Travel Experiences: Zadar, Croatia

Not so long ago I was able to tour around Croatia, this relatively unscarred by tourism country in the middle of Europe. As an archaeologist and professional researcher, I always love to explore the history and historical sites whenever I’m exploring a new country. As I explored Croatia, I found a lovely place called Zadar.

Zadar is located roughly 347km (217 miles) southwest of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Most travellers will miss it as they make their way to Split of Dubrovnik and unfortunately they miss out on this beautiful city.

When I arrived in Zadar I noticed that the city is divided into two sections; the Old Town is actually situated away from the rest of the city on a peninsular about 4km long. Simply beautiful, the Old Town is full of Roman ruins, churches from the medieval periods, museums, palaces and libraries – I was in heaven! The newer part of the city is a little more lacklustre than the Old Town but still is very interesting.

Zadar has seen human occupation for more than 2,000 years before the Romans came along and conquered the area in the first century BCE. If you look, you can still see these ancient ruins of the forum which was the heart of any Roman town throughout the empire. Before the Romans, the Liburnians established it as a trading centre with the Greeks and Romans for 800 years.

During the Byzantine period, Zadar was established as the capital of Dalmatia and I learnt that the city’s most famous church, St. Donat’s Basilica, was built in this period. After this, Zadar’s rule changed hands constantly, from the Osogoths to the Croatian-Hungarian kings, the Venetians, the Turks, the Habsburgs, the French, the Italians, and the Yugoslavians before becoming part of an independent Croatia. Once you come here, you can see the influence each period had on the city.

I didn’t have much time unfortunately. As soon as I checked into my little hotel in the newer part of the city, I set off exploring. My first port of call was the Archaeological Museum. It was established in 1832 and looks quite dull and boring on the outside. However, once you step inside you can see some amazing artefacts on display. There are exhibits from each period and some wonderful models.

I couldn’t come here without taking the time to visit St. Donat’s Church. This is the city’s most famous church, dating back to the 9^th century. Inside I was amazed by the beauty of the architecture and although I am not a Christian, the artwork inside was simply lovely. I also remember the haunting acoustic music that flooded the church.

After this I went and found myself a lovely restaurant to sample the local cuisine before making my way to St. Mary’s Church. I heard the legend that a local noble woman founded a convent here in 1066 and then St Mary’s Church in 1091. In the 16^th century, it was rebuilt to give it a more up-to-date look and this has made it into one of the prettiest churches in Croatia. Inside I saw some wonderful gold religious artwork.

Unfortunately I had to return to my hotel and leave the next day, but I will never forget my trip to Zadar. It was simply beautiful and I am glad that unlike other travellers, I did overlook this hidden gem.

Travel Destinations: Kamakura, Japan

Kamakura was the capital of Japan from 1185 to 1333, and because of this, it is one of the most culturally rewarding cities in Japan and an ideal destination for anyone making their holidays in this beautiful country.

There are a number of beautiful Buddhist temples in the area; if you time yourself correctly, then you can see most of what Kamakura has to offer in one day, but to truly take your time and marvel at the wonders of this place, take a few days.

Engaku-ji:

Founded in 1282, this is one of the five key Rinzai Zen temples in Kamakura. According to local legend, it was built for Zen monks to pray for the soldiers who had died to defend their country from the second invasion attempt from Kublai Khan. A magnificent reminder of the temple’s beauty is the reconstruction San’mon, which was built in 1780. If you climb up the long stairway through the gate, you will come to the Engaku-ji bell, the largest bell in the city created in 1301.

Tokei-ji:

This beautiful temple is set in the most gorgeous grounds; this is a truly peaceful place where your spirit can take flight. The temple has served as a place of refuge for women; if she spent three years as a nun here, she was classed as legally divorced. Today, there are no nuns here.

Jochi-ji:

Not far from Tokei-ji is the lovely Jochi-ji, another temple set in beautiful grounds. Constructed in 1283, this temple is one of the city’s five important Zen temples.

Daibutsu Hiking Course:

Starting from near Jochi-ji temple, this 3km hiking trail runs through some spectacular scenery, passing by the shrine of Kuzuharaoka-jinja. From here you will see the sign to Genjiyama-koen, a beautiful landscape park; carry on down the hill to reach Zeniarai Benten. The entrance looks somewhat like a cave but will lead you to a shrine. Here, visitors bathe their money in the natural spring which is said to bring them good fortune.

Enno-ji:

Enno-ji is a wonderful temple to visit, with its beautiful assemble of sculptures depicting the judges of hell. Emma-O is the deity which presides over them all; his Sanskrit equivalent is Yamma. When the Pure Land sect of Buddhism started to gain popularity, the concept of hell and judgement became an important matter.

Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu:

This is the main shrine of Kamakura and a must-see on any trip to here. It was founded by Minamoto Yoriyoshi and dedicated to the god of war, Hachiman.

This is just a sample of what Kamakura has to offer you but words cannot portray the beauty, the energy and the wonders that lay in store for you.

Hotel Reviews: The Ritz Carlton, Sanya

Yalong Bay National Resort District

Sanya,

Hainan 572000

China

+86 (898) 8898 8888

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Sanya/Default.htm?om_a=map

There are few hotels anywhere on this world that can stand up to the glamour, the sophistication and the beauty of the Ritz Carlton hotels. They are the epitome of luxury and magnificence, the perfect place to get away from the everyday world and step into one where your every need is catered for.

The Ritz Carlton Sanya is located in the most secluded area of Yalong Bay, one of the very best beaches in the South China Sea where it is known as the ‘Oriental Hawai’i’. Overlooking the South China Sea, the hotel has wonderful views of pure white sand, the deep blue ocean and endless blue skies.

The hotel has a range of suites, villas and rooms for guests. The Deluxe Ocean View Room has unobstructed views of the beautiful Yalong Bay with a private balcony where you can watch the sun set with a glass of champagne. It also has a comfortable king sized bed, or you can have two queen sized beds. There are two LCD TVs, one of which is placed in the stunning private bathroom.

The Ocean View Suite is a beautiful choice; with gorgeous views of Yalong Bay and private balconies, the room screams sophistication. It has a living room, bedroom and private bathrooms with an over-stuffed bed. There are three LCD TVs, tea and coffee makers and internet access.

There are a number of private villas to rent, giving you that extra privacy. The Garden Villa is the height of luxury, surrounded by exotic plant life. There is an outdoor sala and plunge pool for your own private use, a 24 hour private butler service and is situated right on the beach.

There are eight different dining choices at the Ritz Carlton Sanya, each giving you the chance to sample some of the most beautiful and delicious dishes in Asia. Fresh 8 features recipes from all over the world; Pearl gives you the very best of Cantonese cuisine; Sophia gives you authentic Italian dishes; Sand, an al fresco dining experience, specialises in barbeque and seafood dishes; Scene is the place for sweets; Zig has the best cognacs and Armagnac; Cube is the lagoon bar situated in the middle of the pool and Mood, located in the spa, gives you the chance to sample refreshing and healthy choices.

The Ritz Carlton is the perfect place to stay in when visiting beautiful Hainan Island. Contact the hotel today to reserve your room.

Travel Destinations: Taiyuan, China

Taiyuan is a lovely little city in Shanxi Province, cosmopolitan enough but without the hustle and bustle of the larger cities. With a population of 1.83 million, most international travellers come here to carry onto Pingyao or Wutai Shan, but now most are staying on for the fantasic museum which opened in 2005, which has became one of the best in China.

Shanxi Museum (Shanxi Bowuguan) is a fantastic new museum which raises the bar for all other provincial museums in the province. There are three floors dedicated to displaying artefacts uncovered in Shanxi, from prehistoric fossils and northern dynasty tomb objects, to local opera exhibits to Buddhist statues. All galleries have English captions. Highlights of the museum include some bronze sacrificial vessels (zun) fashioned in the shape of animals from the state of Jin on the second floor. There are also some beautiful burial artefacts from the Northern Wei and Qi periods on the third floor.

If you like cultural activities then Taiyuan has more for you. Chongshan Temple (Chongshan Si) has a double-eaved wooden hall which houses three magnificent statues – Samantabhadra (the Bodhisattva of Truth), Guanyin (the Buddhist Godden of Mercy with 1000 arms) and Manjusri (the Bodhisattva of Wisdom with 1000 alms bowls).

If you are a lover of museums and have already been to the Shanxi Museum, take a trip to the Shanxi Provincial Museum (Shanxi Sheng Bowuguan). The main section of the museum is within a temple dedicated to the Daoist immortal Lu Dongbin where you can see an amazing collection of Daoist and Buddhist statues. The Confucian temple (Wen Miao) is the second section of the provincial museum has a good collection of Ming buildings and is located south of Chongshan Temple.

Twin Pagoda Temple (Shuangta Si) is another great place to visit. This temple has two pagodas dating from the Ming dynasty, each 13 storeys high. One of these pagodas is open to the public to climb, but you should only undertake this if you are comfortable with climbing dark spiral staircases.

About 25km southwest of Taiyuan is Jinci Temple (Jinci Si), a Buddhist temple that dates from 1023 CE. The main structure is called Hall of the Sacred Mother which was constructed about 1000 years ago. It is simply beautiful, with eight wooden dragons coiling up at the front row of pillars. There are 42 clay maid figures from the Song dynasty, fashioned in the form of the Sacred Lady, the mother of Prince Shuyu would founded the state of Jin.

You can get here by air, bus or train. There are flights to Taiyuan from Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai or Xi’an. The bus station is a five minute walk from the train station where you can dropped off from several different cities in Shanxi and further afield. Train tickets to Taiyuan from other cities can be a little tricky to get but easy enough when you depart Taiyuan for other places.

New baby has arrived!

Short version – Sebastian Craig Jia Hong Slayford-Wei was born Sunday 5th June weighing 7lb 3 ounces at 9.10pm.
Long version – (very long)
According to Birmingham’s Women’s Hospital I was due on the 19th May although different hospitals gave me different dates (23rd and 28th May) but we had to go by the 19th anyway. So on Tuesday 31st May I went into hospital for my induction.
Tuesday –
Got into hospital around 2pm and had pessery inserted – mine was so uncomfortable that I actually screamed! (OK, I’m a wuss) I was one cm dilated already, woo hoo! Contractions started not long after although I barely felt them. Hubby & mum left and I got into pj’s and just relaxed for the evening.
Wednesday –
Got pessery checked out around 2pm – still only one cm dilated so back goes in the pessery. They can’t break my waters until I’m at least two cm dilated. I was so upset that I started crying. Hubby thought I was being silly but I couldn’t help it.
At midnight they checked my pessery again and I was only 1.5cm dilated but they said that would OK enough to break my waters. Had to go on a list along with several others to have the same done.
Thursday –
Midwives told us on the ward that people who are waiting to go down to the Delivery Ward are put on a list in order of priority and that emergencies – women who go into spontaneous labour or who have poorly babies inside – go before us. So, for those who are not in labour but are overdue, we get to wait around in the wards twiddling our thumbs. Oh what fun.
Thursday night I started having stronger contractions but they died out after an hour and half.
Friday –
Was first on the list since they counted that I was 15 days overdue. However, at least 4 emergencies came in so I couldn’t go down, even though the doctor assured me that I was going down. Got really upset and threatened to leave. Refused to eat any more of the hospital food – gross is an understatement.
Saturday –
Now 16 days overdue, the doctors assured me that I was going down to Delivery Suite because it was considered unsafe for me and baby to go any further. However I did not believe that I was going down so it was a surreal feeling when I was actually taken down.
Got examined, had waters broken and had the oxytocin drip set up straightaway. Contractions started thick and fast and I loved the gas and air. I don’t really remember much but I do remember the anaesthetist getting his back up when I started swearing at him when he was doing my epidural. However, the epidural didn’t work.
Sunday –
Got a shot of pethidine which I do remember hurt like hell. In the morning my mum came to the hospital. Mum and hubby convinced me to have another epidural which I agreed to. I screamed for my mum whilst that was being done. But at least this one worked and I managed to get some rest.
However, by the afternoon my blood pressure was dropping and fast. I barely remember but I think the doctors mentioned something about a blood transfusion but I can’t be sure. Baby’s heartbeat was dropping as well, plus when they checked how far along I was, guess how far I was … 2 cm!!!!! Sebastian was clearly not coming out and with the blood pressure issue they made the decision to take me in for an emergency caesarean after 28 hours of labour.
I was wheeled into theatre and they got my Little Dragon out. He was 18.5 inches long and weighed 7lb 3 oz. He is simply perfect and has incredibly long fingers and toes! We are now home and I am still in a lot of pain when I get out of bed, but I’m glad to be back at home with my little man.