And the bad part of my trip begins.
Day 1
After a hard night on what they call a "soft-sleeper", I arrived in Beijing at 7:30am. Since I couldn't check-in until noon, I stuffed my bags in a locker and went for a cold walk. I first came across a park that was filled with older people doing tai chi, playing badminton, and rehearsing for some kind of dance performance. And then there's me, bundled up in my scarf and hat, huddled on a bench, reading a book! I then continued my wander to Tiananmen Square and after having a quick look between Tiananmen Gate and the Forbidden City, decided I was too cold and tired to go in. I decided to head back to the train station, pick up my stuff, and go to the hostel. As I was leaving, the craziest thing happened: 5 Chinese men in black leather coats jumped the guardrails and charged the guards along the moat. You can imagine what happened - a mad rush of police arrested them and hauled them around the back to an office. Then other police, who I SWEAR are required to be at least 6 feet tall, pushed the crowd way back, yelling what I can only imagine to be, "Hey! What are you looking at?! Get back! There's nothing to see here! Move it!" (but as you can imagine, that only drew more of a crowd!) Meanwhile, a slew of other police had climbed down into the moat to fish out whatever it was those guys had tossed in. It was kinda scary and exciting at the same time. I made sure to keep my distance 'cuz I SO didn't need to get arrested under suspicion of involvement! You can bet that there was NOTHING in the news about that later that night! After the excitement had died down, I made my way to the train station, then to the hostel. Another 3 hour nap later, and I was ready to go find some dinner. I ended up at the Downtown Cafe where I ate vegetarian lasagna and downed a bottle of water. That accomplished, I was ready for a proper night's sleep.
Day 2
Another day of rain and muck. I ventured out around noon, only to wander around my area NE of the center and end up spending most of the day in coffee shops and malls. I still hadn't seen the Forbidden City but wasn't too heartbroken about it, as I was totally looking forward to visiting the Great Wall the next day (my last). That evening I splurged for a fancy Italian restaurant which cost an arm and a leg but was divine. After planning for my big final day, I hit the hay at 10:30pm.
Day 3
I got up, packed a day bag, and made my way to the bus station. Thus begins my last and worst day in China. They wouldn't sell me a ticket. And I refused to pay 40x the bus ticket to hire a taxi there and back. I then made my way to where the tour buses were, only to find that they had all already left for the day. What a letdown, as this was really the only reason I'd planned to come to Beijing. I must admit, there were a few tears and a couple sobs. Not to let the whole day be a waste, I spent 2 1/2 hours in the Forbidden City, which unfortunately is under massive renovations for the Olympics in the summer of 2008. Although I did get some satisfactory photos, it was nothing like what I'm sure the Great Wall would've been. What a disappointment. I went back to the hostel, finished packing, and went to bed.
I hate Beijing.
A real Asian experience: Part II... Shanghai
Day 1
I arrived in Shanghai slightly exhausted, having dozed a bit on the plane but being wakened by the stewardess who was adamant that I eat the meal. Arriving at the airport, I was amazed by how modern it was! If I hadn't known I was in China, I would've thought I was at O'Hare. After clearing customs, I decided to splurge, and rather than take the 1 hour bus into the city, instead take the Maglev train (magnetic levitation) which takes only 8 minutes. What an amazing experience! When the train reached its maximum speed of 431 km per hour (and for you Americans, that's 269 mph!), I knew the $7 ticket was worth it! I then caught the metro and walked the last 10 min. to my hostel, a hole-in-the-wall place in a very prime location that cost only $9 a night.
Awake again, I ventured out to secure a soft-sleeper ticket for the March 1st night train to Beijing and see about a ticket for the famed Shanghai acrobats. The train ticket was harder to come by than I expected. My Lonely Planet recommended that I should NOT, by any means, go directly to the normal ticket office, where they most likely couldn't speak English and it would be filled with rambuncious Chinese trying to get tickets as well. Instead, I should visit a nearby hotel who, though charging a small fee, could speak English and book the ticket for me. As I found out, the hotel was under construction (and I mean, had been demolished and was being completely rebuilt!) so with much hesitation, I entered the normal ticketing office, only to find English-speaking sales agents and no line! That handled, I went off to find the theatre to buy tickets for the next night's performance. On reaching the theatre, I discovered they'd closed for renovations until May (!!!) but the woman working at the front door of the Ritz said the concierge inside could arrange a ticket for me elsewhere. So helpful! The concierge was very polite and was able to book my ticket immediately. (The troupe, as it turned out, was performing at a smaller theatre in the meantime.) This was the 4th time friendly Shanghai-ese had helped me, something that contrasted sharply with my experience in Seoul. Even the locals at the coffee shop had explained exactly where the theatre was, as it wasn't clearly marked on my map. What a lovely surprise, as I'd been afraid that NO ONE in China would be able to speak English!
The walk to the theatre revealed how modern Shanghai is, but also how duplicit it is. On one side of the street you can see elegant, modern skyscrapers, and on the other, derelict 1920s Parisian-style apartment buildings and shops in desperate need of renovation. It's quite the contrast. The road to the theatre is the west half of what could be described as Shanghai's tourist street. The center of town is People's Park, where old men huddle around games of Mahjongg and couples go for a short walk. There are several beautiful museums located in the park, which, though it can't compete with Ueno Park in Tokyo or Tiergarten in Berlin in size, provides a nice break from the concrete.
After a nice long nap, I went for a walk to see Shanghai at night. I began heading down the Bund, along the west side of the river that divides the old part of Shanghai with the new and improved Pudong side to the east. Most of the buildings along the Bund were built by or for the large foreign population in Shanghai around the turn of the last century, and you can still see their majesty. Across the river are all the pretty, lit-up modern feats of architecture, but the Bund provides for more photgenic shots. I was awestruck.
After the Bund, I wandered along the east half of the tourist street to the park. This side is pedestrian-ized and has more neon than Shijuku and Shibuya in Tokyo put together. Stores and restaurants of every kind line this street and even though it was 10pm on a Tuesday night, the street was crowded with shoppers. It was even possible to take a trolley ride along this road to revel in all the color. All in all, my first day in Shanghai was terrific!
Day 2
I began the day with a walk to Yuyuan Temple and Gardens. This is a bit of a flashback to Old China, and though Lonely Planet says it's a bit cheesy, I loved it! It was still festively decorated for the New Year. The area around the temple and gardens has become a giant market with traditional Chinese goods being sold next to McDonald's and Starbucks. Too funny! The temple and gardens were amazing... I couldn't stop taking pictures! After wandering out of the meleé that was the market, I began the hunt for a place to sit down for lunch. Though my "trusty" book recommended an "easy-to-find" place, no one could help me locate it, so I stopped at a woman cooking on the street and settled for a metal plate filled with a noodle, beef, onion, stirfry for 8 yuon ($1). She then took me upstairs to the restaurant where I joined 3 old Chinese women eating ramen :) It was pretty funny, having bought my food on the street and then jumping the queue to wedge myself into an empty seat. Honestly, that was the best meal I had on my trip!
After lunch, I wandered to the French Concession, inappropriately named as when it was established, most people living there were Russian! This is the ritzy area of Shanghai and it was the perfect day for a stroll. I wandered through an open-air mall, down streets of lovely old homes, and through a park with a fountain and an area where families were flying kites. I even saw a guy in an authentic Iowa Hawkeyes sweatshirt!
That evening, I returned to the French Concession to see the Shanghai Acrobat Troupe perform in a little theatre. I ended up sitting next to a guy and his mother from Lebanon who were very pleasant to visit with. The guy had just finished university and moved to Shanghai 7 months earlier to study Chinese and eventually get a job. His mum was visiting for 3 weeks, and though he seemed to get annoyed with her easily, I thought she was charming in a motherly sort of way. Isn't that always the way it is?! The performance was spectacular, and though I got some cool photos, I wished I'd had my video cam along. Thus ends another lovely day in Shanghai!
Day 3
My last day dawned rainy and dismal. I checked out of the hostel and took my bags to the left luggage office at the train station. I'd planned to go to Pudong and go up the high towers to see Shanghai from above, but with the rain and fog, I knew it would be a wasted trip. Plan B was to visit a museum or 2 at People's Park, but when I got there, I just didn't feel like that either. In the end, I went to see a movie :) "The Devil Wears Prada." I'd read the book and wasn't really the biggest of fans but the movie was great! What a surprise! The rest of the afternoon I spent window shopping and at a foreign bookshop. (Shame on me. :) ) At 7:30pm I was on the night train to Beijing, wishing I'd planned for a whole week in Shanghai, but with all the excitement for more cool experiences! If only I'd known...
I arrived in Shanghai slightly exhausted, having dozed a bit on the plane but being wakened by the stewardess who was adamant that I eat the meal. Arriving at the airport, I was amazed by how modern it was! If I hadn't known I was in China, I would've thought I was at O'Hare. After clearing customs, I decided to splurge, and rather than take the 1 hour bus into the city, instead take the Maglev train (magnetic levitation) which takes only 8 minutes. What an amazing experience! When the train reached its maximum speed of 431 km per hour (and for you Americans, that's 269 mph!), I knew the $7 ticket was worth it! I then caught the metro and walked the last 10 min. to my hostel, a hole-in-the-wall place in a very prime location that cost only $9 a night.
Awake again, I ventured out to secure a soft-sleeper ticket for the March 1st night train to Beijing and see about a ticket for the famed Shanghai acrobats. The train ticket was harder to come by than I expected. My Lonely Planet recommended that I should NOT, by any means, go directly to the normal ticket office, where they most likely couldn't speak English and it would be filled with rambuncious Chinese trying to get tickets as well. Instead, I should visit a nearby hotel who, though charging a small fee, could speak English and book the ticket for me. As I found out, the hotel was under construction (and I mean, had been demolished and was being completely rebuilt!) so with much hesitation, I entered the normal ticketing office, only to find English-speaking sales agents and no line! That handled, I went off to find the theatre to buy tickets for the next night's performance. On reaching the theatre, I discovered they'd closed for renovations until May (!!!) but the woman working at the front door of the Ritz said the concierge inside could arrange a ticket for me elsewhere. So helpful! The concierge was very polite and was able to book my ticket immediately. (The troupe, as it turned out, was performing at a smaller theatre in the meantime.) This was the 4th time friendly Shanghai-ese had helped me, something that contrasted sharply with my experience in Seoul. Even the locals at the coffee shop had explained exactly where the theatre was, as it wasn't clearly marked on my map. What a lovely surprise, as I'd been afraid that NO ONE in China would be able to speak English!
The walk to the theatre revealed how modern Shanghai is, but also how duplicit it is. On one side of the street you can see elegant, modern skyscrapers, and on the other, derelict 1920s Parisian-style apartment buildings and shops in desperate need of renovation. It's quite the contrast. The road to the theatre is the west half of what could be described as Shanghai's tourist street. The center of town is People's Park, where old men huddle around games of Mahjongg and couples go for a short walk. There are several beautiful museums located in the park, which, though it can't compete with Ueno Park in Tokyo or Tiergarten in Berlin in size, provides a nice break from the concrete.
After a nice long nap, I went for a walk to see Shanghai at night. I began heading down the Bund, along the west side of the river that divides the old part of Shanghai with the new and improved Pudong side to the east. Most of the buildings along the Bund were built by or for the large foreign population in Shanghai around the turn of the last century, and you can still see their majesty. Across the river are all the pretty, lit-up modern feats of architecture, but the Bund provides for more photgenic shots. I was awestruck.
After the Bund, I wandered along the east half of the tourist street to the park. This side is pedestrian-ized and has more neon than Shijuku and Shibuya in Tokyo put together. Stores and restaurants of every kind line this street and even though it was 10pm on a Tuesday night, the street was crowded with shoppers. It was even possible to take a trolley ride along this road to revel in all the color. All in all, my first day in Shanghai was terrific!
Day 2
I began the day with a walk to Yuyuan Temple and Gardens. This is a bit of a flashback to Old China, and though Lonely Planet says it's a bit cheesy, I loved it! It was still festively decorated for the New Year. The area around the temple and gardens has become a giant market with traditional Chinese goods being sold next to McDonald's and Starbucks. Too funny! The temple and gardens were amazing... I couldn't stop taking pictures! After wandering out of the meleé that was the market, I began the hunt for a place to sit down for lunch. Though my "trusty" book recommended an "easy-to-find" place, no one could help me locate it, so I stopped at a woman cooking on the street and settled for a metal plate filled with a noodle, beef, onion, stirfry for 8 yuon ($1). She then took me upstairs to the restaurant where I joined 3 old Chinese women eating ramen :) It was pretty funny, having bought my food on the street and then jumping the queue to wedge myself into an empty seat. Honestly, that was the best meal I had on my trip!
After lunch, I wandered to the French Concession, inappropriately named as when it was established, most people living there were Russian! This is the ritzy area of Shanghai and it was the perfect day for a stroll. I wandered through an open-air mall, down streets of lovely old homes, and through a park with a fountain and an area where families were flying kites. I even saw a guy in an authentic Iowa Hawkeyes sweatshirt!
That evening, I returned to the French Concession to see the Shanghai Acrobat Troupe perform in a little theatre. I ended up sitting next to a guy and his mother from Lebanon who were very pleasant to visit with. The guy had just finished university and moved to Shanghai 7 months earlier to study Chinese and eventually get a job. His mum was visiting for 3 weeks, and though he seemed to get annoyed with her easily, I thought she was charming in a motherly sort of way. Isn't that always the way it is?! The performance was spectacular, and though I got some cool photos, I wished I'd had my video cam along. Thus ends another lovely day in Shanghai!
Day 3
My last day dawned rainy and dismal. I checked out of the hostel and took my bags to the left luggage office at the train station. I'd planned to go to Pudong and go up the high towers to see Shanghai from above, but with the rain and fog, I knew it would be a wasted trip. Plan B was to visit a museum or 2 at People's Park, but when I got there, I just didn't feel like that either. In the end, I went to see a movie :) "The Devil Wears Prada." I'd read the book and wasn't really the biggest of fans but the movie was great! What a surprise! The rest of the afternoon I spent window shopping and at a foreign bookshop. (Shame on me. :) ) At 7:30pm I was on the night train to Beijing, wishing I'd planned for a whole week in Shanghai, but with all the excitement for more cool experiences! If only I'd known...
A real Asian experience: Part I... Seoul
I had never planned to visit Seoul, as it never, shall we say, "called out to me", but since I had to connect to China through the city, I figured I might as well spend an afternoon there. I got up at 5:30 a.m. to be out the door by 6:30 for my 2 hour train ride to the airport. On grabbing my coat, I realized that my flight was at 9:30 and not 10:30. (*heart attack!*) Arriving breathless in the departure area, I was relieved to find no one in line ahead of me. (Apparently, they had all already checked in!) The flight was uneventful and I arrived around noon. After taking a break for a cigarette, I boarded a bus for the city, and though it was supposed to take an hour, the traffic was so bad (midday on a Monday, go figure!) that it took an extra half hour. I then spent another half hour walking up and down the same stree, asking extremely unfriendly Koreans with no English ability if they knew where the hostel was. Finally I went into the Raemian Gallery and thank goodness for the nice man who called them up and got directions for me. I walked the 3 minutes to the hostel, dropped my stuff off, and by 3:30 was out the door for an afternoon of sightseeing.
I began with the original palace called Gyeongbokgung since Changdeokgung was closed (it being Monday and all). I was unimpressed with the exterior and almost decided not to fork over the $3 entrance fee. What a tragedy that would have been! I had no idea how beautiful the vast expanse of buildings could be! One after another, and just when you thought you'd seen it all, there was another passage to a whole 'nother area. Just amazing and I couldn't stop taking pictures. It was originally built in 1395, but after the Japanese destroyed it in the late 1500s, the Koreans decided to build a new one, now the famous Changdeokgung. It wasn't until 1868 that renovations began on this palace, and they're still working on it. The colors at the palace are incredible and the pictures, though cool, don't do any of it justice!
After spending an hour winding in and out of passages, I decided to embrace the nice, if windy, weather, and walk across the city, rather than take the subway. That way, I could see the city hall and the rest of modern Seoul on the way to my next destination. How fantastic - I really was not expecting it! I found myself snapping photos of hotels and restaurants as if I'd never seen a building before. The city hall was very East Coast USA, and the sunset was providing for some terrific reflections. Having come to Namsan Park on the other side of town, I climbed the hill and indulged in an ice cream. I had one more thing on my list: to go up the N Seoul Tower (a TV tower) and get a view of the city from above.
I began the walk over to the cable car, but as the signs were not as clear as I would have liked, I happened instead on a walking path. Giving a shrug and a "Why not?", I began to wind around a lovely wooded area. If only I'd known what I was getting myself into! The clues were there, and yet, having nothing else to do and surprisingly good weather, I failed to read them correctly: the people in their running clothes, the ups and downs of the well-lit path, the distance markers painted on the road, or even the fact that Namsan Park is named for Mt. Namsan... Before I knew it, I'd huffed and puffed my way 2 miles around and up what I now know to be Seoul's only mountain! Not being in the mood to turn around and walk back the 2 miles to the cable car, I decided to continue on foot to the TV tower. The next two miles were only uphill. I stopped twice to stretch my aching muscles and reheat my ears with my sweaty hands before finally reaching the top. Oh my GOD, what a view! Of course, I'd seen glimpses on the way up through breaks in the trees, but I was SO not prepared for the lights. During the day, I must admit, Seoul isn't much to look at through the grime and air pollution, but I was stunned by its beauty at night. Taking the elevator up the tower to the observation deck (360 degree view), I took pictures from almost every angle. I have to say, it ranks better than Chicago in my book! If I'd taken the cable car, yes, I would have been a lot less sore for the next 4 days, but I don't know that I would have appreciated Seoul as much. Utterly amazing.
Deciding to save my money and take the stairs (which, by the way, took only 20 min. instead of 2+ hours), I managed to get down to the city in record time. Famished, when I saw the sign for The Outback Steakhouse, I knew that no amount of traditional Korean food would make me feel human again. I know what you're saying... "Sharron, how COULD you??? You are in Seoul for 1 day and you don't even eat Korean food???" Trust me, I said the same thing to myself, but not having eaten anything besides that ice cream cone since the plane ride and having walked who knows how far, when I saw the sign, I knew that only a proper steak and potato dinner was going to be able to chisel away at the hunger that was defining my entire existence at that point.
Arriving back at the hostel, fully sated, completely exhausted, and in the middle of my first major asthma attack in years (and, honestly, I was seriously scared I wasn't gonna make it back to my medicine!), I was looking forward to getting a good night's sleep before my morning flight to Shanghai. Unfortunately, I got talking to two college students until a quarter to 1, and though it was interesting, boy did I pay for it the next day. No worries - I made it to the airport in plenty of time - but what a way to start my Shanghai experience! Thus begins Part II...
I began with the original palace called Gyeongbokgung since Changdeokgung was closed (it being Monday and all). I was unimpressed with the exterior and almost decided not to fork over the $3 entrance fee. What a tragedy that would have been! I had no idea how beautiful the vast expanse of buildings could be! One after another, and just when you thought you'd seen it all, there was another passage to a whole 'nother area. Just amazing and I couldn't stop taking pictures. It was originally built in 1395, but after the Japanese destroyed it in the late 1500s, the Koreans decided to build a new one, now the famous Changdeokgung. It wasn't until 1868 that renovations began on this palace, and they're still working on it. The colors at the palace are incredible and the pictures, though cool, don't do any of it justice!
After spending an hour winding in and out of passages, I decided to embrace the nice, if windy, weather, and walk across the city, rather than take the subway. That way, I could see the city hall and the rest of modern Seoul on the way to my next destination. How fantastic - I really was not expecting it! I found myself snapping photos of hotels and restaurants as if I'd never seen a building before. The city hall was very East Coast USA, and the sunset was providing for some terrific reflections. Having come to Namsan Park on the other side of town, I climbed the hill and indulged in an ice cream. I had one more thing on my list: to go up the N Seoul Tower (a TV tower) and get a view of the city from above.
I began the walk over to the cable car, but as the signs were not as clear as I would have liked, I happened instead on a walking path. Giving a shrug and a "Why not?", I began to wind around a lovely wooded area. If only I'd known what I was getting myself into! The clues were there, and yet, having nothing else to do and surprisingly good weather, I failed to read them correctly: the people in their running clothes, the ups and downs of the well-lit path, the distance markers painted on the road, or even the fact that Namsan Park is named for Mt. Namsan... Before I knew it, I'd huffed and puffed my way 2 miles around and up what I now know to be Seoul's only mountain! Not being in the mood to turn around and walk back the 2 miles to the cable car, I decided to continue on foot to the TV tower. The next two miles were only uphill. I stopped twice to stretch my aching muscles and reheat my ears with my sweaty hands before finally reaching the top. Oh my GOD, what a view! Of course, I'd seen glimpses on the way up through breaks in the trees, but I was SO not prepared for the lights. During the day, I must admit, Seoul isn't much to look at through the grime and air pollution, but I was stunned by its beauty at night. Taking the elevator up the tower to the observation deck (360 degree view), I took pictures from almost every angle. I have to say, it ranks better than Chicago in my book! If I'd taken the cable car, yes, I would have been a lot less sore for the next 4 days, but I don't know that I would have appreciated Seoul as much. Utterly amazing.
Deciding to save my money and take the stairs (which, by the way, took only 20 min. instead of 2+ hours), I managed to get down to the city in record time. Famished, when I saw the sign for The Outback Steakhouse, I knew that no amount of traditional Korean food would make me feel human again. I know what you're saying... "Sharron, how COULD you??? You are in Seoul for 1 day and you don't even eat Korean food???" Trust me, I said the same thing to myself, but not having eaten anything besides that ice cream cone since the plane ride and having walked who knows how far, when I saw the sign, I knew that only a proper steak and potato dinner was going to be able to chisel away at the hunger that was defining my entire existence at that point.
Arriving back at the hostel, fully sated, completely exhausted, and in the middle of my first major asthma attack in years (and, honestly, I was seriously scared I wasn't gonna make it back to my medicine!), I was looking forward to getting a good night's sleep before my morning flight to Shanghai. Unfortunately, I got talking to two college students until a quarter to 1, and though it was interesting, boy did I pay for it the next day. No worries - I made it to the airport in plenty of time - but what a way to start my Shanghai experience! Thus begins Part II...
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