Life's certainly got easier lately :-) Instead of being at freezing cold high altitude towns with rough and ready accommodation and infrastructure, I'm now in tropical Yunnan hanging with the hippies sampling the local herbs.
After whacking my head we moved on to the town of Lijang, heart of the Naxi ethnic minority tribe. A nice relaxed place. We stayed in a place called Mama's Naxi. Quite an experience, Mama Naxi was quite a character. Like tucking you up in bed, fussing over you, kissing and hugging you goodbye, a right livewire. My head wound has healed sufficiently at last to take all bandages and plasters off and let nature do its healing work. So thats all sorted.
Monday started trekking the Tiger Leaping Gorge with 5 others I met in Lijang, all good fun people, English, Scottish and Dutch. Intended maybe 2 days, but took 4 days to do it, as did it at a very slow place, stopping frequently to soak up the stunning views and staying a few nights in lovely guesthouses with nice beds, hot showers and stupendous views of the mountains. The accommodation also offered "Happy Shakes" of which, me being me, I consumed quite a few. This possibly slowed down our progress a little! Quite funny really the Tibetans would ask if we wanted our shakes and pizzas, "Happy or No Happy". All this herb grew locally on the roadside, tons of the stuff, and the Chinese turn a blind eye as the Tibetans use the seeds for their tea! But none of them actually smoke it, just the foreigners! So its a very HAPPY VALLEY indeed. Oh yeah its also the steepest gorge in the world! The views are breathtaking, so its quite a place!
Anyway had a brilliant time. Thursday arrived back in Lijang, and yesterday have arrived at another hippy place in Dali City. So gonna have a chilled out last few days before I arrive back in London!
Had a bit of a pullava Thursday. Barclay's are basically a complete bunch of wankers. And one of their employees is a useless, lying, incompetent piece of scum. I won't go into details but I now have no cards in which to get money out so am stuck in China with no access to money. Thankfully a lovely girl called Kirsten took out a wad of cash for me and I transfered money to her via my internet bank.
Just seen some bloke on the street with huge bowls of fish about two feet long and then a bowl with these MASSIVE toads/frogs in, must have been over a foot long. Anyway had better go and ummm chill out.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Scarface
I'm gonna have a scar on my face I reckon.
Got it in a brave way of course. Defending a woman's honour! These blokes were teasing this woman, grabbed her and started feeling her up, she screamed and whilst everyone just watched I jumped in, punched one in the face, flooring him, the other pulled a knife, I dodged but it scraped over my forehead, and blood began gushing out.......
Yeah right!
I was walking down the street chatting to my friend my head turned sideways so not looking where I was going and suddenly
BANG!
My forehead smacks into this large metal sign dangling down from a balcony. It didn't hurt anymore than usually when I bang my head and just thought bollox, maybe I'll get a bruise. My hand went automatically to my forehead and when I pulled it away it was covered with blood and blood began gushing out onto the pavement. Shit. And I'm in bloody China too. I immediately pressed my hand hard to my forehead to stop the bloodflow and didn't take my hand away till I got to the hosptial. I was mostly trying not to get blood on my white jumper, which miraculously got no blood over it :-) My friends were panicking and shocked, apparantly it looked pretty bad, my forehead split open. The trouble was at the bottom of this sign was this sharp jagged bit of metal. To be honest its a good thing that I never saw the wound and this is why I remained so cool.
Thankfully a chinese shop keeper came out and led us to a clinic, but they were shit and wouldn't take me in, so the shop keeper took me in a taxi to a hospital up the road bless him. There a nurse stopped the bloodflow and put stuff in to sterilise it (stung a lot) and bandaged up my head. Then gave me antibiotics. When it came to pay it was 36 YUAN (2 pound 50p) - not bad. Service was great, no waiting at all, and praise to for the shop keeper, what a gent.
The first lovely sunny day I've had in China and what do I do first thing in the morning, go and split my bloody forehead open, silly me!!!
But I'm fine, lay in bed for a couple of hours after being bandaged up, then thought I don't walk on my head do I, and its stopped bleeding. So went for a walk around town and stuff but was carefull not to move my head to much or run or anything. And its fine, bandaged up so it's all sweet. The doctor who sorted it said to go to a hospital tomorrow to check it hasn't got infected or anything, but should be fine.
Otherwise actually having a great time. Yesterday a 12 hour bus journey wedged in this tiny cramped seat next to some Tibetan dude. But the scenary was stunning, we drove accross high passes through the snow, saw jagged peaks and deep valleys. Met some cool people and hung out with them in the evening. And have crossed over into Yunnan where its warmer and more touristed so can get menus in English etc. So after roughing it for the last week or so its nice to have a bit of easy travelling.
Got it in a brave way of course. Defending a woman's honour! These blokes were teasing this woman, grabbed her and started feeling her up, she screamed and whilst everyone just watched I jumped in, punched one in the face, flooring him, the other pulled a knife, I dodged but it scraped over my forehead, and blood began gushing out.......
Yeah right!
I was walking down the street chatting to my friend my head turned sideways so not looking where I was going and suddenly
BANG!
My forehead smacks into this large metal sign dangling down from a balcony. It didn't hurt anymore than usually when I bang my head and just thought bollox, maybe I'll get a bruise. My hand went automatically to my forehead and when I pulled it away it was covered with blood and blood began gushing out onto the pavement. Shit. And I'm in bloody China too. I immediately pressed my hand hard to my forehead to stop the bloodflow and didn't take my hand away till I got to the hosptial. I was mostly trying not to get blood on my white jumper, which miraculously got no blood over it :-) My friends were panicking and shocked, apparantly it looked pretty bad, my forehead split open. The trouble was at the bottom of this sign was this sharp jagged bit of metal. To be honest its a good thing that I never saw the wound and this is why I remained so cool.
Thankfully a chinese shop keeper came out and led us to a clinic, but they were shit and wouldn't take me in, so the shop keeper took me in a taxi to a hospital up the road bless him. There a nurse stopped the bloodflow and put stuff in to sterilise it (stung a lot) and bandaged up my head. Then gave me antibiotics. When it came to pay it was 36 YUAN (2 pound 50p) - not bad. Service was great, no waiting at all, and praise to for the shop keeper, what a gent.
The first lovely sunny day I've had in China and what do I do first thing in the morning, go and split my bloody forehead open, silly me!!!
But I'm fine, lay in bed for a couple of hours after being bandaged up, then thought I don't walk on my head do I, and its stopped bleeding. So went for a walk around town and stuff but was carefull not to move my head to much or run or anything. And its fine, bandaged up so it's all sweet. The doctor who sorted it said to go to a hospital tomorrow to check it hasn't got infected or anything, but should be fine.
Otherwise actually having a great time. Yesterday a 12 hour bus journey wedged in this tiny cramped seat next to some Tibetan dude. But the scenary was stunning, we drove accross high passes through the snow, saw jagged peaks and deep valleys. Met some cool people and hung out with them in the evening. And have crossed over into Yunnan where its warmer and more touristed so can get menus in English etc. So after roughing it for the last week or so its nice to have a bit of easy travelling.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Snow in the tropics
As my friend Chris said "Chin Up". I've been having a bit of a whinge of late so thought I'd write a more cheery entry.
Arrived in Litang Monday and its a lovely place. Amazing scenary and friendly people. I think I've now got used to my own company now too, you may as well make the best of what you've got!!
Arrrived 3pm Monday, the Tibetan people seem to be extremely friendly with alot of them smiling big warm smiles and saying "Tashey Delay", meaning hello. Checked into a nice clean room with a clean bathroom and a hot shower. Went for a walk up a hill with the most amazing views of the town and the snow capped peaks surrounding it. Litang is 4014m (around 14,000 feet) altitude so really high up!!! Over 4 times the height of the highest mountain in England and 3 times the height of the highest mountain in the British Isles. The town is full of old tibetan stone houses with monks walking down the street in red robes and people whirling round their prayer wheels as they walk to bring them good fortune. Went for a nice meal in the evening with good company.
Yesterday got ill with a fever and was stuck in bed all day staring at the walls, but I shan't dwell on this, as it was only a day long fever and I am better today. Was going to leave today on the bus but its snowed all day and the buses are cancelled. And they're not sure when the buses will be running again so I'm not sure when I'll be able to leave? But still met up with some others today and despite getting wet from the snow, had a spot of lunch and went round a monestry and had a bit of a laugh.
Anyway I'm feeling more positive now. Having fun again, which is what its all about really isn't it.
Arrived in Litang Monday and its a lovely place. Amazing scenary and friendly people. I think I've now got used to my own company now too, you may as well make the best of what you've got!!
Arrrived 3pm Monday, the Tibetan people seem to be extremely friendly with alot of them smiling big warm smiles and saying "Tashey Delay", meaning hello. Checked into a nice clean room with a clean bathroom and a hot shower. Went for a walk up a hill with the most amazing views of the town and the snow capped peaks surrounding it. Litang is 4014m (around 14,000 feet) altitude so really high up!!! Over 4 times the height of the highest mountain in England and 3 times the height of the highest mountain in the British Isles. The town is full of old tibetan stone houses with monks walking down the street in red robes and people whirling round their prayer wheels as they walk to bring them good fortune. Went for a nice meal in the evening with good company.
Yesterday got ill with a fever and was stuck in bed all day staring at the walls, but I shan't dwell on this, as it was only a day long fever and I am better today. Was going to leave today on the bus but its snowed all day and the buses are cancelled. And they're not sure when the buses will be running again so I'm not sure when I'll be able to leave? But still met up with some others today and despite getting wet from the snow, had a spot of lunch and went round a monestry and had a bit of a laugh.
Anyway I'm feeling more positive now. Having fun again, which is what its all about really isn't it.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The Final Straw
As you can tell I'm very bored, hence two blog entries today! Well otherwise I've got myself to talk to, or Chinese TV to watch. I wanna save the 50 pages left in my book for the 10 hour bus journey tomorrow. Oh and I can't drink tomorrow, better to be dehydrated on the bus than to wet myself (there are no toilets on the buses and they stop about once every 5 hours).
My patience is getting tested more and more. I handed in washing this morning to the ladies at the guest house I'm staying at. They know I've got a bus at 6am tomorrow morning to catch. At 2pm the washing had been done and was in a wet pile and I assumed they'd soon put it in the drier! Just got back at 8pm and the washing is still in a wet pile. Hmm obviously they don't have a tumble drier and didn't bother to hang it up. They don't speak Enlglish, me no Chinese so I don't blame them, they are really nice and smiley, and they just couldn't understand my gesticulations. Oh well.
But now my washing's soaking wet (all my clothes except the dirty ones i'm wearing, which are damp anyway cause its been pissing it down all day!) and there's no way it'll be anywhere near dry in 7 hours time. So i've got to go on a 10 hour bus journey to the middle of nowhere with all my clothes wet in a bag.
I feel the urge to either
1) Crumple into a heap, wail like a baby and burst into tears
2) Start screaming and smashing tables, chairs, windows etc.
3) Start headbutting everyone
Don't worry I'm not gonna do any of the above. I'm just going to remain calm and.......
I could really do with a pint or two of beer and a cigarrette.
This trip is really testing me and I think I might start smoking again just to calm my nerves a little.
Hmmm, why am I doing this again?
Oh yeah its adventure
Oh and I suppose the scenery is amazing, and the people are very friendly, even if I don't understand them.
I'm looking forward to civilisation more than ever!
I'd better get to bed, as gotta be up in 7 hours. So I'll head off and try to sleep in a hard bed with lorries constantly beeping their horns outside my window. Maybe its sleeping pills again tonight!
Will I arrive back sane? As sane as ever!
My patience is getting tested more and more. I handed in washing this morning to the ladies at the guest house I'm staying at. They know I've got a bus at 6am tomorrow morning to catch. At 2pm the washing had been done and was in a wet pile and I assumed they'd soon put it in the drier! Just got back at 8pm and the washing is still in a wet pile. Hmm obviously they don't have a tumble drier and didn't bother to hang it up. They don't speak Enlglish, me no Chinese so I don't blame them, they are really nice and smiley, and they just couldn't understand my gesticulations. Oh well.
But now my washing's soaking wet (all my clothes except the dirty ones i'm wearing, which are damp anyway cause its been pissing it down all day!) and there's no way it'll be anywhere near dry in 7 hours time. So i've got to go on a 10 hour bus journey to the middle of nowhere with all my clothes wet in a bag.
I feel the urge to either
1) Crumple into a heap, wail like a baby and burst into tears
2) Start screaming and smashing tables, chairs, windows etc.
3) Start headbutting everyone
Don't worry I'm not gonna do any of the above. I'm just going to remain calm and.......
I could really do with a pint or two of beer and a cigarrette.
This trip is really testing me and I think I might start smoking again just to calm my nerves a little.
Hmmm, why am I doing this again?
Oh yeah its adventure
Oh and I suppose the scenery is amazing, and the people are very friendly, even if I don't understand them.
I'm looking forward to civilisation more than ever!
I'd better get to bed, as gotta be up in 7 hours. So I'll head off and try to sleep in a hard bed with lorries constantly beeping their horns outside my window. Maybe its sleeping pills again tonight!
Will I arrive back sane? As sane as ever!
It's all Chinese mate
My 5th day in China now. The main trouble I'm having is the language barrier, even all the instructions on this blog site are in Chinese, so had a bit of difficulty finding out how to write an entry. Hopefully this will come out in English and not Chinese!!!!!!!
Well Tuesday night arrived just before midnight in Hong Kong, got accousted by some bloke in the street offering a private room at a reasonable price (10 quid a night) with air con and hot shower. He looked honest and friendly so I thought why not? It saves all the hassles of trying to find a budget place using my guidebook, trouble with directions etc etc. He was true to his word and room was OK.
On Wednesday I booked a flight to Chengdu, Sichuan province, in the Wild West, and flew that evening. Had to get a ferry accross the border into China proper because its cheaper that way. First panick at the airport, couldn't get money out, the cash machine was in Chinese and it kept spitting my card out. Thankfully got some chap to help me out using sign language, otherwise would of been in the shit!!!!
Arrived late that evening in Chengdu, the usual hassle explaining to the taxi driver (remember practically no one I deal with speaks any English except hello) where the hostel was but got their in the end. Checked into a grotty dormitory, where the bed had no mattress!!!!!! Just a wooden bed with a blanket on top. My room mates were two smelly unfriendly American snorers. Hmmm. Went out to a restaurant and had to point at other customers food to order, got some meat fat (yes just meat fat!!!) soup. Sort of felt obliged to eat it - Ugh, as the chef, waitress and half the room were intently staring at me. Then for seconds got some oily meaty very spicy (Sichuan is famous for its spicy food) noodle soup, which was actually OK. After the meal though I didn't really get any sleep so the next day was a bit tired and drained. In the morning thought sod this and checked into my own private room, and although the mattress was shit at least there was a mattress!!!!!
That day I wandered round town tired and alone. It was a serious pea souper that day, probably like London was 200 years ago! Chengdu has a serious smog problem, you couldn't see more than 100 yards and it wasn't fog because it stank of smoke and fumes. I sort of walked aimlessly around, getting totally lost and feeling very alienated. The traffic was mad of course, no one paid any attention to the fact a green man was telling you to walk, they just drove through the red lights. It was noisy, hectic, everything was in Chinese. I went to a restaurant and again had to point and got a greasy fatty meat curry. But no rice!!!! So had to pick bits of fat out with chopsticks. I then went and bought a packet of crisps!!!! Went to a temple and it was nice and they had food stalls so I could choose what to have. And that was lovely, ate a nice variety of tasty food, and chatted to a Taiwanese/Australian family. That evening decided to go on a panda tour in the morning and chilled out on my own.
Panda tour was ace. Only 1000 pandas left in the world!!! And I saw about 40 of them. Our tour guide was this very cute chinese girl who struggled with English but tried very hard. Got very close to the pandas, they are such cute dopey creatures, totally different from other bears because the bamboo they eat basically drugs them and slows them down. Why they evolved to eat bamboo I'll never know! They can't digest it properly so have to eat tons of it for hours on end to get any nutrients, then it just makes them dopey and slow and they spend the rest of the time sleeping. So they basically just eat and sleep.
Then got back around midday and thought sod it I'm gonna head off to Litan tomorrow. This is a remote tibetan place in the far West at an altitude of 4014m (over 14,000 feet). Whilst at the bus station to buy the ticket I thought I've only got today left here so I'll go to Leshan, 200km away to see the biggest buddha in the world, one of the highlights of China apparantly. So got a bus then a taxi to the ferry terminal (as my guidebook said the view from the ferry was the best). But after walking the docks for half an hour and getting barked at in Chinese and people shouting NO NO, I got pissed of and with time running out just got a taxi to the buddha site. Very frustrating as I could see groups on Chinese being allowed on, but they clearly weren't letting a "foreigner" go on!
It was stunning! A huge buddha, hundreds of feet tall, carved into the stone cliff. Absolutely amazing that they created this thousands of years ago. How did they do it. A bit like the pyramids or something. By the time I'd seen it it was 4pm and time to go (last bus being 6-7pm, and I had to meet my German friend who I'd met on the panda tour for a famous Chengdu "boiling pot" dinner at 8pm). But being a stubborn bastard and I bit dizzy I looked at the map and thought I've paid to get in I want to see the temple over the hill and get a ferry back (a ferry terminal also being over the hill). Saw the temple, got to the ferry terminal and it was dead. It was now 5.30pm and there were no roads in sight. Panick set in, I thought shit, I'm not going to make it home for the German girl. Errrr and also I've got a bus early tomorrow morning to Litang that I'll miss. And oh no, realisation hit me I hadn't paid for another night at the hotel (I was already 5 hours late with payment), they might throw my possessions out or something. Thankfully a saviour came along, a family where the teenage girl spoke some English. She was an angel and walked with me for half a mile or so to a bus where she talked with the driver and told me they would drop me off at the long distance bus station. Sweet.
Got to the long distance bus station and..... I'd missed the last bus to Chengdu. Arrggghhhh!!! But she said.... a little later, if I go to another bus station I might be able to get a later bus. It was a long taxi ride away, and spent 30 mins or so praying to the Chinese god, and thankfully there was a bus. A group of very dodgy looking lads outside the bus station said they'd take me to Chengdu in their taxi for 40 Yuan. This is 200km away, the taxi from the airport cost 50 Yuan for 15km. Something wrong there. So I declined their offer. I reckon they would have robbed me and left me in the middle of nowhere, if not worse. Anyway I did get home and straight away paid for another night, apologised to the German girl and went to bed.
Got up in the morning, packed my bags and checked out. Thought I'd better get a weeks worth of money out as they won't be any ATM's where I'm going, and my bank card didn't work!!!!!! Missed my bus, phoned up Barclays and they said they'd cancelled it for security reasons because of irregular withdrawels!!! I'd told them a week ago I'd be going to China so of course they're going to be irregular!!!!! I was furious. But got it sorted and got some money out.
So booked a bus to Kangding, halfway to Litan and as I found out it was a very good thing my card didn't work! It's an 18 hour bus journey to Litan so would have arrived there in the early hours of the morning and that would have been horrible. And its over 4000m, today I've been in Kangding at 2000m and I've struggled with my breathing a little. So good to acclimatise here for a day or else I would have been f*cked.
So yesterday got the bus at 12.00, got in at 8pm. 8 hours and no toilet on the bus and we stopped once. At that stop, once again I pointed to someone's food (well it looked OK from a distance!) and again I got served meat fat with spring onions. hmmmm I ate the spring onions and back on the bus ate my peanuts and biscuits (I've been forced into a shit diet here, if I see a bannana I eat three of them!). Also the bus had been waiting ages for me as I thought everyone in the restaurant were the people on the bus, but they weren't. Well they all looked the same to me to be honest. On the bus it seemed everyone's duty to make loud prolongued hacking noises and then spit out the contents of their throat onto the floor between the seats. It wasn't till halway through my journey that I realised my bags and food were on the floor. Hmmmm.
Arrived, it was dark, had a plan to go to a guesthouse in my book 3km away from the bus station in the hope of meeting some English speaking people. But waited 10 minutes and no taxis passed so again followed this kindly lady to a room, she didn't speak English but I used my phrasebook. It was 40 Yuan (2 pound fifty) a night for my own room, there was a mattress (albiet a poor one) - huray. The only trouble was the room stank of stale urine and it was on a very noisy main road - the Chinese almost constantly honk their horns. Oh well it had to do. Went out and walked round alone, again, and ate meat and veg on a stick, not bad actually. Then went to sleep.
Awoke this morning, found i'd missed the bus to Litang (only one was at 6.45am) so booked one for tomorrow. Its been raining all day but been busy all day regardless. Stocked up on warm clothes, was a bit unprepared for this cold, and Litang at 4000km will be bloody freezing. So bought a big thick puffer jacket for 5 quid and toiletries and other provisions. Then walked round a tibetan area full of massive temples and interesting houses. Went to a public toilet and was a little taken a back by the sight of men shitting into holes in one big room, not partitioned off or anything. Apparantly in China privacy doesn't have the same concept as in the west. Very true. This morning I handed my washing to the lady who owns the "Jinshan Hotle" (thats the name on the card) but just seen it and its 6pm and its still sopping wet, I hope she realises I'm off early tomorrow morning!
To be honest I've seen some amazing sights but I'm not really enjoying myself. I think I'm over the "adventure travelling" - well on my own anyway! It was fun with Kerry. And its fun when you meet up with other people. But I've gone to such a remote place that there are no other western travellers (didn't see a single non chinese person in town today). Its no fun spending days on your own, not being able to talk to anyone. I've got another few towns in the middle of nowhere before I hit (relative) civilisation again. I'll think I'll whizz through them, it'll be amazing scenery and an adventure, but I need to meet people or else I'll come home sooner than the 31st May.
The Chinese like anywhere are very friendly and helpful really, its just the language barrier. i've learnt hello and thankyou and tried to study it but I've got a crap memory. Also had enough of travelling on my own. But hey only a few more days in the wild and then if I'm still now having fun I'll come home. Ta ra for now.
Well Tuesday night arrived just before midnight in Hong Kong, got accousted by some bloke in the street offering a private room at a reasonable price (10 quid a night) with air con and hot shower. He looked honest and friendly so I thought why not? It saves all the hassles of trying to find a budget place using my guidebook, trouble with directions etc etc. He was true to his word and room was OK.
On Wednesday I booked a flight to Chengdu, Sichuan province, in the Wild West, and flew that evening. Had to get a ferry accross the border into China proper because its cheaper that way. First panick at the airport, couldn't get money out, the cash machine was in Chinese and it kept spitting my card out. Thankfully got some chap to help me out using sign language, otherwise would of been in the shit!!!!
Arrived late that evening in Chengdu, the usual hassle explaining to the taxi driver (remember practically no one I deal with speaks any English except hello) where the hostel was but got their in the end. Checked into a grotty dormitory, where the bed had no mattress!!!!!! Just a wooden bed with a blanket on top. My room mates were two smelly unfriendly American snorers. Hmmm. Went out to a restaurant and had to point at other customers food to order, got some meat fat (yes just meat fat!!!) soup. Sort of felt obliged to eat it - Ugh, as the chef, waitress and half the room were intently staring at me. Then for seconds got some oily meaty very spicy (Sichuan is famous for its spicy food) noodle soup, which was actually OK. After the meal though I didn't really get any sleep so the next day was a bit tired and drained. In the morning thought sod this and checked into my own private room, and although the mattress was shit at least there was a mattress!!!!!
That day I wandered round town tired and alone. It was a serious pea souper that day, probably like London was 200 years ago! Chengdu has a serious smog problem, you couldn't see more than 100 yards and it wasn't fog because it stank of smoke and fumes. I sort of walked aimlessly around, getting totally lost and feeling very alienated. The traffic was mad of course, no one paid any attention to the fact a green man was telling you to walk, they just drove through the red lights. It was noisy, hectic, everything was in Chinese. I went to a restaurant and again had to point and got a greasy fatty meat curry. But no rice!!!! So had to pick bits of fat out with chopsticks. I then went and bought a packet of crisps!!!! Went to a temple and it was nice and they had food stalls so I could choose what to have. And that was lovely, ate a nice variety of tasty food, and chatted to a Taiwanese/Australian family. That evening decided to go on a panda tour in the morning and chilled out on my own.
Panda tour was ace. Only 1000 pandas left in the world!!! And I saw about 40 of them. Our tour guide was this very cute chinese girl who struggled with English but tried very hard. Got very close to the pandas, they are such cute dopey creatures, totally different from other bears because the bamboo they eat basically drugs them and slows them down. Why they evolved to eat bamboo I'll never know! They can't digest it properly so have to eat tons of it for hours on end to get any nutrients, then it just makes them dopey and slow and they spend the rest of the time sleeping. So they basically just eat and sleep.
Then got back around midday and thought sod it I'm gonna head off to Litan tomorrow. This is a remote tibetan place in the far West at an altitude of 4014m (over 14,000 feet). Whilst at the bus station to buy the ticket I thought I've only got today left here so I'll go to Leshan, 200km away to see the biggest buddha in the world, one of the highlights of China apparantly. So got a bus then a taxi to the ferry terminal (as my guidebook said the view from the ferry was the best). But after walking the docks for half an hour and getting barked at in Chinese and people shouting NO NO, I got pissed of and with time running out just got a taxi to the buddha site. Very frustrating as I could see groups on Chinese being allowed on, but they clearly weren't letting a "foreigner" go on!
It was stunning! A huge buddha, hundreds of feet tall, carved into the stone cliff. Absolutely amazing that they created this thousands of years ago. How did they do it. A bit like the pyramids or something. By the time I'd seen it it was 4pm and time to go (last bus being 6-7pm, and I had to meet my German friend who I'd met on the panda tour for a famous Chengdu "boiling pot" dinner at 8pm). But being a stubborn bastard and I bit dizzy I looked at the map and thought I've paid to get in I want to see the temple over the hill and get a ferry back (a ferry terminal also being over the hill). Saw the temple, got to the ferry terminal and it was dead. It was now 5.30pm and there were no roads in sight. Panick set in, I thought shit, I'm not going to make it home for the German girl. Errrr and also I've got a bus early tomorrow morning to Litang that I'll miss. And oh no, realisation hit me I hadn't paid for another night at the hotel (I was already 5 hours late with payment), they might throw my possessions out or something. Thankfully a saviour came along, a family where the teenage girl spoke some English. She was an angel and walked with me for half a mile or so to a bus where she talked with the driver and told me they would drop me off at the long distance bus station. Sweet.
Got to the long distance bus station and..... I'd missed the last bus to Chengdu. Arrggghhhh!!! But she said.... a little later, if I go to another bus station I might be able to get a later bus. It was a long taxi ride away, and spent 30 mins or so praying to the Chinese god, and thankfully there was a bus. A group of very dodgy looking lads outside the bus station said they'd take me to Chengdu in their taxi for 40 Yuan. This is 200km away, the taxi from the airport cost 50 Yuan for 15km. Something wrong there. So I declined their offer. I reckon they would have robbed me and left me in the middle of nowhere, if not worse. Anyway I did get home and straight away paid for another night, apologised to the German girl and went to bed.
Got up in the morning, packed my bags and checked out. Thought I'd better get a weeks worth of money out as they won't be any ATM's where I'm going, and my bank card didn't work!!!!!! Missed my bus, phoned up Barclays and they said they'd cancelled it for security reasons because of irregular withdrawels!!! I'd told them a week ago I'd be going to China so of course they're going to be irregular!!!!! I was furious. But got it sorted and got some money out.
So booked a bus to Kangding, halfway to Litan and as I found out it was a very good thing my card didn't work! It's an 18 hour bus journey to Litan so would have arrived there in the early hours of the morning and that would have been horrible. And its over 4000m, today I've been in Kangding at 2000m and I've struggled with my breathing a little. So good to acclimatise here for a day or else I would have been f*cked.
So yesterday got the bus at 12.00, got in at 8pm. 8 hours and no toilet on the bus and we stopped once. At that stop, once again I pointed to someone's food (well it looked OK from a distance!) and again I got served meat fat with spring onions. hmmmm I ate the spring onions and back on the bus ate my peanuts and biscuits (I've been forced into a shit diet here, if I see a bannana I eat three of them!). Also the bus had been waiting ages for me as I thought everyone in the restaurant were the people on the bus, but they weren't. Well they all looked the same to me to be honest. On the bus it seemed everyone's duty to make loud prolongued hacking noises and then spit out the contents of their throat onto the floor between the seats. It wasn't till halway through my journey that I realised my bags and food were on the floor. Hmmmm.
Arrived, it was dark, had a plan to go to a guesthouse in my book 3km away from the bus station in the hope of meeting some English speaking people. But waited 10 minutes and no taxis passed so again followed this kindly lady to a room, she didn't speak English but I used my phrasebook. It was 40 Yuan (2 pound fifty) a night for my own room, there was a mattress (albiet a poor one) - huray. The only trouble was the room stank of stale urine and it was on a very noisy main road - the Chinese almost constantly honk their horns. Oh well it had to do. Went out and walked round alone, again, and ate meat and veg on a stick, not bad actually. Then went to sleep.
Awoke this morning, found i'd missed the bus to Litang (only one was at 6.45am) so booked one for tomorrow. Its been raining all day but been busy all day regardless. Stocked up on warm clothes, was a bit unprepared for this cold, and Litang at 4000km will be bloody freezing. So bought a big thick puffer jacket for 5 quid and toiletries and other provisions. Then walked round a tibetan area full of massive temples and interesting houses. Went to a public toilet and was a little taken a back by the sight of men shitting into holes in one big room, not partitioned off or anything. Apparantly in China privacy doesn't have the same concept as in the west. Very true. This morning I handed my washing to the lady who owns the "Jinshan Hotle" (thats the name on the card) but just seen it and its 6pm and its still sopping wet, I hope she realises I'm off early tomorrow morning!
To be honest I've seen some amazing sights but I'm not really enjoying myself. I think I'm over the "adventure travelling" - well on my own anyway! It was fun with Kerry. And its fun when you meet up with other people. But I've gone to such a remote place that there are no other western travellers (didn't see a single non chinese person in town today). Its no fun spending days on your own, not being able to talk to anyone. I've got another few towns in the middle of nowhere before I hit (relative) civilisation again. I'll think I'll whizz through them, it'll be amazing scenery and an adventure, but I need to meet people or else I'll come home sooner than the 31st May.
The Chinese like anywhere are very friendly and helpful really, its just the language barrier. i've learnt hello and thankyou and tried to study it but I've got a crap memory. Also had enough of travelling on my own. But hey only a few more days in the wild and then if I'm still now having fun I'll come home. Ta ra for now.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Bye Bye Sydney
My time in Sydney is coming to an end! Last day at work today and then I leave Sydney on Tuesday for a quick 3 week holiday in China before having to get another dull boring job. At least the horribleness of having to work again after a 3 week holiday will be compensated by my reunion with Val. So I’ll be returning happily back.
Just had a leaving lunch where the office did the usual whip round, getting me a signed card and presents, pretty useful ones this time ($40 shopping voucher, tube of vegemite (copy of our marmite) & a packet of Tim Tams (like a penguin)). Then off to the pub with a few colleagues after work, after that a meal with a few friends and an option to go onto a nightclub with some more work colleagues. But I may pass on this as I’ve only got Saturday, Sunday and Monday to prepare for going to China and tying loose ends up here. Still it could be my last night out so we’ll see.
Otherwise had a good last couple of weeks. Kept my promise I made to myself in my last blog of seeing more of the harbour. One sunny Saturday I got the ferry all the way up to Paramatta (as far as they can possibly go) which goes all the way up to the end of the harbour and continues up the Paramatta river. My friend Arabelle accompanied me. Then last Saturday Matt and I went over the north shore and did a long harbourside walk. And on Sunday despite being hideously hungover I prised myself out of bed to get the ferry to manly with my sister in law Amy. If it wasn’t for her I would have stayed in bed all day, but I had an obligation to show her around and this was a good thing, as I felt much better for it!
I probably won’t continue with this blog when I get home as I’ll be back home anyway and I doubt I can be arsed to keep it up, can’t see the point really. But I’ll muster up a few entries in China where more interesting things will probably happen
Ta ra for now, I wonder who actually reads this blog? Would be interesting to find out.
Just had a leaving lunch where the office did the usual whip round, getting me a signed card and presents, pretty useful ones this time ($40 shopping voucher, tube of vegemite (copy of our marmite) & a packet of Tim Tams (like a penguin)). Then off to the pub with a few colleagues after work, after that a meal with a few friends and an option to go onto a nightclub with some more work colleagues. But I may pass on this as I’ve only got Saturday, Sunday and Monday to prepare for going to China and tying loose ends up here. Still it could be my last night out so we’ll see.
Otherwise had a good last couple of weeks. Kept my promise I made to myself in my last blog of seeing more of the harbour. One sunny Saturday I got the ferry all the way up to Paramatta (as far as they can possibly go) which goes all the way up to the end of the harbour and continues up the Paramatta river. My friend Arabelle accompanied me. Then last Saturday Matt and I went over the north shore and did a long harbourside walk. And on Sunday despite being hideously hungover I prised myself out of bed to get the ferry to manly with my sister in law Amy. If it wasn’t for her I would have stayed in bed all day, but I had an obligation to show her around and this was a good thing, as I felt much better for it!
I probably won’t continue with this blog when I get home as I’ll be back home anyway and I doubt I can be arsed to keep it up, can’t see the point really. But I’ll muster up a few entries in China where more interesting things will probably happen
Ta ra for now, I wonder who actually reads this blog? Would be interesting to find out.
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