The Great Wall

Korean Adventure (February 21, 2003 Chautauqua)

My trip to see the Great Wall was a full day trip outside the city of Beijing that took in two other sites, the Ming Tombs and Long Qing Gorge.
The road system was fairly up-to-date. The gas stations are something to see. They combine the usual amenities with a circus tent-like appearance, to attract customers, I imagine. One of the things that amused me was seeing a road sign forbidding horse and buggy traffic on certain parts of the highway.

The Ming Tomb

The Ming Tombs lie in a valley where 13 of their emperors are buried. There are also six other tombs for imperial concubines and one for the princes. On the way leading to the tombs is a stone archway, a great red gate, a stele pavilion, a sacred path flanked by stone statues of generals and ministers, and a dragon and phoenix archway. The tomb precincts are covered with ancient pines and cypresses.

The stele at the Ming Tomb

As for the Great Wall, there are three sections within range of the city that are open to tourists. The farthest afield is at a place called Jinshanling, near Gubeikou, where you have the wall more or less all to yourself.
The second site is at Mutianyu, and is rarely visited by tourists, too. It has a cable car and offers spectacular views similar to that of the most popular site, at Badaling (where our tour was scheduled to visit). Badaling has been much built up, and could be termed overly touristy. The highway makes it the most convenient site to visit.

Cable car up to the wall

There are endless pay toilets, souvenir stands, peddlers, tourist buses and a cable car, but the view from the top is striking. The wall and the strategically placed towers climb and swoop along the crests of the mountains that has to be seen to be believed.

The entrance to the stairs up to the top of the wall

It is amazing when you consider the fact that the wall was built more than 2,700 years ago, to protect Chinese territory. These walls had a total length of 50,000 kilometres, which ran across an area as large as 16 of today's provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. You can see it from space.

After getting off the cable car you come down to a rest area where they sell refreshments and souveneirs before climbing up to the top

After being carried to the wall by the cable car, there is a short walk to the entrance. This is a fairly small door leading to the stairs up to the top. It's a little crowded. Once you are up top, there is a variety of places to go to take in the views.

View from the top

Getting from one place to another is the trick, though, as the wall gives new meaning to the word steep. An appreciation for what mountain goats must go through is instilled in everyone.
Care must be taken to avoid becoming part of someone's picture. The wait for the pose to be captured on film makes for a welcome break from climbing. There are towers, as I have said, but these are not accessible to the public, except to go through to the next section. You can walk back down, but there was no time allowed for our group.

One of the dams at Long Qing Gorge

Before we knew it, we were back on the bus, headed for Long Qing Gorge. It was a bit of a ways from the wall, and the group took the opportunity to commandeer the tour guide's microphone for some karaoke. Each singer introduced himself, and sang what I guessed was some traditional Korean song. They were nice enough to invite me up, and I gave them a few verses of the Beatles' "In My Life."

A typical boat - very snug!

Long Qing Gorge is the site of a lake, created by a dam, upon which "dragon boat" tours carry approxiamately 100 or so people up to a recreation facility and back. There are pretty spectacular cliffsides on view. There is also an escalator, that carries you up to the boats, built inside a giant plastic dragon (below).


This was the impression that I brought back from China with me. There was some very ancient, undeniably spectacular scenery, surrounded by the modern day trappings (both good and bad) of garish capitalism.

... that's very steep

Sometimes it was hard to appreciate what I was seeing, the tour moved so fast. But I think my background in history gave me enough insight to put things in their proper context. I hope these stories have been entertaining, informative, and shown just a little bit of what the world has to offer.
----------------------------------
I took this tour in October 2002, just after Korea's amazing performance in the World Cup of soccer. We heard a chant from that time, "Daehan Minguk!" from one of the other boats on the lake. The trippers in my boat were so pleased with this that they yelled it at every other boat we passed. Some of them responded, and some of them just stared back blankly.
Being part of a package tour has its advantages, in that you cram a lot of stuff into a short time. But if you're not pressed, it's better to find your own way to these places.

Shopping

Korean Adventure (February 7, 2003 Chautauqua)

My trip to China was an equal measure of sightseeing and shopping. The tour was organized by Koreans for Koreans. I had to shift for myself when it came to information about the various sites. This was no great hardship. I can say, without any false modesty, that I probably could have conducted the tour myself.
The shopping would present no problems for anyone. A salesman looks and talks the same in any language. If you are familiar with Ron Popeil, you can pretty much "fill in the blanks" to discover what they are saying. It all boils down to: "Give me your money."

A float in Tian'anmen Square of The Great Wall.

My first experience of Chinese shopping occurred on the very first day of the trip, when we went through the Forbidden City. There was plenty of space reserved for souvenir shops along the way, with cheesy bric-a-brac everywhere.
On the way in or out of any tourist site, I was besieged by aggressive peddlers of every description. If you wanted to bargain, you could get some fairly good looking stuff cheap. One guy was really mad at me for not haggling, though. He didn't have anything I wanted, and dropping the price didn't make it any more attractive.
The real dangerous sales reps were those we were bussed to. On the second day, we were taken to a Chinese hospital, where a doctor took our pulses, made a diagnosis, and offered to prescribe for what ailed us.

I'm sure it must be catchy, whatever it says.

Chinese doctors have an interesting way of taking the pulse. Three fingers on the wrist, subtly manipulated, offer the skilled doctor a look at the various "levels" inside the body. Supposedly they can figure out what is wrong anywhere.
After that, we were offered a foot massage, which I thought might have been fun. What I didn't know about massage is that a lot of it is real hard. The masseurs really dig into your feet; owowowowowowowOW! I was a little tender after that, I can tell you! Not too good when so much of a tourist's day is spent walking.
Our next stop was a pearl shop, offering high priced jewelry. Not too much hard sell here, as the Koreans were only too willing to fork it over.

Just inside the gate to the Forbidden City.

After that, we were bussed down to Liulichang Street, which offers a variety of traditional Chinese articles: robes, rugs, ivory figurines, cards, jewelry, and many other kinds of items.
There was a combination of shop owners and street dealers that shared an eager desire to part you from your funds. I myself got a "chop," which is a stamp made from ivory. It has Chinese characters carved on the end, and it is used to put the seal on official documents.

The garden inside the Forbidden City. Note the flags held by the tour guides, which tourists are supposed to follow or they will become lost, lost for all time.

On our way to the Great Wall, we stopped at another hospital, which offered an Herbal Sticking Plaster and Balm. There was a touch of the showman in this doctor, who rubbed the balm on his hands before grabbing a metal chain fresh out of a bed of glowing coals.

Lucky symbols on a hillside. Or an ad for Burma Shave.


Our last day in the country did not neglect one more attempt to take whatever monies we might have left. I had to give it up here, as we were shown a variety of teas. There were some interesting flavours, and I settled on some dandelion, which (I am told) is good for the liver.
In some aspects, the trip was disappointing. I was turned off by how well the "Reds" have adapted to capitalism. I could not but be awed, however, by the sights of Old China: the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and Tian'anmen Square. All of this: the good and the bad were evident in the final sight of the tour...the Great Wall.

The touristy part of the Great Wall. The Chinese have the same difficulty with English as Koreans. The sign says, " Issue the certificate of the Great Wall."
What the kimchi...er, Peking Duck?

The Temple Of Heaven

Korean Adventure (January 17, 2003 Chautauqua)

My second day in China started with a big western-style breakfast at the hotel before we boarded the bus and drove through Beijing to the Summer Palace. The city used to be almost exclusively a bicycle town, but flirting with capitalism has greatly increased vehicle traffic. It's still about half and half, but the combustion engine looks to be winning.

There is a lot of road work, and there is a good system of express roads to carry traffic around. One of these took us from the central area where our hotel was, out to the northwest quadrant, to the Summer Palace.

Yi He Yuan is actually more of a garden than a palace, and it was the summer residence of the Qing court from around 1860 to 1908, when the Empress Dowager Cixi died. Built in the 18th century (with slave labour) to resemble another of the emperor's retreats, it was destroyed and rebuilt twice.

From the garden on the south side to the north is the Long Corridor, a 728 meter covered walkway. Each and every beam is decorated with colorful pictures, some 8,000 in all. There are beautiful examples of Chinese gardening styles along the way, with the Tibetan Buddhist temple looming at the top of "Longevity Mountain."

Foxiang Tower of Bhuddist Fragrance (above).


Dragon boats (above) carry tourists around the lake, to the central island, where you can see the 17-Arch Bridge (below).

On the way back to our bus, we were met by a few of Beijing's poor, begging for whatever we could give. There is a lot that is shiny and new in China, but there is also a lot that is still struggling to survive.

From the Summer Palace, our next stop was a hospital, where doctors took our pulse, told us what was wrong with us, and were ready to prescribe the proper medicine (for a modest fee).

After lunch, and a visit to a jewelry shop (specializing in pearls), our next stop was the Temple of Heaven, an impressive group of buildings that was visited by the emperor only three times a year. The Round Altar (below) was for sacrifices at the winter solstice. The story is that if you stand at the centre, your voice can be heard around the world.


The triple-roofed Hall of Prayers for a Good Harvest (which stands on a similar round altar) was where the emperor presided over a sacrificial banquet for the benefit of the agricultural sector.

Qinian Hall Of Prayer For A Good Year.

From one altar to the other is a long walkway, called the Road to Heaven. There are displays outlining the elaborate rituals the emperor had to go through to ensure peace and prosperity for his kingdom. The emperors thought of themselves as divine, so it was natural for them to do great homage.

The gates to the Hall Of Imperial Heavenly Vault.

After dinner, we were taken to a local theatre to enjoy a version of the Beijing circus. There were some very talented gymnasts and performers, doing some juggling, balancing, and feats of physicality. Then it was back to the hotel to rest up for the next day's trip. The Great Wall.

The Forbidden City

Korean Adventure (January 3, 2003 Chautauqua)

On my first day in China, the sightseeing started right away. After clearing customs and gathering the tour group at the bus, we headed into the city of Beijing. The expressway was very similar to a road back home - even the trees were similar. It made me a little homesick for Calgary.

Our first stop was a hotel in the northeast part of the city for a little lunch. We had been fed on the plane, so I didn't have too much - just enough to notice the difference between Korean and Chinese food. It is greasier.

Some of the Koreans had planned ahead, though, and out came little Tupperware containers of kimchi, seaweed, and other assorted "sides." There were even some juice boxes (that did not have juice, but soju). Very clever.

From there, we went into the centre of the city, which is Tian'anmen Square. It is described as Beijing's "heart, soul, and conscience." In its present dimensions, it is a product of the 1950's. In Imperial times it was an alleyway between the ministries and the palace.

The Monument to the People's Heroes in the centre of the square (above, with the Chinese History Museum behind) was the launching pad for the protests that culminated in the events of June 4, 1989. To the south of that is the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall (below), where the remains of the "Great Helmsman" lie in state under crystal (unfortunately closed when I was there).



To the east is the Chinese History Museum, and to the west is the Great Hall of the People (above), where the party and government just recently held an historic series of meetings. The old leader, Jiang Zemin, stepped down in favour of the new, Hu Jintao.

We were allowed to meander around a bit before moving on to the northern part of the square. There was a variety of people wandering around. I met a couple of Canadian tourists, and spoke with a few locals eager to try out their English. There were police and military guards liberally placed around the area, as well.

On the northern side of the square is the Tian'anmen Gate (the Gate of Heavenly Peace), the symbol of the People's Republic of China. No doubt everyone has seen it at one time or another, with its huge painting of Mao dominating.

To the left and right are reviewing stands for when the party shows off its military might. You approach from the square via a pedestrian underpass. The gate and the square are separated by one of the few main roads passing through the area.

The gate itself has been rebuilt many times. It was the main southern gate of the capital of the Yuan Dynasty. When the Ming Emperor Chengzu, Zhu Di, moved his capital to Beijing in 1420, he had the gate rebuilt, and called it Chengtian ( The Gate That Bears Heaven).

A Chimera, with the head of a lion and the body of a dragon.

Passing through this gate, and the ones that follow, leads to the Forbidden City. As a palace, it served as residence and court for the emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, their eunuchs, wives, and concubines. When the last emperor, Pu Yi (or Xuantong), vacated the palace in 1924, the imperial collection of paintings, bronzes, jade, ceramics, costumes, gold and silver objects were put on display under the name of the Palace Museum.

Talke Hall Of Supreme Harmony.

Some of these objects are now in the Palace Museum in Taipei, carried there when the Nationalist government fled the mainland after the Communist takeover.

Today there are nearly 20 halls filled with works of art, and visiting them all would take two or three visits. Our guides kept us moving along pretty quickly, but I was able to comprehend that at one time, a very few people must have enjoyed a lot of incredible wealth.

From south to north, you travel from the Outer Palace to the Inner Court. Each gate once meant another layer of security, until you arrived at the Imperial family, ruling in supreme and splendid isolation from the masses beyond their walls.

To the north of the Inner Court is the Imperial Garden, with a dozen or so pavilions located symmetrically from left to right and front to back. Ancient pines and cypresses grow among various flowers and strange stones. These stones, some as big as houses, look like sponges, and they are so fashioned as to become part of the garden.

Once outside the rear (north) gate of the palace, Jingshan Park (above), with its artificial five-peaked mountain offers a fantastic view of the yellow-glazed tile roofs of the Forbidden City on clear days. It was not clear during my time there. There was a thick haze in the air, almost like a fog. It was a great disappointment to have to deal with this haze.



As you can expect, this part of the tour took most of the day, and we did not even see all we could have. I have only touched lightly on what I was able to see.

Our group went from there to the Fengyutang Theatre and Restaurant. After a delicious meal, we watched a display of kung fu, put on by a group of Shaolin monks (just like Caine from the TV show). Then it was off to our hotel, ending our first day in the city.

Going To China II

Korean Adventure (December 20, 2002 Chautauqua)

I ended my last column at the point where my plane was descending into Beijing's international airport. Just where was I going, anyway? I was lucky enough to find a general information story in the "Korea Herald." It comes from the Associated Press, and I quote it liberally here.
The Chinese have just had an important Party Congress, where the future of the country was decided (for the foreseeable future, anyway). The established leader, Jiang Zemin, began edging towards the exit to make way for the new man, Hu Jintao.
Ever since the fall of communism in Russia, the country with the largest population in the world has been slowly trying to adapt to new circumstances. Equal parts of communism and socialism have been mixed with a liberal dash of capitalism. It makes for an interesting combination. There are trendy, neon-soaked taverns catering to foreigners, that double as local chapters of the Chinese Communist Party.
Less than a generation ago, there was not much evidence of this. The Party controlled everything about the country with a planned economy that told the populace where to work, where to live, what to produce, and how much.

Just a car I saw from the bus on the way into Beijing.

Now there is a great deal of foreign investment, with an accompanying influence on the future of the country. Besides the obvious landmarks such as KFC, Wal-Mart, and Ikea, there is the declaration that entrepreneurs must shepherd China into the 21st century.
In an attempt to control the coming changes, the Party has begun ushering new personalities into the leadership. Hu Jintao, apparently the man selected to sit in the chair once occupied by Mao Zhedong, is still a bit of a mystery. Young, with an undistinguished career, he is described as a colourless technocrat. Collective party decisions will take the place of individual acheivement.
This will, it is hoped, allow the party to remain in control without the need for a repeat of the Tian'anmen Square massacre, when the military crushed pro-democracy protests. Stability - government market, social - is the catchphrase.
And yet, there are signs that all is not well. The reforms that allow some capitalism threaten the livelihoods of the thousands of workers as state-owned industries that offered jobs for life are pared down, restructured, or closed.
Migrant populations are growing, as are the labour protests from those who have been laid off. They demand one thing; return of their jobs - and their benefits.
At the same time, there is a growing class of wealthy young people. Annual growth has topped 7 per cent. Factories and workshops are producing brand-name products for western consumption.

A Beijing street. On the right of any street, taking up half the street, is the bicycle lane.

Narrow streets once crowded with bicycles are becoming even more crowded with new cars. The average monthly salary of 330 yuan ($40) has increased ten times, to 3,300 ($400). The most successful are making millions, and moving into sleek new developments and apartments.
All of this wealth will no doubt put ideas into the heads of some people that the Party would rather not deal with. Staying relevant in a world governed by markets will be their great task.

A gas station.

The language of old - an amalgam of nationalism, ideology, and pep-rally sloganeering feels out of place when you can see women trying on make-up from L'Oreal and men who are wearing Playboy underwear.
How much can the Party's colour change before it is no longer red? When do you take Chairman Mao's body from its display case in Tian'anmen Square? When do you re-evaluate 1989? These are the troubling issues that they must now confront.
As you may becoming aware of, the China I was going to see was going to offer more than just the Great Wall.

Thursday, July 21st

It's been an interesting week here. On Monday, my brother arrived from Texas. He drove from there to here in four days. He is a driving machine. He travelled from San Marcos to Salina, Kansas (about 800 miles) his first night of driving. I say night, because it was too damn hot to drive during the day, so he would wait until mid-afternoon, and drive until 3:00 the next morning.
I remember driving down to Texas with him a few years back. We took a little more time, because I wanted to make some stops along the way. We visited the Little Bighorn Battlefield site, Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and Dealey Plaza (my second visit). One night, he drove about 500 miles in one shot.
He is up here to do a little business. he takes down old barns and sells the wood for people to make rustic decor. My brother also uses some of the wood to carve artworks or make boxes. He took up carving about eight years ago, and has gotten quite good at it. Right now, he's in a mermaid phase, but he also does rattlers, buffalo, and these kind of fishhook type necklaces.
This year, I'm helping him market his stuff by offering it for sale on Kajiji and maybe Craig's List.
On Tuesday, my mom came home for the first time since her accident. Her glasses were broken in the crash, and she's been seeing double, so she came in to see an optometrist. She then spent the night before going back to the Red Deer hospital the next day.
She's been slowly improving. She was even able to climb the stairs into her house. She has to walk with a walker, of course, and spends most of her time in a wheelchair, but she is definitely improving.
Mom has expressed a lot of frustration at the slow rate of her recovery. When we try and tell her just how far she has come, sometimes she sits still for it, but she can get pretty low at times. It's a job to keep her spirits up.
Today I mailed the last bit of paperwork I needed to turn in for my application to university. I just need a letter of reference and a description of my work in the classroom from a colleague in Korea. He's taking his time about getting it in, so I may have to prod him a bit.
I may be foolish trying to get my Education degree since Alberta has been firing teacher's left and right, but I guess we will see once I have it, eh? Maybe European employers will find me more attractive. I sure hope so.
I watched a movie called "Ironclad" this evening. It was recommended by a friend in Korea. It's set in England just after King John signs the Magna Carta. Pissed at having to kowtow to the barons, John (played by Paul Giamatti)raises a mercenary army and begins slaughtering anyone who signed the charter.
One of the barons, played by Brian Cox, hires some mercenaries of his own, including a Templar played by James Purefoy, and holds a strategic castle until the French arrive to drive John and his mercenaries off.
In reality, the castle fell to John, and the struggle raged across England for another year before John died of dysentery while fleeing the French. It wasn't until much later that John's son Henry finally succeeded in driving the French out and claiming the throne for himself.
But the movie was fairly entertaining, not the least for it's gory battle scenes, in which limbs are chopped off, blood sprays everywhere, and one man is nearly split in two by a broadsword. The movie's depiction of the savagery of battle, the mud and the blood prevalent during those times, and the struggle between people fighting for freedom against a tyrant was well done.
Tomorrow, our family is meeting with the doctors to discuss our mother's future. The whole family will be together for the first time in four years.

Dealey Plaza

(April 5, 2002 Chautauqua)

The first time I saw President Kennedy, he was dead. I don’t remember hearing about his death (I was only four), but I remember my mother keeping me inside to watch the funeral. The sight of the flag-draped coffin stuck with me throughout my life, and spurred my interest in finding out what happened in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963.
While I was visiting my brother in Texas at the beginning of the year, one of the places I most wanted to see was Dealey Plaza. I had to go alone, as my brother and his wife were both working. I took the bus from San Marcos to Dallas. I cannot describe my excitement when the bus exited the freeway, and pulled into the city. The plaza was only a few blocks away from the bus station, and I made my way there on slightly unsteady legs. The dream of a lifetime was about to be fulfilled.

My first view of the Texas School Book Depository and Dealey Plaza

As I turned the corner and beheld the Texas School Book Depository for the first time, all I could think was, “ I’m really here. I’m really here. I’m really here.”

The sign reads: Dealey Plaza
Birthplace of Dallas
Within this small park was built the first home which also served as the first court house and post office. The first store and the first fraternal lodge.
Dedicated to the pioneers of civic progress by order of the Park Board

I passed the marker that explains that Dealey Plaza is the place where Dallas began. It is the site of the first buildings that made up the town that grew into the city. The entire Plaza and the buildings surrounding it have now been designated as a National Historic Site. It has not changed very much at all since that day, the day President Kennedy died.

This picture shows (l to r) the Grassy Knoll, the Depository, the Dal-Tex Building, and the County Records building

The Depository is the building where the official government findings say that Lee Harvey Oswald shot at, and killed, the President. Most of it is now filled with city government offices, but the sixth floor, where investigators found the “sniper’s nest,” is a museum, dedicated to displaying artifacts and information about what happened.


I was able to stand only a few feet from that window, and examine the view that a shooter might have. There is a display of the FBI’s model that was used in their investigation; there are cameras, which took the various photos of the assassination; there are short documentaries about the events of Nov. 22nd, Kennedy’s life, and world response to his death.

This is the point of view of witness Howard Brennan, who said he saw Oswald take the last shot

Of course, everybody knows that the official story is no longer believable, and that a conspiracy took the president’s life. This becomes apparent after a viewing of the “Zapruder film.” Abraham Zapruder was a Dallas dress manufacturer, and his film shows the assassination in its entirety. Using the film as a “clock,” it becomes apparent that the timing of the shots is all wrong, if you are trying to conclude that one man did it alone.
There were three spent shells found on the sixth floor, and the government had to account for them all. A bystander, James Tague, was wounded by fragments of a bullet that struck the curb near him. President Kennedy was struck in the head by another bullet, leaving a single bullet to account for all the remaining wounds, which included not only wounds in President Kennedy, but Texas Governor John Connally.
An FBI demonstration of how a gunman used Oswald’s rifle includes the number of seconds it takes to fire, reload, and fire again. A careful examination of the “Zapruder film” shows that Kennedy was wounded before Connally. The time it took for Connally to react to being shot is too long for it to have been the same bullet that struck Kennedy, and too short for it to have been from the same gun. Obviously, at least one other man was shooting that day.

The Grassy Knoll. This is where the bullet that hit Kennedy in the head came from

Then there is the shot that struck Kennedy in the head. Kennedy’s body is flung back and to the left. The laws of physics prove that the president must have been shot from the front and to the right. Many bystanders heard at least one shot from the so-called “Grassy Knoll”, and one even reported seeing (and smelling) gun smoke.

Zapruder's POV. Right by the truck's front wheel, there is an "X" on the road that marks the spot where the presidential limousine was when JFK was struck in the head

There are many mysteries surrounding the events of November 22nd, and a lifetime of investigation has only been scratched at the surface by this article. Indeed, there is a library’s worth of books about Kennedy, and his death. I know, because I’ve read most of them.
My trip, as I said, was the fulfillment of a dream of a lifetime. President Kennedy had dreams, and he instilled those dreams not just for many Americans, but people around the world. His words inspired many of them to accomplish great deeds, and do much good work. It’s true that some aspects of Kennedy’s personal life leave a lot to be desired, but doesn’t the dream ask us to never mind all that, and at least try to live up to a higher ideal?

The Alamo

This post was previously published in The Chautauqua. Consider it a supplement to the "Davy Crockett" post.

The Alamo (March 15, 2002 Chautauqua)

Well, I’ve written about the mysterious east for three articles. It’s time, I think, to visit an area closer to home.

At the beginning of the year, I spent a week visiting my brother in Texas. One of the many tourist attractions we visited was the Alamo, in San Antonio.

There is not much left of the original site, except for the church, and part of the barracks attached. The grounds have been planted with huge cypress trees, and carefully tended for the tourists that flock to the site.

The Alamo was originally a Spanish mission, founded in 1718. Its purpose was to help convert the Indians to Christianity, and maintain the Empire in North America. The mission lasted until 1793, when it was closed, and the land was distributed among the mission Indians.

What made the Alamo famous was the siege and battle that took place in February-March 1836.

The causes that led to the battle were the tumultuous changes in the government of Mexico. The Spanish were thrown out in 1821 after three hundred years of colonialism. The governments that followed were weak, and quick to change. Settlers were needed to hold the land, and generous terms were offered to any that were willing to come. They had to swear allegiance to Mexico, according to the constitution of 1824.

In the years that followed, the population swelled, but they became disgruntled with the seemingly cavalier treatment of their concerns. They thought they were under-represented in the government, and this led to the belief that their lands and livelihoods were in jeopardy.
A convention met, and independence was declared. A small force of Mexicans were holding the Alamo, and they were attacked and driven out by the Texans. This battle brought the entire Mexican Army, under the dictator Santa Anna, north to retake Texas.

The battle began on February 23rd , and lasted for thirteen days. 189 men held off an army numbering 4000. The final assault took place in the early morning hours of March 6th, with Santa Anna commanding from his headquarters. Lieutenant Colonel William Barret Travis commanded the Texans from a post on the north wall. Legendary frontiersman Davy Crockett commanded a group of Tennessee volunteers near the church. Travis’ co-commander, James Bowie, was ill, and awaited the end in one of the barracks.
On the thirteenth day, at the sound of a bugle, three attacking columns of Mexican infantry moved in simultaneously – with one column attacking near a breach in the north wall; another the area of the chapel; and the third scaling the west barrier. The final assault lasted ninety minutes with every defender dying at his post as room after room “was carried at the point of a bayonet.”
The battle can be counted as one the most dramatic and violent of all time. The rallying cry, “Remember the Alamo!” helped stiffen the defense of Texas, and the main army was able to defeat Santa Anna and win independence for the new nation.

The church has become a shrine, and male visitors are asked to remove their hats while inside. There is a museum, and many displays of the weaponry, the clothing/uniforms, and personalities that contributed to the battle.

A very worthwhile place to visit for any who are in the area.

Hiroshima Trip

During my second year in Korea, I began writing a column about my adventures for The Chautauqua, a Central Alberta newspaper. The stories I wrote about Korea will appear on "What The Kimchi?" while my adventures outside Korea will appear here.
First up is my trip to Hiroshima.

Hiroshima: City of Peace (February 15, 2002 Chautauqua)

Being an English teacher in Korea offers many opportunities to travel throughout South-East Asia. There are many cheap package tours available, but you have to book early. Most Koreans love to travel, and prepare well in advance.
My trip to the Japanese city of Hiroshima began in the Korean port of Pusan, the country's second largest city. I took the ferry from there to the port of Fukuoka, on one of Japan's smaller islands. You board the ferry at about 6:00 in the evening, and set sail almost immediately. The ferry arrives some time during the night, but anchors outside the harbour until next morning. Seeing the full moon rise over the Sea of Japan, while you are in the middle of a fishing fleet whose lights stretch to the horizon and beyond, is quite a sight.
Japan is an expensive country to travel in, but the trains are very fast. Hiroshima itself has an antiquated, but efficient, trolley car system that will carry you anywhere inside the city at a reasonable price. There are many sights to see, including the castle and some beautiful parks.

The main sight is, of course, the Peace Park which preserves memorials to the many victims of the atomic bomb dropped on the city on August 6, 1945. I'm not sure I can do justice to the place, so I will just try to describe what was there. The first stop was a memorial to the "Mobilized Students". These kids were taken out of school to help with repairing any bomb damage, and to do road work, and help with the defenses in case the Americans landed. Quite a few were involved in various tasks when the event happened.

Just to the north is the A-bomb Dome, which anyone will recognize from pictures they might have seen of this city. It used to be the prefecture office building, and is close to Ground Zero. The Japanese have spared no effort to keep it as close to what it looked like after that day.

There were a lot of foreigners around, of course, but there were also a lot of school kids being herded through on school trips. It's good to think that they are being kept informed about what happened there. Let's hope they learn the lesson.

Across the river is the Peace Park, which is chock-a-block with memorials to the various types of individuals who were affected by the blast. There is a flame, which will be extinguished when the last bomb is destroyed, and a cenotaph containing a list of all the victims' names. There are places for those who wish to remember and pray, and there were quite a few who were taking advantage.

The culmination of the tour is the museum, which contains detailed exhibits about life in the city from its founding to the present day. There were pieces of the city preserved for display, and quite a lot of the stuff was close enough to touch. There was a step taken from the front of a bank building with the shadowy outline of whoever was waiting for it to open that morning permanently burned into the stone. Eerie.

The most pathetic displays were the personal possessions (including clothes) of the victims. The descriptions were mournfully the same. These people were going about their daily lives when it happened. What is left shows us how they lived, and how they died. It is a sobering moment to see a child's lunchbox, the lid pushed back, with nothing but ashes inside. So many of the displays speak of people finding this stuff later, with nothing else left to mourn or bury. Sad.
After that experience, I took the time to relax in one of the cities many parks. On a hill overlooking the city, I had the chance to wind down, think a bit, and realize that life does indeed go on. It may be trite, but to put into words all of the feelings that went through my mind that day is very difficult. You had to (and we all should) be there.