Haerbin, China

Greetings from the frosty north!

I'm here in Haerbin, China, in the neartheast near the Russian border, visiting the annual ice and snow sculpture extravaganza. Thousands of blocks of ice are cut out of the frozen river, and stacked and carved into various sculptures, then lit from within and placed in a carnival-like setting. It's Burning Man meets Disneyland with really bad speakers. Loud Chinese pop music blares and crackles out of loud speakers, while festival goers ice skate, ride ice bikes, climb ice walls, and slide down ice chutes on pillows. With the evening temperatures hovering around -20C/-5F, you need to stay active to keep from getting frostbite. I'm so very happy I bought those hand and foot warmers from REI.









Yesterday we visited a spot along the river where Mongolian horsemen offer rides across the ice. There's also a swimming pool, carved into the ice, for any brave souls wanting to test their mettle. One victorious woman was parading around on a horse, in her bathing suit, giving a victory sign after her victory lap in the pool. Brrrr! These people are HEARTY.





The other highlight of yesterday was the beautiful Temple of Bliss. A series of shrines with large, golden Buddhas housed in traditional Chinese buildings with curved tile rooves and red, tapered pillars. Swags of beautiful, yellow, embroidered silk hang from doorways, and carts with smokey insense for offerings stand steaming in the cold courtyards. After traffic, crowds, and noise in this big, industrial city, it was a nice change of pace to be in such a peaceful, beautiful and serene place.









Today I fly to Xi'an, which is hopefully not one of the cities affected by the big storm in the eastern central part of the country. After that I'm looking forward to spending more time in Beijing, and seeing what hidden gems lie beneath the gray exterior. My first full day in China was spent at a brunch hosted by Australians for Australia Day, followed by a session at an Irish Pub with American and Canadian musicians. I was also able to connect with a Chinese friend of a friend, and treated to a wonderful, authentic Chinese meal to remind me where I was. Of course, there was that heavenly hour-long foot massage I was treated to the evening before after traveling for 16+ hours.

An interesting technology note: I was not able to access this blog from Beijing, but got through at the hotel here in Haerbin. I'm not sure I completely understand China's Internet policies, but I may not be able to post again until I reach Bangkok.