Desert to Lhasa
Set out from Beijing last Sunday morning boarding a 24-hour train to zhongwei, a desert region on the border of Inner Mongolia. The train past through an increasingly dry and barren landscape, flat valleys made habitable only by a vast irrigation network bounded by mountainous ridges. Smoke pluming up from factories and power plants filled the low-lying areas with smog, creating turneresque sunsets and dawns. Arrived in Zhongwei and caught a bus after some general wandering the street style confusion. The bus took us to a spot some 15 km out of town where the irrigated plain comes up against the rolling dunes of the desert. The Chinese government has installed a desert research base here to investigate ways to prevent the further encroachment of the sands. Apparently this place is a bit of a Chinese playground, but that must be in the summer as we were the only people there. All the locals stared with the same 'crazy white people!' expression on their faces. Enquiring after the location of the hostel it we were informed that it was closed. oh dear. Not to be deterred negotiated a stay in one of the camel owners huts in the dunes before heading off to the slopes for some sand sledding. Unfortunately being the winter there was no chair lift, so each ride down the steep dune slope, required a rather painful walk back up. Next was the sheep skin rafting, yes that’s right, floating down a river on fifteen dead inflated sheep. Although not exactly white water stuff, I found the whole thing hilarious, the sheep with there backs into he water and legs poking through the bottom of the raft around you.Spent the night huddled round a hot stove in our shack while a friendly chap bustled around stoking the fire and cooking noodles. Non-instant noodles and beer as opposed to usual remote place in china fare, instant noodles and beer, made a real change..... 3 viscous sounding Alsatians tied up outside barked whenever we left the hut, apparently to scare off the wild dogs that roam the desert. Woke early to see the dawn and then to mount our steeds for the day, a rather furry set of camels, trained together with ropes attached to pins in their noses. Not very comfortable I imagine. Probably about as uncomfortable as sitting on a camel for 8 hours solid. Now camels are ok, as long as they don't get it in their heads to raise the pace beyond walking. Unfortunately when they get yanked in the nostrils they tend to raise the pace rather swiftly, resulting in rider having to cling on in every feasible way. Not having stirrups makes a trotting camel rather a bouncy affair and several times I came close to flying off sideways.By the time we'd got back to base the last bus to town had already left, having been 2 days and a camel ride without washing etc, another night in the shack didn't appeal to much so sat by the road hoping the flag down the first taxi/lift back into town. In taxi arrived fairly soon, although already with a passenger, using my finest, get out lonely planet and point where you want to go style communication, managed to get across where we wanted to get to. After some indecipherable chatter (i.e. Chinese) from the driver to her passenger they let us in. After we start driving in the opposite direction in pursuit of a rather fancy looking car I made I’m confused noises at the driver, who signaled that we were going somewhere else first, the passenger showed a press pass identifying him as a journalist - curious I thought. Curious indeed, the car in front was filled with finely suited businessmen who ushered us with them to look at some ancient statue head which evidently been dug out of the ground. Although we couldn't communicate with them in anyway the group proceeded to inspect a building site where presumably the found had been unearthed, telling us to follow. We got back to the cars, thinking well that was nice, and were all ready to go when the big boss looking guy waves to follow him and the others into a restaurant. On out table, laid for 9 - us included, sat a huge hot pot surrounded with plates full of meats and vegetables for cooking in it. On of the men fetched a bottle of rice whiskey and I was sat at my very first Chinese business dinner. It was pretty lucky I’d read the etiquette section in my LP, so although had no way to speak to them made sure I poured others tea before mine, handled business cards (of which I now have a collection) with 2 hands and of course never refuse yet another shot of rice whiskey. 2 hours, and the best meal in ages, later we got driven back, payment being refused for food and taxi, just a photo shoot in the town square being requested, each of them getting to stand next to us for a picture, and several group shots. Bizarre.After a day inspecting Zhongwei I caught a train the next evening - hard seat unreserved, this wasn't fun. Sitting on floor of carriage with a multitude bustling past holding onto my rucksack as no luggage space left, trying to sleep, as was the midnight train. 10 hours later arrived at Xining and caught a 32-hour bus to Lhasa. Although the guy selling me the ticket assured me that it was an official route now (special permits are required to enter Tibet), having to hide whilst we crossed the border from the men with the helmets and the guns rather makes me doubt the truth of that. Arriving at one in the morning in considerable back pain (camels, train floors and 32 hours immobile combined) still paranoid at the sight of any official looking character in a pointy cap, leapt into a taxi and crashed out in a hostel.The next day I got up to inspect the jokang temple, the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism. The temple has a continuous stream of pilgrims circulating it clockwise. Most swinging their hand held prayer wheels whilst chanting under their breath. Others prostrate themselves in front of the temple doors whilst the incense from two, three-meter high burners swirls around them. Inside the temples wall more pilgrims circulate the inner sanctum, spinning the large prayer wheels, which surround it. The Potala palace, the (ex)seat of the Dalai Lama is a truly magnificent structure, huge 13 stories high and painted white and with a deep red ochre. Inside are amongst a huge number of chapels the tombs of former Dalai Lamas, their remains contained within huge gold and jewel encrusted stupas reaching from floor to the high ceilings.Picked up my Nepalese visa this morning, so will be heading for Kathmandu relatively soon. At request of the consulate staff spent half and hour helping the locals fill out their application forms as all in English. What a nice chap. Anyways, nuff self congratulation for now.
cells and walls
ok so once i realised that beccoming a kung fu king probably takes more that a couple of days, i dispatched the idea of hanging around and getting beaten up by 5 year olds. instead left it to the pros to swing swords around, break sticks and iron bars across their heads, thrust their necks onto spear tips etc etc. Saw a demonstration of the monks doing all this and more before marching up the holy mountain that provides the backdrop to the monestry at Shaolin Si. The Monestry is beautiful, and although largely restored, still has a fantastic atmosphere with ancient trees growing up in its courtyards and monks shadow boxing in front of temples.Once in Beijing, courtasy of a muderous night in a hard seat train carriage, and safetly installed in a dorm, our welcoming party was probably the most eccentric character i've yet encountered on my trip. A long frizzy haired,shaggey bearded, gangling looking guy, wandering about in long johns and a Tshirt addressed us with a sly grin,'Where you from?' - a fairly normal opening i grant, to which i reply and enquire after his own origin.'guess!' followed by a brief fit of giggles 'hahaha!' i couldn't 'Iran!'delighted at my mild suprise 'haha!'ok so i ask what he is doing in china'eating and sleeping!' he staccatoes out in his rather squeaky tone 'hahaha!''and how long, pray tell, have you been here?''Guess!haha!' grinning, and utterly self satisfied at the inginuity on his comeback 'one year' his bed is surrounded by a sea of boxes and newspapers. 'haha!'His artful conversation, combined with a penchant for several hour long showers a day, the daylight hours spent hiding under the covers of his bed and then his nightly surjourns to 'embassy' suggested that perhaps i'd stumbled across one of those nortorious al queda sleeper cells (apologies)..... perhaps not.Have spent the last few days in Beijing exploring the forbidden city (you've seen the pictures, like that but with a maelstrome of tourists and pennant waving tour guides), temple of heaven (nice park, beautifully cloured temples) and summer palace (really beautiful park studded with temples and palaces - highly reccomended) before heading out of the city yesterday to clamber over the wall. Took a taxi out to an enrestored section where i suspect they don't really let tourists go and were led by a smiling guide who gabbled on in chinese to us, (presumably) about the wall, clearly oblivious to the fact we didn't have a clue what he was on about. This section was orginional but still in amazingly good repair, although overgrown with saplings. In fact the only places where it wasn't more or less in tact was where the local farmers had pillaged it to build retaining walls for there neat terraces of chestnut and strawberry guava trees. We scambled up and down several steeps sections running along the top of a gorge, through the trees and balancing on the wall's edges. at each crest the watch towers still stood, almost in perfect repair, and from the top of these a fantastic view showed the wall snaking off over hill tops and over the horizen in both directions. And not a tourist in sight - perfect.AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! just spent several hours trying to get some photos online but unfortuneatly computer crash has wiped everythiing so giving up. soz. need to go break some crockery now
Model horse rider
well the trip to chengdu was an experience. We thought getting the bus rather than the train would be 1: less comfortable (correct) although 2: cheaper (incorrect) 3: faster (ha couldn't have been more wrong). How do you turn an 18 hour motorway journey into a 30 hour struggle for survival? well thats easy, first you have a dodgy unlicenced driver that keeps getting pulled over by the cops and having to spend hours negotiating, then you take your sleeper bus down a 1 lane, unfinished, one way, muddy track, IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. When in the other direction is coming half of chinas trucks (seriously probably close to a thousand passed us). a 2 km stretch of road took 6 hours alone as we bumped from passing place to passing place using gaps in a line of trucks that litterally stretched as far as the eye could see. add to this, the mankiest blanket known to man, bed bugs or somekind of vicous blood suckers, chain smoking fellow passengers and a large alsatian constantly wimpering (i know how it felt). To top it all off the toilet facilities consisted at opening the door at speeds of up to 120 kph whilst changing lanes on a busy motorway and relieving yourself onto the adjacent carridgeway. well you gotta laugh, and suprisingly i did.Chengdu is a modern chinese metropololis (ie breathing asking for trouble). Skyscrapers and hugh flashing advertisements surround an austere looking Mao in the central square - not sure this was exactly what he had in mind. In the parks, water, large rocks and a prefusion of flowers create havens from the bustle where the older play rapid games of Majong, pieces flashing across the table and being slammed down accompanied by a variety of grunts and exclamations from the players and bystanders. Chengdu is also the place for giant panda spotting, most commonly spotted wandering at the 'panda research facility'. And i wasn't disapointed, there they were. yeah, they're big, fluffy, etc was delighted when they took time out from the cuddly stuff to get into a ruck with each other, one grasping the other around the neck, hehe now thats what i call entertainment! well, it was all in fun really ;) Headed north from Chengdu to a small(ish) place called songpan in the highlands. Although formally a sleepy place its well on the way to being touristified, all they need to do is get the water working and build a proper road and i'm fairly confident that you won't be able to move for the tour group camera wielders. Took a 3 day horse trek in the mountains surrounding the town. all kit etc in the saddle bags, wrapped against the freezing winds in hats, scarfs, gloves, thermals, longjohns (i'm a convert) several layers etc, atop by mount felt all heroic and adventuresome. Couldn't resist whistlying the opening bars of magnificent 7 repeatedly for first few hours. Was rather taken with the whole horse thing, reccon i'm a natural in the saddle, next time maybe i'll move it up to a canter...... Countryside was alpine, all gushing streams, frosted pines and autumnal colours. Temperaturewas freezing, ie, bed of pine branches, then ground sheet and 3 blankets, then double bagging sleeping bags (ie mine inside the one they provide), then 2 duvets and a blankets ontop, and this just about staves off frozen blood. Actually was fairly toasty, but water bottles froze overnight as did my contact lenses into their solution, chilly. It amazing what our guides could cook up over an open fire with a couple of iron pots though, we had, stir fry, boiled potatoes, fresh bread, fresh doe nuts, soup with fresh pasta (ok so they brought alot of flour) etc etc, anyway, i was impressed. Another mad succession of bus journies and minor run outof money in town with no banks scenario and Xi'an was reached. City of the the terracotta warriors. Yes there are lots, they stand there, you've all seen the pictures etc etc. Last night attempted to find a bar in Xi'an for a quiet beer, but they don't really seem to have many there, so when we spotted the word 'PUB' in large glowing letters, thought we had struck it lucky. Walking through the enterance and metal detector (good thing i wasn't packin) were ushered into lift. At the top walked into what turned out to be one of the ritziest bars in the city, drinks 6 times normal prices, bottles of champers first thing on the menu, more staff than you can imagine (all in tartan kilts and tops) and Xi'an's finest. We get pointed to a table in prime position in front of the stage, looking rather tatty in dirty combats (fresh from horses back) walking boots (still caked) and fleece. oh yes, quite an entrance. Entertainment was a succession of english songs being murdered in public (when celine dion 'the heart must go on' started it was time to call it a night) and to increase the feeling of the sureal the staff took the opportunity of our presence to call a photo shoot with myself as star model with the bar in the background for promotional purposes. Unfortuneatly was unable to explain concept of 'image rights'. Left Xi'an early this morn and am now at Shaolin Si, yes thats the place where the monks hang out and am currently staying at school of 7000 kungfu students, a multitude of cutless wielding 8 year olds are at the window as i speak - scary
