Welcome!
You have arrived at the archive of emails Eric and Sue Somerville sent to their friends in 1999 as they traveled through Asia. Sue had quit her job, and Eric had taken a leave of absence in order to see the world before they started having kids. Eric had to be back for any Y2K meltdown (which never materialized) so it limited their trip to four months - but it didn't limit the adventures they had!
The emails have been put in "reverse" order of a live blog so you can read through from start to finish -enjoy!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
August 1st, 1999: We have arrived!
Here is the first of (hopefully) many reports from Eric and Sue's 4 month trip through Asia:
I can't believe after all the months of planning that we have finally arrived! Our flight turned out to be unbelieveably smooth - it amazes me how easy it is today to travel halfway around the world (OK, almost half). Eric gave me an A- for my flying - I only dove into his lap on two occasions of turbulence which I think
even scared him. It was nice to see as well that they have finally gotten
individual TV screens in the cheap seats - we got to play Hangman and watch Seinfeld the whole way across the Pacific. And to top it off, we hoth got a full nights sleep (I think Eric snoozed for 10 hours!).
Hong Kong is just beautiful. It is unbelieveably hot and humid (88F - I am
sure that sounds rather cool to those of you in the midwest and east right now), but surprisingly it isn't slowing us down. We spent the first day hooking up with our friend Meg who is here studying Cantonese. What luck on our part that our first days in China are spent with someone who is fluent in both Cantonese and
Mandarin! She helped us get our visas for mainland China (we didn't need one to enter Hong Kong) and a room for only $28 a night.
Now John Doyle, I hope you are sitting - we are staying at the Chungking
Mansion. This place is a 16 story building where the first two floors are shops and resturants, and the rest of the floors are "guesthouses" - groups of rooms that are for rent to people who can't afford the normal Hong Kong prices of $100 or more.
John told me a story before I left about how scary the Chungking Mansion is,
with rats in the stairwells and the elevators that are on the verge of breaking. Well, it turns out our friend Meg is staying there, and she had found a really nice guest house with no cockroaches and cool tile floors to help beat the heat. So despite my
expectation that we would s-l-o-w-l-y work into this "roughing it", we have
dived right in. And truthfully,John, it really isn't that bad...
We took the ferry over to Hong Kong island with Meg and ate lunch at this
great old resturant that looked like it was right out of an old Pink Panther movie. The wait staff was all at least 50 years old, and there were even spitoons on the floor! We only got a table because Meg spoke Cantonese, and gourged ourselves on dim sum.
She then left us, and Eric and I decided to walk up to Victoria Peak (we
thought this would be good practice for our trip in Nepal, where we need to climb 500m a day - the same height as Victoria Peak). So we set off, stomachs full of dim sum and the burning mid-day sun and heat at their peak. Of course we didn't bother to take a map, thinking if we walked "up" we would eventually find the way. We ended up instead on an old set of steps that I think were laid there to monitor the drainage down the hill that dead ended well short of the peak. Truth be told, though, we couldn't have made it much further. We have a lot of practicing to do before we get to Nepal...and we didn't even have backpacks on...
So we can't believe we are finally here. Looks like cyber access shouldn't
be too hard, but we haven't gone to the mainland yet. Time will tell!!
Thanks to everyone for your support and help in getting us out the door!
Kiss Lucy for us!
Sue and Eric
ps - PLEASE don't group respond to our e-mails - as funny as you are, I
don't think everyone wants to hear it!!
I can't believe after all the months of planning that we have finally arrived! Our flight turned out to be unbelieveably smooth - it amazes me how easy it is today to travel halfway around the world (OK, almost half). Eric gave me an A- for my flying - I only dove into his lap on two occasions of turbulence which I think
even scared him. It was nice to see as well that they have finally gotten
individual TV screens in the cheap seats - we got to play Hangman and watch Seinfeld the whole way across the Pacific. And to top it off, we hoth got a full nights sleep (I think Eric snoozed for 10 hours!).
Hong Kong is just beautiful. It is unbelieveably hot and humid (88F - I am
sure that sounds rather cool to those of you in the midwest and east right now), but surprisingly it isn't slowing us down. We spent the first day hooking up with our friend Meg who is here studying Cantonese. What luck on our part that our first days in China are spent with someone who is fluent in both Cantonese and
Mandarin! She helped us get our visas for mainland China (we didn't need one to enter Hong Kong) and a room for only $28 a night.
Now John Doyle, I hope you are sitting - we are staying at the Chungking
Mansion. This place is a 16 story building where the first two floors are shops and resturants, and the rest of the floors are "guesthouses" - groups of rooms that are for rent to people who can't afford the normal Hong Kong prices of $100 or more.
John told me a story before I left about how scary the Chungking Mansion is,
with rats in the stairwells and the elevators that are on the verge of breaking. Well, it turns out our friend Meg is staying there, and she had found a really nice guest house with no cockroaches and cool tile floors to help beat the heat. So despite my
expectation that we would s-l-o-w-l-y work into this "roughing it", we have
dived right in. And truthfully,John, it really isn't that bad...
We took the ferry over to Hong Kong island with Meg and ate lunch at this
great old resturant that looked like it was right out of an old Pink Panther movie. The wait staff was all at least 50 years old, and there were even spitoons on the floor! We only got a table because Meg spoke Cantonese, and gourged ourselves on dim sum.
She then left us, and Eric and I decided to walk up to Victoria Peak (we
thought this would be good practice for our trip in Nepal, where we need to climb 500m a day - the same height as Victoria Peak). So we set off, stomachs full of dim sum and the burning mid-day sun and heat at their peak. Of course we didn't bother to take a map, thinking if we walked "up" we would eventually find the way. We ended up instead on an old set of steps that I think were laid there to monitor the drainage down the hill that dead ended well short of the peak. Truth be told, though, we couldn't have made it much further. We have a lot of practicing to do before we get to Nepal...and we didn't even have backpacks on...
So we can't believe we are finally here. Looks like cyber access shouldn't
be too hard, but we haven't gone to the mainland yet. Time will tell!!
Thanks to everyone for your support and help in getting us out the door!
Kiss Lucy for us!
Sue and Eric
ps - PLEASE don't group respond to our e-mails - as funny as you are, I
don't think everyone wants to hear it!!
August 4th, 1999: We made it to the mainland!
Eric and I made it out of Hong Kong having done no shopping - is that
possible? We made an excursion to Lantau Island, the location of the new
airport. What is amazing is that only a few thousand people live on the
island (despite being only 30 minutes by boat from Hong Kong), so it is
mostly wild country and beautiful beaches. We visited a huge bronze Buddha
that sits at the top of one of the hills there, and then 12 km on the Lantau
trail until we got to the beach. We were so hot, and water never looked so
good. Unfortuantely the South China Sea didn't feel much cooler than the
air, but was still a welcome alternative to hiking.
This may seem backwards, but I was happy to see that even eating out with
Meg, our fluent friend, we sometimes got ignored or forgotten. We even saw
it happen to Chinese people. When this happens on the mainland, I can be
comforted that it isn't just our inability to speak the language or the
color of our skin.
Speaking of the mainland, we are here! On Monday we took the ferry out of
Hong Kong to Wuzhou, a nine hour ride thorugh the Pearl river delta. We
were greeted upon arrival by "Cherry", an English speaking native who wanted
to help us get to her hotel. Of course our hackles were immediately raised
- especially after we said we didn't know if we were going to stay the night
and she asked' "Well are there any more white people on the boat?"
No there were no more white people - there had only been another couple from
Poland who had already caught a taxi to the bus station. We decided to
walk, and Cherry walked with us. She turned out to be quite helpful -
walking us to get bus tickets, and when we decided to take the overnight
bus, she still helped us get to a resturaunt and helped us order food.
Let me step back for a second. As we walked with Cherry, it was an amazing
sight - rickshaws, people carrying baskets on sticks on their shoulders. We
were the only white people we could see (probably the only white people in
town besides the Polish couple, wherever they were). People were staring at
us - and when we walked by taxis and street vendors they would shout and
smile. If it hadn't been for Cherry, we wouldn't have found a resturaunt
because the place she took us was just a room with tables - but as we came
close they opened up the glass door and yelled and smiled.
Eric tipped her Y10 for her help (about $1.50) and she continued to help us
by telling us how much the cab should cost, and wrote down the words for
telling the cab driver we wanted to go to the bus station. So while we were
enjoying our meal, Eric and I were speculating on the fact that all these
people must just see us as walking dollar signs (or actually walking Renmibi
signs), as Cherry told us that she makes the equivalent of $150 a month for
her job at the hotel. She had been so nice, though - were we being ripped
off? Was the resturaunt going to end up costing a fortune? The meal turned
out to cost the equivalent of $6 for two liters of beer, three main dishes,
and three bowls of rice. If were ripped off, it was fine by us.
We took the overnight bus to Yangshuo, about a 8 hour ride. The bus was set
up with bunks instead of seats, quite comfortable with bamboo mats. We were
lucky that the bus wasn't too crowded - Eric and I each got a bunk designed
for two people to ourselves (which for Eric was pretty crucial, considering
he was well over a foot longer than the bunk). Eric thought he was going to
die because the bus didn't pull over for so long - we had heard a story from
a guy in Berkeley who had traveled on a bus in China where the driver
wouldn't pull over, and everyone started peeing on the bus - yuck! We were
fortunate - the bus did pull over, and everyone went rushing out with a
collective sigh. OF course, I picked a bad time to become pee-shy, though,
and had to suffer for another 2 hours until the driver pulled over again.
Yangshuo is quite touristy, but still amazing. The area is full of little
hills that rise up out of nowhere - we definitely are in Asia now. The heat
is oppressive, so we spent a lot of today in our room with the air
conditioner on. Tomorrow we will take a tour of the countryside with Lee
(she promises to take us away from all the bus fumes). We will see...
We have had some trouble with the e-mail - if we are sending to you twice,
or if you don't want to get our stories, let us know.
ni hao,
Sue and Eric
possible? We made an excursion to Lantau Island, the location of the new
airport. What is amazing is that only a few thousand people live on the
island (despite being only 30 minutes by boat from Hong Kong), so it is
mostly wild country and beautiful beaches. We visited a huge bronze Buddha
that sits at the top of one of the hills there, and then 12 km on the Lantau
trail until we got to the beach. We were so hot, and water never looked so
good. Unfortuantely the South China Sea didn't feel much cooler than the
air, but was still a welcome alternative to hiking.
This may seem backwards, but I was happy to see that even eating out with
Meg, our fluent friend, we sometimes got ignored or forgotten. We even saw
it happen to Chinese people. When this happens on the mainland, I can be
comforted that it isn't just our inability to speak the language or the
color of our skin.
Speaking of the mainland, we are here! On Monday we took the ferry out of
Hong Kong to Wuzhou, a nine hour ride thorugh the Pearl river delta. We
were greeted upon arrival by "Cherry", an English speaking native who wanted
to help us get to her hotel. Of course our hackles were immediately raised
- especially after we said we didn't know if we were going to stay the night
and she asked' "Well are there any more white people on the boat?"
No there were no more white people - there had only been another couple from
Poland who had already caught a taxi to the bus station. We decided to
walk, and Cherry walked with us. She turned out to be quite helpful -
walking us to get bus tickets, and when we decided to take the overnight
bus, she still helped us get to a resturaunt and helped us order food.
Let me step back for a second. As we walked with Cherry, it was an amazing
sight - rickshaws, people carrying baskets on sticks on their shoulders. We
were the only white people we could see (probably the only white people in
town besides the Polish couple, wherever they were). People were staring at
us - and when we walked by taxis and street vendors they would shout and
smile. If it hadn't been for Cherry, we wouldn't have found a resturaunt
because the place she took us was just a room with tables - but as we came
close they opened up the glass door and yelled and smiled.
Eric tipped her Y10 for her help (about $1.50) and she continued to help us
by telling us how much the cab should cost, and wrote down the words for
telling the cab driver we wanted to go to the bus station. So while we were
enjoying our meal, Eric and I were speculating on the fact that all these
people must just see us as walking dollar signs (or actually walking Renmibi
signs), as Cherry told us that she makes the equivalent of $150 a month for
her job at the hotel. She had been so nice, though - were we being ripped
off? Was the resturaunt going to end up costing a fortune? The meal turned
out to cost the equivalent of $6 for two liters of beer, three main dishes,
and three bowls of rice. If were ripped off, it was fine by us.
We took the overnight bus to Yangshuo, about a 8 hour ride. The bus was set
up with bunks instead of seats, quite comfortable with bamboo mats. We were
lucky that the bus wasn't too crowded - Eric and I each got a bunk designed
for two people to ourselves (which for Eric was pretty crucial, considering
he was well over a foot longer than the bunk). Eric thought he was going to
die because the bus didn't pull over for so long - we had heard a story from
a guy in Berkeley who had traveled on a bus in China where the driver
wouldn't pull over, and everyone started peeing on the bus - yuck! We were
fortunate - the bus did pull over, and everyone went rushing out with a
collective sigh. OF course, I picked a bad time to become pee-shy, though,
and had to suffer for another 2 hours until the driver pulled over again.
Yangshuo is quite touristy, but still amazing. The area is full of little
hills that rise up out of nowhere - we definitely are in Asia now. The heat
is oppressive, so we spent a lot of today in our room with the air
conditioner on. Tomorrow we will take a tour of the countryside with Lee
(she promises to take us away from all the bus fumes). We will see...
We have had some trouble with the e-mail - if we are sending to you twice,
or if you don't want to get our stories, let us know.
ni hao,
Sue and Eric
August 6th, 1999: Hot China Nights
Wow - so much has happened in just 4 days - and this will probably be our
last chance to e-mail for a while, so let's see if I can capture at least a
little bit of what is going on:
Yangshuo is a fishing village where all the tour boats from Guilin end (big
thing to do on packaged tours). Then all the tourists pile into buses and
head back to Guilin. The reason they come in the first place is to see all
the hills - there are thousands of them, all about twice as tall as they are
wide. What is funny,though, is that all the hills are around Yangshuo, with
only a few around Guilin. Why the people don't stay in Yangshuo is beyond
me.
So we have been here in Yangshuo for 4 days, and leave tomorrow. The place
is as western as China can be - it actually has the feel of standard
European backpacker's stop: lots of cheap cafes that play Eric Clapton and
The Eagles, cheap hotels and youth hostels, and lots of information on how
to get around China.
A lot of you have asked how we are sending e-mail - well, there must be at
least 10 different places that have computers set up for Internet access -
about $2.00 for a half hour, or you can come during "happy hour" when it is
half off.
However, I think this access stops here for a while. Everyone we have met
has said that Yangshuo is not really like China, so we will see. It has
been the perfect transition, though, for us scare-dy cat white Americans to
mainland China.
So on the first day we just bummed around and got the lay of the land - lots
of souveiner shops, an open market, and lots of shops that are located in
what we would have thought was the garage. It all looks rough - like there
had been a war here, or something. There is lots of ruble lying around (I
don't know from where) and everything seems like it is rusting or cracking
or under construction. The heat doesn't help - it just makes all the fumes
from the two-stroke engines hang low and choke you. But it grows on you
after a while...
So it doesn't take long to be assaulted by all the "guides" who want to take
you on a tour, either by bike, or in their motorized rickshaw. We were
skeptical, but decided it was worth the $6 a piece for a day's worth of
entertainment.
So the next day we headed out with Li, our guide. She spoke reasonable
English, so communication was easy. We rented bikes for $0.60 each (for the
whole day) and headed out. She promised that she would take us away from
the bus fumes, and she did. We headed out on dirt roads, through the
country side. We watched men with water buffalo till their rice patties,
and people planting rice. Li explained to us that there are two rice crops
a year, and they had just harvested the first, and were planting the second.
So we proceeded a bit further, taking in the unbelieveable landscape, until
a young man offered Eric to come down and help plant rice. So what does
Eric do? He whips off his hiking boots and socks, and before I know it he
is knee deep in mud learning how to plant rice! (Turns out you hold the rice
seedling like a pen, and stick it 2 inches into the mud at about 6 inch
intervals.) I got some great pictures - who would have thought!
We continued on through the countryside - even got to take boat ride across
the river with our bicyles - complete with an old man in the corner
de-feathering a chicken.
Which brings me to the animals. I must say that this has been the most
difficult thing for me here - seeing the live animals in the market being
treated, like, well, animals. On our first night here we inadvertently saw
a chicken be slaughtered; we often see ducks being carried around by their
feet in large bunches (and for some reason, they don't seem to mind). It is
enough to drive anyone to be a vegetarian.
The worst is the dogs. We asked Li if the dogs that we see are all for
food, or if some are for pets. She looked quite bland when she replied,
"No, they are all for food". Make sure to keep Lucy inside for a few days,
please...
So back to Li: after the tour of the country, we did tour of some
underground caves (a personal injury lawyer would have had a heyday), and
then proceeded to Li's house for lunch. She cooked us 4 unbelievable dishes
(fresh water bamboo shoots are in season - yum!) and we sat around on midget
stools and made pigs of ourselves. Afterward we hiked up Moon Hill - one of
the little hills with a big round hole in the middle. Unbelievably hot (we
had an entourage of little girls walking up with us hawking water - we ended
up buying plenty), but an unbelievable 360 degree view from the top. I hope
the pictures do it justice...
The next few days we have spent renting bicycles and riding around. OF
course, Eric doesn't fit on any of the bicycles here, so he has to work
twice as hard (but is happy because he is getting twice the exercise - Nepal
is only 3 weeks away!). We took the bikes today on a river cruise (a
houseboat, really), where they dropped us off 25 km upstream and we biked
back. Again, more rice patties and water buffalo - I think we have two
whole rolls of pitures - boy, we can't wait to bore you with our slide show!
There is so much else, it is too hard to remember. Eric wants me to mention
that it isn't too Western (and I remind Eric that we can get burritos or
even smoked salmon in the resturaunts!). He is right - it is very different
here - I think we are adapting, though.
Sue and Eric
last chance to e-mail for a while, so let's see if I can capture at least a
little bit of what is going on:
Yangshuo is a fishing village where all the tour boats from Guilin end (big
thing to do on packaged tours). Then all the tourists pile into buses and
head back to Guilin. The reason they come in the first place is to see all
the hills - there are thousands of them, all about twice as tall as they are
wide. What is funny,though, is that all the hills are around Yangshuo, with
only a few around Guilin. Why the people don't stay in Yangshuo is beyond
me.
So we have been here in Yangshuo for 4 days, and leave tomorrow. The place
is as western as China can be - it actually has the feel of standard
European backpacker's stop: lots of cheap cafes that play Eric Clapton and
The Eagles, cheap hotels and youth hostels, and lots of information on how
to get around China.
A lot of you have asked how we are sending e-mail - well, there must be at
least 10 different places that have computers set up for Internet access -
about $2.00 for a half hour, or you can come during "happy hour" when it is
half off.
However, I think this access stops here for a while. Everyone we have met
has said that Yangshuo is not really like China, so we will see. It has
been the perfect transition, though, for us scare-dy cat white Americans to
mainland China.
So on the first day we just bummed around and got the lay of the land - lots
of souveiner shops, an open market, and lots of shops that are located in
what we would have thought was the garage. It all looks rough - like there
had been a war here, or something. There is lots of ruble lying around (I
don't know from where) and everything seems like it is rusting or cracking
or under construction. The heat doesn't help - it just makes all the fumes
from the two-stroke engines hang low and choke you. But it grows on you
after a while...
So it doesn't take long to be assaulted by all the "guides" who want to take
you on a tour, either by bike, or in their motorized rickshaw. We were
skeptical, but decided it was worth the $6 a piece for a day's worth of
entertainment.
So the next day we headed out with Li, our guide. She spoke reasonable
English, so communication was easy. We rented bikes for $0.60 each (for the
whole day) and headed out. She promised that she would take us away from
the bus fumes, and she did. We headed out on dirt roads, through the
country side. We watched men with water buffalo till their rice patties,
and people planting rice. Li explained to us that there are two rice crops
a year, and they had just harvested the first, and were planting the second.
So we proceeded a bit further, taking in the unbelieveable landscape, until
a young man offered Eric to come down and help plant rice. So what does
Eric do? He whips off his hiking boots and socks, and before I know it he
is knee deep in mud learning how to plant rice! (Turns out you hold the rice
seedling like a pen, and stick it 2 inches into the mud at about 6 inch
intervals.) I got some great pictures - who would have thought!
We continued on through the countryside - even got to take boat ride across
the river with our bicyles - complete with an old man in the corner
de-feathering a chicken.
Which brings me to the animals. I must say that this has been the most
difficult thing for me here - seeing the live animals in the market being
treated, like, well, animals. On our first night here we inadvertently saw
a chicken be slaughtered; we often see ducks being carried around by their
feet in large bunches (and for some reason, they don't seem to mind). It is
enough to drive anyone to be a vegetarian.
The worst is the dogs. We asked Li if the dogs that we see are all for
food, or if some are for pets. She looked quite bland when she replied,
"No, they are all for food". Make sure to keep Lucy inside for a few days,
please...
So back to Li: after the tour of the country, we did tour of some
underground caves (a personal injury lawyer would have had a heyday), and
then proceeded to Li's house for lunch. She cooked us 4 unbelievable dishes
(fresh water bamboo shoots are in season - yum!) and we sat around on midget
stools and made pigs of ourselves. Afterward we hiked up Moon Hill - one of
the little hills with a big round hole in the middle. Unbelievably hot (we
had an entourage of little girls walking up with us hawking water - we ended
up buying plenty), but an unbelievable 360 degree view from the top. I hope
the pictures do it justice...
The next few days we have spent renting bicycles and riding around. OF
course, Eric doesn't fit on any of the bicycles here, so he has to work
twice as hard (but is happy because he is getting twice the exercise - Nepal
is only 3 weeks away!). We took the bikes today on a river cruise (a
houseboat, really), where they dropped us off 25 km upstream and we biked
back. Again, more rice patties and water buffalo - I think we have two
whole rolls of pitures - boy, we can't wait to bore you with our slide show!
There is so much else, it is too hard to remember. Eric wants me to mention
that it isn't too Western (and I remind Eric that we can get burritos or
even smoked salmon in the resturaunts!). He is right - it is very different
here - I think we are adapting, though.
Sue and Eric
August 14th, 1999: The party is over, but a new one has begun!
First, I want to thank everyone for their notes of encouragement -
unfortunately the access here is too slow for us to respond to everyone.
Keep in mind that we smile at your notes, and are thinking of you.
Speaking of access, we are in Xian now, and have found the best access yet.
It goes a hair faster than a snail, and hasn't been locking up as much as
the other places. As well, it is only $2.50 for an hour, so it is more just
our impatience that keeps us from sitting here longer.
So how did we get to Xian? Good story...
We left you off in Yangshuo, land of idyllic hills and friendly people.
Well from there we took a plane (yes, I got on a Chinese airplane!) and flew
from Guilin to Chongqing, about a one hour flight. As we had heard from
other tourists, all the old Russian planes are gone, replaced with Boeings
and Airbuses - we were on a 737. The service was great - they handed us an
English newspaper, as well as yummy tea and a fish jerky snack. The flight
was absolutely dreamy - not a bit of turbulence, and a very smooth landing.
It almost felt safer than flying in the US!
But here is where the story gets interesting. We take the shuttle from the
airport into town, with our intention to get a booking on a Yangzhee river
cruise. Well, low and behold, there are taxi drivers waiting where the bus
drops us off to take us to the booking office. So off we go, and are
dropped off in front of a lone office, despite the tour book describing many
independent offices around.
The guy tells us the price is 1368 Yuan (about $160) for a three day cruise
- our book tells us it shouldn't cost more than 800 Yuan. They kept
insisting they were the only office - things were looking a bit fishy. We
finally said we had no cash - no problem, they said - they would get us a
taxi to the Bank of China.
So off we go to the bank, with one of the boat salespeople in the car with
us. We arrive at the bank, only to find a pile of rubble where the lobby
used to be - no problem, they motion to us - so we walk around the rubble
pile to the waiting teller.
So we are still suspicious of these boat people, so while Eric is changing
the money, I strike up a conversation with a friendly Chinese man who
happens to teach English. He asks me if I know the boatman, and I say no -
he talks to the boat man, and nothing is really resolved. So we get back in
the taxi, and go back to the sales office.
By this time, Eric has found new energy. We decide we aren't going to deal
with these people, leave our luggage at the left luggage office there, and
strike out on our own. Low and behold, one kilometer down the street are
the independent salespeople the book had described, and within a 1/2 hour,
Eric and I booked the same boat ride for only 680 yuan each - even less than
the tour book said it would cost!
So the guy we buy the ticket from says that he will only take a deposit, and
if we like the boat then he will collect the rest of the money then. Wow,
customer service! So we go back and get our bags, and by the time we walk
back (in searing heat - at least 35C) it is time to walk down to the boat.
Now we knew we weren't getting on a luxury American tour boat - we knew we
would be on a boat with only Chinese people. But the pictures in the
brochure looked like it was pretty reasonable. Well...
Well the boat looked like the rest of China - a little bit run down, a
little bit rusted. He showed us to our room - two beds with private bath:
the top of the line - and it seems fine until we see a cockroach scurry
across the wall, with the guy standing right there. Eric starts to freak a
little - I am too hot and tired to go anywhere else. So we ask for a
different room (knowing full well they are everywhere, but at least we start
with one less) and pay the guy. He left, very quickly.
So Eric leaves the boat for a while (we have an hour or so before we leave)
and I am in the room getting us comfortable. So then as Eric sits in the
distance above the boats at dock, he sees what appears to be a freighter
which dwarfs our boat heading right for it. I look out my window and see it,
too. Eric now wonders if the boat as well as me are going to be lost! The
frieghter does hit the boat, but it appears that the boat was untied just in
time from the dock to let it take the brunt of the impact. Next the boat is
carried downstream for maybe 200 meters. Eric now wonders if he is being
left behind in the middle of China. Alas, the boat made its way back to the
dock, without me having known that we even went anywhere (though I
definitely felt the impact!).
So we would have been the only white people on the boat if it weren't for
two guys from Texas who made it on just before the boat left. They had been
travelling for 80 days already - started out in Europe and made their way
all across Russia - and had just gotten off a 60 hour train ride from
Mongolia. That made Eric and I feel like babies about the cockroach, so we
decided to toughen up a bit.
The cruise, was, well, OK. We felt hot and sticky the whole way (pretty
sure the shower water came right from the river which was all brown), and
the air conditioning seemed to work when the captian saw fit. As well, our
toilet didn't really flush, and the shower drain (actually you just shower
in the bathroom over the toilet, so a better description would be the
bathroom drain) would back up periodically. Oh, and I forgot about hearing
the click-click-click of rats feet scurrying through the space above our
ceiling...
But that aside, the Three Gorges were pretty neat - though I must say we get
spoiled living in California. A description is hard: it kind of felt like
we were going down a river in Colorado, with huge mountains on either side.
We were trying to decide how big the mountains are - our tour book didn't
say - the guys from Texas said they weren't much higher than 3000 ft above
the river - I think they were higher. We have some pictures through the
perpetual China haze, so you can decide.
But to get to the Gorges we had to bear a day before and a day after of
tedious travel down the river with nothing to do but some small stops at
cheesy tourists sites that were built simply because of all the tour boats
going by. I am sure the Luxury boats give you more to do than laundry and
reading - as well, with all the haze, I think the sights would be more
spectacular in the fall.
But wait - the story gets better. So the guys from Texas get off in Yichang
- we stay an extra day to get to Wuhan where there are more transportation
options. On the last day, Eric befriends a guy who speaks some Chinese. He
arranges for us to stay on the boat the night we arrive in Wuhan (because it
will be late, and it is cheap) and then will help us the next day to get to
the train station. This all seems fine, because despite the cockroach the
first day, we have only been finding about roach a day, so it seems like we
can deal with one more night. We are tough, no?
Big mistake.
It turns out they started to clean all the rooms of the people who got off
in Yichang, as well as the people who were getting off in Wuhan. So as we
settle into bed, we start seeing tons of cockroaches, apparently fleeing the
other rooms. As well, they have decided to turn off the air conditioning,
and with no breeze the room is sweltering. And then there is the fumes from
all the incoming boats as well as all their honking all night. We decide to
open the windows and set up our mosquito netting (which will also keep the
cockroaches at least at a distance), and try and get some sleep.
At around midnight, Eric turns on the light and sees four or so cockroaches
scurry away. He (so does Sue per Eric) starts freaking out - but the idea
of going out into the dark strange city is no less daunting. It took us
about a half an hour to realize that we are not going to get any sleep in
the room, so we quickly pack and get off the miserable boat.
And then miracles started to happen.
This guys shows up out of nowhere and asks if we need a cab. Suspicious, as
usual, we decide it can't be worse than what we are going through, and even
if he charges us $5 (which would be an outrageous sum) we would still be
better off. So we show him the hotel we considered walking to, and he
shakes his head to indicate it is no good. A bit baffled, we then point to
the hotel that had sounded interesting - a refurbished french colonial
building that had been built at the beginning of this century - and he
quickly nods his head with approval.
So off we go in the cab, after agreeing to a 10 yuan fare ($1.25) and when
we arrive they wait to make sure we get a room. I couldn't believe my eyes:
a plush waiting room, bellboys in traditional uniforms (complete with pill
box hat), unbelievably friendly staff who all seem to speak English, and
they had a summer special so that the room was only $45 a night, rather than
the usual $90 - and that included breakfast and a free 45 minute massage!
So we go up to the room to find a young woman laying out our slippers, a
fruit plate, and best of all, CNN! We died laughing at the difference
between the room and the boat - and thought how we would have kicked
ourselves if we found this hotel the next night!
So Wuhan, it turns out, is full of friendly people. We spent two days
seeing the sights (amazing bells excavated from a tomb - got the CD) waiting
for our train to Xian. The second night in the hotel was as good as the
first. Had Peking duck that puts most resturaunts in San Francisco to
shame, and then walked out to the lobby to enjoy a string quartet - it was
like we were in some old Agatha Christie movie, with all the rich foreigners
in an expensive hotel in a strange country. Amazing!
Well, we made it to Xian - saw the Terracotta Warriors today (gives us new
hope to excavate our own furry warrior, Walter, buried in our back yard),
and plan to see the museums tomorrow. This city seems very modern and clean
- a bit of a departure from what we have seen until now. From here we are
off to Beijing, and then down the coast as far as we can go until we have to
fly back to Hong Kong to catch our flight to Nepal. Traveling is definitely
hard work - four months now seems like a long time. But we are amazed at
what we have seen so far, and the impressions we now have of a country we
knew next to nothing about just a few months ago.
And a quick note for my Mandarin teacher, Wang Laoshi. My Mandarin isn't
very good - but all the locals are impressed by my ability to pronounce
things. I am trying hard to make myself talk, but then all I get back is a
flurry of Mandarin, of which I understand very little. However, I think my
ability to ask if they speak English (hui bu hui jiang Ingwen?) makes them
smile and know I am at least trying.
Truth be told, Eric is better at communicating than I am - the 6 month
Pantomine class he took seems to be paying off. His ability to describe
"wake-up call at 8 am" and "I am not paying for this dish because it had a
foot long hair in it" just has to be seen to be believed.
Hope all is well at home. Eric and I are willing to take bribes from people
at both Genentech and Chiron to keep us away - it appears our abscence has
driven up the stock price in both cases...
take care,
Sue and Eric
unfortunately the access here is too slow for us to respond to everyone.
Keep in mind that we smile at your notes, and are thinking of you.
Speaking of access, we are in Xian now, and have found the best access yet.
It goes a hair faster than a snail, and hasn't been locking up as much as
the other places. As well, it is only $2.50 for an hour, so it is more just
our impatience that keeps us from sitting here longer.
So how did we get to Xian? Good story...
We left you off in Yangshuo, land of idyllic hills and friendly people.
Well from there we took a plane (yes, I got on a Chinese airplane!) and flew
from Guilin to Chongqing, about a one hour flight. As we had heard from
other tourists, all the old Russian planes are gone, replaced with Boeings
and Airbuses - we were on a 737. The service was great - they handed us an
English newspaper, as well as yummy tea and a fish jerky snack. The flight
was absolutely dreamy - not a bit of turbulence, and a very smooth landing.
It almost felt safer than flying in the US!
But here is where the story gets interesting. We take the shuttle from the
airport into town, with our intention to get a booking on a Yangzhee river
cruise. Well, low and behold, there are taxi drivers waiting where the bus
drops us off to take us to the booking office. So off we go, and are
dropped off in front of a lone office, despite the tour book describing many
independent offices around.
The guy tells us the price is 1368 Yuan (about $160) for a three day cruise
- our book tells us it shouldn't cost more than 800 Yuan. They kept
insisting they were the only office - things were looking a bit fishy. We
finally said we had no cash - no problem, they said - they would get us a
taxi to the Bank of China.
So off we go to the bank, with one of the boat salespeople in the car with
us. We arrive at the bank, only to find a pile of rubble where the lobby
used to be - no problem, they motion to us - so we walk around the rubble
pile to the waiting teller.
So we are still suspicious of these boat people, so while Eric is changing
the money, I strike up a conversation with a friendly Chinese man who
happens to teach English. He asks me if I know the boatman, and I say no -
he talks to the boat man, and nothing is really resolved. So we get back in
the taxi, and go back to the sales office.
By this time, Eric has found new energy. We decide we aren't going to deal
with these people, leave our luggage at the left luggage office there, and
strike out on our own. Low and behold, one kilometer down the street are
the independent salespeople the book had described, and within a 1/2 hour,
Eric and I booked the same boat ride for only 680 yuan each - even less than
the tour book said it would cost!
So the guy we buy the ticket from says that he will only take a deposit, and
if we like the boat then he will collect the rest of the money then. Wow,
customer service! So we go back and get our bags, and by the time we walk
back (in searing heat - at least 35C) it is time to walk down to the boat.
Now we knew we weren't getting on a luxury American tour boat - we knew we
would be on a boat with only Chinese people. But the pictures in the
brochure looked like it was pretty reasonable. Well...
Well the boat looked like the rest of China - a little bit run down, a
little bit rusted. He showed us to our room - two beds with private bath:
the top of the line - and it seems fine until we see a cockroach scurry
across the wall, with the guy standing right there. Eric starts to freak a
little - I am too hot and tired to go anywhere else. So we ask for a
different room (knowing full well they are everywhere, but at least we start
with one less) and pay the guy. He left, very quickly.
So Eric leaves the boat for a while (we have an hour or so before we leave)
and I am in the room getting us comfortable. So then as Eric sits in the
distance above the boats at dock, he sees what appears to be a freighter
which dwarfs our boat heading right for it. I look out my window and see it,
too. Eric now wonders if the boat as well as me are going to be lost! The
frieghter does hit the boat, but it appears that the boat was untied just in
time from the dock to let it take the brunt of the impact. Next the boat is
carried downstream for maybe 200 meters. Eric now wonders if he is being
left behind in the middle of China. Alas, the boat made its way back to the
dock, without me having known that we even went anywhere (though I
definitely felt the impact!).
So we would have been the only white people on the boat if it weren't for
two guys from Texas who made it on just before the boat left. They had been
travelling for 80 days already - started out in Europe and made their way
all across Russia - and had just gotten off a 60 hour train ride from
Mongolia. That made Eric and I feel like babies about the cockroach, so we
decided to toughen up a bit.
The cruise, was, well, OK. We felt hot and sticky the whole way (pretty
sure the shower water came right from the river which was all brown), and
the air conditioning seemed to work when the captian saw fit. As well, our
toilet didn't really flush, and the shower drain (actually you just shower
in the bathroom over the toilet, so a better description would be the
bathroom drain) would back up periodically. Oh, and I forgot about hearing
the click-click-click of rats feet scurrying through the space above our
ceiling...
But that aside, the Three Gorges were pretty neat - though I must say we get
spoiled living in California. A description is hard: it kind of felt like
we were going down a river in Colorado, with huge mountains on either side.
We were trying to decide how big the mountains are - our tour book didn't
say - the guys from Texas said they weren't much higher than 3000 ft above
the river - I think they were higher. We have some pictures through the
perpetual China haze, so you can decide.
But to get to the Gorges we had to bear a day before and a day after of
tedious travel down the river with nothing to do but some small stops at
cheesy tourists sites that were built simply because of all the tour boats
going by. I am sure the Luxury boats give you more to do than laundry and
reading - as well, with all the haze, I think the sights would be more
spectacular in the fall.
But wait - the story gets better. So the guys from Texas get off in Yichang
- we stay an extra day to get to Wuhan where there are more transportation
options. On the last day, Eric befriends a guy who speaks some Chinese. He
arranges for us to stay on the boat the night we arrive in Wuhan (because it
will be late, and it is cheap) and then will help us the next day to get to
the train station. This all seems fine, because despite the cockroach the
first day, we have only been finding about roach a day, so it seems like we
can deal with one more night. We are tough, no?
Big mistake.
It turns out they started to clean all the rooms of the people who got off
in Yichang, as well as the people who were getting off in Wuhan. So as we
settle into bed, we start seeing tons of cockroaches, apparently fleeing the
other rooms. As well, they have decided to turn off the air conditioning,
and with no breeze the room is sweltering. And then there is the fumes from
all the incoming boats as well as all their honking all night. We decide to
open the windows and set up our mosquito netting (which will also keep the
cockroaches at least at a distance), and try and get some sleep.
At around midnight, Eric turns on the light and sees four or so cockroaches
scurry away. He (so does Sue per Eric) starts freaking out - but the idea
of going out into the dark strange city is no less daunting. It took us
about a half an hour to realize that we are not going to get any sleep in
the room, so we quickly pack and get off the miserable boat.
And then miracles started to happen.
This guys shows up out of nowhere and asks if we need a cab. Suspicious, as
usual, we decide it can't be worse than what we are going through, and even
if he charges us $5 (which would be an outrageous sum) we would still be
better off. So we show him the hotel we considered walking to, and he
shakes his head to indicate it is no good. A bit baffled, we then point to
the hotel that had sounded interesting - a refurbished french colonial
building that had been built at the beginning of this century - and he
quickly nods his head with approval.
So off we go in the cab, after agreeing to a 10 yuan fare ($1.25) and when
we arrive they wait to make sure we get a room. I couldn't believe my eyes:
a plush waiting room, bellboys in traditional uniforms (complete with pill
box hat), unbelievably friendly staff who all seem to speak English, and
they had a summer special so that the room was only $45 a night, rather than
the usual $90 - and that included breakfast and a free 45 minute massage!
So we go up to the room to find a young woman laying out our slippers, a
fruit plate, and best of all, CNN! We died laughing at the difference
between the room and the boat - and thought how we would have kicked
ourselves if we found this hotel the next night!
So Wuhan, it turns out, is full of friendly people. We spent two days
seeing the sights (amazing bells excavated from a tomb - got the CD) waiting
for our train to Xian. The second night in the hotel was as good as the
first. Had Peking duck that puts most resturaunts in San Francisco to
shame, and then walked out to the lobby to enjoy a string quartet - it was
like we were in some old Agatha Christie movie, with all the rich foreigners
in an expensive hotel in a strange country. Amazing!
Well, we made it to Xian - saw the Terracotta Warriors today (gives us new
hope to excavate our own furry warrior, Walter, buried in our back yard),
and plan to see the museums tomorrow. This city seems very modern and clean
- a bit of a departure from what we have seen until now. From here we are
off to Beijing, and then down the coast as far as we can go until we have to
fly back to Hong Kong to catch our flight to Nepal. Traveling is definitely
hard work - four months now seems like a long time. But we are amazed at
what we have seen so far, and the impressions we now have of a country we
knew next to nothing about just a few months ago.
And a quick note for my Mandarin teacher, Wang Laoshi. My Mandarin isn't
very good - but all the locals are impressed by my ability to pronounce
things. I am trying hard to make myself talk, but then all I get back is a
flurry of Mandarin, of which I understand very little. However, I think my
ability to ask if they speak English (hui bu hui jiang Ingwen?) makes them
smile and know I am at least trying.
Truth be told, Eric is better at communicating than I am - the 6 month
Pantomine class he took seems to be paying off. His ability to describe
"wake-up call at 8 am" and "I am not paying for this dish because it had a
foot long hair in it" just has to be seen to be believed.
Hope all is well at home. Eric and I are willing to take bribes from people
at both Genentech and Chiron to keep us away - it appears our abscence has
driven up the stock price in both cases...
take care,
Sue and Eric
August 19th, 1999: Where there is a yuan, there is a way
ust wanted to send a quick message - don't know if we will have much chance to send mail until we get to Katmandu in a week or so (but you never know - e-mail seems to pop up everywhere!).
We have been in Beijing now for three days - will fly out tomorrow for Qingdao, just in time for the beer festival. Our tour book says it is the biggest beer garden outside of Munich - we will let you know!
I don't know how much drinking Eric and I will do, however. We have had mild diarreha since the Yangzhee river a week ago, and it built up to being really sick when we arrived in Beijing. We are taking it easy right now (expensive hotel, lots of rest), and so are both feeling better. As well, the temperature has subsided (down to 28C), so that helps a lot.
Before Beijing we were in Xian, the main capital of China for thousands of years. There was lots of history, nice museums, and of course the Terra Cotta Warriors. It was all great to see, and a good education on Chinese history (though we had our doubts about some of the claims that were made).
The one amazing thing about Xian was the traffic. The streets were
constantly congested, and there was a perpetual game of chicken between cars, pedestrian, and bicycles. We would see taxis barrelling down the street at people who wouldn't even quicken their pace. I can't tell you how many times I screamed from the back seat, certain that we had mowed someone over. Sometimes traffic jams were created just from people and bicycles being mixed up with the cars. We would see mothers with their children standing between fast moving lanes of cars, waiting for a clearing to walk across the next lane, and then wait there for the next lane to clear.
Beijing is proving to be milder. We are staying at a hotel near Tian an men Square (we can see it from our hotel window). I must say that service isnt' good here - our hotel staff is rude and unhelpful, especially considering we are paying a lot to stay there. However, traffic is more orderly (though still crazy compared to home), and the streets are very wide.
Construction is going on 24 hours a day in preparation for the 50th
anniversary of the revolution on October 1st. We met a Chinese student who said it is the biggest building project in all of Asia right now. He said we are lucky we weren't here two weeks ago, because Tian an men square was closed because it was being reconstructed. Apparently everythng is new - even the sidewalks! Someone we met said he was traveling with a Chinese person who said that all of the tall buildings weren't here 5 years ago - it is as if the city has gone up overnight.
Things seem to be changing fast. The student we met (who helped us find the Internet) said that 10 years ago, only 10% of houses in Beijing had telephones - now most of them have phones. He said that in China, a year ago there where 1 million cell phones - now they have 20 million. He said that Internet access, like what we have been using, was illegal a year ago. Everyone we have met that had been here a long time ago says they can't believe how much it has changed. I am sure we will say the same some day.
Eric and I have definitely taken a step up, and are spending more money for comfort. Sure, we have been sick. But why should we pay 10 cents for a bus and get lost, when a cab cost $3? It is definitely true that having a little money makes everything so smoother. I wouldn't say we are traveleing in luxury, but we are definitely a big step up from the backpackers. We met some people who thought it was strange that we would book a soft sleeper
berth on the train (1st class) rather than go by hard sleeper, which is half the price. I don't know, but having air conditioning, a soft blanket, and fluffy pillows and more room is worth an extra $20, thank you. When the month is over, we probably will have spent an additional $100 - $200 - definitely worth it.
WE can't believe our month in China is almost over. It seemed at times like it would never end - now it seems like it went by in a blink. Hope we get a chance to write soon!
Sue and Eric
We have been in Beijing now for three days - will fly out tomorrow for Qingdao, just in time for the beer festival. Our tour book says it is the biggest beer garden outside of Munich - we will let you know!
I don't know how much drinking Eric and I will do, however. We have had mild diarreha since the Yangzhee river a week ago, and it built up to being really sick when we arrived in Beijing. We are taking it easy right now (expensive hotel, lots of rest), and so are both feeling better. As well, the temperature has subsided (down to 28C), so that helps a lot.
Before Beijing we were in Xian, the main capital of China for thousands of years. There was lots of history, nice museums, and of course the Terra Cotta Warriors. It was all great to see, and a good education on Chinese history (though we had our doubts about some of the claims that were made).
The one amazing thing about Xian was the traffic. The streets were
constantly congested, and there was a perpetual game of chicken between cars, pedestrian, and bicycles. We would see taxis barrelling down the street at people who wouldn't even quicken their pace. I can't tell you how many times I screamed from the back seat, certain that we had mowed someone over. Sometimes traffic jams were created just from people and bicycles being mixed up with the cars. We would see mothers with their children standing between fast moving lanes of cars, waiting for a clearing to walk across the next lane, and then wait there for the next lane to clear.
Beijing is proving to be milder. We are staying at a hotel near Tian an men Square (we can see it from our hotel window). I must say that service isnt' good here - our hotel staff is rude and unhelpful, especially considering we are paying a lot to stay there. However, traffic is more orderly (though still crazy compared to home), and the streets are very wide.
Construction is going on 24 hours a day in preparation for the 50th
anniversary of the revolution on October 1st. We met a Chinese student who said it is the biggest building project in all of Asia right now. He said we are lucky we weren't here two weeks ago, because Tian an men square was closed because it was being reconstructed. Apparently everythng is new - even the sidewalks! Someone we met said he was traveling with a Chinese person who said that all of the tall buildings weren't here 5 years ago - it is as if the city has gone up overnight.
Things seem to be changing fast. The student we met (who helped us find the Internet) said that 10 years ago, only 10% of houses in Beijing had telephones - now most of them have phones. He said that in China, a year ago there where 1 million cell phones - now they have 20 million. He said that Internet access, like what we have been using, was illegal a year ago. Everyone we have met that had been here a long time ago says they can't believe how much it has changed. I am sure we will say the same some day.
Eric and I have definitely taken a step up, and are spending more money for comfort. Sure, we have been sick. But why should we pay 10 cents for a bus and get lost, when a cab cost $3? It is definitely true that having a little money makes everything so smoother. I wouldn't say we are traveleing in luxury, but we are definitely a big step up from the backpackers. We met some people who thought it was strange that we would book a soft sleeper
berth on the train (1st class) rather than go by hard sleeper, which is half the price. I don't know, but having air conditioning, a soft blanket, and fluffy pillows and more room is worth an extra $20, thank you. When the month is over, we probably will have spent an additional $100 - $200 - definitely worth it.
WE can't believe our month in China is almost over. It seemed at times like it would never end - now it seems like it went by in a blink. Hope we get a chance to write soon!
Sue and Eric
September 4th, 1999: Never take a Chinese tour...
You would think that Eric and I would have learned from our Yangzhee river
cruise that the Chinese have a different idea of "fun" than we do. But I
guess it takes a few times...
But let me step back first - I haven't yet mentioned our trip to the Great
Wall. We decided to go to the Simitai section, described as "the most
dangerous section" of the Wall to visit. Not many tours go here, so it
required us to take a very early cab from our hotel to the "backpacker"
hotel. Everything started great - a bus full of cheery, young, white kids
(and Eric and me, not so young). They even handed out free t-shirts to
everyone - what a bonus!
But then 15 minutes into the three hour ride, we heard a sound that one of
the young guys on the bus described sounded like "running over a peasant on
a bicycle and having him and his bike wrap around the axle". Well, the bus
pulled over pretty quickly, and the driver and his friend started assessing
the situation (luckily no peasant, just a bad axle or something). First it
was going to be 10 minutes, then a half hour. By this time the bus-load of
white kids is piling out of the bus and standing on the side of the freeway,
all in a neighborhood that doesn't see many white people. We were quite a
sight. Well, after a while, the driver's buddy tells us in very broken
English that they are getting the part from another bus, and it will be
here in 15 minutes (why the other bus couldn't come....)
So the crankshaft or whatever it was does finally arrive, and Eric helps the
bus driver carry it across 3 lanes of traffic, and it takes another half
hour to put it on. But low and behold, it works, and we are off to the
wall, only two hours behind schedule.
So we get to the Wall, and it really is stunning. So as we start walking
up, I tell Eric to not take any pictures - instead lets take them on the way
down, when we know what the good vistas are. Well, fortunatley, Eric did
snap one picture, because within 10 minutes it started raining, and the fog
that came in brought the visibility down to about 30 feet. We could barely
see in front of us, much less the Wall.
But we trudged to the top -tower 14 (which is 3 towers further than the
signs say to walk - pretty scary), and then on the way back down we got
lucky and the rain stopped and it started to clear. We have pictures of fog
clinging to one side of the wall, with clear skies on the other side - I
hope they come out, because it was spectacular!
Of course it wouldn't be China without someone hanging on us the whole way
up and the whole way down, trying to sell us a book or postcards. At the
end, when we wouldn't buy anything, she insisted we pay her for beingour
guide - like we didn't know what direction to go!
But this wasn't our bad Chinese tour - that happened in Qingdao. We flew
from Beijing there,due to no room on the train. I was the biggest baby on
the flight, with my head in Eric's lap for the entire hour and a half
flight. I only came up for air to collect our Mao Tse Tung pins from the
stewardess - the Chinese man sitting next to us took such pity on me that he
gave me his Mao pin as well.
So Qingdao was actually quite nice - pretty beaches, and cool clean Yellow
Sea water to swim in - not to mention the Tsing Tao beer! Our hopes for
being there for the beer festival were dashed, though - it turns out it was
to start the day after we had to leave to get back to Hong Kong. We met a
man who works for the city, and he said we weren't missing much - oh well...
We were quite an attraction at the beach. Again, virtually the only white
people there - and the only people with body hair! Eric had a woman who
wanted to swim back and forth with him three times and meet her husband
afterwards; people took pictures of our "American" sandcastle; people
plopped down in the sand next to us to practice their English or steal the
shade from our umbrella.
Oh, but that bad tour...
We wanted to go to Lao Shan, a "holy" mountain, as well as the source of the
Tsing Tao beer spring water. The tour book said we could go and hike up and
it was really beautiful nature. Explaining to you what really happened will
probably leave you confused, so we thought we could put the day in terms you
will all understand:
You decide to take a bus tour to Muir Woods, and pay the bus driver $25. On
the 45 minute ride there, the bus stops twice in Fisherman's Wharf, first at
a shop that is trying to sell you pearls, second at a shop that is trying to
sell you jewelry (and they give you 15% discount coupons as you leave the
bus to buy the stuff that is 400% overpriced!). You then head off to Muir
Woods, where at the gate the tour guide asks you for another $60 to pay for
the entrance fee to the park. You look out the window, and see that the
entrance fee is only $30 per person, but when you ask about it, you are told
the extra $30 is to go in and see special sites within the park.
So you drive into the park, and do get 1 hour to hike up to a waterfall.
Unfortunately, the path in is so packed with people that you move like
cattle, and the trail is surrounded on both sides with vendors selling
everything from squid-on-a-stick to seashells to rocks to more pearls. And
incidently, the falls are not really even in Muir Woods,either.
After the waterfall, you now think you are going to go and hike - you ask
the guide if you can go and hike in Muir Woods, and he tells you no, that it
has been closed to the public - the military are there now. But you point
to a cable car in operation at the top of a distant hill, and the tour guide
only brushes it aside while all the others on the tour bus just laugh at the
silly Americans, even though they themselves won't be going to Muir Woods
either.
They then drive you closer to Muir Woods, only to pull off and have lunch in
a resturaunt with more pearl shops. You then get shown through a rock
museum (or was it a gift shop?) and a small ugly temple,and then get piled
back in the bus and leave the park.
What a wasted day.
So we then flew out of China and back to Hong Kong. It was interesting
reflecting on our month there - we saw so much and learned so much about
this country we knew so little about before. We were both so glad to have
seen it, but I must admit that I was glad to finally go.
We are now in Thailand for two weeks (waiting for the monsoon to pass in
Nepal) - we will send you an update of our adventures here shortly.
Sue and Eric
cruise that the Chinese have a different idea of "fun" than we do. But I
guess it takes a few times...
But let me step back first - I haven't yet mentioned our trip to the Great
Wall. We decided to go to the Simitai section, described as "the most
dangerous section" of the Wall to visit. Not many tours go here, so it
required us to take a very early cab from our hotel to the "backpacker"
hotel. Everything started great - a bus full of cheery, young, white kids
(and Eric and me, not so young). They even handed out free t-shirts to
everyone - what a bonus!
But then 15 minutes into the three hour ride, we heard a sound that one of
the young guys on the bus described sounded like "running over a peasant on
a bicycle and having him and his bike wrap around the axle". Well, the bus
pulled over pretty quickly, and the driver and his friend started assessing
the situation (luckily no peasant, just a bad axle or something). First it
was going to be 10 minutes, then a half hour. By this time the bus-load of
white kids is piling out of the bus and standing on the side of the freeway,
all in a neighborhood that doesn't see many white people. We were quite a
sight. Well, after a while, the driver's buddy tells us in very broken
English that they are getting the part from another bus, and it will be
here in 15 minutes (why the other bus couldn't come....)
So the crankshaft or whatever it was does finally arrive, and Eric helps the
bus driver carry it across 3 lanes of traffic, and it takes another half
hour to put it on. But low and behold, it works, and we are off to the
wall, only two hours behind schedule.
So we get to the Wall, and it really is stunning. So as we start walking
up, I tell Eric to not take any pictures - instead lets take them on the way
down, when we know what the good vistas are. Well, fortunatley, Eric did
snap one picture, because within 10 minutes it started raining, and the fog
that came in brought the visibility down to about 30 feet. We could barely
see in front of us, much less the Wall.
But we trudged to the top -tower 14 (which is 3 towers further than the
signs say to walk - pretty scary), and then on the way back down we got
lucky and the rain stopped and it started to clear. We have pictures of fog
clinging to one side of the wall, with clear skies on the other side - I
hope they come out, because it was spectacular!
Of course it wouldn't be China without someone hanging on us the whole way
up and the whole way down, trying to sell us a book or postcards. At the
end, when we wouldn't buy anything, she insisted we pay her for beingour
guide - like we didn't know what direction to go!
But this wasn't our bad Chinese tour - that happened in Qingdao. We flew
from Beijing there,due to no room on the train. I was the biggest baby on
the flight, with my head in Eric's lap for the entire hour and a half
flight. I only came up for air to collect our Mao Tse Tung pins from the
stewardess - the Chinese man sitting next to us took such pity on me that he
gave me his Mao pin as well.
So Qingdao was actually quite nice - pretty beaches, and cool clean Yellow
Sea water to swim in - not to mention the Tsing Tao beer! Our hopes for
being there for the beer festival were dashed, though - it turns out it was
to start the day after we had to leave to get back to Hong Kong. We met a
man who works for the city, and he said we weren't missing much - oh well...
We were quite an attraction at the beach. Again, virtually the only white
people there - and the only people with body hair! Eric had a woman who
wanted to swim back and forth with him three times and meet her husband
afterwards; people took pictures of our "American" sandcastle; people
plopped down in the sand next to us to practice their English or steal the
shade from our umbrella.
Oh, but that bad tour...
We wanted to go to Lao Shan, a "holy" mountain, as well as the source of the
Tsing Tao beer spring water. The tour book said we could go and hike up and
it was really beautiful nature. Explaining to you what really happened will
probably leave you confused, so we thought we could put the day in terms you
will all understand:
You decide to take a bus tour to Muir Woods, and pay the bus driver $25. On
the 45 minute ride there, the bus stops twice in Fisherman's Wharf, first at
a shop that is trying to sell you pearls, second at a shop that is trying to
sell you jewelry (and they give you 15% discount coupons as you leave the
bus to buy the stuff that is 400% overpriced!). You then head off to Muir
Woods, where at the gate the tour guide asks you for another $60 to pay for
the entrance fee to the park. You look out the window, and see that the
entrance fee is only $30 per person, but when you ask about it, you are told
the extra $30 is to go in and see special sites within the park.
So you drive into the park, and do get 1 hour to hike up to a waterfall.
Unfortunately, the path in is so packed with people that you move like
cattle, and the trail is surrounded on both sides with vendors selling
everything from squid-on-a-stick to seashells to rocks to more pearls. And
incidently, the falls are not really even in Muir Woods,either.
After the waterfall, you now think you are going to go and hike - you ask
the guide if you can go and hike in Muir Woods, and he tells you no, that it
has been closed to the public - the military are there now. But you point
to a cable car in operation at the top of a distant hill, and the tour guide
only brushes it aside while all the others on the tour bus just laugh at the
silly Americans, even though they themselves won't be going to Muir Woods
either.
They then drive you closer to Muir Woods, only to pull off and have lunch in
a resturaunt with more pearl shops. You then get shown through a rock
museum (or was it a gift shop?) and a small ugly temple,and then get piled
back in the bus and leave the park.
What a wasted day.
So we then flew out of China and back to Hong Kong. It was interesting
reflecting on our month there - we saw so much and learned so much about
this country we knew so little about before. We were both so glad to have
seen it, but I must admit that I was glad to finally go.
We are now in Thailand for two weeks (waiting for the monsoon to pass in
Nepal) - we will send you an update of our adventures here shortly.
Sue and Eric
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