This night we stay in a hotel in Lancang. We've seen a lot of strange food today : ears , nose and tongs of pigs, chicken legs , frogs, fish heads, ... You can really see everything on a market in Lancang ! We ate in old ethnic village. We were the first Western people they saw in there restaurant ... So they sang and played guitar for us. And wow , it was so beautiful ! Those people learned to sing in the church ( they are Christian) We've never expected to find Christians in an old ethnic civilisation ... That was really contradictory .... In an other village, the Aka people,dressed me up with a local ceremonial outfit. It was a great honor to be dressed like the woman there. And all those clothes are completely handmade, with a lot of embroidery and pearls on it ! Everyone is so generous there ! When they see some strangers most of the people in Belgium ignore them and here you're treated like a prince ! Love this country so much ... Camille
p.s. pictures are maybe for tomorrow ... We can't get Internet on our pc here ... Only I-pad is working here ! Sorry we're really in an other world here !
Today we've visited a village and we've walked 2 hours amidst the forest and old thee trees and bushes. We saw the one they claim to be the oldest thee tree, over 800 years old. And people still harvest it's leaves. To see that special tree we had to walk in the jungle. It was so beautiful there ! The birds were singing, the butterflies flying and the cigals tsjirping. The village we crossed was nice but not as beautiful as the villages we saw yesterday. But we took some nice pictures of the children who lived there ... The monk of this village look like drunk ... I've never seen something like that , if I didn't know it was a monk, I would thought that he was a rapper or something like that ... Really ! Queer but also interessant day , xxx Camille
This is our first day in Jinghong in the Yunnan Province. We spent one day at Kunming in an awefull hotel (our bed sheeds were dirty, the bathroom was dirty, the floor was extremely dirty, the toilet didn't flush, you could smell the nicotine of all cigarets people smoked in the room, ...) But now we spent our second and last night in a beautiful hotel in Jinghong and everything is going fine. Today we've visited some local villages and we had luncj at a local restaurant there. Both we're amazing !!! In the village we've seen a women with traditional clothes (she went home to put them on just for us , she looked very proud when she showed them) The houses are made of wood and are also old. Jinghong is very close to Burma so everything is totally different. The farmers don't grow rice but rubber, for example. Oh, and also pinapple. We tasted some and it was delicious. The people who live here make their whisky themselves. It's actually maïsalcohol. We were lucky because they where just distillating it, it's amazing to see them doing that ! We even tasted it It's gonna be a shock when we're back in Belgium. Everything will be too normal to me ! Love Camille
Hello people, Today was our last day at Ning Du. I really like it here! I just like China I think... Everything is just so different: food, people, clothes, language, surroundings, weather, circulation, etc. The weather: It's hot ofcourse (I think you already know that :) ) But we often don't see the sun, it's just hot and clouded. The food is also verry hot :). Chili here, chili there, chili everywhere! But when it's not too hot and spysy ( and we actually cán eat it...), it's verry good! I really like the sweet and sour chicken ;) What's also different from Belgium is that in Beijjing and the other big towns you can see a barbecue at every courner of every street (maybe that's a little exagerated, but there are really a lot of barbecues :) ) And the clothes!!!! OMG, I think this is Justine's heaven on earth. The girls and women are always dressed up. Even when they are on a motorbike they wear high heels! I drawed that so you can see such a girl on the photo. And they have also a parasol when they go outdoors, so their skin doesn't get darker (and again: even on the motorbike) The little girls wear dresses like Cinderella's one, and the older girls and women wear pants, skirts and dresses (it just have to sparkling or be skinny) Justine designed an outfit we see a lot of chinese girls wear: long dress, a bag from a different colour, a little bit of black eyeliner, and ofcourse: high heels (and with high, I mean really high!) I gonna miss it here! But we still have three weeks to go :) xxx Camille
Hi guys, first day at Ningdu and I have a lot to tell you . we've discovered plenty of things about Lola ! First my sister isn't born after nine months in her mothers belly, but after seven ! So she was very weak and her mother probably couldn't take care of her. It's just an assumption but it sounds logical that that's the reason why she abandoned Lola. Second: Lola didn't grow up in the orphanage , but in the house of her foster-mother. We met her today. That women actually saved Lola's life! The only reason why my sister survived is because she ate well and because Li Yun (her foster mother) kept her underneath her clothes so she was never cold. You should have seen it ! Li was fighting against her tears when she saw Lola ... We saw also the other kids in the orphanage. But most of those children have a severe handicap. The "normal" ones stay with foster-motherstill they're adopted ... Lola seemed a little confused but so happy ! It was a heavy day ! Love, Camille
p.s. pictures will be posted later, the Internet here isn't so good ;-)
Dear Belgium, Today was the last day in Beijjing. Tomorrow evening we'll be in Ning Du, Lola's hometown. This morning we've visited the Lama- and Confucius Temples. Thet we're both great, but yhey didn't impress me as much as the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace or the Great Wall... But this evening we've done something awesome: We've walked in the Hutongs. Those are old streets and it's there where you can find the authentic China. And I really liked it!! It wasn't so touristic like the rest we've visited. There were litle shops, someone who played a queer instrument (it looks a bit like a violin, but it was longer and narrower), and ofcourse a lót of people. Oh, and there was also a little boy who looked like a mini-sumowrestler . He was adorable and everybody was so kind! They smiled, laughed and it seemed that everyone knew everyone. A bit like the souks in Marrakech We really liked it! xoxo Camille
Went to the Great Wall at Mu-something - just to avoid the crowd we've undergone at Tian An Men and at the Forbidden City. Summer holidays in China as well, and and a very small part of the Chinese are taking the opportunity to do some sightseeing - but a very tiney part of 1.3 billion people still is a lot ...
The heat was feasible, but when you're literally using your feets and hands to get higher on the Wall because it's that steep, believe me, you sweat. The ony one that didn't, is Lola. Genetically predeterminated ? That being said, the views we're worth it ! Unbelievable the Chinese did this (to (try to) stop the Mongolians), before Hadrian (to stop the Scottish), the Soviets (to stop the Germans !), the Israelis (to stop the Palestinians - or the colonists, or both) and the Americans (to stop the Mexicans). Nil novi sub sole.
In the afternoon we spend some time chilling - if I dare say so, it being over 35° - at the Hutong Guest House, then went to get some cash at the bank of China - a lot of walking again, but the children did well and really enjoyed it ! Looks like they got used to China after 24 hours.
Another great Chinese meal at the guesthouse in the evening, the host playing a kind of flute - live concert at the Red Lantern.
Summer Palace: Who doesn't want to be an emperess in such a setting?
Second day on the spot, Today we've visited the Summer Palace. The emperess lived there when it was to hot in the Forbidden City. To me it's much prettier in her private little town. There is more nature and she gave her palace a little personal touch. Or actually a real big one. The emperess really liked Su Zhou, so her summer palace is a copy of that city. what I liked most was the fluteseller. He showed me an instrument I've never seen. It lookes like a pear with holes, and the music he made with that queer instrument was great. The only downside of China in the summer is the heat, but I think I'll get used to it. Tomorrow we'll visit the Great Wall. Wish me luck !
Hi guys, First day in China: what a chock! I would have thought we would only drink water, but we breath it too, because it's so humid here! I have to walk, jump, or do something else, just to keep me awake. And I think I won't mention the temperature... But there's no way to say that I don't like it here! It's amazing how kind the people are (even when we don't understand what they say, their English isn't really good) And it's like this town never sleeps. The best way to describe Beijjing is to say that it looks exactly like an ant nest :) The best example I can give you is the Forbidden City (we've visited it today) There we're at least some tens of thousands people there. If a good start brings good luck, I think this holiday'll become awesome!! greats from China Xxxx Camille :D
P.s. in attachement a picture of the guesthouse for tonight, really Chinese ;-)
Hi guys, I think most of the visitors of my blog already know me, but for the others: Hi, my name is Camille, I'm 14 years old and I live in Belgium (you can also read this on the right-side ) This year my family and I gonna make an amazing trip to China. The reason for this trip is that my little sister comes from this country. I made this blog (or actually my mother did) because I want to be able to read my memories of that vacation over and over again, and ofcourse I want you to be able to see day by day what we've already seen and done in China. I'll try to write everyday something on my blog (if we have Wi-Fi connection ofcourse ) and I'll post some pictures too. And last but not least: Thanks mum, for the wonderful job you've done so far! I don't know what I would do without you! You've worked twice till 12 pm. just to make me happy... I love you and I'll try -for you- to make this blog something amazing! Lots of love and hugs! Camille
Dag mijn liefste Mietje, Comme surprise pour ton annif je t'ai construit ton premier 'blog' ... Enfin, je n'ai fait que le gros oeuvre, je te laisse le plaisir d'en faire un petit chef d'oeuvre Happy Birthday !!! Dans quelques jours on fêtera cela ensembles en Chine ! Nog 7 dagen, 53 min en 54 seconden
Ik ben Camille
Ik ben een vrouw en woon in Heusden (België) en mijn beroep is mss journaliste, wie weet ;).
Ik ben geboren op 10/07/1999 en ben nu dus 25 jaar jong.
Mijn hobby's zijn: scouts, muziek, schrijven.
totem: ourébi
quali: hisse les voiles
This night we stay in a hotel in Lancang.
Today we've visited a village and we've walked 2 hours amidst the forest and old thee trees and bushes. We saw the one they claim to be the oldest thee tree, over 800 years old. And people still harvest it's leaves.
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Hello people,
Hi guys,
Dear Belgium,
. He was adorable and everybody was so kind!
As Camille is dead tired, Daddy takes over ...
Second day on the spot,
Hi guys,
