The Powerlong Xiamen

Xiamen was a typical Chinese city. It was not very interesting really. About the only exciting thing that happened took place in a local department store. We were on the third floor looking for a few things that we needed back on the ship, and Cub couldn't find a bathroom. We must have asked a half dozen store clerks and none ...

... group seem to have the ubiquitous eggs and cake - rather them than us. We revisit the "King of Tulou" (it was almost dark when we passed by first) - the largest of them all which has over 200 rooms and once had around 600 people living there, now there are only 400. Despite the drop in population it's interesting because they have not turned the inside into a hotel or shopping experience and so it does feel like someone's home (well 400 someones!). We can climb up to ...

... for China and the persimmon harvest is also in full swing. The roads may have improved in China but I cannot say the same for the driving. I don't know whether to close my eyes or keep them open so I can brace myself for the impact! The slowest lorries seem to permanently occupy the outside lane so overtaking has to be on the inside, sometimes crossing the double yellow line to overtake in the opposite carriageway and sometimes resorting to the hard shoulder, exciting when a ...

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... have a pretty impressive musical fountain and laser show when it got dark. Sadly Victoria's husband was unable to come home for the festival. I have never actually met him as he is a doctor in the army and has been posted to Tibet for the last 14 years. He usually gets to come home briefly at Spring Festival, but this year he was told at the last minute that he couldn't, which Victoria was understandably rather angry about. She is amazingly tolerant though and ...

I knew before that China is not a tropical country but it got a little too cold for me. I was having breakfast in my lovely Hangzhou hostel, but everytime someone opened the door, a cold gust of wind was blowing in, giving me a chill down to the bone. The forecast didn't promise anything good either. Daytime temperatures were predicted just above the single digits, and nighttime much colder, and the night falls early in eastern China. The wind made it all even more obvious ...

... Lea got to catch up with lots of friends and get all nostalgic over the time she used to study here before coming to NZ. Based there, we visited the Nanputuo Temple near the university entrance. It is a busy Buddhist temple, with a colourful style and paths that go up the hill it´s built on - you can go to the top and get nice views of Xiamen, as well as continue ...

... between the two. After buying my ticket I went to eat some dumplings for lunch. After that a headed back to the bus station and am now sitting here waiting for my bus. I have about an hour longer to wait, so I don't know what to do. I'm just thinking about what Yongding is going to be like, wondering where I am going to sleep tonight. I think I'd be more enthusiastic if the weather wasn't so oppressive. I hate the summer. I'm off. The bus is showing the ...