The hotel where we stayed in Panjin was billed as an eco-hotel. The lobby roof was made of glass to give the impression of a green house.
"Greenhouse" Lobby
The lobby also had a water feature. In the middle of the water feature was a stone carving.
Stone Carving
I think it was supposed to look like the stone pillars of Guilin that stick up out of the river.
The lobby also had a wooden carving of a sailing ship.
Wooden Carving
There were even carvings of sailors on board. I tried looking for Captains Jack Sparrow or Sao Feng, but couldn’t find them. 😉
Breakfast was at the hotel, buffet style.
Breakfast Sample
Fried rice, assorted vegetables, and scrambled eggs with chives. Not your typical western breakfast, yum.
The schedule for this morning was a tour of the Shuangtaihekou State Natural Reserve and the reed-grass “beach.” The following was copied from the Wikipedia article.
Shuangtaihekou State Natural Reserve, a marshland that serves as natural habitat to 321 species of animals. It also serves as one of the few breeding grounds for endangered birds such as the red-crowned crane and Saunders’ Gull. Millions of birds of as much as 172 different species stop at the area during their migration, including more than 20 endangered species such as the red-crowned crane, Demoiselle Crane, white stork, black stork, white-fronted goose, whooper swan, and brown goshawk. On a special note, Panjin is also called “Home of the Cranes” for the above reasons.
The reed-grass “beach” was supposed to be very red at this time of year, but, a cold snap turned the grass brownish. Even with this turn of events, the experience was still worth it.
Entrance to Reed-Grass "Beach"
Backside of Entrance
The building and bridge/walkway was built to keep people off of the “beach.” The reed-grass grows in a mix of seawater and fresh water. Too much seawater, and the reed-grass turns brown; too much fresh water, and the reed-grass turns green. In order for the reed-grass to be red, the combination has to be just right. Apparently extreme cold turns the reed-grass brown too.
Reed-Grass
The reed-grass was still reddish, but our host said a couple of weeks earlier, the color was even redder.
Reed-Grass (Close Up)
Because of the color change, the place was practically deserted. Our host said that if the “beach” was red, the bridge/walkway would be crowded with people. The lack of people gave the place a very serene and peaceful atmosphere. The experience may not have been what my brother-in-law, Y, wanted for us but it was just as good if not better to have the whole place to ourselves.
I tried to catch the light and the camera angle to get the “reddest” I could get.
"Red" Reed-Grass
The “beach” is located within the national reserve, at the entrance of the reserve, vendors were selling salted duck eggs.
Salted Duck Eggs
Salted Duck Eggs
Ducks also live in the marshlands. I’m not sure if the ducks are wild or domesticated.
In general, some people would buy a t-shirt or other kitschy item as a souvenir, Y (my brother-in-law) buys salted duck eggs for his mother-in-law (go figure).
For lunch, we begged our host for simple food (we’ve been eating too much “banquet” food lately). They took us to a restaurant specializing in the region’s farm style cooking. Outside of the restaurant, one of the staff was drying fish for later use.
Drying Fish
Here’s what we ate.
Marshland Prawns
Boiled Salted Duck Eggs
Roasted Meat
Fried Fish and Shrimp
Marshland Duck
Wheat Bread
Cornmeal Bread
River Fish
Live River Fish
All of the seafood came from the area nearby. The Cat said the duck eggs were very fresh, the yolk was extremely rich, and the taste was just right, not too salty.
After lunch, D, wanted to take a look at a supermarket to gauge the prosperity of the region. The following pictures of the market was taken by The Cat (more on that later).
Prepared and Preserved Foods
More Pickles
Fresh Produce
The Cat like how the beans and chives were displayed.
More Produce
Fresh Dates
Both dates can be dried and added to soups and stews. This trip was the first time I’ve seen fresh dates. Our friend in Beijing M, gave us a bag of the green colored dates (the ones in the background of this picture).
Yams
Bread Rolls
Sausages
In the afternoon, we visited the site where,Y’s (my brother-in-law) business contact is constructing her company’s complex. The complex includes dormitories for her workers, a cafeteria, a research and development building, a manufacturing building, an entertainment center, a shopping mall, and luxury condominiums. The whole area is about four or five times the area of the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Can you imagine it? It was huge!
After a short rest, dinner was scheduled with Y’s business contact (let’s call her Boss W). We tried to convince Boss W’s assistant (let’s call her Little W), to have a simple dinner (Boss W wasn’t feeling 100 percent and we were kind of wore out). Little W said that wasn’t possible. When we asked Little W where we were going, she said “only the best.” Best thing to do in these situations is sit back and go with the flow. Along with are party of four, Boss W had invited two high ranking doctors of the area. Boss W wanted to introduce the doctors to Y to see if any investment opportunities could be discussed.
Good Food Beautiful Scenery
The name of the restaurant kind of says it all, doesn’t it?
Mountain Yam Drink
We were given some choices to drink, including alcohol, The Cat and I chose the shan yao (mountain yam).
Braised Short-Ribs
To start, each person was presented a plate of braised short-ribs.
Soup
We were also given a bowl of soup (I’m not sure what kind). I took the picture so that the image of the chandelier was reflected in the soup (I was trying to be an artiste). 🙂 I know, I know, don’t quit your day job.
The rest of the food was on the revolving turntable.
Roasted Beef in Pastry
Vegetable Salad
Raw Oysters and Salmon
The oysters were huge! They were cut into about five pieces each. I don’t know how it was sliced without losing the liqueur. The Cat said the oysters were one of the freshest she’s had.
Abalone
Fried Squid?
?
Stir-Fried Cabbage
Scallops
Assorted Vegetables
Whole Fish
Vegetables
Roasted Crab
Roasted Duck Tongue
Roasted Vegetables
Beancurd Skin
The Cat said all of the dishes were well done.
Okay, the following could be considered not suitable for the squeamish.
I was experiencing a little “traveler’s stomach” just as we left Beijing (that’s why I had to visit the bathroom on the train and could describe it to you and why The Cat had the camera at the supermarket earlier in this post). The “symptoms” kept increasing through dinner where I spent more time in the bathroom than at the dinner table (thank (insert deity) it had a western commode in the private dining room). On the third visit, Boss W realized something was not copacetic and asked the doctors to prescribe something. By the time I got out of the bathroom, I was given a box of over the counter medicine. Boss W’s driver picked it up via Little W and Boss W.
I think it was fate that Boss W decided to invite those two doctors to dinner. Big whew.
By next morning, I was gassy, but the floods had stopped. Yay!
Apparently, as one travels north in China, the water gets heavier which may not agree with some people with sensitive stomachs. This was told to us by several people who heard of my “adventure.”
Anyway a big day, lots to see (both intended and unintended), lots to do, and lots to think about.
The journey continues.
The Mouse
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