Not Your Typical Day

It’s 5:30 am. In Shanghai. The place is quite – for 17.5 million people. We leave in a few hours for Hangzhou and then to Yangshuo. Does anyone know where that is? Need a map.

Shanghai is much different than Beijing. Has an energy. Vibe. And, millions of Chinese swarming the streets, coming up to my armpits. I don’t recall the Chinese in Beijing being this small. Maybe the government gives them more milk or something.

The fab thing about being a giant in the land of little people is I can see thieves or hawker’s coming for blocks. I’m a full head above 95% of the crowds. It’s a strange sensation. I stand up taller. I assume the role of power-lady when I walk. I feel forceful. Part of it is that I want to project fierceness so they won’t bother me. But, the hawkers still do… “Bag, Watch, Drink, Lady?” I lift up my arm. They smell my pit. LOL.

Our hotel is about a one or two star – US standards – and three star Chinese standards. Let’s see… We’re talking hard beds – later to find out made of plywood – fluffy pillows, refrigerator, hot water pot, one working light, two towels, mini-balcony and a shower needing 15 mins to spew luke warm water. Its a stone’s throw from Nanjing Road, the frantic commercial strip glowing in neon colors at night and is elbow to elbow 24/7. Leisure stroll is out of the question. Took some pictures below.

The hotel breakfast is $5 all you can eat – we’re talking about dumplings, rice soup, chicken feet and puffy balls filled with beans or random meats. Fruit table teases us with watermelon. Chinese love their orange juice. The hotel is across the street from dumpling-ville heaven, offering a range of steamed or fried dumplings. And, then there is a micro-mini food mart selling all things Chinese and coca-cola. Guess what? So excited. They have PEANUT butter. Bought it on arrival. Expiration date wiped clean. No matter. As long as it works.

The new Gap Adventure tour group is much different than the “I can’t afford anything” Young Bucks backpacking crowd of Russia, Siberia and Mongolia. With this traveling posse, Canada is in the house. Most of this group are married or with significant others – and range in age from 30 to 80+. This China trip is not as intensive in terms of carrying bags and walking miles and miles and miles to metros in below freezing temperatures. This is the “standard” Gap Adventure package where they arrange transport or give you sight-seeing options.

Let’s see. For the travel posse China tour, two women are from Switzerland. One couple is

Travel Posse

from London. One couple from Australia who admitted they would LOVE to live in Orange County, California. Me. And, the remaining ten or so are natives from our NAFTA partner to the north, Canada.

The BEST part is no single, white female roommate. I’ve been sharing air and toilet paper with randoms for the last eight weeks or so – if not longer. I finally have space to spew my shit across the bed and on the floor. Funny how in one of the most crowded, overpopulated countries in the world, God sees to it I get my own space. Nice touch. Didn’t go unnoticed Big Man.

This city is exploding with little people and the smells that go along with it. I expected seedy. Expected dirty. Expected more pollution. With 1.5 billion people and 18 million calling Shanghai home, you reckon there’s high demand and job security for garbage collectors, street cleaners and window washers…

I even laid my eyes on recyclable garbage cans. Impressive. Since Chinese people comply with rules, they actually use the bins correctly. I watch them as they watch others, ensuring compliance with the recycle rules. Yea, with BA-zillions of people, someone is always watching. Especially, if you are blond and 6 feet tall.

Food alert. New food of choice are Chinese dumplings. OMG! Eating them nonstop. I’ve been to the little shop across the street three times in two days. I’m vying for another stop this AM as my bus snack.

So, what have I been doing. Observing the people. The city. Going out. Meeting people. Did do the Shanghai museum. Not normally into museums because I would rather be outside hiking or watching people. Not the case here. Shanghai museum is home to one of the most impressive collections in China – ceramics gallery, calligraphy gallery, coins/ethnic costume gallery, Buddhist gallery…and more.

I was drawn to the ceramics or porcelain and ethnic clothes exhibit for they looked like Latin American garb. As I was looking at the porcelin, thoughts of grandeur came to my mind – me at the Ritz sipping tea…Me putting flowers in the vases. Me feeling clean and light flowy clothes…Me not in a two star hotel sleeping on a bed made out of plywood.. I took a bazillion pictures.

Had to laugh when I stumbled upon the Catherine the Great exhibit straight from the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg. OK. Note to Russia. Let’s get moving. This exhibit was 100% better – providing more detail in ENGLISH – than anything I saw at the actual Hermitage. Stop sighing Russia and let’s get the party started. It’s not hard. I can help you with marketing and communication. GEEE… Frustrated. On another note, Catherine the Great has droopy eyes like me, so I felt a kinship with her. Great woman have droopy eyes… YEA. Like that. Maybe we’re related and just don’t know it. She’s not Russian. She comes from German ancestry….hmm..

We sauntered over to Shanghai’s Old Town and the Yuyan Gardens. It was a sight. The Chinese love to tour and go too. So, the place is overrun by western tourons and Chinese tourons too. There were hour lines to to get dumplings. Oh, the World Expo is in Shanghai, wrapping up in October. So, even more people have descended on this fair city of 18 million.

We ate at some fab place. Tried my hand at pork dumplings where you suck out the pork juice with a straw. Interesting. Good.

The Gardens missed the grass memo, but did well with the bamboo, jasmine and stony paths. I read a rich Ming-dynasty official founded the gardens and it took about 20 years to grow and nurture the place. The gardens were trashed in the Opium Wars. Probably by the French… This was not a garden spewing calmness and peace, for the Chinese are on holiday and was packed, packed, packed with folks taking pictures…

That night in Shanghai, we went to the Bund. It’s “the place” to see at night. The word means “Muddy Waterfront.” Used to be super-nasty. In the 80s when China started opening up – gradually – the place went gang busters. Grand buildings loom from recent to neoclassical 1930s, where they were once embassies of those countries running Shanghai like US, Britain, France, Japan… The second tallest building in the world is here. (wooooooooohoooo).

Pictures tell you more about Shanghai and its capitalist power than my words ever could. Oh, I read some place that Shanghai economy supports about 90% of this country… Pictures reinforce this one… It’s the wild wild West. The place were money flowed and Communism was born…

Where is Downy when you need it. Chinese lady just returned my laundry. It’s dry but oozes with the smell of grease. The smell counters my stature… Looks like I’ll be blending in just fine.

Travel Route for China

For those who want to check out the Trans Siberian train route.

More detailed map of the Trans-Siberian Rail below…

Left order of the Beijing airport. To chaos of Shanghai. Harmony was short lived…

(Picture taken outside my hotel window.  Fifth floor. )

Not sure where I am.  The hotel clerk told me “no map available.  Wait til store opens at 5:00 pm.”  It’s 9:30 pm.  Hotel store still closed.  No worries..went out on my own.  Still don’t know where I am.

Was hungry.  Looking for a food market.  But, walked into a “fast” food Chinese restaurant.  Saw a picture outside.  Looked encouraging.  Stood in line.  Felt anxious.  What am I ordering.  Little, old Chinese lady points to a picture. The only picture.  I nod.  Look down. Grab 10 Yan (less than $2).  Sat down. Let’s see what I get..

All eyes on me. Felt them. Not another anglo, shocking-white, 6 foot girl in the place. Dumplings arrive. Looks like the picture.  Three Chinese girls at next table order the same. Watch them out of corner of my eye.  How do you eat these things?  I want sauce, but what type?  I mimicked them.  They giggled.

Next, chop sticks. Don’t have coordination. Never used them before.. Had to eat very, very slow.  Good for me, considering I use a fork as a shovel. Dumplings were fab. Only one dropped into my lap.  Random meat.  Random sauce.  Random chop sticks. Found my way back to my hotel.  I’m on a side street. It’s LOUD. I think there’s a moped parking lot next to our hotel.  Alarms are going off.

My new roomie comes tomorrow.  I’ve signed up for another backpacker, “I can’t afford a hot meal” tour with Gap Adventures.  Means, I share a room with a random.  It’s so nice to have a night to myself. I’ve been sharing space with others for weeks now…  I’m really  starting to hate people.  I’m in China too… Not a good place to be. Hate being around a lot of people while in China.  Not good.

Need to plan Thailand…I’m rethinking end of Oct and November…In China for 2.5 weeks and then go to Bhutan to hike through monasteries for another 14 days… Need to slow down.  Sit.  Looking for yoga, spiritual retreat in Thailand where all I do is sit in silence, stretch and ween the bod off of bread, beer, yogurt and dumplings… Any ideas out there?

Just throwing it out there. I could move into the Beijing airport. OMG. I’m a Libra.  THRIVE in harmony, order and balance. This place is built on those principals and then add some architecture genius, high end retailers, Disney codes of happily moving people, yummy restaurants and customer service, you’ve got Beijing airport baby. Tallgirl was built for this place. OMG. I just can’t stop smiling.

Signs telling you it’s going to be a 7 minute walk from one point to your gate. Their TSA security actually moves people through in a fast, precise and efficient manner…No taking off shoes. No liquid bullshit..They care about technology.

Oh, they speak English. Have a TCBY fro-yo cafe that sells BEER. Don’t tell, just had a large peach with extra sprinkles and a beer. Sounds nasty, but I’m just smiling… Oh, the little TCBY girls, spoke English… When taxi man dropped me off, had greeters to point you in the right direction…It’s Walt Disney, Chinese style.

I’m not shocked for I assumed China, especially Beijing, would bleed with order. The opening ceremonies of the Olympics screamed that loud and clear. Actually, frightening the living shit out of me.  Focus here…What I’m trying to say is, I’m in HEAVEN.

Coming from sighing Russia and mayhem Mongolia, this is a shock to the system. My internal balance is being restored. I’m drawn to clean, straight lines. The color red. Quality. Fine things. Over sized, artsy windows. Accessible, clean water. Working electrical outlets built into the floor. Free WiFi. High ceilings, making me feel petite. Signs in English. And, no clutter… We’re talking Clean…clean…clean.. Damn… Bring it on China. My soul is waking up.

The drive here was orderly. I was expecting billions of cars. Horns. Chaos. None of it. Five to seven lane highways. No horns. Using signals to cross lanes. Where am I???

Off to Shanghai in a few. I have a feeling that Beijing’s order is Shanghi’s chaos… Yes, I’m flying.  Toss the trains for 48 hours please.

Facebook is down. So, my blog will have more random observations.

By the way, last night was Young Bucks goodbye dinner.  We had Peking duck…never had it.  I’m a fan. Add another animal with feathers to my diet…  Will be back in Beijing in 14 days….

Views from my hotel window this AM..Around 5:30 AM… Pollution Central?

My side of the room… BIG mess…Hotel in Beijing..

It’s September 23. Friday. 11:23 AM. On the train. About three hours away from Beijing. I’m sure you are so sick of another damn train blog. I’m tired too. I’m on the top bunk. Stomach pains. Smelling cig smoke. Listening to the door bang and bang and band. Our compartment saddles up next to the working toilet. They say the air condition is on – so all windows are bolted. I’m becoming desensitized to recycled cig, urine air.

Sitting here. Watching China reveal herself to me. A lot of building going on in Northern China. Then, you hit nothing – looks like scenes in Avatar. Spotted the great wall an hour ago. It was built in Northern China to keep the barbarians out – and the annoying Khan family from Mongolia…

We boarded the “to” China train yesterday AM. Last night was the highlight. Leaving Mongolian was easy. We had a two hour stop. No bathroom. No leaving the train. After the Mongols wished us well – we headed off to China border only 30 minutes down the road.

We pulled up around 9 pm and left at 1 am. Not only had they check our passports, but also take apart each car and change the wheels. That’s right. Change the wheels. The train tracks are smaller in China. They took our passports. Locked the toilets. Locked us in the train. They ripped apart each train and drove it into a tunnel where they jacked us up about 10 feet.

It was a weird sensation, watching other trains being lifted up into the air by over sized jacks or whatever they’re called… And watching the many, many Chinese changing the big wheels. (Job security) When it was our turn, they slowly lifted us up. We could not feel a thing. We were not moving. But, we were – then we here major clanging and the metal scrapping. The train jolted. Jolted. And, it was silent. They lowered us down and then they slowly started reconnecting the train. There’s a new restaurant car – selling Chinese food instead of Mongolian. Bring on the rice baby!

Next stop is Beijing.