A Walk On Top of the City Wall - part 1

Archery tower on top of one of the ramparts

I hadn't intended to walk the city walls on this day, but after walking a bit along a park-like path alongside and looking up at the massive structure, I couldn't stay away. Its 40-foot (12 meters) high brick walls with protruding ramparts beckoned me.

Yongning - South Gate

I walked up the promenade leading to the South Gate, known as Nongning, meaning Eternal Peace. This was extremely close to the subway stop where I exited. Being one of the major tourist sites in the city, signs in English were present. I paid for the entrance ticket by having the QR code on my WeChat app scanned – much easier than using cash.

A wide and lengthy walk

Once on top of the walls, the width and legnth of the wall impressed me. It is between 40-46 feet in width. From my view at the South Gate, I couldn't even see to either corner. To make the trip around the 8.5 miles (13.7 km) wall more manageable, many people opt to rent a bike. Tandem bikes were quite popular. Riding at about medium speed, the whole circumnavigation would take between 1.5-2 hours. For those in a hurry, battery car can take smaller groups around.  Others like me chose to walk.

West Gate (Anding)

Built by the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Xi'an City Wall was actually an enlargement of an original city wall made from rammed earth. The current structure is the largest and best-preserved city wall in China and one of the largest ancient military defensive systems worldwide. Around every 394 feet (120 meters), a rampart protruded from the wall. On top of each rampart was an archery sentry building. From here, soldiers could shoot arrows while being protected. The distance between each rampart was just within the range an arrow could be shot. Along the outer part of the wall were crenellations from where arrows could also be safely shot. The wall has a total of 5,948 of these battlements. Each gate had three gate towers. The outer one was used to raise and lower the suspension bridge. One opposite to it was used as a defensive outpost. An inner one was used as the main entrance to the city. Occasionally along the inner side of the wall, one could see very steep ramps that were once used for horses, but these were now blocked off. 

When I reached the West Gate (Anging) which means Harmony Peace, I had the option of descending. Seeing how clear the skies were and how pleasant the temperature was, I decided to push on.

Old and new structures side-by-side

Because I walked, I had plenty of opportunities to read the signs that were nicely posted in Mandarin and English. I also was able to take plenty of photos from different views.  Looking beyond the walls, one could see large contrasts in architecture, from run-down old structures to modern skyscrapers.

Wedding photos

A few bride and grooms took advantage of the beautiful weather and had some photos taken on this famous landmark. What a challenge the photographer must have had with the many bicyclists and pedestrians vying for the same space.

Northwest Watchtower

By the time I reached the northwest watchtower, the sun was already starting to get lower. I especially liked the roof of this building. Wanting to catch a taxi before it got dark, I pressed onward.

Bell from 1428

In the half of the wall that I walked, I saw a few bells. This bell near the Anding gate was from 1428 and was 5.6 feet (1.7 meters) high. Its rich tone once alerted people of the city.

North Gate at sunset

Just as I reached the North Gate (Anyuan), meaning Forever Harmony, the sun began to set. The flagposts, lamps, bell, and gate tower were now silhouetted against the warm glow of the sunset. It was a beautiful first trip to the Old City. With the address of my apartment written in Mandarin, a taxi driver successfully took me back to the concrete jungle of highrise apartments where I live about 25 minutes away. It was a good first adventure out.

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A Two Day Journey Around the World

This afternoon, I went to the Seoul Friendship Fair. Held since 1996,  this fair is celebrates the sister cities of Seoul from various places around the world. Considering my love of cultures, the lure of traditional music, costumes, as well as traditional food and handicrafts was too much to pass up. For a few hours in the afternoon, I sat on the grass by Seoul City Hall in the bright May sunshine and soaked up not only sun rays, but some wonderful performances.

Belarus
Their costume and singing reminded me of some of the performances I saw in Serbia. Some songs were very happy and one was more somber. The accordion player was very energetic and the roh player was able to get a variety of tones out of the animal horn.

Japan

The Shamisen player from Japan played a few lively, energetic pieces. Two puppeteers also performed a few skits, including one with a lion and some butterflies. The lion reminded me of a larger version seen in some Korean performances.

Lion and human marionettes manipulated by a skilled Japanese puppeteer

Uzbekistan

As there was no shade on this very sunny day, I didn't want to push being too long out in the sun. However, when I saw the beautiful costumes from Tashkent, I decided to stick it out a bit longer. We had to wait for the drumset and other instruments to be assembled and set up, but it was worth it. A clarinet player myself, it was fun to hear the different tones and melodies produced from such common instruments. The male singer was both forceful and tender. The dancers, however, stole the show. In the four or five pieces, different costumes were worn for each one. The dancing and music had a more Middle Eastern feel to it. The dancers were very particular with their hand and arm positions, and their twirling and footwork was great. Imagine twirling and dancing in high heels! 

Each of the dancers had their hair in long braids, which twirled like ribbons as they spun around.

It was an enjoyable afternoon at yet another Seoul festival! #visitseoul

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Namimaids and Warming Snowmen

This past weekend, I braved the cold temperatures with a meetup group and headed over to Nami Island. Located 63 km from Seoul, this tiny island with an area of 460,000 sq km is a popular tourist destination. After the airing of the 2002 Korean drama Winter Sonata, many fans flocked to this island to see the filming location. 

After taking a short ferry across the Han River, one of the first things I saw was the "namimaid," the island's famous statue clad in a winter outfit. Behind her were frozen waterspout fountains.

I enjoyed walking on the lanes through the island. This one was rather quiet. Most people seemed to be more concentrated around the interior areas, particularly the shops and cafés. With gingko trees and gardens, it must be quite pretty in the fall and spring.

Thousands of trees were planted by Mr. Byeong-Do Minn, who purchased the island in the 1960s for the purpose of transforming it into a recreational site. Now, the metasequoias are 40 meters tall.

In 2006, Nami Island declared its cultural independence from South Korea, renaming itself the Naminara Republic. It has its own flag, national anthem, and even some chunky looking currency with a square hole in the middle (Korean won still readily accepted though). For a 15,000 won, you could buy a passport, or you could have your "real" passport stamped. 

On this chilly day, keeping warm was on many people's minds. After walking around for a while after a lunch at of the island's several restaurants, we entered a café for a hot drink and a chance to warm up. These people joined the snowman and dog who had already been warming their paws/hands at the fire. Despite cold hands, the cell phones were still out and active. I kept my gloved hands in my jacket pockets when possible, warmed by some excellent army-grade warmer packets purchased at one of the shops. Gotta get me some more of those - it was still generating heat 18 hours later!

Wintry-themed mosaic fountain

One of the island's attractions are the ostriches. They felt a bit out of place in the wintry scene.

The island is also home to deer, squirrels, rabbits, ducks, and birds, but none of these were seen on this cold day.

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Lijiang - Seeking the Tranquility

Even though I knew that the streets of UNESCO World Heritage city Old Lijiang would be crowded, I felt it was important to spend at least a day there. Having just come from the small, rural village around Lashi Lake, seeing the throngs of Chinese tourists was a bit overwhelming. Although the architecture of the old shops was nicely restored, I didn't really appreciate how they were converted into stores selling cheap crappy trinkets, video game arenas, djembe drummers, etc. Nothing felt authentic. Along the main drags and town square, it was particularly crowded, making photography rather difficult.

Quite confident that an early morning start would change things, I went to bed earlier and set out the next morning when it was light. Streets that were overflowing with tourists the night before were now virtually abandoned. 

Wandering through the streets, I was able to explore and photograph to my heart's content. Occasionally a couple other photographers were spotted. 

 I loved being able to see the beautiful old buildings and enjoy the worn stone paving bricks, made smooth by the many travelers through the lanes.

Wandering through the streets of Lijiang during the early morning was a delight. Some great dramatic lighting, unencumbered by the throngs of visitors. I'm so glad that I had a different schedule than the majority. Tranquil, just the way I liked it.

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Make Way for the Trishaws

For many, a visit to Melaka wouldn't be complete without a ride in a colorful trishaw. Gone for a while after a good bus system was established, these bicycle-powered transport vehicles have made a comeback in a big way. Between the A'Famosa fortress and Stadhuys at the Dutch Square, the road actually is closed off to car traffic, creating a moving mass of Hello Kitty with bobbling fuchsia pink umbrellas. If cute kitties are not your fancy, one could also try Doraemon, more generic floral ones, or even Batman/Spiderman. If their physical presence on the road isn't enough to catch your attention, the flashing lights (at night) and loud music is hard to ignore. Hearing "Let it Go" blared at nearly a constant interval during the few days I was there, I could imagine how irksome these touristic trishaws would be for local residents. Our tour guide explained that the driver would change the music to suit the passengers, but I didn't hear a whole lot of variation. Interestingly enough, I did hear one play "The Chicken Dance" - a bit incongruous to hear polka music coming from a stuffed animal decked out tricycle in tropical Malaysia!  

Details from a much more unique trishaw. I'm surmising that it was one of the older styles of trishaws

Batman meets Spiderman

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South India and South Korea Beaches

Although both of these beach photos contain similar colors, the contrasts couldn't be larger. Pricey, touristic well-developed beaches in South Korea, vs. the polluted fishing beaches of South India where its residents don't even have access to toilets.

Busan, South Korea

Chennai, south India

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Taegeukdo Gamcheon Village

The following morning, we started our tour at Taegeukdo Village. Located in the Gamcheon neighborhood of Busan, this community developed when around 4,000 followers of the Taegeukdo religion became refugees during the Korean war and settled here. Over 800 cube-like shacks were erected upon the steep hillside, virtually stacked one on top of each other. Photos in one building showed how shanty-like this poor village appeared during the Korean War. Encouraged by the leader of the Taegeukdo religion, the religious refugees began building the concrete homes seen today. Most of the homes are painted in rather bright colors; blue is the dominant roof color. On top of the flat roofs, water holding tanks were a common sight. Occasionally, one spotted a few older residents (only about 10,000 remain here, down from double that amount in the 1980s) working in tiny gardens. Kimchi pots with rocks on top of the lids were a rather common sight; flower pots and lines of laundry added a bit of color.

Book-themed stairway

Visitors (there were quite a few of them on this day) were free to wander through the narrow alleys and steep steps. Many were on a quest to get the “passport” on their map of the village all completed with the requisite stamps from various locations within the village. Some of the homes and surroundings were theme-based, such as the spotted cow, optical illusion, and books homes. Brightly painted wooden plaques in crude fish shapes pointed visitors to some of the more popular locations. A large mural of these fish plaques were assembled in a large mural near the entrance of the village where small shops selling snacks were located. Visitors were taking “selfies” or photos of acquaintances everywhere, sometimes stopping every few feet. Walking further, the harbor of Busan appeared beyond the hill, along with a view of a few high-rise apartments nestled amongst more matchbook-like homes. The city of Busan continues its work to transform the village into a popular tourist site, making it into an artsy area with galleries, book cafés and other cultural facilities. Murals and other public artwork can be seen throughout the village. Visitors are reminded though that it still is a place where people live, and thus they should be respectful of noise levels, where they are trampling around, and keeping things clean.  Although bathed in sunlight throughout much of the day, I think its nickname of “Korea’s Santorini” is a bit of a stretch. Nonetheless, it can be an enjoyable visit.

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Locks of Love

Want to publicly profess your undying love for someone while in Seoul? Come to the Seoul Tower, which has evergreen trees and a special wall just for you. As you attach your lock with its message written on it, take a peek at some of the notes already present. Some of the locks were getting rather rusty. I wonder what a rust-eaten attachment signifies. 

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Pahalgam Arrival

Less than 3 hours on a state–run bus, I arrived in the mountain town of Pahalgam.  Meaning Valley of the Shepherds, this picturesque area is now a popular mountain resort.  The owner of the B&B I was staying at met me at the bus station, driving us past touristy shops, hotels and signs advertising horseback riding, trekking, and white water rafting.   I breathed a sigh of relief as we entered the small village of Laripora  in which the B&B was located, as this looked more authentic and a whole lot quieter.  After the 1st of many cups of tea I’d have  during my 3 day stay here, I was escorted up  the wooden stairs to my room. The young workers made sure I was comfortable - even in this dreary, cold weather. A small electric heater was provided, and an electric blanket was already on the bed. My “deluxe” room included a viewing room area, complete with a daybed/couch, cane table & chairs, a TV with cable, and a large window.

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A Fisherman Farewell

Determined to make the most of every last moment we had before we had to leave for the one-room airport at Ngapoli Beach, I darted back out to the shoreline. Sporting a Burmese hat, muscle shirt, and a stogie, this fisherman calmly cast his net out into the shallows. His throw was swift and precise, indicators of collective practice. I would have loved to have watched him and other laborers make their living along this beach, but it was time to go. Such tranquil images are how I will remember Myanmar and hope that even when it becomes a stronger player in the tourism scene, this remains.

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