Ex Files

Hainen - Taking Exile to the Extreme

By Leslie J. Clary

Have you ever felt like stepping off the edge of the world into a strange land where no one knows you, where you don’t speak the language, where you lose yourself in a culture distinctly different from your own? Do you sometimes feel like taking Exile to the extreme?

Exile

Hainan Island in China is such a place. They are still not used to foreigners here so you’ll likely get lots of “Hallos” and stares when you walk down the street. Hainan is a hot, tropical island. Sultry nights. Coconut palms. And Hainan is affordable. Unlike other well-known tropical resorts on the tourist route, you can still find bargains here, especially if you’re adventurous and willing to explore some of the more remote areas of the island. Seven Fairies Mountain in Baoting is one such place.

A few spas have sprung up around the many natural hotsprings in the area. Clouds hover over the tops of lush, green mountains, making it a truly magical place. (Here’s one to try: Qi Xian Ling Hot Spring Resort; Baoting, Hainan 572300; Tel: 0898-83607448). For more information on Hainan, including travel info., try this website: http://www.hainandiscovery.com/eng/region/hainan_front.htm

Express

Admittedly, most people who come to Hainan head to Sanya in the south. This is where you’ll find miles of white sand beaches, diving, and lots of hotels and resorts. However, I live in Haikou, the island’s capitol on the northern tip of the island. I came here three years ago to heal my own mind and spirit and I’m still here. If you need a place to unwind and express yourself, one of the nicest 5-star resorts I’ve ever been to is just outside Haikou and the price is significantly less than what you will find in the west. The Crown Spa Resort sits nestled on a secluded patch of beach, surrounded by neon green rice paddies. They have a huge natural hot spring pool and full massage service designed by Brazilian Reiki Master, Dianna Ruas. Outside you have a large pool as well as the ocean for swimming. It’s peaceful and you can lounge the day away sipping drinks and swinging in a hammock. Informaiton: (Crown Spa Resort, No. 1 Qiongshan Avenue, East Riverside, Haikou 86+898+65966888)

Exorcise

Ready for exercise to exorcise all the negativity from your life? Wake up early and head down to one of the city’s parks like People’s Park in the center of town or Evergreen Park on Binhai Road. You’ll find groups of meditative people practicing Tai Chi. In the evenings, around 8 p.m. you can find groups of women on the street corners with a boom box practicing traditional Chinese folk dances. Feel free to join them. The steps are easy to follow and the women will be welcoming and gracious. You might even find someone who speaks limited English to chat with. There is also an active group of hashers in Haikou who get together every weekend for running/walking excursions into the countryside. Afterwards, they usually gather for dinner. This is lively, friendly group made up of expats and locals. In March, 2007, they will be holding the All China Nash Hash in Haikou. You can check their website: http://www.haikouhash.net/en/hdjh.asp for more information.

You should be aware of some of the negatives also. This is not the place to shop for clothes. If you are a Western woman and wear anything above a size 0, not only will you have trouble finding clothes to fit you, if you even venture near a clothing shop the clerk will chase you out saying “Ni da. Ni da.” Which means you’re too big. This can be demoralizing, especially if you’re already in a fragile state of mind. However, on the positive side, you can get clothes made here. There is a fabric market with seamstresses just off Datong Lu (between the China Agriculture Bank and China Telecom). You can select your fabric, choose a style and have clothes made to your measurement. The few foreigners in Haikou all get their clothes made here so these people will do their best to communicate with you.

Explore

If you can do without the clothes shopping there are a number of other things worth exploring. Green tea for instance. Stop in at one of the many tea shops. The proprietor will sit you down on a stool at a low wooden table and let you sample many varieties of tea. Try to have a translator with you (call one of the local colleges—many English students would love to have the opportunity to accompany you about town). You can learn all about the provinces where the teas come from, the different healing properties of each and the proper way of brewing. Ask to try some pu’er cha from Yunnan Province. This is a dark red tea that is aged and slightly fermented. This is supposed to be excellent for lowering cholesterol and helping with sleep problems. Hainan also grows many medicinal herbs and this is a prime spot for learning more about traditional Chinese medicine.

You will also find abundant pearls on Hainan Island. However, like elsewhere in China, ripoffs are common. Know your stuff before buying. Most of the higher end pearl shops will have authentic items, but even here quality can be questionable. Wherever you go, be prepared to bargain hard. The initial asking price will be significantly higher than what you should actually pay. For a guide to shopping see: http://www.sunnysanya.com/

Exhale

Really ready to exhale? Consider staying for a while. China is in desperate need of English teachers and if you’re a native speaker you can easily find a job for anywhere from a few weeks or months to a year or more. A career change can be healing as well. Even if you don’t want to teach English for a career, it can provide a needed interval in your life. You can learn about another country (not just China) in a way that goes beyond usual tourism and your service will be much appreciated. For the most complete information of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, the TEFL website is the place to go:

Hainan can be hot and humid in the summer but winters are glorious. At all times of the year, night is the prime time to walk around and enjoy the unique island life.

Leslie J. Clary is a freelance writer who currently lives in Hainan, China. Her website is: www.lesliejclary.com.

Valencia~ Jewel of the White Coast

By Silvia Keller

Spain’s third largest city, Valencia, is celebrated for Paella (A rice dish with seafood or chicken and rabbit), and the beauty of its white sandy beaches.  But Valencia is much more; it is tradition and modernism all in one place.   Because of its privileged location on the Costa Blanca (White Coast) Valencia will be the host city for the 2007 sailing regatta, America’s cup. For information on dates and events go here.

As you walk through the old part of town, you will encounter Horchata stands, where you can get a smooth and sweet milky-like drink made from the Chufa seed.  Chufas only grow in few parts of the world and Valencia is one of them.  Its health claims surpass those of any pill on the market.  So drink up and to your health!!!! 

If in Exile and solitude is what you seek, lunch at one of the many restaurants that line the boardwalk on the beach is a must.   This is a great place for long walks, sunshine, warm Mediterranean breezes and fine cuisine.  My favorite is Pepica, known for its seafood Paellas, and even mentioned in Hemingway’s The Dangerous Summer.      

There are several ways for you to Exorcise the past.  One of course through retail therapy.   Valencia is home to some of Spain’s best pottery and Lladró porcelain.  Local craftspeople take pride in their azulejos (brightly colored ceramic tiles) first developed during the Muslim occupation of Andalucia.   For a large selection of porcelain go to Lladró at Calle Poeta Querol 9. Telephone number 34 96 351 16 25  No website available at this time.   For the best azulejos and prices it is worth the drive 5 1/ 2 miles west of Valencia to Manises. You will find shop after shop and you will want to take everything home.  No website is available as I was told; craftspeople are very proud and protective of their creations.   

If still in need to Exorcise make sure you visit during the Fallas de San Jose Festival, when they honor the arrival of Spring with parades, fireworks and street dancing.  Fallas, or paper mache effigies are burned during one of the ceremonies, to symbolize the exorcism of social problems and wish good luck to farmers in the coming Summer.  This too, can be your symbolic start of a new life and an Exorcism of the old. Valencia can be the beginning of more great things to come.   

This is a fabulous city to Explore and Expand your mind.  There is no place in the world like the City of Arts and Sciences, the largest cultural-educational complex in Europe. It is composed of  L’Oceanographic,  20 acres devoted to lagoons and  leisure pavilions arranged into an underwater city with marine habitats from every ocean; L’Hemispheric, built by award winning Architect Santiago Calatrava, offering documentaries and explorations of the universe; a laser show that runs on a 900 sq. ft. concave IMAX screen with the soundtrack in four languages;  Museum of Sciences Prince Phillip- a breathtaking building in the form of a human eye, and an innovative center for the performing arts which presents the finest in dance, opera and theater.   For information on hours and events go to www.cac.es .   For concerts and other cultural events go to www.comunitatvalenciana.com

Go back into the 13th Century to Cathedral Seu, which claims to possess the Holy Grail, (the chalice Jesus used at the Last Supper).  It is on display in a side chapel.  Afterwards, continue to Explore up 155 ft to the Miguelete, a Gothic tower.  You will have the best views of the city and it is a great place to Exhale while yelling out “I am woman, I am strong, hear me roar” . You will come out renewed.  The Cathedral is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  Admission is free.   Telephone number 34 96-391-8127.

Continue your walk to the Lonja de Seda (former Silk exchange),  a remarkable building; an elegant gothic structure built towards  the end of the 15th Century, declared a World Heritage Site,  and currently  used for concerts and parties for the Royal Family.

A place for you to Express yourself is the Valencia Institute of Modern Art.  It consists of one ultramodern building and a 13th Century former convent. It’s opening gained Valencia prime status among the world’s art capitals.   The institute is located at the western edge of the old quarter, near 15th Century towers that guard the entrance to the city.   For exhibits and hours of operation go to www.Ivam.es/     In Spain call 34   96 386 30 00. 

Be Cleopatra Cruising the Nile

By Geraldine McClintock

Cairo is the capital city of Egypt but it is most famous for being the home of one of the wonders of the ancient world, The Pyramids at Giza. With the Sphinx who sits watching and guarding the last resting place of some of the greatest Pharaoh’s of the ancient world. Egypt has all the things you want on a vacation sun, sea and sand with plenty of things to see, do and to experience this culture first hand and it is definitely one vacation spot you will not soon forget. If you’re looking for some quiet Exile in Egypt then a Nile Cruise may be just the thing for you. A floating hotel which takes you down the Nile stopping at different ports for you to explore ancient temples and ruins but you don’t have to get off at every port so there is plenty of time to get some rest, relaxation and sun bathing. The cabins are spacious and deliver excellent views of the real beauty of Egypt as you sail from one destination to the next, and your whole vacation doesn’t need to be spent entirely on the cruise you can book just a few days to get your head together and then go ashore feeling rejuvenated to your main hotel for the rest of your stay. There are plenty of places to Explore on your visit to Cairo from museums to pyramids, temple ruins, bazaars and mosques. The Pyramids at Giza consist of three pyramids one of those pyramids is known as ‘The Great Pyramid’ which was built by the pharaoh known as Khufu in the fourth dynasty approximately around 2560 BC when it was built it was about 481ft high but through time it has lost some of that height. The Great Pyramid is the tallest structure on the earth and has been for 43 centuries. As you look up to this great structure which can make you dizzy, you try to imagine the builders of the pyramids and wonder how they felt as they were finishing the very top of the pyramids did they look down and feel dizzy or sick, I think I would have. The pyramids are only about 10km from downtown Cairo; it’s a strange looking city where old and new seems intertwined in perfect sync. As famous as the pyramids is ‘The Sphinx’ the statue is that of the body of a lion and the face of a man it is 70m long and 20m high, the lion in most cultures represents power and might while the head shows the headdress of royalty. The human face of the Sphinx watches the rising sun as it guards the last resting place of some of Egypt’s pharaohs. One of the best story telling attractions is The Sound and Light Show which is held at Giza, the pyramids and the sphinx are used to create an atmosphere of a time travelling journey through the ages and lives of the ancient pharaoh’s of Egypt who are buried in the three pyramids. About 24km south of Cairo is Memphis which is one of the oldest cities in the world it was founded around 3,100 BC. In the old kingdom it was once the capital city of ancient Egypt.

Although not much of the ancient city remains there is a museum there which houses many statues of interest, Sakkara was the cemetery for Memphis and is well know for The Step Pyramid of King Zoser that is dated around 2700BC this makes it one of the oldest stone structures. Sakkara is the main site for many tombs from the first and second dynasty. Where as ‘The Pyramids at Giza’ where built with limestone the pyramids and tombs in Sakkara were mostly made out of mud and breaksand.

Another tourist attraction well worth Exploring and shows the true Expressionism of the city and the ancient world is The Egyptian Museum in Cairo among the statues, coffins, canopic jars, ancient furniture, sculptures, architectural decorations, writing utensils and ceremonial equipment there is an amazing collection of items that where found in the tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun which include jewellery, shields, sandals, statues, vases, tomb equipment, sculpture, ancient games, furniture and the burial mask of the boy king, this piece is absolutely amazing it is life sized and decorated in gold and precious stones.

There are many chances to taste the delightful cuisines of Egypt from street vendors but the hygiene of the street vendors is not always the best and there is more chance of getting sick. Even if you want to stay with familiar western food or try out the cuisene of Egypt it is always best to take your meals in the hotel this is the best way to avoid food poisoning. It is also advisable to only drink bottled water it’s pretty cheap and will save you from trotting to the bathroom to often.

You will have lots of chances to Exercise on a trip to Cairo between exploring ancient ruins and temples, trotting round museums and if that isn’t enough Exercise for you then you may want to try the most famous bazaar in Cairo ‘The Kal el Kahilili Bazaar’ this is one of the oldest markets in Cairo and it’s a great place to pick up a bargain or two for friends or family at home. But remember you need to haggle with the street vendors; they specifically look out for westerns and although it can be fun its best to go with an idea of what you want and how much you will spend. There are many bazaars throughout Cairo my best advice is if you see something you want to purchase barter for half of what they say is the actual price and stick to it this way you wont be done.

Egypt is truly a memorable trip for everyone who journeys to the land of the pharaohs but Cairo is best enjoyed with friends; their culture is very different to that of western culture. So on this Ex Experience get one of your friends to join you on this trip of a lifetime doing this will give you peace of mind and when you get back home all you will want to do is Exhale as you relax and move on to positive new things.