Girl sitting on exercise equipment
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Golmud (elev. 2800 meters -- 9100 feet)
I have been in Golmud for three or four days now, getting acclimated to the altitude (thin air) and trying to figure out how to sneak into Tibet without paying for the extortionate Tibetan Travel Permit (1700 RMB through the official China International Travel Service) for a bus to Lhasa. A couple visits to the bus station (crawling with police) and asking around has me hopeful that I've spoken to the right folks. It's actually not a big deal as many people have been getting into Tibet this way for years. I'm going to pay 750 RMB to get to Lhasa (payment on arrival) for a sleeper bus. The Chinese pay 130-150 RMB for the same trip. The ride will take about 18-24 hours, and will take me over the Tanggu-la Pass at 5180-m (17,000-feet). I've bought an oxygen tank (20 RMB) for the trip. It's supposed to help with the headaches, and a keen safety precaution. Apparently, on the train from Xining to Golmud, we travelled through a 4500-m pass (14,700 feet) and I woke up in the middle of the night out of breath, crampy, and uncomfortable.
Golmud, described in the Lonely Planet, is a desolate outpost, but actually it's quite nice. The sky is clear blue most of the time and there are lots of markets to visit. You can buy a lot of military clothing here for the cold weather. I bought some gloves for 3 RMB. You can buy a thick army trenchcoat for about 80 RMB. A lot of the population here is Muslim, and there is a mosque not too far away. People have been very friendly here.
There are a few touts that have come up offering trips to Lhasa for as low as 200 RMB. That just seems too low to be able to pay off the police at the three checkpoints to Lhasa. Foreigners are required to pay for a travel permit, which is actually just another form of bribery as there is actual permit that you get to show people.
It helps a lot to be able to speak Mandarin in China. I think I have been sheltered from most of the two-tiered pricing system that most foreigners are subjected to. China is so expansive that my horrible Mandarin accent is not a big deal.
You have to bargain a lot in China; even the locals do. I have no idea how over-charged foreigners are in China, but I've been doing great.
I have been ordering food by faking my way through a menu (I am illiterate) and asking for a meat dish and a vegetable dish. It works pretty well. If you go to my flickr site you will see almost every meal I've had in China. I've been paying about 15 RMB for dinner. It helps to meet up with other people with whom to share many dishes.
I met a Vietnam-born American travelling in China for a year who said to me a couple things that I thought was bizarre. The first one was, "Ya gotta admit, China is going to take over Taiwan someday." The other statement was, "Man, China is proof that Communism works." First of all, this guy was a moron, but I didn't care to point this out to him. Let me tell ya, I have no idea what Communism means any more. This place is all about profiteering and free enterprise. The income discrepency in this country is immense. In Xi'an I saw beggars with amputated limbs, scooting around on small boards with wheels, and people clubbing in a nightclub, their tables covered with bottles of Budweisers at 135 RMB ($16) a pop. There are fancy cars driven by fancy yuppies.
A lot of people seem to be afraid that China is going to top the States as the largest superpower in a decade. Yeah, I think it might be sooner than that. The modernization that is occurring here is staggering. Everywhere are high-rise apartment buildings and multi-laned highways in construction.
I used to joke with my friends that if you wanted to get rich, make a piece of junk and sell it to yuppies in the States. No, I think you should do that but sell it to the Chinese. The rubbish they sell on tv is incredible. I don't think there is anything such as false advertising. There is a device that can only described as a "torture rack" that has a chin strap and a place to hook your feet, which you crank to lengthen. It is supposed to make you taller and/or help with arthritis. There are countless testimonials to prove that this works.
I can't access blogs on the internet in China. I suspect this has something to do with free speech limitations here, that's why my blog postings have been erratic.
Anyways, as I head for Tibet, these are a few of my thoughts on China.
Golmud, described in the Lonely Planet, is a desolate outpost, but actually it's quite nice. The sky is clear blue most of the time and there are lots of markets to visit. You can buy a lot of military clothing here for the cold weather. I bought some gloves for 3 RMB. You can buy a thick army trenchcoat for about 80 RMB. A lot of the population here is Muslim, and there is a mosque not too far away. People have been very friendly here.
There are a few touts that have come up offering trips to Lhasa for as low as 200 RMB. That just seems too low to be able to pay off the police at the three checkpoints to Lhasa. Foreigners are required to pay for a travel permit, which is actually just another form of bribery as there is actual permit that you get to show people.
It helps a lot to be able to speak Mandarin in China. I think I have been sheltered from most of the two-tiered pricing system that most foreigners are subjected to. China is so expansive that my horrible Mandarin accent is not a big deal.
You have to bargain a lot in China; even the locals do. I have no idea how over-charged foreigners are in China, but I've been doing great.
I have been ordering food by faking my way through a menu (I am illiterate) and asking for a meat dish and a vegetable dish. It works pretty well. If you go to my flickr site you will see almost every meal I've had in China. I've been paying about 15 RMB for dinner. It helps to meet up with other people with whom to share many dishes.
I met a Vietnam-born American travelling in China for a year who said to me a couple things that I thought was bizarre. The first one was, "Ya gotta admit, China is going to take over Taiwan someday." The other statement was, "Man, China is proof that Communism works." First of all, this guy was a moron, but I didn't care to point this out to him. Let me tell ya, I have no idea what Communism means any more. This place is all about profiteering and free enterprise. The income discrepency in this country is immense. In Xi'an I saw beggars with amputated limbs, scooting around on small boards with wheels, and people clubbing in a nightclub, their tables covered with bottles of Budweisers at 135 RMB ($16) a pop. There are fancy cars driven by fancy yuppies.
A lot of people seem to be afraid that China is going to top the States as the largest superpower in a decade. Yeah, I think it might be sooner than that. The modernization that is occurring here is staggering. Everywhere are high-rise apartment buildings and multi-laned highways in construction.
I used to joke with my friends that if you wanted to get rich, make a piece of junk and sell it to yuppies in the States. No, I think you should do that but sell it to the Chinese. The rubbish they sell on tv is incredible. I don't think there is anything such as false advertising. There is a device that can only described as a "torture rack" that has a chin strap and a place to hook your feet, which you crank to lengthen. It is supposed to make you taller and/or help with arthritis. There are countless testimonials to prove that this works.
I can't access blogs on the internet in China. I suspect this has something to do with free speech limitations here, that's why my blog postings have been erratic.
Anyways, as I head for Tibet, these are a few of my thoughts on China.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Hot water furnace
Hot water furnace
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Throwing coals into the hot water maker. It's no wonder this thing has to be used with supervision.
Coal dispenser on the train
Coal dispenser on the train
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
This was for the hot water dispenser. Every train has 'em but some of the trains still operate with coal and require the supervision of workers, so they're locked away most of the time. You just have to ask someone to unlock it, or keep an eye out for when people start heading down the halls with their bowls of noodles and thermos. There is a large themos of hot water in each berth.
Eight-treasures tea
Eight-treasures tea
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
I tried this wonderful tea in Xining. It has rock sugar, dried dates, dried longans, tea, chrysanthamum, and some other stuff.
Xining
Xining
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Xining is the capital of the Qinghai province. It is north of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) and the fourth poorest province in China. Basically there are industrial mining towns here and military outposts. It's been a Siberia of sorts for Chinese political prisoners too.
It was cold here, highs in the 40's and in the 20's at night; the elevation was 2200 meters. I was warm in my thermal underwear and fleece gear. What a change from down south!
I stayed at the Post Hotel where 55 RMB got me a carpetted room ensuite with hot water and a radiator and a hot/warm water dispenser and a tv. I slept for four hours after arriving.
I bought a ticket for a sleeper train to Golmud for the next night.
Crowded overnight train
Crowded overnight train
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
From Xi'an, I headed west to Xining on an overnight train. Unlike previous train rides, I couldn't get a sleeper berth. Apparently all the trains headed that way originated from Beijing, 18 hours away, and you can only reserve seats for trains that originate from your train station. By the time the train came to Xi'an, at 10:21pm, it was packed. Luckily there were a couple stops were some people cleared out and I was able to find some seats. Did I sleep? A few seconds at a time, until around 9 am when I slept for almost an hour. The ride was supposed to be nine hours long, but for some reason it lasted 14 hours. I headed west, crossing two provinces and entered the Qinghai province, with ears popping from the altitude, and my butt freezing. The scenery was pretty brown and desolate, like the drive from Barstow, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. There were small plots of land with vegetables and mud walls built around them to block out the wind.
Torndown area in Xi'an
Torndown area in Xi'an
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Xi'an was an old city once, but unlike Dali or Lijiang, old sections are getting destroyed for skyscrapers.
Stu and his 8 RMB Terracotta general
Stu and his 8 RMB Terracotta general
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Stu was staying in my dorm room in Xi'an. He's from London and has been travelling for about a year and a half now. He bargained this terracotta general down to 8 RMB. Some vendors quoted these for 120 RMB.
Terracotta archer
Terracotta archer
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
There were a few good examples of warriors on display in glass cases.
Rows of infantry
Rows of infantry
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The dispensible warriors didn't have armor and stood in the very front.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Hands ready to hold weapons
Hands ready to hold weapons
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The weapons found here are now in storage, but they are reported to be still sharp and stainless.
Pit one at the Army of the Terracotta Warriors
Pit one at the Army of the Terracotta Warriors
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Bus 306 (8 RMB roundtrip) brought me to the Army of the Terracotta Warriors (entry 90 RMB). There are three excavation pits here. Pit one is the largest. There are some 6000 warriors here with different faces and heads. These warriors were placed here to protect the tomb and soul of Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Off to Xining
I visited the Terracotta warriors while in Xi'an. They are pretty neat. I will post pictures soon. I am headed off to Xining tonight on an overnight train. It will take 12 hours, and all the reserved seats and bunks were taken as the train originates from Beijing (18 hours away). All I could manage was standing room. Grrreat! Awwwwwesome.
Grand Mosque of Xi'an
Grand Mosque of Xi'an
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
From Chengdu, I took another overnight train to Xi'an, the capital of the Shanxi province. This is considered to be the heart of China by many. This is the place of the Terracotta warriors, the tomb of the first emperor of China. Xi'an is a walled city of over 6 million people. There are hordes of tourists here, but only a few Westerners.
Panda
Panda
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
There is a Panda research center about 10 km outside of Chengdu. There are about 40 giant pandas kept here with an active nursery. They appear to be pretty lazy animals, no wonder they're going extinct. The ones I saw spent their time lying on their backs chewing up bamboo shoots.
To get to the Research center, don't take the "tours" sold by the hotels for 70 RMB. The entry ticket is only 30 RMB and you just take a citybus to Qinglong bus terminal for 1 RMB (number 83 from the train station or number 001 throughout the city)and take minibus number 1 next door to the terminal (1.50 RMB) to the Research center.
Sichuan hot chili oil
Sichuan hot chili oil
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
In Kunming, I stayed one night (back at Camellia's Hostel for 30 RMB), enjoyed some great food at the food court and at Walmart, before taking an 18 hour sleeper train to Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan (Szechuan) province. It was overcast and drizzly in Chengdu, but there was hot food to be had. Some of the best food in China is from the Sichuan province, and almost all of it is blisteringly spicy.
Gorge view
Gorge view
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
On day three, I hiked down to Tina's guesthouse, down by the road. I left the Aussies and Swedes behind to make my way back to Lijiang and Kunming. It only took a couple hours to get to the road, and from there I hired a minivan (60 RMB, ouch!) to get me back to Qiaotao, where I caught a bus (15 RMB) back to Lijiang.
At Lijiang, I bought a ticket on the sleeper bus to go back to Kunming (122 RMB), 8 hours away.
Chinese chess
Chinese chess
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
A couple of the boys were playing chess between chores.
Dinner with the Li's
Dinner with the Li's
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
For dinner, we asked to eat with the family in their kitchen.
Cracking walnuts and drinking beer
Cracking walnuts and drinking beer
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
We spent the rest of the afternoon drinking tea, beer, and cracking walnuts that they supplied for free.
Drinking milk tea
Drinking milk tea
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
On the way to Five Fingers Guesthouse, we passed many interesting plants. I asked Mr. Li about the interesting plants and he explained that they could make it into a nice milk tea. "Five Fingers" was named after Five Fingers Mountain which was behind the guesthouse. Mr. Li and his wife, family of three kids, and his mother lived at this "guesthouse". During the day, he picked corn and tended his animals, and once in a while some guests would show up.
The gorge is 3900 meters below the peaks
The gorge is 3900 meters below the peaks
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Purportedly, one of the deepest gorges in the world.
Naxi Family Guesthouse is somewhere down there
Naxi Family Guesthouse is somewhere down there
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
This is the view from 24 or 28 bends.
Climbing up the trail
Climbing up the trail
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
On day two, we all set out at different paces from Naxi Guesthouse towards Five Fingers Guesthouse at 9:00 am. We stopped for lunch at Tea Horse Guesthouse for an hour and made it to Five Fingers around 4:00 pm. We ascended to the highest point on the trail at 2600-meters at the top of 28-bends. I think Qiaotao is at about 2100-meters.
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