April 7, 8, 2015, Tuesday, Wednesday, Xiamen, China

It was a rocky ride last night up the coast to Xiamen, China.  We enjoyed our dinner at Pollo Grill, but I took a precautionary Dramamine.  We arrived in Xiamen in a rain storm.  Our "A Taste of Xiamen" tour was scheduled to do a bike ride and Tai Chi demonstration.  Our guide, Jill, suggested we do the Tai Chi longer and skip the biking in the rain, but the group wanted to go biking, so we did.  It was only misting by then.  The road was like a bike trail along the main road and was nest to the beach and a view of the sea, with tea houses and parks.  In spite of the weather we weren't the only ones out and about at all.

biking along the Xiamen coast

Next we attended a Tai Chi demonstration.  I completely forgot any Tai Chi I had ever learned but the demonstration reminded me and I recognized many of the moves.  

After Tai Chi, we walked to the tea demonstration.  They make the tea by pouring hot water over the leaves in a small container quickly, pouring out the tea, then pouring more hot water into the small cup with leaves, and repeating until a two cup pitcher is filled.  We tasted Oolong, green, and lychee tea.  We all liked the lychee best.  During the demonstration the rain began to downpour.  We stayed until it let up, and then went to the old town for shopping.  It did not look very old.  The stores were brand new.  They sold dried fruit and fish in boxes, sporting goods, clothes, and jewelry.  The shops looked like designer shops without the fancy names like Gucci.  By now my portable backpack was falling apart so we found an inexpensive lightweight pack to use for excursions for about $25.00.  Here you must use Chinese money and most people do not speak English.  David finally got the ATM to work, and money speaks all languages.  Happy Days.  Returning to the ship, the rain had let up entirely.

We got back after 3:00pm.  Only Waves Grill was open to eat anything.  Our next tour was at 6:15 so we had to find something to eat for the rest of the day.  Waves has hamburgers and hot dogs.  But David found a burger called surf and turf.  It is fillet and lobster!  It was delicious.  Then both of us went to afternoon tea at 4:30 so we were well fortified for the Magic Min Nan show.

The brochure said it was a 45 minute drive to the theater, but we got there in less than 15 minutes so the guide suggested we walk in a mall nearby.  We walked and walked and mostly it looked closed except for some little coffee shops.  We stopped to have a snack before the show at the TBurger.  They sold Texas Burgers.  David ordered a fried rice looking dish, but it took forever.  Everyone else was eating burgers and fries.

Our group took up about 4 rows in the theater.  The rest were Asian tourists who also came in big busses.  We got a program with some English, but the show was in Chinese.  The audience loved the humor of the narrator.  Two of the men in the audience were chosen to come on stage to work the puppets.  After the show many Asians came on stage to have their photos taken with the cast.

The production was lavish with beautiful costumes, laser lights, sound and light show on the walls of the theater, dancing, acrobatics, and beautiful music.  The dance movements looked to me like it was based on Tai chi.

April 9, 2015, Wednesday

Confuscious temple grounds

Our bus ride was 45 minutes or so through Xiamen.  Xiamen is pronounced like Shaman.  This harbor was the start of the opium wars.  A leader from here did not like the British East India Company selling opium to its citizens.  It was also start of the silk route.  We went by a large waterfront area with big warehouses that advertised as free trade.  No taxes or duties are levied if you buy from here.  

People in China lease theri house from the government for 70 years so it cannot be passed to the children.  So rich people buy houses in other countries.  This city is full of high rise buildings, usually about 40 stories high.  There are about 3 million people here as opposed to 9 million in tiny Hong Kong.

The first stop on our tour was to the Confuscious temple.  It was built 1,000 years ago but restored again at various times.  The above statues are from 800 to 300 years old.  The temple is actually a museum of various statues and stelae.  The ones in the background are sometimes street signs.  

There is a wall dedicated to receiving student wishes for good exams or to get into a good school.

This statue is of a man who invented the 24 hour clock.  He used bottles of water that emptied in one hour exactly.

A diorama of students learning in Confuscious time.  Education was a way to get out of serfdom.

Entrance to Confuscious temple

Children after school outside temple walls.

A very auspicious car parked in front of the Confuscious temple gathering knowledge.

Next we traveled to a Buddhist temple.  It was also very old, but restored at various times.  Most Chinese are Buddhists, even though our guide explained that Buddhism started in India.  You can tell how old statues or buildings are by how much they look like Indian culture rather than Chinese.

These three Buddhas will protect you.  They are also not fat Buddhas so must be older.  The temple gives away placemats with these images so you will have them in your home and be protected by Buddha.

It was cold and sprinkly.  The weather report said chance of sunny.

A particularly good looking ---- temple.

This goddess will protect you with her 1,000 arms, but she will also grant you a child if you pray to her. there are small wooden blocks you can toss on the ground three times and depending on how they fall, will answer your question yes or no.  David and I asked the same question.  I got a yes, he got a no.

Pretty cool dragons on the roofs.

We got back to the ship cold and hungry.  We are about half way in our around the world journey.