After a little more than 2 months on the road, I've made it back to Hong Kong completely intact. Although HK is still technically part of the trip, in my mind, the trip is over. The next six days in Hong Kong are just going to be days of relaxation and reccuperation. No travel plans to arrange, no pressing schedule to meet. The only things on the agenda are: 1. Get a LONG needed haircut; 2. See my friend Eunice (aka Eu-Eu); 3. Do some hiking on some of Hong Kong's fabulous trails, and maybe hit the beach; 4. Hang out with my grandma.
It's bittersweet to be back here....I know I last wrote about being exhausted both mentally and physically, but at the same time, there's nothing quite like the high that you get from traveling. I've learned a lot in the last nine weeks, both about the art of travel, and also, a lot having to do with the difficulties of conducting field research. If anything, traveling in China has definitely taught me patience!
China is a really fascinating place to visit. It hasn't been an easy travel destination, a la Europe, but it has been a rewarding one. It requires a lot of work and effort to get around alone (as opposed to being on a tour), especially if you don't have the language skills. A lot of the stereotypes about China and Chinese people carry a grain of truth, but a lot of them don't hold any water whatsoever. I've been the beneficiary of a lot of generosity and patience from many Chinese people along the way.
I'm happy to report that I've also picked up quite a bit of Mandarin, which is fantastic, because that was definitely a goal. I've always complained that one of the weaknesses of language instruction at UofT is the strong emphasis on reading and grammar, and not nearly enough attention on actual speaking and listening, which I feel is the most important aspect of learning a language. I think that the next few days here in HK will be difficult, because whatever little Cantonese I ever spoke has been completely replaced by Mandarin. Thank goodness English is so widely spoken here....
My last two days in China were quite pleasant. The actual bus ride from Shangri-La to Kunming was a bit of a butt-breaker, but Kunming itself was a surprisingly nice city. It's the only Chinese city I visited where the sky was actually clear and blue. Kunming doesn't have a whole lot to offer in terms of tourist sites, but it has a sweet urban culture that makes it a nice city to walk around. The hostel I stayed at was great. My roommates for the night were two Israelis who turned out to be a lot of fun, and more importantly, didn't snore!
And so the adventure has come to an end....
Monday, August 20, 2007
One More Thing
An interesting article published by the New York Times that is actually very closely related to what I'm studying....
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/16/world/asia/16tibet.html?_r=1&ref=asia&oref=slogin
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/16/world/asia/16tibet.html?_r=1&ref=asia&oref=slogin
Alright boys and girls, this is probably it for posts from Mainland China. I'm leaving Shangri-La in a couple of hours, heading to Kunming by bus (a nice, short 13 hours away), and will then hop on a plane bound for Shenzen, and then will taking the KCR or turbojet back to Hong Kong...total travel time is probably around 2 days. I
'm exhausted....for the last two nights, my roommate has been a Chinese guy who just doesn't seem to have an off button. From the moment you walk into the room, it's just chatter chatter chatter. I probably only understand half of what he's saying, but that seems to be enough to encourage him to keep talking. The only way to get him to shut up is to say "wo shui jiao" (I'm going to sleep)....and then cover my head with the blanket, and secretly put on my headphones and listen to music for the rest of the night, enjoying the relative peace and silence.
In any case, chatty roommate notwithstanding, I think I'm reaching the point of traveler's burnout. It's only been a little over two months, but I'm just mentally and physically exhausted. I've met a bunch of people who have been traveling for several months, and I'm in awe of their seemingly boundless energy. I feel like such a bad traveler.
China highlights?
1. Horse trekking in Sichuan
2. Beijing...finally climbing the Great Wall, and also meeting a couple of really interesting and inspiring Americans.
3. Cheap food....delicious food...spicy food....cheap food....giant bowls of steaming hot soup noodles for 3 yuan (less than 50 cents!!)?? Unheard of!
4. Bus/train rides through some really beautiful parts of the country, especially Sichuan and Yunnan.
5. Playing with a baby panda in Chengdu.
6. Meeting super friendly and kind Chinese people.
China lowlights?
1. Getting puked on.
2. Dealing with the ridiculousness that can be China...long "line ups" that are really just crowds of pushing and shoving people (especially at train/bus stations/post office)....really really grumpy customer service....etc, etc...
3. Hidden fees, getting ripped off because you're a foreigner.
4. The total non-existence of personal space....is this your seat? good, cause you're sharing it with me!
5. Endless rain...it is, after all, the rainy season here.
6. Snoring roommates...obnoxious roommates....
Alright, farewell from the Motherland...when next I write, it'll probably be from censor-free HK!
'm exhausted....for the last two nights, my roommate has been a Chinese guy who just doesn't seem to have an off button. From the moment you walk into the room, it's just chatter chatter chatter. I probably only understand half of what he's saying, but that seems to be enough to encourage him to keep talking. The only way to get him to shut up is to say "wo shui jiao" (I'm going to sleep)....and then cover my head with the blanket, and secretly put on my headphones and listen to music for the rest of the night, enjoying the relative peace and silence.
In any case, chatty roommate notwithstanding, I think I'm reaching the point of traveler's burnout. It's only been a little over two months, but I'm just mentally and physically exhausted. I've met a bunch of people who have been traveling for several months, and I'm in awe of their seemingly boundless energy. I feel like such a bad traveler.
China highlights?
1. Horse trekking in Sichuan
2. Beijing...finally climbing the Great Wall, and also meeting a couple of really interesting and inspiring Americans.
3. Cheap food....delicious food...spicy food....cheap food....giant bowls of steaming hot soup noodles for 3 yuan (less than 50 cents!!)?? Unheard of!
4. Bus/train rides through some really beautiful parts of the country, especially Sichuan and Yunnan.
5. Playing with a baby panda in Chengdu.
6. Meeting super friendly and kind Chinese people.
China lowlights?
1. Getting puked on.
2. Dealing with the ridiculousness that can be China...long "line ups" that are really just crowds of pushing and shoving people (especially at train/bus stations/post office)....really really grumpy customer service....etc, etc...
3. Hidden fees, getting ripped off because you're a foreigner.
4. The total non-existence of personal space....is this your seat? good, cause you're sharing it with me!
5. Endless rain...it is, after all, the rainy season here.
6. Snoring roommates...obnoxious roommates....
Alright, farewell from the Motherland...when next I write, it'll probably be from censor-free HK!
AARRGGHHHHH!!!!!!!
Damn it! I just wrote a rather lengthy note about China's ethnic minorities cultures, and the myths about Canadian nationalism.....and then the internet went dead, and my note was forever lost...I don't have the energy to write it out again, so....yeah....that's that.
Chillin' With the Locals
Today, I spent the day in Baisha, a small Naxi village located about 20 km outside of Lijiang. It was a great little day trip, and I highly recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in this part of the world. As I was wandering around the muddy little streets, a little old lady approached me and started chatting me up...at first, I was absolutely suspicious and thought that she was definitely after money, but it turns out that she was just a sweet woman, looking for a little company. I wound up chilling with her for a couple of hours, sitting in her garden, drinking tea and eating peanuts and sunflower seeds.... she even brought out a traditional Naxi outfit and insisted that I try it on! She didn't speak any English, and her Mandarin was more like a local dialect, so communication was a little tough, but it was a lot of fun.
Baisha is actually a bit of a mecca for practioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). There's a world-famous doctor named Dr. Ho (He, in pinyin), who runs a private clinic there. If you get a chance, you should look him up on Google, because his story really is quite interesting. I was walking down the street, when suddenly, out of no where, a smiley old man popped out of a building, and said to me, in perfect English, "Hello, I'm Dr. Ho!"....it was Dr. Ho in the flesh! My first Chinese celebrity! He took me to his office and gave me some "healthy tea", and we wound up chatting for a while about the difference between Western medicine and TCM...well, he chatted, and I listened. He also showed me a bunch of articles written about him in the Western press...all very interesting. Before I left, he insisted that i take some "healthy tea" back with me, for free! I couldn't leave without offering anything, so I wound up making a donation to the clinic.
Hehehe...this is SO typical of me, it's not even funny. I actually forgot when I was supposed to fly home, and for the last two months, I'd been planning to head back to HK on a specific date at the end of August...well, yesterday I recieved a friendly email reminder from United Air, telling me that my flight to San Francisco actually leaves several days earlier than I had thought! Holy smokes...thank goodness they sent me that email, otherwise I would not have been back in HK in time for my flight home!
I've now been in Asia for just over two months; I've been having a fantastic time, but I won't lie....I'm beginning to really feel the wear and tear of living out of a backpack. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm home sick, but I'm certainly looking forward to going back to my little apartment, having regular access to laundry, and sleeping in my own bed again. Also, I'm REALLY looking forward to having access to English-language newspapers again! Due to censorship, it's all but impossible to get any English newspapers here except for the "China Daily", which is China's English-language propaganda machine. The other day, I found a two week old copy of the International Herald Tribune, and almost died of joy....it's pathetic...I know....F
inally, thanks to those of you who sent me updates on Harper's new cabinet... partisanship aside, Peter Fuckin' MacKay for Defense? Oh dear....
Baisha is actually a bit of a mecca for practioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). There's a world-famous doctor named Dr. Ho (He, in pinyin), who runs a private clinic there. If you get a chance, you should look him up on Google, because his story really is quite interesting. I was walking down the street, when suddenly, out of no where, a smiley old man popped out of a building, and said to me, in perfect English, "Hello, I'm Dr. Ho!"....it was Dr. Ho in the flesh! My first Chinese celebrity! He took me to his office and gave me some "healthy tea", and we wound up chatting for a while about the difference between Western medicine and TCM...well, he chatted, and I listened. He also showed me a bunch of articles written about him in the Western press...all very interesting. Before I left, he insisted that i take some "healthy tea" back with me, for free! I couldn't leave without offering anything, so I wound up making a donation to the clinic.
Hehehe...this is SO typical of me, it's not even funny. I actually forgot when I was supposed to fly home, and for the last two months, I'd been planning to head back to HK on a specific date at the end of August...well, yesterday I recieved a friendly email reminder from United Air, telling me that my flight to San Francisco actually leaves several days earlier than I had thought! Holy smokes...thank goodness they sent me that email, otherwise I would not have been back in HK in time for my flight home!
I've now been in Asia for just over two months; I've been having a fantastic time, but I won't lie....I'm beginning to really feel the wear and tear of living out of a backpack. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm home sick, but I'm certainly looking forward to going back to my little apartment, having regular access to laundry, and sleeping in my own bed again. Also, I'm REALLY looking forward to having access to English-language newspapers again! Due to censorship, it's all but impossible to get any English newspapers here except for the "China Daily", which is China's English-language propaganda machine. The other day, I found a two week old copy of the International Herald Tribune, and almost died of joy....it's pathetic...I know....F
inally, thanks to those of you who sent me updates on Harper's new cabinet... partisanship aside, Peter Fuckin' MacKay for Defense? Oh dear....
I Was a Five-Year-Old Communist
Due to bus ticket availability, it turns out that I've had to stay in Chengdu for an extra day, and will be leaving for Lijiang tomorrow instead of today. This is actually sort of a blessing, as it allowed me to fullfill a childhood dream of seeing a live panda for the first time ever! Sichuan is home to China's panda population, and Chengdu is the site of a major Panda Breeding Research Centre. This morning, I made the pilgrimage over to the centre, and did what everyone does when they first see a flesh and blood baby panda...completely melted and fell apart. I totally lost control of my adult self, and couldn't stop "awwing" and cooing. What can I say...pandas have always had a special place in my heart, ever since my fifth birthday, when my uncle gave me a stuffed panda bear as a gift. His name was "Gong Gong", and he was just about the most fabulous gift I had ever received...I now realize that Gong Gong was a communist bear! He wore a red star pin and a typical commie hat....I loved that bear so much...I would occassionally take the hat off the bear and put it on my head....I was a five-year-old Communist...
Queen of the Throne
In most areas of life, I feel like I'm a relatively low maintenance lady. That being said, if there's one thing I really miss about North America, it's the throne-style toilet. Call me lazy/uncoordinated/picky/prissy/whatever, but the squatters that are all the rage here suck ass. They're especially difficult to use when you're feeling tired/drunk, as their use requires meticulous balance, direct aim, and a precise stance, otherwise, you risk getting *stuff* everywhere. Oh the luxury of the throne....
Why Haven't I Heard of This Place Before?
To all of my loyal readers (all five or six of you), have any of you ever heard of Jiuzhaigou before? If you have, raise your hand (Daisy, put your hand down). Until about a week ago, I'd never heard of this place before; in the Lonely Planet Travel Guide, it gets less than two pages of coverage (which is nothing), and on almost all travel websites I've looked at, there's no mention of it anywhere. Well, if any of you ever plan to take a trip to China, you MUST put it on your list of destinations. The Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve is absolutely beautiful....really, I'm in jaw-dropping awe of just how gorgeous it is here. I'm still feeling pretty under the weather, so I only saw maybe 1/4 of the park, but it was well worth hauling my ass out of bed at 6am and the outrageous ticket price. My photos will never do it justice, you have to come see it for yourself.
I'm leaving Jiuzhaigou tomorrow morning for a 13 hour bus ride back to Chengdu, and *hopefully* I'll be leaving Chengdu the next morning for the 20 hour bus ride to Lijiang (Yunnan). It's not ideal to spend 33/48 hours in a bus... but time is short, and sights are plenty. My plan for Yunnan is to spend a few days in Lijiang, head up to Shangri-La for a couple of nights (I have an important appointment there that I can't miss!), go down to Dali for a bit, and then finish off with a quick trip to the Yuanyang Rice Terraces. It seems fairly ambitious for two weeks, but I'm gonna do my best to make it work. This is all contingent on my ability to actually get the appropriate tickets for the buses/trains/planes that will be necessary to get around.
On a final note, I hear that Mr Harper is planning on unveiling a big cabinet shuffle next week....the Globe and Mail website is super slow here, so I'm having difficulty getting a lot of news on Canadian politics.....if any of you are feeling super generous, could you perhaps update me when it happens??
I'm leaving Jiuzhaigou tomorrow morning for a 13 hour bus ride back to Chengdu, and *hopefully* I'll be leaving Chengdu the next morning for the 20 hour bus ride to Lijiang (Yunnan). It's not ideal to spend 33/48 hours in a bus... but time is short, and sights are plenty. My plan for Yunnan is to spend a few days in Lijiang, head up to Shangri-La for a couple of nights (I have an important appointment there that I can't miss!), go down to Dali for a bit, and then finish off with a quick trip to the Yuanyang Rice Terraces. It seems fairly ambitious for two weeks, but I'm gonna do my best to make it work. This is all contingent on my ability to actually get the appropriate tickets for the buses/trains/planes that will be necessary to get around.
On a final note, I hear that Mr Harper is planning on unveiling a big cabinet shuffle next week....the Globe and Mail website is super slow here, so I'm having difficulty getting a lot of news on Canadian politics.....if any of you are feeling super generous, could you perhaps update me when it happens??
Man is a Political Animal
While interacting with Chinese people, I've always tried to stay away from sensitive political/cultural topics as much as possible (except where research demands it)....that being said, in the last 24 hours, I've gotten quite an (unsolicited) earful on a couple of taboo issues: Taiwan and Tibet. I was out for Sichuan-style hot pot (huo guo) yesterday with a few of the girls who I went horse-trekking with, when the topic of Taiwan came up.
Now, for any of you who are unfamiliar with the Taiwan/China situation, here's a brief (and incomplete) rundown: Taiwan is an island province off the East coast of mainland China; in the early 20th century, there was a civil war between the Communists and the Kuomingtang for control of China; clearly, the CCP won, and the Kuomingtang fled to Taiwan (also known as Formosa), where the government declared independence from the PRC, and has since set up a "democratic" regime. China has never recognized Taiwan's right to self-determination, and considers it a rogue province. Every now and again, Taiwan tries to flex its muscles and demands recognition, but for the most part the international community hasn't given it; most countries (Canada and the US included, prefer the "one China" policy stance; after all, who can really afford to piss off the Red Giant?). Recently, Taiwan made a bid for membership to the United Nations General Assemby (which it lost in the 1970s, I *think*), which would be the ultimate form of recognition. Okay....long story short, China still thinks of Taiwan as part of the Motherland, Taiwanese generally do not. Anyhow, over dinner, Taiwan came up, and I was really shocked by how passionate these girls felt about Taiwan being a part of China...my own feelings on the issue aside (I'm somewhat undecided, but I lean more towards supporting Taiwanese independence), it was really surprising how strongly they felt about Taiwan. I always think of Chinese youth as being incredibly politically ambivalent, but I guess Taiwan is one of those topics that really strikes a chord and brings out the Aristotleon political animal in all of us.
On the topic of Tibet, I was reading the news this morning (thank God China hasn't blocked the New York Times or Globe and Mail websites), and found out that two Canadians had been arrested in Beijing for taking part/organizing a "Free Tibet" protest. Once again, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Tibet situation, here's a very incomplete rundown: China and Tibet have historically had a rough relationship, with periodic chunks of time where China would invade Tibet; in the mid-twentieth century, China annexed Tibet, and has since been conducting what many consider to be an ethnic and cultural genocide in Tibet. The Dalai Lama is the official head of state-in-exile, and has been in India, pushing for Tibet's indepedence for decades. Anyhow, the Tibet is a pet cause for a lot of social activists, and every now and again, they hold protests in strategic places; in April, there was a protest at the Everest Base Camp (which led to the Chinese government completely clamping down on who can now go to Tibet, making it almost impossible to get permits to even get to Lhasa), and yesterday, a group of protesters unfurled a huge banner on the Great Wall saying "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008", which is almost identical to the official slogan for the 2008 Olympics. In any case, earlier, I was sitting in a tea house, drinking tea (trying to fight fever and cold), when the owner of the joint asked me where I was from; when I told her Canada, her face lit up, and she began to talk about how brave/stupid the protesters in Beijing were...I should mention that she was ethnic Tibetan. She didn't really voice an opinion on the status of Tibet (probably because of my limited understanding of Mandarin, and perhaps out of fear/caution), but I'm assuming that she was pro-Tibet.
I'd be super interested in hearing what other Chinese people (both Han, and the minority groups) have to say about Taiwan and Tibet, but it's not something that I'd ever bring up...I feel like it's just asking for trouble. Coming from a political science background (with a particular interest in China's role in the international system), it's really hard not to ask taboo questions, and poke around where I shouldn't. Anyhow, that's your history/political lesson of the day....you can take it and flush it down the toilet if you so desire....
Now, for any of you who are unfamiliar with the Taiwan/China situation, here's a brief (and incomplete) rundown: Taiwan is an island province off the East coast of mainland China; in the early 20th century, there was a civil war between the Communists and the Kuomingtang for control of China; clearly, the CCP won, and the Kuomingtang fled to Taiwan (also known as Formosa), where the government declared independence from the PRC, and has since set up a "democratic" regime. China has never recognized Taiwan's right to self-determination, and considers it a rogue province. Every now and again, Taiwan tries to flex its muscles and demands recognition, but for the most part the international community hasn't given it; most countries (Canada and the US included, prefer the "one China" policy stance; after all, who can really afford to piss off the Red Giant?). Recently, Taiwan made a bid for membership to the United Nations General Assemby (which it lost in the 1970s, I *think*), which would be the ultimate form of recognition. Okay....long story short, China still thinks of Taiwan as part of the Motherland, Taiwanese generally do not. Anyhow, over dinner, Taiwan came up, and I was really shocked by how passionate these girls felt about Taiwan being a part of China...my own feelings on the issue aside (I'm somewhat undecided, but I lean more towards supporting Taiwanese independence), it was really surprising how strongly they felt about Taiwan. I always think of Chinese youth as being incredibly politically ambivalent, but I guess Taiwan is one of those topics that really strikes a chord and brings out the Aristotleon political animal in all of us.
On the topic of Tibet, I was reading the news this morning (thank God China hasn't blocked the New York Times or Globe and Mail websites), and found out that two Canadians had been arrested in Beijing for taking part/organizing a "Free Tibet" protest. Once again, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Tibet situation, here's a very incomplete rundown: China and Tibet have historically had a rough relationship, with periodic chunks of time where China would invade Tibet; in the mid-twentieth century, China annexed Tibet, and has since been conducting what many consider to be an ethnic and cultural genocide in Tibet. The Dalai Lama is the official head of state-in-exile, and has been in India, pushing for Tibet's indepedence for decades. Anyhow, the Tibet is a pet cause for a lot of social activists, and every now and again, they hold protests in strategic places; in April, there was a protest at the Everest Base Camp (which led to the Chinese government completely clamping down on who can now go to Tibet, making it almost impossible to get permits to even get to Lhasa), and yesterday, a group of protesters unfurled a huge banner on the Great Wall saying "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008", which is almost identical to the official slogan for the 2008 Olympics. In any case, earlier, I was sitting in a tea house, drinking tea (trying to fight fever and cold), when the owner of the joint asked me where I was from; when I told her Canada, her face lit up, and she began to talk about how brave/stupid the protesters in Beijing were...I should mention that she was ethnic Tibetan. She didn't really voice an opinion on the status of Tibet (probably because of my limited understanding of Mandarin, and perhaps out of fear/caution), but I'm assuming that she was pro-Tibet.
I'd be super interested in hearing what other Chinese people (both Han, and the minority groups) have to say about Taiwan and Tibet, but it's not something that I'd ever bring up...I feel like it's just asking for trouble. Coming from a political science background (with a particular interest in China's role in the international system), it's really hard not to ask taboo questions, and poke around where I shouldn't. Anyhow, that's your history/political lesson of the day....you can take it and flush it down the toilet if you so desire....
Birthday Curse
For the second time in three years, I spent my birthday in China. And for the second time in three years, I spent my birthday being sick in China. Two years ago, for my 21st birthday, I was in Hong Kong, and spent the day alternating between lying in bed, feeling like death, and running to the bathroom... unfortunately, this was not from having spent an amazing night out on the town, but the results of what can only be delicately described as "traveler's illness" (use your imagination). This year, I spent my birthday in Songpan, alternating between lying in a tent, feeling like death, and bouncing around on a horse with a wooden saddle. This too was not from an amazing night out on the town, but the result of altitude sickness. Altitude sickness doesn't hit everyone, but when it does, it can really suck. In my case, it was actually just a bad headache, but since I'm one of those lucky individuals that NEVER gets headaches, it felt pretty damn awful. I also think that the altitude messed with my subconscious, because while on the mountain, I had some pretty fucked up and surreal dreams....in one, I was a product quality control manager of Japanese and Korean tents, and in another, I back in high school, auditioning for a role in a play...weird, right? Anyhow, thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, they were all appreciated.
Aside from the altitude issues, Songpan has been pretty cool. The area is really beautiful, and the town is quite small, and is full of ethnic minorities (mostly Tibetans and Hui), so it has quite a bit of local charm and character. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Juizhaigou, which is further north in Sichuan. The UN has declared it an officially protected biosphere, and everyone I've met so far has told me that I absolutely must go there...so off I go.
Aside from the altitude issues, Songpan has been pretty cool. The area is really beautiful, and the town is quite small, and is full of ethnic minorities (mostly Tibetans and Hui), so it has quite a bit of local charm and character. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Juizhaigou, which is further north in Sichuan. The UN has declared it an officially protected biosphere, and everyone I've met so far has told me that I absolutely must go there...so off I go.
You Smell Like Cheese!
One of the crappy things about traveling through China at this time of year is the weather. It's so stinkin' hot and humid, it's unbelievable. I don't wanna complain, I mean, after all, I'm lucky to be here at all, but holy smokes it's HOT here! I used to find summers in Toronto to be quite oppressive, but the T.dot has NOTHING on China. I don't know how people here live with out air conditioning...I mean, it's just so damn sticky and gross!
One of the best things about traveling in China is how cheap the food is, and more importantly, how delicious it is! The Sichuan province is particularly well-known for its spicy food and tasty snacks. There's a special Sichuanese chili pepper that they use that will probably burn a hole through my stomach before I leave, but I just can't resist it.The typical Asian diet is quite low in dairy products, and so from the Asian perspective, we consume a lot of dairy; I was recently informed by a friend that most Asians think that people from North American and Europe smell weird....they think that our sweat smells like cheese! How crazy is that? I've gotta say, when I'm in Toronto, when I catch a whiff of a non-deodorized individual, the first thing that comes to mind is definitely not cheddar.....That being said, something I find incredibly curious is the lack of deodorant availability here... I'm running low, and I've been searching every drug store I've come across for a stick of anything, but so far, nothing......it could wind up being a stinky last few days before I get back to Hong Kong, but I guess no one will notice if they're not wearing deodorant either.
I've spent the day wandering around Chengdu, checking out a couple of temples, and eating popsicles. Nothing too taxing, nothing too exciting. I'm leaving Chengdu tomorrow morning for Songpan, where I'm going to embark on a five day horse-trek, which I'm super pumped about. After that...who knows. Every single person I've met here has told me that I should go to Juizhaigou, but I don't know if i have time.....I need to get back to Chengdu to zip down to Yunnan province for a couple of weeks, before heading back East.
One of the best things about traveling in China is how cheap the food is, and more importantly, how delicious it is! The Sichuan province is particularly well-known for its spicy food and tasty snacks. There's a special Sichuanese chili pepper that they use that will probably burn a hole through my stomach before I leave, but I just can't resist it.The typical Asian diet is quite low in dairy products, and so from the Asian perspective, we consume a lot of dairy; I was recently informed by a friend that most Asians think that people from North American and Europe smell weird....they think that our sweat smells like cheese! How crazy is that? I've gotta say, when I'm in Toronto, when I catch a whiff of a non-deodorized individual, the first thing that comes to mind is definitely not cheddar.....That being said, something I find incredibly curious is the lack of deodorant availability here... I'm running low, and I've been searching every drug store I've come across for a stick of anything, but so far, nothing......it could wind up being a stinky last few days before I get back to Hong Kong, but I guess no one will notice if they're not wearing deodorant either.
I've spent the day wandering around Chengdu, checking out a couple of temples, and eating popsicles. Nothing too taxing, nothing too exciting. I'm leaving Chengdu tomorrow morning for Songpan, where I'm going to embark on a five day horse-trek, which I'm super pumped about. After that...who knows. Every single person I've met here has told me that I should go to Juizhaigou, but I don't know if i have time.....I need to get back to Chengdu to zip down to Yunnan province for a couple of weeks, before heading back East.
It's a Small World After All
I have arrived in Chengdu. After four days on a boat floating upstream the Yangtze river, I stopped for seven hours in Chongqing before hopping on a train to Chengdu.
People always say the world is small, and tonight, for the first time, I truly appreciate that statement. When I was in Beijing, one of my roommates was a truly obnoxious fellow who smelled really bad. I was so happy to leave the Beijing hostel, if only to get away from him. So...I arrived at my hostel in Chengdu about an hour ago, and the first thing I did was go to the bar....after a five hour train ride in a packed car, I was feeling the need for a little booze to loosen up....anyhow, who is the first person I see in the bar??? In a country of 1.3 billion people (not including tourists!), in a city with about 30 different hostels, and a zillion hotels and guesthouses....who is the first prson I see in the bar???? What are the chances? WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?????????? The world truly is a very small place. Seriously, I'm in a country with a little less than 20% of the world's population, and somehow, I managed to find the most nauseating individual on the planet, not once, but TWICE in less than a week! Moving on....
Cruising up the Yangtze was a nice break from the stress that normally accompanies travel. I didn't do much except for sleep, watch the Three Gorges and life on the river banks, and read a lot. I was a little concerned before hand, as I had bought a ticket on a Chinese passenger ship, where no English is spoken, and VERY few foreigners ever use them. I totally lucked out though....my roommates wound up being a Chinese guy who spoke perfect English, and a Canadian (who was quite a strange fellow, but that's not the point)...
On the train ride to Chengdu, it suddenly hit me that I only have about three weeks left before I need to hightail back to Hong Kong. I'm shocked and dismayed by how much I want to see/do in such a short period of time. I've decided to cut a lot out of my original plan; I figure it's more worth while to see less, but appreciate it more.
People always say the world is small, and tonight, for the first time, I truly appreciate that statement. When I was in Beijing, one of my roommates was a truly obnoxious fellow who smelled really bad. I was so happy to leave the Beijing hostel, if only to get away from him. So...I arrived at my hostel in Chengdu about an hour ago, and the first thing I did was go to the bar....after a five hour train ride in a packed car, I was feeling the need for a little booze to loosen up....anyhow, who is the first person I see in the bar??? In a country of 1.3 billion people (not including tourists!), in a city with about 30 different hostels, and a zillion hotels and guesthouses....who is the first prson I see in the bar???? What are the chances? WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?????????? The world truly is a very small place. Seriously, I'm in a country with a little less than 20% of the world's population, and somehow, I managed to find the most nauseating individual on the planet, not once, but TWICE in less than a week! Moving on....
Cruising up the Yangtze was a nice break from the stress that normally accompanies travel. I didn't do much except for sleep, watch the Three Gorges and life on the river banks, and read a lot. I was a little concerned before hand, as I had bought a ticket on a Chinese passenger ship, where no English is spoken, and VERY few foreigners ever use them. I totally lucked out though....my roommates wound up being a Chinese guy who spoke perfect English, and a Canadian (who was quite a strange fellow, but that's not the point)...
On the train ride to Chengdu, it suddenly hit me that I only have about three weeks left before I need to hightail back to Hong Kong. I'm shocked and dismayed by how much I want to see/do in such a short period of time. I've decided to cut a lot out of my original plan; I figure it's more worth while to see less, but appreciate it more.
Chinese Babies Need Diapers
After a glorious 20 hour train ride, I arrived in Yichang in one piece yesterday morning. I was feeling slightly battered from sharing a six-bed cabin with a family of ten, but otherwise it was a pleasant enough train ride. Yichang is sort of a run-of-the-mill Chinese city. It's not big enough for a lot of western brands to have moved in, but it's large enough for it to feel like a city. Yeah, it's got a population of 4 million, so clearly it's a city. It's a fairly pleasant place to spend a day. It sits on the Yangtze river, and there's quite a nice park that runs along the river, which made for a lovely afternoon stroll yesterday.
At 5pm this afternoon, I'll be boarding a boat bound for Chongqing. It's going to be a four day journey along the Yangtze River, passing through the Three Gorges....it should be a nice relaxing four days of not much....I hope.
For the most part, I really like kids. I think that Chinese babies are pretty damn cute, but if there's one thing that drives me nuts about babies in China, it's the fact that 95% of them don't wear diapers! If there's one western company that needs a stronger marketing campaign in China, it's Pampers. Apparently, the traditional method of potty training kids around here is to cut a giant hole in the crotch of their pants, and just let them run around and do their business whenever the feeling moves them. The training part comes when parents try to get their kids to go pee on command by whistling in their ear. Clearly, it must be a fairly effective method as most kids I've seen over the age of 3 seem to be well trained, BUT, in the mean time, it means that walking the streets of any Chinese city is an obstacle course of side stepping delightful little puddles of baby pee and feces. China is meant to be traveled wearing closed-toe shoes.
At 5pm this afternoon, I'll be boarding a boat bound for Chongqing. It's going to be a four day journey along the Yangtze River, passing through the Three Gorges....it should be a nice relaxing four days of not much....I hope.
For the most part, I really like kids. I think that Chinese babies are pretty damn cute, but if there's one thing that drives me nuts about babies in China, it's the fact that 95% of them don't wear diapers! If there's one western company that needs a stronger marketing campaign in China, it's Pampers. Apparently, the traditional method of potty training kids around here is to cut a giant hole in the crotch of their pants, and just let them run around and do their business whenever the feeling moves them. The training part comes when parents try to get their kids to go pee on command by whistling in their ear. Clearly, it must be a fairly effective method as most kids I've seen over the age of 3 seem to be well trained, BUT, in the mean time, it means that walking the streets of any Chinese city is an obstacle course of side stepping delightful little puddles of baby pee and feces. China is meant to be traveled wearing closed-toe shoes.
40 Days Since the Beginning, 40 Days to the End
Greetings from Beijing! I have left the clean air and grassy steppe of Mongolia and am now in the thick of the smog of Beijing. I've been hanging around here for the last three days, and I'll be moving on to Yichang (Hubei) on Saturday. The train ride to Yichang is 22 glorious hours, but luckily it's an overnighter, which hopefully means I will be able to sleep through a good chunk of it. I'm planning on catching an upstream boat from Yichang to Chongqing. The boat goes along the mighty Yangtze River, and passes through the Three Gorges. I've passed the half way point of my trip now, and so in just over a month, I'll be flying out of Hong Kong, bound for Toronto, via a four day layover in San Francisco. Between now and then, my plan is to do the Yangtze river thing, make my way through Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Guanxi. I've made the difficult and sad decision to cut Tibet from my schedule....I'm going to have to save it for my next trip over.
I feel like I need to make some closing remarks on Mongolia, seeing as I left it a little short the last time. I've decided that Mongolia has been by far the best travel experience that I've ever had. It is the least developed country I've ever visited, which was fascinating. Four days of horse-trekking around Khovsgol Nuur National Park was probably the coolest thing I've ever done in my life. Like I said before, Mongolians are so incredibly friendly and helpful, and are just a tonne of fun to hang around. I was really quite sad to leave Mongolia, and so I've decided that I'll have to make a return visit within the next few years. I want to go back and see more of it before Macdonald/Starbucks/KFC decide to move in. I'm thinking that next time, I'll definitely have to do a lot more horse-trekking, and perhaps ride a camel and learn how to milk a yak.
I visited Beijing in 2005, and so I've already seen a lot of the major tourist sites; this time around, I'm just hanging out, and trying to do some trip planning for the next five weeks.The one major site that I missed in Beijing last time around was the Great Wall of China. As I've previously mentioned, you're not a hero/man until you've climbed the Great Wall, and so yesterday, I became a superhero/man. It was a 10km hike, and it took 3.5 hours to make it to the finish line. Let me tell you, I was one sweaty beast at the end of the walk. There were actually salt stains on my shirt from the sweat. I also have the world's worst farmer's tan, that has slowly but surely been developing since Mongolia. When I get back to Toronto, you can all feel free to make fun of it. My knees are a little achy today, but other than that, all is well.
I feel like I need to make some closing remarks on Mongolia, seeing as I left it a little short the last time. I've decided that Mongolia has been by far the best travel experience that I've ever had. It is the least developed country I've ever visited, which was fascinating. Four days of horse-trekking around Khovsgol Nuur National Park was probably the coolest thing I've ever done in my life. Like I said before, Mongolians are so incredibly friendly and helpful, and are just a tonne of fun to hang around. I was really quite sad to leave Mongolia, and so I've decided that I'll have to make a return visit within the next few years. I want to go back and see more of it before Macdonald/Starbucks/KFC decide to move in. I'm thinking that next time, I'll definitely have to do a lot more horse-trekking, and perhaps ride a camel and learn how to milk a yak.
I visited Beijing in 2005, and so I've already seen a lot of the major tourist sites; this time around, I'm just hanging out, and trying to do some trip planning for the next five weeks.The one major site that I missed in Beijing last time around was the Great Wall of China. As I've previously mentioned, you're not a hero/man until you've climbed the Great Wall, and so yesterday, I became a superhero/man. It was a 10km hike, and it took 3.5 hours to make it to the finish line. Let me tell you, I was one sweaty beast at the end of the walk. There were actually salt stains on my shirt from the sweat. I also have the world's worst farmer's tan, that has slowly but surely been developing since Mongolia. When I get back to Toronto, you can all feel free to make fun of it. My knees are a little achy today, but other than that, all is well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
