Update for Xi’an - China

Update for Xi’an - China

China is proving to be a real challenge with regards to travelling.

After visiting the Terracotta warriors, we were left with some spare time with our guide to choose other tourist sites in the City.
We negotiated with her that we would have a quick look at a couple of other sites, and then we would all go to the train station to buy 2 tickets for Chongqing ( Our next stop).
The idea was to use her as a translator when trying to buy two sleeper tickets for the overnight train.

We should have guessed that all wasn’t going to be easy, by the expression on her face.
She didn’t look comfortable with the thought of going with us to the train station.
This look turned to a little bit of panic which resulted in our driver coming with us for safety !

The train station was just awash with people trying to buy tickets, and in amongst them all were those that would like to get their hands on your wallet as well.
It just had that look about it.

We joined one of the shortest queues and waited as the line moved slowly forward.
The Chinese seem to make a simple transaction take for ever, with every piece of paper work requiring a red stamp for approval.

About three quarters of an hour later, we had made it to the front of the queue, which is where the fun began.

To start with, there were no sleepers left.
Our guide tried really hard to try and convince the man selling the tickets that we cant be expected to travel on the hard seats with everyone else.
We thought that she was just trying to convince the man that he should look harder for some seats.

After a long debate between the man in the ticket office and our guide, we ended up buying two hard seats with the guide repeating to us that we were mad and crazy.
At that stage, we weren’t that bothered, as we just thought that it would be a hard journey for 15 hours.

Once we had made our way back to the car, our guide explained what we had just paid for.

Yes we have two hard seats and that the journey would take 15 hours.
No we don’t have any toilets, as the train will be so full that people will stand in the toilet for some extra space!!
She went on to explain that the train is that full that no one can move around.
People will have paid for standing tickets only, and will be packed in until there was no more room.
She said that smell would be dreadful as people would be going to the toilet where they stood, and that we should look to buy adult nappies !!

Well being hardened travellers, we jumped straight onto the internet as soon as we got back to the hotel and brought two flights instead.

We had paid £7 for two train tickets which we now didn’t need, and over £100 for two plane tickets that we definitely needed.

The flight to Chongqing lasted one hour, where as the train would have taken 15 hours!
Alison lasted 10 minutes in the airport before hunting down the toilets !!

We are now in Chongqing where we will spend a couple of days before we catch a boat down the Yangzi river.
The aim is to see the three gorges before the Chinese government complete the Dam and it all gets flooded by 2009.
This is one hell of a project, where over 2 million homes will be washed away as the water backs up for over 550km.

Terracotta Warriors - Xi'an China 4th Feb 2006

The main attraction for Xi'an is the Terracotta Warriors.
There are over 3 million people each year that visit this attraction, so coming during the winter season has its advantages.






Each one of the warriors has been put back together like one big Chinese jigsaw puzzle.

Back Streets of Xian - China 2nd Feb 2006

A few photos taken from around the back streets of Xi'an in China.






Roadside repairs


A little back street cooking !
I think that it was a large pot of rice.


Food standards aren't quite what were are used to.


How about a nice kebab in nann bread !


They just love to use their bike for anything.




This was steamed rice with sugar and dried fruit.
It actual tasted OK.


Alison mistook this as fried potato.
It turned out to be fried bean curd !


Mobile candy floss maker.

Summer Palace Beijing - China 1st Feb 2006

These are all photos taken from the Summer Palace in Beijing.
As you can tell, it's not quite summer here.
In fact it was so cold that the lake had actually frozen over!!



We paid to enter the Summer Palace, but this man just pulled his daughter under one of the road bridges and walked straight in.


I am not sure why, but in ancient times the Chinese built very steep bridges just to walk over.
This was not to allow boats to go under as the water here would have been too shallow.


We couldn't make up our minds if this old man was just taking a cold bath, or if he was one of the crazy people who feel the need to cut holes in ice and just jump in.
Either way, it looked a tad cold.


Alison modeling her new red puffer coat whilst resting against the side of the 17 arch bridge.


In China, everything can be achieved with the use of a three wheel bike.
Some have motors whilst other need to be peddled.
This poor old lady is a rubbish collector, although its nice to see equality working in China !!!


Three wheeled single seater taxi

31st January - Beijing

Today was a late start as we tried to recover from climbing the Great Wall.
We headed off to the train station to book our seats for Xian so we could see the Terracotta Warriors.

I wont repeat what is also on Alison's blog, but I will add that it was chaos on a very large scale.
There is a link to her site on the right of the page ( Informed Adventures ).

After our visit to the train station, we headed back into town to look around some of the shops.
Most of you will already be aware that I dont do shopping unless it has a plug on the end or its fun.
We went for fun and decided to see what the real Chinese buy to decorate their homes.

This is a small selection of phones on sale in one of the stores.
Based on the price, I can only assume that with money comes bad taste because these phones cost over £200 each.
This doesn't seem that bad, but compare that with the coats we brought which only cost £7 each !



You could have also gone for a 5 foot plastic ship made to look like it was made from Jade !
I cant understand where they manage to display these as their home are all so small.
You dont see any houses, and the flats dont look that large.



The evening was spent standing in the freezing cold watching the guards lowering the Chinese flag.

Update From Beijing 30th Jan 2006

The 29th January was the start of the Chinese new year - Year of the dog.

The Chinese new year is comparable with Christmas as its all about family, a bit of religion and loads of over eating.

The day for us started with a display in the hotel



The joke was lost on most of the guests.



After the display, we headed to a local park where a festival was in full swing.

Entrance to Datai Park - Beijing






Taxi anyone !!!



These are super sized joss sticks.



After leaving the park, we went for a bite to eat in a local restaurant.
This little dish is meant to be spicy beef with veg.
Someone needs to tell the Chinese that chili doesn't count as a veg !!!
Needless to say it blew my head off.



30th January 2006

We booked a guide and headed to the Great Wall Of China.

The Great Wall Of China

There were two directions that you could take along this section of the wall the wall.
The easy one or the hard one.

The photo above shows the easy route, which is why it was so crowded even so early in the morning.

Needless to say we opted for the uphill climb !



They even sold T-Shirts with "I did the Great Wall"
We declined.




And that Bag Lady keeps turning up, this time there are two of them !!

More Food From China

I thought that you might want to see some more tasty little snacks from China.

I never even knew what a silk worm was, I certainly wouldn't have thought that you could eat one.



What about a nice little Sea Horse ?



I am not sure if your meant to eat the tails of the scorpion - Yum Yum !!

Beijing 27th January 2006

Day 2 - Beijing

Well we have settled in quite well.
I woke Alison up nice and early, so that she could have a haircut at the same place that I did !!

For some reason unknown to me, womens haircuts take 10 times longer than mine and cost 20 time more even in China.
Well we finally got to the Forbidden Palace by mid day and headed towards the sign that stated that they offered not only English commentary, but that the commentary was by James Bond 007 ( Roger Moore ).

First con of the day !

We entered the Forbidden Palace listerning to a headset with a Chinese girl talking us through each point of interest.














After leaving the Palace, we headed for the shops, as were absolutely freezing !
Those UK pac a macs just dont keep the chill out.

Well we had a result.
Two new coats for £14 !
I am sure that we were ripped of, but who's going to argue for that price!

Now feeling warm at last, we decided to check out some of the food stalls that had set up shop near Tianamen Square.

Any idea what these are ?



Answer = Frogs Legs





Well what about these then ?



Two snakes and two snake skins ( Why waste what someone might buy ) .

Finallyy, any ideas what these are ?



If it has legs then they eat it.
The more the merrier !!!!

Beijing - China 26th January 2006

Beijing

What a contrast to Japan - Complete chaos !

On arrival at Beijing airport, we attracted every taxi driver in Beijing trying to take us to the city ( It must have been Alison's red pac a mac ).

Our instinct was to ignore the taxi drivers offers, and to take public transport.
What we hadn't bargained for was half of China trying to visit the same location for the Chinese New Year!

Today was our first real view of Beijing.

In short, it has too many people and you cant see what your looking at due to the smog.

On the upside the food is excellent and you can have great fun haggling for a few pence off everything that you buy ( See the hair cut photo ! ).

Things are a little cheaper here which is good.
We looked at some coats in a store, which ranged from £7 to £12.

If we can find some that come in supper size then we might have a month where we are warm.

We have seen some strange signs about their chicken over here.

In the more upmarket places, their chicken has been through quarantine.

I take this to mean that they are battery chickens that couldn't have come into contact with wild birds !!

An indication of the smog levels.

If you can get up close, then you can actually see the colour of the buildings.

I cant wait to see what things look like during the New Year celebrations as they have just lifted the ban on fireworks in the street.

One of the many lions guarding the Forbidden Palace.



I mentioned earlier that you could haggle for anything.
Well I have just learnt that you should do this after your haircut and not before!
I created great amusement trying to get the guy to understand the words Clippers and number 3.
I finally ended up with the clippers, but the number of the guard was lost in translation.
The length of my hair was dependent upon ththicknesses of his comb, which seemed a tad too small for this time of year !!
Needless to say that Alison who was planning a trim herself declined !!!



I am not sure if you were allowed to take these photos, but watching them goose step was quite a site.