Off to Hong Kong with cash

(written on 23/07/09, posted on 17/09/09)

As I'd started to travel yesterday, I thought I'd give the ATM one last go as having no cash could cause obvious problems. As I was typing the numbers in I'd noticed the keypad looked strange. I cleared the numbers and carefully punched them in one by one. Cash!

I'd been typing in the numbers in the same pattern as I do in the UK. Chinese banks have their keypads with the highest numbers at the top so 7, 8, 9. Ho hum. Lesson number 47 learnt.

Waist pouch filled with the wrong currency I spent over 24 hours travelling on one night train then another train from Guangzhou across the border into Hong Kong. There the nastiest hostel inside an apartment awaited. Luckily I met a 60 year old woman who was on a 4 week trip without her husband (can I have one like that please?) to travel China. She'd been here before so quickly showed me the way to the famous Star Ferry that takes you across from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island (see pic). There we parted and I caught a tram to go up to Victoria peak to catch the phenomenal views of the skyscrapers jammed into every available space.

Having done the first thing I was always do in a city, head for the place with the best views, I then plan the second, sushi. So a walk back through the amazing streets all on hills with signs vying for your attention above the crowded shops, back on the ferry. Octopus card (the HK version of the Oyster) bleeping my way on buses to the night market then conveyer belt sushi and a beer.

A perfect day. Back at the hostel I chat to my three companions and we end up having an argument wit teh Cantonese landlady. She is furious that we all nicked an extra sheet each from the cupboard as her laundry bill we go up. I try and amicably explain we didn't want to sleep on mattress covers. An argument ensues and the Romanian girl doesn't stand for it. After a heated 15 minutes we end up laughing as the landlady storms out of the room and we go to bed. I've never eperienced someone in a hostel barging in to check up on me before. It's such a rude invasion of privacy I think our giggling is more about being shocked than anything else. Hong Kong is an odd but entertaining mix of East and West.

Actually time for Sightseeing in Shanghai

(written on 19/07/09, posted on 17/09/09)

Another 6am finish. It was supposed to be a buffet, a beer then bedtime. It doesn't happen in this city. We ended up out drinking beers for a while. As most people headed for home, my friend and I went to a club called Shelter. It was an underground cavern so whilst she did some weird house dancing to beep beep music I went and sat with a random group of ex-pats and got them to buy me beers. Having learnt a lot about Shanghai and drank a lot we got back to the hostel late. Again.

I was supposed to check out today to travel to Hangzhou for the total eclipse but I can't face it. I drag myself to reception to book in another night. There's now four of us hanging around together in the hostel: Fran, Tanja, Robert and I. So we go out to sight see things I have missed due to drinking alcohol and sleeping a lot in the last few days.

I have a very interesting chat with Robert who is here to do a course on Buddhism. We chat about the different branches of Buddhism and religion in general. We're all heading to the Renmin Park as he spotted these pieces of paper hanging on the trees yesterday and we found out what they were so we're off to investigate further.

Due to China's one child policy, which has been in existence for around 20 years, there are rather a lot of men around. Their parents come to the park to post up their son's and daughter's credentials whilst other parents wander around shopping for suitable partners for their offspring. I discreetly try to take a pic and it's quickly clear I'm not being inconspicuous enough as a woman comes over and tries to wallop me with her brolly. A sharp exit was required.

Terracotta Warriors and more Trains

(written on 13/07/09, posted on 17/09/09)

Night train tonight booked this time through the hassle-free but slightly more expensive hostel option. So it's check-out and off to left luggage at the station before getting the bus up to the Terracotta Warriors. I'm accompanied by French Man who later on today is checking out to go and stay with someone he's hooked up with via http://www.couchsurfing.com/.

It's 38 degrees and my backpack actually doesn't feel any lighter despite offloading stuff yesterday. And it's a very sweaty kind of heat. Phew! The Terracotta Warriors are amazing although I get a sneaky feeling they were man-made and then 'discovered' as a tourist attraction. It's amazing to think they could have been underground for that long when they are so huge. There are three aeroplane hanger size buildings that cover them.

So it's a lovely but hot day. I'm back at the station and am trying to source my backpack - there are three unmarked left luggage offices and I can't remember which one has my bag. Of course no-one speaks English and I don't speak Chinese so there are lots of humorous gestures going on. French man is highly amused by all of this being that he's a seasoned traveller. I get the feeling things like this just don't happen to him. Anyway, I wave goodbye and go to wait in the rugby scrum that is the waiting room. People sitting on bags, peasant type farmers staring openly at my 'yellow' hair and lots of chowing down on instant noodles. Every station has a mini-kitchen with boiled water available that is drinkable as the stuff that comes out of the tap isn't. This is also used for super cheap but delicious pot-type noodles that contain about 80% less additives than our version.

Each waiting room usually has two trains that people are waiting for and the waiting room number does not correlate with the platform number. Confusing, I know. The platform number comes up on the display board half an hour before the train is due to leave and this is when the scrum gets anxious and starts to really move. Elbows time. I get on train, all smiles again and I'm faced with three men and one woman in my compartment. I may have given the impression so far that Chinese people openly stare, which they do, but it is mostly open curiosity, like these four are definitely doing.

Once the train moves off out comes the guidebook and the language section is pilfered for questions. I exercise my five items of vocabulary and learn at least two more. I'm really enjoying this. We communicate well due to my (not so great) drawing skills but mostly the woman's English and an internet enabled phone. We amazingly cover topics such as jobs (two of the men are unemployed as they can't find work), family (they all have big families), difference in our countries (countless) and travelling (me planning lots, my companions not).

It's a fantastic three hour 101 on Chinese culture. Although I'm slightly embarrassed by the fact I'm off everywhere and they are not. I'm also ashamed by their sense of family, society and their patriotism. By comparison us Westerners are all a bunch of weirdo loners! I go to sleep on my bunk understanding a little more about Chinese culture.