Final Days in Beijing

I spent the remainder of my time in Beijing seeing the recommended sights. I started with a trip to Tienanmen Square which I remember from the pro-democracy movement and protests in 1989.
As I looked down the wide boulevard, I remembered the man that stood in front of the tanks.  It is a humongous square and was filled with tourists at 9 AM. Across the street from Tienanmen Square was the Forbidden City, the Chinese Imperial Palace. I decided to visit it with half a million Chinese.

The smog was heavy and the humidity and temperature were unbearable at 9 AM. The crowds of tourists were not something I enjoyed, I sucked it up and visited the Forbidden City. The complex is huge with 8700 rooms but I was very disappointed. It was not what I had expected and most of the  buildings were not well maintained. After the first few, they were all very similar. Maybe it was the heat and crowds but I did not appreciate it. I was very disappointed. Most of the buildings were empty. No period furniture. I have seen much better cities in other parts of the world.

As I exited the north gate of the city, I started walking along the streets and got lost. It was hot and I was tired and made a huge mistake. I was approached by a rickshaw driver and he asked if I would like a ride. I pointed to where I wanted to go on my map and he said 3 Yuan. This is what everyone seemed to be offering so, I thought it was a fair price. I got in the rickshaw and he was taking me to the metro stop. I saw several Chinese people using them and did not think anything about it. This family seemed to be enjoying themselves on their rickshaw ride.

I was counting the blocks as we went down the street and watching the time. We seemed to be heading in the correct directions. I was enjoying the local scenery. Look at this little girl styling it with a big hat and sunglasses. ADORABLE!
I saw the metro sign and asked him to stop. I had gone 4 blocks in 5 minutes. I knew I was in trouble when he continued another block and pulled into an alley. He stopped and I gave him the 3 Yuan we had agreed upon. This is when it went downhill. He looked at me and said "No, 300 Yuan not 3 Yuan." What?!?!? I was not paying 100 times the agreed upon price. I said no, we agreed on 3 Yuan and handed it to him. He started yelling at me and said "Give me 300!" as he pushed me to the wall. Crap! I looked around and noticed about 5 men standing around. I started to argue with him and showed him my wallet with only 6 Yuan. (I always keep small amounts in my wallet and everything else in a money belt.) I told him I did not have 300 Yuan and that he needs to learn to speak English instead of lying to people. This got him a little angrier and he said he wanted my camera. I told him if he took one more step towards me I would scream. He didn't believe me. I had always read screaming was the best defense for a woman. I had never done it but it was now or never. I let out a scream at the top of my lungs. I looked around and all the men were staring at me but nobody was coming to help me. They all just stood there staring. I just kept screaming. This seemed to bother him and he kept telling me to stop. I put the money down and started to walk away. He grabbed at me and I let out a blood curling scream. He finally realized I was not giving him anything and took the money. I left quickly. At the end of the alley was a police officer and a man. The just stared at me. I was angry and a little scared. I yelled at them to quit staring at me and said "If you are going to be wimpy ass men with no balls to help a woman stop staring at me! F@*%@*# losers!" Their mouths dropped open and they knew they pissed me off. I hate that they did not help me. Yes, I was stupid for taking the rickshaw but all over Asia it had been safe. I made the mistake of not reading the scams for Beijing. I later read this is one of 3 very common scams in the city. I was grateful I was ok and learned that I must read up on tourist scams before visiting a city. As I told my story, I heard several others from men that had been taken for $500-1200 at bars and tea houses. The other lesson I learned was to always see if a woman needs help if the situation looks questionable. Never just stand there watching.

I was safe and walked back to the metro. I was done for the day. Hot, exhausted and ready to relax at my hostel. Tomorrow would be another day to explore. I went back to the hostel, had some dinner and talked with the travelers. Eyle tried to talk me into getting up with him and a couple guys to go to Mao's mausoleum at 6 AM. I knew I did not want to. I told them not to wait for me in the morning.

In the morning, I decided to visit the Summer Palace, the vacation getaway for the Emperor's of China. I met a British guy at breakfast and he decided to join me. The Summer Palace is more beautiful than the Forbidden City. The palace sits on Longevity Hill on the shores of Kunming Lake. It has beautiful gardens and gazebos which were serene even with the hordes of tourists.

I had no plan, just wandering and enjoying the views. Ben and I walked along the lake taking photos and stopping for water. Another hot day in Beijing but at least the sky was clear.

We explored the grounds and enjoyed people watching. As we climbed Longevity Hill, the views were fantastic. The city of Beijing was sprawling in the background. Many of the locals took the weekend to explore the area and ride boats on the lake.


As Ben and I got hot, we decided it was time for an ice cream cone and to head back to the city. We met up with the others at the hostel. The mausoleum and Forbidden City were not what they had expected either. they wished they had slept in and joined us. Since we had met and bonded during our time in Beijing,  several of us decided to go out for a last dinner since we were all headed in different directions the next day. We got really lucky because Bonnie came along and could speak Chinese. We all let her order the food and it was delicious. Afterwards, we returned to the hostel for a relaxing evening chatting and watching soccer.

A fantastic "Goodbye China" dinner.

I awoke the next morning with a day to kill. My flight was not leaving until 2:00 AM. I was exhausted and tired of sightseeing. I was ready to be in Bali to spend 3 relaxing weeks of doing nothing. Long term travel is exhausting and I had hit my wall. I was editing pictures when Bonnie came to chat. She was wondering if I would share a cab with her to the airport since she had too much luggage. The only problem was our planes left 12 hours apart. I offered to help her get her bags to the airport tram. So, we were off to the metro with her backpack and great suitcase. I don't know how she made it to the hostel with this much luggage. It sucked carrying it up all the steps. After I sent her on her way, I decided to wander the hostel neighborhood. Bonnie told me I had to try a local crepe type of food. She wrote down directions and the name of the food in Chinese. I was surprised I found it. The girl made what looked like a crepe, broke an egg on it and added onions, black sesame seeds and spices and then folded it up.

Yummy! It was good and a nice meal. I topped it off with some dried kiwi and almonds. I figured the leftovers would make a nice treat on the plane. I went back to the hotel and chatted with the new arrivals and joined in on the free vegetarian noodle night at the hostel. I shared my experiences in China with the new arrivals and answered questions. Soon, it was time to say goodbye. I left China a little sad the experience was over. I enjoyed my trip and know I will be back to travel in China again. I already have another list of sights to explore.

As I sat at the airport, I was planning my next adventure. A short layover in Kuala Lumpur and on to Bali! I can't wait for my next country!

Great Wall - A Dream Come True

 
The Great Wall. This was the reason I came to Beijing. Everything else was just extra. I actually considered skipping Beijing but I knew I had to walk the Great Wall on my first trip to China. Right? Why would I go to China and skip The Wall?  Nobody does that! The big decision was which section of the Great Wall?  We all see photos of the Wall but how many people realize there are different sections you can explore? I knew the main section, Balding was off my list. Too many tourists at that one. My remaining options were Mutianyu or Jinshanling to Simatai. This decision was discussed the first night at the Chinese Courtyard Box Hostel over free vegetarian dumplings. Everyone asks, "have you hiked the wall? Which section should I do?" I was told to do the Jinshanling section because there are very few tourists and the views are amazing. I had read that this was challenging and was concerned if I could do it. The guy sitting next to me said "of course you can do it! I am going and will make certain you do it!" So, I signed up for the 6 AM bus the next morning. I hoped I would not regret this decision.

I was awake and ready at 5:55AM and waiting outside the hostel for the bus with Eyle. When we were picked up, I was surprised it was a small mini van.  I was really going to be on a small tour. Wrong! We transferred to a large bus with about 35 people. We start down the road and the guide starts handing out breakfast. Yay! I am hungry. Until I see it is a ham muffin from McDonald's. Really? This is China! Anything would be better than McDonald's. I ate the muffin since there was nothing else.

It was a 2 hour drive to the wall and the guide explained we would normally hike to Samatai but it was closed for repairs. So we had to turn around and hike back the way we came. Darn! I was excited anyway. This was something I have wanted to do all my life. It was a dream come true and today was the day! Wow! That's a powerful feeling.

As we drove the highway everyone was looking, waiting for the first glimpse. Everyone saw it at the same time. There was a collective gasp followed by the click of cameras. I had to pinch myself. It was magnificent as it hung on the ridge of the mountains. There are things you never forget and for me this is right up there with my foal rat glimpse of the Acropolis, Eiffel Tower and the Duomo in Florence. Magnificent and perfect. 

As we entered the parking area the guide told us there were many tourists here today. Oh no! Everyone groaned. But as we left the bus and were given directions, we did not see many tourists. We were given a meal voucher and told to meet back after hiking to eat. Or guide was strict we had exactly 3 hours to hike and 20 minutes to eat. The bus was leaving at 2:23 PM. Wow! Couldn't that be 2:30? Oh well. She also explained that it takes about an hour to hike up to the wall and 40 minutes back down. If we want to see the wall she suggested we take a cable car. She also pointed out that it was 43C (109F) and suggested everyone take plenty of water. I am hiking in 109F weather. Really? I hoped she had the temperature wrong. Needless to say, I went with the cable car option to the top of the hill. We quickly realized that although there were many tourists in the parking lot, most took the cable car up, snapped a few photos and then went back down. There were few of us that hiked the portion of the wall.



Michelle, Eyle and Yvonne hiking the wall.

I set out on the hike with Eyle and Yvonne. We were all solo travelers and got along well. As we walked towards the chairlift we laughed as the locals were selling their wares. "Water, beer, cigarettes and snickers!" We knew in a few hours 3 of the 4 would sound fabulous to me! 

The chairlift was a smart idea. We arrived at the top and started hiking to the first tower. All 3 of us would stop and look at the view and wonder "How did they do this?" We each took turns reminding the others it was done on the back of slave labor. Many deaths occurred and the bodies were buried under the wall. As we walked, local women joined us. We knew this meant they wanted us to buy something. We told them we were not interested but the followed. There were several times they pointed out the path through steps that were basically rubble. It was tricky in some areas and I had to pay attention. The portion we were walking had not had much renovation. The bricks were crumbling, steps were uneven but it made it that much more authentic. It was odd to be walking the wall with Mongolian women when the wall was built to keep the Mongol's out of China. I asked one of the women about it and she laughed and said "I like the wall. Walk it every day because I can."

We climbed from one fortress to the next. There were portions that we had to walk along an 8" path. I had never been afraid of heights, it has always been a fear of falling. As I looked at the path, there were several times I wondered if I made the wrong decision. Eyle was always there cheering me on. He was so nice.


The highest section we hiked. It was a workout.

We finally arrived at the steepest section of the walk. We had been told it was only 103 steps. When I looked at it from a distance it did not make sense. It was higher than that. As I approached the section, I understood. The first 2/3 of this section is a step ramp. No steps. The last 1/3 of the section is 103 steps vertical to the top. I huffed and puffed my way up the ramp. I was being careful not to roll and ankle. I giggled out loud when I saw this sign as I started the hike to the top.

 

Only 103 steps t the top as we passed the dangerous sign.

I  took the steps one at a time and was doing fine until I stopped to take a photo and realized if I fell it would be a long slide to the bottom. The steps got larger as I went higher. Eventually, I had to go up sideways. The steps were over knee high. One at a time and slowly and all the hard work paid off! Look at the amazing view.



I loved you could see the Great Wall and the new highway in the background. Amazing!



We continued on to a few more fortresses. We were watching our time. We figured we could make it to the last one and still have time to hike back without taking a shortcut. We were in this to experience the wall. As we started walking back, Eyle said a beer sounded great. Yvonne wanted a cigarette and I was thinking about the Snickers. Damn! We should have taken them up when they offered at the beginning of the route. As I walked back to the chairlift, I took one last look back at the wall. It is an amazing sight. All the sweat and huffing and puffing was worth it to see this section of the wall.

When we returned to the restaurant, we ordered 3 big beers gave a cheers to one another and relaxed. Lunch was not the best...but it was better than the McDonald's breakfast. I had lived one of my dreams. It was a fantastic hike. I would recommend this section of the wall to everyone. The only thing I would have done differently is to stay at the hotel near the wall and be able to hike without a time constraint. But it was still amazing.

I was exhausted from the heat when I returned to Beijing. We sat down at the lobby and ordered veggie fried noodles and enjoyed the conversation with other tourists. We laughed until 2 AM when they kicked us out. Another fun discussion of world, love and travel with people from around the globe. These are the moments I love. 

Pingyao, China

One last stop before going to Beijing. I was spending a night in the ancient city of Pingyao. I had spent another 10 hours overnight on the train and was ecstatic to see my name on a sign at the train station. Is there anything better than a free ride when you were not expecting it? I arrived in the ancient city and was greeted by the happiest and most friendly face in town.

Mocha greeting guests at the hostel

Yes, a beautiful golden retriever named Mocha. I have missed dogs and this one quickly became my buddy. He loved to sit by my feet as I gave him a good belly rub. I quickly earned his love and he follow me around the hostel. I needed the comfort as I had gotten another message that my credit card had been discontinued due to expected fraudulent charges. Ugh! I appreciate the notifications but why can't they follow the directions in my file. I wasted the next 5 hours trying to get in contact with the company. The landlines were down in Pingyao and I was told they had been for a few days. I asked where I could make a secured call and was sent into the new city. I quickly realized nobody had any idea how to make an international call. I returned to the hostel and finally had to Skype my mother and have her call the credit card company on speaker phone. All was eventually resolved and they were all charges I had made as I was trying to book travel to Bali and Turkey. Afterwards, it was dinner time and I was ready to call it a day. I am starting to get really exhausted and need a little rest.
Over dinner,  I decided my time in Pingyao was going to be relaxing. I was just going to wander the city and enjoy it. No official tours. As I was sitting and enjoying this decision, I met a woman and her nephew, Oscar. We talked and they practiced their English. Oscar asked me if I would help him with his English homework. I am not sure why he thought he needed help. He understood perfectly.Oscar was very timid about speaking English which is something I have noticed with many of the Chinese. I encouraged him and by the time we said goodbye, he was more confident.

Oscar and Aunt Lilly

I retired to my room and slept. I was so tired and ready to just relax. The next morning I was sore from a hard bed and starting to catch a cold. All the travel on the smoke filled trains and cold air conditioning was getting the better of me. I walked around town and enjoyed the quaint village sights.

 
This was a town with bicycles and grass growing on the roofs. I loved the old bricks and the tiled roofs.

All of the tiled roofs had interesting end tiles.

As I wandered, the work of the locals caught my eye.

The men were transferring bricks to the roof by throwing them up. A simple toss and catch. I was amazed with the skill they had. I stood and watched and never saw them drop or brake a brick.

I also noticed the sign at this food vendor.

Yep, vanilla meat. Huh? I guessed it was white meat and just a little lost in translation but who knows. I skipped trying it. I have stuck vegetarian since my last bit of stomach issues. 

I also came across a scene I had been trying to get a photo of for a couple of weeks. Yes, the children wear pants with a slit up the crotch. No diapers. They go as needed and wherever the are at the time. I actually saw this on the train one night. It crossed a line for this western girl. Thankfully, a guy said something to the parents and made them clean the poop off the center of the train floor.


Pingyao potty time.

I went to have lunch and ran into my friends Oscar and Aunt Lilly. We chatted and she noticed my cough. She suggested I have acupuncture and cupping done before I leave on the train. As we sat there talking she insisted I see her girl. She called and made an appointment and pulled me down the street. She told me this was her thank you for helping Oscar with his English. Ok. I decided to give it a try. I entered the room and they started with the acupuncture. I noticed immediately that my sinuses were clear and she handed me a few ampules of a Chinese traditional medicine to try for my cough. I popped the top of the first one and took a swig. What the hell?!?!  OMG! Whoa! I don't know what I took but it was strong. My eyes started to water and my sinuses were clear. No coughing. Hmmm. I have a couple more but the taste was awful. Next a woman came in with glass bell shaped jars and had me lie on my stomach. She placed several of these on my back and suctioned the jars to my back. Supposedly, this mobilizes the blood flow to promote healing. It felt tight but was not painful. 
After they were removed I had huge red bruises. I did not realize these would last a few days. Oh well. It was an experience. I was not sure it worked but my sinuses were feeling much better after the acupuncture so I was happy.

Goodbye and goodnight Pingyao!

I said my goodbyes and thank you to Aunt Lilly and Oscar and headed back to the hostel to get my bags. It was evening and I needed to catch the overnight train to Beijing.

Welcome to Xi'an, Please Don't Disturb the Emperor

Due to the high tourist season in China, I was not able to get a train from Guilin to Xi'an so, I was flying. After a few 25-30 hour train trips, I was excited to have a short flight. I met a family that forced their 12 year old son to practice speaking English. The poor boy was embarrassed and shy but he did a good job. Then, he found another girl that spoke excellent English and she and her family took me under their wing. I got to see all of their vacation photos and was given a list of places to visit on my next trip to China. When the airline announced (only in Chinese) that the flight had moved to another gate, they pulled me along. When we arrived in Xi'an, they grabbed my arm and took me to the airport shuttle bus and insisted on making certain I made it to my hostel safely. They refused to let me pay for the trip. Another wonderful family that wanted to make certain I was safe and enjoyed my stay in their country. They dropped me off at my hostel and waved goodbye as they drove away. Another moment of kindness from strangers. I need to remember to pay it forward when I return to the USA. Would we do this in the USA for a foreigner? I hope so.

My hostel, Han Tang House, was exactly what I needed. The staff was friendly and helpful and it was a great place to meet other travelers. I chatted with a few travelers as I checked in. I was offered a welcome beer but turned it down. Surprise! I know, must be a first! I was exhausted and ready for bed. It was 1 AM and I only had a few days before moving on.  The next morning, I met a few more travelers at breakfast and we shared our plans for the day. I wanted to bike the city wall before it was too hot. They laughed and said they were awakened by growling stomachs. They were eating and returning to bed. They would all bike the wall later. I walked to the south gate and navigated myself through the busy traffic and up to the top of the wall where I found what I was looking for....bike rental. The Xi'an city wall is one of the best preserved city walls in China at 7kn (8 miles) in length and 40 ft. high. I leisurely cycled the wall while I listened to the Chinese music playing on a loudspeaker. I realized I was smart to do this early in the day, it was 36C already! Some of my friends went in the afternoon when it was 43C and gave up half way. They said I should have insisted that they join me. Ha ha! I don't make anyone do anything. I spent the rest of the day leisurely exploring the city.

The next day, I had signed up for the tour to the famous Terracotta Warriors. Surprise! Yes, another tour. I did not have the energy to figure out the public buses in the heat. As I sat around the tables talking to tourists, I listened to one tell that the bus was not numbered and he spent hours trying to get to the sight. I looked around the table and everyone was going on the tour through the hostel. Why not? It was actually really good! Our guide was informative and efficient. She told us we were going somewhere and we went. No wandering around and no shopping. She opened her umbrella and told us to follow it or you will be left behind. Once people figured out she was not going to wait on you, everyone got together and moved. I wish more tours were like hers. At each stop, she explained the history and answered questions. Then she gave us a time to meet back at a location.  

I was intrigued by the life and history of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. What was the man like that was responsible for the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall? These are the 2 main attractions in China and they were both built under the reign of the same man. Our guide explained the Emperor's legacy beyond the famous sights. His major contributions were unifying China, developing a national road system and ordaining consistent laws, standardizing weights and measures, currency and written language. All of this was accomplished on the backs of slave labor and at the expensive of numerous lives. He was responsible for the burning of books and burying alive many Confucius scholars in an attempt to unify all thoughts and political opinions in China. These actions resulted in the loss of Chinese history and knowledge. Anyone was put to death that owned the books or was caught discussing the ideologies in these books. It is suspected Qin Shi Huang died due to the mercury pills he was ingesting. It is ironic that he thought these would allow him to be immortal.

The site of his tomb is 1.5 km from the Terracotta warriors. The small, forested hill (see photo above) has not been excavated. Supposedly, the tomb contains a wealth of wonders, including man-made streams to resemble the Yellow and Yangtze rivers flowing with mercury to mimic water and pearls inset in the ceiling to resemble the evening sky. Scientists have conducted tests of the area and found the mercury levels are 100 times higher than normal. Nobody knows for certain what is in the tomb. All of the workmen and the artists that built the tomb and warriors were killed. Experts also suggest 3000 concubines were buried alive to escort the Emperor into the afterworld. All of this will remain a mystery until technology exists which will allow excavation without damaging the artifacts.

In 1974, farmers were digging for a well and unearthed the buried vaults containing the terracotta warriors which are guarding the tomb of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang. This was the first pit that was discovered.

Pit #1- A panoramic shot to show the enormous size.

An estimated 7000 soldiers are lined up by rank and including infantry, calvary and chariots with horses facing east to protect him from a rival dynasty. The warriors are life-size with individual expressions resulting in no two looking the same. The hair, clothing and weaponry of each soldier describes their rank and position which the guide pointed out and explained.

Each of the statues was originally painted in vibrant colors. As excavation started, the lacquer started to curl in 15 seconds and the paint peeled off within 4 minutes after exposure. After years of excavation, scientists have developed a new technique that preserves the paint. We heard about it but did not get to see any colorful warriors. Our guide showed me a little blue paint on the back of the archer. I was surprised to learn the archaeologists have enough work with preserving the warriors to keep the staff busy for the next 20-30 years!! I will have to return in my retirement years to see what has changed.

Visiting the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang with the Terracotta Warriors was on my bucket list. I was ecstatic to see it. It was amazing and I realized Emperor Qin Shi Huang found eternal survival with a tomb that has survived 2,200 years. The inquisitive side of me wonders what is inside his burial tomb. For the time being, nobody will disturb the Emperor. He will continue to rest peacefully until technology figures out a way to safely enter his tomb and preserve the contents. I hope I live to see the Chinese unearth this well-preserved archeology site. If so, I will be packing a bag and ready to fly to Xi'an to explore the wonders of Qin dynasty. 



Guilin, China

There is a popular Chinese saying about Guilin -  桂林山水甲天下 - "Guilin's scenery is best among all under heaven." I would have to agree.


Gary (British) and I had met at the Mr. Panda hostel and trekked through town with our packs to the station. Mr. Panda said we could leave at 2:40 for our 3:13 train. We should have asked more questions but we trusted him and decided to be safe we would leave an hour early. Thank God we did! We made it to the train station at 3:00 to see our train number with status in red Chinese characters. Oh no! Red means last call, departing or something critical. We started to run with our packs and a bag of groceries. I heard him say "no way." I looked ahead and saw a security line. Ugh! We were going to have to wait in line and take off all our stuff for the x-ray. Damn security! We got through security and put our packs back on and ran for the gates. Our red Chinese characters were flashing now! We ran and ran and finally arrived at the gate. We were the only ones and a Chinese man yelled "hurry, hurry!" We passed through and had a staircase to go down and then to find car 9. We stepped on board and the staff picked up the ramp and the train rambled off. Whew! That was close! We were covered in sweat and tired! As we settled into the soft sleeper cabin, we chatted with the Chinese girls. The train ride was not too bad. I guess I am a seasoned traveler since 25 hours was nothing to worry about. It is much easier on a train than a bus or airplane.

I had upgraded to a soft sleeper and was disappointed. It was double the price of a second class sleeper but not much more private. It was freezing and slightly quieter. I was sharing the cabin with a  British guy and 2 Chinese girls. Gary and I would close the door and turn down the Chinese music and 5 minutes later the music was loud and the door was opened. People stopped by to chat and play cards, smoke filled the room and the children were running up and down the halls.  I am not sure why you pay double the price and then open the door to a smoke filled and noisy hallway. Gary and I kept closing the door. Yes, we were antisocial and wanted some quiet and fresh air. Locking the door seemed to help. Random people stopped walking in and we actually had a little peace and quiet. It is amazing how lazy you get on a 25 hour train ride. I slept, read, ate, and slept some more. I just kept repeating the same things over and over again.

Gary and I arrived in Guilin and he decided to follow me to my hostel. We followed the directions to take a bus and got off at the right stop. Then everything became a mess.  Both of us stink at following directions. I can not tell you the direction I am walking unless the sun is setting or rising. All directions were given and turn north/south/west/east. Really? Isn't left and right easier? We got lost and made a 6 minute walk take 30 minutes. We finally arrived at the Old Place International Youth Hostel. I was never so happy to take off my backpack and take a shower!! It was hot and humid in Guilin. I showered and cleaned up and was ready for something other than noodles. I walked around town and back to the youth hostel for a salad and wood fired vegetable pizza. Yummy! I stayed up talking with people and realized it was late. I had decided to take a tour to the Longsheng Rice Terraces in the morning. Time to hit the sack. Gary decided to go out on the town and I never saw him again. I guess he had a lot of fun!

The worse accident on the trip to the rice terraces.

The bus arrived and I was off on my next sightseeing tour. You know how I hate tours. But in China it is costly to hire a taxi. They make it cheaper to do a tour unless you can find 6 people to share the cost of a van. The journey to Longsheng Rice Terraces was the most dangerous I had experienced in my 5 months of travel. As we climbed into the mountains, we passed 9 accidents in 5 miles. I looked for my seat belt but as usual, nothing. I wasn't confident the bus would arrive safely. He did the usual and just honked and went around the cars in front. As we all looked forward and saw traffic coming around the corner, the driver just honked his horn more insistently. I prayed I would survive this trip safely! 



Our first stop was the Longhair village. It was everything I hate about a tour. When we stopped, the bus was bombarded with 10 women pushing postcards, purses, wallets and scarves. I said no and then ignored them the remainder of the time. I have learned say no once and forcefully and never acknowledge them again. If you make eye contact, they never leave. We were shown their homes and then taken to a show where the women dance and sing about their traditions. The village is known for the woman's long hair. They only cut it once in their entire life, at 16 years old. The hair is kept and added to their hairstyle over the years. Young girls never show their hair until they are married. The girls cover their heads with a scarf. When they reach adulthood, the women have different hairstyles depending on if they are married and have children. At the end of the show the women let down their hair and it is about 2 meters long. Then they put it back into the hair the style using only a comb, no hair fasteners. It was interesting but I just wanted to hike the rice fields. 

After lunch, we finally headed to the rice terraces. We parked and started the 1000+ steps up to the 7 stars and sun point. The walk took us through a village and then along the rice fields up to the lookout. The views were breathtaking. I passed men carrying people in chairs to the lookout, old woman hauling 2 or 3 suitcases on their backs and women hiking in 3 inch heels. When I was 70% of the way up, I stopped counting the steps.

 

I kept walking until I finally reached the top. Yippee! I sat and drank a water and rested for a few minutes before hiking back to the bus. The rice fields were beautiful and I would have enjoyed spending a night in the village. Unfortunately, the 30 day visa has kept me moving across the country. It was a beautiful day and I met some nice people so overall, the tour was good.

Breathtaking rice terraces of Longsheng

The next morning, I awoke for my 7AM van ride to the Li River cruise. I was ready and in the van. Then, I waited for 30 minutes for 2 guys to finish brushing their teeth. When "emperors" final we're ready at 7:35 they graced me with their presence. Ugh! There are those people that I meet and know immediately that I will not like. These were 2 if them. China has a "little emperor/empress" syndrome and many Chinese teachers complained that it is a serious problem. Some families raise their children as the emperor or empress of the family. They are doted on by the parents and grandparents.  They do nothing wrong and have no rules...spoiled, narcissist brats. These two fit that mold. After making me wait for 35 minutes there was no apology. Then they asked the bus driver to stop at an ATM and a grocery store. Ugh! We were scheduled to be one of the first boats down the river but now we would be mixed in with all the tourist boats. We arrived an hour and a half behind schedule. When we got to the boats, I was irritated with them and decided to take the front seat. But they got me in the end because they just stood at the front of the boat. I asked them to please sit down and one pretended he did not understand. It was irritating and one of the few times I have met someone I really did not like. Each time I took a photo, he would stand in front of me. I wanted to push him off the boat. Rather than being angry about it, I started laughing aloud and shaking my head in disbelief every time he did something stupid. He and his friend would look at me. The boat captain finally told him to sit down. The little emperor actually sat his butt down the rest of the trip.

I arrived in Xingping and wandered the old town. It was quiet. I would have stayed here a few nights if I had more time. There were less tourists and plenty of restaurants and hotels. I took a public bus to Yangshao and explored the city. I had planned to rent a bike and explore the area but changed my mind. It was 42C and I was dying. I had a fruit popsicle and then found a shaded spot in the park. I decided to get a bus back to the hostel. It was another beautiful but hot day. 

I was headed north to Xian the next night and decided my last day was a good day to rest. I had gotten a cold on the train and it was setting into my lungs. With air pollution issues in the cities up north, I decided I needed some rest and cold medicine. I found a pharmacy that sold me some disgusting tasting cough syrup. It seemed to be working. I spent the afternoon in the hostel working on my blog and travel plans for Eastern Europe. It was 43C and everyone decided to stay indoors. People were lying on the couches reading or surfing the Internet or playing Wii. Nobody wanted to be out in the heat.

I packed my belongings and was ready for my 4:30 taxi. I waited and waited. At 5:00, I asked about the missing taxi. I was told he was stuck in traffic and would be arriving in 10 minutes. At 5:30, I asked if we could get another taxi and I was told he was almost to the hostel. At 5:50, where there was no taxi I was told the taxi broke down. I was going to have to walk and find a taxi. I should have done that in the beginning I guess. I found a taxi pretty quick and was headed to the airport. I watched my time as I had been told the traffic was bad. I realized it was all a story because there was no traffic. The trip to the airport was 40 minutes and I arrived in time to check in without running. I had been warned to always add an hour or 2 hours to the time the Chinese tell you it takes to get somewhere. I was glad I had done that! I checked in and grabbed a bowl of noodles for a quick dinner before my flight. As I sat waiting, a family sat down next to me and asked their 12 year old son to practice his English. He was cute and shy about speaking. I encouraged him to try and with the use of my translator app, we had a good conversation. Luckily, I had made friends with him because they changed the gate. He stood up and translated it to me. I boarded my plane and was headed north to Xi'an.

Pandas!

  

There were 2 reasons I went to Chengdu. To get to the National Park Jiuzhaigou in northern Sichuan and to see the giant pandas. Everyone I met insisted I stay at Mr Panda's Hostel. I heard he had the best beds in China and could arrange anything I needed. So, I took the recommendations and booked 2 nights at Mr Panda. It was a great suggestion. It was an easy metro ride and walk to the hostel and the staff were fantastic! They eagerly got me anything I needed. Kid even arranged to have a Resiter mobile phone charger sent to the hostel and negotiated the price! I love this thing! I can charge anything with a USB cord. I have many hours of train and bus rides ahead of me and now I can charge as I ride! No more worries about depleting my charge on a 30 hour train ride. I have been pleased that it will charge my iphone at least 5 times on one charge. Fabulous invention for a bargain price of $14!

Kid and I discussed the destinations I wanted to visit and how many days I had remaining in China. He highly recommended I get trains booked since it was high travel season. He suggested I order lunch while we discuss my plans and budget. Mmmm! I am enjoying the foods in Yunan and Sichuan. Nice a spicy! I am sure they are toning them done for me. I ordered a spicy chicken dish. It was full of yumminess. I asked them to hold the rice and bring a beer instead! It was a good idea.

Kid had a list of sights and a suggested itinerary when I left to explore the city. He promised to get me second class sleepers for the trips and costs of tickets when I returned. It was nice to have someone work all of this out since I was tired after 5 months of travel and needed a rest. I didn't realize how exhausting it had become.

I decided to explore the Wenshu Monastary a few blocks away. I wandered the temple enjoying the social activity more than the sight itself. I have seen a lot of temples and they are all starting to look alike. I noticed the locals came to talk with friends, share a meal or practice tai chi.

As I was leaving, I met a man from the Netherlands, Jan.  We briefly chatted about traveling China until his bicycling group was ready to move on. Later that night, I was lost in downtown Chengdu, wandering the streets and I ran into him again. Jan, offered to help me find my hotel. I offered to buy him a drink and we ended up at a great little bar a few blocks from my hotel. We laughed and talked about life, travel and politics around the world. I will miss the global perspective and ideologies when I return to the USA. The conversations require you to stay current on world events and people really want to know your opinion and enjoy sharing their own opinions. It is not mean spirited but an educational sharing of ideas and perceptions.

When I returned to the hotel, Kid was ready with a suggested 16 day itinerary. He had difficulties getting transportation reservations since it is the school holiday. Jiuzhaigou buses were sold out for the next 8 days. I had to add that to my list of places for my second trip to China (along with Tibet and Tiger Leaping Gorge). Kid suggested I make a decision and book the tickets immediately as  only 1 or 2 tickets were left for most days. I had to buy a flight from Guilin to Xian and buy a first class sleeper from Chengdu to Guilin. It was more money than I wanted to spend but it was that or cut out Guilin also. Kid was so nice to arrange everything and only charged me $6 fee! China is easy travel. I had heard so many horror stories and I don't understand why. It is no more difficult than the rest of Asia. Having them arrange all of this meant I could have free time to see the city and make friends. All my tickets were purchased and I went to bed happy to have a plan.

Newborn male panda

In the morning, I went to visit the Pandas. Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone else that wanted to go so I was on my own. No big deal. I decided to take a taxi ($10). I had been told to go early in the morning when the pandas are active and being fed. I arrived at the research center at 8 am. The pandas were adorable. I visited the giant panda nursery first.
Then I went to see the feeding of the Giant Pandas and toddlers. The suggestion to go early was fantastic. I had a front row spot to see the cute little guys playing with their mothers. I think pandas are the most interesting bears. So cute!
The Giant Panda Research Center is beautifully landscaped and worth spending some time enjoying the area. As I wandered through the bamboo walkways, I ran into my friend Jan and his bicycle group. They were getting ready to leave for a 3 month bike trip around northern China. As I said my goodbyes, Jan and I decided to meet back at the bar for drinks before we both left town. When we met up, he told stories about his bike trips through Asia, EU and the USA. I shared my experiences in Asia. The bar closed early and kicked us out at 9 PM. We both had to call it an early evening as he had an article to write for his hometown newspaper and I was tired.

Tomorrow, I leave for Guilin. A short 27 hour train ride. My chance to try out first class sleeper.