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I purchased the book without reading any reviews or hearing any recommendations from friends. I picked it up mostly because of all the historical details of seventeenth century China. I could relate to many of the referenced customs so I knew it would be a page turner.
The portrayal of China and its customs would intrigue anyone with an interest in ancient and modern China. And while the book is categorized as historical fiction, it borders more along the lines of fantasy and the super natural. Most Asian and Buddhist customs contain heavy elements of life after death, so it's not surprising that the book focuses on that. This may not be everyone's cup of tea but Lisa crafts a very good story from these ancient traditions. Some reviews note that the prose is too flowery but I found it very fitting to a historical period drama with lovesick maidens, an enamored poet and an epic opera. It's dramatic, informative and leaves you aching a bit in the heart.
Originally posted on kimmie.vox.com
I'm on my fourth cup of tea today trying to stay focused on the tasks at work. The city is chilly and I want to go back to Mexico and continue drinking pina coladas by the pool. Puerto Vallarta was wonderful. We almost extended our stay another two days but the cost of changing flights was too much. I'm already thinking of my next vacation to Mexico. I'd like to stay in one of those beach bungalows down in Playa del Carmen.
The Buenaventura Hotel was in a great location just a few blocks from the Malecon, the main boardwalk in downtown Puerto Vallarta. Locals and tourists fill the boardwalk in the evenings with food and drinks in hand. We only ventured out twice and spent most of our days at the resort or on outdoor excursions. All-inclusive is wonderful especially when it includes room service and pool snacks. I basically spent every day stuffing my face. The resort had three relatively large pools as well as a beach area with hammocks and bamboo umbrellas. We made sure we saw the sunset sitting on the beach that first night.
On Saturday we took a scenic drive down the southern coast of Banderos Bay past Playa Los Arcos to the Los Veranos ecologic preserve. We scheduled a canopy tour for that afternoon which included zip lining, swimming in the river, and playing with the monkeys. Too bad I was in a lot of pain from my sunburn otherwise I would have enjoyed it more. The zip lining was great fun and not really as scary as I thought it was going to be.
This was both good and bad since I was looking forward to being scared shitless. Alas I only screamed out of happiness. They make you wear helmets and the harnesses are really sturdy, so it's safe even for kids. The guides sometimes rode in tandem with people and they'd let them hang upside down. Otherwise they were pretty strict about what you could do on the cables. There were a total of 14 cables, the longest cable is 400 meters long and the higest is 600 meters above a river gorge.
We hung out by the pools on Sunday and went out on the town in the early evening. Nick found a leather shop that made belts and huaraches. Huaraches are typically hand-made where the leather is worked and hand sewn, and all the stitching and weaving is done by hand. They come in many styles and colors nowadays and I was thinking of getting a pair made but I really didn't want to go back into town to pick them up.
On Monday we took a snorkeling and dolphin tour, though apparently there were no dolphins for us to see this time of year. Not really sure how that works but the tour itself was kind of hit and miss. We took a speed boat out to Marietas Island, which wasn't really an island but a bird sanctuary. Basically an island covered in bird shit and dotted with limestone caves.
Snorkeling in the middle of the ocean? Cold. Murky. Cold.
And you really can't see the fish. When someone did spot a fish, we would all converge on the same spot. Lame. I probably saw a total of three fishes and some sprinkling of pink coral.
But we did get to kayak around the cove and in between the caves. After lunch they took us to a private beach for the afternoon. That part of the tour was great. The beach was clean with warm water and lots of seaweed. Nick and I collected shells for his fish tank.
For our last evening in Puerto Vallarta, we dined at the most wonderful restaurant. It was located on a hill and four stories up so you could see the entire coastline. We ate lots of seafood and had the most amazing paella. Ah, my mouth is watering already. I can't wait to go back and eat some more..
Originally posted on kimmie.vox.com
