http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , China , Fujian en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:05:40 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:05:40 BST Hello allThe next stop on the Rich and Al world tour was Gulangyu a small island off a slightly bigger island Xiamen. To saves ourselves going through an epic 22 hour train journey we splashed the cash and flew from Shanghai in just over an hour. We then took a short bus journey to the ferry port in Xiamen. When we got off the bus the heavens opened and by the time we ran the 200m to the fe http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Gulangyu/blog-290245.html When I first started thinking about what I wanted to see in China aside from the obvious tourist sites I really wanted to visit some mountainous countryside that was far removed from the big cities. I found this in Wuyishan.Wuyishan has a polulation of less than 30000 and is essentially a town at the entrance to a national park. In the days that we spent at Wuyishan we never saw another wester http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/blog-251876.html It's now day 5 on the road and the time is nearing for me to leave Xiamen. Unfortunately the train for Guangzhou leaves in the evening so I have pretty much most of the day to spend waiting for this train.Yesterday was a great day another early start and very productive day I seem to be waking up early and hitting the sack early. I headed off to Gulang Yu which is only a ten minute ferry ri http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Gulangyu/blog-251169.html It's now day 5 on the road and the time is nearing for me to leave Xiamen. Unfortunately the train for Guangzhou leaves in the evening so I have pretty much most of the day to spend waiting for this train.Yesterday was a great day another early start and very productive day I seem to be waking up early and hitting the sack early. I headed off to Gulang Yu which is only a ten minute ferry ri http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Gulangyu/blog-251168.html I've arrived safely in Xiamen The train journey wasn't as bad as I had expected and to be honest it passed pretty quicklyI actually met a couple of Chinese guys before I even got on the train who worked in Xiamen so they were able to give me the low down on the place They were desperate to practice their English as I was also keen to practice my ChineseThe living conditions on the train were http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Jimei/blog-250632.html Well I had planned to keep this blog up to date on a daily basis unfortunately the computers in the place I'm staying run at a snails pace and therefore its rather difficult to sometimes even get onlineI've arrived safely in Xiamen The train journey wasn't as bad as I had expected and to be honest it passed pretty quicklyI actually met a couple of Chinese guys before I even got on the train w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Jimei/blog-250626.html After our delayed flight from Bangkok which Air Asia felt bad about so they supplied every passenger with a burger from Burger King and a bottle of water we arrived safely in Xiamen and caught a taxi to our hostel. Being the middle of the night we would have to wait until the break of day to get a feel for the city itself. The staff at the International Youth Hostel were very friendly especi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-250523.html A five minute ferry ride from the city of Xiamen Gulangyu is an island still transitioning from its colonial past. Its a fine example of China's cultural resilience. The look is still European but the vibe is entirely Chinese. A Brief Overview of the History of the Concessions The Opium Wars were a terrible loss for China not only because it legalized a terrible drug addiction and cemented a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Gulangyu/blog-239244.html We had hoped to see more of China in the second week of Danrsquos holiday possibly to Henan and Xirsquoan cradles of Chinese civilisation. However tours are exhausting and for Dan after the long hours at work a second tour was unthinkable. We started dreaming of a few days at a resort on Sanya Beach on Hainan but a phone call between Dan and her father made it clear that we needed to http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Fuzhou/blog-217290.html On the evening of 30 September Dan and I hopped on a sleeper bus to Fuzhou the city where she grew up. Fuzhou is surrounded by mountains so rail travel was not practical. We arrived there on the National Holiday. We soon meet Dan's father who is a remarkable individual who jogs some 2 hours per day. He very sober in his habits and certainly wanted to know how I would care for his daughter. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Fuzhou/blog-209309.html We decided to venture across the water to Gulangyu a small island across the water from Xiamen where many old colonial buildings and historical sites are still standing. There are beautiful trees some of which are 200 years old and gardens as well. Gulangyu in Pinyin literally means Piano Island. The island was home to a famous music school and contains the world's largest piano museum we http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Gulangyu/blog-203970.html This travel blog begins with my family's trip to China. Sharon and I have taken an assignment as business professors for one semester at Jimei University in Xiamen Fujian Province China. We leave home on August 26 2007 travel to Hong Kong for a 3day visit and then on to Xiamen. Our 15year old son Andrew will accompany us.Since our older son David is going away to college at George Washi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Jimei/blog-202250.html Getting around here is a bit of a challenge when you don't know the language. Xiamen is an island but we live at Jimei University which is on the mainland. Jimei is basically a college town built around the schools of the university. There are many small shops bars and restaurants that cater to college students but not much else to do there. There's a Kentucky Fried Chicken but not much els http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-200401.html We've finished our first week of teaching here. I'm teaching Human Resources Management to undergraduate Seniors and my husband is teaching Business Negotiation to undergraduate Sophmores.The Chinese students are all very polite and hardworking. Their English is quite good as it should be since they've been taking English classes since they were in Kindergarten.We are living in the oncampus fo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-200352.html The Road Away From Hong Kong Wherever It LeadsI have to get out of Hong Kong itrsquos killing my budget not to mention the way itrsquos keeping me stuck on the right side of the continent I will never leave China at this rate. Irsquoll say goodbye to the Austrians the night before Irsquoll stay at home that night no partying allowed. Irsquoll make a clean escape early in the morni http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/blog-193284.html The Sea once againnbspAsia raquonbspChina raquonbspFujian raquonbspXiamen By cosimovagaFebruary 8th 2007cosimo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-181149.html On Friday night M. picked us up at the end of his workday for the four hour drive to his hometown of Fuzhou where we stayed at the 3star Yishan Hotel. The next morning M. and his wife Y. took us to one of the older streets in the city a fascinating mix of small stores and craftsmen. Among the most interesting were the wedding decoration shop the street butcher's and old cobbler's shops and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Fuzhou/blog-179975.html We've returned to Xiamen to visit friends and see some familiar sights from our adventure here last year. TRANSPORTATION TRIVIA An inexpensive and convenient way of getting around Xiamen is to use taxis. We collect and carry business cards of our hotelapartment certain restaurants people we know etc. to communicate our destination to the drivers. The rules of the road are another matter. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-177896.html We speed through Xaimen is favour of Gulangyu Island which is well worth a nights stay free ferry on the way over 8RMB on the way back. It's just like the set from that old 60's tv show 'The Prisoner' where a spy wants to quit spying and he gets kidnapped and placed in a carefully designed 'village' for ex spies who know too much to live out the rest of their days. The lawns LAWNS are immacu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Gulangyu/blog-176296.html Well we arrived safely in Xiamen China last Monday 18 June and yes it is true travelling in China ain't easy. Just wait for our blog on Beijing where we are now Virtually no one speaks any english at least where we landed and there are very few signs in english. But just when you need help some one with enough english just seems to come along and get you out of the predicament. For http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-173649.html Whenever I say Gulang Yu that bloody ABBA song makes me go Aha in my mind...Yes well... We arrived with directions from Shannon as to where we should stay. Though Xiamen is an island off the coast of China with a long history as 'Amoy' Gulang Yu was our target. Just a few hundred metres from the ferry terminal the island sat in the searing sun looking something like a cross between Portugal http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-165596.html