The beginning

Tha Ton & Chiang Rai

peggy_sue — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:17:00 GMT

Saturday 21st April 2007

Really not exciting bus journey to Tha Ton from Chiang Mai. Spent 4 hours with sweat running down the back of the seat - not nice! Tha ton was tiny and all we really did was walk and see the big white Buddha and a few of the other statues that were on the hill there before chilling out, watching the Night in the Museum in Thai and watching one of the guys I'm travelling with eat stir-fried frog. Then there was the usual sit around and talk absolute rubbish for ages, has to be done though.

Sunday 22nd - Monday 23rd April 2007

Had a whirlwind tour of the Golden Triangle area. I didn't want to cross into Burma/Myanmar so walked up the hill and saw a sculpture of a giant black scorpian and grabbed some lunch. We then stopped off at the Opium Museum before heading to Chiang Rai. Had a wander and ended up at the night market where we tried some silk worms and grasshoppers - didn't taste that bad actually, although the silk worms were a little squishy for my liking.

Visited the Tee Pee Bar, which I loved! I wish there was one back home. It had such a cool atmosphere and a very good mix of music, went back there the second night too. Only other thing I did was visit the Hill Tribe Museum which was very interesting and the people that run it are doing some very valuable work.

Chiang Mai & Hill Tribe Trek

peggy_sue — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 16:48:00 GMT

Had a lazy day wandering round Chiang Mai, drifting into temples, wandering the streets, thinking about food... the usual. In fact that was pretty much all we did! In the evening we did some shopping at the night bazaar and then went to see a Muay Thai fight (Thai boxing).

First day of trekking I found so hard. We were walking through the hottest part of the day in areas that didn't have much shade and the terrain was very steep. Still, we only ended up trekking for about 3 hours so we obviously kept up a good pace. The subsequent 2 days were a lot easier and I was actually able to walk and talk again! We stayed in 2 amazing places completely in the middle of nowhere. We were washing in the nearby streams, playing card games by candle light and actually able to see the stars. Beautiful.

When I got back to Chiang Mai I treated myself to a foot massage - which was so good! I keep meaning to do it again but haven't got round to it yet! I made to the Thai cooking class which was brilliant and so much fun. It was all so simple but very tasty, although I did have a few added charcoal bits in my first dish - oops! In the afternoon we got a transfer to another hotel which had a swimming pool and chilled out for the afternoon. Had short wander round the night bazaar then head to a bar to grab food and played a few games of pool, well obviously I only attempted to! All in all a good end to an indulgent day!

Ayuthaya

peggy_sue — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 16:37:00 GMT

Only spent a few hours here but it was a lot of fun! We managed to get round 3 Wat's (temples): Wat Yai Chaya Mongkol built in 1350, Wat Mahathat where there is a Buddha's head in a tree and Wat Ratcha Burana. Going between these places we got caught up in the Songkran celebrations in amazing style. We were riding in the back of a tuk-tuk (partially open little van thing - great description I know!) down the main street with 2 large buckets of water with us and the general idea was to soak anyone you could! We had people jumping in the back with us when we slowed down to cover our faces in clay, got a few blasts from strong hoses, and squealed with horror when we got ice cold water thrown over us!

Kanchanaburi

peggy_sue — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 16:05:00 GMT

Friday 13th - Saturday 14th April

Had rather a brief amount of time here. Did a lot of history related things which I thoroughly enjoyed. Went to the JEATH Museum, WWII Museum, crossed the Death Railway Bridge and drove up to Hellfire Pass where you can walk along part of the railway line and through a cut that Australian POW's made. It was a sobering experience.

In the afternoon we went up to Erwan Waterfall where I managed to lose everyone. Wandered back and forth for a bit decided to just head up the hill and went up to the 5th level (of 7). I eventually took a side path down to a fairly quiet bit and been sat for only a couple of minutes when the others started down the same path. Very, very lucky! Time would have gone rather slowly otherwise I'm sure! The falls were nice despite the slight nibbling of fishes and my slipping on the rocks, I don't know how I ever kept my balance in ballet classes!

Ate at the night market when we got back which was lots of fun, you're never quite sure what your getting!

Bangkok

peggy_sue — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:52:00 GMT

Arrived just in time for the start of the Thai New Year celebrations, Songkran, which basically equals a huge water fight - don't go out and expect to stay dry for long! There is also the added bonus of getting clay stuff smeered on your face - it's 'lucky' apparantly! So after wandering around, getting something to eat, darting between the crowds I turned up to meet my Intrepid group quite damp and with a good dose of clay caked in my hair and over my clothes. It got a few laughs that's for sure! There are only 7 in this group which seems so small after the 12 in China! We went out to dinner and then four of us bought descent sized water pistols and joined in the fun! I have never been so wet in my life! Still it was loads of fun, minus the clay in eyes which happened frequently!

Leshan, Emei Shan, Yangtze River, Yangshuo, Hong Kong - The whirlwind update

peggy_sue — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:19:00 GMT

Leshan - Monday 26th March. Went to see the Grand Buddha and chill in the surrounding grounds for a few hours. Brilliant place although I think I'd slightly ruined the experience for myself as I already knew what the Buddha was going to look like so wasn't as overawed.

Emei Shan - Tuesday 27th & Wednesday 28th March. After never having heard of this place before coming on this trip I think it's my favourite place. Or perhaps experience would be a better way to put it. The summit had a massive statue of Buddha and a few of temples but it wasn't that. The views from the top took my breath away. Photos don't do it justice and neither can my words. I was dumbstruck and completely moved, I experienced a complete feeling of peace. The rest of the walking we did here was enjoyable but it was a bit of a tourist trap. It was completely surreal staying in monasteries though. Wasn't a fan of being woken up at 4am or some other ridiculous hour though!

Yangtze River - Thursday 29th March to Sunday 1st April. Hmmm, mixed feelings about this trip. It was probably my least favourite part of China. We had some fun times on the boat - especially learning how to play Mah Jong. Nevertheless, seeing things that were going to be lost and the people that were being displaced and losing their family homes left a bitter taste. No amount of positive spin could lift the mood of the group.

Yangshuo - Tuesday 3rd to Thursday 5th April. Had a lot of fun here. Quite touristy but it meant you didn't get stared at quite so much! Did a fair amount of souvenir shopping and got some good bargains. Indulged in eating some western food although very quickly missed my noodles! Had some cool nights in the bars drinking cocktails. Also went on a bike ride in the countryside which was really nice - flat terrain is always appreciated! Had to miss out on a cooking class as I came down with a fever which was very annoying but not much I could do about that. Managed to fit in a calligraphy lesson though, it is so much harder than it looks!

Hong Kong - Friday 6th to Tuesday 10th April. Loved Hong Kong. Spent just the right amount of time here I think. There was definitely lots more to see and do but it was also a lot more expensive than mainland China! Went up to Victoria Peak, saw the light show, went to the Museum of Art and the History Museum and did a great deal of general wandering! Saw a break dancing competition which went on for about 7 hours I think. They played about 10 seconds of a Head Automatica track in one of the rounds which totally surprised me! The city had a nice feel though and would love to go back.

Chengdu

peggy_sue — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 20:30:00 GMT

Sunday 25th arrived in Chengdu. We only had one day here but it was quite a busy one. We went and had breakfast at 6am at a hostel round the corner. We then went up to the panda breeding centre which was great. The reserve has really large grounds which they are currently in the process of expanding. The pandas were so cute and we got to see some that were only 6 months old, although most of them were still asleep. They also had red pandas on the reserve which look more like racoons and I got to hold one :D. After than we went to Wenshu monastry and had a vegetarian lunch - at 11am! We then wandered down to see the statue of Mao and across to Renmin (the people's) park where we sat by the lake and enjoyed a lemon tea. In the evening I went to a Sichuan Cultural Show and after tried hotpot... which was oh my god so hot! Still you have to try things at least once! Except for one of the things that we could dip into the hotpot which looked rather like cow intestines, no thanks!

Xi'an

peggy_sue — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 20:10:00 GMT

Had an overnight train journey from Beijing to Xi'an which was 10 hours long but luckily was asleep most of the way. After arriving at our hotel we went to the local huiling who look after people with special needs and teach them skills so that they can get by in the outside world. We had lunch there and the people did some dance and musical performances. We then went to the south gate and cycled round the ancient city walls (14 km). We then headed to the Muslim Quarter and wandered round the market stalls and tried some street food. It was a great atmosphere and I really enjoyed it. In the evening we went to the Big Goose Pagoda for a light and fountain show which goes on every evening. I can imagine it is a lot of fun in the summer when it is hotter.

Friday 23rd we went to see the Terracotta Army which was cool. Glad we got to see it but there was limited information available. The guide we had there told us some basics but I'd already done some reading up so I knew most of it already. We chilled out in the afternoon and just enjoyed the atmosphere.

Saturday 24th was spent travelling, we had to get to the train station for midday to get a train from Xi'an to Chengdu (17 hours). We got excited initially because we were on a soft sleeper, more space and comfort. That was until we realised the air conditioning was throwing a lot of black dust. It was probably because it was the first time it had been used after the winter but it definitely made the journey quite unpleasant. Our clothes got really dirty and it was irritating our throats and it was just not fun!

Beijing

peggy_sue — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 19:35:00 GMT

So much to catch up on! I've had a few problems uploading photos on the internet here so I'm going to wait until I get to Hong Kong where it's a bit more reliable!

So Beijing. It's a busy city and I never saw blue sky once. I haven't felt clean in any of the cities because of the pollution but in Beijing the air is also very dry. I had a little wander round the area near the hostel before my tour started but the Chinese stare at you all the time (wherever you go) and I found it very intimidating even though it was only meant that way. The guys I'm touring with are very nice. A couple of people from Leicester, one from Ashford(!), a couple from Norway, a New Zealander, an Australian, and three other English people.

The first thing we did (Monday 19th) was walk the great wall from Jin Shan Ling to Simatai - the non-tourist route. It was an experience doing it in snow! The path wasn't smooth and some parts were very steep. It was kind of cool though, not many people can say they've walked the great wall in snow but it did mean we missed out on some of the great views. After about 5 hours trekking a group of us got a flying fox from the last tower on our route across a lake which was exciting.

Tuesday 20th we got a tour round the forbidden city, after walking across Tianamen Square, which was very interesting. Took a lot of photos there! After lunch we got a rickshaw ride around the hutongs (translates as narrow passages) just north of the forbidden city which was very pretty. Had a few near misses with our rickshaws but I'm getting used to their chaotic way of driving! They don't really do lanes, they love using their horn, but I haven't seen any crashes - which does amaze me! Crossing the road you just have to be look at the opposite side and walk, if you hesitate they'll just keep driving. The green light for pedestrians is only considered a suggestion. In the evening we went to a Kung Fu show which was great. There was some ballet and acrobatics in it too as it told a story of a young boy who becomes a great warrior and finds enlightenment after struggling with temptation.

Wednesday 21st some of us went to the Temple of Heaven in the south of the city and saw some people doing tai chi in the park surrounding it. We then went to the Pearl Market where you constantly got people trying to buy stuff, unstandable really but they were so pushy I didn't really want to look at anything. Obviously though with 5 floors I managed to buy a couple of things! We then had a mission to get across to the Summer Palace partly by subway then taxi, with our limited chinese! It was woth it though. I had a really nice afternoon wandering about, I also went up the hill to the Tower of the Fragance of Buddha - I love the names! The views were fantastic although my photos haven't come out as well because of the pollution haze!

Gallery: Beijing - Great Wall

peggy_sue — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:54:00 GMT

Monday 19th March

Arriving

peggy_sue — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 12:18:00 GMT

Just a quick note to say that I've arrived here ok! I managed to get the bus from the airport to the train station which I was so proud of! I avoided all the people trying to get me to go to some random hotel or get me a taxi pretending I knew where I was going. I was fine once I knew where the station actually was apart from walking straight past the hostel! Luckily I'd seen a sign for the Harmony Hotel which is where I'm staying at the start of the tour so I went in and asked for directions.

The room is very nice and turns out I'm sharing it with a girl who's going to be on the tour with me so that's cool. Emily has been here a week already and went to the summer palace yesterday - it looks AMAZING! It's a 2 hour bus journey outside of Beijing though so unless I get to see it as part of the tour I shall miss out. She came in about 10pm and I was already in bed as I hadn't got any sleep on the plane thanks to an annoying frenchman who wouldn't stop moving and hogging all the space!

It's strangely not scary to be here. The city, although not being quite what I expected, it's drastically different from places I've seen before. The only thing I'm finding very strange is the staring! As in blatant staring! It's very intimidating! Emily says you get used to it but on my first little walk around Beijing it made me want to go running back to the hostel! I'm taking it easy today, just getting used to things so hopefully there will be a more exciting update soon!