Day #5: Local Market in
Baisha ~ Music, Calligraphy and Cupping
The morning before leaving this magical world for the
airport we go to a local but huge market in Baisha. Clearly I need more time. Other than one other Western looking couple this truly feels like an
authentic local experience. I don't think bus tours come here.
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| Listening to music and singing |
There is live
music with locals singing to a real life orchestra and dancing. However, only two
men are dancing but I am tempted. Eric
laughs saying this is Karaoke as anyone
can take the microphone and sing. Later John insists this is not karaoke
because of the live music.
People seem happy to see us here and smile at us. They are unconcerned with my picture taking.
John takes a hand at calligraphy from a man selling paint
brushes. He is surrounded by a group of people laughing as he tries to copy a
Chinese symbol.
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| Men watching John's calligraphy efforts |
In the herb section of the market we watch cupping therapy taking place with 3 different men and their therapists. The skin on the man's back
is first cleaned, pounded and thrashed in various ways. Then the skin is
drawn into a cup by creating a vacuum in the cup placed over the targeted area.
The vacuum in created by either the heating and cooling of air in the cup. The traditional bamboo cup is left on for 5-10 minutes and is believed
to treat pain and muscle knots. Apparently more modern cups are made of glass.
Apparently there is no good evidence-based for
cupping benefits and might even be harmful because of creating small burns. However, I am not sure the science is
important to these people as cupping has been practiced in China for over 3,000
years. I suggest to John that he might try this out for his back pain because
after all Michael Phelps has done this! Being
a scientist and not having the data he refuses.
Each section of this market is categorized by food types such as fish, fruit, meat, herbs or baskets.
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A bird in the hand... |
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| Chickens being weighed |
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| Weighing beans |
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| Local Beer |
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| Snails |
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| frogs |
Sadly, we have to leave for the airport as I
am sure I could stay here all day. Definitely not enough time for pictures!
Back in Hong Kong
We have another day in Hong Kong where John takes me to a
temple one of his favorite places he visited while I was at the conference. Thankfully
this time it is a sunny day and it is
fun to walk in the narrow streets and see the people at work. The temple nestled
in between huge apartment towers seems oddly misplaced.
However, entering the
temple it feels authentic with people coming to pray, light candles and
incense. John enjoys returning for this
meditative experience and finally I am anxious to leave to find an air
conditioned place to cool down.
In the evening we meet up with Dylon, the son of two of our good
Seattle friends for dinner. He and his girlfriend arrived the day before
from New York and are spending a long weekend here! Upon the recommendation of our hotel we have
reserved at a Chinese restaurant called Ho
Lee Fook (say quickly and you will get the joke) and have a great Chinese
meal enjoying the duck, pork and chicken.
John says it is his favorite Chinese meal of the trip.
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| View from our hotel room |
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