Thursday, September 28, 2006
Pissed in Li Jiang
If you hadn't guessed it, we had a quiet afternoon today (28 September) so we have posted a lot of blog entries.
Li Jiang is where we stayed for 2 nights surrounding our Tiger Leaping Gorge trek. It is a REALLY touristy town, mostly Chinese tourists as opposed to foreigners. There is a big square where some traditional dances take place and you can pay to get a photo taken on the back of a horse (incredible!).
We stayed at a bit of a back-packer joint with communal toilets and showers. It wasn't too bad even though the toilets were squats, which we were becoming quite accustomed to by now. The showers had water which was a nice temperature, that was until the cold water ran out! There was also a very cute puppy who lived there, and who we played with as much as possible of course.
For our free day in Li Jiang we visited Black Dragon Pool which is a beautiful lake that reflects an old arched bridge, surrounded by nice gardens. The entrance fee is a bit steep though ($14).
We also got to see a performance by the local Naxxi (Nashi) orchestra. This was very entertaining I thought, as they went through a number of vocal, instrumental and dance routines. There was even a calligraphy section where a member of the audience was asked to translate the ancient hieroglyphics. The particular audience member who did it was so stoked that he got up on stage and took a few bows, and didn't want to get off!
Several of the streets in the old town were lined with 2 storey restaurants on each side, and are open (i.e. no windows) to the street. The tradition here is for a group of people in a restaurant on one side of the street to sing a traditional Chinese song (but change the words in a witty way) to a group of people in a restaurant on the other side, and end it with the Tibetan chant 'Yasoo, Yasoo, Ya-Ya soo' (or whatever it is meant to be). It's sort of a 'who is loudest wins' thing. Often it is a bunch of guys vs a bunch of girls, and the girls win every time (with those piercing voices).
On our last night after a few very quick Dali beers (670 ml), four of us decided to give this thing a shot. After plucking up the courage we challenged a loud group of Chinese men across the street by yelling at the top of our voices 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie....Oi, Oi, Oi...Aussie, Aussie, Aussie....Oi, Oi, Oi...Aussie....Oi...Aussie....Oi...Aussie, Aussie, Aussie....Oi, Oi, Oi...Yasoo..Yasoo..Ya-Yasoo...' etc. We were given a standing ovation by some Chinese in our restaurant but not so much more than a raised glass from our rivals across the street. We just didn't have the strength of numbers.
Down on the street some western tourists had heard our war-cry and were giving us cheers. So we decided to invite them up to join in. Also a couple more members from our tour arrived so we got back in the game. We threw everything from Madonna's 'Like A Virgin' to Queen's 'We Will Rock You' at our rivals, and ultimately we reigned supreme and they gave up! We were all stoked and managed to down more Dali's until we just couldn't find our mouths anymore...
Li Jiang is where we stayed for 2 nights surrounding our Tiger Leaping Gorge trek. It is a REALLY touristy town, mostly Chinese tourists as opposed to foreigners. There is a big square where some traditional dances take place and you can pay to get a photo taken on the back of a horse (incredible!).
We stayed at a bit of a back-packer joint with communal toilets and showers. It wasn't too bad even though the toilets were squats, which we were becoming quite accustomed to by now. The showers had water which was a nice temperature, that was until the cold water ran out! There was also a very cute puppy who lived there, and who we played with as much as possible of course.
For our free day in Li Jiang we visited Black Dragon Pool which is a beautiful lake that reflects an old arched bridge, surrounded by nice gardens. The entrance fee is a bit steep though ($14).
We also got to see a performance by the local Naxxi (Nashi) orchestra. This was very entertaining I thought, as they went through a number of vocal, instrumental and dance routines. There was even a calligraphy section where a member of the audience was asked to translate the ancient hieroglyphics. The particular audience member who did it was so stoked that he got up on stage and took a few bows, and didn't want to get off!
Several of the streets in the old town were lined with 2 storey restaurants on each side, and are open (i.e. no windows) to the street. The tradition here is for a group of people in a restaurant on one side of the street to sing a traditional Chinese song (but change the words in a witty way) to a group of people in a restaurant on the other side, and end it with the Tibetan chant 'Yasoo, Yasoo, Ya-Ya soo' (or whatever it is meant to be). It's sort of a 'who is loudest wins' thing. Often it is a bunch of guys vs a bunch of girls, and the girls win every time (with those piercing voices).
On our last night after a few very quick Dali beers (670 ml), four of us decided to give this thing a shot. After plucking up the courage we challenged a loud group of Chinese men across the street by yelling at the top of our voices 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie....Oi, Oi, Oi...Aussie, Aussie, Aussie....Oi, Oi, Oi...Aussie....Oi...Aussie....Oi...Aussie, Aussie, Aussie....Oi, Oi, Oi...Yasoo..Yasoo..Ya-Yasoo...' etc. We were given a standing ovation by some Chinese in our restaurant but not so much more than a raised glass from our rivals across the street. We just didn't have the strength of numbers.
Down on the street some western tourists had heard our war-cry and were giving us cheers. So we decided to invite them up to join in. Also a couple more members from our tour arrived so we got back in the game. We threw everything from Madonna's 'Like A Virgin' to Queen's 'We Will Rock You' at our rivals, and ultimately we reigned supreme and they gave up! We were all stoked and managed to down more Dali's until we just couldn't find our mouths anymore...
Kunming - A Big Joint
No, not the smokeable kind, but Kunming is a bloody big city. We were there for 3 days in total, 2 before we went to Tiger Leaping Gorge and 1 after. For the first 2 days the weather changed a lot, and it was pissing down for quite a bit. Needless to say, the first thing I purchased was a raincoat (a shmick one for 50 Yuan). We bought a new backpack also for the gorge trek, as my little day pack didn't quite cut it.
There is a plethora of shops in Kunming, including some major fashion and sporting stores. Nike, Addidas and Puma was everywhere, as were their imitations. There was also many camping stores, many of which sold camping/hiking shoes. I was stoked on the final day to pick up a brand new pair of (genuine) CATs for around AUD$76.
We stayed at a reasonably shmick hotel known as the Camelia. The first night we got there, after the shocker of a bus trip, we were screaming for a shower. They put us in a nice room with a lovely looking shower. Unfortunately, the bastard thing didn't work! We called the front desk and they eventually sent up a plumber. After stuffing around for half an hour he couldn't fix it. We were given the option of a 'cheaper' room for the same price, which we again declined.
They ended up sticking us in another room, which wasn't as nice, but at least the shower worked. By this time it was too late to order any food which sucked because we hadn't eaten for 12 hours. We ended up just going to bed after a crappy day and hoping for better luck for the rest of the trip.
On our last night in Kunming we went out as a group to a Chinese (what else!) restaurant to try the local speciality of over-the-bridge noodles. This is basically a huge bowl of chicken flavoured
broth into which you place numerous very thinly cut slices of meats, fish and vegetables and then dump in a huge bowl of noodles. It is actually quite delicious, just a bit scary as the food is raw when you put it in. We complimented this with warm local beer.
We said goodbye to over half of the group who had completed their 'Yunnan Encounter' and it was a bit sad as we made some good friends.
Other highlights of Kunming were the Aquarium Shop, the food (most of it anyway), the Pet Market and the Supermarket. The lowlight was the toilet in the last pub that we went to - nasty, nasty, nasty.....
There is a plethora of shops in Kunming, including some major fashion and sporting stores. Nike, Addidas and Puma was everywhere, as were their imitations. There was also many camping stores, many of which sold camping/hiking shoes. I was stoked on the final day to pick up a brand new pair of (genuine) CATs for around AUD$76.
We stayed at a reasonably shmick hotel known as the Camelia. The first night we got there, after the shocker of a bus trip, we were screaming for a shower. They put us in a nice room with a lovely looking shower. Unfortunately, the bastard thing didn't work! We called the front desk and they eventually sent up a plumber. After stuffing around for half an hour he couldn't fix it. We were given the option of a 'cheaper' room for the same price, which we again declined.
They ended up sticking us in another room, which wasn't as nice, but at least the shower worked. By this time it was too late to order any food which sucked because we hadn't eaten for 12 hours. We ended up just going to bed after a crappy day and hoping for better luck for the rest of the trip.
On our last night in Kunming we went out as a group to a Chinese (what else!) restaurant to try the local speciality of over-the-bridge noodles. This is basically a huge bowl of chicken flavoured
broth into which you place numerous very thinly cut slices of meats, fish and vegetables and then dump in a huge bowl of noodles. It is actually quite delicious, just a bit scary as the food is raw when you put it in. We complimented this with warm local beer.We said goodbye to over half of the group who had completed their 'Yunnan Encounter' and it was a bit sad as we made some good friends.
Other highlights of Kunming were the Aquarium Shop, the food (most of it anyway), the Pet Market and the Supermarket. The lowlight was the toilet in the last pub that we went to - nasty, nasty, nasty.....
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Welcome to China
We enjoyed our last breakfast in Sapa at the Mountain View Hotel without any mountain views, as it was very foggy. Our transfer to Lau Cai (small town on the border of Vietnam and China), which we had gone to great lengths to organise, was waiting in the lobby.
It was a small mini-van and another Vietnamese girl hopped in with us. Thinking nothing of this, we threw in our luggage and took a seat. Soon we stopped at some little place and picked up some Choco (a vegetable that is a bit like a cucumber). Fair enough we thought, the driver and his mate might want to bring some back to Lau Cai. Then we stopped at someone's house and waited for a while for something. Soon enough, some other bloke jumps into our car. This is a bit strange we began to think.
Along the way we pick up several other people, including some minority tribe people, all of them locals, and it dawns on us that we are actually financing the local bus from Sapa to Lau Cai. By this stage we are running 30 minutes late and have 15 people in the mini-van! We pass by some police and the driver suddenly pulls down the sign that says 'Lau Cai', obviously because he doesn't want the cops to know about their little scam.
After we drop off everybody else, most of them at the Lau Cai train station, the driver finally drops us off at the restaurant where we are to pick up our bus tickets which will take us from Hekou (the Chinese border town) to Kunming, where we will start our Geckos tour of China.
Again, much organisation had gone into arranging the bus tickets.
Sure enough, when we get into the restaurant and ask the girl for our tickets her response is almost 'what tickets'. She goes to the back to check something and comes back and tells us that the tickets have not arrived and that we will probably have to get the later bus, which just happens to be 6 hours later!
After much furore she goes around the corner and we think that she must be contacting someone to discuss the situation. Sure enough she is sitting around the corner having a nice old chat to her friend. Denh politely tells her to get off her ass and call someone about these tickets!
Frustration was building and considering the transfer fiasco, I got on the phone to find out about the tickets. Eventually I got through to the girl who had organised the tickets for us. I tried to explain the situation but decided that the best course of action was to get the two girls talking.
After a bit of that I again got on the phone and the girl apologised saying that all we can do is wait and hope that the tickets arrive in time for us to catch the correct bus. Fortunately, shortly after a young guy on a motorike pulls up to the restaurant with the tickets in his hand. This calms me down a bit and we both jump on a motorbike and head for the border.
After exchanging some money we painlessley go through the checkpoint. Of course, the lady on the Chinese side thinks Denh is Chinese so starts talking to her in Mandarin, which of course she doesn't understand. Once we're across the border we hop on a small transport (a bit like one of those kids trains you see in shopping centres) and pay 2 Yuan (about 40c Australian) for a trip around the corner to the bus station.
We line up at what we think is the counter when a skinny man in some shabby clothes (but nice shoes) walks up to us and starts to talk to us in English. He explains that he is the manager of the station and invites us into his office, which is just a partioned off little room full of crap.
He asks us to sit down, which I decline to do. He explains that we should leave our baggage in his office and walk around, another offer which we decline. He says he has one question for us, and asks what we are going to do for food and water for the 10 hour trip to Kunming, and then states that we should buy lots of snacks and water from his shop. We thank him for his advice and walk out of his office and sit down to wait for the bus. Since we have no water, I buy one bottle from the shop outside the manager's office. I give the girl 5 Yuan, and she gives me a look of disgust, then tells me in Mandarin that it is 10 Yuan. Another little rip-off!
Later, when it is getting close to our departure time, the 'manager' asks us to load our large baggage into the back of the bus. He tells us that we now have to pay 50 Yuan for each bag. I impolitely tell him that this is BS, and then he directs me to 'the boss' a middle aged Chinese woman. After arguing very poorly, I reulctantly pay the 100 Yuan (about $20 Australian) for our bags. I walk to the toilet before boarding but some old codger sticks up three fingers telling me that it will cost 3 Yuan to use the dunny. Stuff that I think, and decide to hold on.
We board the bus, which soon becomes very full, and get to enjoy a bus full of Chinese men constantly clearing their throats then spitting it out of the window, along with most of them chain smoking, for the next ten hours. Welcome to China I thought....
It was a small mini-van and another Vietnamese girl hopped in with us. Thinking nothing of this, we threw in our luggage and took a seat. Soon we stopped at some little place and picked up some Choco (a vegetable that is a bit like a cucumber). Fair enough we thought, the driver and his mate might want to bring some back to Lau Cai. Then we stopped at someone's house and waited for a while for something. Soon enough, some other bloke jumps into our car. This is a bit strange we began to think.
Along the way we pick up several other people, including some minority tribe people, all of them locals, and it dawns on us that we are actually financing the local bus from Sapa to Lau Cai. By this stage we are running 30 minutes late and have 15 people in the mini-van! We pass by some police and the driver suddenly pulls down the sign that says 'Lau Cai', obviously because he doesn't want the cops to know about their little scam.
After we drop off everybody else, most of them at the Lau Cai train station, the driver finally drops us off at the restaurant where we are to pick up our bus tickets which will take us from Hekou (the Chinese border town) to Kunming, where we will start our Geckos tour of China.
Again, much organisation had gone into arranging the bus tickets.
Sure enough, when we get into the restaurant and ask the girl for our tickets her response is almost 'what tickets'. She goes to the back to check something and comes back and tells us that the tickets have not arrived and that we will probably have to get the later bus, which just happens to be 6 hours later!
After much furore she goes around the corner and we think that she must be contacting someone to discuss the situation. Sure enough she is sitting around the corner having a nice old chat to her friend. Denh politely tells her to get off her ass and call someone about these tickets!
Frustration was building and considering the transfer fiasco, I got on the phone to find out about the tickets. Eventually I got through to the girl who had organised the tickets for us. I tried to explain the situation but decided that the best course of action was to get the two girls talking.
After a bit of that I again got on the phone and the girl apologised saying that all we can do is wait and hope that the tickets arrive in time for us to catch the correct bus. Fortunately, shortly after a young guy on a motorike pulls up to the restaurant with the tickets in his hand. This calms me down a bit and we both jump on a motorbike and head for the border.
After exchanging some money we painlessley go through the checkpoint. Of course, the lady on the Chinese side thinks Denh is Chinese so starts talking to her in Mandarin, which of course she doesn't understand. Once we're across the border we hop on a small transport (a bit like one of those kids trains you see in shopping centres) and pay 2 Yuan (about 40c Australian) for a trip around the corner to the bus station.
We line up at what we think is the counter when a skinny man in some shabby clothes (but nice shoes) walks up to us and starts to talk to us in English. He explains that he is the manager of the station and invites us into his office, which is just a partioned off little room full of crap.
He asks us to sit down, which I decline to do. He explains that we should leave our baggage in his office and walk around, another offer which we decline. He says he has one question for us, and asks what we are going to do for food and water for the 10 hour trip to Kunming, and then states that we should buy lots of snacks and water from his shop. We thank him for his advice and walk out of his office and sit down to wait for the bus. Since we have no water, I buy one bottle from the shop outside the manager's office. I give the girl 5 Yuan, and she gives me a look of disgust, then tells me in Mandarin that it is 10 Yuan. Another little rip-off!
Later, when it is getting close to our departure time, the 'manager' asks us to load our large baggage into the back of the bus. He tells us that we now have to pay 50 Yuan for each bag. I impolitely tell him that this is BS, and then he directs me to 'the boss' a middle aged Chinese woman. After arguing very poorly, I reulctantly pay the 100 Yuan (about $20 Australian) for our bags. I walk to the toilet before boarding but some old codger sticks up three fingers telling me that it will cost 3 Yuan to use the dunny. Stuff that I think, and decide to hold on.
We board the bus, which soon becomes very full, and get to enjoy a bus full of Chinese men constantly clearing their throats then spitting it out of the window, along with most of them chain smoking, for the next ten hours. Welcome to China I thought....
