So we ended up staying at this villagers house. They had Mao riding horses posters all over. The rooms were decorated quite lovely and they were spacious. We had dinner with them and all the other travelers. Here is where we were set to decide our fate for the next few days.
*Thats all I wrote. I will update the blog with the....rest of the story. later.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Oct 1 2009 MULI
So we left on a bus from Xichang and headed to Yanyuan. I may have mentioned before how I didn't really think much of this town and how long it took for us to get a ride. Although I did get to see Thibaut feed a tiny, wild kitten some crackers.
We finally set out on this journey headed to Muli. (Eric had said that from there we could get a bus to Yading and we'd be set). Ha Ha Ha...oh Eric.
In our travels to Muli a few guys rode with us. I have no idea their age they looked like 17 but you know how you can never really tell with Asians. So we get to Muli and find they aren't selling tickets to anywhere else for that day. So we explored the town and looked for a place to stay/someone to take us to the next place we wanted to go. This seemed nearly impossible. We did however run into the two guys we rode with and they took us to a good place to eat (and showed me where the toilet was in this town).
After eating I felt funny, I felt kind of high (like stoned high). Maybe it was the MSG? who knows. So we find a hotel and go down to the town square where they are having a big celebration (as it is China's 60th anniversary of being the People's Republic). It was pretty cool. Lots of people, especially women were dressed in traditional garb and they were dancing and singing. There was a big lighted structure that sort of reminded me of a sparkler. We walked around and some kids came up and wanted to take pictures with us. One was very aggressive and acted like he wanted to fight Eric. He couldn't have been older than 10. It was funny and weird at the same time.
We decided to head back up to the hotel and maybe grab a beer or two on the way. Walking up the street we looked in the little shops and talked to locals. Thibaut bought a jacket that "e-people" seemed to always be wearing. A drunk guy in a full army fatigues took pictures with us. You could smell the booze on him from a mile away that and he pulled the bottle out to offer us a swig. No thank you! ha ha.
We found out from different people that Yading was 11 hours away or 7 hours away or 6 hours away. We decided when we found out for sure how far away it was, would be when we decided to continue on our trek or return home. We got back to the hotel grounds and in a near by apartment building of sorts there was a guy (I'm assuming he was drunk) who was yelling and looked to be being dragged out by police men. I'm not really sure. That night I got to shower!!! It felt amazing. We watched part of the Beijing Celebration on TV which included Jackie Chan singing and he had a beard. It cracked us all up.
I got woken up during our sleep because some people were trying to get into our hotel room. Whether it was intentional or not I do not know. *Eric talks in his sleep, apparently. When the people were trying to get in, Eric giggled in his sleep and said "Jin Lai Jin Lai (which means come in in Chinese.*
The next morning we got up really early not knowing what time the bus station opened or when the they would be leaving. So we walked to the station and hung out for quite a while and ate at a little shop around there. We talked to some other people who were also headed to the next area we were trying to get to (Shuiluo which was supposed to be on the outskirts of Yading) they told us it was only about 7 hours away so we decided collectively that we would go there hang out for a day and 1/2 and then return home. When the bus station finally opened we found out they were not selling tickets to that place. So once again we had to try and find a different ride there. Of course people are wanting to charge us something ridiculous and so Eric is trying to bargain and then we gang up with an elderly man so that the price could be split 4 ways. It was going to be something around 300 kuai per person. So we headed out.
About an hour into it there is a road stop with cops. We all had to get out show them our passports and answer questions as to what was going on. As it is illegal for someone with out a business license to drive people (and get paid for it) we were no longer able to go with the man who was giving us a ride. I'm not sure what ever happened to the driver.
I wonder but don't know how China is these days with law breakers. The cops loved us however. We were there for hours. They made us lunch, tea, gave us fruit and Thibaut even smoked with them. Finally the cops found us a different ride to where we were wanting to go (even though technically foreigners weren't supposed to be in these Tibetan Autonomous Regions during the holiday). This ride was to only cost us 100 kuai a piece. Way to go COPS!!!
The rides were always bumpy but fun. Ha ha. We stopped in some small little town where I had to go find a toilet. A spider ran in-between my legs as I squat to pee....i screamed and ran a bit with my pants down before I was able to talk myself into going again. (I had to pee really really bad).
We finally are rolling up to this place that has 2 buildings and its dark and I say "this can't be it right...right?"
Eric says "naw no way"
well YES WAY!!! We were getting kicked out in the middle of NOWHERE!!! Where were we going to stay? How were we to get to the next location let alone home? Apparently there is a bus that leaves the next morning at nine am back to Muli the next day. And to top it off the guy is making us pay an additional 20 kuai then what the cop told us but there wasn't anything we could do. Although thats not much more money its the principal of the matter.
Okay so what are we supposed to do now? No tent, No sleeping bags (although I asked Eric if we should bring them and he said no) and we've come all this way only to have to turn back?
Right then, no joke, a random small tour bus comes rolling through the town. Eric stops it, there is ONE foreigner on it and a whole bunch of Han Chinese people. The tour bus agrees to let us on as they are going to the next little village outside of Yading National Park. So all four of us (Eric, Thibaut, myself and the old man) pile into this already overcrowded bus. We were sitting on top of stuff on the floor and on people. It was ridiculous. They also made us pay 80 kuai for an hour and 1/2 ride. But we were lucky (or god was smiling on us) enough to get this ride so no complaints really.
We finally set out on this journey headed to Muli. (Eric had said that from there we could get a bus to Yading and we'd be set). Ha Ha Ha...oh Eric.
In our travels to Muli a few guys rode with us. I have no idea their age they looked like 17 but you know how you can never really tell with Asians. So we get to Muli and find they aren't selling tickets to anywhere else for that day. So we explored the town and looked for a place to stay/someone to take us to the next place we wanted to go. This seemed nearly impossible. We did however run into the two guys we rode with and they took us to a good place to eat (and showed me where the toilet was in this town).
After eating I felt funny, I felt kind of high (like stoned high). Maybe it was the MSG? who knows. So we find a hotel and go down to the town square where they are having a big celebration (as it is China's 60th anniversary of being the People's Republic). It was pretty cool. Lots of people, especially women were dressed in traditional garb and they were dancing and singing. There was a big lighted structure that sort of reminded me of a sparkler. We walked around and some kids came up and wanted to take pictures with us. One was very aggressive and acted like he wanted to fight Eric. He couldn't have been older than 10. It was funny and weird at the same time.
We decided to head back up to the hotel and maybe grab a beer or two on the way. Walking up the street we looked in the little shops and talked to locals. Thibaut bought a jacket that "e-people" seemed to always be wearing. A drunk guy in a full army fatigues took pictures with us. You could smell the booze on him from a mile away that and he pulled the bottle out to offer us a swig. No thank you! ha ha.
We found out from different people that Yading was 11 hours away or 7 hours away or 6 hours away. We decided when we found out for sure how far away it was, would be when we decided to continue on our trek or return home. We got back to the hotel grounds and in a near by apartment building of sorts there was a guy (I'm assuming he was drunk) who was yelling and looked to be being dragged out by police men. I'm not really sure. That night I got to shower!!! It felt amazing. We watched part of the Beijing Celebration on TV which included Jackie Chan singing and he had a beard. It cracked us all up.
I got woken up during our sleep because some people were trying to get into our hotel room. Whether it was intentional or not I do not know. *Eric talks in his sleep, apparently. When the people were trying to get in, Eric giggled in his sleep and said "Jin Lai Jin Lai (which means come in in Chinese.*
The next morning we got up really early not knowing what time the bus station opened or when the they would be leaving. So we walked to the station and hung out for quite a while and ate at a little shop around there. We talked to some other people who were also headed to the next area we were trying to get to (Shuiluo which was supposed to be on the outskirts of Yading) they told us it was only about 7 hours away so we decided collectively that we would go there hang out for a day and 1/2 and then return home. When the bus station finally opened we found out they were not selling tickets to that place. So once again we had to try and find a different ride there. Of course people are wanting to charge us something ridiculous and so Eric is trying to bargain and then we gang up with an elderly man so that the price could be split 4 ways. It was going to be something around 300 kuai per person. So we headed out.
About an hour into it there is a road stop with cops. We all had to get out show them our passports and answer questions as to what was going on. As it is illegal for someone with out a business license to drive people (and get paid for it) we were no longer able to go with the man who was giving us a ride. I'm not sure what ever happened to the driver.
I wonder but don't know how China is these days with law breakers. The cops loved us however. We were there for hours. They made us lunch, tea, gave us fruit and Thibaut even smoked with them. Finally the cops found us a different ride to where we were wanting to go (even though technically foreigners weren't supposed to be in these Tibetan Autonomous Regions during the holiday). This ride was to only cost us 100 kuai a piece. Way to go COPS!!!
The rides were always bumpy but fun. Ha ha. We stopped in some small little town where I had to go find a toilet. A spider ran in-between my legs as I squat to pee....i screamed and ran a bit with my pants down before I was able to talk myself into going again. (I had to pee really really bad).
We finally are rolling up to this place that has 2 buildings and its dark and I say "this can't be it right...right?"
Eric says "naw no way"
well YES WAY!!! We were getting kicked out in the middle of NOWHERE!!! Where were we going to stay? How were we to get to the next location let alone home? Apparently there is a bus that leaves the next morning at nine am back to Muli the next day. And to top it off the guy is making us pay an additional 20 kuai then what the cop told us but there wasn't anything we could do. Although thats not much more money its the principal of the matter.
Okay so what are we supposed to do now? No tent, No sleeping bags (although I asked Eric if we should bring them and he said no) and we've come all this way only to have to turn back?
Right then, no joke, a random small tour bus comes rolling through the town. Eric stops it, there is ONE foreigner on it and a whole bunch of Han Chinese people. The tour bus agrees to let us on as they are going to the next little village outside of Yading National Park. So all four of us (Eric, Thibaut, myself and the old man) pile into this already overcrowded bus. We were sitting on top of stuff on the floor and on people. It was ridiculous. They also made us pay 80 kuai for an hour and 1/2 ride. But we were lucky (or god was smiling on us) enough to get this ride so no complaints really.
Sept 30th Trek to Mordor
In Xichang on the way to Yading.*background China was celebrating their 60th Anniversary on being the People's Republic. So a lot of people got time off from work and school, including US foreigners (though ours was significantly cut down). Some students stayed home, my normal group of friends were going to the Mosu Village and Eric was flying by the seat of his pants. Here is my entry:
This was the start of our journey. Perhaps I should have known something like this was coming. The night before I had gone to dinner with some of the dorm mates and then a few of us went to the foreign bar "pan am" where we drank absinthe. So on my way home I was feeling pretty good. Eric called to confirm I wanted in on traveling to yading. This trip was supposed to be fairly cheap minus the 600 kuai plane ticket to xichang...ha.
I sort of wanted to stay in Chengdu for the holiday so I could just be lazy and study and practice guitar...but I was committed to this trip and so I went. We got there and found a hotel. (We= Eric, Thibaut and myself) We started out to find a place for dinner and then suddenly I got that funny feeling in my belly (you know the kind that's like...hey better find a toilet and fast). So the boys walked me back to the hotel and I told them to go out without me. I did my business, drank some sprite, took pepto (thanks Dad for making me bring that to China) and was in and out of sleep. The boys stopped in with some food (which I did not, could not eat *(SAM I AM)...I think I had a bite and wanted to vomit) and a few of our friends who were in Xichang as well (because they were on their way to the Mosou village to see the women who are known for "walking marriage"). I don't remember much as I felt like poo.
Eric got up early the next day and bought us tickets for yanyuan. He had wanted to buy tickets to muli but they were sold out. So around 6 or 7 we got up and headed to the bus station. I was feeling mostly better. Yanyuan I wasn't impressed by but we weren't there for all that long. We were just trying to find a way to get to Muli. There were no buses going there so we had to try and find a private ride and of course the people that are offering are trying to rip you off. Finally some guy says he can get us one for cheap. So we're hanging out in this bus lot for quite sometime. There were tiny tiny kittens hanging about, Thibaut fed one some crackers. We finally got a ride for a decent price and headed out.
This was the start of our journey. Perhaps I should have known something like this was coming. The night before I had gone to dinner with some of the dorm mates and then a few of us went to the foreign bar "pan am" where we drank absinthe. So on my way home I was feeling pretty good. Eric called to confirm I wanted in on traveling to yading. This trip was supposed to be fairly cheap minus the 600 kuai plane ticket to xichang...ha.
I sort of wanted to stay in Chengdu for the holiday so I could just be lazy and study and practice guitar...but I was committed to this trip and so I went. We got there and found a hotel. (We= Eric, Thibaut and myself) We started out to find a place for dinner and then suddenly I got that funny feeling in my belly (you know the kind that's like...hey better find a toilet and fast). So the boys walked me back to the hotel and I told them to go out without me. I did my business, drank some sprite, took pepto (thanks Dad for making me bring that to China) and was in and out of sleep. The boys stopped in with some food (which I did not, could not eat *(SAM I AM)...I think I had a bite and wanted to vomit) and a few of our friends who were in Xichang as well (because they were on their way to the Mosou village to see the women who are known for "walking marriage"). I don't remember much as I felt like poo.
Eric got up early the next day and bought us tickets for yanyuan. He had wanted to buy tickets to muli but they were sold out. So around 6 or 7 we got up and headed to the bus station. I was feeling mostly better. Yanyuan I wasn't impressed by but we weren't there for all that long. We were just trying to find a way to get to Muli. There were no buses going there so we had to try and find a private ride and of course the people that are offering are trying to rip you off. Finally some guy says he can get us one for cheap. So we're hanging out in this bus lot for quite sometime. There were tiny tiny kittens hanging about, Thibaut fed one some crackers. We finally got a ride for a decent price and headed out.
August 31st 2009 Chengdu, China
The day after we got to Chengdu we started school. At first I wanted to punch myself in the face because the language class was super hard. It pretty much skipped a whole year ahead of what I had been taught. Luckily I wasn't the only one who felt like they were drowning. So we went down a book but are going through it like speed demons. I've traveled around the city to different places and ate lots of different kinds of food. (korean bbq, chinese style bbq, noodles, jiaozi, rice, american dishes, mexican food, meat on a stick, hotpot...and so on)
The area around campus is always full of life. On the west side of campus is the tibetan street. (where there are lots of tibetan food/shops etc) Out the east gate, which is right next to the dorms is a fruit vendor and noodle place among the other numerous things. We love love love love the noodle place. We (being me, Erica, Vivian, Mark) are regulars. Not only is the food consistently good but they hold one of the only chinese guys that any of us find attractive. The way in chinese to call a guy handsome is shuai (shhhhwhy) when using it to describe someone you would say shuai ge (ge sounds like the ge in gerber). So we call this place shaui ge noodes. (yes the L is left out on purpose)
Since being here, on top of school we've gone to several museaums and just ventured out on our own. It was way too too hot when we first got here to. I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my life. ew.
One of the first weekends we were here, our friends that live in a huge apartment threw a party. It was pretty fun...they made me make drinks (it was quickly spread that I bartended back home). At one point we had a cake fight.
The area around campus is always full of life. On the west side of campus is the tibetan street. (where there are lots of tibetan food/shops etc) Out the east gate, which is right next to the dorms is a fruit vendor and noodle place among the other numerous things. We love love love love the noodle place. We (being me, Erica, Vivian, Mark) are regulars. Not only is the food consistently good but they hold one of the only chinese guys that any of us find attractive. The way in chinese to call a guy handsome is shuai (shhhhwhy) when using it to describe someone you would say shuai ge (ge sounds like the ge in gerber). So we call this place shaui ge noodes. (yes the L is left out on purpose)
Since being here, on top of school we've gone to several museaums and just ventured out on our own. It was way too too hot when we first got here to. I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my life. ew.
One of the first weekends we were here, our friends that live in a huge apartment threw a party. It was pretty fun...they made me make drinks (it was quickly spread that I bartended back home). At one point we had a cake fight.
August 25th 2009 Beijing China
The last night in America was also my first night ever experiencing Las Vegas (since I had been 21). It was definitely interesting and a good time. I got to hang out with my brother and some of my friends from Boise. I gambled a bit and drank a beer with my Dad. I didn't get into bed at our hotel till some time after 4 am. This plus the fact that my Dad didn't think we needed to be at the airport 2 hours before my flight made me miss my 7:01 am flight to San Francisco. Not to worry though right? I was booked for the next flight at 8:30 which would land in San Fran at 10:30 giving me a half hour to catch my international one. WRONG. This flight was delayed by an hour and a half which put me into San Fran at 11:30.
Needless to say I was a bit frazzled. I had to go back out through security and figure out how and when I was going to get to China and meet my group. The airline had automatically set me up on a flight the next day, which would have meant me staying in San Francisco airport for a night. I was not stoked on this one bit. The united guy however, decided to be amazing and found a round about way of getting me to my destination. I would fly out of San Fran in about an hour and a half and into Shanghai and then connect to Beijing. I was happy but still a little concerned as I wouldn't be getting to Beijing until midnight and have to find my own way to the hotel.
The flight was long and I watched God knows how many movies that I would never have watched in real life. Ha. I couldn't ever really sleep. So when I arrived in Shanghai I had no idea what to do for a while. I finally found an attendant pointed at the gate on my ticket and uttered "zai nar" (where at?). I had to go out through the whole customs thing and to another terminal which felt like an hour away walking distance. By the time I was at my gate I hadn't slept in I don't have any idea how many hours and was really starting to wonder why the hell I decided this trip was a good idea in the first place.
Excerpt from a email I sent to my friend Trista "So now I'm in the shanghai airport...super tired and in lots of pain(as I'm sure you understand) and actually feeling a bit...like...WTF am I doing here? I'm sure it'll be okay...I'm just...this isn't how this trip was supposed to start. I feel...very alone...maybe I don't know. I think I'm just really tired..."
Well I made it into Beijing and found my way out of the airport and into a taxi. I pointed to the address of the hotel and said "Wo yao chu" (I want to go to). Ahh home stretch or so I thought. The taxi driver got lost so it took longer to get to my hotel. On the way there I noted that even though there were lanes it didn't seem that anyone really abided by them. When I got to the hotel the front desk people didn't get that I was with a group and looked for my name alone. It was taking forever and I was at the point of just getting a room by myself when one of them finally found a list with my name on it. Yah!!! I got into my room which was inhabited by a roommate. I felt bad about waking her up but she knew I was coming. I pretty much passed out the moment I hit the bed.
August 26th. The group heads to Tian'anmen Sq and the Forbidden City. It was surreal to finally be in China. I was really tired too so I don't think I could really take it all in. In the forbidden city is where I met my now good friend Vivian. She got separated from Erica (another of my now good friends) and so we "pal"ed around for the rest of that day. This day we also went to the Temple of Heaven and to the Pearl Market where everyone wanted you to buy there items and you had to bargain with them. (not my favorite thing). By the end of this day the girls I now hang out with here in Chengdu and I were pretty much a group.
August 27th. We went to the Great Wall. Rad. We saw an old lady peeing in one of the towers. We also went to the Ming Tomb and that night an Acrobatic show (which is probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen).
August 28th We went to the Summer Palace where the Marble Boat is also located. This was my favorite place we visited in Beijing. It was absolutely beautiful. We went to the silk market that evening. (another bartering place). We also got to go see where the olympics were held.
The time in Beijing blends in together quite a bit so I'm not certain exactly on what days I did somethings. I know one night a group of us took the subway system and ate at a pretty good dinner place downtown. Twice Erica, Amritha, Vivian and I ate at this cute little restaurant down from our hotel. The waitresses loved us and we exchanged how to say different words in our languages. We also had the best broccoli garlic dish ever! One night a huge group of us went to a Night Club down town. We also had a free day but I can't remember exactly what we did with that. I do remember we went back to the Pearl market to get some items we wanted/needed. On Sunday August 30th we flew out of Beijing. Some of us went to Shanghai and the rest to Chengdu.
Needless to say I was a bit frazzled. I had to go back out through security and figure out how and when I was going to get to China and meet my group. The airline had automatically set me up on a flight the next day, which would have meant me staying in San Francisco airport for a night. I was not stoked on this one bit. The united guy however, decided to be amazing and found a round about way of getting me to my destination. I would fly out of San Fran in about an hour and a half and into Shanghai and then connect to Beijing. I was happy but still a little concerned as I wouldn't be getting to Beijing until midnight and have to find my own way to the hotel.
The flight was long and I watched God knows how many movies that I would never have watched in real life. Ha. I couldn't ever really sleep. So when I arrived in Shanghai I had no idea what to do for a while. I finally found an attendant pointed at the gate on my ticket and uttered "zai nar" (where at?). I had to go out through the whole customs thing and to another terminal which felt like an hour away walking distance. By the time I was at my gate I hadn't slept in I don't have any idea how many hours and was really starting to wonder why the hell I decided this trip was a good idea in the first place.
Excerpt from a email I sent to my friend Trista "So now I'm in the shanghai airport...super tired and in lots of pain(as I'm sure you understand) and actually feeling a bit...like...WTF am I doing here? I'm sure it'll be okay...I'm just...this isn't how this trip was supposed to start. I feel...very alone...maybe I don't know. I think I'm just really tired..."
Well I made it into Beijing and found my way out of the airport and into a taxi. I pointed to the address of the hotel and said "Wo yao chu" (I want to go to). Ahh home stretch or so I thought. The taxi driver got lost so it took longer to get to my hotel. On the way there I noted that even though there were lanes it didn't seem that anyone really abided by them. When I got to the hotel the front desk people didn't get that I was with a group and looked for my name alone. It was taking forever and I was at the point of just getting a room by myself when one of them finally found a list with my name on it. Yah!!! I got into my room which was inhabited by a roommate. I felt bad about waking her up but she knew I was coming. I pretty much passed out the moment I hit the bed.
August 26th. The group heads to Tian'anmen Sq and the Forbidden City. It was surreal to finally be in China. I was really tired too so I don't think I could really take it all in. In the forbidden city is where I met my now good friend Vivian. She got separated from Erica (another of my now good friends) and so we "pal"ed around for the rest of that day. This day we also went to the Temple of Heaven and to the Pearl Market where everyone wanted you to buy there items and you had to bargain with them. (not my favorite thing). By the end of this day the girls I now hang out with here in Chengdu and I were pretty much a group.
August 27th. We went to the Great Wall. Rad. We saw an old lady peeing in one of the towers. We also went to the Ming Tomb and that night an Acrobatic show (which is probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen).
August 28th We went to the Summer Palace where the Marble Boat is also located. This was my favorite place we visited in Beijing. It was absolutely beautiful. We went to the silk market that evening. (another bartering place). We also got to go see where the olympics were held.
The time in Beijing blends in together quite a bit so I'm not certain exactly on what days I did somethings. I know one night a group of us took the subway system and ate at a pretty good dinner place downtown. Twice Erica, Amritha, Vivian and I ate at this cute little restaurant down from our hotel. The waitresses loved us and we exchanged how to say different words in our languages. We also had the best broccoli garlic dish ever! One night a huge group of us went to a Night Club down town. We also had a free day but I can't remember exactly what we did with that. I do remember we went back to the Pearl market to get some items we wanted/needed. On Sunday August 30th we flew out of Beijing. Some of us went to Shanghai and the rest to Chengdu.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
