Traveling China.. for dummies

Asia » China » Shanghai
December 14th 2007

Published: January 25th 2007

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loudmuzic

CHA CHA CHINA

One of the first views of me that China got to see

Knocking, knocking …. Why won’t it stop?? I woke up with beer still swimming in my head. The room had packed bags arranged on the floor. The shelves were bare, and the walls void of any decorations. There was a Chinese guy knocking at my door; Jet. It was the day I was leaving Caledonian Court in Glasgow for good, and it was the day I was going to Shanghai, China with Jet…. It was also the day that I woke up late. The train was leaving in 30 minutes...shit ..

I didn’t even shower; I just grabbed my toothbrush and cleaned my teeth while throwing the last minute things into my bag. I splashed some water onto my sleepy eyes and massaged my face. There was a lot of traveling ahead. Walking out my door I found some familiar faces waiting to walk to the train station with me; Marco from Italy, Neil, Paul, and Keith from Scotland, Cristina from Spain, and Carren from The Philipines. I blinked a few times and then hoisted my backpack on my shoulder as my friends helped with the other bags. We set off on foot for the station. It was a hurried

Chinese Steamboat

Cooking our own food

rush. (Actually only Paul, Marco, and Neil helped )

There is nothing like arriving to the train station in a swetty mess!! Especially when you didn't get a shower, and have over 24 hours of traveling ahead of you!! Paul helped me and Jet get our tickets and we all exchanged handshakes, hugs, and words before Jet and I disappeared into the steel hull of the train. We were off, and on our way to the Edinburgh airport.

We had a connecting flight in Frankfurt, Germany to Shanghai, China. It was a short hop over the North Sea to Frankfurt, and then a quick hustle through the ENORMOUS airport to the double-decker airplane that was going to be our home for the next 12 hours. The flight was tiring, the seats were small, and I was too excited to sleep (plus there was this smell ... wait a minute .. that was probably me!!). I could not believe I was going to China, neither could Jet. We talked a bit about the cities as Jet tried to prepare me for his country. I alternated through the chit chat to reading my

Armani Club

Whisky, food, and dice

book Angels and Demons. The seats were extremely tiny, it was a big difference from my first class accommodations over from America to Britain (THANKS TINA!!) … I finally managed to get some sleep….

It was getting close now to the time we would be there. The plane began its initial descent. I was excited!!! Then, the airbus came in with the roughest plane landing I’ve ever experienced; I almost shat myself, but didn't. I was happy to make it.

Arriving in China I had to wait in a long que at customs. It took nearly an hour to get through. It had now been a good 48 hours or more since my last shower and I was hopeing a sniffer dog would come up and bask in my funk!!!

Jets parents were waiting to pick us up. His dad grabbed the cart of our luggage and headed out the door towards the car. His parents don’t speak English, and I don’t speak Chinese …. so the introduction was quite informal, if you could call it an introduction at all. Smiles and nods of heads seem to have been quite universal for saying “nice to meet you”.

Armani Club

Jets girlfriend Annie and her friend

It was a bit awkward for me in the circumstances mentioned… I’m sure it was the same for his parents, I was the first western guest they have had in their home.

The first stop was a restaurant to get some good Chinese dishes and a beer. It was a great introduction. I had some fish head soup, some spicy boiled cow intestines, some vegetables, and some pork. I tried it all, but I don’t think I need to tell you what I ate the most of. This was of course only the beginning of the new and strange foods that I was to eat on the trip.

After dinner we went to Jets house and unloaded our luggage. I finally got a shower after skipping the one about 26 hours earlier when I woke up late to leave. It was nice, but the best part was yet to come; The Chinese massage. Jet took me to the local salon with his moms VIP card. We started off with an hour long full body massage. The Chinese girls massaged from our faces down. At the end they cleaned our ears with some long wooden hooks. That was weird,

The next emporer

This chair suits me

very weird, but nice!! After that we had an hour long foot massage. That was different, very different … but nice…. Unbelievably nice. I’m glad to say it wouldn’t be my last foot massage in China. After the massage we went to the hairstylist downstairs in the salon. They washed my hair, massaged my scalp, and then styled it to Jet’s description since nobody spoke English. I was not able to communicate with anyone except for the smiles and nods... and the occasional “thumbs up”. At the end of the evening in the salon, which lasted nearly 3 hours, Jet put the cost of it all on his moms account. The total price was 15US$ per person!!!!!! Right then, I KNEW I was going to LOVE China!!!!

The next day we got on a train to Ningbo. It was about 4 hours south of Shanghai, and was where Jet’s girlfriend lived. The Chinese train was huge, it was a double-decker and contained well over a thousand people. We had a few green teas on the way down, and I had a nap as the train rolled through the poor areas of Chinas countryside.

Our hotel in Ningbo was

Mahjong

Me in pose with the Mahjong statues

3 stars. It was very nice and conveniently located in the city center for just about 30US$ a night (I sound like an advertisement I know)!!! We met Jet’s girlfriend and had dinner with some of her friends at a spicy restaurant. Dinner consisted of a soup with a whole fish in it, pigs ears, boiled fat with spices, and chicken dishes. I remember now before leaving my sister told me “You know in China, Chinese food is just … food”. She is very wise!!!

After dinner we went to Armani Club. It was posh with nice seating areas, a DJ, and girls dancing behind the bar and on stage. There were 5 of us and we got a special of 2 bottles of Whisky which was mixed with 6 bottles of green tea (AMAZING !!!!!), 2 plates of crab claws, and a platter of fresh fruit for 85US$ … sooooo cheap!!! All of the Chinese play drinking games with dice (like the dice game on Pirates of the Carribean 2) which I couldn’t really comprehend. The drinks are only done in shots, nobody sips cocktails. They shoot it to show respect. I had no problem with this game.

The crew

In the mansion

I lost A LOT as we played into the wee hours of the morning AND I was sure to show A LOT of respect.

The following day we got up for a nice breakfast of snails, smelly vegetables, and some very nice dimsum. Afterwards we headed to a Chinese mansion which was a library made by the owners hundreds of years ago. It has stayed in the same family throughout time, each member contributing further to the collection that the library still holds today. One of the previous family members created the game Mahjong, which you might know from the short list of computer games that comes with Windows. The history of the game is riddled throughout the complex in décor. The grounds also included immaculate Chinese gardens, and ponds throughout. It was a beautiful sight watching the sun get pulled down over the immaculately designed Chinese rooftops in the garden of the mansion.

The following day we headed to Hanzscho (spelled wrong I know). It was a little further north of Ningbo. We stayed in an IMMACULATE 5 star hotel. It was the nicest hotel I’ve ever been in, and it was only 55US$ a night!!!! So,

Stuffing my face

I didn't use a fork and knife ONE time in China ... Chopsticks allll the way

you get the point…. China is VERY reasonable for traveling in, especially coming from the UK where a hostel costs 15-20£ which is 30-40$ to share a bunk.

From the hotel we took a taxi down to a nearby Buddhist Temple. The Chinese architecture of the Temple was complimented by the aroma of incense burning in a massive iron pot beneath a building that was home to a 30-40 foot tall statue of Buddha. It was inspiring to have traveled to another place of worship that has been in use for thousands of years by a totally different culture and religion. The cathedrals of the west are beautiful in their way, and the temples of the east carry their own unique beauty that demands respect. We walked up to the statue and Jet showed me the proper way to pray to Buddha. I said a prayer for my family and friends (as I did in Canterbury, St. Patricks, Salisbury, Westminster and 3948673098745 other cathedrals) and showed my respect to what the temple represented; a higher power.

After the temple we walked up to an enormous Pagoda nearby the temple that was overlooking the countryside lake. The original Pagoda

finding peace in the Budhist Temple

was from over a thousand years ago, but the one we were in was built over top of the remains of the original one. It was amazing architecture like I’ve not had the chance to see before, and the view from the top was exactly what I pictured the countryside of China to be (the rich countryside that is). Standing at the top of the Pagoda the sun lingered in a cloudless sky behind mountains that have been beaten with time. A cool breeze floated across the lake from behind and wrapped around the Pagoda to where I was standing, flicking my jacket collar towards the crimson Chinese sun. A mist began to crawl its way across the water from the distant lightless coves and inlets. I stood looming down at the onslaught of mist, letting it build around the base of the Pagoda before descending.

That night we ate at a rather expensive restaurant. It is where many of China leaders have dined. We had 2 whole fish. They bring them to your table alive to show you that they are fresh before they cook them. We also had eel, and a bunch of different Chinese vegetables… and

Monk

The building with the massive buddha is behind us

Chinese beer. It was an amazing feast.

Later that evening we met up with some people that Jets girlfriend Annie knows. We went to a nice club for some dancing and beer. The dance floor in this place bounced to the peoples movement. It easily threw off our groove dancing, but was quite unique.

The following day we went out on a boat onto the lake. We hired an old Chinese guy to row us out in his small wooden craft for a near 2 hour trip. He told stories, which Jet translated to me, of monsters that live in the lake. He also told about the modern uses of the lake by Chinese leaders, and wealthy families. The tour took us through scenic waterways to a beautiful destination of tea fields and a silk factory. I got to see how the silk is made, and how the tea is grown in the area. The scenery on the lake by itself was the most impressive part of the whole experience. In the distance you can see the Pagoda that I explored the night before, and the restaurant we dined at in the opposite direction. The sun lit up

Buddha

He is chillin behind me

the hills and the lake like an artist only dreams of reproducing. I wish I could have spent more time at this small tucked away portion of the planet.

Back to Shanghai, the big city. It’s population is nearly 3 times that of New York City at a staggering 20+ million people. The city is immaculately clean, and the people amazingly nice. First thing we did when arriving back in the city was get a full body massage,,,, followed by a foot massage. I got too used to those. I want one right now… (and not just right now while I’m writing this, but I know wherever I’m at right now… I want one while you are reading this).

It was a day to explore the amazing city. Jet took me to The Oriental Pearl, the 4th tallest tower in the world, surpassing the Eiffel Tower. It gave a beautiful view of the city below. This was located in the big business district of the city and there were a lot of western faces around. These were the first I had seen since leaving the airport. The architecture of the city is astounding. There are developments everywhere. China

Crimson sunset

Hangzhou hills from atop of the pagoda

is growing at a staggering rate and I was able to witness that first hand.
Dinner was formal that evening. I didn’t know what to expect, I just knew that it was a Chinese formal dinner. Jet and I arrived first. The man that invited us to dinner was a 3 star captain in the Peoples Liberation Army of China (PLA), one promotion away from General. He is a close friend of Jets father and was accompanied by other friends; 3 OTHER Captains of the PLA. Neeeedless to say; I WAS a bit nervous…. Nevertheless the PLA made me feel welcome!! It was the most amazing dinner I’ve ever had in my life. The crazy part was the first toast that the Chinese Captain gave me…. (I won’t type it in my blog …. You will have to ask me in person … AND it will cost you a beer!!!!). I continued toasting with the other Captains and family of Jet.... they where soooo fun!!! I have to say .. the Chinese are the most hospitable people I have ever met!!

The dinner consisted of some GREAT Chinese food… tofu, pork, beef, organs of all kinds of animals, and

Other view

Jet atop the pagoda

diving duck feet (You just SUCK the thick skinned webbing off of the feet). The people were so great, they kept doing shots of Chinese whisky with me … and not just any Chinese whisky, but the best that China has to offer .. Muatai !!!!!

The next day was my last, I went out with Jet for another 2 hour massage to relax before my flight. This one was different though, it was the massage where the Chinese girls walk on your back!!! That was insane!! I want another one!!!!

We went back to Jets house and his mom steamed some fresh local crabs and readied a bottled of Muatai!! I’ve never eaten crabs quite the same way as the Chinese. They taught me how to rip the whole crab open and eat EVERYTHING on the inside…. So that’s how I did it. I washed it down with the Chinese nectar Muatai. Jet’s mom did shots with me on my last night there. We toasted to making new friends, and family on a world scale. I now have a Chinese aunt and uncle …. As well as a brother!!

Leaving on the plane from China was

picture perfect

I really make the China landscape look complete

sad. I will miss my Chinese family, and the friends that I made on my short visit. I hope that Jet’s family will some day come to America so that they may get the same hospitality that they gave me. China was an amazing country… from the big city of Shanghai to the beautiful temples and pagodas along the lake in Hangzho. I will return one day to China, but will stay for longer… until then I will carry the memories as fuel to save money and turn a once in a lifetime trip into a lifelong habit.

Another chapter closes and another opens as I head back to Heathrow airport London …but first laid over and stuck in Munich, Germany … because of the massive fog blanket … but that’s another story …

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