Em day three in Xiamen

Tina and I visited Nanputuo Temple; like many Buddhist temples, it is built into the side of a mountain. We climbed all the way to the top which turned out to be quite a hike as the pathways leading up the mountain were stone stairs and built for tiny feet (the temple dates back to the 1600s) . One funny thing I should note is that the entire climb up there was a Chinese guy on our heels talking on his cell phone. This seems to happen a lot, and according to Mark there’s apparently no voicemail in China, so if a cell phone rings, most pick it up regardless of whether they’re at a temple or climbing a mountain… Touring the temple has been one of the highlights of the trip so far. I enjoyed seeing the monks and the 360 views of Xiamen.

Tina and I then ate at a small café by her University - we had sandwiches, fries and smoothies! Very delicious after the hike and after days of having no western food. I did have a “red bean” smoothie just to keep it a little Chinese – turned out to be similar to a vanilla shake – very good.

We then went to Xiamen University so Tina could go to class - it made me want to go back to school too! The campus was huge, green, full of flowers, palms, a lake, and students lollygagging out in the sunshine. Tina pointed me in the direction of the beaches, and then she went to class while I walked the shoreline.

We ended the day by meeting up with Mark, going to Good Taste (a hot pot restaurant where you stew fresh veggies and meat in a shared cauldron). We then went to a wine bar called Temptations - you guessed it! Mark and Tina are regulars there, so we got the executive treatment. We drank a bottle of red wine on the upstairs deck, and chatted with the owners, and ate exotic fruits that we had never tried before. I’m looking forward to trying to find the fruits in Chicago’s Chinatown and making you all eat them!