China Beach?....only on TV

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We finally made it to a beach-- on the SE coast of China, in Xiamen. Lazing out on the sand, sipping cocktails, taking a dip to get the old heart going again (or to take a thinly-veiled piss break). That's what we pictured before we got here. But the first sight we arrived to on the beach were 3 guys in Dockers and dress shoes posing for pictures on the shore. There's no laying around or building sandcastles here. Beachfront is valued only as a photo backdrop.

So it was a bit of a letdown as far as beach activity goes. But if that wasn't disappointing, it surely was discovering that Xiamen's population is made up of about 43% Chinese, 8% tourists and 49% mosquito. We had purchased some top-of-the-line, African Nile-quality mosquito sleep nets just before this trip only to decide at the last second that we didn't think it was worth it to add 32 oz to our pack (though we did bring 2 lbs worth of powdered Gatorade)(?!).

So in place of scientifically-treated fine-mesh netting, we've had to MacGyver our own mosquito defense. In this humid, balmy beach weather, we're obligated to sleep in long-sleeves and pants to barrier every inch of exposed skin-- covering our hands with socks (we didn't think to bring gloves to 80 degree China), and making babushkas out of our t-shirts. I feel like that guy who invented that bear-suit to fend off Grizzly attacks. His was made out of of titanium alloy and was supposed to be impenetrable to up to 300 lbs of force. (Hank, not the bear-suit from the Column-- remember that guy?). Our get-up may not be as sturdy but when you're trying to get comfortable sleeping, its just as unwieldy and it dun't look much prettier. And the worst part is that the problem isn't confined to just the bedroom. The bathroom is WALLPAPERED with mosquitoes. And we're back to the squat hole, so your dangling your butt out like a lamb shank to lions.

But the city itself does have it's finer moments- there's an island, Gulangyu, that's just a 10 min ferry ride across the inlet. It's a bit catered to souvenir shoppers but b/c the island prohibits any vehicle traffic (aside from golf-carts that shuttle tourists around) you can find solitude by veering off the tourist circuit and following the narrow stone pathways that wind around old colonial mansions and museums. And you can still take advantage of the oceanfront by dining out in the fresh sea air or just taking the initiative to chill out on the sand yourself. Sometimes it's actually more peaceful that way.

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Comments

[Tyler]

OMG
I think this has to be the funnies travel blog yet. Cara we thought the Jamaican mozzies were bad. I almost fell off my chair with the picture "Fending off mosquitoes" Great! Take it easy guys. Miss you, love ya! :)

[Nancy]

Family secret
Hey Jay, powered gatorade can be used to make mosquito repellent - Old family secret. Miss you guys!

[Sabrina]

Beautiful beach
China does have beautiful beaches. But, you have to go to more southern part.

[Carolee and Jay]

Better beaches
Yes we heard Hainan has great, lounging-type, beaches-- especially Haikou. But we weren't able to make it down there. In all actualiy, Xiamen was great as it was.