Day 122 - Playing the waiting game

It is an amazing thing to travel the world by yourself. It has being a big and bolder one doing it with four other guys. Yes, at times you drive each other insane although you can learn to give people that space when they need it. Everyone at some stage goes over the handlebars and you can be there to pick them up. Or perhaps when you are in need they are there for you. You hear so many times about "finding yourself", when you travel. As a 34 year young man, I thought perhaps this was a bit of codswallop. As the journey has progressed I've begun to realise the simplicity and logic behind this idea. When you are surrounded by your comfort zones such as home, work and the sort, you don't have the space to see what is going on inside. You are able to blame eternal reasons for your state of being. When you travel you become naked. You can get away with it for a bit. Blaming other people and situations for your reactions. After a while, the common denominator becomes clear. Its generally you. I thought staying in a group perhaps we were providing too many comfort zones and the learning may not come out for people. It does. Back to my orginal point. Tangent Sam, focus :) The last day I was in Kathmandu I lost my bank card. One of those stupid machines that doesn't give it back, unless you press a button to tell it to. So, I arrived in Hong Kong, one of the most expensive countries in the world with no way of accessing money. That is, apart from my friends. It is now 28 days later. I got a phone call to say my new bank card has finally arrived at the PLoft Youth Hostel. 8 days after it was sent. I still have no idea where my PIN number is, as that should have arrived 10 days after I reported it and asked for a new card to be delivered. That is over 18 days over time. Going to give them a ring now. So, where would I be if it hadn't being for my friends. As I texted to someone in Dublin. In a boat without a paddle, might be putting it lightly. I presume I could have someone wire money over to western union. Nevertheless, I have spent a small fortune since arriving in China. It is a lot more expensive than I originally estimated. I can imagine it would have being a bit of nightmare and headache. Changing travellers cheque was amusing, to say the least. Took them over an hour to work it out when I was in Xiamen.

Decided to call over the PLoft, just to be sure it hadn't arrived and they didn't know what I was talking about over the phone. On route I called into the Lama Temple. One of Beijings most recommended sights. Quite a spectacular array of tpyical chinese styled buildings lay infront of me. Originally a court for some prince of the Qing Dynasty and then turned into a Buddhist temple in 1722. It houses some of the finest buddhist statues I have witnessed on my travels. It is frequented by numerous active buddhists. I noticed a number of monks dressed in the standard burgundy and yellow dress I have seen all over India and Nepal. The first courtyard is peacefully laid out with trees and large cast iron drums alight. Numerous buildings can be found stacked behind each other. As you walk into one temple and exit to the rear to find another courtyard with a burning drum with another temple. Photography is limited to outdoors. I still snuck a few sneaky shots of some beautiful scenes, as the stark bright sunshine created powerful contrasts of shadows inside these elaborate buildings. Half way through I noticed a large glass case filled with different denominations of money. This is something on my journey that never fails to amuse me. The association of money and religion. Its like have a fearful God. It just doesn't make sense. I understand it. It just is a strange thing to put together. I've heard many stories that the Buddhist monks have loads of money from constant donations from their followers. Bizarrily though I never saw Buddhism as a religion until I saw it was as I travelled. I hasd always heard, it was a way of life, not a religion. Let me confirm for you. It is a religion. Watching the crowds of people that come and pray and kneel and worship these buildings. Leaving offerings. Burning incense. Its a much a religion as Catholicism is. It may be different although there are a lot of similarities. I finally reached the much talked about 18 metre tall statue of Buddha. Outside a gold plate issued by the Guinness Book of Records, stating that the statue is the largest one carved from a single piece of sandalwood. Its is bloody big. It is way too big for the building. It looks comical as the head of the statue is stuck up in the eaves of the building. One thing hat gets a bit samey samey is Chinese buildings. They use very similar designs on the interiors and ceilings. There is little of no variety to the shapes or colours. After a while you get templed out of it. I zoomed around the remainder of the buildings, popping my head in here or there. Sanpping pics of this and that.Left pretty quick and called into PLoft. No sign of the package yet. I made sure they had my number and headed of the Summer Palace.

Two trams later I was on Bagou Rd. Not knowing where the feck the palace was I guessed the direction and from where the sun was in the sky, which direction to start walking in. Eh, remember i mentioned to you that Beijing is vast. Perhaps I forgot this myself. One our later I had got half an inch closer and one inch to the left on my map. Feeling a bit lost I jumped into a taxi and was there in ten minutes. Grabbed myself some noodle concoction before going into the palace. Was grand. Bit lacking flavour. Bought my ticket, cheapest option available for 30 rmb. The place was absolutely jammed with thousands of tourists. Mainly chinese. There were a few whitey here and there. Visited a few buildings. Meh. Not much to see. Place is 2.9 hectares with a lake occupying 70% of it. Found a back entrance to the Temple of Burning Incense. Actually climbed up some dirt path. It was nice to get away from the mayhem of the bustling crowds. I came in the back entrance of the temple. Had to pay another 10 to enter. It was a beautiful pagoda style temple with multiple floors, sitting on the side of the hillside. The exact same drawings, I have numerous times, adorn the ceilings of the temple. I made a quick visit and left through the front entrance. The fronts steps drop down to another temple building and courtyard far below. I made my way dow the steep steps taking snaps as I went. After another 10 minutes walking amongst the crowd, I had seen enough. It gets a bit repetitive after a while. Similar architecture, colours and statues. There's more beauty and variety in the surrounding trees. I took a boat across the lake for another 10rmb. Saw a small island with another museum and headed back to find the exit.

One unusual thing you may notice if you ever visit China is how much the older generation get involved in outdoor activities. In the last few days I have witnessed groups of OAPs, dancing in the street, playing drums, dressed as dragons and line dancing in a square. Here I saw two groups , one a group of females playing Hackysack and a group of older gents with pro kites. In the western world we think the best place for the old is in an old folks home. Come to China if you are old. You'll love it. I left the park and was immediately harassed by a group of taxi drivers offering to bring me to the Bagou Station for 20rmb. I walked off knowing that it was only meant to be ten. Within five minutes I was in a taxi and back at the metro station. Jumped off at a different station just to see what the walk was like. Another 20 minute trek back to the hostel. When I got back I immediately tried to contact the Bank of Ireland 365online phone service. I had not realised it was a bank holiday monday so both the banks and An Post were closed. At this stage I was getting a bit worried. Not kowing were my card was. Had my PIN number being resent. What was I going to do without cash in Beijing or was I going to have to wait around hoping one day it might arrive. Joao calmed me down when he spoke to me on the phone, realising I was a tiny bit stressed. I spent the remainder of the evening watching TV and catching up online. Eoghan and Aidan went of for one pint to celebrate Eoghan's b'day.