ah, Nida

bugs and ancient artifacts

Was walking along the island's rocky beach and found a fragment of what could probably be second century Ching Dynasty. there was a thin layer of what looked like quartz, or rocky plastic, on the inside. Any thoughts?


Also, found a bug on the ground.

Phoenix Mountain, a la Darwin

I've decided who my hero is. Charles Darwin, Naturalist.
And, with the recent 150 year anniversary of his The Origin of Species, I just might be his reincarnation.

My conclusion arose as I tramped through what could only be described as dense southern China jungle. My party had not encountered any snakes, yet, and I was regretting having worn only shorts. Bamboo shoots reached more than twenty feet into the sky, as leafy vines crept slowly upward, gently approaching a stranglehold. Black burs resembling scorpion stings clung to my shirt.

There were lizards, and there were ants. Gary (pictured above) found a praying mantis, about eight inches in length.


(this seems like a bad place to put it, but Gary owns an iguana back at his home, and he let me pick it up. Here I am preparing to kiss it.)


The vegetation was incredibly lush and exotic. I came upon some of the coolest plants I've never seen before, and a small waterfall near the beginning of the mountain's slope.


The next picture is of a plant I happened upon that I almost missed. It was covered in ants and sandy dirt, but looked similar in comparison with the so called 'corpse plant' that reaches an immense size and smell. This was not, but seemed very peculiar. Wide and corrugated leaves protruded from the ground, as did a stalk (of palm tree nature) that had attached to it at the top a large, purple acorn shaped flower, with yellow smaller flowers around it. If it stood, which I'm guessing it did at one time, it would've been just over a foot tall. There was no overpowering smell.

If you know what this plant is, please let me know. I'm very curious, and could not find it on the internet.

As we continued on, hopping over small ponds and perhaps quicksand, we encountered a steep cliff unexpectedly.
"There's a simple path up the mountain," my friend explained. "No steep cliffs to expect."

I went first, scaling the first 20 feet easily. As I neared the top it grew steeper, and I could only grasp ropey vines and old tree limbs that jutted out. My foothold in some animal's nest broke apart, spilling dirt everywhere, and throwing me swinging along the cliff.

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Earlier in the day I met up with some friends I met through TPR, the school where I work. From the top is George, Gary, and I-ping. American, British, Chinese.

They live outside the main Zhuhai districts, and have a more peaceful sense of life, albeit surrounded by more slum. I would prefer to live out here to be closer to nature, and to not feel the hurried mindset of a downtown. Since I'd not been to this part of town before, Gary showed me a garden store, the biggest I've seen here.

Here I-ping and Gary look at small banana plants. There were a few exotic plants here, and some rather large palms and tropical bushes.
I think this is a chocolate lab, the only one I've seen here. Colby :)


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There I was, hanging from vines hundreds of feet in the sky, the only thing stopping me from plummeting a thin rope-like vine I had managed to hang on to. Nevermind Charles Darwin, this was more like Indian Jones, also my hero. I managed to get a firmer grip with my dusty shoes and pull myself up the last few feet of the cliff. I clambered up the side, and stood, arms at my side... as I reached into my bookbag to grab my camera, and take photos of the scenery.



We had left quite late in the day, and unfortunately could not make it to the peak with enough sunlight to spare.
(Yes, that's a golf course you see in the background)
We headed back down to the long walk home, and an evening at BBQ. Not a better ending.

Astrology Mountain

Made a trip to another, smaller mountain today, that I like to call Astrology Mountain (Makes it sound like wizards are involved). Steep paths rise and twist up the front of it, periodically sporting larger-than-life-sized members of the Chinese Zodiac. Accompanied alongside are blurbs that tell of lucky numbers and fortunes for the reader... in Chinese. Good thing I don't believe in luck.
In the distance you can see a radio antennae atop the tallest peak. That's where I climbed two days ago, listed in the previous post.

The view looking southwest, to Macao:


The chinese call the giant boulders that sit atop these small mountains 'rocks from the sky'. They must have small imaginations...


Looking north: (my apartment is just beyond what you can see in the photo)




As I write this I sit with my lap top warming my feet with its acidic warmth, as this apartment has no heater, nor do any buildings in Zhuhai, that I know about. Luckily I am Ukranian, and I take my garlic pills.

I took a bus this morning from Wan Zi Sha, where I live, around to the Jida and Gongbei side of Jida Mtn. Macao is south of Zhuhai. There is a tunnel linking the two areas. There are some cutback trails leading up to the top of the mountain, where 'microwave emitting towers hold their presence over the city. Finally there was a clear but cold day. Apparently, we even hit a record low of 10 degrees, something that had never happened in Zhuhai in November. Maybe that movie 2012 did have something right in it...





The area here, mostly in these small mountains, contains lots of this quartz looking rock. I had a bag full by the time I went back to my apartment.



Gnarled trees frame a shot of mostly Macao, and a trail that led off somewhere that seemed a lot steeper than in the photo.



This is the panoramic of the Jida-Gongbei districts, and Macao. To the right are the Lisboa Casino, and Macao Tower.



When I arrived at the top, I walked along the crest of the mountain and saw four or five radio towers. It was much more windy and chilly. Men were working on something up there, and had closed off access to the other side of the mountain. I met a man in military uniform, though the Chinese like to dress up like that here, regardless of status. He mentioned something about police as he walked toward me, so I assumed he was escorting me back down. His name was Wong, and through broken english (I'm starting to think there's no other kind here) he told me he wants to learn better English, and that the mountain was closed to visitors.
Halfway down we parted, and I found out he was not police, or any sort of worker. There was another way up the other side of the mountain, and I took it. I came along a local worker, renovating some of the buildings.



Toward the top is an old well. I'm not sure how, or how long it took them, but there were a handful of old ladies filling up 20L jugs with the water. On my way down I helped one lady, but not ten minutes in she demanded I put down what I was carrying so that she could carry it the rest of the way.

I got a nicely posed shot of an eagle flying, but it was really far away.



I walked a few blocks near to the TPR where I sometimes teach in Gongbei. Along the way I encountered a rat that had fallen onto the sidewalk. He was an excitable little fella, and acted like more of a kangaroo. Two girls happening by sounded like they were giving birth at the mere sight of it, but honestly I was more scared of their screams.



I bought two ro sham mos (pork and lettuce in pita) for lunch on walking street and bused home.


A few days ago there was no haze in the crystal clear blue sky, and I found out that Hong Kong is visible from Zhuhai. You can make out a mountain famous there that has an airport and three chemical stacks. Tonight there are too many clouds to view the meteor shower, so I'm doubtful 4am will fly.



Usually these are the only islands that are visible.

I am very excite.

Leaving shortly to climb Jida mountain, for it's finally a clear day, and tomorrow morning I will have to get up early (4am) to see the Leonid meteor shower. I'm finally on the other side of the world, where astral events seem to favour, and I'll be treated to a display of "the strongest Leonids since 2001 that could produce more than 300 shooting stars per hour." whereas Western world will whimper with a weak estimate of 20-30 shooting stars per hour. (i didn't try to do that) I'll bring my tripod and camera, hope for clear skies, and maybe i'll finally be able to get photos of a meteor shower.

I went to see 2012 with a work colleague last night, and let me tell you. The CGI of natural disasters was great. The acting and story line was not. That is all you need to know to make an informed decision.

Old restaurant with a hint of Chinese character.

Long, hard day of work past, sitting down to a relaxing supper.

Warm dishes served, including porridge.

Ingredients:

water
rice
seasonings
snake

Pitcher plant (Nepenthes alata)

Bought the exotic pitcher plant today at the little plant shoppe a few blocks away. Paid 10 cad for it, good in my books. I love unusual plants...

Remember remember, the fifth of November!

Friday (the night before two full days of weekend work) found us on a bus travelling north of the city into the darkness of country roads, finding Dongao Island and a murky and beautiful moonrise.


The night last was the fifth of November, 403 years or so since Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up British Parliament. It's become popularised by V for Vendetta and all the rage with Brits. Organised by the local ex pat bar, Ryan's (that is to say, not very organised), some of us had to take a second bus, and missed out on some parts of the festivities. That's not to underscore that it was a good time; sausages and a free limit of beer.

Heather, Kristen, and I posed by a statue, and in front of what some Chinese girl was doing I can only assume was a form of mating dance.


Bats abound the skies at dusk, sometimes fluttering within feet of passersby. This little guy kept returning to the great bonfire, so I was able to get a shot.


As the night wore on, with no cap on the drinking, some people were affected by the group mentality; one Brit even suggested he'd jump the fire with his motorbike. Luckily, he was too drunk, and fell over.


One fellow fell into the fire

just kidding :) that's the Guy Fawkes effigy thrown onto the fire to celebrate the anarchistic holiday.

To cap it off, fireworks! being so close made them seem quite beautiful.

I think this one went off a little early

Hazey sunset on the canal



Here's the view from a pedestrian walkway. They're monolithic circles that probably take more time than they're worth to climb up to cross the street.

Took a walk by the canal, for the first time. I saw billions of little white fish getting pulled out toward the ocean, and into this fisherman's net.

The fish would jump every few seconds, skim the top of the water, and try to swim upstream. There were so many fish; the entire canal held one every two inches.

I tried walking toward the mountains, but found a waste sewage plant, and an unhappy guard at an apartment. I think if I'm to gain access I must talk to the locals. I did find, however, some fully grown pitcher plants for sale, similar to the venus fly trap in terms of carnivorousness. Today I plan to buy one.

Ginger root has really taken off. It's fresh enough to propagate it here, unlike anywhere in Canada.


Here is an exotic looking bird.


And one of the thousands of herons that flock near the water.


If you can believe it, a local fisherman was pulled into the water by an alligator earlier this week.


This was all that remained.