4th May: Arrived and landed at 9:16 on 4th May. Sorted out passport and customs after a small amount of fuss and was met by Dina - my guide while I am in Beijing. Driver is Mr. Qua. Spend rest of the day in or near Raffles Hotel.
Got dropped off at hotel and John from Sydney did an awesomely clever job in checking me in. Slept until 4ish then showered and explored a small part of Beijing.
Saw an alley with street food including live scorpions on sticks (ugh) etc..
Phoned home; (was about 11:00), and left a message. Ate at 'Din Tai Fung'. Pork dumplings green bean sprouts and rice ... Lovely.
Back to hotel and a beer ... Then bed at 8:45 pm with a wake call booked for 7:30.
Impressions of China
• Lots of people/noise.
• Youngsters adored and indulged.
• Noisy but they seem unused to language.
• Rude without thinking.
• Traffic huge & crowded roads.
• Only driver needs a seat-belt or helmet!
• Tight fits & odd manoeuvres.
• Horns are used aplenty.
• Everyone counts on everyone else knowing what he or she are up to!
• They seem to hope or assume everyone else will stop or slow down.
• Tall apartments going up everywhere.
• Change most be a regular feature.
• Cranes & construction everywhere.
• Mobile phones are very common.
• Front facing cameras in cars are ubiquitous.
• Electric Motorbikes/Cyclists and Motor scooters.
• Bicyclists are often without helmets.
• Chinese males sound aggressive.
5th May: Visited the Temple of Heaven.
Admire the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Temple itself where every morning the temple grounds come alive with literally hundreds of locals dancing and practicing various forms of Tai Chi, as well as playing chess or participating in impromptu street opera.
Then we visited Tian An Men Square (large and a bit boring – I found more interest in thinking of Tank Man) and then spent a few hours exploring the magnificent Forbidden City.
Extraordinary to think how highly superstitious the palace high ups were and how controlled the life of the Emperor was.
6th May:
Woke by alarm at 7:00am. Emailed Rory to wrote “Happy Birthday.”
Breakfast then met at 7:50.
Went to The Great Wall today… (drove to it via the bell tower and drum tower ... took over an hour...).
Very impressive. Walked a fair by of it.... some incredibly steep bits (had to wait 3 times for the guide to catch her breathe!).
Walked the south side of Badaling Wall (means crossroads or similar).
I had emailed Fella but when I heard nothing I also sent a text to him.
Then went to the Ming (Emperors) Tombs ...
Got a small set of Chinese clothes for Arlo, for when he is nearer one year old probably ... I hope they make decent pajamas at least!
Walked the Sacred Way.
Then drove to Bird's Nest Stadium and the Water Cube Swimming Pool complex.
The last visit of the day was to a silk factory (saw how silk is made and got leant on a bit…
Bought a scarf for Sophie and a fan for Margaret... (no pressure but they were trying to get me buy lots!). I bought a duvet cover and light weight duvet in the end . for summer - £60 – as the silk duvet cover for was about £200 … see photo … simple brown stripe and got
them shipped home.
7th May:
After an earlyish breakfast I was picked up - luggage and all and taken to Summer Palace for a couple of hours.
The guided trip included a dragon boat voyage across the lake.... Saturday morning meant the site was packed but we were reasonably early... It was very hot though, even wearing the cap I had put on sunscreen and found the shade whenever I could ...
We called at the Government’s Silk Factory where I bought the duvet cover ... which was far more expensive than I had remembered (badly) and told Margaret! I also got a silk summer duvet and had them shipped...
Then we drove to the airport - took twice as long as Dina predicted because of traffic but I had loads of time for flight to Xi’an. Got met by Rita and taken to the Sofitel for the evening.
8th May: After a lateish start ... 08:50… drove 40 mins (east?) to see the museum of the Terracotta Warriors - impressive.
This was all part of Emperor Qin's funeral plans... begun after he unified the kingdoms under him ... I think he was in his twenties then though he ascended to his throne quite young.
He ruled for 37 years. Saw three pits - the first with all 8,000 terracotta warriors although only about 1,000 have been put from pieces back together again. The soldiers on the edge faced outwards...
The rest seemed to face forwards - towards the Emperor's tomb. Then pit three was where the thirty eight guards and the commanders seem to be … (deeper buried too). Pit Two had some half sized chariots and specialists in ... Maybe the first ‘attackers’ plus the archers (captured in a pose of kneeling and standing) ... and the ‘cavalry reserve’?
We looked at some other stuff, including a circular projected movie, that was quite old (the site has been known since it was found in '79. Surviving farmers who found it have a local restaurant and sign copies of story at museum for money! We then went to explore Xi’an’s city walls ... Splendid though they must have been rebuilt a while back they are in such good repair.
If the height and width 600 odd years ago (last time they were rebuilt and had a purpose) they - together with the significant and wide moat - would have been intimidating to say the least. Got back to the hotel about 2pm - guide Rita - offered to do a city walking out with me but I declined wanting a rest in my room.
9th May: Flown to Lhasa. Got picked up and taken to the hotel by 'Pinto' the guide and 'Pembrok' the driver. As I was being taken to the hotel I could notice the altitude in my breathing. The first night I got room service about 8pm and my yak burger was late in coming ... I was just cancelling when it turned up - an hour and a quarter after ordering!
10th May: In the morning - after a breakfast that was disappointing - a shame because the room and the shower were excellent - we went at 09:30 to the Drepung Monastery. Its highly decorated rooms were predominately blue, gold and red decorations...
Statues, paintings and wooden pillars/ceilings... all with the smell of yak butter candles ... not my cup of tea! Lots of steps and many Tibetans worshipping...which seemed to end up leaving money somewhere and/or butting more butter in the candle fonts... It seems there is a Buddha for everything ... you must have to start being indoctrinated at a very young age to understand it all.
I was much more impressed with the view outside. Lots of dogs (mongrels) lying around and a few monks busy doing whatever they do ... some were chanting prayers in some of the rooms we visited.
11th May: Went to the Potala Palace (the Dalai Lama’s winter palace). We needed appointments, so my pick-up was reasonably early as we had an time of 09:40. The palace was interesting and iconic.
The hotel had left me a birthday Cake and some well wished. Then we visited the Jokhang Temple and the bustling market of Barkar; (both of which were not exciting).
12th May: Train to Shigatse – 3 hours and then transferred to the hotel. It was an interesting journey, but hard work what with the security etc. to catch the train. In a sleeper compartment for four and the two Chinese went to bed (and one snored!).
13th May: We set off at 8:40am and got onto the Friendship Highway, which is a long single carriageway for the most part, in really good nick. We seemed to drive for hours, (we probably did); coming off to look around a very holy temple at Salta.
It was just OK, though our driver was very excited about being there. Then back to the Highway and we climbed up two passes - first the Tsula Pass at 4,500 metres then the final one being the Gyatao Pass 5,220 metres.
There were a few people being a nuisance selling things. It was snowing! Albeit lightly. We then descended into the 'one horse' town that is Shergar - into the worst hotel I have ever been in - still could be beaten - there's tomorrow?!
14th May: Set of at 7:30 and got to base camp at about 9:30 - after an extraordinary journey – of switchbacks, high climbs and security checkpoints. Hiked up to visitors base camp - could see climbers just across the way.
Gave a lift from the hotel to a climbing guide! Left after butter tea! (Bit like I imagine our tea would be if we used carnation milk!). Sent Margaret, Dave & Stan (as well as Bob) a photo of Everest.
It is awesome - just there - unmistakable in shape and a perfect morning. After gawping at it for a bit we hiked up to the visitors' base camp - climbers' one was just across the way... about a half-mile or so.
As we had 'done' the Everest base camp we did the Rongbuk Monastery ... It was grotty! The clouds were forming over the high Himalayas including Qomolangma as Everest is called locally. The guide, Pinto, suggested we could stay or go back to last night's hovel (well, I made the last word up - he sarcastically called it 7 stars)....
I thought it better to be 'safe' than sorry so I said that we'd go back.... My logic being Rongbuk looked very grim and the driver has to do a lot less miles on very bendy roads....
The song playing incessantly on car's CD.. Bellendore by Kunga Tenzin. Also Pinto suggested I listen to Potala Sound.com. He reiterated it being a good decision to avoid Rongbuk last night - apparently when the sun goes down it is freezing and windy - & the windows are poorly fitting so not even the guides get much sleep! So his comments and the storm clouds forming over the Everest range as I looked back + driver doing less driving made me feel perhaps it was a good decision!
15th May: From Shigats we drove to Lhasa, & along the way we visited Yamdrok Lake and the Pelkor Chode Monastery.
16th May: Flew on Tuesday to Nepal's Kathmandu. Flight delayed 3 hours – Glad to get to the Dwarika’s hotel. Then had an unplanned tour of Patan. Some parts of the ancient centre of Kathmandu - the city of fine culture. The king's really old palace was here (the later one we passed – but Nepal is a republic now... * has been for some 18 years I think).
Here it is “only” about 36 degrees centigrade and is a confusion of dust, people, horns and traffic including suicidal motorcyclists! The rules here are apparently that drivers have to wear seat belts but no one else!
Motorcyclists have to wear a helmet but their passengers don't! I have seen very young kids in front of their (presumably) parents holding onto the handlebars with no protection in streaming, confused traffic! It is very religious - it puts me off - people living in abject poverty (unemployment is 35% here) yet having these strong religious views (superstitious to me). The city is now 3.5 million and growing higgledy piggery (it was 'only' 1 million or so a few years back). Seems as if there is no central control or very ineffective.
17th May: I had a guided tour of a Buddhist Stupa - the Swayambhunath - and then to Kathmandu's Durbar Square, then flew to Delhi. Last night I had a 'culinary journey' through Nepalese cuisine.....it was too much but interesting ...like an Indian but less spicy - & cheap compared to what the experience could be marketed at home ... about £30.
Then there was heavy rain ...the monsoon isn't here yet but it's coming. I saw some monkeys yesterday from my hotel room and the booklet about the hotel tells you to keep your windows closed when you go out because of these ....they are from a local temple ...the Pashuptinath one nearby this hotel, (which is excellent).
18th May: Yesterday’s hotel (Lalita) was pretty annoying - posh one & snooty but ... check-in took ages - everyone wanting me to sit comfortably while they took care of everything. ... As a result it took half an hour! I had a tardy buffet dinner - late for me - it was about 8 pm.
I took a lift with some other people back to my room and you have to put your room key in and press for your floor. They were going to 21 and 22.... I was going to 12. The first person had wanted 22 the second 21 - theirs worked - mine didn't! I ended up on floor 25 before I could persuade the lift to visit 12!
Back in the room I couldn't get onto the Internet (free for the first hour or you could get a charged version for longer!). I rang to ask why I could do the first bit but I couldn't pick ‘free’ or any of the other options?... The "expert" started to tell me it was because I had not registered - even though that is what I was trying unsuccessfully to do ... I didn't complain ... I just wanted to go to sleep after seeing the BBC news... so I hung up, after thanking him for his help.
I switched off the lights after making sure the air-con was on its lowest setting - 18! The "curtains" let all the city lights in, as well as car lights on the local Expressway! I rang reception wondering what I was missing ... After explaining (I hoped!) they offered to send an electrician to sort out my lights ... I said that it was OK ... No ... That I would try to manage!
Then check-out took ages this morning, (as I was on a B & B rate but didn't want a packed breakfast and I couldn't get anything downstairs until 5:30 so the guide had sorted a complimentary coffee and juice at 5am this morning after a wake up call at 4:30.
At check out this puzzled them! The hotel (like the one in Delhi) I am in now (in Agra) wants to charge for WiFi.... Just seems wrong to me ....dear me. posh hotels and very poor hotels ... spare me... Something in the middle seems best!
19th May: Transferred from the hotel to the railway station and boarded the Bhopal Shatabdi Express (where I had an air conditioned chair car) & went to Agra - departed at 06:00am
- arrived at 08:00am. I was given a half day tour of Agra, the highlight being the Taj Mahal – which really is something .....a beautiful mausoleum and obviously the reason people come to Agra, although though I know why the locals come now and the tourist season finished last month. Gosh, it's hot - though still dry heat thankfully. The place is extraordinary - beautifully elegant yet massive. It was commissioned by Shah Jahan for his favourite (not only?!) wife Mumtaz, who died at 39, after complications following her 14th child birth! She married at 19 (!) and must have spent most of her short time pregnant!
In visiting the Taj, (as we experts call it!), I was "asked" to put covers over my shoes, (a lot of the locals just use a free facility and leave their footwear but still wear these boot covers because the floor is so hot! We shuffle around the inside - where it forbidden to take photos. As I knew some of the minarets (to my surprise 3) are being cleaned and had scaffolding on them. What I didn't know is the three sandstone gates are incredible as are the two buildings at the side ... a mosque and a place guests used to stay.
In front of both is a type of pond - in which - incredibly - monkeys frolic. The swimming Macaques are amazing ... if not somewhat disturbing up close. The whole place was deliberately designed to show symmetry even to the point that the writing up the sides of the door get bigger (width & height) to appear as the same size as the lower script.
Apparently the marble is incredibly hard too; "better" I was told than Italian, Greek or any other marble and does not stain.... The guide showing me around was talking a lot about the skill and workmanship and special glue / marble so I guessed I was going to get a hard sell ... Sure enough we visited a place where this skill and knowledge is past down Father to Son for 400 years or near enough.. I was shown and then sold to .... Very good sales techniques too, the older man who was the salesman, he had too, though I didn't succumb. It was close!
We then visited Agra Fort - only 30% - the rest is still in use by the Indian Army.... This was impressive - built in 1700s and enlarged 300 years ago by the Mughal Emperors. A similar fort known as the Red Fort is in Delhi, and I think, a third in Madras, though this one was the first, in the ancient capital and the biggest. By now it was late afternoon and I went to my hotel room – to try to recover from the heat ...
This evening I go once more to appreciate the Taj Mahal (Crown Palace) in the sunset. I went and impressive it still is ... I suppose it's mood changes depending on the time of day.... I suspect it would look even lovelier under a full moon? I went and was just as impressed though I didn't see a great difference although some parts of the Taj glittered a bit.
I had a buffet dinner and went to bed about 10:30pm ... after finding out the bathroom automatically turns on the lights as you go in....! Oh no!
20th May: In Abu Dhabi awaiting plane to Manchester - nothing to report. Had a shower and waited the Manchester flight.
21st May: Home!
