What’s The Diff?
Since this is the most common question I am asked I have decided to write a mini list of the things I noticed that made China different from Taiwan.
1. The language. Think Quebecois French compared to Parisian French. The Chinese, like the Quebecois, speak with a harder accent and have an “er” or “nar” sound to a lot of their phrases. The Taiwanese however, like the Parisians, sound almost bird-like, like they are humming a tune. Their language is fluid and musical and cute – not hard and gruff. Funnily enough, I found that when I spoke Chinese in China they understood me much better than they do here in Taiwan. TIE.
2. The cookies. Since I’ve been gone, I have been able to find satisfaction for my sweet tooth and love of cookies at different Subway sandwich locations around Asia. I have taken a particular liking to the peanut butter cookies here in Taiwan because they have these delicious peanut butter chips in them that just explode with goodness and mix perfectly with the crisp yet chewy texture of the cookie. But when I tried to get one at a Subway location in China I was met with disappointment. They do not incorporate those lovely little peanut chips I love so much in the Chinese version. No, they have stuck to just adding chunks of peanuts which I think completely ruins the cookie texture and takes away the sweetness that the peanut chips add so nicely. So there. TAIWAN WIN.
3. Style. I hate to say it, but the Taiwanese are definitely lacking style sense. Even in the big cities like I Taipei I walk around and am constantly cringing at some of the clothing choices these people make for themselves – girls in baggy bohemian down-to-the-floor crotch pants, pink star socks with black shiny heels, hello kitty T’s and my favorite, the opaque tights worn under baggy khaki shorts and some sort of leather laced boot. Now, I’m no style guru, but that just can’t look right. Beijing on the other hand has it going on a little better. At least I wasn’t cringing so much. Most women I saw were decked out in a sort of French fashionista way with their long coats and furs and leather boots. There is a bit more motivation in Beijing though with all that money and all those massive Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci window fronts on display. CHINA WIN.
4. Dogs. Taiwan has an infestation of stray dogs. I don’t know how or why but they do. For the most part I have learned to ignore the itching, scratching little creatures that roam the streets (all except for the two that are always trying to fornicate on the path that take me to work), but it is definitely something that you notice when you first arrive. In China I don’t remember ever seeing one stray dog, and I would remember because Mandy has a soft spot for them and would certainly point it out if she saw one. I brought it up to one of my co-workers here and their explanation was that the Chinese don’t have the stray dogs, because they eat them all! Hmm. I think that’s a TIE?
5. Size. Taipei is the largest city in Taiwan and its size doesn’t even compare to the size of Beijing, or at least how small you FEEL in Beijing. In Beijing the streets are wider, the buildings are bigger, and everything just seems times 10. Some people might enjoy that but after the trip I decided, not me. I like the size of Toronto and Vancouver and all of our smaller Canadian cities where I feel like I can get across the city in a day, or wake up in the morning and walk to my favorite coffee shop and then to work all in the same hour. Verdict? TAIWAN AND CANADA WIN.
Looks like I’m in the right place
Monday, February 14, 2011
Beijing - Final Stretch
Thursday was a pretty relaxing one. Cam and Will decided to go up and see the Summer Palace which Mandy and I had already seen so we head off in the other direction to check out where the Beijing Olympics were held.
We arrived at an MRT stop at the top end of the city, just on the outskirts of all the action. When we stepped outside it was a neat feeling because we stood in the middle of this huge wide open space that consisted of one really long and wide stone walkway that ran straight down the middle between all of the Olympic buildings.
We strolled down the walkway from on end to the other, taking in the size of the “bird’s nest building” and the “bubble building.”
Picture of Mandy and I in front of the bird’s nest – just to say we were there.
It was kind of odd because all of the buildings were taped off – no one was allowed in. I kept thinking about what they are going to do now with these massive buildings. How are they going to make use of all that space?
We didn’t stay long. The area was kind of uneventful, but definitely neat to see, just to imagine what it would have been like with all of the masses of people during the games.
After that we took the MRT to a place that I had wanted to see the entire trip – the Hutong’s.
By definition, a “Hutong” is a narrow cobblestone street in China. Now, it sounds less cool than it actually is. These Hutong’s run all around the city and were especially neat in this one particular area just north of our hostel. Along each roadside there would be these little alleyways tucked away and if you went over and looked in it was like something out of an antique photo: The cutest little doors, all decked out in colour with big brass locks on them, old brooms lying around and beautiful stone work crumbling from age.
Apparently at night the Hutong’s are a great place to go for food and snacking because residents set up BBQ’s in the alleyways and you can go in a sample some of the most delicious delicacies. Unfortunately we went during the Day on New Year’s Day, so the streets were pretty barren. We got a good feel for it though, strolling along, looking at all the cute shops and restaurants that inhabited these old Hutong areas: little cake cafes, art shops, pie places, and painting galleries.
Mandy and I managed to find one restaurant that was open. They had the biggest, fattest menu I have ever seen – I wish we got a picture of it. The selection of food was incredible and I ended up having these amazing shrimps sautéed in some spicy salt rub mixed with sweet potato fries and a tea – soo good.
One of the menu items - haha.
After that we walked back to the hostel and met up with the guys.
That evening we walked around one the busier areas in town – a famous pub street that surrounds a big beautiful lake with Christmas lights all around. It was cold out, so we tried to find a place with a nice atmosphere where we could grab a bite and a drink for a decent price.
When we finally picked a place that had promised cold beer and an extensive menu we were happy. But when we sat down and tried to order, the funny old Chinese women kept shutting us down, telling us that they were out of this or that. Finally after trying to order, “chicken curry..no? O.k…ceasar salad…no? O.k….the soup…no? O.k. what DO you have?” The lady admitted that they had nothing and that she was sorry.
I was a bit thrown off because I was hungry and getting cranky, but Cam told me that that sort of thing happens all the time in China. He wasn’t surprised. Needless to say we all downed our beers and went our separate ways for the evening – Mandy and I back to the lovely noodle shop that we found our first night, and Cam and Will out to a reggae bar where they had some drinks and hung out for the evening.
Friday morning it was time to leave Beijing – sadly. I said my goodbyes to Cam and Will (Liam and Kevin had left the day before on a trip around China) and off Mandy I am went in our cab to the airport to start our journey back to Taiwan.
We arrived at an MRT stop at the top end of the city, just on the outskirts of all the action. When we stepped outside it was a neat feeling because we stood in the middle of this huge wide open space that consisted of one really long and wide stone walkway that ran straight down the middle between all of the Olympic buildings.
We strolled down the walkway from on end to the other, taking in the size of the “bird’s nest building” and the “bubble building.”
Picture of Mandy and I in front of the bird’s nest – just to say we were there.
It was kind of odd because all of the buildings were taped off – no one was allowed in. I kept thinking about what they are going to do now with these massive buildings. How are they going to make use of all that space?
We didn’t stay long. The area was kind of uneventful, but definitely neat to see, just to imagine what it would have been like with all of the masses of people during the games.
After that we took the MRT to a place that I had wanted to see the entire trip – the Hutong’s.
By definition, a “Hutong” is a narrow cobblestone street in China. Now, it sounds less cool than it actually is. These Hutong’s run all around the city and were especially neat in this one particular area just north of our hostel. Along each roadside there would be these little alleyways tucked away and if you went over and looked in it was like something out of an antique photo: The cutest little doors, all decked out in colour with big brass locks on them, old brooms lying around and beautiful stone work crumbling from age.
Apparently at night the Hutong’s are a great place to go for food and snacking because residents set up BBQ’s in the alleyways and you can go in a sample some of the most delicious delicacies. Unfortunately we went during the Day on New Year’s Day, so the streets were pretty barren. We got a good feel for it though, strolling along, looking at all the cute shops and restaurants that inhabited these old Hutong areas: little cake cafes, art shops, pie places, and painting galleries.
Mandy and I managed to find one restaurant that was open. They had the biggest, fattest menu I have ever seen – I wish we got a picture of it. The selection of food was incredible and I ended up having these amazing shrimps sautéed in some spicy salt rub mixed with sweet potato fries and a tea – soo good.
One of the menu items - haha.
After that we walked back to the hostel and met up with the guys.
That evening we walked around one the busier areas in town – a famous pub street that surrounds a big beautiful lake with Christmas lights all around. It was cold out, so we tried to find a place with a nice atmosphere where we could grab a bite and a drink for a decent price.
When we finally picked a place that had promised cold beer and an extensive menu we were happy. But when we sat down and tried to order, the funny old Chinese women kept shutting us down, telling us that they were out of this or that. Finally after trying to order, “chicken curry..no? O.k…ceasar salad…no? O.k….the soup…no? O.k. what DO you have?” The lady admitted that they had nothing and that she was sorry.
I was a bit thrown off because I was hungry and getting cranky, but Cam told me that that sort of thing happens all the time in China. He wasn’t surprised. Needless to say we all downed our beers and went our separate ways for the evening – Mandy and I back to the lovely noodle shop that we found our first night, and Cam and Will out to a reggae bar where they had some drinks and hung out for the evening.
Friday morning it was time to leave Beijing – sadly. I said my goodbyes to Cam and Will (Liam and Kevin had left the day before on a trip around China) and off Mandy I am went in our cab to the airport to start our journey back to Taiwan.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Beijing - Day 4 - The Great Wall
“Bang bang bang!” Mandy and I woke up to the faint sound of Cam banging on our door at 7am. We had missed our alarm clock. I was feeling extra faint and foggy after all the drinks the night before and to top it off we got home at 3am which meant I only had 3 hours of sleep. Not the smartest decision I've ever made. Ughhh.
I don’t really remember dragging myself up and throwing on my clothes for the day, but I do remember the nice greasy breakfast of eggs and bacon they placed in front of me when I got downstairs and how it coated my stomach in such a way that I was able to feel somewhat perky and functional for the rest of the morning. What a lifesaver.
I slept all the way to the Great Wall which took about an hour and a half from our hostel. When I woke up we were at the base of a small mountain where we hopped on a chairlift that brought us up to station 6 of the Great Wall (I think there were 24 stations in total each about 200-300 meters apart). We all made a silent commitment to hike all the way to the end and back.
Cam and I - Our first steps on the wall. Look closely and see how far the wall weaves into the distance.
When we started making the trek along the wall my hangover vanished almost instantly. I think it was a mix of the clean, crisp air and the incredible view and also the fact that I had no choice but to muster up some gusto. Hiking that thing was certainly no easy task with the narrow corridors and steep stairs.
The boys up ahead.
Cam making his mark on one of the corridor walls.
A view from up high.
Mandy and I - nice face Shan.
Cam making it to the top. It was a steep climb.
It took about three hours to hike to the end and back and by the time we were done my legs were literally shaking, but what an accomplishment.
I think we all agreed that one of the best parts was sledding down the side of the mountain at the end. We each got our own little rickety sled with a joystick in the middle to break with (or to avoid completely if you are Will). We started at the top and rode down the small steel half pipe that was just barely wide enough to fit down with the sled. As I passed each turn I gained more and more speed, watching the signs that read “slow down” whizz by. It was a fast ride, fun and a bit scary. You can YouTube it online and see for yourselves – definitely something to try in a lifetime.
At the bottom we were greeted by the tour guide and a lovely lunch of kung pao chicken, braised tofu, grilled beef and a variety of vegetable dishes that everyone chowed down on. We met a few other young travelers at our table who were teaching Phys Ed. Classes in China and a quiet couple who just seemed to be enjoying listening in on the conversations.
We were all very relaxed on the ride back to the hostel:
A nice rest after an exhausting afternoon.
That night was the eve of Chinese New Year so our hostel café shut down for a staff annual party. Luckily, Cam with his magic charm worked his way in with everyone and by 10pm we were all enjoying food and drink with the staff and owners of the hostel. Music played and all the young girls drank too much, dropping glasses and spilling wine everywhere. Everyone just laughed and carried on the drinking and conversation.
At midnight one of the most spectacular displays of fireworks I have ever seen (or probably will ever see) happened all around the city and we were right in the middle of it. Literally, you stepped outside and no matter which direction you turned a gorgeous display of sparkling colour was being set off. It was as if every business and every home in that massive city set off their own show at the exact same time, and BOOM.
It seemed to go on for hours, what sounded like World War Two outside our hostel doors. When it finally started to calm down, Mandy, myself, David and his mom all settled on the sofas with some whisky and tea and we chat about life, love, travel, and home until it was time for bed - an incredible New Years experience to say the least.
I don’t really remember dragging myself up and throwing on my clothes for the day, but I do remember the nice greasy breakfast of eggs and bacon they placed in front of me when I got downstairs and how it coated my stomach in such a way that I was able to feel somewhat perky and functional for the rest of the morning. What a lifesaver.
I slept all the way to the Great Wall which took about an hour and a half from our hostel. When I woke up we were at the base of a small mountain where we hopped on a chairlift that brought us up to station 6 of the Great Wall (I think there were 24 stations in total each about 200-300 meters apart). We all made a silent commitment to hike all the way to the end and back.
Cam and I - Our first steps on the wall. Look closely and see how far the wall weaves into the distance.
When we started making the trek along the wall my hangover vanished almost instantly. I think it was a mix of the clean, crisp air and the incredible view and also the fact that I had no choice but to muster up some gusto. Hiking that thing was certainly no easy task with the narrow corridors and steep stairs.
The boys up ahead.
Cam making his mark on one of the corridor walls.
A view from up high.
Mandy and I - nice face Shan.
Cam making it to the top. It was a steep climb.
It took about three hours to hike to the end and back and by the time we were done my legs were literally shaking, but what an accomplishment.
I think we all agreed that one of the best parts was sledding down the side of the mountain at the end. We each got our own little rickety sled with a joystick in the middle to break with (or to avoid completely if you are Will). We started at the top and rode down the small steel half pipe that was just barely wide enough to fit down with the sled. As I passed each turn I gained more and more speed, watching the signs that read “slow down” whizz by. It was a fast ride, fun and a bit scary. You can YouTube it online and see for yourselves – definitely something to try in a lifetime.
At the bottom we were greeted by the tour guide and a lovely lunch of kung pao chicken, braised tofu, grilled beef and a variety of vegetable dishes that everyone chowed down on. We met a few other young travelers at our table who were teaching Phys Ed. Classes in China and a quiet couple who just seemed to be enjoying listening in on the conversations.
We were all very relaxed on the ride back to the hostel:
A nice rest after an exhausting afternoon.
That night was the eve of Chinese New Year so our hostel café shut down for a staff annual party. Luckily, Cam with his magic charm worked his way in with everyone and by 10pm we were all enjoying food and drink with the staff and owners of the hostel. Music played and all the young girls drank too much, dropping glasses and spilling wine everywhere. Everyone just laughed and carried on the drinking and conversation.
At midnight one of the most spectacular displays of fireworks I have ever seen (or probably will ever see) happened all around the city and we were right in the middle of it. Literally, you stepped outside and no matter which direction you turned a gorgeous display of sparkling colour was being set off. It was as if every business and every home in that massive city set off their own show at the exact same time, and BOOM.
It seemed to go on for hours, what sounded like World War Two outside our hostel doors. When it finally started to calm down, Mandy, myself, David and his mom all settled on the sofas with some whisky and tea and we chat about life, love, travel, and home until it was time for bed - an incredible New Years experience to say the least.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Beijing - Day 3 - The Forbidden City and Tian'amen Square
Mandy and I awoke well rested Tuesday morning and head right downstairs for some coffee and breakfast. I was all prepared to do another morning walk to a nearby park while the boys slept away the morning, but just as quickly as I thought it, Cam came marching down the stairs all dressed and ready for the day.
He sat down and informed us that Liam and Kevin had been up since seven walking around the city and that Will would be down soon. O.k., I definitely misjudged that one.
Once Will was ready (hair in line and fresh Subway sandwich in belly) we all left the hostel and walked around the corner to the front gates of the Forbidden City.
Cam had the great idea to get a guide. Looking back, I don’t know what we would have done without her – saunter across endless yards of concrete and peer into red building after red building after red building? No, she made the whole experience very interesting and very well worth it.
Here we stood in one of the many “outer rings” of the city where many ceremonies were held. Inside the structure behind us is where the Emperor used to sit and watch the action.
A shot of Cam and I in the same spot – this one’s for the grandparents
We walked up the stairs and were able to peer inside. Then to continue the tour we walked around the building to the other side and when we got around the view was almost the same – another flat concrete space with one of the Emperors buildings raised in the distance at the top of a flight of stairs. This is how the Forbidden City is designed with sleeping quarters and other shops etc. lining both sides.
This building was in the second ring and was where the Emperor held his morning meetings. I doubt the large television screen were around back then though.
Will hugging one of the pillars. We learned that each pillar = one tree. In fact, the whole city is made of wood making it a huge fire hazard. We learned that in the past they’d have big pots full of water scattered around the grounds so that when there was a fire, people could take water from them with buckets and use it to extinguish the fire. It’s no wonder the city has burned down so many times now.
Once we got into the “inner circle” the building order went: the Emperors throne, the Emperors resting room, and then the Emperors dressing room. Nice life.
Here is a picture of Cam at the base of one of the buildings holding the baby of some very trusting parents.
At one point our guide pointed out that there weren’t any trees on the grounds and asked us if we knew why. We ended up figuring out all three reasons. First, trees could easily house unwanted spies. Second, the trees could be a fire hazard (just like the rest of the place). Finally, the Emperor refused to allow anything to grow taller than he. Interesting I thought.
Once the tour was done out guide showed us to the concubine area where the Emperor housed all his women – I think he had somewhere around 90 living in the palace. They would each have a number and he would get his servant to fetch the one he wanted at any time of day. Some of these women lived their entire lives here, but never even got to see the emperor - I guess he had his favorites.
Standing in the concubine courtyard.
A decorative door on the palace grounds.
After that we strolled into the clock museum which was recommended to us by some other travelers in our hostel. It was a dark hall lit with tons of glowing clocks, all so ornate, given to the Emperor as gifts from subjects around the world. I never asked about the significance of the clock, but that would be interesting to know.
Will, Cam, and I having some fun on the grounds.
After that we had some lunch and made our way to the famous Tian’amen Square just before sunset.
My first impression was that it was smaller than I’d imagined. There also weren’t nearly as many soldiers as I’d expected and the ones that were there weren’t nearly as stern or strict as I would have thought.
Cam saluting the crew.
Will joking around. If you zoom in you can see that most of the guards are fighting back a smile.
Sunset at Tian’amen.
There were security cameras in different places around the square and out of curiosity I wanted to know what brand they were using, so I got Mandy to use her camera to zoom in and take pictures. At that point we found ourselves surrounded by three guards watching closely from about 5 meters away. I looked at Mandy, she deleted the photos and off we went to the other side of the square.
Just across the road was this night market street that looked nice, but we didn’t stay long. Kevin and I decided to meet Liam (who had to go back to do interviews earlier in the evening) back at the hostel for a few drinks while Mandy, Will and Cam took off for the Silk market in search of some deals.
By the time the three shoppers returned, Liam, Kevin, David and I were a few drinks in (David is an Irish teacher in China who was travelling with his amazing mother - he stayed with us at different points throughout the trip). We had had a few beers and were even brave enough to try some of the 5 yuan shots (or CDN$.25) that were offered at the hostel. Weeewwweee!
The shots.
Us around the table (from left: Mandy, Liam, Kevin, David, and I)
Will with all his new loot.
Cam was nice enough to bring me back a sweater. So nice and I definitely needed the warm clothes in that weather.
Later that evening we all lit some fireworks out on the street and then Liam, Kevin, David and I went out to a few bars in the popular areas of Beijing. A lot of fun, but surprisingly it wasn’t too lively. I think most people went home to other parts of China to be with their family for New Years. But no loss, we danced to a great live band and were given free drinks by the bartender all night. David ran into a little trouble at the end of the night when he accidently knocked over a bathroom stall and when they tried to get him to pay for it and he refused, they chased him out. Bad luck followed when he tried to get into a cab and another guy punched him out of the way so he could take it instead…but we all survived the night and were up early the next morning for our next adventure…The Great Wall of China!
He sat down and informed us that Liam and Kevin had been up since seven walking around the city and that Will would be down soon. O.k., I definitely misjudged that one.
Once Will was ready (hair in line and fresh Subway sandwich in belly) we all left the hostel and walked around the corner to the front gates of the Forbidden City.
Cam had the great idea to get a guide. Looking back, I don’t know what we would have done without her – saunter across endless yards of concrete and peer into red building after red building after red building? No, she made the whole experience very interesting and very well worth it.
Here we stood in one of the many “outer rings” of the city where many ceremonies were held. Inside the structure behind us is where the Emperor used to sit and watch the action.
A shot of Cam and I in the same spot – this one’s for the grandparents
We walked up the stairs and were able to peer inside. Then to continue the tour we walked around the building to the other side and when we got around the view was almost the same – another flat concrete space with one of the Emperors buildings raised in the distance at the top of a flight of stairs. This is how the Forbidden City is designed with sleeping quarters and other shops etc. lining both sides.
This building was in the second ring and was where the Emperor held his morning meetings. I doubt the large television screen were around back then though.
Will hugging one of the pillars. We learned that each pillar = one tree. In fact, the whole city is made of wood making it a huge fire hazard. We learned that in the past they’d have big pots full of water scattered around the grounds so that when there was a fire, people could take water from them with buckets and use it to extinguish the fire. It’s no wonder the city has burned down so many times now.
Once we got into the “inner circle” the building order went: the Emperors throne, the Emperors resting room, and then the Emperors dressing room. Nice life.
Here is a picture of Cam at the base of one of the buildings holding the baby of some very trusting parents.
At one point our guide pointed out that there weren’t any trees on the grounds and asked us if we knew why. We ended up figuring out all three reasons. First, trees could easily house unwanted spies. Second, the trees could be a fire hazard (just like the rest of the place). Finally, the Emperor refused to allow anything to grow taller than he. Interesting I thought.
Once the tour was done out guide showed us to the concubine area where the Emperor housed all his women – I think he had somewhere around 90 living in the palace. They would each have a number and he would get his servant to fetch the one he wanted at any time of day. Some of these women lived their entire lives here, but never even got to see the emperor - I guess he had his favorites.
Standing in the concubine courtyard.
A decorative door on the palace grounds.
After that we strolled into the clock museum which was recommended to us by some other travelers in our hostel. It was a dark hall lit with tons of glowing clocks, all so ornate, given to the Emperor as gifts from subjects around the world. I never asked about the significance of the clock, but that would be interesting to know.
Will, Cam, and I having some fun on the grounds.
After that we had some lunch and made our way to the famous Tian’amen Square just before sunset.
My first impression was that it was smaller than I’d imagined. There also weren’t nearly as many soldiers as I’d expected and the ones that were there weren’t nearly as stern or strict as I would have thought.
Cam saluting the crew.
Will joking around. If you zoom in you can see that most of the guards are fighting back a smile.
Sunset at Tian’amen.
There were security cameras in different places around the square and out of curiosity I wanted to know what brand they were using, so I got Mandy to use her camera to zoom in and take pictures. At that point we found ourselves surrounded by three guards watching closely from about 5 meters away. I looked at Mandy, she deleted the photos and off we went to the other side of the square.
Just across the road was this night market street that looked nice, but we didn’t stay long. Kevin and I decided to meet Liam (who had to go back to do interviews earlier in the evening) back at the hostel for a few drinks while Mandy, Will and Cam took off for the Silk market in search of some deals.
By the time the three shoppers returned, Liam, Kevin, David and I were a few drinks in (David is an Irish teacher in China who was travelling with his amazing mother - he stayed with us at different points throughout the trip). We had had a few beers and were even brave enough to try some of the 5 yuan shots (or CDN$.25) that were offered at the hostel. Weeewwweee!
The shots.
Us around the table (from left: Mandy, Liam, Kevin, David, and I)
Will with all his new loot.
Cam was nice enough to bring me back a sweater. So nice and I definitely needed the warm clothes in that weather.
Later that evening we all lit some fireworks out on the street and then Liam, Kevin, David and I went out to a few bars in the popular areas of Beijing. A lot of fun, but surprisingly it wasn’t too lively. I think most people went home to other parts of China to be with their family for New Years. But no loss, we danced to a great live band and were given free drinks by the bartender all night. David ran into a little trouble at the end of the night when he accidently knocked over a bathroom stall and when they tried to get him to pay for it and he refused, they chased him out. Bad luck followed when he tried to get into a cab and another guy punched him out of the way so he could take it instead…but we all survived the night and were up early the next morning for our next adventure…The Great Wall of China!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Beijing - Day 2 - Jingshan Park and Temple of Heaven
Chinese Lanterns at Jingshan Park.
Since we had some time to kill in the morning before the boys arrived, Mandy and I decided to make the short 20 minute walk to Jingshan Park to experience the “unmatched view” of the Forbidden City grounds.
It was a small park (more of a mound) with the most interesting sight being the tree that one of the late emperors hung himself off of. Morbid, I know. The view was fantastic though. I forget how many acres the Forbidden City covers, but I believe it is somewhere around 180. Here’s a view from above with Mandy in the shot:
Back at the hostel we met up with Cam (my cousin and current English teacher in China) and his friends Liam (a responsible funny man who is going into a business partnership with the current owner of the school they teach at), Will (an outgoing people person who love silk, shopping and cigarettes), and Kevin (actually Liam’s friend - a new graduate from Ottawa who has gone into consulting).
It was great to finally see Cam again after about a year. We had lots to get caught up on and I was impressed at how well he seemed to be doing in his town down south teaching English and how much Chinese he has picked up there (maybe more than me??).
Once the boys got settled and had some time to grab a bite (they spotted subway around the corner and it was impossible to convince them to try the place that Mandy and I discovered on our first night) it was around 3:00pm so we decided to save the Forbidden City for another day. Instead we all made the hour walk to the Temple of Heaven which we heard was a must see sight in Beijing.
Entrance walkway.
Cam and I against the temple pillar.
It was sort of silly because when we arrived we realized that none of us actually know what the Temple of Heaven was. A lovely lady walking by passed no judgment when asked her to explain what we were looking at (basically a big concrete area with a gazebo-looking temple in the center). Apparently it was a temple that only the Emperor could pray at. O.K.
After that we all wandered aimlessly around the grounds. The place was starting to close around this time but the boys found a fun activity to keep themselves entertained.
That's Will kicking it around. It works like a hacky sack but instead you kick around a feather that is attached to a spring – they were selling them everywhere.
The rest of the night was spent relaxing with some food and beer at the hostel. We all tried to get revved up to go out in the city but ended up calling it a night around 11:00pm. Mandy and I had been walking so much the break was nice, and the boys had spent the last few nights partying hard before the trip, so they were in recovery mode as well. My head hit the pillow that night and I was…..zzz.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Beijing - Day 1 - Summer Palace
“Ughhhh.” I moaned and groaned my way out of bed on Sunday. You know that first morning of vacation when you just let yourself completely flop and relax? Well I must have done that at some point throughout the night because getting me out of bed was not an easy feat. It probably didn’t help that there weren’t any windows in our room which made 9:00am feel like midnight. Finally Mandy got me up and off we went. She promised not to take any photos of me until my puffy eyes went down, but she snuck this one in here as I was starting to plan for the day.
Since we had a full day to explore before Cam and his friends arrived on Monday, we decided to go up north west of the city to check out the Summer Palace. This is something I really wanted to see because my favorite memories of travelling through Europe were the big palaces my parents and I visited in Austria and Germany. But this Palace turned out to be slightly different.
Enroute.
Much less luxurious than palaces I saw in Europe, the gates were surrounded by worn down abandoned looking alley ways and corridors. As we walked through the small streets, Mandy and I got a feel for what it would have been like in the days of hard communism. I could imagine small, dirty faced children in rags running around in the dirt and crawling through the mini doors that were hidden in the walls. It felt like how I'd imagine Russia to be – I don’t know why because I’ve never been to Russia - but that's what I thought of.
The Palace outskirts.
Inside the Palace walls the gates opened up to a vast space covered in forest, lakes, hills and trails. It was the “playground for the Emperor and his family during the summer months.” With the sun reflecting on my face through the big overgrown trees, I could imagine how beautiful it all would have been.
The Palace wall.
The lake must have stretched a few miles long, and as we walked along the shore side we could see hundreds of people out sliding around on the ice. As we made our way through the paths that took us into the forest and up the hillside, we stopped in at a number of old buildings and shelters.
The first was a small gift shop that used to be a prayer room. This lady was making beautiful artwork with paint and stiff brushes.
Mandy bought one as a souvenir – it is her name in artistic Chinese drawings.
After that we saw the sleeping quarters of the Emperor and his family. It was definitely different than what I expected. When I heard “Summer Palace” I immediately imagined a vast building with golden arches and expensive artifacts, but what we saw was a fairly small hollowed out courtyard with plainly decorated rooms around the outside. It turns out the true “palace” for the Emperor was actually the gardens and the magic they held. It’s nice to know the Emperor got outdoors and enjoyed the nice weather.
It was also nice to know the Emperor was no slouch. Those hilly trails definitely gave Mandy and I a nice workout.
When we made it to the top of the peak we got a lovely view of the mountains on one side and the entire city of Beijing in the distance on the other. Wow. This gave me my first real idea of just how huge this city it. We have nothing like that in Canada.
Mandy and I must have spent about four hours wandering the palace gardens and we didn’t even see half of it – that just gives you an idea of the sheer size.
Forest trails.
When we were done we decided to hop on the subway and head to the silk market where I bought a nice pink hair dryer to match our bed for CDN$4 (we both forgot to bring one) and Mandy bought a new lens for her camera (she is the photographer who we can all thank for the lovely photos I am putting on display here). We could have stayed longer but I really try to stay away from the bargaining scene after certain experiences in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Vietnam. I can’t seem to calm myself when I've got deals rolling in from all angles so I've made a deal with myself to just settle for regular pricing.
Instead we took off on our first real walk through downtown back in the direction of the hostel. This again was an experience. Whereas it would take only minutes to pass ten office buildings in a row in Toronto on foot, in Beijing, we were lucky to get by one building over the course of ten minutes. Standing there on the street made me realize just how large the buildings are. It was almost impossible for me to gauge distances because I wasn’t used to the sheer size of everything. For those who have been to Las Vegas, and have felt close to something because you could see it, but then realized just how far it actually was once you started walking, that was what it was like.
Another neat thing was that because everything is so big and spread out (wide streets etc.), the sounds from the traffic had nothing to bounce off which created an eerie silence. This made walking down one of the biggest busiest streets in the city an almost peaceful experience. Strange.
Once we got closer to the hostel we discovered the typical tourist street that unfortunately all cities feel like they must have. They all look the same but Mandy and I decided to deak off into a short alleyway that is famous for its exotic BBQ skewers.
They had starfish, scorpions, even seahorses! I was starving from all the walking which made me a little grumpy and unwilling to fill up on rare sea urchins and poisonous bugs, so I didn’t try anything…but from what I hear, it’s good.
That evening we relaxed and took in everything we had seen and prepared to meet Cam and his friends when they arrived at the hostel the next day.
Since we had a full day to explore before Cam and his friends arrived on Monday, we decided to go up north west of the city to check out the Summer Palace. This is something I really wanted to see because my favorite memories of travelling through Europe were the big palaces my parents and I visited in Austria and Germany. But this Palace turned out to be slightly different.
Enroute.
Much less luxurious than palaces I saw in Europe, the gates were surrounded by worn down abandoned looking alley ways and corridors. As we walked through the small streets, Mandy and I got a feel for what it would have been like in the days of hard communism. I could imagine small, dirty faced children in rags running around in the dirt and crawling through the mini doors that were hidden in the walls. It felt like how I'd imagine Russia to be – I don’t know why because I’ve never been to Russia - but that's what I thought of.
The Palace outskirts.
Inside the Palace walls the gates opened up to a vast space covered in forest, lakes, hills and trails. It was the “playground for the Emperor and his family during the summer months.” With the sun reflecting on my face through the big overgrown trees, I could imagine how beautiful it all would have been.
The Palace wall.
The lake must have stretched a few miles long, and as we walked along the shore side we could see hundreds of people out sliding around on the ice. As we made our way through the paths that took us into the forest and up the hillside, we stopped in at a number of old buildings and shelters.
The first was a small gift shop that used to be a prayer room. This lady was making beautiful artwork with paint and stiff brushes.
Mandy bought one as a souvenir – it is her name in artistic Chinese drawings.
After that we saw the sleeping quarters of the Emperor and his family. It was definitely different than what I expected. When I heard “Summer Palace” I immediately imagined a vast building with golden arches and expensive artifacts, but what we saw was a fairly small hollowed out courtyard with plainly decorated rooms around the outside. It turns out the true “palace” for the Emperor was actually the gardens and the magic they held. It’s nice to know the Emperor got outdoors and enjoyed the nice weather.
It was also nice to know the Emperor was no slouch. Those hilly trails definitely gave Mandy and I a nice workout.
When we made it to the top of the peak we got a lovely view of the mountains on one side and the entire city of Beijing in the distance on the other. Wow. This gave me my first real idea of just how huge this city it. We have nothing like that in Canada.
Mandy and I must have spent about four hours wandering the palace gardens and we didn’t even see half of it – that just gives you an idea of the sheer size.
Forest trails.
When we were done we decided to hop on the subway and head to the silk market where I bought a nice pink hair dryer to match our bed for CDN$4 (we both forgot to bring one) and Mandy bought a new lens for her camera (she is the photographer who we can all thank for the lovely photos I am putting on display here). We could have stayed longer but I really try to stay away from the bargaining scene after certain experiences in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Vietnam. I can’t seem to calm myself when I've got deals rolling in from all angles so I've made a deal with myself to just settle for regular pricing.
Instead we took off on our first real walk through downtown back in the direction of the hostel. This again was an experience. Whereas it would take only minutes to pass ten office buildings in a row in Toronto on foot, in Beijing, we were lucky to get by one building over the course of ten minutes. Standing there on the street made me realize just how large the buildings are. It was almost impossible for me to gauge distances because I wasn’t used to the sheer size of everything. For those who have been to Las Vegas, and have felt close to something because you could see it, but then realized just how far it actually was once you started walking, that was what it was like.
Another neat thing was that because everything is so big and spread out (wide streets etc.), the sounds from the traffic had nothing to bounce off which created an eerie silence. This made walking down one of the biggest busiest streets in the city an almost peaceful experience. Strange.
Once we got closer to the hostel we discovered the typical tourist street that unfortunately all cities feel like they must have. They all look the same but Mandy and I decided to deak off into a short alleyway that is famous for its exotic BBQ skewers.
They had starfish, scorpions, even seahorses! I was starving from all the walking which made me a little grumpy and unwilling to fill up on rare sea urchins and poisonous bugs, so I didn’t try anything…but from what I hear, it’s good.
That evening we relaxed and took in everything we had seen and prepared to meet Cam and his friends when they arrived at the hostel the next day.
Beijing - Intro.
Back to the grind. I’ve got the Tuesday blues today. Actually I had the weekend blues which is something I haven’t experienced in a while. I’m pretty sure the reason is I had such an eventful six days in Beijing that simply lounging around – eating, sleeping, and “computering” - on the weekends isn’t going to cut it anymore. My thirst for adventure and desire to explore Taiwan further has been reignited…thanks to my trip to Beijing.
As some of you know, this past week was Chinese New Year, the main holiday for the Taiwanese (much like our Christmas sans all the lights and the tree). It is the time when every Taiwanese ventures back to their hometown to spend a week drinking, eating and setting off non-stop fireworks with family. It really sounds great until you are woken up or spooked at all hours – literally all hours – of the day by random acts of firework mischief. Even this morning which was supposed to mark the end of the New Year, I was forced to bob a potentially harmful display of pink sparks that seemed to appear out of nowhere as I was walking down the ally to work. But back to the point - Beijing!
So it was decided that Beijing would be my New Years getaway a few weeks ago when I heard that my cousin Cameron would be travelling there as well (he is currently teaching English in the South of China). Now, the original plan was to go to Thailand (would have been nice - hot weather, drinks on the beach yada yada), but due to some visa issues Cam couldn’t make it out of China. I figured the beach could wait. How many chances do you get to meet up with family across the globe?
So it was set – I was off to China to meet Cam and his two friends. I also managed to convince (well, it didn’t take much convincing), my friend Mandy to come along too –
Me: “Hey, so I think I’m going to China for New Years.”
Mandy: “Oh China would be amazing.”
Me: “Do you want to come?!”
Mandy: “Uh yes! Well, you better give me the evening to think about it.” (1 hour later) “We’re going to China!”
So we were up early last Saturday morning. One of the managers at my parent company was heading to the airport as well so he kindly offered to pick us up in the company car (a privilege I have not been awarded yet).
We made it to the airport, and for those of you who have read my other travel stories, this one won’t be as interesting because the next few hours went as smooth as ice. From ordering a rush visa, to the stop over in Hong Kong and then finally the cab ride up to the doors of our hostel, something about travelling with Mandy kept me out of any travel trouble which was nice for once.
First steps off the plane at the Beijing airport. It was chillllllly!
After about a 30 minute cab ride we arrived at the Forbidden City Hostel (chosen by Cam’s friend Liam) on Saturday night which was too late to see much, but were greeted by a few fun surprises.
A view of our hostel from across the road.
First off, after pulling the corner around our hostel we realized that we were literally steps away from the Forbidden City, and Tian’amen Square – pretty cool. Our little hostel was also a nice treat. They had a lovely little café downstairs that served great breakfast – we ended up eating there each morning before trekking out. The rooms were also…interesting. Mandy and I swung open the door to our little room and were greeted by a big round pink and red bed to share, with a slanted roof and mirrors on the ceiling. I didn’t think it was meant to be shared by two straight friends, but whatever. We got a good laugh…and a number of comfy sleeps.
Try and figure those angles out.
It was around 10:00pm on Saturday night when we got settled in and since our last airplane meal had left us a little less than satisfied, we decided to head out into the cold to find a place to eat. We definitely lucked out when we found this cute little restaurant around the corner that was seemed to be the late night hang out spot for the locals to grab a beer and a bite. The food was great (we ended up eating there a few times over the course of the trip) and we met an old artist who casually sketched pictures of Mandy I as we ate. He ended up paying for us as well. We thanked him and the restaurant staff and decided to tuck in for the night so that we would be bounds full of energy for a full day of…well, we didn’t know yet but whatever it was, it would be great!
As some of you know, this past week was Chinese New Year, the main holiday for the Taiwanese (much like our Christmas sans all the lights and the tree). It is the time when every Taiwanese ventures back to their hometown to spend a week drinking, eating and setting off non-stop fireworks with family. It really sounds great until you are woken up or spooked at all hours – literally all hours – of the day by random acts of firework mischief. Even this morning which was supposed to mark the end of the New Year, I was forced to bob a potentially harmful display of pink sparks that seemed to appear out of nowhere as I was walking down the ally to work. But back to the point - Beijing!
So it was decided that Beijing would be my New Years getaway a few weeks ago when I heard that my cousin Cameron would be travelling there as well (he is currently teaching English in the South of China). Now, the original plan was to go to Thailand (would have been nice - hot weather, drinks on the beach yada yada), but due to some visa issues Cam couldn’t make it out of China. I figured the beach could wait. How many chances do you get to meet up with family across the globe?
So it was set – I was off to China to meet Cam and his two friends. I also managed to convince (well, it didn’t take much convincing), my friend Mandy to come along too –
Me: “Hey, so I think I’m going to China for New Years.”
Mandy: “Oh China would be amazing.”
Me: “Do you want to come?!”
Mandy: “Uh yes! Well, you better give me the evening to think about it.” (1 hour later) “We’re going to China!”
So we were up early last Saturday morning. One of the managers at my parent company was heading to the airport as well so he kindly offered to pick us up in the company car (a privilege I have not been awarded yet).
We made it to the airport, and for those of you who have read my other travel stories, this one won’t be as interesting because the next few hours went as smooth as ice. From ordering a rush visa, to the stop over in Hong Kong and then finally the cab ride up to the doors of our hostel, something about travelling with Mandy kept me out of any travel trouble which was nice for once.
First steps off the plane at the Beijing airport. It was chillllllly!
After about a 30 minute cab ride we arrived at the Forbidden City Hostel (chosen by Cam’s friend Liam) on Saturday night which was too late to see much, but were greeted by a few fun surprises.
A view of our hostel from across the road.
First off, after pulling the corner around our hostel we realized that we were literally steps away from the Forbidden City, and Tian’amen Square – pretty cool. Our little hostel was also a nice treat. They had a lovely little café downstairs that served great breakfast – we ended up eating there each morning before trekking out. The rooms were also…interesting. Mandy and I swung open the door to our little room and were greeted by a big round pink and red bed to share, with a slanted roof and mirrors on the ceiling. I didn’t think it was meant to be shared by two straight friends, but whatever. We got a good laugh…and a number of comfy sleeps.
Try and figure those angles out.
It was around 10:00pm on Saturday night when we got settled in and since our last airplane meal had left us a little less than satisfied, we decided to head out into the cold to find a place to eat. We definitely lucked out when we found this cute little restaurant around the corner that was seemed to be the late night hang out spot for the locals to grab a beer and a bite. The food was great (we ended up eating there a few times over the course of the trip) and we met an old artist who casually sketched pictures of Mandy I as we ate. He ended up paying for us as well. We thanked him and the restaurant staff and decided to tuck in for the night so that we would be bounds full of energy for a full day of…well, we didn’t know yet but whatever it was, it would be great!
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