Day 123 – The Great China as it was in the past

6am start is an achievement for the group. As we showered Aidan walked into the room, drunk and wanting to give people hugs. As sweet as the adorable teddy bear is I wasn't in the mood for hugs, from his booze stinks, first thing in the morning. Eoghan entered a moment later looking fairly twisted. They had decided to ring in Eoghan's birthday throughout the night. We were called a number of times by the awaiting buses. I was laughing at the thought of the boys climbing the Great Wall for 4 hours with a looming hangover. I had to pack my bags to move rooms before we left. We met at the reception, bought some water and climbed into the awaiting minibus. Thankfully we had our own minibus and the remainder of the tourists were in their own bus. We took off into the morning traffic. Within 10 minutes Drunk and Drunker were having some ridiculous argument. Armed with MP3 players, the rest were able to escape into a more peaceful, calm world.

After travelling through India, it truly prepares you for most other eventualities. Chinese driving is probablly some of the worse in the world. Apart from India. So, when the drivers, hapazardily fly across each other, switching lanes, no indication, racing and jammng to a sudden halt, you always relax knowing its better than India. With this inner calmness in this insane motorway world, I fell asleep with the Beatles lullying me to sleep. I slept for the majority of the journey. Three hours of a nap and then 30 mins of watching the scenery go by and we pulled into a car park with a few coaches already parked. Feeling pretty hungry myself Ian and Eoghan grabbed one of those large pot noodles you see the Chinese eating all the time. A smart lady had set up he stand in the car park with a pot of hot water available. We began the hike to the Great Wall. Aidan was looking a slighter shade of pale. As you enter the wall and climb up on to its parapet the first that hits you is the rolling landscape spreading out to all sides. The wall even though grand, seems isolated by the vastness of the landscape. It works its way, undulating up down and over the peaks of the landscape. Large stone towers divide and give greatness to the overall wonderment of the Great Wall. In comparison to the city wall in Nanjing, it is narrow. I believe no more than 30 metres wide at its widest point. Neither is it the tallest of walls. A standard ladder would easily scale the sides. Nevertheless, its grandeur is in its length. Its wisdom lies in that it sits atop the peak of the highest hills, giving it great height over the surrounding landscape. As you trek along the wall. Up and down the vast stone highways. As you turn each viewable corner, the wall continues ahead, as far as the eye can see. You turn and behind, like a snake it slithers off into the distance. The stone colour is quite beautiful and complimentary of the surrounding rocks and relief.

If you have ever seen the Great Wall in a movie, you have probably seen some action shot where the villain or heroin is racing along it in a vehicle of some sort. This might be possible for 5% of it. The majority of the trek we took, involved climbing up and down giant stairs. There is an unbelievable amount of stairs on the great wall. Make sure you've had your sleep the night before. What makes the trek so worthwhile is you get to see the Great Wall in different stages of disrepair. It feel a lot more genuine than some of the visits I've heard other people have gone on. There are parts where the wall is crumbling beyond belief. The path can be treacherous at times as you climb down some steep descent with only loose dirts and bricks underfoot. I loved the experience. Myself, Eoghan and Peter paced off in front of the crowd. We ran up some steep staircases and raced down the sloping hills like kids. Imagining wars gone by with the Mongolians on our left and the Chinese on our right. One million men employed to guard its 4,000 mile length. As you trek along you will meet a collection of traders offering their wares of t-shirts and souvenirs. You will even find the random person selling Coke, Beer and Water. This can come in useful, especially on a day like the one we visited, with the sun melting us away from above. The remainder of the walk was incredibly satisfying. I left the boys at one of the towers before we got to the end. I headed off towards some sparkling water that caught my eye. The towers came to an end at a river bed. You had to climb down and cross a suspension bridge. Back up again onto the wall for the last remaining towers before finishing our 30 tower trek. I stopped on the roof of the tower closest to the riverside. I sat, took out my postcards and began writing them in the sunshine. After half an hour I completed the last bit of the walk down to the restaurant we had agreed to meet at. Ordered some sweet and sour chicken and a bottle of beer.

Our minibus collected us for the return journey. With headphones inserted we were on the road back to Beijing. Before I knew it i was floating in dreamworld as we raced along. I was awoken just on the outskirts of Beijing by my mobile ringing. My bank card had finally being delivered to the PLoft. When we got back to the hostel, Eoghan, Peter and Aidan headed to catch some Zzzzs before going out. I went to the cafe and rang Bank of Ireland 365 to ask about my PIN. As expected, they didn't really know the answer. BOI: Did I order a new PIN? ME: No, I lost my card and ordered a replacement BOI: Perhaps they'll use the same PIN. ME: Is that standard procedure? BOI: Sometimes, depends if you order a new PIN with it. ME: I reported the card missing to your department, do you not know? BOI: You didn't report the card missing with us, it must have being your branch. ME: So, will the old PIN work. BOI: It might do, it all depends, on whether a new PIN was ordered or not. ME: What happens if the PIN number doesn't work? BOI: We'll order a new one and it will take 3 to 4 working days. ME: I'm in Beijing, China without any money, can it be rushed through as an emergency? BOI: No, it will take 3 to 4 working days. ME: Thanks, for all your help. This is the standard type of service we are so used to receiving as a resident of Ireland. Not to dissimilar to the service I had received from An Post. The lack of communication in these companies. Not knowing what the left hand is doing. The lack of respect for customers and realisation of what situation they may be in. No emergency procedures. No 24/365 hour telephone line to reassure you. Can you imagine this type of management when they went to build the Great Wall. Sure I thought it was Jim's job to order the bricks. What do you mean, its meant to be a wall. I haven't had any complaints before misses. It'll be grand. Don't you worry. Watching how things are done in China you really begin to understand how they have moved forward so fast. Perhaps its communism or the result of it. They just have it sorted. From the Chinese people I have spoken to, they say you can not believe how much China has changed in ten years. Funny thing is, I can. I see it. They have the man power, they have the efficiency. When they do something. They do it. They respect where they have come from. They haven't lost their heads in the prison of capitalism. There is something different about how they deal with it. Can't quite put my finger on it. Let me get back to you on this one.

To celebrate Eoghan's birthday we all went to International Food Cuisine. We were shown to a table and then like dogs on a race track, realised to do our best on the fantastic, All You Can Eat and Drink Buffet. I can only imagine it was Eoghan's dream of dreams. 400 foods from every part of the world. Prepared freshly infront of you. We all went our different ways, plates in hand. My first plate was a collection of sushi, smoked salmon, crackers, and salads. Then a plate of fruits. Finally a plate of meats and vegetables. A beer and a banana smoothy. The lads came back with plates of meat. The conversation was fairly thin as we devoured the feast of tastes infront of us. Seconds were up pretty quick. More meats of plates came back. It wasn't long before the group began to slow. Just enough room for a plate of deserts. Finally people couldn't take any more. Bizarre for us. I think tiredness had something to do with it. Not quite the performance I was expecting. I was happy with my effort. Eoghan had joked the first day he saw the buffet, that he worried about, 'his performance on the night'. The reality was right in front of me, as he lay there, doubled over holding his belly. There were a lot of groans coming from Ian also. We finished with some coffees and left. With little energy left, we headed back to the hostel. Ended having a few drinks with Eoghan, Peter and Aidan in the local. Was in bed by 1.30am after falling in sleep in the common room in front of the TV.

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.

Day 120 - Beyond Big Beijing

Woke up when I heard Ian moving around. Showered and met him down in the adjoining cafe for our free breakfast. Pretty good when you consider you are only paying 65rmb per night for a hostel in the centre of Beijing. Ended getting lost for a few hours doing research on places in China, posting in Facebook and the sort. Ian told me not to hang around for him if I was going to head off. He was right. I dropped the Asus back in and headed of to the Forbidden City. Got dropped at the back entrance to the city. It was bloody freezin. Paid entry and for an Automatic Audio guide and entered. The Forbidden City is really really really big. Vast. As soon as you walk in the large gate a giant wall spans out to the left and the right. Everything within the city is coloured in the same colours. This is were it all seem quite similar after a while when visiting it. This was not out to save money although was based on he four elements of fire, earth, air and water. All the walls in red for fire, the roofs are yellow for earth and then the eaves of the roofs are a mixture of blue and green, mainly. The architecture is repeated throughout with the standard Chinese Ming Dynasty style. There are grand hall ways, termed, quite rightly, as roadway on the audio guide. Only 60% of the city is open to the public. From what I could see, by peeping through gaps in doorways, the other 40% is being renovated. The 60% is more than enough for anyone to see. It takes roughly four hours to walk around the city and see everything. I started at the back, so the first area I entered was the gardens. I can imagine grand in their day although lacking a certain something now. Perhaps due to the hundreds of tourists sitting and walking around it. To the west and east of the centre palace, are the residence of the concubines and the emperors wives. These are not too far disimilar, therefore visiting one side might be enough. There are some temporary exhibitions in some of the side building, so these will be the only thing you miss out if you don't see both sides. These included things such as pottery, wedding paraphernalia and other antiques. The majority of these palaces are nearly identical in design. The audio does give some very interesting stories as you walk up to each palace. There are other internal exhibitions, such as the Timepiece one, that you need to pay additionally to visit. These are normally 10 – 20rmb. The timepiece one was especially worthwhile.

Over the four hours I zigzagged across the width of the whole city and tried to see every area possible. The most spectacular area is the centre. It is the area where the emperor himself spent the majority of his time. There is a path right down the centre of the whole city, that only he was alllowed to walk. The majority of this is made from marble. One stunning carved piece, in particular, that you will see, is over 200 ton in weight. The are numerous buildings that he used spanning back along the length of the city. These include his bed chambers, his throne, his ceremonial hall where he met people, his matrimonial chamber, etc. If you can fight your way through the masses you might get a snap of the interior of these enormous structures from the barred area at the front of each building. Large urns, statues and sculptures litter the surrounding areas. Each building is surrounded by enormous squares and other out buildings. Once again you will find a collection of shops and museums in here. During my four hour walk I took nearly 400 photos. I imagine a lot of them look very similar. So some recommendations. Wear good walking shoes. Make sure you've had a good nights sleep. Bring a packed lunch. If you go after October, bring layers to keep you warm while being able to take off when needed. Bring a bag. I imagine Mondays or Tuesdays might be a bit better.

So, all in all, it was a fantastic visit. I was totally wrecked afterwards, although I still got to see the changing of the guard or something of the sort as I was leaving at five. As I went to leave they were barricading the exit. I stood there amongst another 800 and growing crowd. I went up to the front to see if I could pull the whitey card, with one of the soldiers dressed in green. The guy didn't speak English, although I got him and the crowd smiling as I tried some NVCs with IN and OUT. Why? Puzzled looking faces stared at my charade. One Chinese guy obviously understanding called out something to him and the soldier responded sharply. After 5 more minutes they finally let the crowd out. The front of Tian'anmen was blocked also. There were police vehicles stopping traffic and the whole square seemed to be empty apart from soldiers. After a while I copped it must have something to do with European delegation being in Beijing for the weekend for some conference. Perhaps they were given a private viewing of the square. After half an hour they finally opened the underpass and for the 3rd time I entered Tia'anmen Square. I took some day pics and looking at the time realised if I went back now I'd get nothing else done. So, I decided the Olympic Village deserved a visit. Four metros later I jumped off at the super modern Olympic Centre station. Headed up the escalators and walked out on to a super highway size pathway. Off in the distance, looming into the skyline, stood the striking blue Water Cube, Aquatics Centre on the left and the bizarre glowing red Birds Nest, Stadium on the right. Its a good walk before you are beside them. The Birds Nest is quite an architectural sight with its cocoon mesh of concrete and glowing red colour. Entrance was closed to the public at this time in the evening. I walked the circumference of it until I was opposite the Water Cube and then headed in that direction. In the middle and infront of the main avenue stands a large olympic tower filled with diamond shaped glass vessels flashing sporadically against the dark night sky. The Water Cube is a fantastic site with its giant blue glowing bubbled textured exterior. People stood here and there being photographed infront of these two enormous pieces of modern art. I only stayed a short while walking around before heading back to the metro.

When I got back Ian was still sitting where I had left him in the cafe, online. The rest of the boys were either online or in the pub. I watched a movie, grabbed a take away fish and chips and recuperated in the hostels common room. Ian was in the mood for going out so after some general faffing about we finally left just after midnight. Eoghan faffed some more in the pub so he got left behind. Aidan was having some bowel movements, so he stayed in the pub with Peter. We had got some advice, so we headed to the Mix nightclub, not too far from the Workers Stadium. This seemed to be an area were a number of clubs are positioned. There is no real city centre in Beijing. There are areas around the vast city for different things. Shopping, pubs, clubs, etc in different locations around the city.
We arrived at Mix. Paid 50rmb entrance fee. It was quite a mediocre club with two seperate rooms. Problem was both of them were playing R n B and Hip Hop. Not Ian or I's favourite music. We stayed for one drink and headed to find Coco Banana, around the corner. When we arrived we knew it was more like what we had being looking for. Its free entry. You wak through a doorway of pink feather boas into a slick, shing, ultra modern nightclub. Two walls lined with large projections of moving images. Smartly dressed staff see you to a seat within a moment. We ordered a bottle of vodka for 500rmb. Mixers are included in the price and they are not sparing with the quantity they give you. For this money you have you own waiting staff that stand and dance beside your table. A large platter of fresh fruit is brought to your table with a slections of fresh watermelon, pineapple, orange and cherry tomatoes. Any time you glass gets close to empty or you take out a cigarette they are there to serve you before you can do it for yourself. At some times you might have two staff serving your table. The DJ was very good and knew how to mix. The lighting in the place was superb. The crowd who drink her have to be such a tiny percentage of the overall general chinese population. The night was fantastic and myself and Ian had a great banter and dance like loons on the dance floor. At the end of the night, when the music stopped being played all the staff gathered for some staff meeting, right in the middle of the club. With the tiny bit of English they spoke we couldn't work out what it was all about. We finally found a Frenchman that spoke pretty good Mandarin after only being there two months. He explained a number of things. Based on there performance the meeting tells them what night they are not working next week. The better staff you are the better nights you get to work. More tips, etc. He also informed us the staff only get 9rmb an hour. They work 8 hours a day and 4 - 6 days a week. Now, that is roughly €1 an hour. That is not what I was expecting to hear. The cost of life in Beijing is bloody expensive. How the hell do they survive? We finished up our jar and after much persistence to leave from our waiter we finally headed with the remainder of our bottle of Vodka and four cans. We headed back to Mix to see if there was anything still going on. We went in, walked around and left after five minutes. We got a taxi back to the hostel. We polished of a bit more of the vodka. I started falling asleep so we headed for our free breakfast, next door. At this stage I was fairly drunk and tired. The breakfast was exactly what I needed. We were in bed 30 minutes later at around 8.30am. We met Eoghan on his way to bed also.

Paradise continues - Day 6

Its quite a sight to see cream and brown cows strolling along the white sandy beach. Paloleum beach is guest to some very relaxed looking sacred cows. As you sit for breakfast in our resort the view before you is of rolling waves, unfolding gently on the fine sand. To the right sits a small green island stuck out beyond the lush peninsula. With numerous staff service is fast and a far throw from the normal Indian lifestyle. We have landed ourselves in a westernised haven on the west coast of India. After some tasty toast and coffee myself and Ian head off for a walk down to the north end of the beach. A few locals walk by smiling as we greet them hello on our way. As you get to the far end of the beach you need to wade through a small river. As we make our way through, the water begins to rise above my waist. I hear a laugh from Ian only to realise my man-bag has gotten soaked. As I stand there, in the middle of the river, I notice a man on the far side, smiling and waving for me to cross further down. As I follow his directions the water becomes a lot shallower. I continue to cross and a moment later I'm on the other side. Ian follows holding his bag above his head, similar to numerous Indian ladies we've seen. The route continues to be difficult as we bump our toes into submerged rocks. We end up laughing in hysterics as we slip and slide on the rocks. Any form of activity in Goan heat causes a copious amount of sweat to pour off you. We strip off our damp tops and continue our adventure.

By the time we have climbed the rocks an hour has passed since we began the journey. The view from the tip of the coast is something else. Large boulders piled high line the far coastline. We sit and stair into the ocean as the cool and welcome breeze whips around the headland. The sea crashes ferociously on the rocks. Birds hang gliding on the streams of air. You can quickly see how the island was once part of the mainland as the sea rushes through widening the narrow gap. We rest for some time and chat. Its funny how tired you get when the heat is so strong. Every time you get a chance to sit down it feels like you've being going all day. This time is no exception. After half an hour or so we are ready to head back. The return journey is just as humorous as the outward. The boys are taking it easy upon our return. Sipping bears on the resort veranda. We join them quickly to rest our weary bodies. Like old men rest from a tiring walk, we collapse into the plastic chairs.

The evening comes around quickly. Our first full day has flown by with very little activity. The three girls joins us for dinner at the resort restaurant. The usual high standard of food is served efficiently by the friendly staff. Other tourist arrive to five loud Irish guys and three American girls, laughing, drinking Kingfishers and munching on Indian cuisine. Nevertheless, I'd imagine we are actually good advertisement to the empty resort. We should have being charging them. The lads are doing there utmost flirting with the ladies. Its quite humorous thing to observe as they get more oiled over the evening.

We end up in a new bar with a pool table, five minutes down the beach. Cocktails and Dreams. For anyone that is a Tom Cruise fan, will recognise this name straight away. Eoghans pretty chuffed because they have a pool table and there are no complaints from anyone due to the fact they have satelite TV showing the European Cup. The place is like something you'd see on holidays in a European resort, apart from the cocktails being undrinkable. The place has a good vibe of activity within an hour or two of arriving. I'm wrecked so I head off to bed , another early one for me. The boys go into the early hours with the matches kicking off at 2.00am Goan time. 5 mins after I lie down I'm unconscious.