Going South to Guilin

In addition to our excursion to Huangshan, we took another 3-day trip south to the city of Guilin. Set along the Li River, it is another beautiful region filled with green fields, cragged peaks and mountains, and a lot of tourists! There is a noticeable difference in the amount of influence from Western tourists just by the types of shops and restaurants in the town, such as an Irish Pub, a German restaurant, and of course all the American fast-food chains.

The Waterfall Hotel (a real waterfall on the front side every night!) (Top)

View from the Li River Cruise (Bottom)

The first day we set out on a four hour boat cruise down the Li River. The boat passed 83 km of terrain, and the rugged mountains, lush green fields, and wild animals made for a lovely ride. The boat docked in another city called Yangshuo (much smaller, but unbelievably more touristy as well.) West Street, or the main street, is lined with shops and restaurants all catering to foreign tourists. We toured the area during the day, and at night saw one of the most famous shows in China. Titled "Impressions," the show is set on the Li River with the mountains as the backdrop. It is famous because it features over 600 performers throughout the show, and was also directed by the same person who later worked on the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. It was very impressive! Much of it was in Chinese song, unfortunately not understandable to myself, yet it was again visually beautiful and offered an

insight into a lot of the local minority cultures.

Holding the moon at Moon Valley Hill (Left)

Che is everywhere! Communist preparation shop on West Street, Yangshuo (Right)

The next day we left Yangshuo and headed back towards Guilin to see the famous terraced rice patties. After hours climbing higher and higher into the mountains (in our van), we reached the area. We had the unique opportunity of visiting two of the local minority villages, one featuring ladies who never cut their hair! Some of their locks are over 8 meters long, going all the way to the floor. After we finally made it to the rice terraces, which during this time of the year are all green.

Women showing their long hair (Top)

Top of the rice fields (Bottom)

There is a short climb to the viewing point area which displays all of the fields in the area. It's a beautiful sight, of supposedly the best terraces in the world!

Before flying back to Beijing the last day, we finished our tour of Guilin by going to a few of the famous sites actually in the city. First we visited 2 parks, both set on single mountain peaks sticking out of the ground, called Fubo Hill and Elephant Trunk Hill. They were lovely natural areas, yet the second was definitely more unique. Jutting out from the left side of the peak was a rock formation the really did look like an elephant's trunk dipping into the water. After lunch we visited the "best cave in the region" named Reed Flute Cave. Chinese caves are quite different, as they put multi-colored lights on all of the special areas (somewhat ruining the natural beauty of the cave!)

Elephant Trunk Hill

At night we hopped on a flight to Beijing where we would spend our last few days in China visiting family and touring the city.

Kaká's face is everywhere in this town!

Hiking in Huangshan

After spending a week in Shanghai, we left the big city and went on a three-day excursion to a city (though much more rural) southwest of Shanghai called Huangshan. Also called the "Yellow Mountain," it is an area famous for the unique peaks and cliffs of the mountain range that inhabits the region. After finally making it to town after another delayed flight, we ate dinner in the old city center of Huangshan on Friday night before heading out Saturday morning to the actual mountains where we would be spending the next two days.

The mountains in the clouds (Left)

The stone step path (Right)

Our journey started with a drive to the cable car that after only a twelve minute ride took us up through the clouds to a very high spot in the mountains. We were suddenly transported to a completely different world, where instead of hot, humid, and crowded it was cloudy, damp, and serene. The late morning fog was pretty thick, making the area feel eerie-like and mysterious. The scenery was beautiful, lusciously green with pine trees coming out of the sides of rocks. We were to stay the night at a hotel higher up in the mountains, and first had to hike one hour to get there.

Walking the paths you immediately notice the three things that this region is famous for: the pine trees, the clouds hanging to the peaks, and the jagged staggered mountains all around. After arriving at the hotel, we took another hike in the afternoon to the "Grand Canyon of the West Sea." Another hike full of climbing up and down thousands of stone stairs, the view of the steep valley below was beautiful along the way.

Have to watch where you're walking!

The view at sunset

Unfortunately, since it was summer there was an enormous amount of people on the mountain. Mostly Chinese, it felt a bit like summer camp around the hotel with people everywhere in large groups taking hikes and hanging out in the area.

The next morning my father and I braved the warnings and took the challenge of hiking one hour of straight stairs (2.5km) uphill to the Bright Summit. Though steep indeed, we didn't have any problems except the large amounts of people along the way! The views were amazing from the top; the day was exceptionally clear and we could see for miles and miles around. Unfortunately it seemed like everyone else had the same idea we did and it became quickly crowded and quickly unenjoyable, so we headed back down to the hotel and soon after to the cable car.

Finally at the Bright Summit

At night we went to the infamous cultural show of Huangshan. Showcasing what seemed like hundreds of performers, it was a mixture of musical, play, and acrobatic show with crazy costumes and a plot that didn't quite make sense. Yet, it was visually impressive with spectacular colors and acrobatics. Only pictures can really do it justice!

Sightseeing in Shanghai

After fully touring the World Expo, our time in Shanghai was almost at the end and so we decided to take a day and tour some of the famous parts of the city. Most of the popular places are actually recently-built skyscrapers and towers as well as modern shopping and eating areas.

The Pearl Tower (Left)

The Shanghai World Financial Center (Right)

In the morning we headed to the new Shanghai World Financial Center. Towering above all the other skyscrapers in the Pudong district, the Financial Center is now the tallest building in China and the second tallest building in the world (coming in right after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.) The view from 474m up on the highest floor is quite amazing.

The view from the top of the World Financial Center

Though the sky was a bit hazy, you can still see the outlying area and even all the way down through windows in the floor! In the same area also stands the Pearl Tower (somewhat futuristic resembling a building constructed by aliens) as well as the Jin Mao Tower, which before the Financial Center was the tallest in China. It is a great part of Shanghai to visit as it offers a view of modern China, as well as shopping at many famous stores!

In the afternoon we stopped at the Yuyuan Garden and Bazaar for some shopping, It has a similar feel to the Khan al-Khalily market in Cairo, yet bigger and less dusty with more people and even Western restaurants in the mix. The gardens and waterfront area in the middle are a nice sight along with the old Chinese style architecture of the buildings.

Pictures from Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar

At night we visited what is maybe the most famous area in Shanghai- a walkway along the waterfront called the Bund. I imagined it very old and traditional, but what I found was a modern, newly-constructed elevated walkway along the river that faced all of the new skyscrapers, including the World Financial Center we had visited earlier. It is quite a sight with everything lit up. We took a river cruise and were able to get a nice (illuminated) view of the whole downtown area. After, we walked down the Bund to the famous pedestrian street Nanjing Lu. There were so many thousands of people everywhere you looked that it was hard to enjoy the street without feeling like you were in a mob leaving New York City after New Years Eve!

Shanghai at night (Top)

Nanjing Lu (Bottom)

Nevertheless, it is fun to see all of the stores and restaurants and get a taste for the nightlife in Shanghai.

The Bund walkway along the left-hand side

Tales of China: Starting in Shanghai

*For the last 3 weeks I have been traveling through China, beginning in Shanghai and ending in Beijing. Unfortunately all blog sites are blocked by the Chinese government so I could not post while I was there. These are the tales of the trip!*

China is unlike any other country in the world. It's size is enormous, it is filled with more than a billion people, and there is so much to see and do that just a few weeks is simply not enough to see a small fraction of what the country has to offer. This trip was much different than my weeks in the Middle East earlier in the summer. First of all, I was fortunate enough to travel with my family (or I was fortunate enough that they took me along with them!) Also, for the first time in a long time I did not speak a word of the local language, (Mandarin.) I had been in China for the first time 10 years ago when I was only 12 years old, it was actually my first trip outside of the United States! Yet returning again this time as an 'adult' with more experience, both in travel and in life in general, put a new perspective on the culture and country.

The China pavilion at the World Expo

We started our journey in Shanghai, partly to visit family of my father's wife and partly to visit the city as well as the World Expo of 2010. Shanghai is an incredibly modern city, center of trade, finance, and business for the country. There are a lot of neat things in the city to visit, but most of our time was spent visiting the World Expo. Our of six days in Shanghai, we went to the Expo four times, and it was completely worth it!

The USA Pavilion

A view of the Germany Pavilion from inside of the France Pavilion

The World Expo is known for being an international event to showcase countries and businesses from around the world, yet interestingly enough this Expo seemed to be overwhelmingly Chinese (which makes sense considering China makes up 1/6 of the world's population). They were everywhere! We only saw a small group of foreigners on most of the days. There were almost 200 countries presented, each with a pavilion to showcase their country. Though some were big and some smaller, the exterior of each was designed in a unique way which drew in the tourists to see what was inside. Some we waited longer for than others (Spain), and some we were fortunate enough to get a special VIP entry to (Saudi Arabia, France, China), yet all were aesthetically fascinating. Unfortunately the interior was less interesting than the outside, but it was still fun to visit each country and see what it showcased and offered.

Previously I always thought of the World Expo as a historic event, also called the World's Fair and most popular in the early 2oth century for being the first place to showcase new inventions that now we take for granted. However, this Expo was focused on sustainable development with the slogan, "Better City, Better Life." Visiting the 2010 Expo took away my archaic idea and introduced a new one that was visionary, looking to the future instead of the past.

The futuristic United Kingdom Pavilion, one of the most popular (and hardest to enter!)

My favorite pavilions (that we entered) ended up being Spain, Mexico, China, Chile, Morocco, and number one: Saudi Arabia.

The exterior of the Mexico Pavilion

Home at last

It's been a few days since I have updated, and now I am back at home in Pennsylvania for a few days before heading to China next Thursday. Just wanted to write a bit about my last days in Cairo...

The Nile at sunset

The day before Marissa left we toured Coptic Cairo, a Christian area filled with many churches and even a synagogue. Coptic Christians represent a very small percentage of the population in Cairo, but it is still very significant that they exist. It is so interesting to tour this area of the city as it presents a completely different culture and history than the one so easily found everywhere else. The Hanging Church and the synagogue are definitely highlights in the area.

Outside of the Hanging Church

That night we took a felucca boat ride (most similar to a sailboat) down the Nile with a group of friends. It is one of the best activities to do in Cairo because you get a full view of the city while floating down the famous river.

Felucca on the Nile

It is also a sunset activity- there's just nothing like seeing the sun set behind the buildings with its reflection on the water!

The group on the felucca

Marissa and I parted ways on the 14th, she continued on to Morocco and I stayed in Cairo for a few days before returning back home on the 17th. During those last few days I visited with friends, took some time to finally relax, and managed to do one of my favorite things from home: go to concerts! I was lucky enough to see two in a row- the first was Yehia Khalil, an Egyptian Jazz performer at Al Sawy Cultural Wheel Center. The second was a group called Black Theama, more Egyptian reggae/jazz at Al Azhar Park. Even though I didn't know the music and couldn't understand the lyrics, they were still great concerts and I really enjoyed the music. It's an interesting experience doing something that would be normal in your everyday life (and something you even enjoy), and then doing the same thing in another country and culture- the difference you notice is really eye-opening.

Overall it was an amazing trip- long, exhausting, life-changing, educational, challenging, and of course FUN! I really learned to love the Middle East even more than I did before, and I appreciate the region and the culture for what it has shown and taught me. It is a not an easy place to live in, or even to travel in for some, but I love it.

Now I have just a few days at home and then I am off to China for 3 weeks starting next Thursday, July 29th. More tales to come from that adventure, of course!

Back in Cairo

Out last week in Egypt we spent back in Cairo because the was still so much more for us to see and do. The day after we got back was the World Cup final, so that was the focus of the day. One of my friends, Omar, invited all of us to his lovely house out in 6th of October City to spend the afternoon there and watch the game at night. We were treated to an amazing Egyptian feast by his mother and later got to watch the match outside in their backyard in a seating area with a big TV waiting for us. We were all ready with our jerseys for good luck, and apparently it worked because SPAIN WON! We were dedicated fans the whole way through!

The next few days we visited some more places throughout the city. On Monday we focused on Islamic Cairo. This area, one of my favorites, has three of the most interesting places in Cairo- The Citadel, Azhar Park, and Khan al Khalily. A bit southwest of the center, it is easy to fit all three in one day. In the morning we entered the Citadel complex. Located on a hill that overlooks the city, the Nile, and on a clear day all the way to the pyramids, it is a huge complex. Once entering the main outer walls there are a few places to see, such as the Military Museum, but major attraction is the Muhammed Ali Mosque. Built in the Turkish style, it looks very similar to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul both inside and outside (but without the beautiful blue tiling.) It is beautiful to look at the detail inside all over the walls and ceiling. Outside there is a great viewpoint where you can look out on to the city, and sometimes even the pyramids peek through if you are lucky.

After we headed down the road to Khan al Khalily, or more commonly known to tourists who can't pronounce the difficult arabic word as the market/bazaar. This is the place to buy souvenirs/gifts/anything you can imagine from Egypt. It is a maze of streets lined with small shops where men are waiting to sell you their scarves, pyramids, jewelry, bags, papyrus- it goes on forever. Luckily we were able to hold off the sellers and get a few things we wanted (though we had to go back the next day to get the rest!)

In the evening we went to my favorite place in Cairo: Al Azhar Park. Close to the Citadel, thus offering the same view, it is one of the only green areas in Cairo. It was once a huge pile of garbage until the Aga Khan Trust (a private development company) decided to give the funds to make it a public park. There are so many beautiful plants, trees, and fountains as well as lookout points to watch the sun set over the city.

Alexandria

The view of the sea from the Citadel

To take advantage of the weekend when some of our friends had off of work, the day we got back from Sharm we also headed to Alexandria. Commonly known just as Alex, it is a beautiful city north of Cairo on the Mediterranean cost. Historically it was a city of much prestige, and now many interesting artifacts and ruins still remain. Today Alex is mainly a coastal city popular for Egyptians to take a vacation to during the summer. Many Egyptians also might have an apartment in Cairo and one in Alex as well as a way to get away from the craziness of Cairo on the weekends.

It reminds me of many cities along the Mediterranean, as it has a long Corniche (avenue along the sea), nice beaches, blue water, and everywhere you can small the sea and feel the salty air. We left very late Thursday night in order to spend Friday and Saturday in the city before returning Saturday night. Luckily, a friend offered to host all of is in his family's apartment for the weekend, so we had a big sleepover and were treated with such amazing hospitality that we felt right at home.

On Friday we visited the most important sites: the Alexandria Library and the Citadel. The Library is a highlight for most tourists and one of my favorite places to visit. Now a huge modern building in the center of Alex along the sea, it is historically famous for once holding all of the ancient knowledge of the world (mathematics, language, history, etc.) and being a home to many scholars. It is not expensive to enter and they even offer free tours. The building is amazing to look at (from inside and out) because each detail was carefully planed in its construction. There are normal collections but special exhibits as well- this time we got to see one on Anwar Sadat (the third president of Egypt). It had a really neat collection of his personal items and information on his life and assassination.

In front of the Library

After a meal of fuul and falafel at the infamous Mohammed Ahmed restaurant, where even the Queen of Spain ate, we went to the Citadel at the end of the Corniche to watch the sunset. It is possible to enter the old fortress, but most people just go to the outside area on the sea to sit, hang out, and in the evening see the setting sun. In Egypt people seem to enjoy sitting outside in really scenic areas (along the Nile on a bridge, in parks, along the sea). Smart sellers create makeshift cafés by putting out plastic chairs and tables and offering drinks and a place to sit. It has always been a funny sight to me to see families sitting on the bridge in Cairo when a million cars are passing by honking and screaming.

The Citadel

The next day we spent on the complete opposite of the city in the Montazah. A friend once compared this area to the Villa Borghese in Rome, Italy and in a way it is- it is in a closed off area where inside are gardens, private beaches, hotels, and King Farouk's old palace, It's such a a nice area and really worth visiting, just even to walk around for the afternoon. We stayed until the sunset but unfortunately had to return to Cairo so everyone could go to work the next day and so we could watch Spain in the World Cup final!!