Xiamen - The Chinese Talk Back

In a continent far far away...

After the sunshine and sand of the Philippines, James returns to the ice cold world of China.*

Actually it is quite nice to be back, I am very happy to be gorging myself on chinese food again. My first stop was Xiamen: a peaceful place, not a lot going on there but easy to waste away a few days reading and walking around.

Xiamen is right next to Taiwan on a map and has a lot of very un chinese looking buildings to proove its colonial passed. A trip out to Gulangyu (a small island) is well worth it. Xiamen University(Xiamen Daxue - your language lesson for the day) is peaceful and worth a walk through. There is even a beach of sorts on the other side.

After Xiamen a train up to Hangzhou. Apparently Marco Polo had a rave about how beautiful it is here, and it is pretty good. A big lake and hills disapearing into the distance. When I have been here longer I will let you know.

*if you got the starwars reference then you might want to check if you are a nerd. If you placed it as the empire strikes back then consult your nearest comic book store immediately.

Hong Kong

So I couldn't be bothered thinking up a more original title... no that's a lie, I tried and failed. Anyway, back to the subject.

If you take London, swopped the chinese population and english population of London over, added a wopping great big sea thingy and a couple of thousand neon light bulbs and you are quite close to Hong Kong.

Oh and one more thing, Hong Kong doesn't need a wheel (cool though the London Eye is) to give great views of the city. Take a tram if you are a tourist or a bus if your not, and you get to look down over the city from Victoria Peak.

Scorchio!

Magandang Arawpo - Good day from the Philippines. Been here three weeks and no news so I thought I'd repy your patients before I go back to Hong Kong.

If you remember the fast show, Scorchio is about right.

Sabang - Puerto Galera - the island of Mindoro. Take a boat from Batangas for an hour and arrive at one of the many beaches. There are lots of them. A tour snorkelling over coral and diving down to get a closer look at some Giant Clams. Don't touch if you value your fingers. Also a ox cart ride out to a waterwall and pool for some swimming and a lunch of mangos, fresh cooked fish and chicken and all the beer you want. Throw in some friendly aussies for company and its a good time over there. The furthest south I have ever gone.


Up at the northern end of the Philippines I recommend Sabang as a quiet peaceful hideout. Hikes galore, caves to explore, accidental rhymes and the eighth wonder of the world (comes in joint 8th with a lot of other hopefuls but it is good).. the famous rice terraces.

The caves involve a lot of wading through water, barefoot clambering over rocks, optional swimming pool and listening to bats chattering overhead.

The walk to Bomod-ok falls is as good as the destination. Starting from the top of a hill of rice terraces and walking down betweem them, getting deeper and deeper into the valley. A local family with a tour guide might even be around to go along with you, everyones so friendly here.

In Sagada, you will be alright with a group of strangers (as long as you met them when at the tourist information office looking for a guide to the falls as well) and in Sabang their whole economy is based on tourism, so they tend to be treated well. In Manila you want to watch yourself, lock your taxi doors when you get in at night and let the security guard check your bag everytime you go into the shopping centre.


Jeepney - think of it as a routemaster bus for the whole of the Philippines, paint and decoration are customised according to the owner

Yangshuo

An hour and a half bus ride from Guilin is the small town hide away for all backpackers in the area known as Yangshuo. Tightly packed bulbus yet towering hills over look the streets. Rivers wander slowly around, allowing the fishes to admire the view as they go passed.

Along west street are craft, clothes and caligraphy shops*.

Take a bicycle ride with a group of random people you met wandering around looking for their hostel and you can see many more beautiful hills and rivers. Pay a man with a bamboo raft and a spade for a paddle 5yuan to take you across the river.

Take lessons in Cooking, Caligraphy, Chess, Ma jong, whatever you wish.

A boat trip on the Li river is worth it as well. Though in winter you do tend to grind along the bottom a little bit, the water has all gone somewhere warmer.





*You can also find shameless use of illiteration