2015

Day 4b: TSE (Trans-Siberian Express)

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TranssiberianmapBeijing to Ulan Bator

Since I will be traveling today, I am posting a map of the Trans-Siberian Express Route for you. I am not sure how reliable Internet access will be on the train, but I certainly will try to stay in touch and keep everyone informed about my saga across the huge, vast Eurasian continent. It is nearly twice the length of the US! You might find the map informative. Trace the route, from Beijing to Moscow via Ulan Bator in Mongolia. Ulan Ude is the first Russian border town we will hit in a couple of days from here.

2015

Day 4a: Last Impressions-Beijing

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FullSizeRender 9Today was visiting Day with Gee Kin’s former professor in Hydraulic Engineering at Tsinghua University. We spent a leisurely day with him and his wife, who is also a professor in Water Resource Engineering. Gee Kin spent a year at Miyun Dam outside of Beijing in 1976 with his professor and other students. They were repairing the massive dam that was damaged by the Tangshan earthquake and that supports Beijing’s population.

The Tsinghua campus is now a bustle of activity and has the energy and flow of Stanford. Google-type buses were everywhere, and students, researchers, post-docs all sped by with focused purpose.

We had an elaborate lunch of Peking Duck, pickled web’s feet, chestnuts and Shanghai cabbage, whole steamed fish, braised pork belly, dry-fried bamboo shoots and green beans, and numerous fruits and sweet desserts.

Since this is the day before our train trip begins, we are taking it easy in this huge metropolis. We trained ourselves to use the new Metro Subway and took several lines each way to become fully versed in one of the largest systems in the world. It was built in only in less than 10 years and is indicative of China’s focus on their infrastructure systems. This is a huge achievement for the country.

More importantly, we observed how kind people were to one another. Passengers were always courteous and apt to get up for elderly people or women with young children. There was no need to provoke a response. It made me proud to be among the Chinese people (the ethnic pride thing in me kicks in!) and I was surprised at these small acts of human kindness within such a massive population. I wondered how often that happened on SF Muni or BART.

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying our neighborhood, where there are many traditional and creative shops to bend the mind (and the pocketbook!). This area has always hosted clever shops, and this new version is only an extension of the past.

Rainbow Confections being cut into pieces
Zen Tea Shop
Post-your-own Postcards and Notes
Ice Cream Flowers
Traditional Papercuts
Mask Shop with Cartoonist

It remains to be seen how well we will be able to communicate once we are on the train tomorrow. You may not hear from me for five days or the entire time I am on the train, although the Internet is purportedly available.

If you are interested in seeing more photos of the Courtyard hotel, please go to their website at http://www.Courtyard7.com. They can also be found in Tripadvisor and Booking.com, where I do a lot of my searches for accommodations. I don’t normally talk about hotels, but this one is truly one of a kind. I encourage you to look at the photos of the hotel.

Updated 8/6/15

2015

Day 3: A Chinese Style Boutique Hotel

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Vestibule to Room
Courtyard outside Restaurant
Restaurant Interior
Courtyard

As mentioned earlier, we are staying at a Courtyard-style residence. This small boutique hotel is over 300 years old and is well preserved and showcases the best of Chinese Architecture. The rooms are decorated with traditional Chinese fretwork and furniture. The public spaces also reflect traditional Chinese art and design.

panorama

Private rooms surround the courtyard. It is well used and shared by guests, who can recover there from the stifling heat and frenzied activity in the surrounding neighborhood. Dongcheng, or East Wall, has become the hot new area after a portion of the courtyard style residences has been saved. Despite much controversy in the recent past, this area was renovated and repurposed to retain its history and old-city atmosphere.

It’s been a fun place to explore and peek into existing courtyard homes. Shopkeepers have been very creative (see yesterday’s post). They sell one-of-a-kind handmade and locally produced clothing, accessories, and of course, food. (This is China, after all!!) Services such as spa treatments can also be found in this area. Both foreign and local tourists alike are fascinated by the clash of modern and ancient Chinese culture.

Updated 8/6/15

2015

Day 2: Beijing First Impressions

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Spun Sugar Pinwheels
One-of-a-Kind Fan Shop
Vest Pocket Noodle shop
High Rise Tea Cup on Platform Heels with Smiley Faces
Retro 30’s Era Shop Entrywayy

We are staying in the Northern Hutong District (Gulouyuan) of Beijing in one of the hotels preserving the traditional courtyard style residences.

A few pictures are being posted here:

1. and 2: Shop facades with spun sugar pinwheels and one-of a kind fans;

3. A contemporary noodle shop where we had our casual dinner, with “graffiti” Chinese style–neatly written post-it notes on a laundry line, notes in English and Chinese on the gyp bd.
4. Two tea cups, high-rise fashion to hold more tea, and the cutesy happy faces.
5. A beautiful retro-1930’s era entryway.

Updated: 8/6/15

2015

Day 1: Getting Ready for Take Off….

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Join me on my first official “Around the World in 80 Days” (last year’s was technically only 68)! My upcoming travel includes the following:

1. The Trans-Siberian Express starting in Beijing, going westward to Moscow via Ulan Bator (Mongolia), Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Ekaterinaburg and Kirov; we will spend time in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

2. Stops in German-speaking countries including Switzerland and Austria (and of course Germany!). Traveling alone, I plan to hit various musical events including the International Salzburger Festival, where I plan to see Jonas Kaufmann, one of my three favorite popera singers. I will also see Cecilia Bartoli in Gstaad, Switzerland, with friend Helena. A two-week course in Schwabisch Hall at the Goethe Institute will be the anchor for this travel and help me improve my German.

3. After flying back to the States via New York in the Fall, I look forward to seeing my favorite female opera star Anna Netrebko at the NY Metopera. After that, I’ll tour the Fall Foliage in Upstate NY with fellow traveler Karen.

4. The finale will be a cross-country trip via Amtrak via Philadelphia, Chicago, Santa Fe, and LA.

Those of you who have been following my blog over the past year recognize the focus on cultural events, art and architecture, history, and music. Please let me know if you have friends who may be interested in following my wanderings. I’ll send them invitations to join the fun. It helps me to track who’s reading, but I’d also like to get a sense of what interests them. Keep the comments coming–I appreciate hearing from you. It does get lonely at times so your messages are always welcome.

There will be plenty of twists and turns along the way, so don’t be surprised if there are deviations or last minute changes. We only confirmed our Chinese train through Russia two days ago, so it has already been a bit of a cliff hanger! The trip officially starts tomorrow, so get ready to blast off!

Update (7/25/15):

The header I posted today is from the signature panel at the Afrosayib Museum in Samarkand. This is among the many beautiful artifacts that were left out of postings last year. The museum is built around this incredible discovery!

2015

La Vie en La V en La J

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Meeting a long-lost friend for dinner in La Jolla proved to be a royal So-Cal experience. After being picked up in a limo at the hotel, I was whisked to the Med at La Valencia Hotel for the evening sunset and an ocean view table. While catching up and talking non-stop til I was hoarse, we shared lovely courses of sea bass and garden vegetables highlighted by a local Foley Chardonnay.

In our conversation, we decided that Barcelona gets high marks for its liveliness, 24-hour living, and Miro scenery, while Sorrento despite many tourists was one of my top picks in Europe for its intimacy and striking setting.

We made plans to meet in Berlin to catch the art scene or go to an opera together in the near future. This weekend gave me multiple opportunities to renew old friendships and to discover many common interests through our conversations. If you haven’t made the effort, please think about getting in touch with someone you haven’t seen for a while. It’s one of the best investments you can make, and don’t forget: life is short.

In case you were wondering, the chauffeur advised me, “We people refer to the hotel as La V”. I was promptly returned to my hotel for a good night’s sleep…to dream about the magic carpet chauffeur-driven car and to kick-start the endorphins by conjuring up the next trip. These thoughts brought a perfect ending to this stimulating, fun-filled weekend to San Ysidro, La Jolla, and Pine Valley.

2015

A Lazy Day in Pine Valley

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We took it easy this morning. After a leisurely cup of cappuccino, we walked to the corner of town to visit Tryyn Gallery, where the owner, Bill, hones beautiful pieces of wood into spoons. He finds the inherent beauty in each piece of exotic wood and turns each piece into both functional items as well as works of art.
imageWe got into an extended conversation about the huge bamboo section that was inside the glass display cabinet. Bill explained that the roots at the outside tip of the piece had been cut and sanded down, and that the tip was the bottom of the root. We had a difference of opinion and believed that the tip pointed up and outside. Which way do you think the tip faced–up or down? Our initial research only confused us more.

Exterior of Bamboo
Interior of Bamboo

Later in the morning were taken on a breathtaking tour of Pine Valley. It is deep in the Cleveland National Forest. We followed an old fire lane up into the hills of manzanita, live oaks, sage and agave plants. The hillsides were laden with thick growth from two weeks of rain, an unusual occurrence this late in Spring season. You can see the panoramic view of the valley in the header above.

After our venture into the hills where we had walked the previous day, we made a stop for lunch at a local saloon. Not too much was going on, except that the counters were made of shellacked half-logs and the seats were even bigger sections of logs. Sorry, guys, no foodie shots available here (you are being spared). A couple of relics served (or didn’t serve) us, in an area where you could hunt, if you used a bow and arrow.

Exterior of Roadside Tavern
interior of diner

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