http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , China , Fujian , Xiamen en-us Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:35:27 UTC Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:35:27 UTC National Day break What a tripOur 14 hour train from ride Guangzhou to Xiamen Fujian was a blast. The train was packed and we were all separated because we got our tickets so late. I had to have two women move out of my sweet window seat and made instant friends with the guy next to me who was a librarian at a science and technology library in Guangzhou. He was a Hakka and told me all about http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Gulangyu/blog-331303.html Thursday November 22 2007 Xiamen Fujian Guangzhou....Coors tourHello from I have no idea where I'm at in China..... The last I left off was me in bed at 545 am in Xiamen. Xiamen is an island inbetween mainland and Taiwan that is very clean. It reminds me of Miami because of the set up around the coast and the buildings. For those who have never visited China before I can't describe to you http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-321083.html Zaterdag 26 juli en zondag 27 juli. Voor de ldquoVoorzichtige Vijfrdquo Amanda Marcel tante Gerda Carmen en Luc zit de reis erop. De ldquoDrieste Drierdquo Gerda Berna en Wim trekken nog verder voor een 10tal dagen.Toch wat beleefd vooraleer we China verlaten. De Gerdarsquos hadden geen rustige nacht eerst opgeschrikt door lawaaierige Chinezen in de gang later vielen in de http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-311214.html Vrijdag 25 juli. Met bus 87 naar Wanshi Botanical Garden. Er staan meer dan 4.000 verschillende plantensoorten onder andere eucalyptus bamboe palmbomen medicinale planten en een Californische sequoia door Richard Nixon geplant.In de tuin zijn ook een 100tal steeninscripties te ontcijferen lezen.We bewonderden de prachtige waterlelies in de vijver en ook de rode bananen die we vroeger in de http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-311137.html Dinsdag 15 juli.We startten met Chinees ontbijt met gestoomde broodjes groenten zoete broodjes maar wel met Nescaf in plaats van rijstwater en wat Westerse broodjes kaas en speculoos. Voor 1 kuai reden we met de bus naar de vertrekplaats van de ferry bestemming het eiland Gulangyu.We vaarden rond het eiland zodat we een beeld kregen van de Sunlight Rock en het standbeeld van Koxinga die de http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Gulangyu/blog-310092.html Zondag 13 juli en maandag 14 juli 2008.Zondagmorgen om 9.07 uur met de bus vanuit Bierbeek naar Leuven station in KorbeekLo komen 5 enthousiaste medereizigers de bus opgestapt Wim en Berna Marcel en Amanda en Gerda in het vervolg tante Gerda genoemd. Goed op tijd in het station voor de rechtstreekse verbinding naar Zaventemluchthaven. Afspraak met Gerda De Vrij in het vervolg gewoon Gerda http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-310037.html 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 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 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 Sea once againnbspAsia raquonbspChina raquonbspFujian raquonbspXiamen By cosimovagaFebruary 8th 2007cosimo http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-181149.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 The rain fell like stair rods as we sheltered beneath a street awning in Bangkok waiting for it to stop. It rained most days now. People were saying that the rainy season was starting earlier and earlier each year. Was this a sign perhaps that the effects of climate change were beginning to affect weather patterns that could once have been predicted with a near perfect accuracy Change was not a http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Gulangyu/blog-158610.html I went to a very nice botanical garden. It was huge taking many hours to cover with lots of spots left unseen. There were a couple small mountains in the area a lake and some temples. But no restaurants. I became very hungry and had to settle for instant noodles from a shop. It's getting very hot in Xiamen. I will put some random things here. I bought a watermelon bigger than my head f http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-157265.html Located about 3 minutes by ferry from Xiamen there is a popular tourist spot called Gulangyu Island. It has many museums and sights which I did not see because it was raining. But I did go to the aquarium. There are no cars on the island just trams that are at a constant risk of running someone down. The ferry to the island is jampacked and they load the passengers on almost like cattle bu http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/Gulangyu/blog-155654.html I Cooked Some Tofu TodaynbspAsia raquonbspChina raquonbspFujian raquonbspXiamen By mrobertsonApril 30th 2007 I have many mosquito bites and just got another. I will probably get malaria soon. I have little to say as it took me hours to upload all those pictures on this scanty internet connection. The enthusiasm from the beginning has long since waned. A few days ago I saw two blo http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Fujian/Xiamen/blog-153795.html