Beijing

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Beijing


We landed in Beijing from Xian on the 20th of Dec 2007. The weather was a lot colder, dropping to -5 sometimes. Some of the lakes and a moat around the Forbidden City were frozen over but it didnt fell as cold as Ireland since it wasn't as humid. We also left our guide book and Macbook charger behind on the train. In our defense we were woken up at 6 am to get off the train. The first shop we went to for a new one was trying to sell it to us for 180 euro but we shopped around and found one for 80 eventually. Sadly though that was one whole days budget lost over a silly charger. We bought a new book from a hostel we went in to. Well we borrowed it for 15 euros. She wouldn't let us buy it for 26 euros but we could borrow it and leave the hostel with it for a deposit of 15 euros. Sinead still feels bad we didn't bring it back. (it was impossible to buy in the shops. We don't know if it was being reprinted or not allowed be sold )


We stayed two nights in the 9 Dragons hostel ( It was under renovations so we didn't really have a nice time there. paint and dust sheets everywhere-like staying on a building site) and then we went and stayed in the Westin Executive Apartments for 4 nights for Xmas. We then scoured the shops for some Christmas dinner. Unable to bring ourselves to buying a chicken with a head and feet and everything really ( and unable to ask for it to be all cut off) we opted for some chicken fillets. (to think I was a vegetarian for a year :-) then we got some veg and spuds (harder to find than you would think). The next day we found another shop which sold Bisto gravy. yippee. We then spent the next few days eating and sleeping and watching classic films and ringing home. we barely left the hotel. After the hotel we went to another hostel called the Wangfujing hostel. it was about 12 euros a night for a twin room no bathroom. It was pretty basic but clean and we slept pretty well.

We then ventured to the Forbidden City but the cold was just unbearable. Some days if the wind was strong it was just too cold to do anything. ( we overheard two English guys in their twenties saying the same thing in the hostel) The forbidden city was very pretty and interesting. Sadly though most of the main buildings were under renovation (like the rest of Beijing) for the Olympics. We wandered around for a few hours and saw the different temples and areas. It seems like such an ancient place but parts of it were still only being built in the 1600s. We tried a few times to go skiing but the travel agents weren't really able to help and the lack of English speakers was surprising since we found it very easy to speak to people outside of Beijing.

We decided to go to the great wall with the Beijing Sightseeing Bus Service. It was about 16 euros each for a place called the Ming tombs and the Great wall. (the hostel was charging around 30 each and our accommodation was only 6 each)There was a few foreigners on the bus but the guide only spoke chinese sadly. We arrived at the Ming tombs and were given lunch chinese style. Large round table and all the food put in the middle. You serve yourself from a large bowl of rice and also take portions of large plates of food. We got talking to an American couple teaching in Shanghai and an Aussie couple on their way to Europe. All the chinese people on the tour got up and left and 5 minutes later the guide was back to the the westeners to hurry up "quickly, quickly" We were still hungry and as long as the food kept coming, we kept eating. We left for the tombs then and went to where the Emporer and Emporesss were buried from the MIng Dynasty. there are a few tombs but we only saw one. It was about 6 stories underground and everything except the room and doors were replicas because the originals were wood. It was pretty cool I suppose but not much in it. but if we had time and an English guide it would have been better. We were under preassure to get back to the bus. The courtyard and outer area were very large and nice and the outlying areas were full of tombs and altars still probably being discovered.

We then spent about an hour driving to the great wall. Here we had 2 hours (strictly) and the guide herded the elderly, children and anyone who wasn't fit looking over to the cable car as opposed to walking. We decided to walk up and maybe cable car down. As we walked up to the entrance we were met by the usual band of touts and hawkers who still try to sell you gloves, hats and scarfs even though you are kitted out with gloves, hats and scarfs and look like you could be on a north pole expedition. It was funny though because it was so cold loads of them just left us alone and at the end of the day we don't mind - they are only trying to make some money. At the ming tombs actually I went up to a seller and got water (3 bottles for 10 kuai -1 euro) and had one woman try sell me 200 marlboro (she was looking ba shi kuai(80 kuai-8 euro) prob would have got them for 4 euro) and another woman selling me hats. all the time I was just trying to get water of this guy in the middle with the two women shoving different things into my face.:-D We eventually walked up onto the Great Wall and realized that because it was so cold, it was low season and everyone else bar a few people were going up and down on the cable car. So we had the wall or a few hundred meters to ourselves for most of the walk. It was really beautiful and quite overwhelming. It is quite sad also to think how many died building the wall even though it is an amazing feat of engineering and labour. Parts are quite steep and there are hand rails to help but it was really tiring. If it was wet or icy we might of had to turn back. We walked from the entrance to the cable car and covered probably about 1 to 2 kms. Parts were 150 feet high and quite steep. The wind was unbelievable. Behind the rampart it was just cold but if you looked over the edge towards the north it was difficult to breath. I took my glove off at one stage and within seconds my hand was in pain from the cold. Prob the coldest I've ever been. When we reached the touristy side (the area near the cable car) we were again surrounded by people. We decided to get two "I walked the wall" plaques and haggled the guy down to wuo shi (5 euro) I put up 4 fingers meaning si shi( 40-4 euro) and he smiled and gently pulled my thumb back to make five and laughed. We then walked down to the cable car side and decided to get the car down. A simple fun ride with a crazy driver shouting out that he wanted a 100 dollar tip and laughing. Even if you said just Ni Hao (hello) he would say "Your chinese very good, very good" when we got back to the bus we were one of the last to get on. Even though there was still 5 minutes to go before we were supposed to leave all the chinese were on the bus waiting for the crazy foreigners who weren't waiting and ready to go at exactly the time to leave. Kinda funny. the irish would be out having a fag and some country fella would surley be 15 minutes late and still need to go to the bathroom. :-D The trip back to Beijing was uneventful but it was funny when they didnt' drop us off where they picked us up. Now, it turned out to be only across the road and around the corner but still. As I was getting off I said xiexie and Zaijan (thank you and goodbye) to the guide - met with blank stare ( those pesky foreigners being late and friendly all the time)

The next day we went to the silk street shopping centre to buy some knick knacks. Its a crazy place. It is a legitimate shopping centre but all it is, is knock offs and fakes. And the stuff they said to you. "Hey beautiful lady, you want cashmere scarf" and that was just to me (nicholas) But really then I would get "hey Handsome man, (she knew me so well) you want a shirt- silk tie -insert item here" The last laugh was had by us though. SInead went through them like a crazy donabate woman on a mad shopping spree. We bought a backpack - the seller told us it was 55 euro in the shop, she started at 28 euros for us (special price) Sinead got it for 4.50. Thats right folks 4 euros 50 cent. Don't think we are mean or crazy. We saw the exact same bag for sale on the street a day later for 5 euro. Another guy told her to leave his shop he was so disgusted with her offer so we smiled and left. We then got a lovely silk top. The girl wanted 52 euros. Sinead offered 4 euro and the girl haggled and lowered her price but sinead stood her ground. The girl said everything from "how will I pay my factory?" (buy it) to "You killing my, you killing me" we walked away because she looked like she was actually crying and she shouted after us about how she will never go to our country and in our counrty a drink would cost the same as what sinead offered. In the end we went back to her and gave her 80 kuai (8 euro) and she took it. HERE IS THE GOOD BIT. As sinead tried on the top to get the right size the girl asked here where she learned to haggle because sinead was so good and was laughing away with sinead. After it all it was just a joke to the women and 8 euros was still a good price for her. She was more than happy with it. She smiled and waved us goodbye. The guide book said that this place was up to ten times more expensive than other markets. Another girl gave us a fake 50 kuai note (5 euro) as change for fake tiffany jewelry that sinead bought. We found this out because another seller wouldn't take the note. We went straight back and I think in hind sight a big scary ginger man giving out to her made her give us back real money. It was a mad place and not for the faint hearted because the touch you and grab you and just talk into your face but great fun if you can get into it. Another one or two sellers again complemented sinead on her haggling skills afterwards. :-D Funny thing is the Gortex North Face Jackets (we bought in yangshuo not beijing) that are supposedly real already have broken zips and loose threads after a months hard use. In other words nothings real- not even the price tags. We bought our jackets for 20 euros each and in the SIlk market there were gortex gloves with a 49 euro price tag on them. Fun but crazy.


We moved to The Days hotel for New years as a treat but sadly it was officially the quietest hotel in all the world on Dec 31 2007. We asked the staff was there anything on in the hotel and were told no. We asked was there somewhere to go and they spent ten minutes reading a newspaper article and they found a place where there would be thousands of people ringing in the new year BUT we were advised not to go because it could be under martial law. There was nothing else on they said. We were politely told "go to your room and watch t.v." So we grabbed a bottle of wine (which tasted like cough syrup so we raided the mini bar) and rang in the new year watching thousands of Beijingers on the streets in a lovely and peaceful celebration of the new year. We were on the 20th floor and saw no fireworks at all though. The next day we checked back into the Wangfujing hostel, sorted out a package to be sent home and booked our tickets to Shanghai. We are currently in 2nd class on the train traveling at 200 km/h through china. Its nearly a 1500 km journey - we are doing it in about 9 hours. A far cry from the Dublin to Cork journey. rd

P.S.
Katie Mellua - 9 million bicycles in Beijing

Sinead and Nick - 12 bicycles ( and we were there) so Katie - you are out by 8,999,988- get your facts right missus and don't be giving me any of that poetic license malarky

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Photos

Is she smiling or crying?
As you can see it was a little cold. This is the only bit of Sineads body that was exposed to the elements.

The first Codd-Hand Xmas
Our first xmas together. Th first of many. (oh stop it, you're gonna make me cry)

Comments

[Paul]

Hey Guys, ya we went for the chicken fillets option to and some bisto gravy :D sweeet ... There wasnt even any fireworks in NZs capitol Wellington either for New Years, but as always beer heals all. Sounds really interesting, we should have had you sinead do are haggling when we were in Asia, my proudest moment was getting the Lonely Planet South American guide for 6 dollars of a street kid in Saigon, fake of course but its 70 for the real one.

[paulandelaine]

Where are u guys!???
having serious withdrawal symptoms from you guys? What island, country, continent are you in? will you ever blog again??? pop us a note with your coordinates or we'll have to attach some type of GPS system to yee! Hope you're having a ball! Missing yee! Elaine

[Paul]

Where areeee u guys
Need Thai blog ... dooo it

[Paul]

the truth
So here it is, turns out South America is the place to be and the rest of the lame ass world is boring, these cheap spanish knock offs know whats going on, PS all Oceania is lame compared to South America ...... see you soon or else!!!! ur threating friend Paul