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Published: November 17th 2006
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so raw
a typical washing area in Pingyao Current mood: Amazed!!!
Ok... so the first sleeper experience went well. a little cold but great anyway so i guess this is why i have waited until now to talk of Pingyao!
We arrived on the morning of the 3rd so thats a Friday. Really Funny.... We are woke by the warden who politely taps Ashley on the leg to alert us of our stop. that was nice considering the same warden twatted a local lady on the head to alert her argh.
we dive from the bunks that are three high with 6 beds to a cabin to grab our bags. Un beknown to us its freezing outside but we wait for the new girl Rachel that we met in the Station at beijing and head towards the exit.
Hahahahaha Julia i told you i am a film star.... we walk from the station to find loads of guys and gals with taxis waiting. Amongst the crowd high above the rest of the hustle and bustle was my name plasterd across a card. NIKI MAGUIRE YEMEN HOSTEL. they had my card marked!
So my self Cara, Ashley, Rachel, Dave and Emma all pile onto my
ready awaiting tuk tuk type buggy and head to the town of Pingyao which wew find to be a nice surprise. the streets surrounding the yemen hostel and on the inside of the city walls are untouched. i mean literally unspoilt. Traditional China seperated from new china by a city wall.... Awesom!!! So we check in... Grab an american Breaky and head to the streets for photographs after a shower of course!!!
We are all nackered but f##k it right!! we walk down the streets and really catch a glimps of how china used to be and realise the true stories of this untouched wonderland!
The first impression of Pingyao was the idea of the town situated like it is is almost unreal, like out of a movie script. Its crazy to believe that people would actually still live in such a wayespecially as on the outside of the city wall is bursting with people living the modern chinese lifestyle.
the comparitive back home would be war time cobbled streets with a real lack of any progression to make things better. Western toilets are a godsend let me tell you as sanitation and the whole squat toilet
happy gamblers
these guys would never have allowed this shot but from the top of the wall i caught them out! in a place such as Pingyao is descusting and quite literally a pain in the arse.
The first day in pingyao is awesom though, the room is great and the showers are decent. all in all the Pingyao trip if in China is an unmissable experience.
So after walking the Streets and eating mooncake pancake thingies Myself and the girls head back to the digs where i find that Tim (from the red lantern hostel) is still here. we get talking and attempt to find something to do in the powercut that pingyao (or the Yemen hostel) seems to get quite regular! the night basicly came quickly as the general feeling in the hostel is fun and i ended up getting very pissed on tsindao with all the guys i travelled to pingyao with and more!!! i swore to Ashley i would drink anymore but Dave is to blame.... his beer looked lovely..mmmmm Tsingdao hahahaha im a sucka for the stuff!
So day two and the planned early wake up went out of the window as hangovers on tsingdao are rough!! so i fight myself out of my pit after greeting the irish boys Johnny and Colum
captured lighting that rains down on Pingyao in the early mornings
something about the mix of dust and sunshine that makes this place strangely misterious and head to reception to sort our tickets out for the night train to Xi'an. This is the only pain in the bum when travelling. arranging tickets to get to the next place can be a battle when in a country with a sever language barrier!
Well..... all done with formalities we head to the streets for some propper Camera action! The streets of Pingyao and its generations offer misery and joy, old and young, some allowing pictures and others refusing...... (Bring on the Zoom lense for some cheaky Action..... propper paporatzi style oi oi OI Han.............. guess i get it from you chasing charlotte about hahahaha hey chicken!) Quickly we are told of a secret entrance to the top of the city walls where we get to see the city from a vantage point so off we head in the direction to find you need to be a proffesional climber to get anywhere near it hahahah so after Tims brave efforts and laughing at his shakey legs we decide to find another way through.
After 10 mins we find another option! a gate with a niki size hole in it hahahah aso after Tim i scurry through
before the touts spot what we are up to and leg it to the top!
Only Myself and Tim went for it so we spent a chilled day checking out the sights from above and getting some well cheaky pics of gambling and some sorry sights of poverty and poor housing!!
Starving and thirsty we decide to head down from the wall walking past the ticket office like we had payed (suckers.... shouldnt cost so much for what it is) and get lost for a few hours in the streets and walls of this dreamtown from a time warp! eventually back to the digs we ate ate ate and drank a little whilst waiting for our train departure time. in this time i realised i am to marry a french girl.... Clair Cambier hehehe (hey sweety i hope the internship goes great see you in Bangkok!)
So im full..... in love and my camera is now dust free our time arrives for us to head to the station which i strut in true nikolarse fashion!
Next stop Xi'an and its Warrior thingies......... apparently they are natural wonder!
Love from a Brummy.............. Catch you in a
Hey gorgeous
look at the cheese in front of the Pingyao Beauty hahahahah love ya chicken few!!
Love ya kids!!! ya big bro!!
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Han
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Your Pictures are amazing!!
Man you have amazing picture the hand and scissors one is tooo good im jealous!!! its so good!!! glad your having fun!