Zhangpu, China: Xiamen and Gulangyu Island Video Special

Ni Hao!

Here is my first video blog.  I hope you don't find it as awkward as I do.  SB said it's difficult not to look like a dork when sitting in front of a computer.

C'est la vie.

After the video, I posted my initial script.  There wasn't enough footage for the whole script.  

If you want more information about what did on Xiamen and Gulangyu, have a read.  Pardon the formatting.  It's a hangover from my news days.

Otherwise, here's the video blog:

Our Road Journal - Xiamen and Gulangyu

Here's the script:

HELLO, PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GREAT FIREWALL.

HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL IN YOUR NOT-SO CENTRAL KINGDOMS. 

THIS IS A SPECIAL POST FOR OUR TRAVEL JOURNAL AND MY FIRST VIDEO BLOG. 

SO LET'S GET TO IT… 

[CUT TO VIDEO] 

SB AND I WENT TO XIAMEN THIS WEEKEND WITH THE AXENS CREW. 

THEY HAD TO WORK SATURDAY, SO WE LEFT LATE THAT NIGHT AND HAD ALL SUNDAY IN THE BIG CITY. 

I'D CALL XIAMEN A BIG CITY WITH ITS ONE-POINT-EIGHT MILLION PEOPLE. 

IT'S SMALL WHEN COMPARED TO BEIJING, HONG KONG, SHANGHAI, CHENGDU, OR ANY OF THE OTHER WELL KNOWN CITIES. 

THE FRENCHIES GO TO XIAMEN ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND. 

THEY GO FOR THE WESTERN COMFORTS THAT THEY MISS BACK HOME. 

WE STAYED AT THE MARCO POLO HOTEL. 

IT'S IN THE EX-PATRIOT PART OF TOWN. 

SURROUNDING THE HOTEL ARE RESTAURANTS FROM ITALY, THE U-S, AND FRANCE AMONG OTHER PLACES.

THE FIRST NIGHT WE ATE AT A PLACE CALLED ME-AND-YOU-TWO.

IT HAD AN OUTDOOR SEATING AREA AND STAGE FOR LIVE MUSIC.

COLLEGE-AGE STUDENTS PACKED THE PLACE. 

EACH TABLE HAD THESE LARGE, MULTI-PITCHER BEER TAPS.

A TABLE OF ABOUT EIGHT, SMALL CHINESE WOMEN DOWNED ABOUT THREE OF THEM IN THE TIME WE WERE THERE.

IT REMINDED ME OF THE MEMORIAL UNION TERRACE BACK AT THE U-W. 

WE KEPT THE NIGHT RELATIVELY LIGHT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO FEEL GOOD THE NEXT DAY.

[CUT TO COMPUTER CAM]

WE HAD ONLY SUNDAY IN XIAMEN, SO WE MADE THE BEST OF IT BY GOING TO GULANGYU.

GULANGYU IS A SMALL ISLAND OFF XIAMEN.

IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE FELT LIKE TOURISTS IN CHINA…

AND IT FIT MUCH OF WHAT WE WERE TOLD AND WARNED ABOUT IT.

[CUT TO VIDEO]

WE TOOK A FERRY TO THE ISLAND BECAUSE CARS ARE NOT ALLOWED.

THERE WERE NO LINES TO GET ON THE FERRY WHEN IT ARRIVED.

AS SOON AS THE GATES OPENED, PEOPLE PUSHED THEIR WAY ON…

CUTTING THROUGH ANY SEMBLANCE OF A LINE.

THANKFULLY, WE WERE PREPARED FOR THIS.

ONCE WE GOT ON THE ISLAND, WE TOOK A BRIEF WALK AROUND IT.

IT WAS A STRANGE MIX OF WORKERS AND PEOPLE LIVING IN LUXURY.

MANY OF THE HOMES ON GULANGYU ARE EUROPEAN OR AMERICAN IN STYLE.

LIKE MOST OF THIS REGION, TOO, IT'S BEING DEVELOPED TO ATTRACT TOURISTS.

THERE WERE PARKS AND BEACH-FRONT WALKING PATHS.

YOU COULD SEE XIAMEN FROM GULANGYU.

THE SMOG MADE IT DIFFICULT TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE SKYLINE AS YOU CAN SEE.

IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE HORIZON ANYWHERE WE'VE BEEN.

THE POLLUTION IS PRETTY BAD.

AT ONE OF THE PARKS WE STUMBLED UPON A GROUP OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS.

OLIVIER TOLD US THAT COUPLES WILL MEET AT PARKS LIKE THIS A WEEK OR TWO BEFORE THEIR WEDDINGS AND TAKE THE PICTURES BEFORE THE CEREMONIES.

AS YOU CAN SEE, PHOTOGRAPHY COMPANIES HIRE DOZENS OF PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ASSISTANTS.

THEY COVER ABOUT TWO TO FIVE DIFFERENT WEDDINGS IN A DAY.

IT WAS AN EFFICIENT OPERATION.

THEY EVEN RENT OUT THE CLOTHES COUPLES WEAR.

THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER CHRIS AND CAITLIN.

OUR TRIP AROUND THE ISLAND WAS CUT SHORT BY THE RAIN.

WE TOOK UP REFUGE IN A BAR.

WE ORDERED A COUPLE BEERS, FRENCH FRIES, AND ESCARGOT.

OLIVIER INSISTED IT WAS THE WORST ESCARGOT HE EVER HAD BECAUSE THE SNAILS WEREN'T DRIED OUT AND TASTED LIKE THE SEA.

I WASN'T IMPRESSED, EITHER.

AFTER THE RAIN QUIETED DOWN, WE CONTINUED AROUND THE ISLAND.

THERE WERE MORE BEACHES ON THIS SIDE. 

OLIVIER SAID PEOPLE GO SWIMMING IN THE SUMMER.

HE DOESN'T.

THE WATER LOOKS TOO DIRTY FOR HIM.

THESE WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE ON THE BEACH THAT DAY.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BEACH, WE FOUND THIS COOL GARDEN THAT AT FIRST LOOKED LIKE A BORING MUSEUM.

THAT MAN-MADE ROCK WALL HAD TWELVE STATUES HIDDEN INSIDE…

EACH REPRESENTING ONE OF THE TWELVE CHINESE ZODIAC.

IT REMINDED ME OF THE CITY MUSEUM IN SAINT LOUIS MISSOURI.

THE TUNNELS WERE TINY…

THE STAIRS WERE NARROW AND BENDY…

AND THE WHOLE TIME YOU'RE PLAYING A GAME TRYING TO FIND THE STATUES.

EVENTUALLY, WE FOUND THEM ALL.

[TWELVE PHOTO GRAPHIC]

HERE IS…

THE RAT

THE OX

THE TIGER

THE RABBIT

THE DRAGON 

THE SNAKE

THE HORSE

THE SHEEP

THE MONKEY

THE ROOSTER

THE DOG

AND

THE PIG

[LINK TO WIKIPEDIA PAGE]

THE CREW WAS PRETTY SICK OF ME BY THE END OF IT…

I RAN AROUND TRYING TO GET A PICTURE OF EACH STATUE.

THEY GOT SOAKED IN THE RAIN

IT WAS A LOT OF FUN FOR ME, THOUGH.

DE SOLEE!

ONCE WE LEFT THE GARDEN WE WERE ON A MAZE OF TINY STREETS, SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, AND PEOPLE.

THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME AND PLACE WE COULD BUY SOUVENIRS WHILE HERE.

I BOUGHT A SET OF STONE DEMONS AND AMULETS FROM A SHOP.

WE ESCAPED THE RAIN AGAIN BY DUCKING INTO A CORNER CAFE.

ONCE IT STOPPED, WE MADE OUR WAY BACK TO THE FERRY AND THE MAIN LAND.

[CUT TO CAM]

UNFORTUNATELY I DIDN'T GET ANY PICTURES OR VIDEO OF IT…

BUT BEFORE WE LEFT XIAMEN WE HAD ONE OF THE BEST MEALS I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE.

OLIVIER KNEW THE OWNER OF A FRENCH RESTAURANT IN XIAMEN.

IRONICALLY, HE WAS FROM ARCACHON, FRANCE WHERE MY GOOD FRIEND LOUIS OWNS A HOME.

SB AND I VISITED THERE BACK IN 2005.

THE FOOD AT THIS RESTAURANT IN XIAMEN WAS INCREDIBLE.

THEY HAD A SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY MENU THAT CAME WITH A FIVE COURSE MEAL…

AND AT THE END YOU GOT CHOCOLATE AND FLOWERS.

WISH OUR MOTHERS COULD'VE BEEN THERE TO ENJOY IT WITH US.

WE ENDED UP LEAVING XIAMEN PRETTY LATE AND THE NEXT DAY WAS ROUGH FOR SB AND THE CREW.

WE'LL BE HEAD BACK TO XIAMEN BEFORE WE LEAVE HERE, SO THERE COULD BE MANY MORE STORIES TO COME FROM THE ISLANDS.

UNTIL NEXT TIME…

XIA JIAN!