Hosting V for his first experience of China was a treat. Coming off of 6 years in West Africa and a month or so traveling through Spain, it was hard to guess how he'd interpret the quirks of China. We always have this schizophrenic reaction when friends actually engage with the idea of coming to visit us here in Shenyang. Of course we're excited and want to see them, but then there's an inevitable anxiety that making a trip literally half-way around the world might not meet their expectations.
I can honestly say we did right by V. We showed him China in it's rawness and charm. After our adventures over the long 4th of July weekend V went to Beijing for a few days to see the sights on his own while R worked. V made it back Thursday for a few more days in Shenyang. R celebrated his return with a shirtless hot pot date (pictures deemed unfit for my blog ;)).
R took half of Friday off and we ventured over to the Liaoning Museum. Aside from some beautiful stone etchings, we were mostly disappointed in the museum. Many of the exhibits were closed, the AC for a July afternoon was lacking, and it just didn't offer much to the non-chinese reader. On top of that we had a terrible time finding a taxi (shift change at 4pm is brutal!) and ended up packed on to buses.
At this point, vexed by the heat and a little frustrated in what Shenyang was offering us, I insisted that we go to the massage parlor nearby. In my experience, a $12 hour-long massage never disappoints. As we walked through the door I off-handedly suggested that the guys brave the fire cupping treatment and both R & V agreed.
 |
| braving the flame- R & V experience the therapeutic pleasures of fire cupping |
If you've never heard of fire-cupping, it's an ancient Chinese treatment where the insides of glass bulbs are heated creating a suction, and then they're applied to your back. Being completely unversed in Chinese medicine, I can only tell you it does something for your Qi and the purported benefits range from curing the common cold, enhancing your immune system, and rectifying "imbalances", to relieving muscle pain. One unfortunate result is you have tennis ball shaped hickies/bruises on your back for WEEKS afterwards. Being that it's summertime and I didn't want to bare bruise marks for all to see, I refrained and just got an extra long massage and served as the photographer. I'll spare you the after pictures as they're pretty gruesome, but we did document it.
Despite how it LOOKS, R & V actually said it didn't hurt whatsoever while they were doing it. R was a little sore (akin to a sunburn) the day or so afterwards, but says the muscles in his back did feel amazingly loose and not knotted up like usual. I'm tempted to try it some time this winter, but we'll see if I'm brave enough!
We finished V's visit with a trip to the North Korean border. From our first weeks in Shenyang I've been intrigued by North Korea. They actually have a consulate just around the block from the US consulate and in Shenyang's little Korea there are some NK restaurants. We like to think they are a Hermit Kingdom, but North Koreans live and work in China and many other countries throughout the world.
 |
| Broken Bridge, Dandong |
Dandong is about a 3.5 hour drive from Shenyang so we hired a driver and set out to see what we could see. The weather began overcast and foggy which only emphasized the mystique across the YaLu River.
 |
| bridge on the right was bombed by the US in 1950 and now called the "Broken Bridge" bridge on left really does go between North Korea & China |
 |
| broken part of the Broken Bridge |
We started at the "Broken Bridge" which is now a memorial of where the US bombed this bridge between China & North Korea in 1950 during the Korean War (or, as some in China still call it, the War Against American Aggression and To Defend Korea...). It was crazy to think we were so close to North Korea and yet... we would get even closer!
 |
| us at the end of the broken bridge with the North Korean shore in the background (was not sure whether to smile in pictures with North Korea) |
We stopped for lunch at
Peter's Coffee House just a little bit further down the river from the Broken Bridge. It had a great, relaxed atmosphere and pretty decent Western food. Definitely a gem on the border!
 |
| more of the Greatest Wall in the world! |
We then went to see the Great Wall. I know, I know, you're thinking, "again with the Great Wall, Meagan?" but this particular portion of the Great Wall sits just 30 feet across a stream from North Korea so we got pretty close and even spotted some North Korean farmers. The wall itself clearly had lots of "restoration" done, but it made for nice pictures and a good afternoon hike.
 |
| unable to identify the exact date of this portion of the Great Wall... |
 |
| Rules to follow at yi bu kua: don't trade drugs or weapons, don't climb the fence, don't throw food to north koreans, don't take pictures of the soldiers... |
 |
| fences on both sides of the border |
In the end there wasn't that much to see over the border. A few simple buildings. Crops growing. Guard towers watching for those trying to escape. Barbed-wire fences protecting it all. We had thought to visit the War Against American Aggression and To Defend Korea Museum, but because it closes at 4:30 we ran out of time.
 |
| just across a small stream from North Korea |
 |
| buildings across the border |
 |
| farmers in a field |
We rode back to Shenyang and ate Korean BBQ to aptly finish off the day's adventures. Sharing and exploring China with V was refreshing in so many ways.
There's such a sense of meaningful understanding when you travel with someone and explore a different culture together. I don't think we'll ever finish exploring China (tire of it and need serious breaks from it- absolutely!). We are so thankful V took the time to visit us and welcome any other friends or family to check out Northeast China- we promise to make it a memorable experience!
 |
| we were so tired but this was delicious |
Comments
Post a Comment