Hello there,
I apologize for the long email gap. If you can believe it, Beijing actually has an big internet cafe shortage and we ended up staying at a hotel for Chinese tourists with no internet (but big rooms w/ a TV and bathroom for the same price as 2 dorm beds). I've also had much less time than I intended b/c we have spent far too much time with traveling chores. We've experienced daily headaches because everything in the city is either closed, knocked down, or moved in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. The entire city is a construction site and being created before our eyes. For us, it has meant finding the new locations of bus stations, tourist sites, restaurants, etc. Probably shouldn't have been as big of a deal, but, since we give everything a shot on our own (ie- try not to book tickets/tours thru hotels, it has meant A LOT of walking. That said, the biggest headache of our travels so far has been extending our visa for another 30 days. Long story short, it ended up taking 7 working days (10 days total); we were planning on only 5 days in Beijing...not 12!!! Needless to say we have had to juggle our schedule a bit.
All things considered, Beijing hasn't been a bad place to spend some unplanned days; there definitely is not a lack of things to see. The city itself has been hard for me to love b/c the majority of it looks brand new. The number of construction cranes is absolutely incredible; the city is literally being built before our eyes. The down side is that the old buildings are being knocked down. The famous hutongs (old, small houses lining old, small alleys) are being destroyed for large, generic high rises or at least getting a fresh coat of paint on the outside (but only the outside) to hide them from view. I'll be really interested to see what this place looks like in 2008!!!
Apart from scratching our heads looking at the intentional, rapid, and forced modernization of the city, we have enjoyed visiting some pretty incredible sights. The top on my list is definitely the Great Wall. I've been lucky enough to visit it twice now (Mutianyu and Simatai) in the last week and it didn't disappoint. Once I got over the cable cars and alpine slides blocking my first view (sad but true) and actually got to walk on the wall, I began to understand why it is justifiably one of the wonders of the world. The scale is just incredible and we got to see the popular view of it snaking off into the distance; I can't imagine the manpower it must have taken when it was first built. I took Dad's advice and wandered past the "no tourists" sign for some time on an unrestored section and it really is more impressive with signs of age and decay.
We still have to go on strike and not buy anything our first 3 days in a new country because they can sense when you are new blood and once they are on to you they never fail to rip you off. We have also given up on private transport (namely tuk tuks and taxis') and take public transport solely because they win every time.No matter what country we are in the drivers of the three wheeled mini taxis (tuk tuks, rickshaws, etc) cheat us one way or another every time we step into their vehicle. You would think after 9 months of traveling we would have caught on to their tricks. Of course they always come up with new ones and so many accumulate that it is hard to keep track of them all. Then there are countries like Laos that lull us into a peaceful stupor where we truly believe that not a sole in the world would ever lie to us... truly throwing us off our game. So we walk everywhere. We prefer the humiliation of carting our bags, sweating through the center of town (or with our toes frozen here in China) than to step into another tuk tuk.
The other day we had to take a taxi from the train station to the bus station (about a mile) because there was no direct transport and we only had a half hour to get there, so we were cutting it pretty tight (the Great Wall keep us longer than anticipated!). Our only option was a taxi, but we knew where we were going and the route was straight there, plus the use of taxi meters is widespread in Beijing so we figured it would be okay. Turns out the man zig-zaged the whole way there doubling our fare (there was a language barrier) but the worst part was that he dropped us off only 6 minutes before our bus was scheduled to leave. We had to run through the station and jump on the bus as it was about ready to pull away and plead with the driver to let us use the bathrooms one last time before our 7 hr overnight bus. Dam taxis'.
The only other adventure to report on is that the other day we wanted to go from Xi'an to Pingyao by train but because they were all full I got the great idea to go by bus instead. It was a little more expensive but only took 8 hours instead of 12 and we could stick to our schedule so we set off. At 5:00 in the morning we were dropped off on the side of a highway at the exit ramp for Pingyao... it doesn't get light here until 7:30 or so and no one spoke any English. When I asked them how far the walk was he turned into the bus and asked if anyone spoke English and when no one replied took off without looking back ;). So we started walking towards the city... luckily we had a flashlight (it was so dark we couldn't read signs without it!) to read the signs that were translated in English (also extremely lucky). Anyways after a hour and half of a cold walk we arrived into Pingyao unscathed... a bit scary though. Just that day we were talking about how our travels had gone so smoothly and that we really didn't have any good ''adventure"'stories... so that is the best I got ;).
Another recent highlight was a sidetrip we took to climb the holiest mountain in China and most climbed mountain in the world, Tai Shan. It's only about a 4 hour climb (but on 6,000 plus steps), but is flanked by ancient temples, caligraphy in the rocks, and three gates to heaven. As an indication of its age, there's a marker where Confucius began his climb back around 500bce. I had some gripes with the chair lifts and hotels on the mountain, but it did keep some of it's holy feel once you got to the top. The top is filled with Taoist temples (the yin-yang signs); it must have been incredible back in its prime when Emperor's climbed it to make sacrifices to the Gods. It's still impressive today, but I think it's suffered like all other religions places in China; most are primarily shells of former sacred sights kept alive just enough to attract the tourist. That said, some people were climbing it for more than the great views; I, however, was one of the people climbing it for the views and wasn't disappointed. The best part was the sunrise view. The mountain is perched in the middle of nowhere, so it was really impressive. I also lucked out b/c the relentless wind drove everyone off the viewpoint within 10 minutes of the sunrise, so I enjoyed a bit of solitute on the crowded summit. Definitely one of the highlights of China for me so far, but I am a bit partial to mountains.
Now we are off to Tibet (FINALLY!)!
Beijing:
Great Wall:
Tai'an:
1.30.2007
Stops on the way to Beijing
We still have to go on strike and not buy anything our first 3 days in a new country because they can sense when you are new blood and once they are on to you they never fail to rip you off. We have also given up on private transport (namely tuk tuks and taxis') and take public transport solely because they win every time.No matter what country we are in the drivers of the three wheeled mini taxis (tuk tuks, rickshaws, etc) cheat us one way or another every time we step into their vehicle. You would think after 9 months of traveling we would have caught on to their tricks. Of course they always come up with new ones and so many accumulate that it is hard to keep track of them all. Then there are countries like Laos that lull us into a peaceful stupor where we truly believe that not a sole in the world would ever lie to us... truly throwing us off our game. So we walk everywhere. We prefer the humiliation of carting our bags, sweating through the center of town (or with our toes frozen here in China) than to step into another tuk tuk.
The other day we had to take a taxi from the train station to the bus station (about a mile) because there was no direct transport and we only had a half hour to get there, so we were cutting it pretty tight (the Great Wall keep us longer than anticipated!). Our only option was a taxi, but we knew where we were going and the route was straight there, plus the use of taxi meters is widespread in Beijing so we figured it would be okay. Turns out the man zig-zaged the whole way there doubling our fare (there was a language barrier) but the worst part was that he dropped us off only 6 minutes before our bus was scheduled to leave. We had to run through the station and jump on the bus as it was about ready to pull away and plead with the driver to let us use the bathrooms one last time before our 7 hr overnight bus. Dam taxis'.
The only other adventure to report on is that the other day we wanted to go from Xi'an to Pingyao by train but because they were all full I got the great idea to go by bus instead. It was a little more expensive but only took 8 hours instead of 12 and we could stick to our schedule so we set off. At 5:00 in the morning we were dropped off on the side of a highway at the exit ramp for Pingyao... it doesn't get light here until 7:30 or so and no one spoke any English. When I asked them how far the walk was he turned into the bus and asked if anyone spoke English and when no one replied took off without looking back ;). So we started walking towards the city... luckily we had a flashlight (it was so dark we couldn't read signs without it!) to read the signs that were translated in English (also extremely lucky). Anyways after a hour and half of a cold walk we arrived into Pingyao unscathed... a bit scary though. Just that day we were talking about how our travels had gone so smoothly and that we really didn't have any good ''adventure"'stories... so that is the best I got ;).
Xi'an:
Pingyao:
Datong:
The other day we had to take a taxi from the train station to the bus station (about a mile) because there was no direct transport and we only had a half hour to get there, so we were cutting it pretty tight (the Great Wall keep us longer than anticipated!). Our only option was a taxi, but we knew where we were going and the route was straight there, plus the use of taxi meters is widespread in Beijing so we figured it would be okay. Turns out the man zig-zaged the whole way there doubling our fare (there was a language barrier) but the worst part was that he dropped us off only 6 minutes before our bus was scheduled to leave. We had to run through the station and jump on the bus as it was about ready to pull away and plead with the driver to let us use the bathrooms one last time before our 7 hr overnight bus. Dam taxis'.
The only other adventure to report on is that the other day we wanted to go from Xi'an to Pingyao by train but because they were all full I got the great idea to go by bus instead. It was a little more expensive but only took 8 hours instead of 12 and we could stick to our schedule so we set off. At 5:00 in the morning we were dropped off on the side of a highway at the exit ramp for Pingyao... it doesn't get light here until 7:30 or so and no one spoke any English. When I asked them how far the walk was he turned into the bus and asked if anyone spoke English and when no one replied took off without looking back ;). So we started walking towards the city... luckily we had a flashlight (it was so dark we couldn't read signs without it!) to read the signs that were translated in English (also extremely lucky). Anyways after a hour and half of a cold walk we arrived into Pingyao unscathed... a bit scary though. Just that day we were talking about how our travels had gone so smoothly and that we really didn't have any good ''adventure"'stories... so that is the best I got ;).
Xi'an:
Pingyao:
Datong:
1.10.2007
The Christmas Spirit in Northwestern Laos
Happy Holidays!
I hope this finds you enjoying the holiday season with family and friends! I am sorry this Holiday email didn't make it out in time for Christmas. I have been very fortunate to have received so many wonderful emails from all of you that I decided to take a break in Laos for a couple of days so I could clean out my inbox (which I wasn't able to do so if you are still waiting... I haven't forgotten about you!)... but I wasn't able to get to the holiday email before we headed of to more remote regions.
I hope that everyone had a very safe and relaxing holiday season... and that you have a very safe and exciting New Years! You were all in my thoughts as we celebrated the holidays in Northwestern Laos near the borders of Thailand, China, and Myanmar. On Christmas Eve we woke-up early and admired the beautiful ethnic clothing of tribal woman at the local market before strolling through a Buddhist temple where instead of listening to Christmas Carols we enjoyed the chanting of monks.
In the afternoon, we rented bikes in hopes of pedaling through the countryside and visiting various small villages but within the first 2km I blew out my back tire (now the moms can stop saying that I have lost too much weight ;) ). Since we had to walk our bikes all the way back we decided to make the journey a bit more interesting by collecting local flowers that we used to make our own Laos mistletoe (pic attached).
In the evening, after a great conversation about what we are grateful for and those who are in our thoughts at home and around the world, Jason opened our only Christmas gift wrapped in colored bags from the market: 4 of our used water bottles (it disgusts us to think of how many bottles we have used over the past 8 months but after our water purifier broke in India we have no other options... though we have tried a few... but that's a longer story), 4 permeate markets, and 4 candles which we used to create our own Christmas candles (pic attached). Our holiday consumption totaled 4,000Kip or just under $0.40. Which is a feat I will probably never again be able to match. In a way, it really made the season much more meaningful for us than giving and receiving a lot of gifts from each other. It was nice to be able to share the day together and not get so wrapped-up in "finding the perfect gift" which, in the end, we know neither of us need anyways (and this feeling has only been magnified throughout our travels).... so what did you all get for Christmas ;).
On Christmas Day we woke-up early to start our series of bus/truck/van rides into China. It has been nice to experience a new culture and see new architecture since Laos and Thailand were so similar to each other in these aspects. Today we went to a temple that was destroyed over the course of the last 900 years from natural disasters, war, and the cultural revolution. It was a really bazaar experience. The site was re-built in the mid-1990's as a full scale tourist attraction (it cost us $15 each to get in... which is more than we paid for all of our tourists sites in Laos combined - literally)... cement terraces, picnic tables, a golf course, and nic-nacs galore (black-belt Buddha figurines, florescent Buddha clocks, etc)... inside the temples. Even though the site is re-done beautifully, after experiencing such spiritual devotion at Buddhist temples in Thailand and India and becoming really fond of the atmosphere there, visiting this "temple turned theme park" was quite a shock. I don't know how many $30 tourist attractions will be in our budget!
A couple of days ago we ran into our first counterfeit Chinese note. We were in the process of buying mittens and long underwear to make the next two months in China bearable (I've spent this time of year in China before so I know what it will be like and as one person we ran into put it... the weather this time of year shouldn't be a problem... if you are from Canada or Russia... I think MN is close enough but I worry about Jason ;) ). Anyways, when we went to check out our change should have been 4 rmb but the woman asked (or motioned... no English) if we had another 6 rmb so she could give us a 10 note... we obliged. She set the note on the counter and immediately after touching it I knew it was a counterfeit so we held it up to the light and compared it to another 10 note we had. We told her we wouldn't take the bill and ultimately didn't give us a real bill until I started to take our purchases out of the bag to tell her that we weren't going to buy anything then... it changed her mind pretty fast! It is unfortunate that they were given a fake bill but we were glad to know it is easy to distinguish between the real and the fake ones.
It reminds me of a story from the last time I was in China with my family and Ben visiting Jeff and Patty and family (relatives). One way or another my dad was given a fake note from someone (makes me wonder if they like pawning fake bills off on tourists). After Jeff pointed out that the note was a fake we thought we were stuck with it... until my dad came up with a brilliant idea... give it as a tip! As he proudly said after the fact when asked what he did with it, "Our guide thought he did a real good job!" Oh I love it!
So any grand New Years resolutions or wisdom gained over the last year you would like to share? I am sure my reflections from the last year of my life will stretch out for years to come but one thing I have learned is to be happy with where I am at... you know the whole "the grass is greener on the other side". Some days I find myself dwelling on being home again... with all of you; living in a permeate home and actually having some responsibilities... instead of fully enjoying where I am at, but then I remember what I thought about while I was in school studying and what I wanted to be doing instead of working in CO... never what I was doing that's for sure! So my New Years resolution is to not take for granted the beauty and potential that each day brings, to enjoy everyday to its fullest no matter where I am at in my life.
I hope you have a great holiday and happy new year! Even if it takes me a while to get back to you I love the pictures you send (maybe some holiday ones??), as well as all of your updates and stories. I read every one of them and sincerely look forward to writing you back.
As Jason said in his holiday email "Thanks for everything in 2006 and I can't wait to catch up in 2007!"
Much love to you all,
Michele
Villages on the Nam Ou:
Nam Ou boat trip to Luang Prabang:
Luang Prabang:
Our 2006 Christmas in Laos Album
I hope this finds you enjoying the holiday season with family and friends! I am sorry this Holiday email didn't make it out in time for Christmas. I have been very fortunate to have received so many wonderful emails from all of you that I decided to take a break in Laos for a couple of days so I could clean out my inbox (which I wasn't able to do so if you are still waiting... I haven't forgotten about you!)... but I wasn't able to get to the holiday email before we headed of to more remote regions.
I hope that everyone had a very safe and relaxing holiday season... and that you have a very safe and exciting New Years! You were all in my thoughts as we celebrated the holidays in Northwestern Laos near the borders of Thailand, China, and Myanmar. On Christmas Eve we woke-up early and admired the beautiful ethnic clothing of tribal woman at the local market before strolling through a Buddhist temple where instead of listening to Christmas Carols we enjoyed the chanting of monks.
In the afternoon, we rented bikes in hopes of pedaling through the countryside and visiting various small villages but within the first 2km I blew out my back tire (now the moms can stop saying that I have lost too much weight ;) ). Since we had to walk our bikes all the way back we decided to make the journey a bit more interesting by collecting local flowers that we used to make our own Laos mistletoe (pic attached).
In the evening, after a great conversation about what we are grateful for and those who are in our thoughts at home and around the world, Jason opened our only Christmas gift wrapped in colored bags from the market: 4 of our used water bottles (it disgusts us to think of how many bottles we have used over the past 8 months but after our water purifier broke in India we have no other options... though we have tried a few... but that's a longer story), 4 permeate markets, and 4 candles which we used to create our own Christmas candles (pic attached). Our holiday consumption totaled 4,000Kip or just under $0.40. Which is a feat I will probably never again be able to match. In a way, it really made the season much more meaningful for us than giving and receiving a lot of gifts from each other. It was nice to be able to share the day together and not get so wrapped-up in "finding the perfect gift" which, in the end, we know neither of us need anyways (and this feeling has only been magnified throughout our travels).... so what did you all get for Christmas ;).
On Christmas Day we woke-up early to start our series of bus/truck/van rides into China. It has been nice to experience a new culture and see new architecture since Laos and Thailand were so similar to each other in these aspects. Today we went to a temple that was destroyed over the course of the last 900 years from natural disasters, war, and the cultural revolution. It was a really bazaar experience. The site was re-built in the mid-1990's as a full scale tourist attraction (it cost us $15 each to get in... which is more than we paid for all of our tourists sites in Laos combined - literally)... cement terraces, picnic tables, a golf course, and nic-nacs galore (black-belt Buddha figurines, florescent Buddha clocks, etc)... inside the temples. Even though the site is re-done beautifully, after experiencing such spiritual devotion at Buddhist temples in Thailand and India and becoming really fond of the atmosphere there, visiting this "temple turned theme park" was quite a shock. I don't know how many $30 tourist attractions will be in our budget!
A couple of days ago we ran into our first counterfeit Chinese note. We were in the process of buying mittens and long underwear to make the next two months in China bearable (I've spent this time of year in China before so I know what it will be like and as one person we ran into put it... the weather this time of year shouldn't be a problem... if you are from Canada or Russia... I think MN is close enough but I worry about Jason ;) ). Anyways, when we went to check out our change should have been 4 rmb but the woman asked (or motioned... no English) if we had another 6 rmb so she could give us a 10 note... we obliged. She set the note on the counter and immediately after touching it I knew it was a counterfeit so we held it up to the light and compared it to another 10 note we had. We told her we wouldn't take the bill and ultimately didn't give us a real bill until I started to take our purchases out of the bag to tell her that we weren't going to buy anything then... it changed her mind pretty fast! It is unfortunate that they were given a fake bill but we were glad to know it is easy to distinguish between the real and the fake ones.
It reminds me of a story from the last time I was in China with my family and Ben visiting Jeff and Patty and family (relatives). One way or another my dad was given a fake note from someone (makes me wonder if they like pawning fake bills off on tourists). After Jeff pointed out that the note was a fake we thought we were stuck with it... until my dad came up with a brilliant idea... give it as a tip! As he proudly said after the fact when asked what he did with it, "Our guide thought he did a real good job!" Oh I love it!
So any grand New Years resolutions or wisdom gained over the last year you would like to share? I am sure my reflections from the last year of my life will stretch out for years to come but one thing I have learned is to be happy with where I am at... you know the whole "the grass is greener on the other side". Some days I find myself dwelling on being home again... with all of you; living in a permeate home and actually having some responsibilities... instead of fully enjoying where I am at, but then I remember what I thought about while I was in school studying and what I wanted to be doing instead of working in CO... never what I was doing that's for sure! So my New Years resolution is to not take for granted the beauty and potential that each day brings, to enjoy everyday to its fullest no matter where I am at in my life.
I hope you have a great holiday and happy new year! Even if it takes me a while to get back to you I love the pictures you send (maybe some holiday ones??), as well as all of your updates and stories. I read every one of them and sincerely look forward to writing you back.
As Jason said in his holiday email "Thanks for everything in 2006 and I can't wait to catch up in 2007!"
Much love to you all,
Michele
Villages on the Nam Ou:
Nam Ou boat trip to Luang Prabang:
Luang Prabang:
Our 2006 Christmas in Laos Album
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