China here I come again
Trip Start
Jul 08, 2004
1
6
19
Trip End
Mar 30, 2005
Beijing, China
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
I was travelling third class, simple covers and blankets on the floor. But I didn't mind. In Japan it was the same but people are so respectuous of your own space and clean.
Rude awakening or rather reminder that the Chinese are different. There was a big symbol saying no smoking but one started and by the end my patience had gone up in smoke a bit like the room. They watched terrible silly action war- type movie all night but slept all day.
They were all so funny. I enjoyed myself on the deck all day, admiring the sea and the sky, reading, writing and listening to music.
My fear of not being able to withdraw money in the small port was confirmed when I arrived. There was the biggest cruise ship I had ever seen!!!! So I stayed with a Japanese guy who was going to Tibet and staying the night in Beijing. I was grateful that he was going to pay my fare to Beijing. Once In Beijing I will reimburse him.
And welcome to the other face of Asia, a mob circled us. Asking us where we were going and offering us their services. I don't like these situations where you can't breathe and you have to bargain.
It was going to be a long journey to Beijing.
First we negotiated a minibus to another bus, which will take us to Beijing main bus station.
We were literally dropped at one place and picked up from there. There was no seats just improvised chairs put in corridor.
I didn't enjoy the view as we were approaching the city.
We arrived at night, no idea where I was going, one recommendation from a Japanese man I had met on the ferry and a rough hand drawn map. The city was buzzing. I was close to the station.
First of all I needed to get money... And again it proved rather difficult.
I looked for a cashpoint for ages and when I found one it didn't give me money. All the banks were closed. Finally found one. And reimburse the guys who kindly lend it to me. He accompanied me all the way to the hostel. And I was grateful because it was very dark.
It was a nice hostel.
I phoned my boyfriend who was about to join me for a month and He told me that my sister had her baby on 25th September. Another boy, called Severin. I was happy for her and called to congratulate her.
I spent a day walking around the huge city of Beijing gazing at the sites. The city is a mixed of modern and old. New buildings burgeoned everywhere, but in some parts there is still remnants of the past, the narrow cobbled streets.
The next few days we spent enjoying the city. There is so much to see and do. We went to the Great Wall of China and walked on it for about 10 km. It was a gorgeous day, clear sky and sunny.
