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Published: August 6th 2006
Beijing Central Railway Station - near Tianamen Square
Looks far less intimidating when all the sleeping bums get up for the day. The train to Mongolia leaves from hereSo a week in China - sounds tough eh? but actually it's been relatively easy! Though I'm feeling pretty hungry and a little disheartened at the moment.
While food is cheap, there's only so much appeal day old cooked meat on the street can actually hold. I haven't seen any sweet and sour pork or chicken cashew nuts yet. I realised today I hadn't eaten any dairy since i got here so figured cheese and crackers and yoghurt might pick me up.. only what cheese there is in the supermarket comes processed and packaged in thin strips, and when i found youghurt and bought it back to the backpackers a Chinese guy asked me "What you eating.. Noodles?" I get the feeling cows get to milk bearing age anywhere near here.
And my Visa card ain't working... two very expensive cellphone calls back to Nat Bank NZ haven't really told me much either, other than that they don't know why. Word to the unwise - don't use your card more than twice in 24hrs if it's not being accepted... machines will eat it and send it home automatically (but you knew that). For some reason I felt i should
check this out after the first go. Lucky! Anyway, there's many ways to skin a cat 😊
We've spent the last couple of days just preparing money etc for Mongolia in the morning and then wandering round the markets and back streets in the afternoon. My legs are going to fall off, but it's been great. I don't know, but I think I'll definately come back to China - I think it's the people, very friendly when they don't have an agenda. The phrase "Hullooo.. yu want wata? Velly velly cold!" has come to haunt us.
The biggest thing i've noticed here is that China is all about the little things. Guards wear red armbands and officials drive round in big black shiny Buicks (?!) with red & gold party logos. the Army marches round the city aimlessly and are terribly efficient at mundane tasks (we got chased out of Tianamen Sq while playing frisbee at 11pm.. they completely cleared the area in 2min.. Why?), but then no-one pays atention to pedestrian crossings - I think they're really just painted on to prove that they have them in case anyone asks. No-one maintains anythng until it breaks and
Meat on sticks
Oh, I almost forgot.. anyone for snakeskin, starfish, or tiny little crayfish? no-one pays any attention to road rules!
We went out to the Great Wall at Mutianu a couple of days ago. Was a huge highlight - a beautiful drive out through the country, and although the road had obviously been tidied up in places (being a major tourist route), old Hutongs (family residences) were scattered in fields all along the way. The weather was beautiful and crowds and hawkers were surprisingly sparse.. I'll let the photo's speak for themselves.
We're off to Mongolia the morning after tomorrow - and actually get to spend tomorrow night in a hotel! I think this booked tour thing is going to be a bit of a cash blowout.. we've been living on $50nz a day up till now, and have to pay the equivalent of $50 a day up front for all the tour "extras" when we get there - a little sneaky. All our $1600 is covering is a vehicle and translator whose capabilities are yet to be confirmed :/ Oh well, it was a good starting point.
Geat to hear frm all of you. Next time you hear from me I'll hopefully be in a Ger with congealed yak
Soldier and his pretty girlfriend
Under the road at Tianamen Square.. Mao TseDong! Heaps of great propoganda artwork. fat stuck to my beard 😊
K.
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Mark Leith
non-member comment
Awh, God Damned Mongolrians, keep knowking down mai chitty wharl!