Eyes to the Horizon,Feet on the Ground

Yungang Grottoes

2011-09-17T00:41:00.002+01:00

2009 09 19 – Days 85 – near Datong

Not too far from Datong, but in the opposite direction to the Hanging Monastery, is one of the most famous ancient Buddhist sculpture sites in China, the UNESCO World Heritage listed Yungang Grottoes.

A couple of the grottoes had wooden temples constructed in front.

While the rest are vulnerable to the elements and display signs of significant weathering.

I'm sure weathering is not the only explanation for this Buddha's lack of nose and other surface detailing - looting and vandalism must have occurred at some point in its history.
The many small holes were to hold short sticks of wood that supported a coloured plaster surfacing, both now fallen away by fair means or foul.
A couple of the grottoes have kept some of their colour and detail:

And this Buddha retains his surfacing in the form of blue robes up to his waist:

Either side of him:

Our guide told us that, rather than having complex scaffolding, the sculptors would cut in through the cliff and sculpt the head before gradually working down the figure and then cutting the door. Aside from the practical nature of this approach, it results in an aesthetically and spiritually pleasing arrangement whereby a visitor walks in through a darkened doorway to stand, often in dim light, by Buddha's feet. From there, your gaze is naturally drawn upwards to the light, the main source of which is Buddha's serene visage bathed in the natural light entering through the upper cutting.

There are 252 grottoes spread along the site,

many of them quite small,

but some are pretty big and of impressive craftsmanship.

This is the best preserved face on one of the large Buddha sculptures and is an iconic tourism image in China.

Hanging Monastery

2011-09-17T00:10:00.001+01:00

2009 09 19 – Days 85 – near Datong

One of three non-industrial reasons to stop in Datong, the Hanging Monastery is truly a fantastical sight.

Who would live on a cliff face like this?
Monks it would seem and not only those of a particular type as the Hanging Monastery has Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian elements.

The nearby trickle with pretensions of being a river must become a raging torrent with spring snow melt because some serious concrete channels had been constructed and our guide told us that the Monastery had been washed away a couple of times and rebuilt slightly higher up the cliff face.

Despite the place crawling with tourists, a well thought out one-way loop of a route enabled frustration free touring and appreciation of the vertiginous positioning.

Despite the simple wooden construction and sheer drops beside most walkways, the building felt stable, with a magical quality to the way it clung to the cliff.
Experiencing that stability while walking around it made the location seems slightly less ridiculous than when viewed from the valley floor.

One of the best preserved shrines.

Ceiling art, accompanied by an entirely necessary, but unnecessarily conspicuous smoke detector.

Is this really necessary!? Whether it should be there or not is debatable, but that it should be so conspicuous?

Building Capacity

2011-09-16T23:53:00.001+01:00

2009 09 19 – Days 85 – near Datong

My CITS tour group for the day was an eclectic mix, consisting of a French couple and Spanish lady all about the same age as me and an older Chinese couple who didn't speak any English. The six of us fit tightly but neatly into a little minibus with our driver and English-speaking guide.
The drive to the Hanging Monastery was a little less than two hours and mostly unremarkable. The road was in decent condition for the most part, there was little traffic to compete with and the countryside rolled by offering little to the eye, with the dust and smog I'd grown accustomed to draining the colour and life from the world.

However, there was one noteworthy event of the journey – a thought – a powerful and scary thought.
About an hour into our journey, we had to negotiate some road construction works. Nothing remarkable about that as there are construction projects everywhere you look in China. The new road was at least double the width of the one we were using, no doubt it would become a motorway with three or four lanes in each direction. Again, not a particularly noteworthy observation, but as we were driving away, I wondered why they would build such a big road when our much smaller road was far from full? What vast volume of traffic would it take to fill the new road? And what did that say about the expectations of car ownership and usage in China?

Considering the already terrible air quality, the prospect of such a huge road being filled with traffic, and car ownership becoming normal for the many millions of Chinese people, was a profoundly scary thought. How can the environment cope with such punishment?

Welcome to Datong, We've Been Expecting You...

2011-09-09T09:43:00.000+01:00

2009 09 18 – Day 84 – Datong

Datong is an industrial city with no particular reason to visit. It is, however, well placed to use as a base for visiting a few otherwise remote sites.
As with most of the Chinese stations I'd experienced, the arriving passengers spill out into a large square in front of the station without passing the ticketing or departure areas. So there I was, in the fading twilight, knowing that it's wise to buy your onward ticket as soon as possible, trying to decide whether to stay one night or two, as I really didn't want to stay any longer than possible, and whether I should even try and answer that question now, when I didn't yet have a bed for the night and didn't know if I could get on a tour the next day or not.
Not knowing anyone in the city, I was unnerved and on guard to see a middle-aged guy in a brown corduroy jacket striding purposefully towards me. I glanced around, confirming that there wasn't anyone else he was aiming for. Nope. It was definitely me...
Thankfully he turned out to be well intentioned. He was from CITS, the Chinese state tourism company, and he often looked for foreigners arriving from Beijing to see if he could help, despite it being beyond his normal working hours. Chatting about the tourism scene in Datong, he revealed that most visitors were, as I was, only passing through, not keen on staying and with a mind to see two or possibly all three of the tourism-worthy sites within range of the city.
Back in his nearby office, we struck a deal over a tour of two sites the next day and sorted a dorm bed in the basic hostel run by CITS.

With my objectives for Datong 'in the bag', I returned to the station and was delighted to be able to also secure an onward ticket for the following night. Sometimes everything just seems to fall in to place so effortlessly it's amazing. I'd arrived in Datong with nothing booked, having never been there before, barely able to utter a word of Chinese and yet within a couple of hours I had a bed for the night, a tour for the next day, an onward train ticket and was sat enjoying a basic but tasty local dinner! Incredible.

About Turn! - Westward Bound

2011-09-09T09:28:00.000+01:00

2009 09 17-18 – Days 83-84 – trains to Datong via Beijing

Just a few days earlier, leaving Beijing, I had thought that after Dandong I'd go further north and east to hike in a large national park, but my growing appreciation of the sheer size of China, and the realisation that it could be unwise to go hiking solo in an unknown mountainous area in autumn (off-season), forced me to make some more cuts to my possible destinations list and led to an overnight train to Beijing.

Stopping just long enough to buy a ticket and wait for the train, I was soon on a standing-room-only train to Datong, a short six hours to the east.
My standing status wasn't to last the full six hours though, thanks to the effervescent Shar Shar (aka Sarah) sat in front of me:

It came as no surprise that she normally worked in Beijing's infamous tourist trap The Silk Market, as she proceeded to assault me with her enthusiasm, transferring her everyday sales skills instead to social interaction. Surrounded as I was on all sides by other passengers, there was no escape from her verbal barrage, so it was of huge consolation that she was so smiley and good-humoured. It wasn't long before she forced her seat upon me. I tried to resist, but there's only so many times you can refuse someone's hospitality before you cause serious offence. I did manage to add in the clause that I would take it for only an hour and then she could have it back by which point she was actually quite pleased to sit down again. Although Shar Shar was a lovely person, friendly and fun, I wasn't too upset that she wasn't going all the way to Datong as her lack of interest in pausing for breath lead to one of the best demonstrations I've seen of what it takes to literally talk the hind legs off a donkey! Although she was a funny and engaging person, I was exhausted by the time she got off.

Much of the journey had been winding our way around under and through steep-sided mountains, but the last couple of hours were mostly over level terrain and I had a seat and conversation free calm to enjoy view.

As the sun set over the iconic yellow earth, it occurred to me that, throughout the entire six hour train journey, we'd never once escaped the smog! Could it really be that such poor visibility over such a large area was entirely man-made!?

I supposed it probably was, sadly, both possible and probable.

Korean War Museum

2011-09-09T08:47:00.003+01:00

2009 09 17 – Day 83 – Dandong

One of the few 'sights' of Dandong, this Korean War museum has an impressive title that simultaneously demonstrates both the descriptive nature of Chinese and the 'editorial line' of the curators. It's official name translates as:
'The Museum to Commemorate the War to Resist American Aggression and Aid Korea.'

A 53-meter cenotaph commemorates the 1953 cessation of conflict and the 115,000-400,000 (depending on who's counting) Chinese conscripts and volunteers who died executing Mao's "human wave" strategy, designed to overwhelm superior firepower and weaponry with sheer numbers.
For a small entrance fee you can climb the inside of the cenotaph for grand views of the arrayed hardware of war;

and, were it not for the smog, I'm sure there'd be spectacular views across the city and into North Korea, but sadly I couldn't see much further than the main museum buildings less than 100m away.

More hardware welcomes visitors,

followed by Mao Zedong and Kim Il Sung, the first among equals from the Chinese and North Korean sides, celebrating their hard won 'victory' with their comrades.

Flanking the statue are two short, two-storey, introductory texts: a "Joint Declaration of Democratic Parties in China" announcing the US/allied intention to "not only destroy [North Korea], but also annex Korea, invade China, rule Asia, even conquer the whole world." (4th November 1950); and an "Order of the Formation of the Chinese People Volunteers" declaring the righteous nature of their cause assisting their Korean neighbours in resisting the imperial aggressors (8th October 1950).

Somewhat surprisingly, the museum entrance was free which was a welcome change from my Chinese tourism experience so far and especially generous considering the scale and scope of he exhibition.
The range of artefacts on display was impressive and well presented including:
Chinese weaponry;

and standard kit;

US kit;

dynamic summaries of offensives and troop movements;

a mini reconstruction of a North Korean/Chinese tunnel base;

propaganda espousing the pointlessness of war and the joys home, dropped to break US/allied moral, and poignant letters home from GIs;

An informative section on the nascent Chinese airforce and an impressively arranged, painted and lit 360 degree diorama of a battlefield;

it was actually quite difficult to identify the join between three-dimensional models and painted backdrop.

Exiting the grounds of the museum gave you a closer encounter with the field of hardware.

Despite its impressive array of artefacts, information boards and well laid out displays, the museum was somehow a frustrating blend of the positive and negative possibilities of museums. As far as a museums responsibility to deliver a sense of how things were at a time in history, it was a huge success, with ample artefacts and plentiful pictures well edited, arranged and curated. However, as far as a museum might be expected to deliver an objective reflection on past events, the politics dictating the editorial of the information boards was perhaps more evident in what was not said rather than what was. For the most part, the boards offered an exhaustive catalogue of events, delivered without much more imagination than a list of names, dates, times and quantities (or whichever appropriate combination). It took me until I was about half way round to realise that of all the many information boards I'd read, not one had mentioned a US/Allied victory and while there were plentiful reference to (dubiously large) numbers of enemy killed or captured at each battlefield, there was not even one mention of a single Chinese or North Korean casualty or strategic loss. Campaigns were always presented as victorious, with no explanation as to why there were multiple 'successful' campaigns, at different times, for the same territory, no mention of the (presumably) enforced retreat between the different 'successful' offensives.
Throughout, the US/S.Korean/Allied forces are labelled as imperialist aggressors and oppressors while the Chinese/North Koreans are labelled as valiant volunteers and courageous defenders of freedom.
The walk back to my hotel gave me plenty of time to reflect on what effect that kind of one-sided account would have on Chinese visitors to the museum.... no wonder it was free entry!

Everyone Equal and Some More Equal Than Others

2011-09-04T22:07:00.000+01:00

2009 09 17 – Day 83 – Dandong

Returning to Dandong from The Great Wall should have been, as with the outward journey, a simple bus ride. But with no clearly defined bus stop on the nearby road, and having been ignored by the solitary bus that went past, I found myself increasingly open to hitching a lift from any vehicle going my way. A countryside local farmhand (I assume) joined me squatting by the side of the road and I attempted to say something useful about a bus to Dandong in Chinese, but his response only confirmed that we didn't understand each other beyond the fact that we were headed in the same direction
Eventually a taxi came by and I managed to flag it down. Although I was in no position to haggle with so few cars on the road, I gave it a go if only to minimise the degree to which I got ripped off. While negotiating I made it fairly clear with my arm gestures that my farmer friend would be coming too, but the driver was having none of it! I tried various ways of getting him to take both of us, including pushing for one price for me and a higher (but not double) price for the two of us, but the driver was immovable. His attitude stank of elitism, as if the country bumpkin wasn't worthy of a lift in his vehicle – so much for the egalitarianism of communism.
With the taxi driver threatening to leave both of us stranded, I had to concede defeat. Offering an apologetic shrug to the farmhand, I clambered in and abandoned him to his fate.

The Great Wall and North Korea

2011-09-04T22:03:00.000+01:00

2009 09 17 – Day 83 – Dandong

Not far from Dandong is the most northern and eastern section of The Great Wall. Dandong is about sixteen hours by train from Beijing and I found it mind boggling to reflect on the size of The Great Wall given that it runs not only to Beijing, but further west at least another twenty four hours of train journey! The question arises – Does the word 'Great' do it justice?

Rising quickly, The Wall provides a Great vantage point to survey the juncture of China and North Korea. The hills of the former falling to meet the flat farmlands of the latter, separated by the silver ribbon of the Yalu River.

The only North Korean settlement in sight was a small farming village and, at the crest of the wall, a local entrepreneur provided an old, possibly military, telescope to satisfy the inevitable curiosity of tourists. For a small fee of course. Though it felt a little wrong, I couldn't resist a peek and paid the 3 RMB to spy on the unsuspecting villagers below. It felt like I was looking back in time. The way the people dressed, the tools they used, no evidence of basic modern improvements like road surfacing or telegraph or power lines. I tried to capture an image using the telescope to assist my camera and though I didn't manage to photograph exactly what I'd just been looking at, I managed to get something:

Before I could take any more shots, the telescope owner spotted what I was doing and made a noisy display of disapproval, shooing me off his prize asset.

Sometimes even the ambitious engineers of The Great Wall can't improve on nature's natural barriers:

Walking back around the base of the hill takes you literally within a stones throw of North Korea. About as close as you can get without actually trying to cross the border.

I don't know what the sign says, but I could swim it from here.

Teasing those who might be tempted to try and cross, this boats bottom was so holy it would be about as buoyant as a colander!

At busier times, these small boats would be offering tourists a slightly closer view of their neighbours, but without some pretty good yarns to go with it, I doubt if the few feet of proximity gained would be worth it.

Dark by Day, Light by Night

2011-09-04T21:18:00.000+01:00

2009 09 16 – Day 82 – Dandong

With smog strangling the strength of the sun, it seemed like Dandong's days might never be described as bright and twilight slid effortlessly into night.
On came the lights and with them the city seemed to come to life, becoming simultaneously more lively and cheery.

The China-North Korea Friendship Bridge became more friendly, though gaudy, with its lights gently cycling through the primary colours.

A nightly, musically enhanced fountain show provided a pleasant backdrop:

But it wasn't clear if the purpose was to entertain the (few) tourists, the locals or to show off to the North Koreans across the river.
There were plenty of locals about, but most didn't pay much attention to the fountains, entertaining themselves, often in group activities like this tai chi group:

Around Dandong

2011-04-19T23:53:00.004+01:00

2009 09 16 – Day 82 – Dandong

After a comfortable overnight train from Chengde, I arrived in the industrial city of Dandong which sits on the Yalu River that defines the border with North Korea.
The sun seemed to be fighting a losing battle with the smog.

Not particularly keen to spend more than the one night necessary to see all there was to see, I managed to buy a train ticket away for the next evening and then set about finding a place to stay. Happily, that didn't prove too difficult, as Lonely Planet's information proved accurate.
It was quickly becoming clear that Dandong was far less prepared for international travellers than Beijing or a more obvious tourist destination like Chengde. This was emphasised when, as I was heading out to explore, I accidentally broke my key in the lock of the door to my room! I found a cleaner and showed them the problem, neither of us understanding a word the other was saying. After that, all I could do was wait as a succession of people came to try their hand at fixing the problem. Had I been in an English speaking hotel, I would have felt comfortable leaving them to fix the door while I went out, but limited by our mutual lack of language, I wanted to do more to be sure my stuff was secure. Eventually, thankfully, the bit of key was extracted and I was able to move my stuff to a different room and head out to explore. The staff were very pleasant throughout the whole incident. I had worried there would be shouting and finger pointing and demands of money, but there was none of that and they even returned my full deposit when I checked out the next day.
Despite the setback in time and the blanket of smog enveloping the city, there was still light enough to explore:

The Yalu River side

The North Korean side of the river is visible in the background. There is supposedly a city on the other side, but the horizon was mostly a tree line, with the occasional building just about discernible. Maybe on a clear day there are more buildings visible... if they have clear days.

This a tourism jetty. You can take tours along the river and close to the North Korean side. I gave it a miss.
Behind are the two bridges on the river. One of the bridges only extends part way into the river as it was not repaired after the Korean War. The complete, China-North Korea Friendship Bridge, carries rail and road traffic between the two countries. I saw plenty of trucks crossing from China into North Korea, but no other type of vehicle and nothing coming back the other way.

The next day, I got a few other views of the city

Above are some of the few older buildings in the central area, before Dandong, like most Chinese cities it seems, became more vertically inclined.

There is quite a Korean feeling about parts of the centre and certainly plenty of Korean influence in the places to eat.
Some shops more obviously welcomed Koreans than others.

Chengde Signs

2011-04-19T23:30:00.001+01:00

2009 09 15 – Day 81 – Chengde

I agree! It would be entirely inappropriate in the courtyard of a temple, as would this:

Can we jump up? Or fall down? Or climb down?

While wandering the palaces of Bìshǔ Shānzhuāng, I became a bit exasperated at the unimaginative information boards, too many of which stole small portions of my life by just describing what my eyes would be telling me if they weren't busy reading the stupid text! All was forgiven however, when I came across this beauty:

The sign reads: “The former address of the Emporer's toilet.”
Now I'm no postie, but I'm sure this address received plenty of 'Special Deliveries'!

While waiting for the train onward from Chengde to Dandong I spied the sign beneath the tv, which reads 'DO NOT GOB ANYWHERE'. This tickled me, partly because I was surprised to run into that particular slang verb, and partly because it seemed the perfect word to describe the rather too enthusiastic and vocal clearing of Chinese throats all over their streets. I had seen and heard enough of such action to feel it was a problem, even though I understand the situation is much improved in recent years.

Imperial Retreat

2011-04-19T23:19:00.000+01:00

2009 09 15 – Day 81 – Chengde

Chinese Emperors spent significant time in the cooler valley climate of Chengde, escaping the summer heat of Beijing, which is why there are so many historical sites in the area. Much of their time was spent in Bìshǔ Shānzhuāng, which translates as 'Mountain Resort for Avoiding the Heat'. The resort is spread over a large area, including palaces, administrative and ceremonial buildings and is landscaped in such a way as to mimic the hugely varied terrain and undergrowth of all the Emperor's territory - there are grasslands, woods, hills and lakes. The various buildings and artifacts on display were interesting enough, but the real pleasure for me was wandering the grounds in glorious sunshine.

There were various minibuses and boats to help you get around, but I felt more inclined to explore by foot.

Being by myself and moving softly enabled this chance encounter:

I was amazed to be able to get so close (this is taken with a wide lens), but it didn't hang around for long, gliding gracefully into a wooded area nearby as other people approached less softly.

It was quite something to watch this fishy feeding frenzy provoked by tourists. I think they were using fish food... I hope so.

All in all, the gardens of the resort were a lovely place to spend a few hours wandering and sitting in g the shade reflecting.

Mini Potala Palace

2011-04-06T10:37:00.001+01:00

2009 09 15 – Day 81 – Chengde

Putuo Zongcheng Temple, modelled on the Potala Palace in Lhasa, is a definite highlight of Chengde.
The view from the car park is impressive:

but not quite as impressive as this view.

The top of a gateway

The Imperial way to ascend. Sadly there were no porters.

I can't help but feel a little uncomfortable looking at this sculpture. It seems to me as if the elephant's forelimbs are broken.... and yet an image search for 'elephant lying down' reveals that the sculptor wasn't entirely wayward.

Approaching the temple involves a stroll uphill through pleasant gardens,

followed by a steep climb up stone stairs

Inside is much more human than the formidable sheer outer walls would have you believe

and worth exploring.

This exposed pillar paintwork tells you everything you need to know about the strength of the sun here, standing in it too long and why there are so few windows in the building.

Imperial stage for Imperial performances... presumably for, rather than by the Emperor.

Up on the roof there's little chance to escape the heat of the sun,

so I didn't stay up there long - completing a short lap and briefly enjoying the views -

like this one, across another of the Eight Outer Temples of Chengde to Sledgehammer Peak, before descending to join my little tour group.

Can't See the Wood for the Musicians

2011-04-06T09:56:00.001+01:00

2009 09 15 – Day 81 – Chengde

After the underwhelming Hill Temple, I wasn't expecting a lot from Puning Temple.

I think they were preparing for the upcoming 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China celebrations, but I'm not sure.

The main temple building, in front of which some musicians were playing:

I was quite interested in some of their instruments and the sounds they were making, but couldn't stand around all day and so moved on to explore elsewhere.

I'd imagine whatever is at the bottom of that pile is pretty secure!
But it wasn't just that pile, there were padlocks all over the place on railings, lanterns and anything that seemed a permanent fixture in the gardens behind the temple.

To leave the temple complex, tourists are herded along a mock ancient street lined with shops overflowing with everything a tourist could want

I wasn't too put off by 'tourist street' until costumed children appeared to perform short acrobatic feats before requesting money.
I hurried on through.

It wasn't until I was on the train to my next destination that I realised I'd missed something. Scanning through the Lonely Planet to read some history that I might have missed due to my guide speaking Chinese, I was confused by not being able to find the write up of this temple. Digging out my ticket confirmed that it was Puning Temple, but the Lonely Planet guide said that Puning Temple contained the world's largest wooden sculpture! Where the hell was that then!? How could I have missed it!? I raced through the pictures on my camera in disbelief.
Ah. That's where it was!

Distracted by the musicians, tourists milling in the doorways, and a little pressed for time, I'd elected not to jostle for a view inside.
That'll learn me! Always know what you're going to see!
Ah well. Maybe I'll see it next time I'm in town! :P

Hill Temple

2011-04-06T09:33:00.000+01:00

2009 09 15 – Day 81 – Chengde

Having been only semi-conscious during my arrival and tour negotiation, I was aware that I was joining a Chinese language tour, but not entirely sure what the itinerary was. First up was a hill temple I'd never heard of. Not an ideal start, but the day was young and, as I wasn't going to understand any of the information dispensed by our guide, I was free to wander at my own pace.
The courtyard of the temple provided good views over Chengde in the valley below,

and an inevitable construction site:

It wasn't obvious whether this sculpture quarry was still operational.

The temple buildings themselves weren't particularly noteworthy, but I was taken by some of the art :

The Early Bird Catches the Tour

2011-03-27T10:43:00.001+01:00

2009 09 15 – Day 81 – Chengde

Arriving in Chengde at 04:30 or thereabouts, I expected a bit of a wait before I could find out about visiting the tourist sights. I was wrong. Riding the high-tide of arriving passengers, I was teased out of the flow like a tickled trout and, before I knew it, I had negotiated a tour deal and was sat in a minivan on the way to a hotel to dump my stuff, splash some water on my face, find some food and wait for the sun to rise!
After freshening up, I had a bit of time to wander the chilly pre-dawn streets.

This square was virtually empty just 20 or 30 minutes earlier, but now was alive with people exercising, some individually, but mostly in groups. Aerobics, dancercise, tai chi and foot-badminton were the most common.

And while some exercised their limbs, others exercised their songbirds

Now most of the city was awake I could get breakfast:

On my morning stroll, I'd seen one of the reasons American fast food chains like McDonalds and KFC are making headway into the Chinese market – because, at certain times of the day, they're the only places open!
I'm glad I held out for a genuine Chinese breakfast.

Travelling Lessons Learned

2011-03-27T10:27:00.001+01:00

2009 09 14/15 – Days 80/81 – Shanhaiguan to Chengde

Doing things takes time. Of course I knew that, but how much time? Depends on the things doesn't it? And whether you've done it before, and whether you're dependent on others, and how dependable they are, and how reliable your information is etc etc. All pretty obvious stuff. In hindsight. Knowing how much time to allow is something that comes with experience. Which is exactly what I got as I made my way from Shanhaiguan to Chengde.

With a 5pm last bus departure on the horizon, and disappointed with smog shrouded visibility on my morning walk, and swayed by the underwhelming Lonely Planet write up of the actual sight of the Great Wall entering the sea, I opted to abandon an afternoon visit, despite it being the main reason I was in Shanhaiguan.
I was keen to avoid a potentially panicky race for the last bus to Chengde because, to catch it, I first needed to get to the nearby city of Qinhuangdao, a local bus ride away. No problem when you're a local, but not so straight forward as a foreigner who can't speak, read or write! Lonely Planet was understanably short on detail for this minor tourist destination, but they did have this particular bus journey and after a fun half hour of bobbly wobbly bus ride, I was in Qinhuangdao.
But where in Qinhuangdao? The final stop was a bit of a car park of local buses in an area of town with no recognisable buildings – no intercity bus station, no train station, no town hall or even post office. I was surrounded by non-descript concrete block apparments and offices.
I joined a queue to a nearby concrete shed masquerading as a ticket office to enquire about the bus to Chengde. I didn't hold out any hope that it actually left from here, or that the people behind the counters spoke any English, but I didn't yet have an alternative plan of action. If my bus didn't leave from here, then where? And how to get there? Time was slipping away.
A smiley local approached and applied his broken English as best he could. Conversation was a struggle, but I persevered, hoping he would help me find my bus. Victory was short lived. Once I had managed to make my travel plans understood, it was immediately clear that he thought there was no bus to Chengde! His advice was to go back to Beijing and out to Chengde by train, there are many. He proposed to drive me to the train station.
I was sure he was right about the frequency of trains, but I wasn't sure that he really knew there was no bus. But I was running out of time and options, and the train station offered the possibility of other people who might know about the bus to Chengde. If that bus didn't exist I would be well placed for plan B. I decided to go with him, still alert to the potential of this being one big con on the short brisk walk to his car, which was 'not far' and 'over there'. The fact that his car was indeed not far and over there was encouraging. The fact, revealed shortly after we'd joined traffic, that he'd been drinking, was not. If I understood correctly, he'd been at a business lunch where they'd eaten and drunk a lot. No wonder he was so happy! The walk to the car, the first minutes of the drive and my experience with Ruslan, encouraged me to not confuse his coordination with my concerns of his driving under the influence. Fortunately the drive was short.
At the train station, my merry local found a station official to share a laugh with over the idea of a bus to Chengde, before jumping queues to help me buy a ticket for the next train to Beijing.
Returning to Beijing was frustrating and disappointing. I had been trying to not retrace my route and though this wasn't a major problem, travelling two sides of a triangle instead of one would significantly delay my arrival in Chengde. A delay that also wouldn't be a big problem if I hadn't already bought my onward ticket. But I had, before I left Beijing.
It now looked like I'd have to skip sightseeing in Chengde as most of the day I'd allocated for it would be spent arriving and departing. This prospect was particularly frustrating because I had squeezed the less interesting Shanhaiguan into my schedule on the back of the mythical 5pm bus to Chengde.
I had come unstuck in Khazakstan, with future fixtures restricting my in-the-moment flexibility, due to a fixed schedule from Moscow to Beijing. But I'd defined that before I left the UK, this current setback was one of my own making and I had to learn my lesson!
I used the five hour train ride back to Beijing to critically revisit my speculative and sketchy schedule for China. It was a pencil plan of possibilities. Too many possibilities! I chopped away at the edges to create more room manoeuvre – off came a number of possibles in the North East -chop- including a national park along the North Korean border -chop- off came a horse trek in Inner Mongolia -chop- there would be no time to return to the west of China -chop-chop-etc-chop-etc.
Arriving late in Beijing, I had accepted my setback, learned my lesson and felt better having created a more realistic, achievable, and full yet flexible plan for China. I had resigned myself to only passing through Chengde, rather than touring, as I went to buy my train ticket for the next day.
Chengde is about five hours by train from Beijing so, given that it was about 22:00, I was surprised to find that the next train wasn't early the next morning, but at 23:15! A brief rush of panicky uncertainty, at the prospect of a sleepless night in a seat, failed to defeat the surge of excitement at the prospect of touring Chengde after all and the lure of a cheap ticket and night. Before I knew it I was scurrying along a platform and into a carriage. Hesitating in the face of possible Chinese protocol over unreserved seating, I was happy to be rescued, not for the first time, by local teenage girls, who invited me to join them. That they were returning home to Chengde was about the extent of possible conversation and soon enough, they had heads on arms on table and fell fast asleep. An activity most passengers seemed engaged in:

except me!
I struggle to sleep sat upright at the best of times, but a hard seat, noisy train, uncertain security situation and unfamiliar surroundings were never going to let my exhaustion get the better of my consciousness.
I tried to rest my eyes as best I could.

Shanhaiguan Signs

2011-03-27T09:33:00.001+01:00

2009 09 13/14 – Days 80 – Shanhaiguan

Little grass is having rest,please don't disturb them

The fish are enjoying themselves; please don't disturb them.

Inspired by the Boomtown Rats?

Around Shanhaiguan

2011-03-21T00:14:00.002Z

2009 09 14 – Day 80 – Shanhaiguan

Like Qianmen in Beijing, Shanhaiguan is part of the 'new old' China.
The new arched entrance to the old tourist attraction The First Pass Under Heaven:

The building to the left with the circular windows is part of the hotel I stayed in, which was very convenient.

New flat surfaces and sharp edges abound in the old town. Perhaps everything's new?

Except this food stall. Delicious spicy eggy pancakes – a staple breakfast item for my time in Beijing, so I don't know why I didn't have a good picture of one earlier.

The sun came out, collaborating with the smog to make my photo of The First Pass Under Heaven look like it's from the 1970s or something:

Within the tourist zone around and beyond the gate are a variety of gentle entertainments:

archery with arrows of dubious quality – they each lacked at least one fletching; drumming on massive drums of impressive sound and rebound; wide wall walking:

bashed biscuit buying

(and eating! Mostly almond and honey I think. Mmm!)
In fact there was plenty of opportunity to buy a variety of tourist tat, but I declined the enthusiastic stall holders' advances.

The rising ranks of tour groups were beginning to crowd my space. It was time to move on.

Culture Museum

2011-03-20T23:58:00.002Z

2009 09 14 – Day 80 – Shanhaiguan

Although I wasn't particularly looking for it, the tourist shepherds of Shanhaiguan ensured I visited the small but enjoyable Culture Museum.

A pleasure to see some genuinely old artifacts in this 'renovated' town.

I really liked the look of these ornately carved raised beds, though I imagine I'd need a larger size.

I really like this sculpture.
There's something ugly about the proportions and yet its simultaneously beautiful from its curves and flow of forms.
Wonderful! :)

I See No Sea

2011-03-20T23:43:00.001Z

2009 09 14 – Day 80 – Shanhaiguan

I rose early with ambition to climb the nearby section of The Great Wall, hopeful of a grand view over Shanhaiguan and out to sea, before checking out some of the touristy stuff in town and a visit to the shore before heading on to my next destination at the end of the afternoon. Seemed feasible.
A short but wobbly ride in a three wheel red Reliant Robbin wannabe got me to the Great Wall park before anyone else, including, it seemed, the park staff! At first, I was being told by my driver and others hanging around outside, that it wasn't open yet and I couldn't enter, but the gates were wide open and my persistence eventually revealed that actually it was just the chairlift that wasn't operational yet and if I was crazy enough to walk up, then of course I could enter! Which I did. At that point, of course some staff did materialise from round some corner or other to make sure I paid my entrance fee.

Didn't look too bad a climb.
Before I knew it I had my own personal Great Wall climbing coach:

Waddling up to my side and then bouncing on ahead, then pausing to grin back at me – come on Martin! It's enthusiasm was infectious. I'm not quite sure how it managed to bound up stairs twice the height of it's legs, but it was inspirational!

As the climb got progressively steeper I started to worry for my little chum, who now needed more regular breaks, lungs clearly working overtime, visibly heaving. But the panting pooch would not give it up... Until the onward path was a ladder into a tower:

Or so I thought! Down the other side of the tower and re-joining the wall, there was pooch, waiting for me! Clearly the little bounder had been this way before.

Entering the wooded crest of the hill I began to encounter beasties:

Spiders with leg spans of about 15cm, and possibly the hairiest caterpillar ever:

Good thing the temple at the peak had some guardians:

Over the other side, the scenery was quite different and the sun began to power its way through the smog, giving me hope of a fine view:

But time wore on and sun and smog seemed to reach a stalemate and I had to return to the town if I wanted to fit everything in.
By the time I was most of the way down, the smog had won and, though I had a reasonable view of the plain between mountains and sea that Shanhaiguan protected, I would not have the view to the sea that I'd hoped for.

But a wedding or two is not a bad substitute!

One of the two couples enjoying a photoshoot with the greatest of walls on their special day.

Back in town, visiting the First Pass Under Heaven, I got a consolation prize:

At last! A view of the sea!
Ok, not quite what I'd hoped for, but a fine artistic depiction of the strategic significance of Shanhaiguan and its position between mountains and sea.

Shanhaiguan Nightlife

2011-02-11T17:32:00.000Z

2009 09 13 – Day 79 – Shanhaiguan

First stop after Beijing – Shanhaiguan – a heavily 'restored' old town to the east of Beijing, occupying a strategic location between the mountains and the sea and well known for being the only place The Great Wall meets the sea.

Having arrived at the end of the afternoon, I'd barely had sufficient time to find a place to stay and settle in before darkness fell.

And so out I strode into the warm summer night in search of dinner

The spiders crafting impressive webs on their lampposts were easily large enough that a few could make substantial and possibly nutritious dinner... but no way was I tempted to try!

There were very few people out and about, but those that were still managed to obstruct my photography:

having said that, I think the silhouettes add to this photo. I believe the man is airing his crickets – which gave the street a lovely gently musical ambiance.

Eventually, having left the old town, I found a streetside barbecue.

With the help of the smiley, friendly, if a little embarrassed, teen girls waiting the tables, and a good deal of pointing and not being fussy, I managed to have a fairly tasty dinner of fish, sausage, garlic bread and pepper. I'd innocently ordered what I thought was a bell pepper to add some veg to the meal, but in fact it was a massive chili pepper! It was one of those hot peppers where you know its hot after you've had some, but the true heat doesn't come through until two or three bites later... by which point it was far too late. Trying to keep my breathing normal, stem the sweat at the hairline, soothe my mouth with beer and not cry was tough for a moment or two, but I beat it... mostly... I did have hiccups for much of the rest of the evening!
Walking off the chili-pepper before bed and exploring the town a little, I hadn't gone far before the sound of drumming danced out of the darkness and, like the flame beguiling a moth, drew me to its source.

A small troop were giving a bit of a streetside show and a rag-tag band of onlookers had gathered. It looked like some kind of amateur/hobby group thoroughly enjoying themselves. I watched from the sidelines for a good 15-20 minutes till they were done, enjoying the rhythm of the drums, the crashing of the symbols and the enthusiasm of the performers. One sprightly elderly gent with a twinkle in his eye, and doing a good job of looking like a Chinese drag-queen, spied me grinning from the sidelines on his way by and made at least a couple of attempts to rope me in! A negotiation that brought much to the amusement of the chubby teen who'd sidled to my side for a closer look at the sole foreigner present.
Soon after the last drumbeat had ebbed out into the night, I beat a hasty retreat back through the old town to my bed.

Leaving Beijing

2011-02-11T17:08:00.000Z

2009 09 13 – Day 79 – Beijing

Having been in Beijing for four weeks and settled (despite my hostel hopping) into some kind of routine, with Chinese language and cooking classes, I found it surprisingly difficult to leave. I think a big part of it was the daunting task of trying to elucidate a plan for my next month or two of travel in China – there's so much to see and do!
Where to start? This was difficult even though I'd cut the country in two in my overall plan.
In the end I got close enough to formulating a plan, though far from complete, with the first few destinations and resolved to get on the road again. However, in my 'settled' state, I wasn't yet confident enough with my basic language skills to buy my own train tickets and so resorted to the relatively expensive luxury of the hostel travel desk.
Having bought the tickets the day before departure, and as the station was barely three minutes walk from the hostel, I was relaxed about collecting them and left it until just over an hour before departure. As the girl was handing over the tickets, she froze.
“These are for today.” she said.
“Yep” I casually confirmed.
She looked at me, looked at the tickets, looked at her watch and back at me.
“You have to go.” She said in deadly serious English.
“You're going to miss your train” said her face in international body language.
Suitably panicked and starting to feel a little sick at the thought of missing my train, I raced around gathering my stuff from the storage room and legged it over to the station. Just like my first Chinese rail departure, the station was vast and had security checks at the entrance, but it didn't take long to get inside, find my departure hall and soon enough I was wondering what all the fuss was about as I waited for half an hour or so to depart on time, as expected.

Book Review – Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers

2011-02-11T16:55:00.001Z

2009 09 – Beijing

I enjoyed A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers, for its engaging exploration of differences of culture, philosophy and thought through Z, a young Chinese girl, come to England for an education, and her romantic entanglement with an older English man. The book is written as Z speaks, beginning with the basic and broken language of a beginner, evolving as she adjusts to her new life and eventually becoming almost as fluent as a native speaker. Throughout there are interesting and amusing situations arising from the difficulties of translation, not only because meanings don't easily align, but also because the ways of thinking underpinning the languages have some important differences.

The Great Wall

2011-01-31T22:26:00.003Z

2009 09 07 – Day 73 – 3 hrs bus north west of Beijing

“The Great Wall of China; a miracle of Chinese engineering, so big you can see it from anywhere in the world.“ - Father Ted ("Are You Right There, Father Ted?").

Thanks to Ben for tickling my brain with this particular piece of comedic genius. I laughed my way along the four hour walk that is the Jinshanling to Simatai section.

For those who'd like to see that I was actually there and placate the enthusiastic middle-aged local Chinese lady who'd decided we were walking buddies. A whole group of them joined us tourists at the point we got on the wall – the men-folk were apparently working the fields. My 'guide' entertained me with her broken English banter for an hour or so, before persuading me to buy a few of her goods. Normally I would have avoided buying, but she'd been so enthusiastic, cheery and not pushy, that I wanted to acknowledge her good attitude as much as anything.

It's quite amazing when you get views like this, with every rise within sight having a tower on it and the wall snaking its way up and down along the ridges between.
Although we had something of a timetable to keep to meet a bus at the other end, I was confident enough of my pace, from counting the number of towers I'd passed and watching the time, to allow myself to fall behind a bit, to enjoy the wall alone and take pictures at my own pace.

Occasionally the sun would find its way through the thin cloud, which looks good, but with the temperature rapidly rising, I'd be glad when the cloud covered it up again.

A fair few of these millipedes were also making the trek, despite some gruesome evidence of the hazards of hiker's feet – at least half of the millipedes I saw were splat flat and stuck to the stone.

At times the wall was incredibly steep, managed at times with steps

and at others with slopes

and in case you didn't notice the slope:

Most times you could go through the towers, and buy water, snacks, postcards or t-shirts from the sole occupant entrepreneurs,

but sometimes you had to go round the side and re-mount the wall

The start of the dramatic descent to Simatai

Much of the wall from here to Simatai was heavily restored and, having been sympathetic to the regularly observed indignation to wholesale restoration from travellers and Lonely Planet, I found my perspective on the issue shifting. I think it's important to leave some sections unrestored, just maintaining them and making them safe to walk, but I did value walking on some distance of restored wall and gaining a better insight to how it might have looked and felt when it was in use. Of course I'm no expert in the nature and implementation of such restoration works and couldn't say that they'd done the job in the most historically sympathetic way or not.
It was along this restored section near Simatai that I passed an enthusiastic German family. Though we were the only people in sight, they tempered their exuberance as we neared, as most people would, and we exchanged polite nods and hellos. I'd hardly walked 20 meters further when the father couldn't hold back any longer and opening his lungs at the wilderness to the north he roared:
“Die Mongolen kommen!!”
Which gave me something else to laugh about for the rest of the day :)

A section in the process of being restored that I couldn't help but think of as a massive skate ramp!

A bit like a roller coaster, no sooner had I come down, than I wanted to go up again!

The Wall climbs dramatically beyond the Simatai exit, which made me want to ascend, but I only had strength and time enough to climb past two or three towers. Besides, you can't get to the top of that section, or at least it's shut off, as it's deemed too dangerous for general access.

All that up and down is tough on the legs and plenty of tourists pay a few RMB more to ride the zip-line down the last section across a little lake

But I quite like walking and so I did that instead.

Yonghegong - Lama Temple

2011-01-31T20:53:00.004Z

2009 09 05 – Day 71 – Beijing

Thanks to my Dad's love for silliness and wordplay, I can't help but associate the word 'Lama' with this Ogden Nash ode to the llama:

The one-L lama,
He's a priest.
The two-L llama,
He's a beast.
And I would bet
A silk pajama
There isn't any
Three-L lllama.

Of course the above poem has absolutely nothing to do with the Buddhist Lama Temple in Beijing – Yonghegong.

It seemed to be the done thing to offer incense at the temple and so I'd bought the second cheapest pack from one of the multitude of stalls on the street outside the front gate. However, once inside, I didn't feel the inclination to make such an offering. Watching those who lit their sticks of incense, raised them to their forehead and bowed three times before planting the sticks in the large sand-filled iron troughs, the thought of mimicking that spiritual gesture made me feel like an imposter. Thankfully there was no real pressure to offer incense, so I didn't, but that did leave me with a pack of incense in my bag for a week!

I love these Buddhist gods with a million limbs! On the left is The Great Dignity and Virtue (Yamantaka) and on the right is Kala-chakravajra (both 18th Century gilt copper).

It Takes Shoes To Tango

2011-01-31T20:11:00.002Z

2009 09 04 – Day 70 – Beijing

As someone who enjoys a boogie and having enjoyed my brief encounters with salsa, my curiosity was peaked, on a 'What's on in Beijing' type website, by an advert for tango lessons at a newly opening studio. Following a flurry of emails with the people running the studio, it seemed it would be ok for me to attend in smart-casual wear – which was the best I could do from my limited rucksack wardrobe.
The lesson was good fun and by the end of the class I thought I'd got on ok and not embarressed anyone too much with my attire when Camila, the instructor and owner of the studio, offered me some passing advice. “Next time,” she said, aiming at my feet,”prepare the shoes”... I wasn't sure if she'd noticed my sandals! :D
A bit of a launch party followed, with a lot more people turning up and Camila and her guest Argentinian partner showing us all how it should be done:

Window Shopping

2011-01-31T18:33:00.001Z

2009 08-09 – Beijing

I'm not a big fan of shopping, but it has to be done at times and curiosity is a good enough reason, so thank goodness for the concept of window shopping!

Wangfujing street, one of the trendiest places to shop in Beijing these days, is so well known that Chinese tour groups visit in little golf-cart trains. Sadly I didn't have my camera ready when I passed one, so don't have the photo evidence... you'll no doubt be able to imagine it though.

Just behind the mega-malls is a network of small lanes packed with small stall holders selling all kinds of stuff.

Window shopping here can be a bit testing – almost before you've even thought of having a closer look at the thing that caught your eye on the way by, there's a stall owner at your side, dizzying you with their incessant buzzing presentation of their goods and desperation to not let you go without a purchase. At this point comes the true power of a window shopper – with genuinely no need to buy, it's wonderfully easy to walk away after a price enquiry and listen to the price come tumbling down as you leave.

A shoe stall in the infamous Silk Market – the stall owners here have no compunction over grabbing a would-be customer and man-handling them to consider their wares!

Panjiayuan Market is a vast weekend antique flea market, selling pretty much every Chinese cultural item you could imagine.

I'm not sure that everything sold under these parasols were genuine antiques... to my untrained eye, some items looked like they'd been recently buried and dug up!

The parking lot for the retailers:

I loved the sight of these tricycle wagons and the various uses they were put to.

The Summer Palace

2011-01-28T17:17:00.000Z

2009 09 02 – Day 68 – Beijing

Once an imperial retreat and now a UNESCO World Heritage site, The Summer Palace is one of the 'must see' attractions of Beijing. Sadly on the day of my visit, Beijing smog thought it would be fun to come along for the ride:

A smogged view across Kunming Lake to Longevity Hill. Both were entirely man made, with the excavated earth from the lake being used to build the hill.

The lovely local Fiona, who joined me for the day and whose brightness banished the smog where the sun could not.

A dragon boat rid across the lake is nice... would be nicer sans smog.

The Marble Boat lakeside pavillion.

The Long Corridor, a 728m covered walkway between the lake and Longevity Hill, with more than 14,000 (apparently unique) paintings depicting various episodes from Chinese classical literature and folk tales.

A variety of impressive imperial buildings adorn the south and lake side of Longevity Hill:

The north side also has its fair share:

Near the north entrance, there is a custom built tourism village! I was there middle of the day on a Wednesday, so I imagine that's why it was fairly empty:

There was no way I wanted to walk around that tour group trap, so I legged it as soon as I had the photo!

The famous Seventeen-Arched Bridge, a leisurely stroll through the manicured gardens around the lake from Longevity Hill and back to near the east entrance where I began. As the sun gave up its battle with the smog for the day, the bridge was gradually transformed into a fashion runway for an assembled media pack.

Five Pagoda Temple and Stone Carving Museum

2011-01-28T16:40:00.001Z

2009 09 02 – Day 68 – Beijing

The disused Buddhist Five Pagoda Temple and Beijing Art Museum of Stone Carvings provided an interesting stop-off as part of a canal boat tour ride to the Summer Palace.

I love the way these mythical dragon/lion beasts look like they're so good humoured! I think they look like they're having a good laugh with you about something. They look so happy to see me - it makes me grin in response – so I'm happy to see them too! :)

though this beasts owner doesn't look too amused...

Book Review – The Wisdom of Crowds

2011-01-28T16:23:00.002Z

2009 09 – Beijing

About this time I finished reading The Wisdom of Crowds... a provocative title for anyone who has ridden a crowded rush-hour metro line.

Surowiecki delivers an accessible and thought provoking exploration of the idea that the collective knowledge of a crowd surpasses that of the best individual member of the crowd. He accepts that not all crowds (groups) are wise, but argues that there are some key criteria that facilitate a crowds wisdom:
Diversity of Opinion;
Independence;
Decentralisation; and
Aggregation.
There are some great case studies of evidence of wise and irrational crowds and the elements of their success or failure. As you might expect from such a title, the book delivers some support for democracy and free market operations, so long as they are implemented in such a way that supports the key criteria, thereby enabling the collective wisdom of the participants to be harnessed.
I'd recommend this book to anyone.

Capital Curiosities

2011-01-15T01:19:00.003Z

2009 08-09 – Beijing

Just a bunch of interesting stuff sighted around the city

Iconic, cliché, but bears repeating I think.

I'd not previously thought of kite flying as a way to chill out.

There's nothing sensible anyone can say about this, it's just plain wrong!
But as strange as the dog with jeans was, I was more taken aback on a late night walk home from a club, when I passed a man walking his goose!
No that's not a metaphor!
No it wasn't the alcohol and no the goose didn't have a lead, but its owner did walk in such a way as to protect it from over-curious passers by, be they man or beast!

What better time to revise your algebra than when stuck in traffic?! Very practical.

How many young Chinese men does it take to hoover the road?... Three apparently.
Lets hope they really were measuring pollution levels or something useful like that.

I have never before walked into a shop to such a simultaneously horrific and comedic greeting!
These cheeky chops reminded me of the Ren & Stimpy episode A Yard Too Far... thankfully, in the real world of that particular Chinese shop, there was no sign of an over-amorous guard baboon!

Hostel Hopping

2011-01-15T00:55:00.001Z

2009 08-09 – Beijing

I had planned to stay in the Beijing for a month, so that I could get used to being in China and learn a little Chinese, but being such a big city, and consequently having many places to stay, I couldn't help but think there must be better places out there than the hostel I was in for my first four days in the city, booked by Sundowners as the final stage of my Moscow to Beijing trip. The problem is, once you've moved and started the 'grass is greener' mentality, it's difficult to stop and during the 30 days I was there, I ended up staying in five different hostels!
Here's the most picturesque:

Sadly the toilets and showers needed some more work and so I didn't stay too long here.

Cooking at the Hutong

2011-01-15T00:47:00.002Z

2009 08-09 – Beijing

Keen to engage in Chinese culture in as many ways as possible, I was happy to find some cooking classes at The Hutong. Sadly I was never involved in a tea party in their cute little tea room:

To prevent us novices from slowing down the show, plenty of preparation had been done for us,

but we still got make our own special blend:

Our finished dumplings and salad:

My not-too-bad (but far from pro) attempt at hand-pulled noodles:

Mmmm!

Three Cups Chicken! Don't ask me why it's called that, but it's Taiwanese and really tastey!

One of the friendly chefs teaching, Tina, has culinary expertise running in her family. Her father is a chef improving international relations with his diplomatic dishes at the American Embassy.

A couple of Sichuan dishes.

Out with the Old, In with the New Old

2011-01-15T00:24:00.007Z

2009 08 – Beijing

Having gone through the convulsions of revolution and a violent and destructive denouncement of the old order, China now seems to be hastily doing what it can to protect and preserve some of its historical identity. Governmental opinion on the best way to protect and preserve for the future seems to be: rebuild or renovate until 'as new'.
Aside from the cultural icons, Beijing is architecturally known for its hutongs (alleys) and there are big efforts to make the central and famous hutongs as pretty as possible.
A couple of typical hutongs:

A side alley and doorway off the trendy Nanluoguxiang:

A couple of hutongs in Qianmen area getting their facelift:

Looking north up the new, late-but-nearly-complete, old Qianmen district:

Further up the street at the more commercial end.
I'm sure Walt Disney would be proud.

Temple of Heaven

2011-01-07T14:05:00.005Z

2009 08 27 - Day 62 – Beijing

Following a clear, hot and sunny morning, the heavens had other ideas for the day. Clouds rolled in, the sky darkened and, by the time I arrived at the Temple of Heaven south entrance, the rain had begun to fall. As if from nowhere, umpteen hawkers produced umbrellas for sale. The air still balmy and the gently spattering warm rain, I resisted the urge to buy immediately – only 30 RMB (£3) they insisted. The wind was starting to gust a bit more and the possibility of a deluge seemed to increase – only 20 RMB! – I raised a brow. The rain hadn't really picked up though and with the wind came the diminished value of an umbrella. My bag was waterproof. I imagined I'd dry off ok and kept walking. 15... 10! I laughed at such rapid discounts, unswayed. The final hawker in tow made a last gasp whisper in my ear: 5 RMB! Incredible! Having set my mind, I bought my ticket, took my chance and laughed goodbye to the hawker, hoping I'd got it right.

Within minutes the heavens acquiesced, ending the rain and having the winds begin to blow away the grey.

The Imperial Vault of Heaven

Inside the Imperial Vault of Heaven

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

The Temple of Heaven complex is set in a well groomed park enjoyed for recreation by many locals, primarily for playful physical or musical exercise.

The Forbidden City

2011-01-07T13:17:00.002Z

2009 08 24 - Day 59 – Beijing

Forewarned that The Forbidden City can be overrun with tourists and visiting can easily warrant a day, and possibly more, I arrived early and with a belly full of breakfast.
Far from forbidden, the first set of gates were open! So in I walked and strolled straight passed the Forbidden Guards, who seemed to be more interested in running in circles than forbidding people.

The Meridian Gate proved a bit more challenging, with tour groups, queues, barriers and tickets counters.

Of course, none of these barriers were any match for my powers of tourism, and each were overcome with ease. Once inside, the Imperial stream, slithering through the courtyard in its crafted stone cutting, was a worthy distraction, before I confronted the Gate of Supreme Harmony.

In search of good photos, and perhaps guided by the hands of Emperors past, who must be disgusted by the number of commoners passing through the central gate these days, I made my way through the west entrance. Only later did I realise what a happy accident that turned out to be – all the tour groups go through the centre, which, by the forces of gravity no doubt, means pretty much everyone goes through the centre! This meant I found myself almost alone out on the wings of the city.

While not so forbidden any more, the place is definitely a city and, with 980 buildings linked by narrow alleys, its a good place to explore.

Some un-renovated wood still exists if you hunt around and keep your eyes peeled:

Following Lonely Planet's recommendation for the Palace Museum's Hall of Clocks twice-daily chiming performance, I made sure I didn't have to walk half way across the city to get there on time.
One of the biggest clocks on display:

Sadly not in action though.

Many of the ornate and intricate clocks came from Switzerland, Britain and France, who were, for some time, the leading practitioners of the art. Like so many things, the Chinese learned from these Imperial gifts and became master clocksmiths themselves.
The performing clocks:

Its great to see such fine craftsmanship working as intended and I'd say it was definitely worth structuring my day around the chiming performance in order to catch it.
The special feature of the clock on the far right above is to telescope upwards to celebrate the passing of time:

Many of the smaller buildings in the city follow a traditional courtyard layout. The entrance to the courtyard typically requires you to 'mind your step':

With such big doors and the barrier immediately inside, I couldn't help but think this place would be great for surprise parties!

As the day wore on and my feet wore out, I made my way back to the central north-south thoroughfare to see some of the main palaces and halls with the thinning out (mostly Chinese) tourist hoards.

The view north to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

One of several throne rooms. I forget which hall or palace this one occupied.

The Hall of Central Harmony preceding the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

I finished my visit exiting the city through the northern Gate of Divine Might, which left me perfectly at the foot of Jingshan Hill. After a small but reasonable entrance fee of 2 Yuan (20p) and a short but steep climb, I was rewarded with a commanding view back south across the city:

Though the smog would like to forbid it!

The park entrance fee was small enough and the view good enough that I returned at the end of a clearer day:

Tiananmen Square

2011-01-07T12:43:00.001Z

2009 08 24 - Day 59 – Beijing

Tiananmen Square is the largest city square in the world, and best known outside China for the military crackdown on political reform protests in 1989. It certainly felt massive, a sensation enhanced perhaps by the smog which meant that you couldn't see from one end to the other!
I'd heard anecdotally (though Wikipedia disagrees) that it could hold a million people. Wandering around it, I could imagine that being accurate... but, while pondering this impressive thought, an even more mind-boggling one struck me:
if a million Chinese people visited the square every day, then it would be more than three years before every Chinese citizen had visited!
It's difficult to illustrate the size of the square with a photograph without taking to the skies, so here are a couple of features:

Rose-tinted revolutionary rememberances.

The view to the north, towards the southern entrance of the Forbidden City – partially covered by scaffold as part of cosmetic restorations in preparation for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in October.

Lost in Translation?

2010-11-09T13:43:00.003Z

2009 08 – Beijing

No doubt less widespread than it once was, 'Chinglish' – the famous and often amusing mistranslation of Chinese into English – still survives in Beijing despite the attempts of the authorities to wipe it out ahead of the Olympics. However, I can't be sure that this sign, found in a hostel I stayed in, is a genuine example as I didn't ask at the coffee bar about their selection of 'Adult Toys'!

Eating Beijing

2010-11-09T13:30:00.002Z

2009 08-09 – Beijing

Finding a place to eat in Beijing is never a problem, though choosing might be! To a European's eyes, an incredibly high percentage of small businesses are eateries and, given the number of people many of them employ and how cheap the food is, you have to wonder how they make a living.
Happily, thanks to my parents no doubt, I have a flexible palate and almost everything I ate was at least agreeable, but more often than not very tasty.

My favourite alley stall near Beijing Station served up a good Beijing breakfast pick-n-mix of boiled egg, dough sticks, fried bread, noodles and xifan (sheefan) – a rice porridge that can be incredibly bland (perhaps the most bland dish in Chinese cuisine), but this stall did a reasonable job of giving it a tiny bit of taste.

Mr. Lee – Chinese fast food! Simple dishes that seemed so much better than the food in Western fast food chains. Unlike most Western travellers, I have built up an immunity to the siren song of the 'Golden Arches' and would prefer Mr. Lee any day of the week.

Generally speaking, eating in China is a social event and a group of people will share a collection of dishes. This results in individual dishes that are quite focused in their flavour, texture and colour and yet the quantity of food per dish is more than enough for one. Eating alone in restaurants is therefore less than ideal as you either have to order way too much food or be restricted in the variety of contents of your meal.

Though very oily, this was possibly the best aubergine dish I've ever eaten! It was certainly one of the most garlicky! I think this was also the first dish where I was introduced to the Chinese cuisine concept of meat as a garnish, with slivers of fried pork sprinkled across the top. The noodles were a separate dish I ordered so I wasn't just eating aubergine... I wasn't expecting quite so much food but, in a stomach busting burst of Britishness, I cleared the plate.

Hotpot! With a large gas cylinder under your table, you cook your meat and veg yourself at the table in either of the two tasty boiling liquids – one extremely spicy and the other not.

A happy aspect of travelling alone that I didn't anticipate is that local people are not so shy about approaching you and helping you out if they can.... which is exactly what happened here! Jing-Hua, a medical school fresher, and her mum generously invited me to join them and share their dinner as they had too much anyway – brilliant!

Getting Around Beijing

2010-11-09T12:57:00.002Z

2009 08-09 – Beijing

Beijing is an easy city to navigate, because it's laid out in a compass-aligned grid system radiating outwards from the Forbidden City.
Moving big distances within the city is easiest by metro, which is cheap at only 2 Yuan per trip (20p), regardless of changes or distance, has station names in pinyin and most lines have on-train announcements in both Chinese and English.
Above ground Beijing is flat, and so bike is perhaps the cheapest and most efficient way of getting about. Though it's no longer the sea-of-cycles-city it once was, Beijing does have plenty of bikes, most of which use the dedicated narrow lanes that run between the road and pavement along most of the large avenues. While these lanes provide allocated cycle space away from the traffic, safety is not guaranteed as pedal bikes share with scooters and a wide range of electric bikes that whizz along almost silently. Even if the green man is showing, it's wise to look both ways when crossing such lanes... twice!

Old-style footbridge over the Imperial Canal, along which you can take a boat trip to the Summer Palace. Sadly the boats don't have the near silent engines of the electric bikes.

Around Beijing

2010-10-03T22:40:00.003+01:00

2009 08-09 – Beijing

Miscellaneous sights around the city:

The original time-keepers of the city: The Bell and Drum Towers.

An entrance to the large out-of-bounds military area in the centre of the city, to the west of the Forbidden City.

Zhengyangmen Gate,

and Archery Tower at the north end of Qianmen, south of Tiananmen Square.

A section of the Ming Dynasty City Walls, mostly destroyed in the 1960s, a small park contains the only remaining section.

Wangfujing Cathedral, a rare building in Beijing for its Western architecture and obvious religious function, is a small break in the fast lane of the modern religion – consumerism – that is Wangfujing.

Green Beijing

2010-10-03T22:25:00.003+01:00

2009 08-09 – Beijing

Beijing is not blessed with an abundance of greenery, but it's far from a concrete wasteland, possessing a reasonable scattering of trees and a few quality parks in the centre of the city.

Grass(!) in the small park around the remains of the Ming Dynasty city walls

The Botanic Gardens are a green escape.

The lake of Beihai Park.

View from Beihai Park to Jingshan Park

View north from Jingshan Park.

Grey Beijing

2010-10-03T22:14:00.002+01:00

2009 08-09 – Beijing

Beijing is probably the greyest city I've experienced... except perhaps Aberdeen. Whereas Aberdeen's grey comes from its granite buildings and naturally overcast skies, Beijing's grey is a mixture of grey brick buildings and unnaturally fogged out skies.

This should have been a clear day methinks!

Beijing's air pollution became an internationally newsworthy subject of scrutiny during the buildup to the 2008 Olympics, but drastic measures and favourable weather saved the day. My experience of its poor air quality consisted of an almost perpetual grey and unnatural fog. Despite the poor air quality, Beijing felt more colourful than Aberdeen thanks to the people, the street life and energy of the place... but conceivably that was just me projecting my excitement onto the engaging new culture I was exploring – it's easy to dismiss the familiar as unexciting.

An orange makes a good point of reference to just how grey Beijing is!

Big City

2010-09-11T07:18:00.002+01:00

2009 08-09 – Beijing

With 22 million people in the municipality, Beijing is a BIG city. In the centre the signs are not so obvious because everything is so spaced out: roads are wide, pavements are wide and so high-rise buildings don't seem so big. They don't overwhelm you, blocking out the light, in the way that they do in some other modern cities.
A bit to the North however, the roads are not as wide and the tower blocks seem endless.
The view from my language school building:

A ring road junction. Beijing has many ring roads radiating out from the Forbidden City centre.

The view East from Jingshan hill, just North of the Forbidden City and the view West:

24hr City

2010-09-11T06:50:00.010+01:00

2009 08-09 – Beijing

Modern efficiency demands that many jobs have night-shifts, but I have never been anywhere that comes close to Beijing's sense of activity through the night. Of course the roads quieten down somewhat, but it seemed like no matter what time I was returning to my hostel, or what corner I turned, there was always someone doing something. Unexpected nocturnal activities include people moving house, railings being painted and new tarmac being laid on a road that seemed only a few weeks old which seemed certain to be finished in time for rush hour traffic.

Restaurants stay open quite late,

but not quite so late as these small streetside joints

Of course the train stations are open and functional 24hrs as many trains are long distance and overnight.

One of Beijing's recycling entrepreneurs.

Not So Modern Toilets

2010-09-11T06:38:00.000+01:00

2009 08 – Beijing

Beijing has more public toilets than any other city I've been in. At face value, that might sound very civilised and progressive, but there's a very good reason for their frequency: many private dwellings in the hutongs (hoo-tong - small alleyway) don't have their own facilities.
Some years ago there was a drive to clean up the capital and the installation of many public conveniences was part of that.
I'd already got used to the squat toilet common in Beijing and much of the world, and after a couple of weeks in China I'd mostly remember to put my used toilet paper into the nearby basket rather than down the pan as the sewerage system requires, but there's one aspect of some of China's public toilets that I don't think want to ever get familiar with and that's what I'd call 'pig-sty toilets'.
If you imagine your average public sit-down toilet cubicles and then chop off the top half of the cubical so it's now about 130cms high, then you'll have a decent idea.
I'd first encountered them in the communal bathroom in the cheap hotel I stayed in in Urumqi and it certainly felt weird and exposed to walk into the cubical and still feel very much in the public space, but when you squat it does become somewhat private. There's no need for locks on the door of your cubicle as people can see it's occupied because they can see at least the crown of your head over the cubicle walls!
My most memorable encounter with this type of arrangement was while out drinking with a local on the tourist-trap hutong Nanluogoxiang (nan luogo shiang)

We were in a small trendy bar and I needed to use the toilet. The friendly staff indicated that the bar didn't have its own facilities, so I'd have to go a short distance down the side street to the public conveniences. Of course the place smelled bad, as they often do, but it was the sights, not the smells that were more unwelcome! It was a pig-sty setup with no urinal, so I had to make my way past the occupied sties to a free one at the end. The moment was so memorable because non of the sties had doors! So my walk was past a gallery of plump Chinese men, in various states of undress, sweating in the stuffy summer evening air, who stared at me passing by, their attention momentarily pulled away from their various activities – most of them were playing with their phones, at least one was playing on a PSP and one was chatting on the telephone like it was the most natural thing in the world!
I was glad I only needed a wee and could beat a hasty retreat!
Fortunately, the toilets in hostels are in full, private cubicles, so I never needed to become too well acquainted with such impersonal arrangements.

Modern Travel

2010-08-28T17:43:00.000+01:00

2009 08 – Beijing

I had left the UK thinking low-tech travel would be the way to go, minimising the valuable items I'd carry and freeing me up for a richer travel experience that took me back to basics.
Up until Beijing, that approach held true and I valued it, but within three days of arriving in the Chinese capital I acquired a mobile phone and within two weeks I added a netbook!
What caused such a philosophical change?
In the first couple of days, while trying to organise Chinese language lessons and set up meetings with locals through Couch Surfing, there were so many instances where I was given a phone number, or needed to phone, or was asked for my number that, considering I'd be in Beijing one month, I was convinced a cheap phone was a social necessity.
As for the netbook, I decided to look into it because:
A) I needed longer term storage for my photos. I had recently finished the second of my three 8GB memory cards and would need somewhere else to dump at least 8GB before finishing the third. The rate I was going through memory space meant I anticipated needing at least 100GB for my entire trip!
B) Free wifi had been widely available on my trip so far and the convenience of being able to get online when you like and with your own equipment is extremely valuable. There is so much information online these days and the internet is invaluable for research and communications, not least to stay in touch with family via Skype.
C) Surely electronic hardware in China is cheap?

A plush internet cafe (mirrors make it looks bigger than it is). While it was easy enough finding one, being limited to their location, hours and software was inconvenient.

Convincing myself a laptop 'could' be useful was easy, but convincing myself that the benefits outweighed the hassle was harder. Would I really want to carry another valuable item with me all the time? Something that might just have me worrying how to keep it from being stolen. Would it just break down under the stresses of travel?

Most people, myself included, would think you could buy a laptop quite cheaply in China... and you can, but the cheap ones are the imitations and maybe some Chinese brands we haven't heard of back home. The cheapest place to buy electronics is from a big electronics market, but everything is hard sell there and it's difficult to tell the real machines from the fakes. My Chinese friend said you can get them to supply you with a 'real' machine if you specify that's what you want, but the price won't be much cheaper than elsewhere. Real or fake, I didn't really want to save £50-100 only for the thing to break within a few weeks. Acting on a hot tip from the magazine What Laptop, I went for the Samsung NC10, buying it from a China-wide chain store – Sunning – so that if I had problems, there was a chance I'd have somewhere to return or replace it.
In the end the price was pretty much the same as in the UK – around £300. You could get it from America for $300 ish but they won't ship it internationally (presumably there's some international trade agreements regarding this kind of stuff).

Setting up and backing up.

Skype with the parents!

Hitting the Ground Running

2010-08-28T17:07:00.000+01:00

2009 08 14 – Day 49 – Beijing

You might not describe spending most of my first full day in Beijing on the internet as 'hitting the ground running', but the work I did that day was the coiling of my spring, a gathering of strength through knowledge and connections before launching myself into a month of action!
I planned to be in Beijing so long in order to learn a little Chinese and acclimatise to the culture if possible, before setting out into the rest of the country, so I wasn't in a hurry to do any sight seeing.
Thanks to my solid groundwork, by the end of the first weekend, three days after arrival, I had arranged daily language classes to begin on Monday, made some local friends, eaten the classic street barbecue 'chuar', played mahjong, partied in three different club venues and slept on a couch.
Not bad going I'd say.

Chuar outdoor restaurants

Chinese Funk! At trendy live venue/bar/club Yugong Yishan.

Arriving on a Thursday had proved a good strategy. I felt vindicated that I had chosen to continue my journey to arrive in time for the weekend rather than stay longer in Almaty

The Bells of Beijing

2010-08-28T03:31:00.002+01:00

2009 08 13 – Day 48 – Beijing

Beijing! I was finally there! A mystical far-away place I'd previously only been able to wonder at. The epicentre of a land and culture I'd long had a nagging curiosity for... now I'd be able to explore it for real! I was nervous as I readied myself to leave the train. I didn't know what to expect....
What I did not expect, once I'd navigated the straight-forward but alien interior of the station and found myself on an escalator to the first patch of open sky, was to be greeted by the chimes of Big Ben!
Did I catch the wrong train?!
I'm not actually 100% sure it was the same tune, but it was very similar and only half way through did I realise it was some kind of electric 'out-of-speakers' bell sound rather than the real deal.
Gathering myself from the disorienting soundtrack to my arrival, I strode out into the light.

The monumental Beijing West Station.

Urumqi to Beijing

2010-08-10T15:50:00.018+01:00

2009 08 11-13 – Days 46-48 – Urumqi to Beijing train

Comfortable and cool in my air conditioned compartment, and unable to converse in any meaningful way with my Chinese room-mates, I settled back to watch the vastness of China roll by.

A welcome sight: the biggest wind farm I've seen with my own eyes.

Industrial Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province

After the initial vast plains of the west, much of the jouney was spent cutting through or weaving in and out of hills and valleys.

My lasting impression of the journey, apart from the vastness of China, was the industry of the people. Whenever I looked out the window (except in tunnels!) there always seemed to be at least one construction project in progress. Considering that the journey took about 42 hours, that's a lot of construction.

My First Chinese Rail Departure

2010-08-10T11:44:00.003+01:00

2009 08 11 – Day 46 – Urumqi

After only a day and a half in Urumqi, I was on the move again and set off for the station to catch my train to Beijing. Not wanting to rush and be overly stressed in an environment where I couldn't speak or read the language, I allowed more than one hour to walk the 10 minutes to the station, buy some food for the journey and find my train and platform. Ample time I thought.
Anticipating more expensive prices inside the station, if food was even available, I bartered with the street sellers on the square outside. I managed to lower the price on some things, but I couldn't help but feel I had been cheated on some of my purchases.
Of course bartering always takes longer than picking fixed prices items off the shelves and it takes time in a way that you're less aware of because your focus is on not getting cheated, getting the price lower if it's possible, and if the seller three stalls down would do the same item cheaper. By the time I made my way to the station entrance, my time safety margins had been heavily reduced, but how long can it take to enter a station and find a platform? Longer than I imagined is the answer! Since every station I'd ever been to operated in the same basic way, I hadn't considered that China might do things differently.
My first reason for concern was the the sizeable queue at the entrance to the station. When that queue didn't move for the first minute or so after I joined it, I really began to stress. Would I even be able to get inside the station in time!? I began to size up my options, side-stepping this way and that to get a better view of the action at the front and try and identify a fast-track round the barriers to the front, where I might be able to pull the 'bewildered foreigner' trump card to get special treatment. As I was dithering, the queue began moving again and soon enough I was able to see the cause for the hold up: they had an airport-style baggage scanner at the doorway and everyone entering the building had to put all their bags through this thing, creating a bottleneck.
Beyond the security check, the large station entrance hall seemed almost deserted. Where did all the people go!? Glancing briefly at my ticket, a nearby official waved me in the direction of the escalator. On the 2nd floor (1st floor is ground floor in China) I easily found the cavernous waiting hall for my train and breathed a sigh of relief as I still had 10 miutes or so to spare. Unlike the empty entrance hall downstairs, the waiting hall fulfilled my Chinese station expectations as it was filled with a sea of people milling around.
However, the official on the door wouldn't let me join the masses, indicating for me to go to the equally vast waiting hall opposite, which was another number 1 hall. This new waiting hall seemed more like business class travellers, which I felt was a bit of a shame as I'd imagined travelling with the masses, but oh well, never mind. Presenting my ticket for the umpteenth time, I was yet again refused entry! This time I was waved deeper into this waiting hall to a separate area.... oh no... I was travelling first class!
Not a sentiment most people express I'm sure, but had I been more involved in the detail of my Moscow to Beijing trip, then I would never have paid for first class! Even more than the excess money spent (£50 at a guess), it was disappointing because I'd like to explore the 'real' China (whatever that may mean) and it felt vaguely embarressing to be a ragged, sweaty traveller lugging a large rucksack amongst sharply dressed individuals pulling small, clean, wheeled luggage. I found a perch on one of the plush leather sofas opposite a Chinese James Brown and his wife, and tried my best to be inconspicuous.
After a short while we had our tickets checked one more time and were escorted to the platform to board the train.

Urumqi Provincial Museum

2010-08-10T11:21:00.001+01:00

2009 08 11 – Day 46 - Urumqi

The Urumqi Provincial Museum could also be known as the Museum of Ethnic Unity. Like most museums, the main attractions and points of interest are the historic cultural artifacts. However, unlike most other museums I have visited, the supporting historical information is not so notable for what it says, but for what it doesn't say. As you might expect, there are plenty of dates and mentions of this dynasty and that dynasty (which can get a little brain-tangling if, like me, you're not well versed on your Chinese history), while each ethnicity is given ample exhibition space for a wide variety of items from bowls to clothes and from jewelry to weapons. There are also written descriptions of the unique characteristics, habits, festivals, lifestyle etc and each ethnic presents an account of the time(s) it united with the rest of the nation.
It was this repeating theme of coming together in harmony that really caught my attention and made me think of a Chinese saying, brought to my attention by Rob Gifford in his book China Road, that goes “The nation long divided must unite, the nation long united must divide”. With so much joining together and unifying going on in Chinese ethnic history, the various ethnicities must have been separate at some time before, right? And those ethnicities that came together more than once must have been appart at some point in between.
So the question is, where was all the history on the period of separation?
Maybe in another, secret, Museum of Ethnic War/Chaos/Disunity?
Once I'd spotten the first 'hole' of missing information, it quickly felt like all I could see were holes as I went from exhibit to exhibit, reading only of dates, dynasties and unity.
Of course I could only comprehend the English translation of the history, but I'd be surprised if such a controlled delivery of information would be significantly mistranslated.

The happiness of China's ethnic past obviously extended to this happy trio:

Keeping the Peace?

2010-08-09T17:24:00.003+01:00

2009 08 10 – Day 45 - Urumqi

Having been so engrossed engaging with, and consuming, the products of the night market, I'd not noticed the surprising lack of military... given the number on the streets in the day and the potential for the night market to be a focal point for any trouble, it was surprising we hadn't seen any.... Why was that? Before I'd realised the question, an answer was provided as we were returning to our hotel through the fewer non-food stalls... winding its way towards us through the milling crowds was a snake of eight or so youngish men, dressed in black and carrying what can only be described as wooden clubs! At the head of the snake paced a man in slightly more official attire, sporting a red armband, but hardly looking any more like the police or military figures that I'd seen so far. The snake slithered its way down the street, parting the crowds effortlessly, people moving to distance themselves from its near tangible malignant aura. The members of the snake walked with a relaxed confidence that could only come from the knowledge that the authorities wouldn't touch them.
There was no doubt in my mind that these 'men' would like nothing more than to be given an excuse and/or opportunity to use their privilege and primitive weapons.
I was keen to not give them their excuse and so kept my camera pocketed and my eyes fixed ahead.
The atmosphere as they passed was perhaps the most sinister and poisonous I've come across.

Urumqi Food

2010-08-09T17:12:00.005+01:00

2009 08 10-11 – Days 45-46 – Urumqi

One of the ubiquitous hole-in-the-wall cheap eateries:

If a place is full of locals then you know it must have something good going on and so we joined the queue in the doorway for four of the 24 or so tightly packed stools.

Uncertain with our combined Chinese skills and the speed of the place we fell back on the old trick of pointing at our neighbours tastey looking food and indicating that we'd have what he's having. This is what we got:

Pretty spicey, but survivable and tastey.

Stopping at a street seller's stall, Akanuma persuaded us to buy this, touting it as the 'King of Fruit':

For those who don't know, this is a Durian fruit. It's opening is held tightly closed by the wire to protect the fruit I'm sure, but perhaps more importantly to protect the noses of those who walk past te seller's stall! Yes, the Durian fruit stinks to high heaven! The smell is such that any sane person might question why would anyone want to eat such a thing!? Durian fans, of which there are many in Asia, claim it is delicious, but the aroma is so off-putting it puts the most pungent French cheese to shame. It's so bad that many hostels and hotels in Asia ban it from their premises! We hadn't seen such a sign in our place and no one smelled us coming, so we were able to return to our room with our royal prize. Curious about the unusual combination of apparent deliciousness and obvious stinkiness, I was persuaded to try some, scooping out a small mouthful of the soft inner flesh... in the flavour there was echoes of the smell that didn't endear it to me, but there was something intriguing about other subtle flavours that floated elusively around the central flavour. Although I thought I would not go back for more, following my initial unfavourable encounter, after a little while I found myself reaching in for more! I couldn't help myself! My second mouthfull was, however, enough to satisfy my curiosity and I didn't have the desire or compulsion to return for more.

Urumqi has a thriving daily night market, the best part of which is given over to feeding locals and tourists.

Despite our Durian adventures earlier, I wouldn't set out to eat some of the more exotic offerings, but Rob had different ideas, challening us as soon as he saw these:

On the left are silk worm grubs and on the right some unknown but substantial beetle/bug/insect thingy. At first I thought the silk worms looked more palatable than the bugs, but that was before one of the silk worms moved! They were still alive! At this point I felt properly repulsed and a little bit queasy, but we'd made our choices, and the chef was busy preparing our dishes.

The silk worms, rather surprisingly, required more work to eat than the bugs, as we were advised to rip the grub in two and remove the small and thin black central part before popping the two parts in your mouth. Though fairly repulsive to look at, both grubs and bugs turned out to be not too bad... can't say I'd be rushing back for seconds (ever again), but they were definitely edible.

A Uighur muslim promotes his fishy carousel.

Only after we'd ordered these seafood barbeque sticks and begun to eat them did we remember our trivia: Urumqi has a place in the Guiness Book of Records for the most remote city from any sea in the world (2,500 km). Despite such geographical opposition, the barbequed seafood was tastey and we saw no reason to not finish what we'd ordered.

Anyone brave enough to devour this satanic offering would no doubt curry favour with the Lord of Darkness.... I didn't see any takers and I wasn't going to hang around to find out!

Urumqi Security

2010-08-09T16:36:00.002+01:00

2009 08 10 – Day 45 – Urumqi

Though I didn't know what exactly to expect, it was not to arrive in Urumqi in the middle of a security situation. I knew that Xinjiang, and its capital Urumqi, has had a troubled relationship with Beijing in the past due to the local population wanting more self-determination. I didn't know that there had been riots and some of the worst violence for years just a few weeks before I arrived.

I have never before seen a shop where you can go in and buy a riot-shield and helmet, body armour and emergency sirens! A sight all the more remarkable given the recent troubles. Having said that, we didn't actually try to purchase anything, so maybe your average Jo or tourist can't just walk in with a bunch of cash and walk out as a fully kitted up riot-policeman.

The authorities response to the riots, after subduing them, was to massively increase the military presence. By the time I got there, there was not a whiff of trouble, but there were parasoled platforms every 100m or so on the pavements on both sides of all the major roads, with 2-6 fully armed soldiers stood keeping an eye on things.
I didn't fancy asking them to pose for me, so this was the best discreet shot I could get:

The park behind this high-rise office block had been converted into an army barracks. Those tables look in pretty good condition so I imagine they don't play with live rounds!

I hope this image in a printshop window was not intended to encourage homebrew development of the next generation of 'security' forces!

(or protesters for that matter!)

China! First stop Urumqi

2010-07-31T05:49:00.002+01:00

2009 08 10 – Day 45 – Urumqi

Urumqi (woo-lum-uh-chee), capital of China's western-most province Xinjiang (shin-jiang) was my first stop-off in China primarily because the train from Almaty terminates there.

Pausing in the square in front of the station to take in our new surroundings, my fellow travellers and interrogation survivors are Alex, Rob and Akanuma.

We were all in the hunt for a cheap room for a night or two, so we teamed up and, with the help of our intact Lonely Planet guide book, found somewhere with a four bed room for 100 RMB (Renminbi), which is about £10.

The view from the front of our hotel:

Urumqi and Xinjiang contain a number of different ethnic minority groups, the largest of which are the Uighur (wee-gur) who are ethnically and culturally closer to Central Asia than China. In downtown Urumqi, such cultural roots are evident in the architecture, and language (Arabic I think, but certainly not Chinese) on many shopfronts and advertisements.

Many streets had shop fronts like this: tightly packed, small frontage but deep garage like spaces. Each shop had a quite focused product range, but the variation between shops could be anything from stationary to petrol pump parts.
It was somewhat bewildering to look around and see almost no latin characters. I understood nothing! At least in Russia most of the characters looked somewhat similar to what I knew, but the Chinese characters were indecipherable to me. Fortunately for our little posse, Alex had some survival Chinese skills and a decent phrasebook. If his first vocal attempts were met with consternation, then Akanuma tried his hand with writing communications as many traditional Japanese characters are the same in Chinese. It was a funny little set up, but it worked most of the time.

People set up to sell their wares wherever and however they can. I'm not sure I'd want to buy the fish from this particular stall.

Who needs doll's houses and toy soldiers? There is no toy more classic than fruit!

Man power has yet to be fully sidelined and such hand carts are a common sight.

China from a Train Window

2010-07-31T04:13:00.005+01:00

2009 08 10 – Day 45 – train to Urumqi

My first Chinese dawn.

One night on the train and the view outside had changed significantly. The big difference between the Kazakh and Chinese sides of the border: the evidence of man's impact on his environment. On the Kazakh side, the landscape appeared fairly untouched. On the Chinese side, almost everything you looked at had been in some way defined, designed or shaped by man. The scale, organisation and implementation of agricultural works were particularly noticeable.

Checkpoint China

2010-07-31T04:00:00.004+01:00

2009 08 09 – Day 44 - Chinese Border

The Chinese border 'post' is, in fact, a station of epic proportions with imposing austere, authoritarian architecture any ambitious Hollywood production designer would drool over.

Unfortunately we were there at night, which, while enhancing my intimidation as I waited on the vast platform with the other passengers, denied me the chance of discretely taking a decent photo. For those who think that night would be perfect cover, it wasn't so dark to the eyes that you couldn't see, but too dark to take a picture and not look like you're taking a picture. It is my impression, both anecdotally and through observation, that border officials don't look kindly on being treated as a 'sight'.

Eventually we were instructed back to our cabins to be present for official inspection.

When researching my trip and determining a route, I had read online of Chinese border officials sometimes confiscating Lonely Planet guidebooks as propaganda due to the omission of Taiwan as part of the nation. This contentious position is immediately obvious within the first few pages where, on a double page colour map of China, the island of Taiwan is the same grey colour as the uncontested neighbouring countries such as Russia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Vietnam etc. Lonely Planet guides are not cheap and I wasn't excited by the prospect of surrendering mine so, before leaving Almaty, I had carefully removed the offending map and secreted it deep within my bag such that only the most thorough of searches would expose it.

Back on the train at the border, the guard who was inspecting my bag had decided he wanted to look more thoroughly than any other border guard I'd yet encountered. He had a good rummage around and pulled a few things out to have a look at, taking particular interest in my various books. Of course the Lonely Planet China really caught his eye due to the Chinese characters throughout. He flicked backwards and forwards through the book several times, pausing every now, glancing at me and then continuing leafing through. It felt like he was looking for something... I couldn't help but think it was the missing map! He looked thoroughly enough at the book that when he eventually placed it on the upper bunk and gave it a little pat, I felt like he'd spotted something and I would face some uncomfortable questioning. Going through my other books more rapidly, he quickly established that there was nothing of interest to him. He indicated that I should repack my bag, returning my books to me. Was I off the hook?

After dealing with my bag, a second border official arrived at my door. At their indication I followed her off the train and across the now deserted platform, the stars watching our slow and small procession toward the monumental border building whose design function was now being fully realised: to make me, the outsider, feel small and insignificant. My mind raced. What had they found? What were they going to ask? The measured clip-clop of the official's heels on the concrete ate away the time till I'd know.

Inside, the building initially seemed deserted, but rounding a corner we arrived at a waiting area, largely lit by light spilling from an open doorway... the interrogation room!

However, I was pleased to see that in the waiting area were a few people sat with a guard... it was two English guys and a Japanese guy from my carriage. One by one we were called into the bright room. When my turn came I was almost disappointed at the mundanity of the questions! Why are you visiting China? Where will you visit? Etc. But really I was relieved that I wasn't about to be denied entry, happy for my experience of really dramatic interrogations to remain the stuff of fiction.

As the train pulled away into the night, it felt comforting to know that now, after racing across Europe and Central Asia for the last six weeks or so, I wouldn't have anymore border crossings, time-zone changes or currency exchanging to do for at least another two months.

The Journey So Far – Central Asia

2010-06-11T05:39:00.007+01:00

2009 08

The map shows the route as accurately as I know how – if I didn't know any better, then the route is just a straight line between A & B.
days on the road (total)= 14 (44)
distance covered (total)= 3,885 (11,270) km
(as the crow flies as close to my route as I know)
(measured using free map tools)

Memorable moments:
Arriving in the middle of the night
Lively local transport
Uzbek roads
Larger than life locals
Traveller's nightmare
Tough decisions caused by inflexible timetables

Top sights:
Desert ship graveyard
'istoria Samarkand
Trek to Big Almaty Lake

Leaving Kazakhstan

2010-06-04T15:15:00.005+01:00

2009 08 09 – Day 44 – Almaty to Urumqi

After a decent nights sleep, I spent most of the train journey to the Kazakh border being entertained by the chipper young Kazakh sharing my compartment, or being hypnotised by the window as one beautiful wilderness after another rolled by.

At some town an hour or so before the border we all had to get out and wait around for a while while they changed the wheel gauges. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to watch this process and just had to hang about in some station-like building.

This was not the place and our train did not look like this! It's just some old train at some half-built settlement near the border.

Leaving Kazakhstan this time was pretty much a formality, though it I made good use of my compartment companion's literacy in Russian to confirm on my departure card that I wasn't smuggling anything or suspiciously ill.

Looking back at the Kazakh border building having left Kazakhstan, but not yet entered China!

A Chance Encounter and A Tough Decision

2010-06-04T13:01:00.013+01:00

2009 08 08 – Day 43 – Almaty

My train didn't leave until after midnight and although I was pretty tired from my hike to Big Almaty Lake I wanted to make best use of the daylight and my limited time in Almaty. I decided to head up Kok Tobe, a popular place to watch the sun go down over the city, accessible by cable car from fairly near the city centre, which suited my energy levels.

On my stroll to the cable car, Dina, a local girl of European descent crossing the same road, struck up conversation. We immediately hit it off and I got a big lift from her energy and enthusiasm, soon forgetting my tired feet as she'd persuaded me that local bus and then by foot was the best way up Kok Tobe, not the overpriced cable car.
We spent the next 4 or 5 hours together chatting each others' ears off, eating ice lollies and other snacks, puzzling over the (unrecognisable as) Beatles statues that grace the top of Kok Tobe and watching the sun go down over Almaty.

As the evening wore on and my departure drew near, we both agreed it was a shame I wasn't here tomorrow when she could show me more of the city. Dina asked why didn't I stay another couple of days? Good question! Why not? Because I have a train booked for tonight was the obvious answer, but of course train tickets can be rearranged... it just depends on how difficult or expensive it is to do so. I hadn't even thought of the possibility. My mind span, trying assess the implications of taking on her suggestion and what that meant for my onward travel to Beijing.... was it as simple as arriving two days later?
Certainly my Kazakh and Chinese visas could accommodate the two days, I wasn't tied to fixed departure or arrival dates, but my trains from Almaty to Urumqi and from Urumqi to Beijing were booked. I wasn't convinced it was possible or my best plan of action, but I was intrigued by the idea because we were having such a good time and, due to my illness, I'd spent less time in Almaty than planned. If it turned out not too complex or costly, then maybe I would stay.

We set off to the station to enquire about changing my ticket to Urumqi. Dina being a native Russian speaker made the enquiries painless and to my extreme surprise there was only a minor charge for changing my ticket until nearly the last minute! Two days later was my only option short of a week as the Urumqi train only runs twice a week. A bit stunned at how easily the first hurdle was overcome, I approached the next: my Urumqi to Beijing train ticket, the Urumqi agent who held it, and my hostel reservation for my first four nights in Beijing – all of which were perhaps best dealt with the next day as it was pretty late by this point but, thanks to the rotation of the Earth, there was still a chance I could get in touch with Sundowners or STA representatives to try gauge how difficult any changes would be. I tried ringing the few numbers I had on my various documents, but late on a Saturday afternoon is not the sort of time you'd expect the office to be full of people fighting to get to the receiver.
No one answered.
By this point, the mental and physical tiredness that Dina had earlier banished, was coming back strong and fairly overwhelmingly – I was struggling to think straight and teetering along the decisions edge – should I stay or should I go? I rang a 24hr (anywhere in the world) STA number but since I didn't really regard my situation as an emergency I didn't get past the automated system to a human being. I tried again, trying to convince myself it was an emergency...... the line rang out! Good luck to those in a real emergency!
I couldn't do it. I'd tried all I could.
Back in the UK, my information was that Chinese long distance trains are booked far in advance and so I had no reason to believe I would be able to change my Urumqi-Beijing train at short notice and was anyway reluctant to give up my original arrival day of Thursday – just in time for the weekend. I was too tired to deal with the possibility of a delay longer than the two days I was contemplating and perhaps having to pay for tickets twice.
I made the decision to go.
Dina and I exchanged emails and hopefully we'll see each other again.
What an evening! What a shame! For the second time already in my travel, fixed plans had become more of a hinderance than a help.

What A Lot of Weddings!

2010-06-04T12:55:00.004+01:00

2009 08 08 – Day 43 – Almaty

Strolling down the dusty mountain road, a marriage of giants was not the first thing I expected to see!

Back near Almaty city limits there were gathered countless wedding parties... it seems the mountains and fountains are the number one wedding picture backdrop.

There are at least five brides in this frame and that's just a fraction of the total swanning around. As my guide and I left the scene, it seemed like half the 'pedestrians' we passed were brides, grooms, or photographers!

Big Almaty Lake

2010-05-30T08:04:00.009+01:00

2009 08 08 – Day 43 - Almaty

Having spent half of my three days in Almaty hiding in my room trying to recover, I wanted to get out and about into the spectacular mountains surrounding the city. Not yet strong enough to do all the research myself and with limited time, I thought it wise to pay for a guide through Turan Asia (Sundowners representatives in Kazakhstan) to lead me in a hike to Big Almaty Lake – a major source of fresh water for the city and a picturesque location to hike to.

The simplest route was to walk on top of the pipes channelling water from the lake to Almaty, but I preferred grass, rock and earth underfoot.

Fresh water in abundance.... with it being so hot, I was really glad some genius had setup this pipe from the river across the small ravine enabling hot hikers like me to quench their thirst and wash their sweaty faces!

The brilliant turquoise of the lake is down to natural minerals apparently. Having lived my life in the modern, industrialised world, not being familiar with such a colour in nature, and even though I believed the information I was given, my eyes and my brain had an underlying discomfort over the 'natural' nature of the colour.

Green Market

2010-05-30T07:52:00.011+01:00

2009 08 07 – Day 42 - Almaty

My hotel enjoyed a prime location next to the biggest market in town – Green Market – and so, still recovering, it was nice that I didn't have to expend much energy to explore the stalls.

It's quite something to see an experienced butcher speedily, methodically and efficiently remove all the useable flesh from the face of a pig until only the skull remains.
I tried to take a photo, but a jobsworthy security guy appeared out of nowhere to indicate that I couldn't take pictures. From then on I had to be discreet, particularly around the meat.

Ill on Arrival

2010-05-30T07:34:00.005+01:00

2009 08 06 – Day 41 - Almaty

Other than dealing with each moment as it came, I'm not quite sure how I made it from the border to Chimkent, and then survived several hours waiting for my overnight train to Almaty. It's times like this that travelling with another person would be beneficial, at least you'd have someone to watch your stuff while you find a toilet. I think Imodium helped solidify the situation somewhat, but am not sure because the night was not trouble free and by the time we arrived in Almaty I was weak with stomach cramps, lack of sleep, lack of food and from all my energy being used to keep the situation under control. Having spent more than 24 hours on Imodium and still not right, I was keen to follow the instruction leaflet and seek medical attention. Fortunately for me, sharing my compartment was Muslim, an Almaty local and software engineer who had been to Chimkent for it's hot spring health spas, who had been keen to practice his English the day before, and so I had someone to approach for help. Despite his decent English, it still took a shuffle through my ever-useful pocket Russian phrasebook to communicate effectively. Panos. That's what I had. Muslim translated the recommendation of the middle-aged mothers sharing our compartment – Regadron (a prehistoric sounding rehydration powder) in a litre of water, sip all day and rest. No food. It sounded like they knew what they were talking about, but, given my medications instructions, I thought it wise that I still seek medical attention. Muslim generously helped me out in this regard, shepherding me around Almaty until we found an appropriate clinic.
A very necessary visit to the clinics toilet was brightened by this curiously named bin.

Why is this bin a fantasy bin? Who has fantasies about bins!? Maybe it's the 'swing' aspect that really sets it apart.

After a short consultation, and a small fee, I got exactly the same advice the train mums gave, and so purchased some Regadron and set about finding somewhere to stay so I could get on with the serious business of rest and recouperation.

I spent the next day laying in bed, sipping tea and my Regadron laced water, reading, writing my diary and watching Liverpool beat Blackburn 4-2... shame that it was a repeat of last seasons game as the 2009/10 season hadn't started yet.

The ever evolving sky and the calls to prayer of the nearby mosque provided structure to my day.

I later realised this day of doing 'nothing' (which of course wasn't nothing) was badly needed. Regardless of my illness, I needed to rest my brain and body from the rigours of travel. It occurred to me that I would be wise to schedule more days like this, without the illness, in my future travels to help keep my energy levels up and keep me sane.

Leaving Uzbekistan

2010-05-29T13:31:00.006+01:00

2009 08 05 – Day 40 – Tashkent to Almaty

Eastward travel to Almaty in Kazakhstan by rail requires a road border crossing an hour or so from Tashkent and another three hours by road on the other side to the nearest city with a station, Chimkent. With no regular transport link crossing the border, Sundowners had arranged for my hotel driver to drop me about hundred metres from the border, as close as general traffic could get, and have someone meet me on the Kazakh side.

A few hundred metres of walking in the rapidly strengthening sun were required to, between and from the border control buildings, which would be fine under normal circumstances, but that morning my stomach had taken a turn for the worse and all my limited energy became focused on keeping the lid on it.

Adding to my suffering at the Uzbek departure point were a confused throng of an eclectic mix of people, ranging from locals with a basket or two of unsettled chickens to some Brits taking part in the Mongol Rally, chasing a short supply of pens to be able to fill out departure cards. The uncomfortable queuing was an exercise in mind over matter. Only in hindsight did I realise that, despite the strong warnings regarding accountability, no one checked the accommodation registration and currency exchange receipts which had dogged my decision making and flexibility.

As with arrival in Uzbekistan, crossing into Kazakhstan I had to declare the value of Rubles and Dollars I was carrying. The baggage scanning machine was a border guard and a table. He looked at my passport and arrival card, looked at me, looked at my rucksack on the table, checked no one else was looking and said “$10”, clearly giving me the choice of an uncomfortable and drawn out inspection of my bag, or easy passage. In other circumstances I would have called his bluff, but my stomach cramps were controlling my brain and it was worth $10 to pass through the border swiftly and cleanly without anything passing out of me swiftly and not so cleanly. Fortunately for me, I only had $35 on me and $10 of that was in $1 bills. The guard didn't much like the look of those, I think people here suspect $1 bills are fakes, and he was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of taking more than half of my Dollars with the $20 note, so he swiped the $5 and dismissed me to his colleague for passport stamping.

The drive from the border to Chimkent coincided with my realisation that nearly all Central Asian vehicles had a cracked windscreen.

After an unpleasant roadside snack of the local sour and salty milk and dry salty milk balls, that my driver was convinced would help my stomach, I was extremely grateful that, particularly as I was ill, I did to not need to squat over this pit toilet.

The few broken wooden slats masquerading as a floor would have made an Indiana Jones rope bridge seem stable.

A Day in Tashkent

2010-05-29T12:51:00.008+01:00

2009 08 04 – Day 39 - Tashkent

Completing my Uzbek triangle of cities, I returned to Tashkent where I had one full day to explore. The weather at that time was punishingly hot, so in reality I spent a few hours in the middle of the day hiding from the heat in an underground internet cafe and went exploring towards the end of the day as the heat began to drain from the air. Three locals demonstrated the extreme strength of the sunlight, while waiting for a tram, by arranging themselves into a short queue across the tramlines until the tram was almost upon them, just to take advantage of the thin line of shade provided by a solitary lamppost.

Typical buildings lining the wide tree lined boulevards.

The Bolshoi Navoi Theatre

It was a bit of a surprise to pass such a healthy waterway when the environment seemed so hot and dry, but I suppose the greenery of Uzbekistan is ample evidence of sufficient water supply.

My exploration was really more of a casual guided walkabout with Tashkent local Julia, who had helped me out on the Aralsk-Tashkent train a few days earlier.

Tashkent has a couple of metro lines. The stops I saw seemed to have aspirations to follow the lead of Moscow Metro for grandeur.

Bukhara to Tashkent

2010-05-29T12:20:00.004+01:00

2009 08 03 – Day 38 – Bukhara to Tashkent

Having only managed to visit Bukhara after hours, cruise the empty streets and use a nice little guesthouse and its comfy bed for insufficient sleep, I had a weary train journey back to Tashkent to contemplate my situation and the adventures of the past few days.
My visit to Bukhara really highlighted the problem with fixed schedules. I say visit, it was more like a rebound off. Bukhara is another historically significant city in Uzbekistan and I had been persuaded by the people at Sundowners and STA Travel that one day, in fact one afternoon, would be enough to see what Bukhara had to offer. I was easily persuaded as I hadn't done any research and didn't want to spend too much time (and therefore money) making my way to Beijing... I was interested in Central Asia, but it was not a priority.
Ruslan and I had talked about my plans and schedule, but somewhere along the line we musn't have understood each other – not that surprising given the extreme limitations of our shared language – and so I thought by joining Ruslan and his friends on the road trip to Bukhara, we would leave later than the bus, travel faster and I would still arrive with time to see some of what Bukhara had to offer. As the day evolved, it became more and more apparent that we wouldn't make it to Bukhara until the evening and I resigned myself to that, deciding that to attempt to discuss our miscommunication would achieve nothing useful even if I was able to get my point across. And so I went with the flow, happy to chose people over places, now over history, living life over observing evidence of others'. Bukhara will have to wait for my return. There are other interesting things to see in Uzbekistan beyond the scope of this visit and what Bukhara has to offer is likely to be the same whenever I might return in the future.

You Are What You Eat?

2010-05-23T08:44:00.001+01:00

2009 08 02 – Day 37 – Samarkand to Bukhara

Many, if not most, of Uzbek dishes involve lamb and, though invariably tastey, are often rich and oily.
The weather had mostly been dry and at least mid to high 30s, which was fairly sweat inducing.
It was on the road trip to Bukhara that I began to think my sweat was beginning to smell of lamb!

Road Trip to Bukhara

2010-05-23T08:33:00.007+01:00

2009 08 02 – Day 37 – Samarkand to Bukhara

I had been due to take a bus from Samarkand to Bukhara, leaving early in the morning to arrive in the middle of the day. The day before Ruslan had persuaded me that he could take me and his friends on a road trip to Bukhara, rather than me taking the bus.
On the way out of Samarkand, we took a small detour so Muhammed could show me his champion fighting dog...

it certainly let me know that I shouldn't approach too close and I wasn't about to argue with it!
Most of the route was bordered by farmland of one variety or another and it was great to see the donkey carts trundling home as the retreating sun painted the end of the day in one palette after another.

Arriving on the outskirts of Bukhara, it emerged that Muhammed had some business lined up with a local friend – two young antelope! Muhammed and his friend removed the beasts one by one from a small wooden pen set up in the house coutyard. Naturally petrified, the young animals came out bucking, kicking and struggling and its captors had to keep a firm hold to prevent escape.

This one nearly made it, freeing two legs before recapture. While the animal was pinned down, the friend tore open the end of a long sock and pulled it snugly over the its head, covering its eyes, but freeing its nostrils at the end of the tube. Covering the eyes effected a change in the animals behaviour that was near instant and remarkable in its contrast. Like someone had flicked a switch, the antelope stopped struggling and relaxed its muscles, the second one even arranged its limbs neatly as if to sleep! Muhammed and his friend stepped aside for a private price negotiation before the animals were loaded, in completely relaxed compliance, into the footwells of Ruslan's car and we were on our way!
No one we asked on the semi-deserted streets of Bukhara seemed to know where my guesthouse was and the phone number I had from Sundowners was missing digits, so, after a bit of a run around town, we were somewhat elated to locate Sasha and Son just before midnight. A triumphant ending to an epic day!

Moscow Time

2010-05-23T08:14:00.004+01:00

2009 08 02 – Day 37 - Samarkand

A brief visit to Ruslan's impressive office... Samarkand Vokzal (train station)
Continuing Soviet era practice, rail services and stations on old Soviet rail routes, regardless of which country they now stand in, follow Moscow Time.

'istoria Samarkand

2010-05-20T13:12:00.015+01:00

2009 08 02 – Day 37 – Samarkand

Samarkand is an ancient city whose status and wealth was founded on its vital location on the Silk Road between China and Europe. The historical significance of the Silk Road in the history of the world and East-West trade of goods and ideas was the main reason I'd decided on an overland route to China that went through Central Asia rather than the more popular Trans-Siberian/Trans-Mongolian route and despite my interest in visiting Mongolia.
All the time I'd spent with Ruslan. I'd made sure I'd still have time to visit 'istoria Samarkand. Tours of family, friends, village and wedding complete, world history could now take priority and Ruslan and his friends gave me their tour of some of the main historical sights.

Ancient Samarkand was a renowned regional academic centre, attracting would-be scholars from far and wide. The Registan, defined and dominated by three madrasahs (Muslim clergy academies), is the historic centre of old Samarkand.

When I visited a stage was being erected for some big event in a few days time. Ruslan and his friends kindly paid for a local guide to show us around... it was pretty amusing to see her disbelief at our claims of being able to communicate with each other effectively enough to have spent days in each others company, despite our extremely limited common language.

The student digs. Places were limited by the number of rooms.

I don't think the students were really as small these doors suggest. I believe the intention was to have people bow their heads on the way in.

The Shah-i-Zinda necropolis. Legend has it that Kusam ibn Abbas, the cousin of the prophet Muhammad, was buried here.

Samarkand was the captical of the great 14th Central Asian leader Tamerlane, aka Timur, whose empire at some point reached from Delhi to Baghdad and up to the Ural river, a huge swathe of modern day Central Asia and the Middle East. Timur is something of a national icon in Uzbekistan and statues of him are everywhere. Samarkand is home to his mausoleum Gūr-e Amīr

Rescue

2010-05-20T12:59:00.002+01:00

2009 08 02 – Day 37 - Samarkand

The next time I'm conscious I don't have too long to dwell in my helpless predicament before the early morning tranquility is roughed up by the unmistakable thump of Russian gangsta rap. My saviour has arrived!

Ruslan, looking somewhat less rough than I feel, is quick to restore my faith in my judgement of character by producing my camera and neck pouch! Reunited with my essentials I'm able to focus my energies on being embarrassed and apologetic, spending some time trying to construct and communicate appropriate sentiments with the limited vocab of my pocket Russian language book. While I struggle with that, we congratulate the hosts on the party, thank them and leave, briefly stopping to say hello to various family members in the village on our return to Ruslan's home. Everyone has a good natured laugh at me, including Ruslan's mother as she supplies us with her hangover cure of bread and a bowl of soured yoghurt... it wouldn't have been my first choice of foods, but I'm able to eat it and manage to keep it down despite (or perhaps because) I follow it, at his insistence, with Ruslan's elixir – vodka!

Traveller's Nightmare

2010-05-17T15:38:00.003+01:00

2009 08 02 – Day 37 - Samarkand

I awake in strange surroundings. Cockerels are doing their job somewhere nearby, announcing the imminent arrival of the sun. I'm not Ruslan's house? Beside where I lay on the lovely carpet, someone had kindly left some pavement pizza... nice of them, but I'm not hungry. Something felt different about what I was wearing and it took me a moment or two to work it out.... I didn't have my camera! Before I'd even properly started worrying about that, I realised I didn't have my neck pouch on either! My neck pouch, which had not been off my person since the train in Finland, contained my credit card, debit card, emergency dollars and my visa-filled passport!! Fuuuuck!! Totally awake now and my mind racing, I double check my clothing and immediate vicinity... I still have my wallet with Uzbek Soms and drivers license... that's something I suppose... but no sign of my camera and neck pouch! Surging to my feet I'm rapidly aware that I'm still drunk! I stumble outside into the aftermath of the wedding party. Pre-dawn light casts its clinical gaze over the fallout... seems like it was quite a party! The place is deserted bar a couple of bodies that look like they partied until they dropped and a kid who appears out of nowhere, skips his way around the wreckage and disappears almost as if he were never there. As hard as I try I can't recall enough detail of the night before to even begin to work out what to do next. Fortunately the alcohol still in my body talks some sense by deciding for me – back to bed!
It's 5 am, I'm tired, no one else is awake or speaks English, I've no idea where I am or where my camera, bank cards or visa-filled passport are... thankfully my drunkeness protects me from the full impact of this disaster scenario and I find myself chuckling at the ridiculousness of the situation as I settle back down next my pizza, somehow convinced that it'll all be ok after a nap!

Uzbek Wedding

2010-05-17T14:42:00.008+01:00

2009 08 01 – Day 36 - Samarkand

Just like in all the TV travel shows, there just happened to be a wedding in the village involving one of Ruslan's many relatives, so naturally I was invited to join in the merriment.

Normally I'd wear something a bit smarter for a wedding, but Ruslan was convinced that what I was wearing was fine and so, since he was my guide and means of access to the rest of my wardrobe back at the hotel, I deferred to his judgement.

As the remaining daylight drains from the sky, so the guests numbers rise and the party gets started.

The seating arrangements seemed to be on a sex segregation per table basis, but other than that it was unclear if there was any particular formula for who sat where. This fine selection of villagers, friends and family at my table, non of whom spoke English, took me under their wing and made sure my vodka dish was never dry....
and that I emptied it...
regularly!

Well lubricated by now, I was easily persuaded to follow the tradition of giving tips to this young lady shaking her thing around the reception... whose idea it was that I should join her in the process, I don't recall, but as the token novelty foreigner there, it was my duty surely?

No doubt due to the beers and vodka I'd consumed earlier in the day with Ruslan and friends, and reinforced by the endless and enthusiastic supply of vodka at the party, there's not much more I remember from the night! I don't know who the bride and groom were, when they arrived, how late the party went on or what the band sounded like!

Around the Village

2010-05-17T10:10:00.006+01:00

2009 08 01 – Day 36 - Samarkand

One of Ruslan's uncles... I think Ruslan had hoped we'd go for a ride on his uncle's horses, but having seen their fairly wild eyes, I was glad the uncle said it was best if we didn't.

Everyone round here seems to have an apple orchard of at least a few trees and Ruslan's relatives are no exception. Grapes are also plentiful.
The greenery of Uzbekistan is, as Ruslan would say, 'Supers!'

Donkeys are still a common and valuable means of transport

Donkey cart bus. Gas pipes bridge the junction – a regular sight in this part of the world.

Dirt and straw bricks dry in the sun... though I didn't see any buildings using such materials under construction, most things going up were basic concrete blocks with steel wire strengtheners.

Ruslan's Palace

2010-05-14T20:50:00.012+01:00

2009 07-08 - Samarkand

Ruslan, as I mentioned, seemed to have a lifestyle that was a bit above your average train carriage guard and his large and well built home was evidence of that. I was particularly interested in the generally minimalist nature of the place and how the large bright spaces with choice details made the place feel modern, and yet certain elements we take for granted in the West were far from my understanding of modern. It definitely reflected a different way of life to where I come from.

I include this photo primarily for the evidence at the right side of the almost floor to ceiling pile of soft mattresses available for guests to recline on at social functions... presumably held here:

The main 'lounge' and my bedroom for the night. Ruslan & his youngest sister have rooms off this one.

Ruslan's mum lives in this 'wing'. The main part of the house is on the left.

A continuation of the concrete with a herb, fruit and veg garden behind. Anywhere on the concrete terrace could become a table with the placement of a matt and there always seemed to be some invaluable shade provided by one wall or another throughout the day and so it was the main social space.

Outhouse at the end of the garden houses, amongst other things, the pit toilet – simply a wooden floored room with a floorboard taken out for the hole. I was surprised at how clean it felt as I've seen plenty of worse setups with ceramics and piped water. With no door and a window opening, there was plenty of air flowing through making it near odour free.... but I never did quite understand how you were to know if someone else was already using it without them whistling, singing or talking or something! Fortunately I never had the awkward situation of walking in on anyone, or anyone walking in on me!

The bucket shower cubicle. I really enjoyed this! When the weather is so hot, an outdoor bucket wash is great!

Ruslan's Clan

2010-05-14T14:38:00.011+01:00

2009 07-08 - Samarkand

A small cross-section of Ruslan's clan welcomed me with tasty lamb stew Uzbek style: Ruslan, his two kids and one each of wife, aunt, sister, family friend, mother and brother. Behind the camera are two other brothers - I lost count of how many brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles Ruslan has, but certainly I met many and it seemed like most of the village was in some way related. After we'd polished off the food, Ruslan pointed out that it was a bit late for him to drive to my hotel and back to return me, especially since he'd had a few vodkas! So why don't I stay the night? Accepting his kind offer meant there was enough time for us to head out into the village for a few drinks with friends.

Sharing a fabulous traditional Uzbek lamb and rice based meal the next day with Ruslan and some of his closest friends (L to R): Aman a Turkmen walnut trader; Muhammed a champion billiards player, owner of champion fighting dog and general wheeler dealer; and Uzbekistan's champion kickboxer whose name I forget but I won't forget that his hands seemed to be developing into permanent fists!

Ruslan's little princess and imp – extremely cute and keen to help clearing the dishes after a meal!