Well travel fans, it's certainly been a lengthy hiatus, but fear not - your favourite travelling trio is back ! Since our last entry we have left the Indian subcontinent and have crossed most of the People's Democratic(ish) Republic of China, from Kuming to Xi'an and Dunhuang to Urumqi. We were quite taken aback with the availability of western style comforts, such as BEER and INFRASTRUCTURE. But that wasn't all this vast country has to offer.
Our first exposure to China was one we weren't soon to forget. We landed in Kunming late at night after a lengthy flight from Kathmandu and immediately found a taxi that could bring us to the hostel that was responsibly booked in advance. We jammed our luggage in the trunk and got in our seats, ready to be whisked away to a comfortable nights sleep. Unfortunately, the cab driver did not speak a lick of English and our Mandarin is limited to a probably mispronounced Ni Hao. After staring at each other for a few speechless minutes, we had to yank our bags out of the car, go back into the airport and find someone that could translate the hostel address into Mandarin characters. However, the friendly airport staff only wrote down the name of the train station close to our destination. So we circled the area for half an hour before losing hope of ever finding the hostel and finally managed to book a room (using a skillful combination of arm movements, pointing, and miming) at a different spot. Thankfully, the nearby street bbq stall salvaged this hectic evening.
Once we got to Xi'an the next day, our luck had changed. This time, armed with the hostel address written in Mandarin, we were able to get to hotel E-joy, where the owner Li spoke some of the best English this side of the Great Wall. We immediately made an impression on him with our large packs (ooooh, says Li as he timidly grasps Ryan's biceps, so strong!) and exquisite facial hair (your beard! I try, but my wife she say no! But you...... Veeeerrry coorl!). We would spend the next 6 nights at E-joy as we explored to gigantic city of Xi'an. We spent most of our time exploring the old city, an interesting mix of refurbished ancient buildings like the Great Mosque, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, along with countless KFCs, and Gucci stores. We biked on the walls of the Old City, visited the famous Terra Cotta warriors (housed in a gigantic airplane hangar type building, just like the ancient Qin emperor had always imagined) and ate a lot of MSG inspired meals. To complete the city experience, we mooched drinks and appetizers with our new friends Olivia and Ryan, a Canadian/Australian, couple from two Americans in town for an internship that were staying at the 5 star Sangri La hotel. Quite a far cry from India indeed!
We finally left Xi'an and headed for Dunhuang, a small town halfway to Urumqi. This was our first Chinese train experience, and it did not disappoint. Our train left at 10:30 AM and was scheduled to arrive at 9:30. So we settled in for a pleasant journey in the "hard seat" class, sampling some of the cart food (anybody want single packaged chicken wings or quail eggs?) and playing too many crib games. As 9:30 approached, we double checked with the attendant - yes, was the answer, Dunhuang at 9:30. And so it came. And so it went. A little disappointed (since we had heard so much of the punctuality of Chinese trains) the train finally slowed down at a station around 10:30PM. As we took our bags off the racks, the rest of the passengers looked quizzically at us, until someone pointed out that we were actually meant to get to Dunhuang at 9:30... AM the next day. Goddammit. The whole compartment burst out laughing. We also laughed (but mostly cried inside) and settled back in for an additional 12hrs. Hooray! Once in Dunhuang our troubles were soon forgotten. We spent some time at a quaint little homestay on the outskirts with Johnny, a Brit that had cycled all the way from London. We also snuck under the fence guarding the nearby sand dunes to avoid paying the $24 fee and enjoyed a beautiful desert sunset. Next stop, Urumqi!
Urumqi was an interesting place. We started off on the right foot our first night as we shared a meal with our friend Abdul whom we had met on the train - delicious lamb kebab and Xianjiang noodles. This was in the Uygurh sector of the city. Uygurhs are the local ethnic group that once made up 90% of the population of Xianjiang province but have now been reduced to 40% due to the massive influx of Han Chinese in the region since the founding of the PDRC. As a result, there is a fair amount of ethnic tension, which can sometimes turn to violence, i.e. the 2009 race riots that killed several hundred people and culminated in a takeover of the city by the army and a 10 month Internet blackout. The aftermath is still felt today. There are cameras on every street corner and army personnel with guns, bayonets, and tanks guarding everything from government buildings to Gucci stores. There are also several illogical rules, such as not being allowed to carry water on the bus (beer and lighter fluid are ok though). The only answer provided for this - the government said so. Fair enough.
In spite of these restrictions, we met some of the friendliest people in Urumqi. Locals were very excited to have foreign travellers come so far to visit this remote corner of China. We were given free bubble tea and fruit platters and had many compliments on our "good height" and facial hair. Overall, China was one heck of an adventure. But it's now time to head into greener pastures and less Internet restrictions. Bring it on, Central Asia!
thanks chaps!
ReplyDeletehonoured by the mention!
ReplyDeleteand died laughing over the train mishap
Miss you cunts xx
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