Arrived in Amsterdam for a three-week honeymoon, so to say. We will visit my mother in Menorca, Spain, where my sister, who lives in the USA, and my brother will also be present. This will be the moment I can present my wife to my family. But first we have some time to spend in Amsterdam, my beautiful hometown.
We are staying at my apartment in the museum quarter, which I had rented out for the past three years. My tenants have kept the place in perfect condition, tidy and clean, so I was very happy to be back home again. I will find a new tenant for the coming year (or maybe two), as we will return to China in early October.
Amsterdam is really lovely. The weather was a bit chilly on arrival, but we had some very nice sunny days, with occasional rain and wind. It's Holland after all.
We visited the Rijksmuseum, which has been closed for 13 years for renovations. The new Rijks is incredibly beautiful and a pleasure to walk through. The bicycle lane passing through under the main building has been reopened too, and it feels really good to take this nice route to the center of town with my wife on the backseat.
We also visited the Hermitage Amsterdam, a subsidiary of the famous gallery in St. Petersburg. I was never there before, but this weekend an exhibition opened showing paintings and other works from French symbolists and impressionist from the Fin de Siecle, collected by wealthy Russians around the beginning of the 20th century. Confiscated by the state after the October Revolution in 1917, these splendid works are now part of the Hermitage collection.
Another art event took place at Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam, where friend and artist James Beckett did a performance re-enacting an event from 1994 by British art collective Art & Language, involving live painting, live music, and a ceremonial closure. A truly interesting and well-executed piece.
Cycling along the canals of Amsterdam, walks in the Vondelpark, a boat ride with highschool friend Marc Paping, and visiting several other lovely people made this week unforgettable.
We also visited Delft, the city where I studied Industrial Design in the 80's, and lived for 15 years. Delft is like a miniature version of Amsterdam, with petite little canals, lots of monumental houses and pleasantly small for a walking tour. We passed by the places where I lived in the 80's and 90's. visited several old friends who are still there, and have teenage kids now. My previous employer Anton Montagne still runs his electronic design studio, and Chefren is slowly expanding his business in online tools for planning, organization and news gathering. On the way home we stopped in Aalsmeer for a visit to ex fellow student Jeroen and his wife Henriette, who presented us a culinary evening of the highest standard, including a performance on his Bösendorfer grand piano.
Back in Amsterdam, we also met Ineke Gudmundsson, founder of the Chinese European Art Center in Xiamen, who happened to be in Amsterdam at the same time as us, and lives right around the corner on the van Baerlestraat, less than 200m away. It was her birthday, coincidentally, and we met some friends we met in Xiamen earlier this year, who have been resident artists at CEAC. Another wonderful evening!
This weekend we will fly to Menorca, to visit my mother, and on the way back we will also spend a day in the beautiful city Barcelona, where I can guide Ling Ling on a tour of the fantastic architecture of Gaudí and other highlights. Looking forward to a great trip!
Friday, September 20, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Our beach wedding party
Sunday the 8th was a beautiful day, and our wedding was an amazing and awesome event. A truly epic wedding party. Not in the least because of the perfect planning and organization by our friends and colleagues. Special thanks go to the Dutch team: Paul, Bob, and Sander, with the support of Linda, Amy, Nono, Crazy, all the musicians, photographer Yvo Muris, and of course all our guests, who made this a fantastic and unforgettable event.
As soon as we took of, the party got started by Dr. Bird ska band, followed up by a series of performers, including Chris Diltz (US), Marcus (CA), David Murphy (CA), and Chinese friends who joined in with their instruments and great singing voices. DJs Devon (CA) and David Krings (DE/NL) completed the musical entourage. Cocktails were mixed on the spot by Sruna from the Groove Lounge, and delicious home made sausage and pork steak were grilled by the lovely duo Vito (PL) and Uwe (DE) from deguosausage.com.
In fact, the party was so special, that it was picked up by the media, and as a result full-page articles with photos were published in several newspapers and websites.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Pebble watch in the mail
About half a year ago I pre-ordered a copy of the much talked-about Pebble watch, with e-ink display and smartphone connectivity. This morning I received an email that a batch of 5000 are ready to ship, so I payed and confirmed my order. My luck is of course that it will be shipped to Amsterdam (they don't ship to China, neither can you order anywhere outside the US, for now), and that I will just be there when it arrives!
The Pebble will be extremely useful as a sailing watch, because it can connect to apps running on a smartphone and display stuff like speed, course, and covered distance without ever having to let go of the helm. Its e-ink display is perfectly sunlight readable and best of all, it's genuinely waterproof.
The Pebble will be extremely useful as a sailing watch, because it can connect to apps running on a smartphone and display stuff like speed, course, and covered distance without ever having to let go of the helm. Its e-ink display is perfectly sunlight readable and best of all, it's genuinely waterproof.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Ling Ling got her Schengen visa, we're coming to Amsterdam!
And not the least type of visa. It's a multiple entry visa valid for a full year, with a maximum duration of each stay of no less than 90 days! The agency that prepared the documents for the application was as much taken by surprise as we were. They had prepared a detailed itinerary for 21 days, and we did not expect to get more than that, we were even prepared for a rejection.
Several of our Chinese friends have recently been denied a visa for short visits to Europe or North America. We still don't know what was the deciding factor: the fact that we are married (we used that), my house ownership in Amsterdam (used that too), or Ling Ling's temporarily beefed up bank account (by borrowing from her mother) to be able to supply an impressive bank statement. In any case, it all came to a beautiful conclusion. Now we can even go again next year without having to re-apply, given enough funds for the plane tickets (with KLM, directly from Xiamen to Amsterdam). Those are the most restrictive at the moment. It cost me more than two thousand Euros to get us tickets. But, we're going, and pretty soon too! Right after our wedding party, departing next Wednesday the 11th and arriving the same afternoon. Return is scheduled for October 3rd.
Not a very long trip, and not taking full advantage of the visa, but we can't afford to stay longer. So, get your agenda's ready and start planning coffee meets, picnics in the park, and other social affairs. We're on our way, but first: our wedding party!
Several of our Chinese friends have recently been denied a visa for short visits to Europe or North America. We still don't know what was the deciding factor: the fact that we are married (we used that), my house ownership in Amsterdam (used that too), or Ling Ling's temporarily beefed up bank account (by borrowing from her mother) to be able to supply an impressive bank statement. In any case, it all came to a beautiful conclusion. Now we can even go again next year without having to re-apply, given enough funds for the plane tickets (with KLM, directly from Xiamen to Amsterdam). Those are the most restrictive at the moment. It cost me more than two thousand Euros to get us tickets. But, we're going, and pretty soon too! Right after our wedding party, departing next Wednesday the 11th and arriving the same afternoon. Return is scheduled for October 3rd.
Not a very long trip, and not taking full advantage of the visa, but we can't afford to stay longer. So, get your agenda's ready and start planning coffee meets, picnics in the park, and other social affairs. We're on our way, but first: our wedding party!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Daring Duck 2013 promotional video
This video was shot and edited by Sander Westerduin during our activities in the summer of 2013, using a mix of Handycam and GoPro Hero footage from our summer camp and daily beach presence at Xitou Xia, Xiamen Island.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Beach party postponed to September 8th
A passing typhoon forced us to reschedule our beach wedding party to next weekend, Sunday the 8th. Lots of rain and strong wind expected for the next several days. Not a good moment for a beach party, but I might go sailing with Bob and a couple of GoPro Hero cameras. We tried the camera yesterday on our catamaran, using a bamboo pole to have the camera skimming over the waves. Extreme sailing! The footage looks awesome. At the moment it's being edited a bit, will post some clips soon.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
August 31: beach party!
The date is August 31st. We will send out invitations soon!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Just married!
We arrived in the late afternoon by plane from Xiamen, after some delays, but even late in the evening the air feels hot and heavy. We found a comfortable hotel right at 8.1 Square (八一广场）, not far from the two locations we had to visit the next morning.
A teacher and an assistant (probably a student) were busy translating documents for a crowd of a dozen or so people who got there before us. It was a chaotic affair, but it did not take more than an hour to get it done, for a fee of 240 RMB. After that we jumped into a taxi to the marriage registration bureau, on the 26th floor of a large government building. The same group of people we met at the translation office assembled there, plus a handful of others. All were foreigners getting married with a Chinese. Mostly young Asian women marrying Chinese men, but also a Japanese man marrying a Chinese women, and a very old Chinese man in a wheelchair marrying a women at least 30 years younger. Possibly an overseas Chinese widower who returned to his home country to marry again, who knows. I was the only Westerner.
It was just a few minutes before noon when we left. After a good lunch, we spent most of the afternoon in the comfortable Lavazza coffee house near our hotel, awaiting our trip back to the airport for the flight home.
It feels good to be married to my baby :)
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Sea turtle rescue
It was a sea turtle, more specifically, a Hawksbill sea turtle. About 60 cm long, looking healthy and swimming in the surf. It seemed lost. I've never seen a sea turtle here, and I believe they don't really belong here. I have seen them in Malaysia, and around Reunion Island (in the Indian Ocean). They are nesting mostly in the Philippines and the Malay archipelago.
We could not do more than bring it out to sea with our catamaran, which we did immediately. I headed out together with Bob, our newly arrived sailing instructor from The Netherlands. It was quite windy this afternoon, and we sailed for about half an hour towards the opening between Jinmen en Dadandao islands, not really into open sea, but hopefully far enough to give the turtle a chance to get away. The tide was just turning, so with a bit of luck it would be dragged out by the current, much like it was probably brought in by the high tide an hour earlier. The tidal difference is quite high here, more than 5 m, so there is an enormous volume of water swept in and sucked out twice every 24 hours.
It's possible that local fishermen would find it eventually, but we did what we could. I took some photos with my waterproof phone, not perfect, but Bob's iPhone was certainly not sea-worthy enough for this job! A GoPro Hero, semi- permanently attached to the mast, is still on my wishlist to capture events like this in HD.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Zeng Cuo An's hyperinflation
Since I moved to Zeng Cuo An almost two years ago, a lot has changed. When I arrived in July 2011, it was already in transition from a sleepy fishing village to a hot tourist destination, but since then the commercial value of this tiny place has exploded.
The locals soon discovered they could make a lot of money by renting out their house, where they had been living for generations, to an out-of-town entrepreneur who was willing to pay good money for the property to start running a guesthouse. The owners would just move to a rented apartment, paying about 2.000 RMB per month, while renting out their property for 10.000 or more. The proprietor would also invest a lot in converting the house to a guesthouse, breaking down walls and subdividing rooms, building tiny bathrooms and installing dozens of A/C units. New furniture would arrive by the truckload, beds, mattresses, chairs, etc.
I witnessed it from up close while I was living in my second room, from September 2011 to August 2012, when all around me houses and apartments were converted to guesthouses. At present there are only a handful of buildings left which are not functioning as a guesthouse. As a result, it's almost impossible to find a place to live.
The development is now more focused on commercial space like shops, bars, and restaurants. New businesses open their doors every week, there is ongoing construction everywhere you look. Not a square meter is spared to make money. Locals are converting every tiny bit of space into a rentable unit. As a result, rents have skyrocketed, not just doubled, but tripled, quadrupled every few months. My friends at 晴天见, also known as the Absinthe Bar, are now paying 10.000 RMB per month for their 20 square meters, up from 1.500 less than a year ago. It's insane. But, they are still making money. The price of food and drinks goes up as well. In my first year I could easily have a good meal for less than 10 RMB, now it's at least 20. 晴天见's famous icecream cones used to cost 3 RMB, now the price is from 5 to 8, depending on the flavour. They're still the best in town by a large margin, so I'm not complaining, but you get the idea.
Sometimes the landlords drive their tenants over the edge, as in the case of a shop owner who was faced with a tripling of his rent, and put up a big billboard outlining the landlord's unfair practice as a protest. The landlord did not accept this, and sued the tenant out of his property, eventually leading up to a steel wall being put up around the shop, with heavy padlocks on the doors, awaiting payment of outstanding rent. The battle is fought out in public, before the eyes of the heavy-spending vacationers who keep flocking to the place in droves. It seems like the locals are just trying to make as much money as possible, before the government puts a halt to it.
I witnessed it from up close while I was living in my second room, from September 2011 to August 2012, when all around me houses and apartments were converted to guesthouses. At present there are only a handful of buildings left which are not functioning as a guesthouse. As a result, it's almost impossible to find a place to live.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
The rise and fall of Massbox Art Planet
It was last year August when I first visited Massbox Art Planet. Located on a terrain in Shangli, previously occupied by the PLA (the Chinese army), it occupies several thousand square meters at the foot of a hill, with some stone barracks and beautiful old pine trees. My friend Jia, a graduate of the Art College of Xiamen University, and part-time teacher at TKK College in Zhangzhou, is the driving force behind Massbox. His vision was to create a self-supporting art community with resident artist's studios, a gallery/performance space, a guesthouse for visiting artists, a restaurant, etc.
The project was funded by some Chinese investors, and had the support of the military authorities who own the land. There was one condition: no foreigners!
Over the course of the first few months, there was a lot of renovation and construction, transforming the old stone barracks in tastefully designed guestrooms, and building a small village of wood and glass cabins, functioning as artist's studios. Performances and exhibitions were organized, and a growing crowd of local and visiting artists and enthusiasts found their way to Massbox.
Then suddenly late last year it was shut down unexpectedly. Studios were demolished, all activities suspended. Nobody knew for sure what was going on, but like with many projects in China, there is always someone higher up who can decide at will what will happen to any new initiative. Jia was not going to give up though, and eventually had build up some new relationships and acquired enough credit to start over.
A couple of months later, studios were re-erected, some bigger ones were build, and in this second reincarnation of Massbox, foreigners were suddenly welcome. Lectures by foreign art teachers, movie screenings, art performances, live music, long-staying foreign guests, a night-long rave in the tunnel under the hill, anything was possible. Massbox seemed to have reached maturity.
Then again something out-of-the-blue happened: someone in control of finances decided it was time to turn the artist community into a commercial enterprise, and started to rent out the spaces to whoever was willing to pay a premium price. Small businesses took over the art village. Photo studios, marketing agents, interiour design companies, a Kendo school, and who knows what.
Jia was kicked out of his own studio, which he had designed and build himself, to be used now as a corporate office. He decided to take a leave, and went to Tibet to reflect on his future as an artist. In the mean time, some foreign artists could continue to use some studio spaces which were rented by the American artist, art collector and entrepreneur Stevens Vaughn, who has made his fortune in mass-produced decorative ceramics for Western consumers.
At present, Massbox Art Planet is a commercial market place for any business vaguely related to art & design, but it has very little to do with Jia's vision of a breeding ground for independent art. Capitalism has taken over, again.
The project was funded by some Chinese investors, and had the support of the military authorities who own the land. There was one condition: no foreigners!
Over the course of the first few months, there was a lot of renovation and construction, transforming the old stone barracks in tastefully designed guestrooms, and building a small village of wood and glass cabins, functioning as artist's studios. Performances and exhibitions were organized, and a growing crowd of local and visiting artists and enthusiasts found their way to Massbox.
A couple of months later, studios were re-erected, some bigger ones were build, and in this second reincarnation of Massbox, foreigners were suddenly welcome. Lectures by foreign art teachers, movie screenings, art performances, live music, long-staying foreign guests, a night-long rave in the tunnel under the hill, anything was possible. Massbox seemed to have reached maturity.
Jia was kicked out of his own studio, which he had designed and build himself, to be used now as a corporate office. He decided to take a leave, and went to Tibet to reflect on his future as an artist. In the mean time, some foreign artists could continue to use some studio spaces which were rented by the American artist, art collector and entrepreneur Stevens Vaughn, who has made his fortune in mass-produced decorative ceramics for Western consumers.
At present, Massbox Art Planet is a commercial market place for any business vaguely related to art & design, but it has very little to do with Jia's vision of a breeding ground for independent art. Capitalism has taken over, again.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Boat fixing
I recently made a solo trip to Lesser Kinmen (also known as Lieyu), or at least close to its coast. Like most of the other islands opposite Xiamen, Kinmen belongs to Taiwan, and we can not land there without permission. You can get pretty close though, and I have been within 50 m of the shore of several of these islands without a Taiwanese border patrol shooting (or waving) at me. Sometimes you can see them though, with a rifle hanging from their shoulder.
This time I set off on a south-bound course towards Dadandao (also Taiwanese), but turned East before reaching it, heading towards Kinmen. The wind was good, ESE, and being just by myself, I had a good speed. After about an hour of sailing, I zipped along the sandy beaches of Kinmen, with a good view of the nice villas and some fortifications left over from the First and Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in the '50s. I didn't see any people, except two figures walking on the beach. They didn't appear to show any interest in me though.
Just before reaching the far corner of the island, I turned towards a small group of rocks, just to get a closer look. The wind fell, and I was briefly caught in a weird current, which actually drew me backwards, before I could adjust the sails to catch a tiny bit of wind which could pull me out of there. It was a strange sensation. There are some sandbanks in the area, noticeable by short breaking waves and very local disturbances of the water surface. After a short while I was sailing past the rocks towards Xiamen again, and along its long beaches on the way home.
The wind was blowing again, with more force than when I left, and while greatly enjoying the good ride with rolling waves from behind, I suddenly heard a loud bang. I didn't notice anything falling down, so I just continued. I relaxed the main sail a bit, reducing speed somewhat, just to make sure.
After returning to the beach, I noticed something actually had broken. One of the joints of the aluminum frame had fractured. It was already cracked, and Paul had reinforced it with rope. This probably saved me, because the outer part, where one of the steel cables holding up the mast is attached, had separated itself from the rest of the structure and was only held in place by the ropes.
Clearly, this boat was not fit for sailing anymore. The problem is that it has not been maintained very well, and salty seawater has been slowly eating away the aluminum parts. We still don't have a permanent location to store and wash our boat after sailing, so we just pull it up and leave it there. Hopefully we will have a permanent location soon, but that's another story.
Today I went out to take another look at the damaged boat, and decided to fix it at least temporarily, so I could go out sailing again. We had some left over ready-made steel cables with eyelets, and I found one of exactly the right length to wrap around the frame once, and hooked it up with the rigging using a stainless steel shackle (harpje in Dutch). Now I can go sailing again!
This time I set off on a south-bound course towards Dadandao (also Taiwanese), but turned East before reaching it, heading towards Kinmen. The wind was good, ESE, and being just by myself, I had a good speed. After about an hour of sailing, I zipped along the sandy beaches of Kinmen, with a good view of the nice villas and some fortifications left over from the First and Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in the '50s. I didn't see any people, except two figures walking on the beach. They didn't appear to show any interest in me though.
Just before reaching the far corner of the island, I turned towards a small group of rocks, just to get a closer look. The wind fell, and I was briefly caught in a weird current, which actually drew me backwards, before I could adjust the sails to catch a tiny bit of wind which could pull me out of there. It was a strange sensation. There are some sandbanks in the area, noticeable by short breaking waves and very local disturbances of the water surface. After a short while I was sailing past the rocks towards Xiamen again, and along its long beaches on the way home.
The wind was blowing again, with more force than when I left, and while greatly enjoying the good ride with rolling waves from behind, I suddenly heard a loud bang. I didn't notice anything falling down, so I just continued. I relaxed the main sail a bit, reducing speed somewhat, just to make sure.
After returning to the beach, I noticed something actually had broken. One of the joints of the aluminum frame had fractured. It was already cracked, and Paul had reinforced it with rope. This probably saved me, because the outer part, where one of the steel cables holding up the mast is attached, had separated itself from the rest of the structure and was only held in place by the ropes.
Clearly, this boat was not fit for sailing anymore. The problem is that it has not been maintained very well, and salty seawater has been slowly eating away the aluminum parts. We still don't have a permanent location to store and wash our boat after sailing, so we just pull it up and leave it there. Hopefully we will have a permanent location soon, but that's another story.
Today I went out to take another look at the damaged boat, and decided to fix it at least temporarily, so I could go out sailing again. We had some left over ready-made steel cables with eyelets, and I found one of exactly the right length to wrap around the frame once, and hooked it up with the rigging using a stainless steel shackle (harpje in Dutch). Now I can go sailing again!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Three people die in Xiamen floods
Heavy rain overnight caused some serious flooding across South-West China, and also here in Xiamen. I did not witness any flooding myself, but just watched the rain from the comfort of my home, unaware of the flooded streets downtown.
Local news reports show images of inundated roads and underground parking garages, and people on a city bus standing on the seats because the bus itself is flooded. A mudslide at a construction site killed three people. Other parts of South-West China are also affected, with several casualties and hundreds of thousands of homes damaged or flooded.
Local news reports show images of inundated roads and underground parking garages, and people on a city bus standing on the seats because the bus itself is flooded. A mudslide at a construction site killed three people. Other parts of South-West China are also affected, with several casualties and hundreds of thousands of homes damaged or flooded.
Friday, May 10, 2013
A day at the hospital
In the less than three years I live in China, I have been in more hospitals than in the rest of my life. This is partly due to the different medical care system in China. There are no general practitioners, so if you need a doctor, you go to a hospital, even for minor ailments.
While living in Nanning, I went to hospital for a skin problem, then again in Xiamen for a similar case, and twice for stitching. This time it was a sore shoulder. Already for more than six months my left shoulder has been troubling me. When I move my left arm in a backward/upward movement, for example while putting on a tight-fitting jacket, it hurts like hell. At first I thought it was a strained muscle or tendon, and that it would silently heal by itself, but it didn't. It actually worsened slowly, to the point that I have to avoid certain sleeping positions because it's too uncomfortable.
So, today I finally set off for the #1 hospital in Xiamen, to get a professional opinion on what might be wrong with me. We took a taxi to the Chang Gung Hospital in the Haicang district of Xiamen, which is on the mainland. It's a bit far away, about 23 km, and even by taxi it took more than half an hour to get there (65 RMB). This hospital is privately owned and run by a Taiwanese hospital group. It's as busy as any other hospital , so the procedure for registration, queuing for a doctor's appointment, and paying for it, takes as long as anywhere else. You have to decide yourself which doctor you want to see, but at the registration desk you are offered some advice. I first went to see a neurologist, because it occurred to me it could be a twisted nerve. The doctor send me to the X-ray department for a photo of my shoulder, which is what I kind of expected would happen. The photo turned out very well. A well-toned and razor-sharp image of my shoulder (this was the second X-ray I had in China, the first was a chest X-ray for my mandatory medical examination in Nanning). There was nothing wrong with it. A textbook-perfect shoulder. Unfortunately I could not obtain a copy of the high-res image I saw on the doctor's monitor, she only gave me a smallish and rather blurry print-out from her office printer.
The doctor told me it was probably the soft tissue surrounding my shoulder that caused the pain, She prescribed some medication (Methocarbamol and Diclofenac), and made an appointment for a session with a physiotherapist in the afternoon.
By now it was lunch time, so we went first to the food court in the basement. The selection of food was shockingly unhealthy, with burgers and other snack food among the offerings. We settled for a more traditional Chinese platter, which was not very good, so we followed up with an ice cream.
The charming physiotherapist had a full program lined up. She first hooked me up to a machine which was attached to a set of rubber suction cups, which she placed on my shoulder and upper arm. The suction cups were fitted with some pneumatic hammers, which pounded my skin in rhythmic patterns, while the vacuum held them in place. The sensation was quite interesting, actually not unpleasant.
After 20 minutes of automated vacuum massage, she moved me to another machine, which was a lot more scary. Two big electrodes where strapped to my shoulder and upper arm for half an hour of electro therapy. The voltage was cranked up to 45 V, making my upper arm twitch with every pulse. At two to three pulses per second for almost half an hour, my shoulder felt quite numb, and I could feel the shocks all the way down to my fingertips. This was not the kind of therapy I had in mind, so I was happy when it was over. The therapist finally wrapped a very hot towel around my shoulder, which eased the sore muscles a bit while slowly cooling off. When all was done, I did feel a bit better than before, but I don't have the feeling this session was really that necessary or helpful in healing me. I will see what the medication does, I have enough for five days. At least the cost for medical care in China is not so high. My first consultation with the neurologist, combined with the X-ray, was 96 RMB. The physiotherapy and medication was 122 RMB together, so in total 218 RMB, which is about 25 Euro.
While living in Nanning, I went to hospital for a skin problem, then again in Xiamen for a similar case, and twice for stitching. This time it was a sore shoulder. Already for more than six months my left shoulder has been troubling me. When I move my left arm in a backward/upward movement, for example while putting on a tight-fitting jacket, it hurts like hell. At first I thought it was a strained muscle or tendon, and that it would silently heal by itself, but it didn't. It actually worsened slowly, to the point that I have to avoid certain sleeping positions because it's too uncomfortable.
So, today I finally set off for the #1 hospital in Xiamen, to get a professional opinion on what might be wrong with me. We took a taxi to the Chang Gung Hospital in the Haicang district of Xiamen, which is on the mainland. It's a bit far away, about 23 km, and even by taxi it took more than half an hour to get there (65 RMB). This hospital is privately owned and run by a Taiwanese hospital group. It's as busy as any other hospital , so the procedure for registration, queuing for a doctor's appointment, and paying for it, takes as long as anywhere else. You have to decide yourself which doctor you want to see, but at the registration desk you are offered some advice. I first went to see a neurologist, because it occurred to me it could be a twisted nerve. The doctor send me to the X-ray department for a photo of my shoulder, which is what I kind of expected would happen. The photo turned out very well. A well-toned and razor-sharp image of my shoulder (this was the second X-ray I had in China, the first was a chest X-ray for my mandatory medical examination in Nanning). There was nothing wrong with it. A textbook-perfect shoulder. Unfortunately I could not obtain a copy of the high-res image I saw on the doctor's monitor, she only gave me a smallish and rather blurry print-out from her office printer.
The doctor told me it was probably the soft tissue surrounding my shoulder that caused the pain, She prescribed some medication (Methocarbamol and Diclofenac), and made an appointment for a session with a physiotherapist in the afternoon.
By now it was lunch time, so we went first to the food court in the basement. The selection of food was shockingly unhealthy, with burgers and other snack food among the offerings. We settled for a more traditional Chinese platter, which was not very good, so we followed up with an ice cream.
After 20 minutes of automated vacuum massage, she moved me to another machine, which was a lot more scary. Two big electrodes where strapped to my shoulder and upper arm for half an hour of electro therapy. The voltage was cranked up to 45 V, making my upper arm twitch with every pulse. At two to three pulses per second for almost half an hour, my shoulder felt quite numb, and I could feel the shocks all the way down to my fingertips. This was not the kind of therapy I had in mind, so I was happy when it was over. The therapist finally wrapped a very hot towel around my shoulder, which eased the sore muscles a bit while slowly cooling off. When all was done, I did feel a bit better than before, but I don't have the feeling this session was really that necessary or helpful in healing me. I will see what the medication does, I have enough for five days. At least the cost for medical care in China is not so high. My first consultation with the neurologist, combined with the X-ray, was 96 RMB. The physiotherapy and medication was 122 RMB together, so in total 218 RMB, which is about 25 Euro.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Spring bugs
At the same time a black relative had found a suitable spot on the tiles just under the fluorescent tube. Its graphite black wings folded, contrasting nicely with a furry orange collar. Both insects patiently let themselves be photographed. I had to reach out with my camera to get close enough, holding my breath to not induce motion blur. I cropped the images a bit to get the magnification shown, and am quite happy with the result.
By the time I entered the kitchen again this morning, both had already left.
Friday, May 3, 2013
The dolphins are back!
Today I made a solo sailing trip to Huzaiyu （虎仔屿）, a small island about 7 km off the coast of Xiamen Island. It's not much more than a large rock with some trees on it, the interesting part is that it belongs to Taiwan, like the neighbouring islands Dadandao （大胆岛） and Lesser Kinmen （小金门）.
I have sailed around the island once, with Ling Ling, so I knew more or less what to expect. The wind was East, so I could set a straight course, aiming just West of the island. When I finally got there, after about an hour of close-hauled sailing, I decided to tack East, to circle the island clockwise, instead of counter-clockwise, as I originally intended. The wind direction made it difficult to make a close circle around the island from the direction of my approach, the other way around would be with wind in the back, much easier.
The waves are much longer out here, because of deep water, and open sea (well, the Taiwan Strait) behind this string of islands. The wind was not too strong, so it was a nice ride. After circling the island I headed back on a straight course at broad reach, almost running downwind. This is a favourable angle to sail, so I had a comfortable speed, without too much spray.
When I was almost home, I spotted a white dolphin, and then another. They where not very close, but a few minutes later they came to join me. Jumping out of the water to the left and to the right of my boat, and then up front, leading the way, a terrific sight. I have not seen dolphins for quite a while. They might have gone South to escape the winter. Now spring is here again, and the dolphins too!
I only had my sailing phone with me, but managed to shoot a short video. The quality is awful, but you can see one jumping out in front of the boat at 0:30.
It's about time I invest in a GoPro camera :)
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Oven delights
Last week was my third consecutive birthday in China, and Ling Ling was so nice to buy me a simple but adequate electric oven. It was a strategic gift, of course. A gentle push to stimulate me to start baking the cakes and brownies I have been bragging about. It has been at least three years since I used an oven, and I have to admit, it feels good to have one in the house again. I never really craved Western food since I moved to China, but an oven gives a lot more possibilities than only a rice cooker and a wok can offer.
The first thing we tried was a fish. Oven baked fish is easy and very tasty. The past week we did it twice, first a yellow croaker, which is a common fish here, and then a turbot, which was exceptionally good. The turbot is much more expensive than the croaker, but still affordable, at 56 RMB/kg. Nowadays these fish are mostly farmed, since the population in the wild has reduced drastically after years of overfishing.
Both fish are readily available in Chinese supermarkets, usually kept alive in fish tanks and killed and cleaned on request. Always super fresh!
For cake making we needed some extra tools. Cake tins and other baking tools are surprisingly hard to find in Xiamen, so we ordered online on taobao.com. Two days later we received a nice collection of both a large square and a small circular spring form, a rectangular cake tin, and some baking utensils.
The first thing I tried was a simple banana cake, which came out well. Since all the ingredients where right in front of me, I quickly made some pancakes while the cake was in the oven, and taught Ling Ling how to do it.
Butter is not commonly used in China, and a bit hard to find. It's only sold in international supermarket chains like Walmart or Carrefour, imported from New Zealand or the USA, and relatively expensive. It accounted for 70% of the cost of the banana cake. I brought some slices of my cake to the Absinthe bar, for their staff to try. Needles to say, they all liked it. The next step will be chocolate brownies (of course), but the cocoa powder is still missing. I'll keep you posted.
The first thing we tried was a fish. Oven baked fish is easy and very tasty. The past week we did it twice, first a yellow croaker, which is a common fish here, and then a turbot, which was exceptionally good. The turbot is much more expensive than the croaker, but still affordable, at 56 RMB/kg. Nowadays these fish are mostly farmed, since the population in the wild has reduced drastically after years of overfishing.
Both fish are readily available in Chinese supermarkets, usually kept alive in fish tanks and killed and cleaned on request. Always super fresh!
The first thing I tried was a simple banana cake, which came out well. Since all the ingredients where right in front of me, I quickly made some pancakes while the cake was in the oven, and taught Ling Ling how to do it.
Butter is not commonly used in China, and a bit hard to find. It's only sold in international supermarket chains like Walmart or Carrefour, imported from New Zealand or the USA, and relatively expensive. It accounted for 70% of the cost of the banana cake. I brought some slices of my cake to the Absinthe bar, for their staff to try. Needles to say, they all liked it. The next step will be chocolate brownies (of course), but the cocoa powder is still missing. I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Bangkok - Macao - Hong Kong - Xiamen
From Pai back to Bangkok was straightforward: first by minibus and 762 turns back to Chiang Mai, then by night bus straight to Bangkok, where we arrived at 7 in the morning. We had not booked a guesthouse this time, but just went to Udee House again, hoping they would have a room, and they had. A very nice one, actually. We stayed two nights this time, so we had some time for shopping in Bangkok. It was very hot in Bangkok now, 37 degrees Celsius, so we didn't feel like sightseeing. Instead we explored our neighbourhood a bit further, which includes a village with a dense network of extremely narrow alleys, tucked away between the city streets and a river. It took a few tries into dead-ends to find a route between our guesthouse and the Saphan Khwai BTS station, often ending up in somebody's back or front yard.
The 'official' route is a bit of a detour along Pradiphat Road, and finding the shortcut was a nice exercise in navigation, rewarding us with a lot of couleur locale, plenty of smiles from kids and grannies, and some curious looks from motorcycle taxi drivers.
We visited the rather old J.J. Mall, just to get out of the heat, and the nearby Chatuchak weekend market, which was only partly open, since it was not on a weekend. Pradiphat Road, the main road close to Udee House, has lots of street food and sit-in restaurants, so we didn't have to walk far to satisfy our appetite. We bought sweet&salty desserts and fresh fruits from road-side stalls to take up to the peaceful roof terrace of Udee House, away from the noisy street.
Our flight back to Macao left early, at 7:00, but we were not very far from Don Meuang Airport, so we checked out at 5:30 and just got on a city bus (they already start their service at 5 am), which brought us to the airport in 20 minutes for 17 Baht a head. No need to waste money on airport taxis.
We did not have to wait long at the airport either, since by the time we got there, the check-in counter for our flight was almost closing, and we were directed to a special counter with no line. Excellent! Through security and a short wait at the gate before boarding, and we were on our way to Macao.
I spent less than an hour in Macao, because I had to get on the ferry to Hong Kong immediately, in order to arrive on time at the office of Forever Bright Trading, who would sell me a new 6-month visa for China. They close the counter at 1 pm for same day visa applications, so I had to hurry a bit. I said goodbye to Ling Ling in Macao, as she would cross the border to mainland China at Zhuhai, before heading back to Xiamen. She can not travel to Hong Kong without a special permit, so we decided to travel the last part separately.
I just made it in time for my visa application, because I made the mistake to take a taxi from the Hong Kong ferry terminal to the office in Kowloon. In my ignorance I figured a taxi would be the quickest way. Not so in Hong Kong at lunchtime! Moreover, taxi drivers on Hong Kong island (where I landed) don't like to go to Kowloon on the mainland (and vice versa), so it took me a while until I found one who was willing to go through the congested tunnel. The ride cost me 90 HK$, including the 20 HK$ tunnel fee. Next time I will take the MTR.
I arrived just after 1 pm at the New Mandarin Plaza office tower, rushed to the 9th floor and entered the office of Forever Bright Trading. The always calm staff just informed me matter-of-factly that I was late, so "we have to hurry". Already very happy they allowed me, they helped me filling out the form, and minutes later I was out on the streets again. My passport with brand new visa would be ready for pickup at 6 pm.
Before I left Bangkok, I had made arrangements with kYra to meet in Hong Kong, because she would be there for a few days. Since I had no means of communication while in Hong Kong (my Chinese mainland phone does not work there), I had to hurry back to Hong Kong Central, where we agreed to meet at 13:30 at exit A2 of the metro station, which is under the International Finance Center. To my relief, she was just there when I walked up the stairs after navigating through a maze of interconnecting tunnels and exits, and an enormous lunchtime crowd.
We had a simple take-out lunch in the open air, which was considerably cooler than in Bangkok. After that I spent some time window shopping and leisurely found my way back to FBT, this time using the Star Ferry to cross the channel, and picked up my passport. It was busy at pick-up time, so it took a while until I was out again, and then I walked straight to Hung Hom station to take the train to the border, where I arrived at 7 pm. I had done the same half a year ago, so I knew exactly where to go. The border crossing into Shenzhen was quick and easy, and at the bus terminal I bought a ticket for the 20:00 sleeper bus to Xiamen. I had crossed three international borders in one day.
We visited the rather old J.J. Mall, just to get out of the heat, and the nearby Chatuchak weekend market, which was only partly open, since it was not on a weekend. Pradiphat Road, the main road close to Udee House, has lots of street food and sit-in restaurants, so we didn't have to walk far to satisfy our appetite. We bought sweet&salty desserts and fresh fruits from road-side stalls to take up to the peaceful roof terrace of Udee House, away from the noisy street.
We did not have to wait long at the airport either, since by the time we got there, the check-in counter for our flight was almost closing, and we were directed to a special counter with no line. Excellent! Through security and a short wait at the gate before boarding, and we were on our way to Macao.
I spent less than an hour in Macao, because I had to get on the ferry to Hong Kong immediately, in order to arrive on time at the office of Forever Bright Trading, who would sell me a new 6-month visa for China. They close the counter at 1 pm for same day visa applications, so I had to hurry a bit. I said goodbye to Ling Ling in Macao, as she would cross the border to mainland China at Zhuhai, before heading back to Xiamen. She can not travel to Hong Kong without a special permit, so we decided to travel the last part separately.
I just made it in time for my visa application, because I made the mistake to take a taxi from the Hong Kong ferry terminal to the office in Kowloon. In my ignorance I figured a taxi would be the quickest way. Not so in Hong Kong at lunchtime! Moreover, taxi drivers on Hong Kong island (where I landed) don't like to go to Kowloon on the mainland (and vice versa), so it took me a while until I found one who was willing to go through the congested tunnel. The ride cost me 90 HK$, including the 20 HK$ tunnel fee. Next time I will take the MTR.
Before I left Bangkok, I had made arrangements with kYra to meet in Hong Kong, because she would be there for a few days. Since I had no means of communication while in Hong Kong (my Chinese mainland phone does not work there), I had to hurry back to Hong Kong Central, where we agreed to meet at 13:30 at exit A2 of the metro station, which is under the International Finance Center. To my relief, she was just there when I walked up the stairs after navigating through a maze of interconnecting tunnels and exits, and an enormous lunchtime crowd.
We had a simple take-out lunch in the open air, which was considerably cooler than in Bangkok. After that I spent some time window shopping and leisurely found my way back to FBT, this time using the Star Ferry to cross the channel, and picked up my passport. It was busy at pick-up time, so it took a while until I was out again, and then I walked straight to Hung Hom station to take the train to the border, where I arrived at 7 pm. I had done the same half a year ago, so I knew exactly where to go. The border crossing into Shenzhen was quick and easy, and at the bus terminal I bought a ticket for the 20:00 sleeper bus to Xiamen. I had crossed three international borders in one day.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Around Pai: elephants and waterfalls
We rented a motorbike for two days (more precisely: a scooter, but here everybody calls them motorbikes, or motobike), to explore the surrounding villages and countryside. Renting a scooter in Pai is easy as pie. You just walk up to one of the many rental agents, hand over your passport as security, and drive away. Helmets are optional, as is incurance. Most people don't bother with either, and neither did we. Rent is only 100 Baht (€ 2.50) per 24 hours, and fuel is just over 30 Baht per liter, with 3 liter being plenty for two days of driving.
We set off in a random direction, and were out of town within a minute. We soon passed Pai airport (to my surprise there actually is one, but it doesn't seem to be very active), and circled around until we found the Mo Paeng waterfall. This waterfall isn't very spectacular, but provides a nice natural water slide for local kids, sliding down the slippery rocks propelled by the water before landing in a shallow pool. Over and over again.
After leaving the waterfall behind us, we stumbled upon the rather peculiar Chinese Village, sporting a colourful mock Chinese castle, adorned with flags and red arches. The castle seems totally out of place in the otherwise serene countryside. You wonder what was the motivation to build it at this location (or at all, for that matter). At least the castle provides a home for a couple of good-looking twin cats.
We returned to Pai for lunch, and left town again in the afternoon at the other side of the river. We passed a temple on a hill, some sleepy villages, and a sign for a hot spring, which we ignored, because it was already hot enough. While driving through another village, we saw two elephants parked under an awning, and stopped to take a closer look. We had arrived at Thom's Elephant Camp, and stayed for a while to watch the elephants, in the company of a caretaker and two other tourists.
A bit later, we passed a sign pointing to the Stone Forest, which sounded intriguing enough to turn left onto the dirt road. Sure enough, the road was littered with elephant droppings, so we expected to bump into one or more of them sooner or later. When we reached a small shelter, we parked our vehicle and continued on foot. The forest is indeed sprinkled with rocks, and full of skinny trees, some with very big leafs, scattering the late afternoon sunlight in a beautiful way. After walking for a while, indeed an elephant showed up, carrying a handsome couple on its bare back, sitting behind a well-tanned driver.
After they passed us on the narrow trail, the driver dismounted to take some photos of the couple, while the animal took the opportunity to snatch some of the trees for a quick snack. We circled around, following the trail, until we returned to the shelter, where we found our bike still standing. The elephant with its passengers could be seen in the distance, slowly walking back to camp.
Back on the road we passed the World War II Memorial Bridge which crosses the Pai river, but according to Wikipedia was actually build after World War II ended. Nowadays a newer concrete bridge directly next to it carries all traffic.
The next day we found the Pam Bok waterfall, hidden at the back of a narrow canyon, reached by a small road leading into the mountains. At the entrance of the canyon, a small shelter sells soft drinks and snacks. Nobody was there, except another couple with a child who were just leaving the canyon, so we had the place to ourselves. The canyon is so narrow that sunlight hardly enters it, which keeps the place very cool. The waterfall drops 30 m from a sheer cliff at the back of the canyon. Small fish swim in the pool, which is shallow enough to allow wading through to reach some scattered rocks to sit on. The water cascades down the canyon, littered with boulders and fallen trees. A very quiet and peaceful place.
Another magnificent site is Pai Canyon, situated right off the main road, near the memorial bridge. It's not really a canyon though, but more like a network of narrow sandstone ridges snaking through the forest for hundreds of meters, separated by steep valleys full of trees. You are walking at or above the treetop level in many places, with the bottom of the valley 30 m or more below you.
The ridges are so narrow in fact (no more than 50 cm wide in some places), that you have to be very careful not to slip and slide down, crawling on hands and feet in some places. There are no guardrails or steps to help you stay on the dusty trail. The landscape is of a magical beauty though, and again with hardly any other visitors. You wonder what would happen if you do accidentally slip and slide down. Maybe nobody will ever notice.
We set off in a random direction, and were out of town within a minute. We soon passed Pai airport (to my surprise there actually is one, but it doesn't seem to be very active), and circled around until we found the Mo Paeng waterfall. This waterfall isn't very spectacular, but provides a nice natural water slide for local kids, sliding down the slippery rocks propelled by the water before landing in a shallow pool. Over and over again.
After leaving the waterfall behind us, we stumbled upon the rather peculiar Chinese Village, sporting a colourful mock Chinese castle, adorned with flags and red arches. The castle seems totally out of place in the otherwise serene countryside. You wonder what was the motivation to build it at this location (or at all, for that matter). At least the castle provides a home for a couple of good-looking twin cats.
We returned to Pai for lunch, and left town again in the afternoon at the other side of the river. We passed a temple on a hill, some sleepy villages, and a sign for a hot spring, which we ignored, because it was already hot enough. While driving through another village, we saw two elephants parked under an awning, and stopped to take a closer look. We had arrived at Thom's Elephant Camp, and stayed for a while to watch the elephants, in the company of a caretaker and two other tourists.
After they passed us on the narrow trail, the driver dismounted to take some photos of the couple, while the animal took the opportunity to snatch some of the trees for a quick snack. We circled around, following the trail, until we returned to the shelter, where we found our bike still standing. The elephant with its passengers could be seen in the distance, slowly walking back to camp.
Back on the road we passed the World War II Memorial Bridge which crosses the Pai river, but according to Wikipedia was actually build after World War II ended. Nowadays a newer concrete bridge directly next to it carries all traffic.
The ridges are so narrow in fact (no more than 50 cm wide in some places), that you have to be very careful not to slip and slide down, crawling on hands and feet in some places. There are no guardrails or steps to help you stay on the dusty trail. The landscape is of a magical beauty though, and again with hardly any other visitors. You wonder what would happen if you do accidentally slip and slide down. Maybe nobody will ever notice.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Chiang Mai and Pai
After a week of relaxing on Koh Kood, we left the island and headed for northern Thailand. Last year we spent some time in Chiang Mai, but this year we wanted to visit the small town Pai. To reach Pai, you first have to go to Chiang Mai, and the easiest way to get there is from Bangkok. So after disembarking from the ferry, we went straight to the Trat bus terminal and took the 11:30 bus back to Bangkok, then by Skytrain and metro to the Hua Lamphong train station, where we arrived at 8 pm. We were able to get tickets for the 10 pm night train to Chiang Mai that same evening, but only third class seats, no bed. We decided to do it, because we didn't want to stay overnight in Bangkok.
The train ride was definitely less comfortable than the one last year, but nevertheless enjoyable. This train takes 15 hours to reach Chiang Mai, making many stops, so the last part was in daylight through lush and mountainous landscape. We arrived in Chiang Mai at 13:15. We could have continued to Pai straight away, but tired of traveling for more than 24 hours, we settled down at Baan Jing Jung guesthouse, where I also stayed last year before going to Koh Kood. Chiang Mai was full of tourists as always, but still has a relaxed atmosphere. I bought a cool hat for Ling Ling, made by a Japanese designer who runs an arty shop selling clothes and accessories made of hemp, and crystal jewelry. The next day we took a minibus to Pai.
The road from Chiang Mai to Pai is a very scenic and winding mountain road, famous for its 762 turns before reaching Pai. We made one stop midway, at a roadside restaurant which served really excellent coffee. Pai is very small, almost like a village, with only 3000 or so residents. The atmosphere is very relaxed, like a hippie hangout, and the streets are lined with coffee shops, reggae bars, tattoo and massage parlours, and little shops selling hippie clothes and arty stuff.
Surprisingly, Pai also has a sizeable Muslim community, and a large mosque in the center of town, emitting 5 times daily prayer calls over the loudspeakers. I overheard a Muslim speaking Chinese, so I suspect many of them come from China, possibly to escape Chinese oppression. Thailand seems to be a bit more tolerant, but also has some troubles with Muslim integration, notably in the south near the Malaysian border, and on the western coast at the Myanmar border, where recently boatloads of Burmese Muslims have been seeking refuge, with mixed success. Some of the Pai Muslims are probably Burmese as well.
In Pai, the tourists don't seem bothered by ethnic differences, and people from all over the world blend in peacefully. I was surprised by the relatively large number of Chinese travelers here. Mostly couples or small self-guided groups, instead of the guided tour groups with matching caps and flag-carrying tour guide you usually see when Chinese travel abroad.
Most Western travelers are dressed in 'traditional' Thai fishermen's pants or Indian hippie gear, and many of them carry a bundle of blond dreads or a knot of thin long hair on top of their head. And lots of tattoos, of course. We are on the banana pancake trail!
Pai is well prepared to receive the relatively large number of visitors, with numerous guesthouses and cheap bamboo hut accommodation on the other side of the Pai river, reachable by two rickety bamboo bridges.
We stayed at the comfortable but inexpensive Abodaya guesthouse, in the center of town, close to the bus terminal and everything else. We quickly became regulars at the lovely Lonely Pai cafe and bookshop, which serves good coffee, Thai food, and delicious pecan nut brownies. Besides tubing on the Pai river and chilling out at one of the reggae bars, postcard writing seems to be a popular activity in Pai, facilitated by several postcard writing shops, some of them offering printing your own, taken off your digital camera or smartphone. I wrote only one, to my friends at 晴天见, a.k.a the absinthe bar in my home village Zeng Cuo An.
The road from Chiang Mai to Pai is a very scenic and winding mountain road, famous for its 762 turns before reaching Pai. We made one stop midway, at a roadside restaurant which served really excellent coffee. Pai is very small, almost like a village, with only 3000 or so residents. The atmosphere is very relaxed, like a hippie hangout, and the streets are lined with coffee shops, reggae bars, tattoo and massage parlours, and little shops selling hippie clothes and arty stuff.
In Pai, the tourists don't seem bothered by ethnic differences, and people from all over the world blend in peacefully. I was surprised by the relatively large number of Chinese travelers here. Mostly couples or small self-guided groups, instead of the guided tour groups with matching caps and flag-carrying tour guide you usually see when Chinese travel abroad.
Pai is well prepared to receive the relatively large number of visitors, with numerous guesthouses and cheap bamboo hut accommodation on the other side of the Pai river, reachable by two rickety bamboo bridges.
We stayed at the comfortable but inexpensive Abodaya guesthouse, in the center of town, close to the bus terminal and everything else. We quickly became regulars at the lovely Lonely Pai cafe and bookshop, which serves good coffee, Thai food, and delicious pecan nut brownies. Besides tubing on the Pai river and chilling out at one of the reggae bars, postcard writing seems to be a popular activity in Pai, facilitated by several postcard writing shops, some of them offering printing your own, taken off your digital camera or smartphone. I wrote only one, to my friends at 晴天见, a.k.a the absinthe bar in my home village Zeng Cuo An.
Monday, March 18, 2013
To Thailand: revisiting Koh Kood
Xiamen's winter was very mild this year, with a lot of sunshine and not nearly as cold as last year. Still, Ling Ling and me could not resist to escape to Thailand again. This time we would make the whole trip together, unlike last year, when we only spent the first few days in Bangkok and Chiang Mai together.
We decided to first head to the lovely island Koh Kood near the Cambodian border, where I spent the last part of my trip last year. I had booked ahead by email to make sure Cozy House would have a nice room for us, and also booked a room in Bangkok where we would arrive in the late afternoon, too late to continue onwards to Trat, the last stop before taking the ferry to Koh Kood.
In Bangkok we stayed at Udee House, a lovely guesthouse at the northern side of central Bangkok, easily reached from Don Mueang Airport (DMK), Bangkok's old airport, which now serves all budget airlines again. Last year it was still closed, after suffering damage from the heavy floods in 2011.
I found Udee House on hostelworld.com, where it has one of the highest rankings. A four storey house with roof terrace, finished in polished concrete and dark wood, with floor to ceiling windows, a double height atrium with mezzanine, and a Japanese style garden. Good value at 1000 Baht for a spacious double with ensuite bathroom, in tastefully sparse design with nice details. Located in a quiet side street of a not too busy road, yet within walking distance of Bangkok's efficient Skytrain and loads of nice local restaurants, without the burden of overcrowded backpacker hotspots.
The next morning we took the 9:30 bus to Trat, where we arrived at 3 pm. I had booked a room at Ban Jaidee guesthouse, another little gem of a guesthouse which I discovered last year. In Trat we spend the remainder of the day walking around this charming little town, and had dinner at the night market. I also bought a used book (60 Baht) and a lime green leather wallet (200 Baht, my old one was falling apart) from the guesthouse, where the French half of the couple running the place also hosts a bookstore. Last year I only had met his Thai wife, who remembered me. I remembered the wholesome bowl of fresh fruit and yoghurt she served me for breakfast last year, and after finishing another the next morning, we were picked up for the half hour ride to the Laem Sok pier, to catch the Koh Kood Princess which brought us in an hour and half to Ao Salad on Koh Kood.
From Ao Salad a pickup truck drove us to Cozy House, where we were welcomed by mr. Noi and his daughter. A happy welcome, almost like coming home.
Last year I had a small single room, which was perfectly adequate, but this year he had kept the largest room for us, right on the riverside. Spacious and with a private bathroom, affording us a bit more luxury and privacy.
Koh Kood has not changed much, fortunately. It is still a haven of peace and tranquility. The Viewpoint Cafe which was situated on the rocks at the south end of the beach was gone though. I soon discovered it has relocated to the other side of the beach, right next to the Sunset Bar, which has a new owner (unfortunately, this new owner is a fan of electronic dance music). Australian senior Dick who runs the Viewpoint Cafe with his wife Wan from Chiang Mai told me he was kicked out of his former location at 24 hours notice last year November, but was lucky to have found a new spot, also with a great view, at the point where the Klong Chao river runs into the sea. Great sunset views remain, the only downside is the noisy neighbour.
Jay, the tall and amiable New Caledonian who was the former owner of the Sunset Bar, has moved to Bangkok to pursue a career in acting. His beautiful Thai girlfriend (now his wife) has given birth to a baby, so they chose to leave Koh Kood and settle down in the city.
We spent a week on Koh Kood, enjoying the beautiful beaches and crystal clear water. Snorkeling, touring the island on our rented scooter, walking to the waterfall, and eating delicious food at Cozy House and elsewhere. I wonder how much longer this island will remain quiet. I noticed quite a few Russian tourists, and that's usually an early sign of a mass invasion. The crowd at the waterfall surely was a lot bigger than last year, but luckily they only appeared when we were just about to leave, having spent a quiet hour there while everybody else was having lunch.
Koh Kood is still popular with French people, and I actually met three Frenchmen whom I had already met last year in January. Two of them staying at Cozy House again, and another staying at a nearby budget resort this time, where he got a good deal for a long stay. The Dutch divers running the small PADI diving center at Bang Bao beach are also still there, and so are their two competitors (at other locations).
Before leaving Xiamen, I had the brilliant idea of bringing the smallest of our inflatable catamarans along, and making a demo video of how to travel with a Ducky 13, while enjoying the gorgeous and calm waters for daily sailing trips. It would have been fantastic!
However, the newly ordered boats were not in stock, and delivery will not happen before April. Imagine getting on a plane with two extra bags, just 35 kg in total, containing a complete catamaran sailboat big enough for two people, ready to sail half an hour after arrival. That's the great advantage of a Ducky cat over a Hobie cat (not to mention the lower price). Next time!
We decided to first head to the lovely island Koh Kood near the Cambodian border, where I spent the last part of my trip last year. I had booked ahead by email to make sure Cozy House would have a nice room for us, and also booked a room in Bangkok where we would arrive in the late afternoon, too late to continue onwards to Trat, the last stop before taking the ferry to Koh Kood.
I found Udee House on hostelworld.com, where it has one of the highest rankings. A four storey house with roof terrace, finished in polished concrete and dark wood, with floor to ceiling windows, a double height atrium with mezzanine, and a Japanese style garden. Good value at 1000 Baht for a spacious double with ensuite bathroom, in tastefully sparse design with nice details. Located in a quiet side street of a not too busy road, yet within walking distance of Bangkok's efficient Skytrain and loads of nice local restaurants, without the burden of overcrowded backpacker hotspots.
Last year I had a small single room, which was perfectly adequate, but this year he had kept the largest room for us, right on the riverside. Spacious and with a private bathroom, affording us a bit more luxury and privacy.
Koh Kood has not changed much, fortunately. It is still a haven of peace and tranquility. The Viewpoint Cafe which was situated on the rocks at the south end of the beach was gone though. I soon discovered it has relocated to the other side of the beach, right next to the Sunset Bar, which has a new owner (unfortunately, this new owner is a fan of electronic dance music). Australian senior Dick who runs the Viewpoint Cafe with his wife Wan from Chiang Mai told me he was kicked out of his former location at 24 hours notice last year November, but was lucky to have found a new spot, also with a great view, at the point where the Klong Chao river runs into the sea. Great sunset views remain, the only downside is the noisy neighbour.
Jay, the tall and amiable New Caledonian who was the former owner of the Sunset Bar, has moved to Bangkok to pursue a career in acting. His beautiful Thai girlfriend (now his wife) has given birth to a baby, so they chose to leave Koh Kood and settle down in the city.
Koh Kood is still popular with French people, and I actually met three Frenchmen whom I had already met last year in January. Two of them staying at Cozy House again, and another staying at a nearby budget resort this time, where he got a good deal for a long stay. The Dutch divers running the small PADI diving center at Bang Bao beach are also still there, and so are their two competitors (at other locations).
However, the newly ordered boats were not in stock, and delivery will not happen before April. Imagine getting on a plane with two extra bags, just 35 kg in total, containing a complete catamaran sailboat big enough for two people, ready to sail half an hour after arrival. That's the great advantage of a Ducky cat over a Hobie cat (not to mention the lower price). Next time!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Blue cipher
This pink litte egret, which is the official bird of Xiamen, and a common sight at the coast (although not in pink, but in white), caught my eye as a particular nice example of stenciling. In some way, it reminds me of a traditional Chinese paper cutting, maybe because these elegant birds are often chosen as a subject.
The words 鷺島 are traditional Chinese characters, as still used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In simplified Chinese, it reads 鹭岛 (Lù dǎo), and it means Egret Island, which is a pet name for Xiamen Island.
Today I got a notification message from flickr, that my photo had received a comment from flickr user blue.cipher. The comment read: "嘿 iam bluecipher".
So finally I got to meet the maker of this nice piece, as yet in the virtual domain. I sent him (or her) a message. Maybe one day we will meet IRL.
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