Touring Xiamen

Linda on the left, and her friend Betty

Following the dumpling party, my new friend Linda offered to show me around Xiamen Island, and I gladly accepted. So many parts of Xiamen I would never have seen if I hadn't had this wonderful day tour. Linda invited one of her friends, and an added surprise was that we got to visit the city by car. The friend's brother-in-law was the driver, and he just drove us from place to place to place all day. First time I've been in a private car in China! I haven't written about my horrific bus experiences yet, but believe me, a day in a car here is beyond luxury!

I never imagined that I would be touring Xiamen with three Chinese people who speak basically no English. Sweet Linda had downloaded an app that does translation to her iPad the night before, and we actually managed quite well with that.

It was 9:30 in the morning when we got started, and Linda asked me if I'd had breakfast. I said yes, and she replied that we would start our tour with a special Xiamen snack. I was expecting  some of the special Xiamen cookies filled with red bean paste. But oh my, I was in for a major snack! We pulled up to a tiny what I guess you would call fast fish joint with a line out the door. Linda pointed to a row of seafood in the display case and asked me what I liked. I pointed to most of it -- large shrimp, oysters, calamari, squid -- but then didn't point to the few things I didn't recognize. We sat down in a row at a little bar-like table -- the only free seats in the house, and we each had steaming giant paper bowls of the most delicious fish stew or soup I've ever eaten. Wonderful flavor with just the right amount of spicy, tons of seafood, and Chinese noodles to round out the flavor. As you can see, I was a bit perplexed about how to eat this guy with chopsticks!

In what I have decided is typical Chinese touring fashion, we moved quickly from one spot to the next. I could have spent another half hour lingering over my soup, but left the last of it behind, as we were off to our next activity!

We had planned to visit Xiamen University, but visitors were not allowed in that day because the president of Xiamen was there (that's what I understood via very rough translation). So we were off to visit Nanputuo Temple located on the hill next to Xiamen University. Knowing I was a Christian, they politely asked if it was okay for me to visit a Buddhist temple, and I  replied that I was very interested in visiting it. The site of the temple was quite impressive and expansive. And there were hundreds of people who were there to worship.

Much of the architecture was very beautiful. We climbed way up the mountain, and there were worshipers and every level. 
Our next stop was Calligraphy Square, which is right along the beach. Chinese characters are so graceful, and there was lots of writing to admire here. Loved this inscription on the beach. It is the word for "longevity." And the stone blocks along the path all had inscriptions.

We quickly moved on to one of the beaches where Linda bravely waded into the water while we looked on. Winter has not come to Xiamen yet!

Next we were off to a little ancient village right in Xiamen with all kinds of fun stands and stores to look at. As always, I was fascinated by the food! I didn't try this treat, but it looks like egg shells filled with custard.




Aqua Resort was our next stop. It is a beautiful lake with ducks and birds of all sorts.



We saw numerous couples here taking wedding pictures. Couples go out several days before the wedding, and take pictures in a variety of beautiful dresses and suits. These are not the clothes they wear on their actual wedding day. If I understand correctly, often the dresses are provided by the photographer.

At one point the words on the translation iPad talked about more food, and I replied that I was still full from the morning "snack." But these sweet people didn't want to end the day without taking me to their favorite fish restaurant. I wasn't sure I could eat another meal, but it ended up being so delicious that I enjoyed every bite!

My favorites were the oyster stew and of course the crab! Oysters are a Xiamen specialty, and I think I would have gone home without tasting them if it wasn't for this outing. We had oysters in soup, in stew, and fried in little clumps that were molded into the shape of a seashell. And the crab... It was delicious. My hosts looked at the live crabs and chose the ones they wanted. They were boiled to perfection, and still piping hot when we ate them. The only challenge was that the crab wasn't cracked! When they put a claw on my plate, I motioned to show that I wasn't sure how to crack it, and they laughed and demonstrated using their back teeth to crack it. Yikes! I've put so much money into my teeth that I would rather go without crab than break a tooth. Feeling a bit trapped, I chomped down gently on it, and it cracked, teeth still intact. Delicious! I tried to use my hands to crack where I could, and tried to be gentle on my teeth. And made a note to myself to buy a nut cracker and keep it in my purse for any time I might encounter a crab.

So in one day, I had two of the best meals I've had in China. And I love that we had such a good time without really speaking to each other. Kindness and smiles go a long way. One of my favorite days!