Avatar in China?

Adán had the opportunity to visit province #29 on the quest to reach all 34 with his good friend Bill.  This time the province was Hunan, located in the south-central region of the country. For three days they trekked ZhangJiaJie, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This location is a famous Chinese national forest park known for inspiring some of the breathtaking scenery from the hit movie Avatar.  

   

Seoul Searching

What a trip to Seoul, South Korea!  There are so many great things about traveling here.  First of all, it's very clean and child-friendly.  The food is superb, especially if you like spicy but the taste is unique and unlike the chilies of Latin America.  Lastly, there are lots and lots of historical sites, markets, and pedestrian streets to wander and take in.

Last Hong Kong Hurrah

With only one more trip outside of China before moving back to America, we decided to spend a few days in Hong Kong and experience some of the things we've grown to love--food and the Wan Chai, Central, and Kowloon Districts.  We also decided to do two Hong Kong bucket list items we never did previously during all our years in south China--a junk boat ride and a visit to HK Avenue of Stars.

Disney Devien

With school out and less than a month left before moving back home to the U.S., we took Devien to Hong Kong Disneyland for a family fun weekend trip.

Bi-Monthly Update #3

Devien is now 19 months (1 year and 7 months)!  Mijito is a terror on two feet!  His fine and gross motor skills are incredible.  He loves to take things apart with his small hands and runs everywhere.  His new talent is climbing!  He can get up and down off sofas and beds independently.  We have to really watch him now.  As far as communication, he understands when we talk to him in both Spanish and English, but he rarely will talk.  He's very stubborn (like mama and papa!) so it's a challenge, but we plan to keep encouraging him.  Devien's weight stayed at 11.3kg (25lbs) but his height increased to 86cm (almost 34 in).    

These photos are of Mijo at nearly 18 months old during his last photo shoot here in China.  We wanted some new scenes so we went with traditional Chinese and basketball back drops.  Enjoy!

Taipei All The Way

For May Holiday, we took Devien to visit Taipei, Taiwan.  It is a nice 1 hour and 20 minute flight from Shenzhen so this made it very attractive to us.  Since many of our students are from this island, we also thought it might be a good idea to see what they’re always talking about.

Day One
We arrived in Taiwan on a Wednesday at mid-day.  Mijo slept for almost the entire trip over.  We are very blessed.  He must just have the world traveler in him!  Once we reached the Taoyuan International Airport, we needed to do some maneuvering for inexpensive transportation to Taipei City since it was over 40 kilometers away.  We started by taking a commuter bus to the high speed rail (HSR) station about 20 minutes away for 30 Taiwan dollars ($1 USD) each.  From here we took the HSR train from Taoyuan to Tapei.  This trip was 160 Taiwan dollars ($5.40) and took another 20 minutes.  The train was very modern and comfortable.  It reminded us a lot of the train system in Japan.

So after 40 minutes of travel we reached Taipei Main Station and at a cost of almost $13 dollars.  They say that a taxi direct from the airport runs about 1300TD (almost $44 bucks)!  We selected a hotel very close to the station so we hopped on the metro line for another 20TD and reached our stop of Shuanglian 5 minutes.  We booked the Yomi Hotel and it was just what it advertised.  A budget hotel with nice extra perks.  Free snacks awaited us in our rooms like Doritos chips, instant noodles, and nice fresh fruit.  Buffet breakfasts were above average. They even have free washers, dryers, and detergent soap.  A peculiar thing about the hotel was it was very popular with Japanese as they made up at least 75% of the other guests during our stay.

After settling in, we went outside to explore around our hotel's neighborhood.  It was nothing too special with lots of small shops, a police station, and a large hospital.  The highlight of the outing was visiting the Ningxia Night Market just three blocks away.  Taiwan is famous for street food so we prepared ourselves for having at least a few market experiences.  This particular location was very cramped.  Vendors lined up not just both sides of the street, but in the middle as well. This made it very hard to browse, especially with Devien.  Pazi was not interested in eating any of the strange foods, but Adan decided to try the notorious chou dou fu or Stinky Tofu.  This fried pungent snack is a brine of fermented items such as milk, vegetables, meat, and even seafood.  Adan’s impression of the tofu was that it smelled horrible, but was tolerable to eat (especially when accompanied by chile).

Day Two
Our second day started at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in downtown Taipei.  This memorial dedicated to the revolutionist and first president is a nice area to take pictures with the famous skyscraper Taipei 101.  Devien really liked the park area nearby and the bird that feed here.  Considering this area is just blocks away from the massive tower and even closer to the City Hall, the paths and sidewalks were so calm.  It was refreshing for us coming from China’s hustle and bustle.

At Taipei 101 we were impressed with how well organized the layout of the area is.  After our awful experience at the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, this was heaven.  The mall that adjoins is very nice with lots of designer shops and restaurants.  On the 89^th and 91^st floors are observation decks and for 500 TD ($16.80USD) a person you can go up and view the amazing sights of the city.  Another interesting fact about the tower is that it has the world’s fastest elevator traveling 60km (37 mi) per hour!  It is so fast that there is almost no time to have your ears pop.

As night approached, we decided to head out to another market.  This time we took the metro to the Shilin Night Market.  Often considered the largest of all night markets in Taipei, this market goes beyond food selling clothes, souvenirs, and toys.  It stretches at least four blocks and in some parts connects to other night markets.  Additionally, there is very popular temple in the center of the crowded market.  This night Pazi was in more of a mood to try foods so we got plenty.  We had excellent baozi (steamed bun) filled with pork and vegetables.  Another interesting item was spring rolls with peanuts and barbecued pork.  We also tried delicious wheel pies made of waffle batter and filled with cream and banana fillings.  And of course we had famous Taiwan milk teas with pearls, jelly, and puddings.

Day Three
We took it easy for our third day in Taipei and took the metro and shuttle bus to the famous National Palace Museum.  It is said to have nearly 700,000 unique pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts, but not nearly that much is available to the one-time visitor.  They say the exhibits are on a rotating basis so that the museum is always changing.  This is great for locals, but not the long-distance traveler.  Also, no cameras allowed so Adan without his camera was strange.  Our stay lasted about two hours, but after two amazing days for Mijito it was time for him to be fussy.  He struggled being confined to the stroller and they would not let him take his bibi in for feeding.

Even though we felt the museum was lacking, the price tag of 160TD (just over $5 dollars) showed us again how inexpensive it is to tour around Taipei.  Many of the sites could easily charge double the entrance fees and be in line with other tourist cities.  After we thought about this, we forgot all about our marginal experience at the museum.

Later, we traveled by subway to the Mengjia Longshan Temple.  This is a famous temple of mixed worship for Buddhists and Taoists.  It was quite busy this particular night and Adan was able to get a few good shots of the buildings and locals worshiping.  We also came here because the tourist maps stated several night markets converge in this one area, as well as underground mall.  Unfortunately, we walked around for two hours and found the markets and mall to be identical to the other venues we had seen from previous nights.  As we entered the metro station to head back to the hotel, we noticed a shop selling bags.  Devien really likes bags and zippers so we bought him his very own backpack!  It cost us 200TD ($6.75) and was worth every cent to see Mijo's face when we gave it to him.  We ended our night by ordering a large pizza and milk teas! 

Day Four
Our last day in Taipei was dedicated to the neighborhoods around the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.  This landmark is actually a square with the National Theater and Concert Hall (on opposite sides of the memorial).  The location is spacious and has a very inviting feel as tai chi classes, kung fu lessons, band practices, and even hip hop dance groups all were using the grounds during our visit.  We even were able to watch the changing of the guards at the memorial hall for the influential leader of Taiwan during the 20^th century.

Some other highlights of things we did:

*Viewed the Presidential Office Building that was built by the Japanese during their rule of Taiwan beginning in the 1890s.

*Visited local food joints that reminded us of how the locals in Hong Kong dine.  We ate at a quaint shop well-known for their handmade noodles.  They were excellent by the way.

*Stopped by the Taiwan Handicrafts Market and bought a few souvenirs.

*Visited the botanical gardens and met a nice Taiwanese girl who wanted to practice her English.

Overall, Taipei was a good experience for us.  The location is great for short flights, the cost of living is much lower than other travel options in Asia, and transportation options are abundant. 

Update #3: Devien’s still growing big and strong--he weighs 11.3kg (25lbs) and is 84cm (33in) tall!

Bi-Monthly Update #2

Devien just turned 16 months (1 year and 4 months).  The biggest change happening to him is his teeth.  He currently has 10!  He gets fussy sometimes because two of them are molars growing in.  We're trying to teach him to brush his teeth but he really dislikes it.  Also, Devien's getting very good at sorting and stacking his toys.  However, he's a boy and other times he loves to knock over, spill, and get dirty.  He weighs a little bit more than before at 10.8kg (24 lbs) and is slightly taller measuring 82cm (32.2 in).

Philippines New Year

In February, we spent Chinese New Year in Manila and surrounding areas of the Philippines.  Our good friend Jun Pedro offered to show us around as he was traveling to visit his family for part of the vacation.  Since Manila is only 1 hour and 30 minutes from Hong Kong and our friend offered to help guide us, we liked the convenience of this trip for Devien.

Our vacation was basically split into two parts: 1) four days in Manila and 2) three days in the area of Tagaytay.  Both places had many things to offer, yet they were extremely different from one another.

The city of Manila is a huge metropolis of around two million people.  The city is very spread out, and unfortunately it's quite dirty in many areas.  We visited the Intramuros and Ermita areas of the city as they're the last remaining sites from the conquest by Spain.  The few buildings here are from the colonial times and still have that feel to them.  There's also the famous Rizal Park, named after the national hero, that we strolled one sunny afternoon.  Of course a big draw to Manila is the shopping (especially in the Makati district) and nobody does shopping malls quite like Filipinos.  We were most impressed by the Mall of Asia (fourth largest mall in the world) and the Greenbelt Malls of Ayala Center (actually 5 shopping buildings both indoor and open-air).  Another pleasant experience was the sunsets of the Manila Bay.  Beautiful views.  Also, you can't visit Manila without seeing jeepneys.  These old converted US military jeeps left over from World War II are very unique and you'll never see two alike!

The other location we stayed at during our trip was the tourist attractions of the Tagaytay highlands.  This area located about one hour south of Manila is an excellent site for escaping the concrete, smog, and heat of the city.  The views are incredible and center around Taal Lake and the volcano island.  This whole area is actually a caldera with the city center and scenic views at the top of the ridge, while below is where the water and volcano island are situated.  We really enjoyed our time here relaxing and taking in the views.  One day, Adan and Jun even ventured over and summited the small mountain of the volcano island!

Overall, our trip was a nice getaway from the stress of school and work.  We enjoyed seeing the sights, meeting the people, shopping, and eating good food.  Jun helped us learn about all the different cuisines and we tried many.  In fact, due to the Spanish influences, we tasted some dishes that were similar to Mexican food.  This was a nice surprise.

One more thing we enjoyed--singing.  Adan purchased the new Wow! Videoke system and hasn't put it down since!

       

Bi-Monthly Update #1

We still want to give milestones for Devien, however we've changed the format to bi-monthly updates.

Devien is now 14 months (1 year and two months already!). He is a very intelligent and active boy. He also can get into his fair share of trouble. Right now he's always wanting to walk, climb, and get things out and put them away. He still loves books and we noticed that he pays close attention to details. An example of this is his desire to use zippers, buttons, and snaps independently. His verbal skills are maintaining, however we'll focus on this more to help him improve. His most recent measurements are 10.6kg (over 23 lbs) and 81cm (under 32 in).

¡California y México!

Free time has been short for us since coming back from our nice three week Christmas vacation. Our apologies for the delay in posting, and to make it up we sorted out 100 photos to help you get a "feel" for what we experienced.

Here is a quick recap of our stops:

1. We first flew to Los Angeles (very inexpensive flight) and stayed there for 5 days in Anaheim. Pazi's mother and sister were able to visit for two days. It was great for Devien to see his abuela and tia. He loved it. We also couldn't resist taking him to Disneyland and California Adventures!

2. Next, we traveled to Puerto Vallarta and spent four plus days hanging out here and Nuevo Vallarta at the fabulous Marival Resort. Yes, this is the same resort we stayed at for Dom and Dorys' wedding two years ago. We were so excited that Adan's father, mother, and sister could come with us. Devien had a great time with family here as well!

3. The last leg of our trip was spent in Guadalajara. It was an amazing time of eating, shopping, exploring, and did we mention eating? See the pictures for more!

 

Devien's First Birthday

Devien had his first birthday this past week!  We had just a small party at home.  Papacito got to eat his own cake in just his diaper.  He actually didn't like the frosting or cake very much, but wanted to get his hands on the fruit (Chinese love fruit on cakes!).

Mijito now weighs 10kg (22 lbs) and is over 78cm (31 in) tall.  He is walking...no, he's literally running all around the house now.  Also, he has added the word "baby" to his vocabulary.

Devien's First Halloween

 

We apologize for being late with these photos.  Our school held it's annual Fall Festival and we wanted to make sure Devien was able to celebrate!  It was a lot of fun and Mijo did well considering we had over 300 people attend.  Also, the background for the pictures was done by Ms. Ma, our school's art teacher.  She does amazing work.

Eleven Month Milestone

It's been a very busy time for Devien and family lately.  We took our second vacation since his birth and he did well.  Shortly after returning, Devien's front four teeth sprouted out.  He now has six teeth and counting!  Mijo also is able to speak more words saying "mama," "papa," and "bye bye."  When we say goodbye he knows to wave his hand.  Finally, on Thursday, October 25, Devien took his first steps by himself.  Wow!  He is growing so fast.  His measurements are 9.5 kg (21 lbs) and 77cm (30.3 in).

Travels to Japan

For the Chinese national holiday, we decided to visit Japan.  We've always wanted to visit, but for various reasons we were never able to until now.  This trip began Saturday, September 29 and wrapped up on Saturday, October 6.  Thus, we had under a week (keeping in mind travel time) to visit.  Even though Japan offers so many wonderful sights throughout the country, it was easy for us to decide where we wanted to visit--Tokyo and Kyoto.  These two incredible cities offer very different sights and cultural experiences.  Here are some of the highlights from our trip:

First, we flew Cathay Pacific which we'd been told was an excellent airline.  It was hard for us too see this right off the bat as the first thing we experienced with them was a 45 minute flight delay.  Nevertheless, things did improve once we took off.  One nice cabin feature is the posh seats with built in pillows and foot rests.  The experience is very similar to a recliner.  Also, the food was above average and it didn't hurt that they served Haagen Dazs ice cream to everyone!  Mijo struggled a bit with teething issues so we didn't get to enjoy all the perks from CP, but it was still a good flight.

We arrived in Tokyo after a four hour flight direct from Hong Kong.  It was late and our top priority was to get across the city to our hotel in Shinjuku district.  Since the airport is so far from the metro area, and Tokyo itself is a massive city, we were looking at a two hour train ride.  It's nearly sixty kilometers from the airport to downtown Tokyo!  Our guidebook stated that the rail lines in Tokyo look like a bowl of ramen noodles and it sure did.  It felt like 50 lines going in all directions!  Finally, after 1:00am we reached our hotel in a decent area near Shin-okubo Station. 

Day One: Our first full day in Tokyo began in Harajuku District at Takeshita Street.  This areas is famous as a pedestrian only street with several fashion boutiques, restaurants, and other shops.  On the weekends, teens flock here dressed up in outrageous costumes and the latest fashion trends to socialize.  During our visit we were able to see a vast array of styles.  Everything from Gothic Lolita (Victorian style mixed with dark goth) to visual kei (a punk, hip-hop, and/or heavy metal look).  One guy even dressed up as an American law enforcement agent.  It was hard to tell exactly which one since he used a combinations of pins and patches from various branches, but we guessed he was going for a sheriff look.

Once we reached the end of the walking street, we found ourselves in the midst of a large and loud ceremony of some sort.  We witnessed people of all ages, both men and women, carrying wooden structures on there shoulders and chanting as they marched down the street.  There was about four groups that took part in this unique event.  At first we had no idea watch was happening, but after investigating we learned that these people were honoring their deity in a ritual referred to as a matsuri.  During this ceremony, it is common practice to carry a mikoshi, a shrine in transit, from one shrine location to another during important festivals.  The loud commotion of chanting and swinging the mikoshi from side to side is said to be done to "amuse" the deity during the journey.

The rest of our day was spent checking out two other nearby spots.  We walked the main drag of the upscale neighborhood of Omotesando where there is Louis Vuitton and Gucci galore.  Finally, we finished our day visiting the Meiji Shrine Complex.  This location, centered in a park and entertainment venue almost 200 acres large, dating back to the early 20th century.  However, due to WWII air raids the current facility has only been in use since 1958.  Several visitors come to the shrine daily, but it's said that the complex is a very popular location for marriage ceremonies.  We happened to see two wedding parties during our visit so it seems to be true.

Day Two: This day was spent mostly on transit and enjoying the train stations' many features. We took a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto.  It was a two hour trip on a very modern and well-maintained train.  After reaching Kyoto, we made our way to the hotel taking the local city bus.  We settled in and then decided to see the Nishiki Market area.  The actual food market was closing when we arrived, so we spent more time at the pedestrian shopping street nearby.  Pazi purchased two very nice Geisha paintings for 1050 yen, or just a bit over 13 dollars.

Day Three: It was an early start for us on this day.  We continued using the city buses to transport us.  The local leaders have things very well organized so travel within the city can be done with ease.  Our first site to visit was the Kinkaku-Ji, Temple of the Golden Pavilion.  This Zen Buddhist temple as a landmark dates back to the early 1300s, however the current structure was rebuilt to match the original in 1955 after a fire destroyed it.  The building is three stories tall, but its main feature is its gold-leaf coating on the top two floors.  This design was chosen as it's said the gold helps remove any negative thoughts towards death and purifies the temple.
            
Next, we visited Ryoan Ji Temple.  This UNESCO temple was established in 1450 and is famous worldwide for its rock garden. The beauty of this garden is in its simplicity--a 248 square meter site made up of mainly fifteen rocks and white gravel.  As simple as these materials might sound, the magic is in how they're used to represent the ocean, rivers, islands, or even mountains in a Zen art form referred to as karesansui.  It's quite impressive!

We also happened to visit Ninna Ji Temple, a Buddhist temple with many structures dating back to the 17 century, and Kyoto Gosho, the Imperial Palace.  This former home of the emperor is a large complex that has been rebuilt 8 times since it was first introduced in 794.

A nice way for us to end our day and begin our evening was strolling the streets the Gion District.  This area is very famous for Geishas and kimonos.  Pazi really enjoyed her time here shopping and sightseeing all the gorgeous women in traditional dress.

Day Four: Our trip only allowed for two days in Kyoto so we rushed to see a few more temples before going back to Tokyo.  The main ones we saw were Ginkaku Ji Temple, Temple of the Silver Pavilion, and Nanzen Ji Temple.  Both these locations and the others we saw in between showcased amazing landscaping with trees, plants, manicured lawns, and brilliant sand raking. 

The time went by so fast and before we knew it, we were back on the train headed for Tokyo.  Kyoto was an extremely charming city and one that we would recommend for anyone traveling to Japan.  There is so much to see and do here!

Day Five: This day was meant for Pazi to catch up on her schooling.  While in Kyoto, she fell a little behind so part of day five was for her to catch back up.  However, Adan booked a hotel room in Tsukiji and he had plans to visit the famous fish market here.  To get the full experience, Adan decided to take the free tour offered by operators of the market by being one of first 100 people to sign up in the morning at 5:00am.  The tour was short and sweet.  It was a thirty minute viewing of live tuna auctions and a nearby tuna delivery and packaging company.  By the way, we had sushi here and it was awesome!  Nothing beats freshness when it comes to seafood.

After study time, we went to visit Shibuya to try and experience Tokyo's busiest railway station and surrounding streets.  The hype for this area is that it's insanely crowded and the lights from the buildings are so bright it feels like day time.  Well, the crowds are large, but the lights are not too impressive.  In comparing this location to Hong Kong, the number of people commuting around this area was similar to Central but in larger masses.  The lights were also alright, but we think the signs that jut out from buildings to the center of streets in HK or the nightlife of Mong Kok are better.

Day Six: Our last full day in Tokyo.  What did we do...visit Tokyo Disneyland of course!  This was definitely the highlight of the trip for Devien. 

We wanted to do a little bit of shopping before we went to Disneyland so we took a quick trip to Asakusa district.  Tokyo is not a very souvenir friendly city as compared to others we traveled to in Asia.  However, visiting Senso Ji Temple made the situation bearable for Pazi.  Here there are tens and tens of stalls lined up all the way down the street that leads you to the temple.  Anything and everything for the tourist is sold here.  We spent about two hours shopping and taking photos as this area is very "photogenic" as well. 

By one o'clock, we had arrived at Disneyland.  The rail line is similar to Hong Kong as it nearly takes you to the front gate.  Since it was early October, the whole facility was covered in Halloween decor.  Pazi immediately commented on how it surpassed HK Disney.  The number one reason for this is Tokyo Disney is the entire Disneyland park of California, while the HK version is about two-thirds at best.  The price was 5,500 yen ($68.50) per person so it was a fairly reasonable fee.  Devien was a little confused at first seeing all the rides.  Then he became fussy and difficult.  Finally, by the end he was calm and laughing as he enjoyed the experience.  Even though he was too small to ride many of the rides, he did see things like the Country Bear Theater Show, Mark Twain Riverboat, Peter Pan's Flight, It's a Small World, Pooh's Hunny Hunt, ToonTown, Pirates of the Caribbean, and a few others. 

Overall, Japan was an incredible vacation for us.  Yes, it was a bit spendy compared to most of our other Asia trips, but the experience was unforgettable.

Ten Month Milestone

Devien is becoming more and more active.  This month he has learned how to play tag and loves it.  He understands the concept of being chased, screams when you get close to catching him, and giggles when he gets away!  He also loves to grab everything.  We try to give him toys, but he prefers boxes, shoes, remote controls, and books.  His teeth are still hurting him and it appears that more are coming.  Mijito measures in this month at 9 kg (almost 20 lbs) and 75 cm (29.5 in).  He keeps on growing big!

Nine Month Milestone

One month of Devien's first summer vacation was visiting America.  The flight was a long 17 hours, but he is a true traveler and had almost no troubles.  He had a great time meeting all his family in Idaho, Utah, and Nevada.  The best part for him was spending time with his abuelos.  During this time, two of his bottom teeth grew out.  He's in the teething stage now!  Also, the doctor approved eating solids so Devien is beginning to chomp on fruits and vegetables.  Momma also bought him a sippy cup and he is really good at using it.  Devien continues to grow stronger as he weighs 8.3 kg (18.3 lbs) and stands 73 cm (28.7 in) tall. 

Eight Month Milestone

Devien took his first ever trip.  He did great flying in the plane for our 3 hour flight to Phuket, Thailand.  We were so excited to take him to the beach.  Unfortunately, it rained the whole trip except one day.  On the one sunny day we did get, Devien took advantage of it by going swimming for the first time at our hotel.  This month Devien has learned to sit up all by himself and is almost ready to beginning crawling (oh no!).  He weights 8.0 kg (17.6 lbs) and is 71cm (28 in) tall.

Seven Month Milestone

Mijito is still growing like a weed!  He has begun to eat solid food (see the photos of his first time eating).  It's just like atole right now, but it still counts.  He is also becoming quite vocal and likes to say "da da da."  Adan is pretty excited about it.  Pazi on the other hand is training him with "ma ma ma."  Now, Devien weighs 7.7 kg (nearly 17 lbs) and is over 70 cm (27.6 in).

Six Month Milestone

Devien continues to grow big and strong.  He's a very active boy.  Right now he can roll over on his stomach and hold himself up quite easily.  Additionally, he has discovered his head and finds comfort in in playing with his hair!  Currently, Devien weighs 7.4 kg (16.3 lbs) and is nearly 70 cm (27.1 in) long.

Five Month Milestone

We finally got Devien's photos back from his first studio shoot.  It took forever for the company put the package together.  They're a bit outdated as  Mijo was just a little over three months when they were taken.  Now, he he's five months and measures 67 cm in length and weighs 6.8 kg.