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Hello Everyone!
So I kept saying I would do a travel blog...and here it is! I'm still getting used to this site, so many appologies in advance, also getting used to a chinese keyboard (only a few things are mixed around, but it could look interesting) and as always, appologies for my spelling, it never has and never will be my strong point when i'm typing this fast!
Well, the main thing is we are both doing brilliantly, and we are still together in China! CHINA! Its crazy (the song Crazy has just come on which reminds me of brains!) but it is crazy, Liam and I keep pausing for a second and saying, wow - we're actually in China, we really are doing this!
Lets start from the begining, i'll try to keep this witty, but excuse the rambling on, i'm just going to type what comes into my head, its not an essay, i'm not going to proof read this. Worringly enough these are my thoughts!
The plane ride over was pretty standard, I managed about an hours kip, can't say the same for Liam! The lack of sleep wasn't a good idea with the time difference etc... we left England at 16:45 and landed in Beijing at 9:30am..which was 2am on our clocks (this all builds up to an emotional melt down in a few hours from me..wait for it!) The security in Beijing airport is pretty intense, but as we have learnt, its like that everywhere, so we were both a bit sweaty palmed as we walked through, praying to anyone that would listen that we hadn't cocked up the Visa! But we flew through! The airport kicks Englands ass by the way, really clean and easy to use, huge aswell. We followed the signs to baggage and had to get a tube thing for about 5mins, then those conveyor-belt things you walk on, then we arrived at the baggage area, all signage (thankfully) in Chinese and Chinglish (they can't translate very well, so with a lot of the signs - you have to kinda guess what they are trying to say!) There are baggage handlers hanging around waiting to help, and trollys evenly spaced out right by the belt, so that theres no mad rush to get one. Bags arrived, and we loaded up and headed towards the exit. At this point I started to realise that, whilst we had arranged a airport pick up and gave them the relevent details, I had failed to ask where we meet them, and Beijing Airport isn't small. This was the first panic, we walked round the corner where everyone was waiting, hoping to see a big smile and a sign with our name on...nope right ok - we'll go and stand over there to see if there is anyone...no, ok ummmmmm, now what?! SO liam left his bag with me and had a wander 'looking English' to see if anyone would jump up and say "you look like an English backpacker thats just got off the plane...we're from the Hostel..." but again no luck so we both put the bags back on and started very slowly walking towards the taxi area, when all of a sudden some guy waving Danielle Roberts at me smiling and nodding with a set of car keys comes over! (Liam spots the keys have VW logo, so we start getting our hopes up) Another mile long walk to the car, each time we got closer to a nice looking van we started to relax, but he walked past them all.
Anyway we get to a banged up old rusting thing and he unlocks it - gutted! But still we smile jump in the back put our seatbe...no seatbelts, excellent! Liam spent the 30min journey with his arm over me having a heart attack! Bless!
Wow thats quite a ramble! And thats the first hour in China! I could go on for hours, but I shant!
I will write some more when its not late, and i'm not shattered!
However, here are a few things we have learnt so far:
1.The cars don't have seatbelts.
2.They drive like they are insane.
3.Zebra crossings are pointless.
4.If you are crossing at a "crossing" they won't slow down, so start running.
5.They spit everywhere, I mean proper flem up, gob on the floor spit. It turns my stomach everytime.
6.Everyone spits, all of the time, you never get use to it.
7.Children don't wear nappies, just slits in their trousers.
8.Seeing babies bums all the time stops being cute when they lay one out in the streetm anywhere..
9.They ALL smoke, constantly, streets, mopeds, restaurants, trains, taxi's....
10.They stare at you if your not Chinese, obviously as well.
11.They stop you to have a photo taken with you if your not Chinese.
12. They stop, then stop there family, and point and laugh at Liam when we're eating (once this happened...!)
13. They don't like toilet paper, or sitting down to pee.
14.My thigh's are like stone and I can squat.
15.Always carry toilet roll and give your sunglasses/ipod to Liam when you squat.
Thousand upon thousands more to write!
Just a quick last note, we were in Beijing, now in Xi'an, off to Cheng'du tomorrow. We've seen the forbidden city, where it rained alot! We've walked along the great wall, where we got sun burnt. We've been to the markets. We've experienced a sleeper train. We've been to see the Terrecotta Warriors, where we got ripped off ( another story, another time) And in Cheng'du, we get to see PANDAS!!!
Speak soon, Love to you all!
Don't forget us!
Dani n Liam xxxxxx
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Emma
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CRAZY!!!!!!!
Love it!! love the random stream of consciousness that are you deep inner thoughts!!! Sounds fab, except for the spit and the babys poo!! bleughh!!! Have a fab time with the pandas!! Cant wait for you next update now!! Was awesome to chat the other day!! Love you both See you soon!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx