Our Trip to a Chinese Water Village: Part II Arrival

Posted on January 22, 2012 by thirdeyemom

Author’s Note: This is part two of a three part series. To read the first post, click here.

I hope I didn’t leave you hanging too much in my last post! (ha ha). Obviously I made it to the water village in one piece, despite the insanely dangerous driving of our hired rookie cabbie. My stomach felt a bit queasy upon our arrival an hour an a half later. But I was happy to be alive.

The water village of Zhouzhuang is located about 37 miles outside of Shanghai in Jiangsu Province.

The town is one of the best known water villages in the area (the tourist signs proudly state “China’s #1 Water Village!”) and its history dates back over 900 years. Most tourists choose to visit Zhouzhuang for its cultural history as well as gorgeous canals which has led some people to call Zhouzhuang “The Venice of the East”.

Our guide Gloria had a wealth of knowledge about the village and I took pages and pages of meticulous notes during our tour. Gloria began the tour by telling us briefly about the history of the village. Zhouzhuang was not the original name of the village. Apparently the village was first called Zhenfengli and was part of the fief Yoacheng in the time period from 770 BC-476 BC). Zhouzhuang changed its name in 1086 win a very devout Buddhist named Zhou Digong donated the land to the local temple, Quanfu Temple. “Zhou”, his surname, was combined with “Zhuang” which means village, to honor this man for his gift.

Throughout the region surrounding Shanghai, many water villages popped up over the years, given the areas wealth of lakes and rivers that eventually lead out to the sea. Shanghai’s key location on the Huangpu River which links to the Yangzi River and eventually leads to the sea, made water village an important commercial hub for fisherman and farmers living in the areas fertile lands.

The entrance to the town of Zhouzhang is not impressive. In fact I was wondering what on earth we were getting ourselves into when we first pulled into the village to use the public toilets. As a general rule, I always like to use the restroom before a tour and knowing a public toilet is usually hard to find in foreign countries, it is best to not take a chance. The moment I stepped out of the cab, I instantly regretted that choice. The stench infiltrated our noses making my already nauseous stomach reel. The conditions were horrendous and not up to par with what I’d seen for public toilets in Beijing (where the government added thousands of new toilets before the Olympics).

Thankfully we got back into the cab and headed the short five minutes further to the start of the actual water village. I was relieved to see that it was much more delightful than the rustic, dirty public toilet. We were dropped off with Gloria and on our way for a two-hour fast-track tour of the water village.

As we entered the water village, I was instantly entranced. It was absolutely serene and just as I had imagined. I closed my eyes and pictured the villagers living here hundred of years ago and transporting everything by boat. It was a peaceful image and China has done an excellent job preserving the beauty and serenity of the place without making it a tourist trap.

Per Gloria, the water village occupies 0.4 square kilometers and has a population of 1,000 families today. There are 14 historic, elegant stone brides and most were built during the Ming and Qin dynasties (making the bridges between 300 and 400 years old).

After passing through the modern part of the town, you reach the water village. Here is our first glimpse of Zhouzhuang.

As we started our tour, we passed by a line of Chinese restaurants right on the canal. There are several specialties of the village including hairy crab (which some tourists come here just to eat), fresh fish picked out fresh from the tank and then killed right before being cooked, crayfish, fresh-water oysters and served at your table, and a kind of bean-sauce pork (legs and feet are the specialties).

There are a few touristy things such as sitting by the canal and having “Grandma’s Tea”. This is where the elderly woman would sit and relax back in the days.

Thirty years ago Zhouzhuang was a small fishing village. It came into the public eye thanks to a Chinese artist who fell in love with its beauty and serenity. He painted several lovely watercolor paintings of the scenic water village. In 1985 he painted a work called “Memories of my hometown” which depicted the sensational beauty of Zhouzhuang and the village instantly became famous. Today, it is one of the top water villages in all of Shanghai.

It was a painting of a bridge like this that caught the world’s attention of the beauty and romance of Zhouzhuang. There are over 14 of these gorgeous bridges throughout the water village.

All the homes have been left in their traditional splendor. I love this picture above! It captures the magic of this place.

After touring the bridges, we next did a tour of the largest home in the village. It was owned by the wealthiest inhabitant of the village back in 1449. The house has a traditional layout of many connecting buildings in which the first room is the tea hall used for greeting friends. I didn’t take many pictures of the home since it was dark inside and relatively crowded. However, below are some of the things I found interesting about the house.

Here is the home’s “garage” for their fishing boat. It has steps leading right down to where the boat would be parked.

This is the first room or building known as the tea house and used to greet friends and visitors to the home. Many times the guests did not move past this room as the rest of the home was kept private in traditional times.

In traditional times, the women of rich families had their feet bond and could hardly walk on their “golden lilies”. Thus, rich families used the above “sedan chair” as a way to transport the women. Women were also not allowed to show their face to a strange man thus the sedan chair was a way for a woman to remain hidden.

In all traditional Chinese gardens, they incorporated different sizes of stones that could use to massage the feet! In ancient times, Chinese people wore thin cotton slippers that did not have great support. Thus by the end of the day, their feet hurt. To relieve pain, they would take their slippers off and walk barefoot across the stones and get a massage. I tried it and it felt great!

All homes also had goldfish which are considered lucky in China. I noticed that many shops in China have a goldfish next to the cash register (ha ha).

The founder of Zhouzhuang was a devout Buddhist and there are several beautiful temples scattered throughout the canals. Here are some of my favorite pictures of the Buddhist area of Zhouzhuang.

Lighting incense.

A gorgeously adorned Buddha.

A lovely pagoda for relaxing and enjoying the fresh air.

Per Gloria, in ancient times it took four days by boat to reach Shanghai from the water village. Woman in the village were the primary fishers and would head out early in the morning with the little ones in the boat to catch their meals.

Here is the way out, towards Shanghai.

I wish I could have stayed here all day, relaxing and reflecting on what life must have been like in an ancient Chinese Water Village. But the clock was ticking as was Shanghai’s notoriously bad weekend traffic. It was time to leave.

Stay tuned…next post will be Part III: Leaving the water village. Thanks for reading!

Our trip to a Chinese Water Village, Part I Getting There

Posted on January 21, 2012 by thirdeyemom

Who ever said that getting there is half the fun is hugely wrong. Getting there or anywhere in China, alive, is the best part.

Our young rookie cab driver testing it out.

Officially there is one death every seven minutes (in China). Road crashes cost 1 percent to 3 percent of the country’s GDP every year. China, with four times the population of the United States, has today only one-third the number of vehicles and yet it has twice as many deaths because of road crashes.

—Per article in China Daily titled “Make road safety the new traffic mantra” written by The World Bank transportation specialist Deng Fei.

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I began writing my last major piece on my trip to China about our visit to lovely, picturesque Zhou Zhuang, one of the oldest water villages in all of China, when I realized that there is way more to the story than a simple post. Instead of one post it would take three. For I forgot one of the golden rules of travel: Travel itself. Truthfully said, in China, travel is a life or death situation. Getting anywhere alive is a big thing, no joke.

Thus as much as I had intended to wrap up my China series with a few quick and easy posts and move on to other parts of the world such as New Zealand, I am stuck here for now telling this crazy story about our visit to a Chinese Water Village. Hope you enjoy!

The pretty Chinese Water village will have to wait….until the next post. For we need to start the story with the basics: Getting there alive.

Per Lonely Planet China’s well-researched facts on transportation in China (page 991, way at the end of the book it’s there!):

China’s roads kill without mercy. Traffic accidents are the major cause of death in China for people aged between 15 and 45, and the World Health Organization estimates there are 600 traffic deaths per day.

At long-distance bus stations across China you may be subjected to posters graphically portraying victims of road crashes; then when you get on the bus you find there are no seat belts. If you insist on wearing a seatbelt everyone looks at you as if you are insane.

After reading this review of traffic safety in China, I felt that surely the most dangerous part of the trip wouldn’t be the flight over or getting randomly, fatally attacked by some crazy Chinese guy with a knife (unfortunately this did happen to Mr. Bachman, a fellow Minnesota and CEO of Bachmans, during the Chinese Olympics). No sir. The most dangerous part of the journey would be the driving and it was something I wasn’t looking forward to.

Remember this? From my Beijing post on Hutongs? It was the motto from the Passby Cafe. A rather fitting motto in this case!

So here is the story, Our Trip to a Chinese Water Village: Part I Getting There.

Our last full day in Shanghai was my one attempt to get out of the big city and see something different. I had heard about the numerous traditional Chinese water villages and wanted desperately to check one out. It sounded idyllic. Romantic canal-filled villages dating back well over 700 years. I mused: What could be more representative of China than a water village? But once again, the descriptions in Lonely Planet and on our hotel’s tourist brochures were not promising.

Over and over again I saw the words “hordes of tourists“, “masses of tour buses“, “huge groups of wall to wall camera-clad people bumping into each other” and worried that a visit to a Chinese Water Village would be just another tourist trap. Of course the two lovely young Chinese ladies at our hotel’s concierge desk strongly encouraged that we take a tour. I tried to smile at her politely and tell her that my dad and I are not the “tour bus” kinds. We despise being herded like cattle, chasing after a petite Chinese woman while pushing and shoving our way to the front through the swarm of fellow tourists all wearing our matching tourist hats. No thanks. Not for me.

So, of course we had to be creative and after such a great experience going without a tour group to the Great Wall, we believed we could probably have a similar experience going to a water village the same way: By hiring our own private guide and ride.

After twenty minutes of negotiations with the friendly hotel staff, our guide was booked and the price was determined. We were to meet her down in the lobby at precisely eight am and our driver, a hired taxi cabbie, would be there to meet us as well. It all sounded like the perfect day….ahhh….but of course it wasn’t perfect. Nothing ever is when you are traveling half-way across the world in a completely different culture!

We met Gloria, our guide for the day, in the hotel lobby drinking a cup of tea well ahead of our scheduled rendezvous. Gloria was well-dressed and wore bright lipstick that matched her dignified, professional appearance. She proudly shook our hands and informed us that she was a veteran tour guide with over ten years experience conducting private tours throughout Shanghai. She also added that she was trained by Shanghai’s Tourism Institute and was the first in her family to go to college and have a professional degree. We were instantly impressed by her knowledge and fluent level of english. It was so nice to be understood and to understand someone in China for once!

We left our hotel promptly at eight and were greeted by a mediocre taxi cab. The driver opened the door and looked relatively young (remember, I’ve just turned 40 recently so now anyone in their early twenties looks like a puppy to me!). He spoke no english, was a chain-smoker, and had a mischievous look in his eyes. My heart plummeted. All I could think about was those frightening articles I’d read, about traffic deaths.

We took off in heavy Shanghai traffic. Gloria informed us that Fridays were always bad because all the factory workers were headed home. Apparently the stop and go madness we were in was nothing compared to the five pm rush. We would have to make sure we left the water village by two in order to beat any traffic jams and heady delays.

I noticed immediately that neither the taxi driver nor Gloria put on their seat belts. Perhaps I am a bit of a freak in this sense, but I ALWAYS wear my seat belt at home, even in the back seat and especially in a cab. This person is responsible for my life, dammit! I’m not going to trust some random stranger!

I had to struggle a bit to find the actual seat belt. After five minutes of searching inside the worn seat back I finally found it. Unfortunately my dad didn’t have one. There was no way of buckling in so he simply shrugged his shoulders and held on.

As we drove out of the outskirts of central Shanghai and finally passed through the slow-moving traffic, the highway magically seemed to open up and empty. To my dismay, the taxi driver used the open road (I swear if he could speak english he would be saying “the highway is the limit, baby!” ) and started to increase his speed.

Our tour guide Gloria continued to dictate the history of Shanghai and the water village, while I felt my skin prick and my hands become clammy. Before I knew it, the driver put “the pedal to the medal” and was racing at insane speeds of 85 to 90 mph!!!!! I nearly had a heart attack!!!!! But Gloria continued to talk calmly, like nothing was the matter and I swear to God the driver was smiling.

Our young rookie cabbie swerved in and out of traffic and even passed cars and trucks on the shoulder! I nearly threw up! I started to see my life flash by me and thought of my adorable, sometimes driving me crazy kids and my wonderful husband back at our warm cozy home in Minneapolis. My heart beat faster and faster yet no one else seemed the least bit alarmed. Not even my dad. Hmmmm…..am I really getting old?

But then I remembered the frightening statistics: Someone dies every seven minutes in China on the road. I didn’t want that someone to be me!

So I let my voice be heard and begged the cab driver to slow down via Gloria of course. And thankfully he did. He was off his joy ride. But we still had another hour to go….

Would we get there alive?

Stay tuned….. to find out the rest of the story with part 2!

The Daily Run: Strategizing for the new year

Posted on January 9, 2012 by thirdeyemom

Photo above taken last Monday, January 1st in Tucson, Arizona. A family walk through Sabino Canyon with Grandma, Grandpa, me and the kids.

After nine days in sunny, warm Arizona and two weeks off of school, we are back in balmy Minnesota (it has been record highs lately making me wonder what month it truly is) and off to another new year. The kids are back in school. My son started today and my daughter will resume preschool tomorrow. The weather has been uncanny and odd. It reached 50 degrees today, we have absolutely no snow and for the first time I can ever remember, the lake is not frozen solid. Either we are in for some serious payback in February or global warming has landed hard.

Today was unseasonably warm, a high of 50 degrees (normally it is in the teens and that is considered warm). My daughter and I went down to the lake where she rode her scooter, unbelievable for January! There is no snow (last year we had a few feet by now and 82 inches by the end of the season). And, as you can see on the picture below, the lake is not completely frozen! There is a huge hole in the middle!

Normally Lake Harriet and the other metro lakes are frozen solid by early December. The ice is so thick that cars, yes that is correct, can drive across them and ice fisherman drill their holes into the ice and set up their ice homes across Minnesota lakes. There are skaters, nordic skiers and snowshoers galore. Not this year! At least not yet.

The odd weather has left me confused and thinking that the Gods Must be Crazy! But as I know, having lived in Minnesota and the Midwest for almost all of my life, that I don’t have to worry one bit. Winter will come, and when it does decide to show up, it will be long, brutal and cold. For Minnesota is notorious for harsh, long winters. That is what makes us Minnesotans such hearty souls.

As I get back into my daily routines, it is time for me to start focusing on 2012 and all the exciting things coming ahead. Tomorrow, my post on my upcoming involvement with the UN Foundation’s pilot program, Shot@Life will be posted on World Mom’s Blog (I will add a link tomorrow on my blog). At the end of the month, I’m headed to DC to be trained as a grassroots advocate for this exciting program that focuses on providing immunizations to millions of children in developing countries. After that, the fun begins with blogging and hosting events to raise awareness of the dire straits of children around the world who don’t have access to life-saving vaccines.

In February, my daughter and I are going on a big ski trip out west to Taos, New Mexico to meet up with my dad. Both of my children have been learning how to ski this winter and we’ve spent every weekend at the ski hill (except of course when we were in Arizona). It has been a wonderful way to be together as a family and to see my children learn to ski. I grew up skiing and love the sport. Thank goodness they have the equipment to make snow on the hills here! The balmy weather has been ideal for weekend skiing.

In March, I am off on another adventure to volunteer and learn Spanish in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. I’ve been dusting off my old spanish grammar books and have started my evening lessons at home reviewing, memorizing and praying that I will be able to communicate with the locals when I’m there! I have no idea what to expect but that is what will make the experience so fun.

Other than that, who knows? I find that life is always an adventure and I look forward to what 2012 will bring.

Stay tuned..my next series on China will be about the different neighborhoods of Shanghai. Then, I will take you on a trip to a nearby water village dating back hundreds of years. Thanks for reading and comments welcome!

An afternoon at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Posted on January 4, 2012 by thirdeyemom

The mission of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert.

One of my favorite places to spend an afternoon in Tucson is at the fantastic Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum. Located in the heart of Saguaro National Park in the outskirts of Tucson, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is part living museum, part botanical gardens and part zoo all combined in one great outdoor venue.

You can spend an entire day at the Desert Museum, however, an afternoon works out just fine as well. The Desert Museum is a wonderful way to explore and see all of the Sonoran deserts’ diverse flora and fauna. There are several exhibits featuring Arizona wildlife in its prime, spreading across over 21 acres of beautiful desert and two miles of walking paths. You can see Javalinas, coatis, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, ocelots, wildcats and brown bears, all native species to the Southwest.

You can also go inside and peek into the dimly lit caverns of the bats, many different species of snakes, scorpions, Gila monsters, tarantulas, black widows and more. It actually kind of creeps you out a bit to know that all these creatures live in the desert right beside human beings (especially the ones that are poisonous such as the black widows, scorpions and rattlesnakes). Best be ignored, though, otherwise you’d never leave your house! (Fact: I have almost stepped on a hairy tarantula the size of a small plate. My parents have to spray their home for scorpions as they both have accidentally stepped on one before which causes your entire leg to go numb).

What amazes me is how the wildlife in Tucson lives right next door to civilization. There are a series of washes (dry riverbeds) that run throughout Tucson and act as a reservoir to handle the rainfall and snow melt in case of floods or monsoons. This is also the home of many of the animals mentioned above so it is best to be careful!

The Desert Museum is a lovely place for all ages and kids love it as well.At the entrance, for one dollar you can buy a Desert Museum Stamping book in which kids can run around the museum collecting different paw prints or “stamps” of the animals and learn some fun facts along the way. It is a great way to keep them engaged in the museum!

Max and Sophia at the entrance of the Desert Museum, sitting on a Javalina, Arizona’s notorious troublemaker.

As you can see, the Desert Museum is truly in the heart of the desert!

Getting there is half the fun. Once you pass through Tucson, you will climb upward towards Gates Pass, a dramatic view of the flat desert landscape below. Some have said that you can actually see the curvature of the earth from the vantage point but honestly it all just looks flat to me. As you drive up towards the pass, there is a great place to stop and take a short hike up and see for yourself. I have done this before however since I was with young kids, we decided to “pass on the pass” and get right to the museum.

Max and his cousin Hanna listening to a volunteer docent tell them about snake skeletons and skins.

Rattlesnake skin.

Some of the beautiful cacti along the outdoor paths of the museum.

The museum boasts over 300 different animal species and 1200 kinds of plants on display, all alive in their natural desert setting.

In back is a mountain lion. It is very rare to see them (thank God!) however sometimes they do end up in contact with humans which isn’t a good thing as they can be quite dangerous.

My son Max getting his first stamp in his animal booklet.

My niece Hanna and nephew Brody watching the prairie dogs in action.

The infamous jumping cactus. They do jump and they do hurt if you happen to run into one!

Here is a coati out to play.

My daughter Sophia found the special viewing window!

The birds adore hanging out on the Saguaro cactus.

A saguaro cactus skeleton.

The cousins having fun and filling up their stamp books.

A pipe organ cactus…aren’t they cool?

Discovering the raw beauty of Sabino Canyon

Posted on January 2, 2012 by thirdeyemom

As I always say, there is no better way to experience the raw beauty of nature than to do it by a good hike. Sabino Canyon is just one of those places. It is achingly beautiful and perhaps one of the most stunning places in all of southwestern Arizona.

Nestled in the southeastern foothills of Tucson, Arizona in the Santa Catalina mountains, Sabino Canyon is a true gem. The formation of these mountains began over 12 million years ago, long before the first sign of man. Over time, a significant canyon formed that would eventually turn into a lush, verdant desert oasis deep inside the canyon.

A massive earthquake in 1887 centered in Northern Mexico caused even more change to the canyon. Massive boulders dislodged and crashed down thousands of miles below creating an even more dramatic landscape. In 1905, the U.S. Forest Service was created and took over the administration of Sabino Canyon. Nothing much happened to the area until the 1930s. The onset of the Great Depression prompted the US Government to put people to work by building infrastructure and one of the places that benefited was Sabino Canyon. The Sabino Dam as well as over nine bridges were built during this time, creating a 4.5 mile paved road up through the canyon. Plans had been made to continue the road all the way up the canyon up to Mount Lemmon but fortunately they ran out of money and the project was dropped. Had the road been built, the entire beauty of Sabino Canyon would have been destroyed and lost.

Sabino Canyon officially opened as a State Park and recreational area in 1978. Today, it ranks one of the top tourist destinations in all of Tucson and is a haven for hikers, walkers, bikers and anyone else who wants to enjoy its raw beauty.

A tram service runs daily every half an hour up the canyon and back. For only a few dollars, you can ride along and listen to an informative narration on the history, geology and flora and fauna of Sabino Canyon. This is a great thing to do as a family and of course we have done it many times. However, the best thing to do in Sabino Canyon is to get out there and experience it firsthand with a hike.

There are several hikes in Sabino Canyon and over the years I’ve done many of them. However, my most favorite hike of all is called The Phoneline Trail, which is about an eight mile round trip hike, located about two-thirds of the way up the canyon, giving you a bird’s eye view of this spectacular place.

The start of the trail is flat but not for long.

There are many types of cacti found throughout Sabino Canyon. The Saguaro Cactus is perhaps the most well-known. It takes on average 65-70 years for this cactus to grow an arm. They also can live for over 200 years! What also is amazing about the Saguaro cactus is its root system. Saguaro’s roots only go down about twenty inches deep, however, the roots spread out as wide as they are high. Pretty unbelievable!

After a mile or so of flat walking, it is time to climb up! It is best to be prepared with tons of water, hiking polls, lots of sunscreen and of course extra stamina. It is not uncommon to see college aged kids running up the trail! I even saw some people running barefoot. Crazy given all the rocks and obstacles.

Soon the hike leads you gradually and then steeply up the side of the canyon walls.

My favorite barrel cactus which bloosom beautifully in the springtime.

Finally after a couple of hours hiking we are nearing the top of the hike where the Phoneline Trail flattens out and you basicaly walk along the edge of the canyon.

Down below is the paved trail which is another option for seeing the canyon. But I prefer to view from up top!

At the end of the canyon in back is Mount Lemmon, a beautiful area that hosts many pine trees as well as a ski resort.

Sabino Canyon is home to a wide variety of wild life including the elusive mountain lion, bobcats, ocelots, skunks, foxes, deer, javalinas, raccoons and coyotes. They also have lots of different kind of venomous and non-venomous snakes (I’ve seen a rattlesnack but not on the trail) as well as scorpions and tarantulas (yes, unfortunately I’ve seen these two things yet at my parents house! Not on the trail!).

I only wished this photo could have turned out better but we were hiking right into the sun. I have never seen the canyon as verdant as this in December. It was simply spectacular. Who would have ever imagined a desert could be so green? It is even better in March and April when the brilliant desert flowers are in bloom and the green is a vibrant lime-color that almost hurts your eyes.

There has been a ton of rainfall and snow in the upper mountains causing the streams to flow with force.

The Canyon also has an ample and diverse supply of beautiful trees such as the Cottomwood (in this picture, which still has its golden leaves on from the fall), the white-barked sycamore trees, and the dark-wooded mesquite trees. Another favorite is the Palo Verde tree which means “Green Stick” and has green bark and green leaves.

The white-barked tree in back is an Arizona Sycamore. The bark is lovely.

This is a mesquite tree which proves great firewood as well as a food source for many animals within the canyon. The tree produces bean pods which are enjoyed by many small canyon critters.

After an eight mile strenous hike through record-high heat (who would have believed it was December?), I was exhilared and fatigued. It was a great hike and I can’t wait to do it again!

Stay tuned…I am headed back to a wintery Minnesota tomorrow. I’ve heard that we finally have a few inches of snow and am looking forward to it! I am not looking forward to the cold January weather, though.

A walk in the desert

Posted on December 31, 2011 by thirdeyemom

I love to hike. For me, hiking combines some of my greatest passions in life: Being outside and being active. Tucson is surrounded by mountains and offers ample opportunity to hike until your hearts desire. There are some peaks such as Mount Wrightson, that reach almost 10,000 feet and there are many national and state parks loaded with trails.

Every time I come to Tucson, I try to fit in some hikes. My parents live in the foothills and are close to several of my favorite trails and hiking spots such as the lovely Sabino Canyon (which has countless trails) and Ventana Canyon. Some of my favorite trails include the hike to Seven Falls which guides you along diverse desert landscape bringing you to a large canyon with seven waterfalls (this hike is exceptionally beautiful in March or April when the water has melted off Mount Lemmon above and creates huge, rushing falls and beautiful, fragrant desert flowers). I also love to hike the Phoneline trail that wraps around Sabino Canyon affording a spectacular view below. Finally, the Ventana Trailhead is another great hike which combines some steep, zigzag trails giving you a fabulous workout and a rewarding view at the top of Tucson valley. All three of these hikes can take anywhere from 3-4 hours depending on how fast you move and how few breaks you take. It is a perfect way to let off steam, burn some calories and enjoy the stunning fresh air and views of the Arizona desert.

Yesterday we opted to take a new trail and ventured over to Pima Canyon, about ten minutes away from my parents home. We chose a trail leading up along the Catalina Mountains which was uniquely beautiful and very peaceful. It was the first time for years that I hiked with my siblings as well as my father, so it was a great time with good company.

Here are some shots along the way.

My dad and sister setting off.

Going up…this hike had a lot of climb involved and was rocky so you had to keep your eyes in front of you! I was relieved that my dad went first. I always get paranoid of encountering a rattlesnake. I’ve seen them before in the distance but never (knock on wood) had one jump out in front of me before.

The trail system goes on forever, way up high into the mountains in the background. You can hike for days back in the wilderness as long as you bring a pack. There is also plenty of wildlife such as mountain lions, bighorn sheep, deer, ocelots and wildcats. Sadly a lot of their habitat has disappeared and these animals have come down to the foothills and valley in search of food and water only to be a nuisance to the human population below. I’ve seen an ocelot, javelina pigs, coyote and wildcat outside of my parents home. Not a good thing to see, though.

A skeleton of a saguaro cactus, Tucson’s most dominant variety of cacti.

The trail map…we took the Pontatoc Canyon Trail.

Photos of the many different varieties of cacti.

These are the notorious and deadly jumping cacti.

And the stunning view behind us…

Then we reached the top and took a sibling photo—-our first in years of the three of us.

And fabulous views of Finger Rock and the surrounding Pima Canyon.

Mount Wrightson beckons in the background….one of my most favorite hikes of all! It is a whole day affair that I’ll have to save for another day.

Screaming by on the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed G Train

Posted on December 23, 2011 by thirdeyemom

Leaving Beijing, we had our first taste of heavy traffic and wet rain. We were ready to leave the dreary weather (or so we hoped) and head south to Shanghai known as Beijing’s decadent little sister. Although I truly enjoyed Beijing’s majestic Forbidden City, ancient hutongs and scattered parks, I really was getting tired of the smoggy, cold weather. Plus the food options were becoming limiting (that happens when you don’t especially like Chinese food) and I knew that I would find much more variety and international fare in cosmopolitan Shanghai. It was time to leave.

Photo below taken during our hour-long taxi ride to Beijing South Railway Station. The further we got out off town and along the Ring Road, the more of these ugly Soviet-era apartment complexes there were. It made me realize just how insanely big Beijing is and how densely the people live. This represents one of hundreds if not thousands of these kinds of living complexes.

In my opinion, there is no better way to see some of the countryside and what is really going on in China than to travel by train. There is something nostalgic about train travel. You can sit back, relax and watch the world go by or in the case of China’s high-speed G trains, watch the world scream by.

The Beijing-Shanghai G Train is one of the longest and highest quality high-speed railways in the world with a designed speed of 350 km per hour. It makes the 1,318 km/819 mile long journey between Beijing and Shanghai take a mere 4 hours and 48 minutes with a brief stop at Nanjing. Launched in June of 2011, the railway was the first one designed for speeds up to 380 km/hour (236 miles/hour), making it the fastest train in the world. The journey from Beijing to Shanghai took 3 hours and 58 minutes compared to 9 hours and 49 minutes on parallel railways with conventional trains. However, after a few mishaps shortly after its launch, the train was slowed down to its current rate averaging 300 km per hour/186 miles per hour.

Photo below: Pulling up into the Beijing train station I am amazed by its modernity and vastness. There are railways everywhere.

Entering Beijing’s train station which is extremely modern (except for the bathrooms: Squat toilets of course). Security was tight and the place was packed.

An up close look at a G Train. Impressive!

There are rows and rows of G Trains waiting for its passengers to board. Each train has a “sightseeing” class with only four luxurious seats, one section of first-class seats (with about twenty-four seats) and 16 trains of regular coach seats.

Leaving Beijing there are tons of buildings in the midst of construction. We made a joke that the national bird of China is the “Crane”.

Per GMO (9/2011), “over 200 skyscrapers are under construction in China today. This is equivalent to the total number of skyscrapers in the U.S. today”.

As the train slowly rolls out of Beijing, passing by one new building conglomerate after the other, it becomes evident what is really going on in China.

“A giant smog of unreality hangs over Chinese property. SocGen calculates that over the last decade, China has completed 16 billion square meters of floor space. This is equivalent to building Rome every two weeks” (SocGen, June 23, 2011)”.

As we would soon witness during our five hour train ride, this construction boom has resulted in vast “Ghost cities” across China in which there are no inhabitants and the cranes cease to be working. The China National Bureau of Statistics and GMO estimate that there will be up to 75 million new homes built this year.

Per the Financial Times*:

“After a decade of soaring prices, signs are that the world’s most populous nation faces its first real estate crash. That would be dire for other countries that rely on China to fuel their own economic growth”.

Some scary trends:

Home prices in Beijing have risen by about 150 percent in the past four years.
Residential transactions are down 11.6 percent from last year, all across China.
Analysts say an urban apartment costs 8-10 times the average annual income nationwide. In Beijing and Shanghai the multiple is closer to 30.
Construction accounts for 13 percent of the economy, one-quarter of all investment and 40 percent of steel use.

*Source: Financial Times “A lofty ceiling reached” (12/14/2011 by Jamil Anderlini).

As we head out of Beijing, passing by all the look-a-like buildings and apartment complexes, the G Train finally starts to pick up speed reaching of dizzying 306 km/hr or 190 miles/hour. It is the fastest speed I’ve ever traveled by train and my stomach felt it.

Finally we had left Beijing and were in the countryside and it was beautiful ….but not for long.

Ghost cities appeared in the distant horizon and it freaked me out….they were everywhere!

This photo below spooked me the most. We were in the middle of nowhere and in the distance there was a gigantic “Ghost City” where everything had stopped in time, uncompleted. The initial belief of the Chinese government and real estate tycoons was “we will build and they will follow”. Not so sure if it is true.

After almost five hours of passing ghost town after ghost town, I was fascinated and in shock. I have never seen such massive construction and building anywhere before. It is phenomenal. In a country where property construction accounts for an estimated 13% of GDP in the world’s second largest economy, what will happen when the real estate bubble comes to a half? The economic ramifications for China, its people and the world are frightening. Let’s hope for a soft landing.

Arrival at Shanghai’s Rail Station…..and on to the next adventure.

Stay Tuned…more Shanghai surprises coming soon!

The Lama Temple: Buddhism in Beijing

Posted on December 14, 2011 by thirdeyemom

Before visiting China, I had the amazing opportunity to hike the Annapurna Circuit trek in Nepal. As I’ve said time and time again in my blog and to family and friends, this was the one trip in my life that really touched my soul. It inspired me. It changed me. And most of all, it encouraged me to continue exploring as many far off destinations that I can possibly visit.

My trip to Nepal was my first exposure to the Buddhist religion. Sharing a border with India, Nepal, a tiny mountainous kingdom, was exposed to two main religions: Hinduism and Buddhism, that grew and developed to become the two prominent religions in Nepal. During my trek through rural mountains villages in Nepal, I was blessed with one Buddhist village after another. Temples, colorful prayer flags, gigantic prayer wheels and burning juniper incense infiltrated my heart and soul. The monks dressed in maroon robes and praying softly was a pleasant, peaceful experience. I instantly purchased the Dalai Lama’s famous autobiography when I got home. I felt inspired by this magical religion and wanted to learn more.

I read his book, appropriately titled “Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama“, and felt an anger and shock burning inside my soul that drove me mad. I could not believe what the Chinese government had done. It was tragic, sad and terrible. Yet, it was a story that had been repeated all too frequently in our world’s history. America and the injustice done to the Native Americans. The “colonization” of South America. The tearing apart of Africa. And the list goes on.

What I had a hard time coming to terms with after reading this book was my feelings on traveling to China. I understood that human rights were far from being achieved by the Tibetans as well as most of the population of China. Would I be ok with that?

Driving around town in the Twin Cities (the local term here for Minneapolis and St. Paul area) I grew accustomed to seeing “FreeTibet” bumper sticks on many cars. I knew that the Dalai Lama had recently come here to speak with his people, the local Tibetans who have come here in exile to start a new life. What do they think of the Chinese government? I wondered but felt like I knew.

I wouldn’t find my answer of course until I was in China, looking around, visiting Buddhist temples and talking to people. The first stop in my quest to understand Buddhism in Beijing was the most revered Buddhist temple outside of Tibet: The Lama Temple. Originally built in 1694 during the Qing dynasty it was used as a palace and later changed to lamasery in 1744 by Emperor Qianlong. Today it is the largest, most well-preserved lamasery outside of Tibet and is a renowned place of worship, pilgrimage and importance in the heart of China’s capital.

We set off on our last afternoon, walking, to the Lama Temple. After reading the Dalai Lama’s tragic account of events, I wasn’t sure what kind of religion I’d find in China. I understood that the Communist Party of China had no official religion yet tolerated religious practice to some degree. Yet it was hard to get a sense of how religious the Chinese are overall since many prefer to keep their religion private. Some estimates state that there are approximately 100 million Buddhists in China. It is the most prevalent religion, followed by 18 million Muslims, 10 million Protestants, and 4 million Catholics (Facts from “Culture Smart China: The Essential Guide to Customs and Culture” 2010 edition). Yet in a land of 1.3 billion people, these numbers lead me to believe that there are a lot of people who do not practice a religion or chose not to tell anyone that they do. Like most statistics in China, it is hard to get a clear picture.

Regardless, Buddhism has a strong cultural importance in China as it has been inside the country for thousands of years since its introduction from India via the Silk Road. I was keen to visit the Lama Temple and see what it was all about. After visiting this lovely place, I was even more confused than ever. For it was simply serene and the devoutness of the practicing Chinese Buddhists was deeply touching. It didn’t make sense to me what had happened and why Tibet cannot be free. Like most of my trip to China, it proved that it is a land of paradoxes and contradictions that a foreigner may never fully understand. There are many questions in life that will remain forever unanswered. Perhaps this is one of them.

Here are my pictures and commentary from my visit.

The walk from our hotel near the Forbidden City took us over an hour passing through main thoroughfares, small streets and plenty of interesting things to take pictures of. We knew that we were finally getting closer to the Lama Temple when we reached this street packed full of Tibetan shops.

Suddenly gray dull Beijing came to life with color, smell and sounds as we entered the Buddhist district near the Lama Temple.

The majestic archway leading into the Lama Temple.

The walkway to the temple was beautifully adorned with shade trees that cast a peaceful glow on the area.

There were plenty of monks dressed in brilliant orange.

Some monks had obviously come from far to pray and also be like a tourist and snap some photos.

When you were done with your incense, you placed them in the fire pit to burn.

As always, there were lions protecting the temple. This one is a male with its location on the east side of the building and grasping a ball.

The breathtaking architecture of the temple reminded me of the palaces in the Forbidden City. Yet the smoke-filled air from the burning incense gave the Lama Temple a much more mystical feel.

Perhaps there was too much smoke in the air to take this picture but I still enjoy the close-ups of the incredible art and detail of the buildings.

I left the Lama Temple feeling relaxed and peaceful. It was such a special place and I was relieved to see so many ordinary Chinese there practicing their religion openly. It is estimated that hundreds of Buddhist temples were destroyed after the revolution in China in 1949. It is a pity that they no longer exist.

Stay tuned..Next stop is “Everyday life in Beijing”. It is my last post on Beijing and a compilation of tons of great photos I haven’t shown yet. Thanks for reading !

How to get around urban China like the Chinese

Posted on December 11, 2011 by thirdeyemom

Throughout my stay in urban China, I was bemused, amazed, surprised and continually fascinated by the resourcefulness of the Chinese in regards to modes of transportation. Here is a photo blog of what inspired me.

When getting around or transporting goods, anything works, especially bicycles!

These were the “party bikes” located in the bar zone of the Hutongs. I loved seeing all the young Chinese gals cruise around on these fun bikes for bar hopping.

One of many bike parks. I loved the electric bikes. They were sleek and quiet. You hardly knew they were there.

I especially loved these little bicycles. Not sure if they have a special name or not. But they sure are cute!

With such heavy traffic and high costs for cars and trucks, it is no wonder the bicycle is the number one mode of transportation for both people and goods.

Sidewalks, streets and highways…no matter! If you are a pedestrian, you just had to watch out for passing motorcycles and bikes!

Meals on Wheels! Hungry anyone?

The Daily Commute: Beijing. (Look at all the smog!).

I loved these little “tin cars”. There was no way I was ever going to step foot in one of them though. I don’t think you’d come out alive if you got in an accident in one of these little cars. I even saw them on the highways! Scary.

Thankfully Beijing had their own devoted “Bike and Motorbike” lane. This made things far safer except of course at the intersections where it was a free for all between bikes, motorcycles, pedestrians and cars!

There are plenty of buses in China which is a cheap and affordable way to travel.

A motorcycle park. Genius idea!

Driving is the most dangerous mode of transportation in all of China. Per Lonely Planet China, “China’s roads kill without mercy. Traffic accidents are the major cause of death for people aged 15 and 45, and the World Health Organization estimates there are 600 traffic death a day!”. After spending ten days in China, I completely understood these facts. Driving is crazy there (like many big cities in the world) and it was even more scary being a pedestrian in Beijing. Vehicles do not think twice about driving right towards pedestrians even if there is a walk sign in the cross walk. You have to really be careful and use a 360 view when crossing the street (if you want to make it safely across!).

I had heard about these graphic displays of “Traffic accidents and resulting deaths” before and was thus forewarned that they are disturbing. Here is a display set up in the heart of Beijing. The police were passing out flyers with pictures in case these warning signs weren’t enough.

After seeing these graphic displays of fear, I was a bit weary getting in taxis (especially in Shanghai where our hired cab driver drove over 100 mph on the highways, passing on the shoulder. I finally told him to slow down as the pictures continually returned to my mind).

Stay tuned…more China coming up soon! I may even sneak in a few posts about Minnesota!

In search of Beijing’s Hidden Hutongs

Posted on December 7, 2011 by thirdeyemom

While waiting in the American Airlines lounge at Chicago O’Hare to catch our international flight to Beijing, we found ourselves talking to a China “travel warrior”, one of those successful American businessmen who had either the luxury or the headache (depending on how you view things) of traveling overseas constantly to Asia. Since I never got his name, I’ll call him the Chinese Travel Warrior as it seemed to fit. He’d been to China at least 40 times and was well versed in the ins and outs of traveling and doing business there. He’d informed me gleefully about the preparation of Peking duck as well as showed me a picture on his cell phone of what you’d get in China if you ordered Chicken Soup (yes, a real dead chicken foot sprouting out of the top). He told me the good and the bad, the nice and the dirty and helped get me excited about the adventure ahead.

Probably the best piece of advice that the Chinese Travel Warrior gave me, however, had to do with sightseeing. He told me that I had to spend some time in Beijing’s infamous Hutongs or “narrow alleyways” that mysteriously thread through the heart of old Beijing. He told me that the Hutongs are where the history, culture and life of old China can be seen, if that is, you can find them.

Not knowing or understanding at all what the Hutong are, I opted to search my beloved Lonely Planet China and here is what I found about Beijing’s Hutongs:

The spirit and soul of the city lives and breathes among these charming and ragged lanes where a warm sense of community and hospitality survives. Criss-crossing chunks of Beijing within the Second Ring Road, the hutong link up into a huge and enchanting warren of one-story dwellings and historic courtyard homes. Hundreds of hutong survive but many have been swept aside in Beijing’s race to build a modern city.

The description of the hutongs obviously grabbed my attention and lead my father and I on a three-day search in finding the best and the most colorful hutongs in all of Beijing. Here is a collection of my photos taken during our explorations of Beijing’s Hidden Hutongs.

Finding the Hutongs was half the battle and half the fun. Our first day in Beijing, I was on a mission to find them. We walked until we dropped, for over eight hours, pounding the pavement of Beijing. I had read in Lonely Planet that all the Hutongs are marked with a historic sign. Yet finding them on a map was another challenge all together. We realized that the best way to find these hidden treasures was to walk without a map and explore.

Eventually after lunch we found our first section of Hutongs located directly behind the Forbidden City. Before I saw the red sign (photo below), I noticed a dramatic change in the architecture of the buildings and most notably the roofs (photo above). They looked old.…could these be part of the Hutongs I was searching for? I wondered.

This sign confirmed it: Our first Hutong spotting!

Yet this Hutong wasn’t too inviting. Perhaps it was being renovated? We decided not to walk down and explore it much further than this picture. I knew there would be more. Many more. We would just have to find them!

We continued our walk down Beichang Jie, one of the main drags located behind the Forbidden City, in search of more Hutongs. We saw lots of interesting photo shots like the one above which I adore. I love the old bicycles and the cool buildings.

We walked a little further and came across this lovely Hutong. I found a splendid alleyway but there was not much else back there but quiet courtyard homes.

I was fascinated by the Hutongs and could have explored them all day long! Here is my dad going under the electrical boxes that provide electricity to these ancient homes.

The Hutongs are narrow thus all bicycles are normally parked outside the entrance. I love this picture. For some reason, it is one of my favorites from the trip.

During our second day in Beijing, we discovered an entirely new area of Hutongs located by Qianhai Lake in North Dongcheng. These Hutongs were more than residential and had stores, bars, restaurants and even chic boutique designer shops. Here is a more lively Hutong that we found the second day which snaked around in many different directions.

I found it hard to not get lost. Yet getting lost was probably the best aspect of our search for the hidden Hutongs. That meant you discovered new things that you probably would have missed. Sometimes traveling without a map is the best way to travel.

If you did get lost or not want to get lost, you always had the option of hiring a rickshaw to show you the way. We found this line up of eager rickshaw guides in a more touristy section of Hutongs (now what it was called still remains a mystery to me! Again, it is a hutong that we managed to stumble upon and never found it again!).

Comparing notes and trying to work a deal.

After hours of walking and exploring, we finally came across this trendy Hutong that had tons of cool bars, restaurants and shops. This time we made a note on how to get there and find it again!

Some of the beautiful boutique shops found in the Hutong.

By lunch time, we were ready to take a rest and found the perfect place, The Passby Bar, located on Nanluogu Xiang, which was a great place to eat and watch the world go by.

Above is a picture of all the restaurant’s Lonely Planets! Apparently the owner is an avid world traveler!

As we entered the Passby, it felt like entered some kind of English pub.

I LOVED their motto: BETTER TRAVEL THAN DEAD! It seems like it was written for me!

After a delightful lunch with of course a glass of wine, it was back to it. I was determined to find more of Beijing’s hidden Hutongs and the more we walked, the more we discovered.

The architecture was a photographers dream.

We left the Hutongs feeling excited about what we’d seen and looking even more forward to coming back to experience them at night, when they come to life with people, lights and mystery.

The Chinese Travel Warrior was right….you can’t possibly see Beijing without finding the hidden Hutongs which are the true heart and soul of the city and its magical past.

Stay tuned…next post will be on Beijing’s Hutongs at night!

The curse of the Asian Toilet

Posted on December 5, 2011 by thirdeyemom

If you have ever traveled anywhere in Asia then you have certainly experienced the “curse of the Asian Toilet” before. Otherwise known as the squat toilet, it can be a brutal and stinky affair, especially for women who do not have the biological convenience that men do (yes, God must truly be a man!).

I, myself, am well past any issues with the squat toilet. After traveling for three weeks in Nepal (in which over half of it was in remote villages in the Himalayas) I got broken in rather quickly to the “do’s” and “don’ts” of squat toilet etiquette. For example, Do carry toilet paper. Do always have hand sanitizer available (since there is seldom anywhere to wash hands let alone find running water). Do carry a flashlight. And most important: Do cover your noise (don’t you dare breathe in through your nose! Mouth breathing only) and Do, and I mean Do, try your best to not look down or spill. This is tricky for a female who isn’t equip like a male. But it is a reality that we must face especially when using a squat toilet! You definitely don’t want any accidents when you are traveling all day long wearing the same pair of pants!

For me, going to China and dealing with the lack of the “western toilet” (as my beloved Nepali guide called it) was going to be nothing after three weeks of roughing it in Nepal. I’d seen plenty of bad, cold, smelly toilets. After awhile it was determined that sometimes mother nature was best.

So, I thought amused that it was no big deal dealing with the Asian toilet situation during my travels. I’d done it, I’d mastered it and best of all, the hotel would most likely have a western toilet (unlike in Nepal where I went three weeks without one).

What I found so incredibly fascinating in China was the controversy regarding the Asian toilet (especially before Beijing hosted the Olympics in 2008), the resulting growth of the public toilets (over 5,333 were added to prepare for the Olympics), the new rating star-standards of toilets, and last but not least, the hilarious commentary I saw about the wonder of the porcelain gods. I couldn’t get enough of toilets during my trip!

Per an article I read on www.chinaview.cn hilariously titled, “Beijing’s toilet horrors flushed away“, here is an account of the improvements Beijing has made recently to the toilet situation in the city:

Strolling along Beijing’s Chang’an Avenue in May, Kevin Born was drawn to an ancient Chinese-style building with delicate wooden carvings and wash paintings — only to find it was a public toilet.

Inside, he found a granite floor, remote-sensor flushing, automatic hand drier and piped music. He found it difficult to believe that only three years ago when he first came to China, answering nature’s call was an experience not for the faint-hearted.

“You had to take a deep breath and dash into the toilet. You held your breath and your head high, and never looked down. Then you’d dash out quickly for another gasp of fresh air. All within 30 seconds,” recalls Kevin, 30, an engineer from Germany.

The city launched a three-year campaign — with a 400-million-yuan (57 million U.S. dollars) investment — to modernize its public toilets in 2005 as part of its effort to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games.

With 1,000 new public toilets being built and renovated each year, the fetid back-street privies are being replaced with clean, well-maintained flush toilets.

Now, Beijing is flushed with pride that all the 5,333 public toilets, boasting standardized white male and female figure signs, are available within a five-minute walk of any downtown location. In addition, there will be 700 toilets in Olympic venues by the time the Beijing Games start and an additional 800 nearby.

Now it is time for a few of my best toilet shots (no worries….they are all flushed) as well as another interesting article I found regarding the history of toilets in China (including the introduction of the star rating system) and the push of the Chinese Government to vamp up the number of public toilets in preparation for the Olympics. Happy reading! (And please….don’t read this post on the toilet!).

Worth a read: “Beijing Toilets Go Upscale”

Inside our hotel lobby, we had nice clean western toilets. Yet I could not stop laughing over this “lost in translation”!

One of thousands of new, convenient public toilets made available throughout Beijing in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. It was fabulous having so many public toilets available! Most were all the traditional squat toilet, however, they were clean, not sticky and readily available everywhere. It made a day of sightseeing or an evening of drinking beer easy. (Don’t you hate it when you are traveling and desperately need to use the bathroom but can’t find one anywhere?! Not possible in Beijing, thanks to the thousands of newly minted public toilets).

More public toilets located in the famous Hutongs. They even had sinks with working running water! Some had toilet paper too….bonus!

See, they are now nice and clean! Not the old nasty ones that left people ready to pass out. Locals and tourists alike embraced the availability and cleanliness of the new toilets.

Different styles of public toilets that were “stand-alones” and much nicer than our “Port-a-Pottys” back at home.

I could not resist grabbing my camera and taking this picture of the sign in the bathroom at one of the restaurants we ate at in Beijing. Too funny!

It was not posted once but twice! Guess they meant business!

In Shanghai, I nearly fell off my (toilet) seat when I realized that (a) it was heated! (b) it had a “rear cleansing” option and (c) it had a dryer! Now that is a little disturbing, isn’t it. (No, I did not try any of these services).

The toilet was constantly heated to a warm 90 degrees F. Guess they want you to stay seated for a while and enjoy! Ha!

Stay tuned…enough silly business. I’m starting to remind myself of my kids and their non-stop adoration of “potty talk”! Next post will be on Beijing’s fabulous Hutongs! Thanks for reading!

The Art of the Chinese Massage

Posted on December 2, 2011 by thirdeyemom

There is something divine about a good massage. As someone who has suffered a bad neck and upper back for over three-fourths of my life (see post: Dealing with Chronic Pain) you can imagine how much better an excellent massage is to my poor, sore muscles. I am like a new person after a massage. I don’t have a darting, throbbing pain in my neck and my soul seems to finally find some sort of peace.

Unfortunately, like most luxuries in life massages are not cheap. In fact, I find it difficult to find anywhere decent to get a massage for under $120 per hour. In my book, as a stay-at-home mom with no income to call my own, I just can’t stomach dishing out that kind of money, even if my back hurts like hell. Thus I end up getting probably only one to two massages a year, usually as a gift from my loving husband or understanding mother who also suffers chronic neck pain.

Before heading over to China, my neck and back were really causing me grief. After a ten-year hiatus, I had to start physical therapy sessions again to try to manage the pain and strengthen my back muscles. It found it so incredibly frustrating to have to deal with this “pain in the neck”. I am an incredibly active person who can’t let a persistent pesky pain stand in my way.

Looking back, I am convinced that my 20 mile plus bike rides over the summer pulling my four-year-old daughter were the main culprit in ruining my back again. (I suppose I can also add in “getting older” although I try not to dwell on it). Stress and spending more time at the computer were also causing problems (hmmm….could it be all that extra time I’ve been spending blogging?). I was determined to go on my trip and relax a bit, and pray my back wouldn’t go into complete spasms on the flight. Having a good seat helped significantly, but passing out after four glasses of wine and falling asleep at a strange angle did not help.

Needless to say, when I landed in Beijing after a fifteen hour flight I could barely turn my head. I knew that it wasn’t a good sign but I had hope. For I had heard about the art of the Chinese Massage and I knew that the price would be right.

Chinese medicine has been practiced for centuries. Per Massage Today:

Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the oldest continuous systems of medicine in history, with recorded instances dating as far back as two thousand years before the birth of Christ. This is in sharp contrast to American or Western forms of health care, which have been in existence for a much shorter time span.

Traditional Chinese medicine is based, at least in part, on the Daoist belief that we live in a universe in which everything is interconnected. What happens to one part of the body affects every other part of the body. The mind and body are not viewed separately, but as part of an energetic system. Similarly, organs and organ systems are viewed as interconnected structures that work together to keep the body functioning.

Massage known as “an mo” or “tui na” in Chinese and Acupuncture have been integral parts of Chinese medicine for thousands of years and has gained worldwide attention and practice for many years. Chinese doctors believe that a network in the human body called “‘jing luo” serves as a passageway for vital energy and blood to reach all the parts of the body. The use of acupuncture and massage on pressure points and injured muscles can greatly relieve pain and maintain overall health.

As soon as I landed, I could hardly wait to explore and experience the art of the Chinese massage. My body was desperately waiting and begging. Yet, unfortunately other things got in the way such as the more important excitement of exploring a new place. Who wants to waste two hours trying to get a massage when I can walk until I drop and see as much of Beijing as possible? I reasoned.

Stubborn, defiant me waited until the very last minute; until I was at the “point of no return” in level and severity of pain and discomfort. I had walked for over eight hours long on our first day in Beijing, on hard concrete, constantly stopping to rub my back or do a quick neck stretch. I even laid on my “tension release” racket balls for an hour, drank several glasses of wine, took a pain reliever…. yet there was no relief. It wasn’t looking good.

The climb up to the Great Wall was amazing while I was doing it. Exciting, fun and pure adventure. Yet when I woke up the next morning I had hell to pay. I was in dire straits. I could barely move my shoulders let alone turn my head from side to side (I cursed myself and wondered how I ever managed to hike over 100 miles last year in the Himalayas! Could my body really have aged that much in a single year?!).

It wasn’t the way I imagined my vacation, suffering and wallowing away in pain. I had to do something. It was time to discover the art of the Chinese Massage, and fortunately the best place in town was right outside my doorstep.

The Dragonfly Spa, located only four buildings down from my hotel, is known as one of the top spas in Beijing. Knowing that made me initially hesitate, thinking that it would be pricey and snooty. But silly old me forgot the number one thing about China: The low-cost of labor.

When I walked into the Spa to check out the prices, I was instantly drawn in. The entire waiting room and spa smelled of roses, real fresh, fragrant roses. Hundreds. Thousands. A room aloft in roses. It instantly put me in a trance. The friendly, pretty receptionist handed me over a neatly printed price list. I swallowed before opening it and then to my shock and disbelief, the prices were insanely cheap. An hour-long aromatherapy massage with hot oils was only $35. The lesser hour-long “Chinese Massage” was a mere $16. They even had a neck and shoulder massage for an hour for $15. I could not believe my eyes or my luck. I was in the perfect place! I was in Heaven!

I desperately asked the receptionist if it was possible to get a massage that moment. It didn’t look too busy. I was the only one there. But I wasn’t sure because at home you have to typically book a massage at least a week in advance.

The pretty, young receptionist smiled reassuringly and told me, “One moment, please“, in perfect, beautiful english. She picked up the phone, dialed, and spoke rapidly in Chinese to whoever answered. “Please have a seat“, she said kindly. Within five minutes a small, petite woman walked in, smiled at me and lead me back to Heaven.

As I left the pleasant waiting room and entered the spa, I was instantly greeted by the healing, peaceful smell of lavender. The entire room was dark except for little candles that lined the stairs leading up to the massage rooms. It was the most incredible, pleasing synthetic flowery smell I’d ever experienced. It was enough to make my knees weak.

I lied down on my stomach in almost complete darkness and silence and let each ache and pain in my poor, overworked body relax. Sometimes I think it is best if the masseuse does not speak english. I tend to talk too much, even during a massage. That makes it harder to relax and simply enjoy the experience. Since I didn’t know Chinese and my masseuse knew little english, there was no conversation whatsoever. Just silence and total relaxation; something I think everybody in this world needs.

For someone so small, I was amazed by the strength of her touch. The hot, scented oils melted into my skin and sunk into my rock-like muscles relieving the tension that had been stored up for months. I closed my eyes and relaxed, enjoying each and every moment of Heaven. I didn’t want it to ever end. It was so wonderful.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. The sixty minutes were up, and I could barely move. My body felt like butter and my muscles melted into the massage table. I took my time getting up and was sad to leave. But I knew that it would not be my last time at the Dragonfly. For how could I resist the art of the Chinese massage?

For the next day I was going to indulge in the $15 one-hour neck and shoulder massage. And, little did I know there was a Dragonfly in Shanghai too where I would get a send-off massage before leaving China. Heaven comes in threes.

Stay tuned…there are more China posts to come. Not sure yet if it will be the post on “The Curse of the Asian Toilet” or one on the fascinating Hutongs, or old alleyways of Beijing.

Thirdeyemom

Traveling the World and Doing Good

Category Archives: Adventure Travel