Monday 29th October 2012 - Day 26 - Shanghai

We were extremely lazy this morning, after all this is supposed to be a holiday! We drew back the curtains around 11am to find it was quite sunny outside, well the grey sky had a slightly bluer tinge to it. I decided it must be shorts weather especially seeing that they are probably the item of clothing that are the least dirty! Jon took the first shower then did a Latte run while I took my turn. We sat in the hostel bar with our coffee slowly gathering the energy to tackle our final day of sightseeing. Anything we wanted to see had to be done in the next few hours as tomorrow morning we fly home.

There were only 4 things on the top 10 things to do in Shanghai that we had to fit in so we set off in search of the Expo 2010 metro stop. We got off and walked along the row of lilies to the moon boat and Chinese art museum. It was all a bit under construction and much of a muchness, so we did not stay long. Back on the metro we set off for the old town. There were tiny alley ways and shops on one side of the street and huge new shopping malls on the other, quite a contrast. We wandered the back streets for a while dodging all the hanging laundry.

As we reappeared on the other side of the block at a main crossroads we spotted a lovely looking restaurant, the lovely definition boils down to being clean and non smoking. We were pleasantly surprised to see parts of the menu in English and accompanied by pictures which helps. We had salmon sushi to start and chicken with rice. It was delicious although the soup that it came with was some what of a mystery. We then lucked out by finding the nicest toilets of the entire trip and they were in a shopping mall of all places. They were so nice I almost wanted to stay longer!

Back on the metro our next stop was the Yuyuan gardens which we eventually found after taking the right exit from the underground . We walked another few miles through the classic streets and found some postcards in the bazaar. There were all sorts of things cooked on skewers and lining the streets, such as tiny birds, tongue etc. Unfortunately we had just eaten so we were not hungry! We stumbled across the heart of the area by accident and we were pleasantly surprised by the old looking buildings linked by paths over waterways. In the water there were millions of koi carp and some where as long as my arm! They were awesome to watch and dotted between them were a few terrapins, how cool.

We made our way back to the metro and went to Century Park. The parks are usually a hive of activity but this one was cold, drab and practically empty hence not even worthy of a photo. There were a few people power walking and cycling and the token bride and groom having their photo shoot. It started spitting and getting dark so I made a beeline for the nice coffee shop I clocked on the way in while Jon had a spurt of energy and was determined to walk the circumference of the lake so we split up and were reunited over a pastry and latte. We read for a while and enjoyed the peace but it was now gone 6pm and dark. We leave early in the morning and have a lot to sort out in preparation so we took the metro back to the hostel.

The rest of the evening we recharged batteries, blogged, got to grips with our plan for the journey to the airport in the morning and packed. We are satisfied to have ticked off all the highlights of Shanghai and are excited to see everybody tomorrow! St. Petersburg seems like a million years ago and more specifically, a million miles away! In fact, our route has been approximately 10,093km by train and quite an adventure!

Sunday 28th October 2012 - Day 25 - Shanghai

Although it was only 6.40am when we were woken, it was quite nice to know we would be getting off in an hour. We had a nice takeaway Nescafe coffee that brightened us a little. We got off and decided to try and make our own way to the hostel using the metro. This proved to be a bit trickier than it needed to be as we did a few extra miles walking and a few too many stops than necessary but with the lack of sleep and trying to get your bearings underground before 8am we did not too bad. As we came up from the underground the hostel was just opposite and a site for sore eyes! We crossed the road and were faced with very steep stairs leading up into the hostel. It made me chuckle as it reminded me of our John O’Groats to Lands End ride where the B&B was always up a steep slope at the end of a gruelling day cycling just to finish you off!

Thankfully the reception had our booking and we went straight into our twin room, third time lucky! We had even considered forgetting the hostel and treating ourselves to a nice posh hotel but a decent one was £120 per night whereas this is £15 and its really quite nice. We dumped our gear and walked along the street to find breakfast. We came across a bread shop that sold coffee so we grabbed a take away and sat in our hostel bar to eat, find a map and make our plan of attack for the next two days. Suddenly with a packed itinerary we showered and made our way back on the metro to the Peoples Square.

This was another large park with everybody out and about. We walked the pedestrian street that was 5km long and was lined with massive expensive stores. We treated ourselves to an ice cream as it was hot not that you would realise from the photos as the sky was as grey as ever, just thick, polluted smog. At the end of the pedestrian street we arrived at the Bund. This is the waterfront area of the river that leads to the Yangtze River and is where all the post card shots are taken of the Shanghai Skyline. The view of all the high rise buildings was awesome.

We took the tourist sightseeing tunnel under the river to the district where all the high rises stood tall. We were intrigued as we had no idea what to expect as when you take the escalator underground you are promised aquamarine fish and dolphins? We entered a small pod and were whisked off on a track into a pitch black tunnel that was suddenly illuminated with bright lights, no wildlife whatsoever, very tacky but different. The other side we walked to the Oriental Pearl Tower looking up the whole time! We queued with the millions to get in the various elevators up to the space module at 350m high. This is no longer the tallest building here but its more impressive than the ‘bottle opener’ building. We tried to look out but it was just ridiculous being so high up in the smog you could hardly see the ground below let alone the view! We got to walk around on the glass floor which is always fun if not a bit disconcerting.

Back on solid ground we grabbed some dinner and took it to the river to eat and watch the river cruise boats go up and down practically empty. We then took the fantastic tunnel back to the Bund just in time for sunset where we sat for an hour or so while the sky turned black and the buildings came to life. They were all illuminated at different times with different colours and patterns. We took too many photos and it started to get cold on the river front. We waited until 6pm when the Pearl tower finally lit up then we made our way back up the pedestrian street to take the metro back to the hostel. As we made it to our room we crashed on our beds and realised that the mattress is actually paper thin and you can feel the wooden slats but hey ho and least its not moving! We stayed in the room all evening recharging the batteries. I think we achieved a lot today with no sleep last night.

Saturday 27th October 2012 - Day 24 - Xian to Shanghai

It was nice to have a lie in today just relaxing in the room and hostel bar area until checkout at noon. We treated ourselves to lattes and a full English, very nice. We left the luggage in storage and took a taxi to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. We had been told it was the best building to see in Xian so we decided it was worth a look although to be honest we are both a bit museum and templed out. As we arrived we realised that actually the main attraction to the place was not necessarily the pagoda itself, it was more the huge expanse of water fountains that were leading to the pagoda, that were performing in time with music.

It really was quite impressive and we stood and watched for a long time. Every now and then the high fountains would catch in the wind and you would get sprayed but it just added to the fun. There were tonnes of people surrounding the fountains as being the weekend the world and his wife was there. We walked up to the pagoda and decided not to go in and climb it but instead to enjoy the gardens surrounding it. As we came to a smaller pagoda housing a golden Buddha, we purchased some incense sticks and red candles. We set them alight with the help of an old dude that was determined on walking us through the process.

We then found a small outside drinks stall in amongst the gardens and sat for a while to take a load off. There were several wooden cards hung on a wall where people had written their prayers. We then walked back taking a peek at all the tat stalls lining the walkway. I got a postcard and a few souvenirs. We then decided it was time to try and get a taxi back to the hostel. It’s quite easy as we just ask the hostel to write various destinations in Chinese on a scrap of paper and pass it to the driver, he either accepts or just drives off! We were doing our best to flag one down when a small tuk tuk pulled up. First we thought, no thanks, but then we thought well why not it looks like fun!

We hopped in and he zoomed off with one hand permanently on the horn we zipped through the traffic not stopping for anyone or anything! At one point we came to a roundabout and the traffic looked too bad so he just went the other way, I.e. directly into the on coming traffic! I just shut my eyes, and we are here to tell the tale so it all turned out fine! In fact we only stopped once and that was for him to light a cigarette! Arriving back at the hostel ahead of time, we had a quick drink and played with the tiny dog some more. At 3.15pm we decided to take another tuk tuk to the train station. This time we had to squeeze us and all our luggage into the tiny seats. He was slightly less of a mad driver but he got us to the station in good time.

We made our way though the entrance and found our train number. We waited in the waiting room which was packed. At one point there literally was no floor space left as everyone was sitting or standing on top of each other. Jon did a quick snack run then we made our way to carriage 10 after a snap shot of our final train from Xian to Shanghai! We were actually given two bottom bunks but I much prefer the top bunk so I asked a lady to swap with me, about 10 minutes later we finally understood each other and she looked quite relieved not to have to climb up.







We started moving and before long we realised that the through doors between the cabins were locked open so the smoking areas completely blended into our cabin, nasty. Also, the washroom was next to our cabin so we had all the smells and men hawking up and spitting into the sinks ALL NIGHT! We managed to stomach a pot noodle each then tried to sleep but the back support on Jon’s bunk was loose and was rattling with the motion of the train. As this was just below me the wall next to me was also rattling. It kept us awake pretty much the whole night, it was enough to drive you mad! I seem to remember punching and kicking the wall at least 3 times in my dreamlike state of tiredness and frustration.

Friday 26th October 2012 - Day 23 - Xian

Thankfully the smell in our shower disappeared overnight so we had nice hot showers followed by a latte and met our minibus at 9am. We were joined by two other guys from our hostel, one from South Africa working in China and one from India working in Singapore. We also joined a young couple from Canada and a retired couple from Perth but originally from Birmingham. There was slight confusion about who was on what minibus and we were glad when some douschmelumpa got off that had his chair so far reclined we could not fit behind it. It was such a joke, we just assumed it was broken! We had a prolonged stop at a cash point too and finally got going nearly an hour later.
We had the compulsory stop at a souvenir shop where they were making the terra cotta warrior souvenirs from clay casts but this time we gave in and purchased one each, which we have nicknamed Big Tel and Little Tel. Jon’s will fill his back pack and weigh it down quite considerably, mine is rather more compact. It was an hour or so drive to the museum itself which housed the warriors. We got off then took an electric cart over to the entrance. We had an English speaking guide that took us firstly over to a cinema room where you stood in the centre and the film was projected 360 degrees around your head.
We learned that the warriors were discovered under a meadow by a farmer who was trying to dig a well on his land in 1974. This farmer was there signing books too. He lost his farm but now you have to pay him £2 for a photo and buy his book for £15 so he’s not doing to bad. The warriors were estimated to have been built 2,200 years ago by the Qin dynasty. They were built to protect the first emperor of china in his afterlife. Apparently the site is 52sqkm and only a tiny section of it has been fully excavated to date. When they were first uncovered they were found in a badly damaged condition but they were painted in bright colours. Shortly after the paint disappeared due to the oxidisation. Therefore, they have stopped uncovering them until they have the technology to retain the colours.
The soldiers were built by 84 different artists and are all individual and sculptured on real people. They were then covered with a log roof with earth on top of the logs. The entrances to the underground army were blocked in with logs and concrete walls. It was surprising to see how few have been restored and the vast areas of pits that are yet to be unearthed. An enemy of the emperor unfortunately discovered the underground army years before and destroyed every figure, burnt it down and stole all the weapons that were made of bronze. Thus meaning every single warrior we could see had been painstakingly reassembled bit by bit, the worlds largest jigsaw puzzle.
There were 6,000 soldiers in the largest pit, and we also walked around a second pit which housed 87 generals and a third pit that housed 2,000 archers and horseman. We went to the exhibition centre too which showed some of the other things buried underground like a bronze horse and chariot. We had half hour spare at the end of the guided tour and we just went straight back to pit 1 and just gazed at the warriors, now deemed to be an 8^th wonder of the world and a world cultural heritage site, quite incredible.
We then went to lunch but our ticket was a bit cheaper and it was not included so we sat in the square and bought cheap drinks and snacks to munch on. We had a go on the park exercises and resisted the urge to eat a huge pomegranate. We then went to the Banpo museum which was a village discovered in the centre of Xian that was built 5,000 years ago. We saw how they built their houses half under ground with the above ground part resembling a Ger. We learnt that they buried their young babies in terracotta pots underground with a hole in the pot to let the soul escape. As museums go, this one was quite interesting and interactive.
We briefly saw a hill that apparently has a tomb of an emperor buried 40m deep inside it. It has never been opened but they know its there from using various x-ray technology, very clever if its true. On the way back to the hostel we dropped the others off in their nice hotel, then slipped down a side street to cut through to our hostel. Unfortunately, the street was no wider than our minibus and the car coming towards us was not impressed that we would not reverse. It was the best Mexican standoff I have ever been involved in. We were there a good 15 minutes while they all got out and shouted at each other, a few pushes and shoves but no full scale fight. All the shop owners and pedestrians gawped with interest. Crazy.
Back a the hostel we played with the tiniest dog I have ever seen. It is 4 months old but no bigger than my foot. It sat on my shoe eating my shoelaces quite contently. Eventually I had to boot it off in fear that I would have no laces left, besides I reserve that treat for Cody! We had pizza for dinner and sat with a few beers while we watched the Canadian bird in her vest, hot pants and cowboy boots ask the waiter if she was inappropriately dressed and being rather loud at the dumpling party. Jon teased the cat and we kept sinking lower and lower in our seats to escape the cloud of smoke slowly building around us. That’s one thing I don’t miss from home.

Thursday 25th October 2012 - Day 22 - Xian

We were woken up by the cabin lady at 7am with hot coffee. We had just under an hour before we pulled into Xian train station. We had arranged with our hostel for a free pickup and we were pleased to see my name printed on a board being waved in the crowd. We made our way to the minibus and drove across town to our hostel. As we arrived there was a power cut and so we were unable to check in. We just dumped our bags and walked up the road to find a cash point. We spotted a coffee shop next to the bank so we went in and ordered jam toast. About half an hour later, a very colourful jam sandwich appeared with pink and green jam and dollops of cream, random.

We returned to the hostel and sat in the sofa area just reading until the power came back on. We finally checked into a room that is not technically a twin as it is one massive bed. It is so big we plan on sleeping in in a T shape with our bags separating us! The bathroom stinks but you cant have everything for £13 a night. We freshened up quickly then headed out to the South Gate of the city wall. We climbed the steps to be up on the wall where you could hire bikes to cycle the perimeter of the city, 13.7km long. Inside the walls there were small old buildings and outside there were nothing but sky scrappers. From the height of 40ft we had a great view as the buildings disappeared into the city smog.

We decided to hire a tandem as neither of us had ridden one before. We managed it but it was not the most comfortable ride. The person on the back could not see, therefore did not know when the bumps were coming, could not steer and could not brake. The person up front was constantly trying to correct the steering for two peoples movement. Not ideal riding but the whole experience was awesome. It took exactly 92 minutes to ride at some pace the whole way round. We had paid 80p to hire the bike for 100 minutes, what a bargain and a brilliant experience.

Climbing down from the wall we found a bar almost immediately as Jon needed a beer and I needed a sofa to sleep. A short power nap then we continued to wander within the city walls in the old town. We walked up a market stall street and purchased a few souvenirs spending a whopping £2.50. We entered a museum of the forest of stone etchings being one of the top ten highlights which was ok but not really worth the money. We walked through a small backstreet where I just had to sit and stroke a 4 year old Cody dog. He was so adorable.

Then I was chuffed to bits to see a couple of ladies playing badminton in the street. I asked if we could have a go and the poor lady didn’t get her rackets back for a good 15 minutes! Jon nearly knocked out a lady as she walked by, nearly knocked a guy off his moped and hit the shuttle which only had a handful of feathers on to the roof above a shop. We could not reach it and felt terrible but then the lady came out with a pole adapted for such a retrieval! It was such a fun afternoon. As the sun started to set we realised we had not eaten anything except the ‘jam toast’ this morning and so we found a backstreet restaurant and had some local dishes. Back at the hostel we relaxed in the bar all evening with a very loud Canadian girl, a kitten predator and a tiny yelping dog.

Wednesday 24th October 2012 - Day 21 - Beijing to Xian

Today was the first day since the start of the trip where we did not set an alarm, we simply had to have checked out the room by noon. We both had a great night sleep once we chose which one of the 6 beds we fancied. I woke after 11 hours kip, and I grabbed my book and sat in the café with a cappuccino, so perfect. Jon surfaced a couple of hours after then we showered and put our bags in storage to go explore the final part of Beijing. After today we will have seen the top ten highlights of the city except the pandas in the zoo, as although I love Pandas, we both hate zoos.

We took the underground to the Lama Temple and surrounding park. We saw the elderly flying kites, playing some version of croquet competition and doing their exercises on the parks outside gym equipment. One lady in particular fascinated me as she stretched her leg above her head with ease. Amazing, I am sure we have this same equipment in Woodlands park probably just going rusty. We stayed in the park for a good few hours just people watching, very interesting and peaceful, bit of an eye opener. I really should explain the cheeky bum photo I took the other day, the toddlers here do not wear nappies, they just have the seam in their trousers unpicked so they are ready to be held over any public bin, gutter, flower bed etc at any given moment. I wanted a snap shot to remember this aspect of life but not sure its politically correct!

My favourite experience of the day was trying to communicate with a granddad and his young grandson. They were just chilling in the park with a picnic and the granddad was trying to teach his grandson how to pick up bits of leaves with chop sticks made from tiny twigs. It was so lovely to see. We then took the underground to the business district literally to hop off and photograph the CCTV building that is a funky shape. As we made our way back to the hostel for 5pm the sun was setting across one of the huge traffic junctions.

We received help from the hostel to pick up a taxi from the main road as it was rush hour. Finally one pulled over and an hour later we arrived on the other side of town at the Beijing West Train Station. This journey was quite possibly the worst taxi ride either of us have ever experienced. The driver was hawking up God knows what the entire journey and spitting it out his window in spectacular fashion. The noise was very disturbing and it took my entire concentration not to throw up. I sat the whole way with my fingers in my ears.

  We arrived at the train station an hour early so we grabbed some dinner in KFC this time. To give us credit we attempted a few local restaurants but there was no English Menu and seeing as we are on a train tonight, we felt it best to eat something safe! We made our way through to the waiting area and before long we were getting on the train to Xian. We found our carriage but as we went to get on, a Chinese guide with 20 Germans were asking us to swap so that their group could stay together. We did a good deed and swapped and shared with two locals. The cabin was modern and clean. We had two bottom bunks but before long with the door shut there is just stale air and I could not get to sleep fully clothed and in jeans.