I, [DV] will be narrating this journey, in my own level of tour guidance. Most photos [snapshots—no claim to more than that] which are a combination of Christina's and mine will be offered for your “enjoyment” here. The annotations are mine and I apologize in advance for too many photos and some of the sordid commentary.
Chris's China Blurb is offered below this Vlog. Don't miss it!
THE START:
How fitting that from the shadows of Tiananmen Square this early morning as I am up try to shake off a bit of jet-lag that I discover that our website has been banned by the PRC [Peoples' Republic of China.]. We are not alone, of course, all of Blogger websites [the website for this journal] are banned and many more. Since Blogger is a Google product, I am not surprised. Google and China are having a bit of a spat, as many of you know. More surprised that Google searching is even still available—but it seems mostly in Chinese.
Not that I have been oppressed since arriving less than 24 hr. ago in the PRC. On the other hand, although one does see a fair number of uniformed enforcement type people around, especially around places like airports, they appear to mostly be unarmed. I'm sure their martial arts' skills would be enough to settle most matters.
But this whole trip start last year in preparation. Here is a glimpse into some of our last minute prep work. [Click on the picture and you will be taken to a Picasa web album. Do the slideshow or click on one pic and arrow through]
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| Packing for the World |
OMG, we're 15 hours ahead of you. I am so much smarter. Let me tell you the future: it's all good!
We arrived in Beijing after 24+ hr. of travel, about 1 pm. I had arranged for a taxi, so we had one of these obnoxious signs being waved at us after we ventured through immigrations and customs. It worked and soon we were flying down the highways with Catherione, [see Cassaraon reference in the Chris blurb. ]
One more thing. We asked one of our guides about if she thought that the Chinese people were getting more Westernized and if they liked it. The answer was unclear. I realized then that WE, of the USA will be getting Easternized. That is not all bad. My philosophy:: Nationalism is the pathway to the end of the world. We need to be so much more global thinking. We are fortunate to be able to travel the world and see the cultures and talk with the people and realize that most of them feel the same way,
As they say, can't we all just get along?
Too many details, sorry, so here is what we did in Beijing from a photo standpoint:
[Remember to click on the picture and you will be taken to a Picasa web album. Do the slideshow or click on one pic and arrow through]
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| Beijing, China 5/8/2010 |
I won't give you any history lesson here, but the point is that this thing is huge and you know that. We hiked along it for close to 4 hours in the Mutianyu region which is a bit farther away from the Badaling region [the area where most people go] and therefore, fewer people! Truly, a wonder of the World:
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| Great Wall, China 5/9/2010 |
The night markets:
Apparently they are all over SE Asia. I'm not sure why they are there. Perhaps I will learn more as we continue our travel. Our first opportunity was in Beijing. It was an area along a street a few blocks from out hotel. Clearly, there were lots of non-Asians, but the Asians from whatever country were well represented. As many of you know, special opportunities in the dining experience happen here, and they are mostly, well, interesting:
[Remember to click on the picture and you will be taken to a Picasa web album. Do the slideshow or click on one pic and arrow through]
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| Beijing night market |
Before leaving Beijing, just a mention of our breakfasts in the hotel. Unbelievable combinations of West v. East—all good. I had a video of the dancing Asian banana and fish wrapped morsels that didn't work out, but what you don't see here is the 50+ other options of anything from the most amazing noodle and dumpling type fest to the omlette to die for to the fruit smorgasbord from Heaven. Small sample seen by clicking on the next pic:
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| Beijing breakfast |
from Beijing to Xi'an, home of the Terracotta Warriors, a 750 mi. 12+ hour journey. Our hotel in Beijing's concierge, Elvis, had acquired our tickets, before our Beijing arrival via our e-mail connection. A much more interesting way of traveling vs. flying. More in the face opportunities with the people and closer to the downtown areas where one would be staying. Chris's blurb has some good words about this but here are a few pics:
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| Night train Beijing to Xi'an 5/10/2010 |
These thousands of clay molded life-like warriors more than 2000 years old were only re-discovered in 1974. Here are a few visions of them:
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| Terracotta Warriors 5/12/2010 |
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| Xi'an, China |
CHRISBLURB--CHINA
Name that Guide:
Digging to China:
When I think of China, I recall the two years we lived on Mercer Island during Don’s anesthesiology residency. I’m not trying to impress you with our previous address; we camped in the low-rent district, inside a shag-carpeted, mildew-infested ranch-style “investment,” i.e. someday the landlord anticipated cashing in. Hopefully before 2008. But the point about China is, that during those years, our three children spent inordinate hours “digging to China.” I asked the landlord if it was okay when they began tunneling through his whole backyard, and since he thought they were very young…ages three, five, and six…there would be no problem. He never actually inspected the mining excavation that resulted. But the truth is, the kids were extremely disappointed that they never found China.
So here I am, following their Kinderdreams. I had confidence we could find it. When we arrived, I expected to see rickshaws, bicycles by the the millions, and barefoot peasants. Instead, I discover a bustling Beijing, teaming with bleach-splashed tight denim-clad youth who are heading in the direction of overtaking anything in their path = The World. I have never been so struck by the discipline (i.e. people who pop out of boxes and beat a thousand drums in unison at the Beijing Olympics)…the will to learn and speak immaculate English…and the hard-working ethic to survive with dignity. This country is a freight train. If China is to surpass us (it now owns our national debt) we had best be prepared. Maybe learn Chinese.
How to Speak Chinese:
When we hired our bubbling Beijing guides, we experienced varying degrees of competence. No matter. They all were female and in their young to mid-twenties, wearing jeans, jaunty hats, and sunglasses. What I ultimately adore is the chance we have had to ask questions about their lives, their parents, their apartments and how to count to ten and say thank you and hello. They nursed us through our neophyte language exchanges and cheered us when we could recall the word for “yes.” As soon as they discovered we were in our 60s, they offered their arm to me on steep Summer Palace steps. They pushed their shoulders through crowds to find us places to gawk at Qin Dynasty remnants, acrobats, squat restrooms and Peking Duck. And speaking of duck, when I asked about Tiananmen Square and the politics, I received an answer as obscure as the Beijing smog. Don told me that Anna hadn’t understood the question. But, I made the mistake of asking her in the car with the driver alongside, who supposedly doesn’t speak English, so she ducked it. But who knows. Perhaps the youth in China don’t believe anything really happened in Tiananmen Square. Which is why I cannot yet post this blog. I am saving the post until we leave China, because it is blocked by the government here.
Even with censure, these people may surpass us someday. Chinese are lean, energetic, and driven, whereas in comparison, the majority of people in our country seem to be overfed, self-satisfied, and complacent, myself included. Americans are very nice people, but we seem clueless about how the rest of the world whirls, especially about 2 billion of them. In Beijing, every alley is swept. There is no litter anywhere, even alongside the freeway. People filch plastic out of the recycle bins before the collectors can get there. Everyone is busy. New construction buzzes from 6 am to 6 pm seven days a week. Alcohol use is minimal; it’s hard to find it in stores or even restaurants, except beer. It appears the police are not armed and their presence seems minimal except at the nation’s capitol, Tiananmen Square. Parents are very attentive to children, being that every child in China is the precocious only child. One of our guides informed us that Chinese children are spoiled and lack for nothing, because their parents dote on them. Don asked her if she was one of the spoiled children, and she replied, “Yes, but not too spoiled.” Then she smiled and picked up a call on her cell phone.
How Sweet it Is:
When we first arrived in Beijing, after traveling 24 hours including three plane connections (Seattle, Vancouver Canada, Hong Kong, Beijing), Casstherine aka Casoron met us at the airport and escorted us to our hotel. She seemed to have fallen in love with us so that it was impossible to shake her. We even gave her a tip and wished her well, but she stuck to us like a soggy dumpling because she was incensed that our hotel room was not yet ready. She harassed the hotel concierge until he, too, felt she could harm the environment. And then he suddenly upgraded us to a suite. That’s not all bad considering it turned out to be over 1000 square feet. I haven’t’ seen Don for two days. We find one another by the echo system.
One thing I notice at our hotel: the service is impeccable. Every time we request something, like a towel, or ice, or whatever, the staff acts as though they have been waiting their whole lifetime to bring it to us. And often, it is presented with words of English. It’s a world away from the surly service I received while traveling in St. Petersburg, Russia. Here is the ultimate competition, but always with a smile and the desire to get it right.
Seeing Through the Great Wall:
I love the Great Wall, although I only walked about four miles of the 3000 that exist. We entered at Mutianyu where there are fewer tourists. I recommend that. I discovered that the Great Wall is covered with challenging, uneven steps and dragonesque swerves. Short-winded and wobbly-legged, I marvel at the concept of a man-made barrier visible from space, impenetrable by enemies, knobby in texture, and echoing with laughter when Chinese children skid a plastic water bottle down the stony pathway as they chase its descent. It allows me to glimpse a vast heritage and complicated culture. The Great Wall has become a window.
How She got Jaded:
Tomorrow we will forage Beijing guideless. We can count to ten and say “please, thank you, yes and no.” We can say “hello and goodbye.” Maybe that’s the best chance for us to communicate with China. Or at least to say, “Thank you for the friendly welcome.”
Snek Snacks and the Next Fright:
When we toured a night market in Beijing, I braced myself to view skewered roasted silk worms, scorpions, and as the merchants called out to me, “Snek!” Oh how I hate snakes. And I don’t care to chew on one. But there were also delicious dumplings, tasty noodles measuring 3.8 meters in length (longer than a snek), steaming concoctions of vegetables and rice, and the most amazing fruits and teas imaginable. (Earlier in the day, our driver had pointed out fields where wheat and noodles are grown whereupon I pictured all kinds of noodles poking out of the soil.) Don and I shared a delicious dish in the Muslim sector market called Yanggrou Paomu, which consisted of lamb, crumbled unleavened bread, noodles, vegetables and broth.
Two days ago we boarded a night train (12 hours of fascinating scenery and railway culture) to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Warriors and the 500-year-old Xi’an city wall, intact since the Ming Dynasty. The warriors are everything you imagine and more. Our final night here, we indulged in a traditional hour-long Chinese Foot massage; the treatment was supposed to relax me, but I had to work not to scream because my calves are so sore from our roaming. Leaving China won’t be easy, even with relaxed feet. But now, we must head to Cambodia. Across the airport I hear the China Southern Airways announcement in Chinglish that passengers for the next “fright” should be at the gate. Time to move on.
So now we are off to Cambodia.
