Lama Temple

Monday, on my Beijing trip, I went to the Lama Temple.  It was officially Lunar New Year, so there were many people at the temple to light incense and pray, bowing to the four directions and, I guess, wishing for a lucky year.  It was quite lovely, actually, because it made the air so fragrant.  The temple was once a palace, so it's quite lavish.  The various buildings contained several Buddha-y things, along with Buddha himself in many forms, not the least of which was one seriously impressive Buddha carved from the truck of a single white sandlewood tree and measuring in at 36 meters tall. The top of my head barely reached the same height as the top of this Buddha's sandle strap. Sorry, folks, taking pics of Buddha while people pray is asking for trouble, so just imagine the tallest coolest Buddha ever, okay?  Please, enjoy this karma-friendly pics of the temple.

The front gate

Tree-lined path towards the temple

People lighting incense in huge coal burners and praying to the four directions.

 

Joining in the local New Year's tradition

Yes, all the smoke in these pictures is incense.  It smelled really nice at the Lama Temple.

My Beijing travel buddy, Monica!

 Now, off to the Temple of Heaven!

Sitting on the City Walls

Arrived in Beijing Saturday afternoon.  I was able to take a subway all the way from the airport to within a couple of blocks from the hostel for only a couple of bucks.  Following the directions, I arrive in a neighborhood hutong (alley).  Traditionally, Beijing is a series of small, walled alleyways connected to each other in seemingly random order.  Doors in the walls connect the alleys to ancient courtyard homes.  So, I arrive in my hostel's alleyway, thinking "What the fuck!  I thought this was supposed to be a nice place." 

I weave my way around several turns until I finally spot a small sign marking a red door.  I knock and wait.  I ring and wait.  I panic with my little wheelie-suitcase in a strange, narrow Chinese alley and wait.  After a few minutes, a man opens the door, to my great relief, to a gorgeous hostel that was a privilege to call my home for a week. 

Sitting on the City Walls Hostel is an upkept traditional courtyard house decorated to offer a relaxing, very Chinese oasis for guests.  They have a decent menu, beer, wine, tea, internet...pretty much anything a traveler could want.  The host, Rick, is very informative and eager to share information about the city and how to get around in it.  Included in my stay where tickets to a Peiking Opera and discount tickets to other shows.  They also arranged my transportation to the Great Wall.  The best part is that they are centrally located to all the places a person could ever want to tour in Beijing and only a block from the Forbidden City. 

If you want to learn more about this hostel, visit their website:  http://www.beijingcitywalls.com/

Girl's Generation on Letterman

Hey, look at this!  Girl's Generation (SNSD) on David Letterman.  Even though it's hard tell these groups apart, this is one of the most famous K-pop groups in SoKo.  I wonder if they know how lucky they are to be on set with three legends (especially Bill Murray,  LOVE HIM).  In any case, the girls are looking really hot so I'm sure Regis, Dave, and Bill are feeling pretty lucky themselves. 

Raise the Red Lantern

This is the kick-off post to begin my Beijing Vacation series. (The title is inspired by a wonderful Chinese movie of the same name. Check it out!) Being a dragon myself, this week-long adventure over Chinese New Year felt particularly special.  I thought of it as a week-long birthday and treated myself accordingly.  The highlights were many.   I've never filled so many photo disks in one week (on my awesome new camera that I gave myself for my "dragon-birthday")! Maybe I got a little carried away with the red lanterns, but they were so quintessential to the whole Chinese experience that I couldn't help my whip my camera out every time I saw them (intervals of about 47 seconds).  Enjoy the pics and the posts to follow about the beautiful, and quite possibly my new favorite, city of Beijing, China.  

   

Top Pop for Winter

This winter's K-pop sensation is by the Wonder Girls: Be My Baby.  Really, it is no wonder; these girls are very popular here.  It's quite a catchy little tune.  Enjoy. 

Hoa's Place at China Beach

China Beach is my favorite place in Vietnam, and one of only two places in the country I would consider revisiting.  I stayed at Hoa's Place, a stone's throw from the beach itself.  Hoa's Place is a small guest house with the ambiance of an international hostel.

Don't miss the sign to Hoa's Place (Hai Hoa).

On staff is Hoa, the warm and friendly host.  Hoa is a survivor of the Vietnam War.  As a child of 12, he struggled with the constant threats of war and hunger.   When American soldiers took over his local beach for their R-n-R retreat, he was lured by the steak and potatoes into joining a civilian corp and given a gun at that tender age.  He fought in support of the America throughout the war in order to feed his mother and siblings.  Hoa also found a new family among the American soldiers whom he remembers fondly through stories that he shares with his visitors.  Though joining the Americans in VietCon territory has ostracized him from his Vietnamese neighbors for life, Hoa has still managed to rebuild a rich and happy life in his China Beach home.  Honestly, Hoa is the nicest and most genuine person I met in all of Vietnam (and the only one that didn't try to hose me for money). 

Hoa!

Hoa's wife offers a small menu of diner-esque foods throughout the day in the open-air dining room.  In the evening, a large Vietnamese meal is shared family-style among the staff and guests.  Beer is stocked in a large cooler, and guests take of this cooler at will.  Rooms are $5 a night or $8 with A/C.  There are surf boards, boogie boards, and motorbikes for rent.  All expenses are recorded in a notebook and tallied up at the end of the stay.  I stayed for a couple of nights, having pressing matters to attend to back in Hanoi, but I would have liked to have stayed much longer.  In fact, Hoa's is so wonderful and relaxing that guests often find themselved signed up for two or three nights but staying thirty or forty nights instead. 

Hoa's Place

A main reason for this extended stay is China Beach.  That lovely paradise is a two-minute walk from Hoa's Place.  I got to enjoy this last vestige of heaven-meets-earth in near seclusion and in perfect weather.  The beach stresses for miles in both directions.  Miles of pale yellow sand, unlittered.  Miles of cool, almost warm, ocean water (perfect until about 4 pm when schools of tiny stinging jellyfish float shoreward).  The beach is positively...vintage.

The short walk to the beach. 

Kris on China Beach

Most times, the entire expanse is empty save for an hour at sunrise when the locals converge for their group exercise routine and for an even briefer time when kids let out from school and take a quick swim to cool off.  A short way off the coast, a few local fishing boats float.  Otherwise, the beach is empty.  For a while, I was self-proclaimed Queen of China Beach and no one opposed.  

Local kids cooling off.   Locals swim in their clothes.

Local fishing boats are small, round, woven baskets.

Long live the Queen!

I recommend visiting China Beach soon in order to enjoy it in this utopic state.  All along the stretch of beach, dozens of resorts are planned that will surely and sadly change the face of China Beach forever.  With hope, however, Hoa's Place will remain unchanged.  When you go, remember to bring a small photo to glue into Hoa's guestbook.   

Martial Arts for the Skinny Bitch

This video has all the lessons you'll ever need to fight for your man.  All the moves are clearly demostrated with proper use of weapons necessary to the applicable situations.  Your welcome, ladies!  ㄲㄲㄲㄲ!

This K-Pop music video is Girl's Day: Twinkle Twinkle  걸스데이: 반짝반짝