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Great Wall of China
Strolling along the Great Wall at Mutianyu.My short time in Beijing only allowed for a brief taste ... but it really was delicious, right down to the Peking (Beijing) duck we feasted on for my birthday dinner. Having arrived in Beijing from India, a few things became immediately apparent. The air was cool and crisp (down to approx 15 degrees from 45 when I left India) - quite a relief, as I was struggling to fit my winter clothes into my pack! As part of the planning for the 2008 Olympics there were trees being planted all around the city, blossoms were in bloom and everything was neatly organised without a scrap of rubbish. Construction in Beijing is going crazy, apparently whole city blocks of hutons have been razed and construction is underway on massive new buildings - all part of the 2008 Olympics effort. It's quite sad to see, as entire Chinese communities have been relocated from their traditional homes to high rise apartments. My arrival coincided with a massive dust storm blowing in from the Gobi desert which coated the city in a thin layer of dust - the rumour was, that the dust could also be attributed to the work on the Underground train
system - with something like 5 additional lines due to be operational by 2008.
I spent only three days in Beijing before boarding the Trans-Mongolian Railway - but in this time I was astounded by how uncrowded it was. Beijing has a population of 13 million and the one child policy has been in place for over 20 years - but where are they all? What a contrast to India - where every man, woman and child could be seen in the crowded streets!
I met my Intrepid Guide and Group at the swanky Harmony Hotel - a sight for sore eyes for this grotty backpacker! From the Group of twelve Aussies, Kiwis and Brits, eleven had travelled extensively and everyone was social, adventurous and no one was shy. Quite a challenge for our brand spanking new Intrepid Guide who'd never run a trip before - but good company was absolutely essential with so many days ahead on the train.
In my second memorable day, I conquered the Great Wall at Mutianyu. One of the seven wonders of the world - the Great Wall is almost 7000kms long and its said that 1 million died during its
construction - their bodies are supposedly in the wall. I found the walk up to the wall particularly strenuous, but was quickly put to shame by rowdy Chinese school children who overtook us running to the top waving massive flags and talking on their mobile phones. Once I reached the wall, I expected massive, crumbling, giantlike steps - but it seems this part of the wall has been recently renovated and the steps so small it was easier for me to take two at a time. Aside from the school children who quickly disappeared, the top of the wall was very peaceful, picturesque and the view nothing short of gob smacking. Hawkers at intervals were selling cold beer and snacks - though it was not nearly as touristy as I'd expected ... well at least not until I found the toboggan ride to take you down from the wall and the multitude of tshirt sellers spruiking their 'I climbed the Wall' tshirts. Back in Beijing I succumbed to an afternoon of unrivalled clothes shopping at the Silk Markets and an evening watching Chinese Acrobats and feasting on delicious food.
A trip to Beijing simply would not be complete without
Gobi Desert Dust Storms
The dust storms when passing the Gobi Desert were so severe we were forced to 'mask up'! a visit to Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square and we were ably escorted by the incredibly popular, funky and little Chinese Guide Kevin. The Chinese generally speak English with strong (often put-on) American accents, but Kevin tells us his English teacher is Scottish ... very humourous! Despite its disturbing history and Mao's Mausoleum - where you can view him in all his embalmed glory - Tiananmen did little for me. Apparently it holds half a million people and they are considering holding the beach volleyball there for the Olympics, but to me it seems grey, ugly and lacking in character. Interestingly, for a mere US $300,000 you too can be embalmed by Mao and Lenin's embalmer!
The Forbidden City was the home of the Chinese Emperors and thus called as no one was allowed inside for several dynasties - something like 500 years. The entrance to the Forbidden City is marked by a massive Mao painting which is re-done every year by a famous Chinese artist. It's seen to be particularly clever because Mao's eyes follow you wherever you stand. At the moment, the concern is that there are no new artists lined up to take over this task
Train stop between Beijing and UB
Notice stylish socks with thongs look ... when the current one dies. The Forbidden City is huge - it would take days to walk around the entire complex and appreciate the Emperors ornate tastes. Lots of Red and gold paint (in fact they get the deep red colour by using pigs blood as an ingredient), dragons and other statues decorate the city which like everything else in Beijing is under renovation.
Boarding the train for Ulaan Baatar (the capital of Mongolia) was an unforgettable experience. Loaded up with our packs and enough snacks to get us through the two day journey, we muscled our way through the throng of people on the platforms early in the morning to board our carriage. Squeezing through the narrow corridor was my first challenge, but the next was avoiding the boxes of goods being hurtled down the corridor in production line fashion by Chinese entrepreneurs planning to offload their goods in Mongolia. They literally threw the boxes through the air at breakneck speed, screaming instructions - completely oblivious to the injury they could cause to the people walking down the corridor. The four berth cabin that was to be my home on the train was compact (like a matchbox) -
but well thought out, with plenty of storage space to put away our backpacks and still allow room to spread out our feast of 2 minute noodles (if I ever eat these again I'll be sick), chocolate, 'wodka', crackers and cheese. I shared my cabin with three Aussies from Whittlesea and we had an absolute ball!
Life on the train was quite simple, relaxing and never boring. Each train carriage is ruled by a Provodnitsa (female) or Provodnik (male) carriage attendant who are notoriously strict and also notoriously open to bribes! Get on the wrong side of them at your own peril. This train we had a tall Chinese Provodnik who clearly ate well and had some sort of deal going with the box entrepreneurs who once the train got moving emptied the contents of the boxes into the various storage compartments, then crushed and hid the boxes. After a day of window gazing at the Gobi Desert and chatting - the dust from the gobi storms became unbearable and we wore dust masks and holed up in our cabin. Around midnight we reached the Mongolian border where the toilets were shut for 6 hours and we were locked
in the train whilst they changed over the trains undercarriage (the tracks are a different size in Mongolia and Russia). The passport and border control process also happened here - a posse of elegant, serious and military looking Mongolian women alighted to check our passports and do a customs check. A lot of activity was unfolding in the box entrepreneurs cabin and I am almost certain money changed hands (in a briefcase mind you!). The most disturbing element of this border crossing was the inability to use the loo (which was supposedly locked) and the long wait rendered several of us incapable of moving from cross-legged sitting positions. Except for Shannon - my new Cabin friend - who defined the Provodnik, burst into the toilet, relieved herself and then incurred his wrath for the rest of the journey! By Ulaan Baatar - our box entrepreneur friends had reboxed and unhidden their goods and us Intrepid travellers had over eaten - on top of the fetid offerings from the ornate restaurant carriage - so were ready to do some exercise!
Ulaan Baatar or UB as I like to call it means 'red hero' and is the coldest capital city in
the world. It's just like a large country town, is surrounded by mountains and features lots of unkempt concrete-looking soviet architecture - no Maccas here! Our hotel - the Zaluuchund - had copped an absolute shlacking from the Lonely Planet and was clearly trying to mask its shabbiness with a fresh lick of paint and iron marks in the carpet (?!). Mongolia is a very poor country and there are random holes in the footpaths and child beggars who hang onto your legs and won't let go. However, despite this - there is a real feeling of growth and development - like this country is really moving forward from it's Soviet past.
The Mongolian people are high spirited, happy people and the women are absolute stunners and really quite stylish. In fact the knee high boots over fitted jeans look (ala Kate Middleton) is quite the go and I felt particularly feral when I was forced to hit the dancefloor of the local nightclub - the Hippodrome - in my polar fleece and trail runners (not a good look). It's a very young country - 70% of the population is under 35 and 47% still lead nomadic lifestyles as
horsemen and women tending their livestock and living in ger huts. These huts are collapsible tent-like structures made of thick felt and are lavishly furnished with a fire inside (a must in these chilly conditions!).
The local cuisine is particularly carnivorous - vegetarians are outcasts in Mongolia - with horse meat a staple of their diet. I couldn't bring myself to try it - in fact when some of my fellow travellers ordered it - I dry wretched and was forced to down another beer (Chingis) to cope with the trauma! Saying this, all the Mongolian food I did try was delicious - from stews and thick soups to tasty dumplings ... I ate to my hearts content.
The highlight of my time in Mongolia was our overnight stay at a Ger Camp in the Terelj National Park - where we were ably hosted by our local guide Nemo and his bus driver Mia. The scenery was mountainous (think Brokeback Mountain) and quite rocky (like Pyalong in Victoria) with frozen rivers and horses and cattle grazing. I settled into my superbly appointed Ger with two other ladies from my group (the young at heart, wine and travel conosoirs
Robyn and Wendy) and we stoked our little stove fire to keep our ger warm. The only mod con these Gers lack is a loo and shower, and every trip to the wooden drop loos was piles inducing. A horse ride (Mongolian style) was in order and my unnamed horse (how can they name them when they are going to eat them?) - I called Sambo - but due to severe malnutrition he was barely able to muster a trot. Not quite the picture I had as I imagined myself cantering through the Mongolian wilderness! The weather outside was literally freezing cold and it was soon snowing - so we retired to our hut, along with the rest of the group for a few rounds of uno and some Bulgarian wine. Unfortunately, it seems I'm allergic to the stuff and after a few mouthfuls was sneezing and my eyes had swollen up like golf balls. Funnily enough, the moment I stopped drinking it I was far better and reverted to a reliable bottle of Australian Red purchased for my birthday celebrations back in Beijing.
Returning to UB - we visited the Bogd Khan Winter Palace, home to the last king, the living Buddha who had a wierd fetish for stuffed exotic animals and to the Gandan Monastery - before once again boarding the Trans Mongolian ... this time for a three day journey to Siberia!
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leilani trocki
non-member comment
so cool!
Your journal is so cool! You describe everything so perfectly. sounds like a real adventure, thanks so much for sharing it!