718 days to go
It seems that the Peoples Republic of China does not like bloggers. I can't log on so this will have to be an email update. I will post these things later online when I can get on.
Spending the last two nights on the train from Mongolia was a nice little bonding experience for all the people in carriage 3 of train 034. Most of us were backpackers on our way to Bejing. The train was incredibly clean. Every surface was regularly wiped down by attendants and our cabin was vaccumed in the morning. We got food, we got sheets, we got tea. Aside from watching the landscape for 24 hours I also watched the mechanics of changing the wheels on our train once we reached the Chinese border. Seems that Mongolia has a slightly different way of approaching train tracks..... Also, I took part in a "documentary" this woman in my compartment was shooting. I think it'll turn out to be a glorified home video but maybe I am being harsh. I am sure she has great cinematic talent.
Once we arrived in Jining we had to get off the train and board a bus to Datong to catch our connection to Bejing. Apparently I was not the only person delirious from the travels. One of the Spanish guys on the train (and there were many) ended up sitting behind me on the bus. He proceeded to serenade my right ear with his version of Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He didn't just sing the lyrics but also mimicked the instruments. His riveting performance made the motor-mouth sitting next to me shut up. She was a nice girl but really, I didn't care that her boyfriend got thrown out of the apartment she was homestaying at in UB. It's Asia for God's sake. You don't invite strange men into the apartment for a night if you are staying with a mother and her two daughters! I thought this was common sense.
Before we parted ways in Bejing motor-mouth (I forget her name) invited everyone to join her for a drink tonight. So, in a few hours I will be meeting Pablo and Pedro and Stephanie and Motor-mouth for a juice (these are all made up names, I don't remember any of them).
So, I am trying a little somethin' new here in China. I am staying in an apartment located in an alley with someone that lives here. I am crashing his couch. All I know is that I have to turn left into the alley at the blue restaurant, then right at the parrot cage and then left and then left again into the first courtyard and then get to the back of the courtyard. That would be were my host lives. The toilets are out and around the corner by the lake. The man has corn-rows and a tatoo of a dragon that covers the space between his shoulder and his lower back. He's got player written all over him. Judging from his girlfriend he may be a rice king. Also, he lived about 500 feet away from me in the Annex. We never met in TO. He is really friendly and warm in a platonic sort of way and hopefully it'll stay that way. ...okay, so I think he may be all over me like maple syrup on pancakes once his 'girlfriend' leaves (which I hope she doesn't because that would be scary). It's just a hunch and I really hope I am wrong.
Once I settled in and took a shower I was off to explore the city. First stop: the Forbidden City. It's huge and magnificent. There were lots of tourists. Tiananmen Square was impressive in scale and the line-up to view pickled Mao was bigger than any Disneyland lineup I had ever seen. The countdown to the Olympics in 2008 is on. 718 days to go. In Jingshan park, north of the Forbidden City, I discovered that the Chinese are a musical people. There were a dozen little groups of people singing all over the park. Hundreds of couples were shaking it to an ochestra playing by the west gate. This is clearly the place to dance if you are over 60 in Bejing.
Mongolia was the re-introduction to Asia for me. I took it somewhat easy there and plan on hitting the ground running here. China is less stressful than India. I was warned by many a traveller about this place and overall I must say it has been a pleasant experience on my first day. People are nice and the food is good. It's more expensive than India and cheaper than Mongolia. The level of harrassment by touts is also about 10% of what it was in India. So far, so good.
Spending the last two nights on the train from Mongolia was a nice little bonding experience for all the people in carriage 3 of train 034. Most of us were backpackers on our way to Bejing. The train was incredibly clean. Every surface was regularly wiped down by attendants and our cabin was vaccumed in the morning. We got food, we got sheets, we got tea. Aside from watching the landscape for 24 hours I also watched the mechanics of changing the wheels on our train once we reached the Chinese border. Seems that Mongolia has a slightly different way of approaching train tracks..... Also, I took part in a "documentary" this woman in my compartment was shooting. I think it'll turn out to be a glorified home video but maybe I am being harsh. I am sure she has great cinematic talent.
Once we arrived in Jining we had to get off the train and board a bus to Datong to catch our connection to Bejing. Apparently I was not the only person delirious from the travels. One of the Spanish guys on the train (and there were many) ended up sitting behind me on the bus. He proceeded to serenade my right ear with his version of Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He didn't just sing the lyrics but also mimicked the instruments. His riveting performance made the motor-mouth sitting next to me shut up. She was a nice girl but really, I didn't care that her boyfriend got thrown out of the apartment she was homestaying at in UB. It's Asia for God's sake. You don't invite strange men into the apartment for a night if you are staying with a mother and her two daughters! I thought this was common sense.
Before we parted ways in Bejing motor-mouth (I forget her name) invited everyone to join her for a drink tonight. So, in a few hours I will be meeting Pablo and Pedro and Stephanie and Motor-mouth for a juice (these are all made up names, I don't remember any of them).
So, I am trying a little somethin' new here in China. I am staying in an apartment located in an alley with someone that lives here. I am crashing his couch. All I know is that I have to turn left into the alley at the blue restaurant, then right at the parrot cage and then left and then left again into the first courtyard and then get to the back of the courtyard. That would be were my host lives. The toilets are out and around the corner by the lake. The man has corn-rows and a tatoo of a dragon that covers the space between his shoulder and his lower back. He's got player written all over him. Judging from his girlfriend he may be a rice king. Also, he lived about 500 feet away from me in the Annex. We never met in TO. He is really friendly and warm in a platonic sort of way and hopefully it'll stay that way. ...okay, so I think he may be all over me like maple syrup on pancakes once his 'girlfriend' leaves (which I hope she doesn't because that would be scary). It's just a hunch and I really hope I am wrong.
Once I settled in and took a shower I was off to explore the city. First stop: the Forbidden City. It's huge and magnificent. There were lots of tourists. Tiananmen Square was impressive in scale and the line-up to view pickled Mao was bigger than any Disneyland lineup I had ever seen. The countdown to the Olympics in 2008 is on. 718 days to go. In Jingshan park, north of the Forbidden City, I discovered that the Chinese are a musical people. There were a dozen little groups of people singing all over the park. Hundreds of couples were shaking it to an ochestra playing by the west gate. This is clearly the place to dance if you are over 60 in Bejing.
Mongolia was the re-introduction to Asia for me. I took it somewhat easy there and plan on hitting the ground running here. China is less stressful than India. I was warned by many a traveller about this place and overall I must say it has been a pleasant experience on my first day. People are nice and the food is good. It's more expensive than India and cheaper than Mongolia. The level of harrassment by touts is also about 10% of what it was in India. So far, so good.
posted by LOTC at 7:02 AM
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