one of the tourist books that lists all the businesses on the island, there are more gentlemen’s clubs than there are Thai restaurants.
Xie xie is "Thank you" in Chinese. This morning we departed for Guam (with a lay over in Tokyo). Our week in China yielded some fantastic experiences and several UNESCO World Heritage Sites checked off the list.
Our day started out on a low note at the airport when both Susan and I got the dreaded SSSS marking on our Northwest Ticket. Because of this we had to go through 4 additional security procedures. It slowed us down a little bit, but nothing major. Upon our arrival at Narita (Tokyo International Airport), we went to the airline lounge (thanks to the American Express Platinum card). This was one of the coolest lounges that I have visited. They had Sushi, 15 computer stations for checking e-mail and general Internet access (even though they were Mac machines, it’s still cool that they offer it), and an automatic beer tap. You place a glass in the machine, press the button, it tilts the glass back, and dispenses draught beer. Check out the video below.
We arrived in Guam after a full day of travel and are relaxing at the Marriott. More to come!
This morning we went to a studio that worked on reproductions of the Terracotta warriors prior to our visit to the real thing. Most of the work is done in this studio is by hand. The bodies of the soldiers are molds, like the originals, but the faces on each of the soldiers are all different. The details and done by hand with various tools.
At this studio, the also make Chinese lacquer furniture. We learned about the various phases that take place in creating some of the lacquer tables: cutting the wood, placing putty on the wood, placing mother of pearl in the putty (pictured below), painting, and adding
around 15 coats of lacquer.
After the studio we moved on to the real thing. The Terracotta Army was built for the first emperor of China, Emperor Qin (pronounced Chin. Q in Chinese is pronounced Ch.) Many believe that the origin of the the word CHINA comes from Qin (Chin). This mausoleum, built to protect the emperor’s afterlife, contains over 6,000 soldiers and also included horses, weapons, carriages, chariots, and other relics. Each of these soldiers has a different face. The detail is simply amazing. There were no soldiers found in one piece and most have been restored by archeologists. Each one of these soldiers weighs over 400lbs.
Following the visit with the Terracotta Army, we went to the Great Mosque of Xi’an. Unlike any mosque that we have visited, this mosque’s architecture is completely Chinese.
This was our final stop and we boarded Air China back to Beijing. When we got back, Ricky, Susan, and I went out for some duck! You can’t go to China and not eat duck. This was the first time that I have had it carved table side. The head of the duck was still on the serving cart. (see the video below. A little long, but you can see the head.)
Here is our new friend Ricky after some delicious duck!
In the morning we head to Guam.
Other comments…
Xi’an is one of the cleanest cities that I have visited. The people take a lot of pride in their city. Also the street cleaners use feather dusters.
Below is a picture crossing the tracks out of Xi’an. It was definitely a different neighborhood.
This is a taxi in Xi’an. It only has 3 wheels and I bet it gets great gas mileage. This is similar to a tuk-tuk that we took in Thailand.
There have been some requests to post a picture of the toilets that we saw in China. This is a picture of the toilets that are found in both the men’s and women’s room.
Also, we had this in our hotel room in Beijing. Is this an ironing board? If so, what do you iron on it? Socks? Tie? I put the 32oz Nalgene bottle next to it so you can get some perspective. Please post a comment if you know what this is actually supposed to be used for.
This morning we boarded Eastern China Air for our day and a half long trip to Xi’an (pronounced She Ah-n). The airport was insane this morning as China recently implemented the regulation where you cannot carry liquids over a certain size on the plane. In the US we have had this for a few years, but almost everybody here had something they were trying to get on the plane that was NOT allowed.
Xi’an is one of the oldest cities in the world and where you can catch a glimpse of the ancient Chinese culture. We were met by our tour guide Korona and brought to the Yangling mausoleum. When this tomb was discovered there were thousands of stone soldiers that stood about 1.5-2 feet tall. The soldiers no longer have arms as they were made of wood and rotted away over 2000 years. (pictured below. Blurry because I didn’t have a tripod) They were dressed in clothes which rotted away as well.
The soldiers were meant to protect the emperor’s after life. Along with the soldiers were miniature pigs, horses, cows, sheep, and other animals. This visit was during a very large field trip for elementary and middle school students. Recently the Chinese government declared all museums free of charge for Chinese citizens (you must make a reservation in advance though). I would estimate that there were at least 1,000 students there. Susan and I, being the ONLY non-Asian people around, intrigued the students and we achieved mere-celebrity status. They all seemed to want to practice their English speaking skills. We heard a lot of "Hello", "How are you?", and "My name is …". It was nice to see the kids learning other languages at such a young age. The US should adopt a similar system to keep up with the rest of the world.
Next we went into Xi’an city to see the city wall. The wall divides the city into two sections, inner and outer. The entire wall is about 12km. If I ever visit in the future I would like to rent a bike and go around the wall. We were told it only takes about 1.5 hours.
Following the tomb visit, we went to Giant Wild Goose Pagoda which is a Buddhist temple. This temple houses the first Buddhist sutras brought from India to China. Once again, I left completely calm.
Our final stop for the day was at the Stele Forest. This is the home to dozens of books that are actually written in stone. To preserve the teachings of Confucius and other important works, these were etched into stone.
Korona dropped us off at our hotel Shangri La. This is a new hotel and all I can say is wow! This hotel is amazing. Very modern and elegant. Even the remote control for the TV has leather case. The pool was half of an olypic size pool and you have to walk through an indoor waterfall to get to it. This is also the first hotel that I have ever stayed in that provided a mask in case of fire.
This evening we attended a show which re-enacted some of the ancient Chinese dances performed for the emperor and empress. Following this they served a 17 course dumpling banquet. I don’t think I have tried so many different types of dumplings. The show and food were both excellent.
Other comments…
The colonel is big here. People seem to really love KFC!
As I mentioned in an earlier post, people use their bikes for everything.
This morning we woke up around 6:30am and went for a breakfast or shall I say an early morning feast. It consisted of eggs, bacon, yogurt and granola, various types of bread, fruit, and a bottomless pot of jasmine tea. We ate everything, but I should mention that it was a reasonable portion of each one. This fueled us up for our hike up The Great Wall ruins. The Red Capital Ranch sits on a portion of the wall that was partially destroyed during World War II. In several of the watch towers you can see bullet holes from WWII. This part has not been renovated and was definitely a challenge to climb. There were several spots where I felt like I was going to slide off the side and down the cliff. This added to the thrill of it all. There was not a sole in sight except for Ricky, Susan, and I. So far this has been one of my favorite parts of the trip. If we had more time I would like to have climbed all the way to the top watch towers.
Following our early climb, we went to do yoga in a private session with one of the Tibetan ladies that works at the lodge. This was my first time doing yoga and I learned quickly that I am NOT flexible…at all! Susan certainly got a good laugh, but I kept my composure throughout the hour. At the end of the session, my head was 100% clear. What an amazing exercise of the mind and body.
After leaving the ranch around 12:30pm we went back to Beijing for a rickshaw tour of the hutongs (means alleyway). In this section a large number of families live in a "courtyard" style arrangement. There is an entrance from the alleyway into the courtyard and from each of the four sides of the courtyard is a residence. Talk about tight quarters! In this situation, you REALLY get to know your neighbor. Our guide for this section brought us to a local family’s house so we could see the inside of the courtyard. It is definitely a different way of life.
We also passed by the Bird’s Nest stadium which will be the main stadium for the Summer Olympics in 2008.
Tonight we are staying at the Courtyard (using points again). This is the first Courtyard that I have stayed in that had an executive lounge.
Tuesday night we went to the Red Theatre to see Chun Yi: The Legend of Kung Fu. This martial arts play/show tells the story of a young boy overcoming his fears and becoming a great warrior monk. Prior to the show starting we went to a billiards hall with Ricky. This was my first time playing billiards as I was only familiar with pool. Pool has bigger pockets. By the time I got used it, we had to leave for the show. Anyway, the show was phenomenal and would highly recommend it if you are in the area.
This morning was our excursion to The Great Wall of China. There are several sections that you can visit and we went to the Mutianyu Great Wall. This is certainly one of the more touristy sections and has undergone some major renovations. As we ascended the mountain, the wall became visible. This is an absolutely incredible site. It was astonishing to think about how many people and years this took to build. This has been one of my top things to see and I would love to walk most of it, but time just doesn’t allow for that right now.
Following The Great Wall we visited the Ming Tombs (specifically the Ding Ling tomb). This is where the emperor, empress, and his favorite concubines were buried here with several belongings for the afterlife. This concluded our trips for the day and we went to the hotel for the evening.
Susan and I stayed and the Red Capital Ranch, which is on The Great Wall. East Quest (the travel agent we used for this trip) often chooses boutique hotels. This place is in a rustic setting but still has a sense of luxury. The hotel is owned by an American but it is run entirely by a Tibetan Family. Their service was uncanny and our dinner was great. Another great choice by East Quest.
Last night we went to a Chinese acrobat show. There were some amazing stunts that were performed and we watched people bend in ways that should not be possible. The show was about an hour long and we had a seat in the second row so we caught ALL of the action! Unfortunately, the speakers for the theater were right in front so it was a little loud. I think I can still hear ringing in my right ear.
After the show we were going to look for a bar for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, but I don’t think there are too may Chinese/Irish people around these parts. We went back to the hotel instead and called it a night.
This morning started out with a trip to the Temple of Heaven, which was built in the 15th century. This was a place in which only the emperor would pray for things like a good harvest at the rightfully named Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. (Pictured on the right) Currently you can see several people practicing Tai Chi and ballroom dancing in the morning here. Our visit to the Temple of Heaven was relatively short as there was a lot of dust this morning. Throughout most of Beijing, there is a lot of pollution, most of which comes from dust and sand. The desert between China and Mongolia kicks up a lot dust to the south and Beijing gets covered. There used to be a forest blocking the dust, but most of this has been cut down to use the wood. Before coming here, I always thought that the Chinese people were wearing the face masks to block the spread of the disease. Now I know they are just protecting themselves from the dust. Our clothes were covered and I only used the point and shoot camera today as I didn’t want to risk damage to the DSLR. The dust did allow me to have some fun though, as I was able to slide down the side of some concrete steps. Check out the video.
Our next stop was at the Lama Temple (Yonghegong), a Lamasery for Tibetan Buddhism. This was the first Tibetan Buddhist Temple that we have visited, all prior were Thai Buddhist. This temple houses an 18m tall sandalwood Buddha image. I think this might have been the second largest Buddha image that we have seen (behind the 46m reclinging Buddha image at Wat Po in Bangkok). Being raised with no particular religion (but taught Catholicism and Judaism), I have a particular interest in Buddhism and the lifestyle. This was spawned by our trip last year to Thailand. I must say that every time I leave a Buddhist temple, I feel much calmer and my head feels clearer.
Other comments…
Most of the public toilets (stalls, not urinals) are nothing more than a hole in the floor. This is something we have never seen in the US, but saw when we were in Malaysia and Thailand last year. Also, there in no toilet paper in these stalls. If you need some, you have to either buy it first, or grab some from a "community" roll outside. There is also a toilet rating system here. I am not sure how the ranking system works or if there is a list that you can select the "Best Bathroom in Beijing".
Driving here is much different. People just seem to pull out into traffic and expect people to stop for you and let you in. Most of the time it appears that they do. They love to use their horns here though.
There are a lot of people that ride bikes. I don’t understand why we just don’t get this concept in the US. It is so much better for our health and the environment. It is certainly more difficult in the suburbs to bike to work, but most cities have no excuse.
Censorship…not sure if this is coincidence, but I have been watching CNN and they continually repeat the same stories. Every time the story about the protests in Tibet come on, it appears to cut out during one specific section. This is right when a reporter is interviewing the Dalai Lama. I wish I knew what it was about, but I suppose that it is a response to the accusation that the Dalai Lama is somehow behind all of this. Also, on several connections, I can’t seem to access the wikipedia site.
