Euphoria in an Espresso Cup

When you do extended travel, there is always something that breaks you down for a little midtrip meltdown. Is it the strange, slippery seafood that shoots from between your chopsticks and surfs down your throat? Is it living in a tiny little apartment stacked on top of your co-workers? Or maybe the fact that you just ordered 10 pieces of candy and you got a bowl full of rocks...or that crossing the street is like surviving a minor war battle...or that your jar of peanut butter you imported ran out? In our case, it was the third full week of Nescafe instant coffee that broke us.

Our new favorite coffee shop!

AJ and Emily were turning green with coffee withdrawal, and after a stupendous hot pot meal, asked to run to the coffee shop they spotted across the street. Our driver Chou Bing shook his head in disapproval, and we all went back to the van a little deflated. We realized, however, that he was steering us towards better coffee. Given that our day was full of travel plans, we expected to grab a cup to go, American style. Instead, we walked into Dio Coffee and it was clear we were going to sit and sip coffee like proper connoisseurs. 

Coffee.  Chemistry.  Contentment.

We perused the menu and selected a dark blend to soothe our travel-weary souls. We nibbled watermelon seeds tossed in sweet syrup. And then, it arrived. A shiny chemistry set of decadent brewing. It had nobs and wobbles, doolollies and watchamagidgets. They lit a gas cartridge under the pitcher and we all watched the magic brew. When it was done and the golden pitcher tipped to pour, we each got an espresso cup, including our Chinese guides. Belinda, Sherry, and Chou Bing choked down this Western delicacy with the help of four tablespoons of sugar and a half cup of creme. In the meantime, we three rangers sipped the bold, rich coffee that tasted better than any cup we'd had.

The next day, we were jonesin' for another cup of real coffee. So, in the spirit of cultural exchange, we talked our gang into stopping at Starbucks. So we all headed into the Zhengzhou Starbucks, and this time, it was Belinda, Sherry, Chou Bing and Belinda's husband Chris snapping all the pictures of their first time at Starbucks. It sure is nice to be able to "host" them for something unique; they've given us so many wonderful experiences.

Starbucks' menu in Chinese.

L to R: Sherry, Chou Bing, Chris, Belinda, AJ.  A toast to caffeine and culture!

AJ & Emily also bought a gift that keeps on giving...a French press. We toasted our return from vacation with a real cup of coffee brewed in our very own apartment. We are now rejuvenated from our midtrip meltdown and ready for the adventure to continue...

-- Megan Kohli

Temple Time

Buddha watches over everything.

As incredible as it was to see the scenic areas around JC, we also saw many fabulous cultural sites.  Many of the sites our guides showed us were Buddhist temples.  Buddhism first appeared in China during the second century AD.  Buddhism is prevalent (with about 68 million Chinese considering themselves Buddhist), but many Chinese are not particularly religious, instead working out personal matters on their own. 

People leave Buddha offerings of thanks and for wishes of things like luck and health.  If you look closely, someone left Golden Monkey Milk Candy!

Shaolin Temple, the birthplace 
of kung fu.

As if they temple grounds weren't already
pretty, there were roses everywhere!

We all enjoyed the colors and sounds (and people-watching!) of the temples even though none of us know much about the religion.  We probably did not learn as much as we should have, nor wanted to, but temple-hopping was an enlightening experience.  And not only did we see some of the largest and oldest temples in China, we also saw some tai chi (appropriately called 'tai ji') and kung fu performances.  Where we saw tai ji was not just a temple, it was the birthplace of tai ji.  There, we each had a 'master' teach us a few moves.  Between ages 7 and 12, our masters- without even a glimmer of self-consciousness- meticulously and patiently corrected our form.  Shaolin Temple, where we saw some breathtaking martial artists, is the birthplace of kung fu.  With unreal acrobatics, flexibility, and moves faster than the eye can see, we were impressed beyond words.  Then one of the performers shattered two metal rods over his head like they were Cheetos!  

Our masters were so patient with our obvious ineptitude!

Can any of you do that?

Tai ji is remarkably calming to watch.

Who do you think will win this match?

At the birthplace of tai ji, Emily plays Chinese freeze tag.  Will she always win or always lose?

Emily and Megan and a lucky horse.

Golden Week has been just that!  How fortunate are we to have come to this country at the time of a major holiday!  We are learning (slo-o-o-w-ly) the language, but our true immersion has been the cultural experiences and sight-seeing.  Just to understand simple things, like how the Chinese dress or drive, play and pray, has been incredibly enriching.  The knowledge we have gained about Chinese culture has been extraordinary and will certainly help us once we are back at Grand Canyon.  

Scenic Golden Week

Where have we seen that name before?

The view from the top of Qinglong Gorge
looks a little like the view from
Grand Canyon's North Rim.

With school out for the holiday week, we have had plenty of time to see the sights of Yuntaishan and JC.  In fact, we have seen more of Yuntaishan than some of our guides!  And because Golden Week is so busy at Yuntaishan, our guides took us to some lesser-visited areas of the park.  Our first day back at Yuntaishan we visited Qinglong Gorge, aka 'Black Dragon Valley'. Apparently, Qinglong Gorge also goes by another name: Grand Canyon!  That name sure sounds familiar...

AJ and Belinda enjoy the
cable car ride down.

The best way to enjoy Qinglong Gorge is from the bottom.  Like arriving at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of Grand Canyon, there are only two ways to the bottom of this gorge.  Unlike Phantom, only one of the options here is hard. You can walk.  Or you can ride a cable car. Hmm.  What to do?  As much as we wanted to walk, we quickly came up with excuses to ride the cable cars.  "My knee hurts."  "I don't have enough snacks."  "We walked a lot yesterday." More importantly, our guides seemed pleased with our decision!

L to R: Belinda, Emily, AJ, Sherry, and
Megan at one of many waterfalls.

Quivering with anticipation like 5 year olds, we went down.  WHEEE!  It was a long, peaceful ride.  Our knees didn't hurt and we didn't run out of snacks!  At the bottom of the gorge, we walked on a stone path meandering along a creek.  The paths here are highly-developed sidewalks, not at all like the trails we usually hike!  The creek had several waterfalls and the views had some serious limestone cliffs, not unlike the limestone layers at Grand Canyon. After our stroll along the creek, we rode the cable car back up.  From that vantage we saw the walking path we could have taken.  And were we ever glad we didn't take it!  Taking the easy way out isn't always a bad thing...

The hike up!  So glad we made
excuses to ride the cable car!

The following day we visited another Yuntaishan scenic area: Fenglin Gorge.  

The lake at the bottom of Fenglin Gorge.

A floating temple or a boat?

Newly opened to visitors within the last year, Fenglin Gorge can only be reached by foot.  We walked down another paved trail with many steps.  No cable cars this time!  Our excuses of aching knees and growling stomachs wouldn't work two days in a row so we hoofed it down the path.  It really wasn't bad at all and the morning was beautiful!  Arriving at the bottom, we climbed aboard a boat that took us on a tour of a dammed lake.  What we learned from the tour guide's translation is that many of the rock formations in the gorge look like sleeping maidens, old men, ink quills, and Jabba the Hutt. 

AJ geared up and ready to go!

The boat tour lasted only so long before the inevitable came: the climb out.  We walked on a two-mile staircase from the bottom of Fenglin Gorge to the top.  These Grand Canyon rangers are much happier going up trail than down.  Our poor guides, though!  They asked if Fenglin Gorge, like Qinglong Gorge, will ever have a cable car.  In fact, one should be finished by this time next year. What a difference in visitor experiences between Yuntaishan and Grand Canyon!

There is a sleeping maiden somewhere amongst those rocks.

The scenic areas here are amazing and in many ways similar to Grand Canyon.  Yet, the two parks have some remarkable differences, mostly characterized by different visitor experiences.  With our familiarity with US national parks, it is fascinating to see how parks are operated here.  With our sister park relationship, we hope we can benefit from Yuntaishan's ideas and they can benefit from Grand Canyon's!  

Golden Week

Front and center!  Our view at the Yuntaishan staff meeting.

Following two fast weeks of language study, we have a week off.  In fact, most of China has eight days off to celebrate Golden Week. Golden Week combines two holidays- Mid-Autumn Day and National Day.  National Day is similar to America's Independence Day. Families often spend Mid-Autumn Day together to celebrate the fall harvest and express good wishes.

Kam, translating the meeting
for AJ and Emily.

During Golden Week, most families do not have to work and often travel to places like Yuntaishan.  In fact, Kam and his crew expect 80,000 people to visit the park EVERY day during Golden Week!  Grand Canyon folk ought to keep that in mind!  Because the park will be so busy during Golden Week, Mr. Han held an all-staff meeting to pump up the staff.  But we were the honored guests!  Introduced in front of 1300 park employees, we had front and center seats from which we heard the preparations for the week.  As wonderful as being honored guests at the meeting was, though, the best part of the lead-in to the holiday week was family time!

L to R: Emily, Megan, Yakey, Sherry
(our tour guide and Yakey's cousin),
and AJ eat delicious dishes.

Unfortunately, we are in China and our families are not.  To make up for that, we were honorary family members at two family dinners!  Our friend, Yakey, and her husband Yi Bing invited us to their home near HPU for dinner.  Even in China, there is nothing better than a home-cooked meal!  

Moon cake!

Yakey made some delicious, traditional dishes and one of the best dishes we have eaten on our entire trip.  We ended the meal with tea and moon cake. Representing the full moon, moon cake is ubiquitous at Mid-Autumn Day.   (It doesn't taste like moon, in case you wondered.)

Mr. Han excitedly shows off his
Grand Canyon t-shirt! L to R: Emily, AJ,
Mr. Han, Mrs. Han, Mr. Han's son
and his fiancee, and Megan

Look how excited we are to eat....

The next evening, we met Mr. Han, the superintendent at Yuntaishan, and his family for a hot pot dinner in JC.  Mr. Han's son and his new fiancee, Lynn, were there (congratulations, you two!), as well as Mr. Han's mother.  As part of the Yuntaishan family, we shared many stories and laughs, and drinks and food.  Added to the checklist of odd foods eaten: lamb's eye.  Eye, caramba!

....lamb eyes!

Mr. Han and AJ toast the evening.

On toast number 8 (or was it 9?),
Megan looks like she might be done.

What a start to the holiday week!  What could possibly come next? Oh, just a little visit to a monkey reserve and a speedboat trip!  Every day we experience something new, profound, exciting.  Occasionally, we are overwhelmed.  Often, we want to see and do these things with our loved ones.  But this really has been the trip of a lifetime! Scenery, food, family, monkeys.  With the excitement of little kids, our eyes see something new all the time!

Megan and a monkey.

Haven't you always wanted a monkey?  Emily has!

Isn't that a pose from Aladdin, the cartoon?

Immediately after holding a monkey, Megan thinks wistfully of the experience and AJ says, "I'm cool.  I held a monkey, y'all."

Geared up for a speedboat ride!  Emily's nickname is 'Stone Frog' for her swimming prowess.

Curiosities

Traveling around 'rural' China, we've noticed we are some of the only Americans around.  In fact, everywhere we go people stare at us!  Not in a malicious way of course, but people seem to see us as a curiosity.  AJ with his beard is a big hit. Megan's blond hair grabs attention.  But Emily blends in like a sore thumb.  We may be a curious sight indeed, but we have also seen and experienced our own curiosities.  Signs and English translations are amusing, of course, and will receive their own post (spoiler: look for 'asses glue' at a supermarket near you!).  But we thought we would share with you some of our favorite pictures of oddities and anachronisms thus far.  And as Sun, our student volunteer so astutely told us, "What seems strange to you is everyday to us."

AJ treated like a celebrity!

The water faucets in most homes, apartments, and hotels in China do not supply potable water.  Instead, many people carry these jugs around and fill them with drinking water at the market.  We even have a jug of our own now!  It has a cartoon goat on it.

Rather than a door, the entryway to many public areas like restaurants, stores, and restrooms is covered by big sheets of plastic.  This door is at the Li family home in a rural Yuntaishan Park village.

Bikes are one of the most common modes of transportation in China.  We wonder if people ever forget where they've parked!

Another common way to travel is by scooter.  Talk about reducing your family's carbon footprint- it looks like this man could have put one more very small child in his basket!

These random large, fenced-in marigolds in the middle of the road are part of Henan Polytechnic's campus beautification project.

Why are the fire hydrants wrapped with thick rope?  Why not?

From now on, Emily and Megan refuse to eat un-tattooed apples!    

What looks like an alien baby in Megan's hands is a delicious dragon fruit!

As you can see by the abundant corn, it is harvesting season here.  What's odd about that?    

Well, the corn is piled up in the MIDDLE of the six-lane highway, reducing traffic to one lane in either direction for miles!

We have settled in to our new home and things that surprised us at first now seem normal.  But this coming week is a holiday week here in China.  What new and exciting things will we see during the holiday rush?  And can we really top miles and mountains of corn?

Yuntaishan Day 2

Zhuyu Peak...to the top!

As her shirt says, Emily plows
ahead up the very steep stairs.

Following a day with behind-the-scenes waterfall tours and scorpion tasting, we didn't think we could have a better day at Yuntaishan. Were we ever wrong!  Kam and Sherry led us to some absolutely inspiring, breathtaking places. In our private tour bus, we drove to the base of Zhuyu Peak.  Kam gave us two choices to make it to the top: the long way or the short way.  These park rangers did what they know best and chose the long way.  Apparently, only old people take the long way, but we enjoyed our walk nonetheless.  There were some great views!  After taking the long way, we arrived at some stairs.  Some very steep stairs.  So we climbed.  We climbed some more.  Oh, and we continued to climb until the stairs became steeper so we could climb some more. Finally! After stumbling our way upward, we reached Zhuyu Peak!  

This statue told us, "You're not
even close to the top!"

Ahh...the temple at last.

Awaiting us at the top was a Daoist Temple.  Stunning!  To over-simplify Daoism, Dao practitioners believe in things like naturalness, compassion, and simplicity.  There was nothing simple about the walk up, though!  And all around us, people placed prayer cards, on which each person wrote a wish.  

Prayer cards hang from
every available surface.

Because the temple is so high, we wondered if the wishes and prayers made it to their destinations faster.  Our experience at a sacred temple was already special, but then a small, friendly-faced man wearing the navy blue clothes of a Dao monk approached us.  Monk is not quite the right word for this man, but it is the best we can find.  He was the supervisor of this temple and invited us to tea!  Tea, of course, is very much a ritual across China, so for us to be invited to tea with a Dao monk (on the very tippy-top of a mountain peak, no less!) was quite an honor.  We were inspired and honored beyond words!

Such a profound experience!

The old stone village.

We could have stayed at that temple for hours! But our intrepid tour guides had more activities on our day's itinerary.  We walked back down more very steep stairs to our bus, and went on our way to another speechless experience.  Primarily known for its scenery, Yuntaishan also has a number of old, small villages within its boundaries.  Kam showed us his favorite.  

Megan, Emily, and Kam enjoy
lunch at the Li home.

Tucked way back into the mountains, we spent the afternoon at the home of the Li family. Because the Li's home and the surrounding buildings are an active village, few visitors are allowed the privilege of visiting. Again, another honor! Making the visit even better was a lunch invitation from Mr. and Mrs. Li. 

The Li family also operates an inn.

The Lis have a picture of...Pete and Jacob!

Will this picture make it on the wall?

We had a tiring weekend, but the inspiration and good feelings we experienced energized us!  We wonder where our amazing journey will take us next.