Nihao, pronounced "nee-how" from the Peoples Republic of China. It's a good job I have been able to get on this site as internet is so tightly censored that most chinese have never seen the infamous pictures of Tian'namen Square!
What can we say, except what a country. Honestly, in the last 2 weeks, China has done nothing but knock us out with it's beauty, scare us with it's crazy driving, stuff us with it's cheap food and drink, dumb-found us with it's sheer enormity and surprise us with it's amazing culture. The scenery and sights rival those of NZ and Bangkok and the culture is something of a shock, even after 5 months on the road to date.
Our arrival to China couldn't have been better. After Ryan was kept plied with food, drink and lots of leg room on our 13 hour flight from Sydney to Beijing，we arrived at a huge colosseum of an airport and were promptly whisked away to our hotel, NOT hostel, in the centre of Beijing. The next day was spent ambling round the ancient Forbidden city, home to the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasty. This is a city within one of the biggest cities in the world. Not even dear old Buckingham Palace, the infamous White House, the serene Palace of Versailles or even our very own Stormont, has a notch on this place and it was obviously the ultimate of bachelor pads, especially hundreds of years ago when it was first built. Lawrence Llewely-Bowen should visit here and learn what real interior design is as the throne alone was bigger than our house! What to do after an experience like this? Well most seemed not to disappointed to watch Ryan dance infront of a restaurant full of Chinese families, with some exotic belly dancer and a ruddy great big snake round his neck! Not cool, and for poor wee Ryan nor was it good entertainment! Worst of all, this was the first time we got to meet our group that we would be spending the next 3 weeks with and first impressions count. Needless to say, Ryan hasn't been able to shrug of his pansy reputation and our new columbian friend Carlos, immediately offered some dance lessons! Back to Beijing. We spent another few days wandering around the Summer Palace that was another of those examples of pure, unadulterated, expressions of wealth, grandeur and beauty that has yet to be repeated by our tight wallets and health and safety ruined modern age. Although we explored for hours and maybe wandered around half of the palace, we saw only very little of the traditional architecture and beautiful gardens, because of the lung cancer inducing and eye-scratchingly bad smog that threatens to prevent the likes of Australia sending it's Olympic athletes to the games in little over a month away, in fear that they will all keel over, mid-race due to tar filled lungs! Really they're not joking, it's that bad. So bad infact that they plan to set of a bomb way up in the sky to encourage a great big massive thunder storm to literally wash out all the nasties from the black and grey stained sky.
A few quick facts. N.I. has a rough population of 1.6 million, R.O.I, 4 million, U.K. 60 million or there abouts and some of it can be quite cluttered. London for instance, sits pretty at roughly 11 million, and people are reduced to driving smart cars and bicycles as there is no room for anything bigger than a tin of spam. Beijing though is a mammoth sized sprawl, hiding about 17 million people under it's smokey blanket and the thousands of homeless are being "removed" from the city in time for the Olympics to somewhere else. Although China is massive, where do you put them? There are 1.3 billion people cluttering the land and another 300 million that are not "on the books". In order to control the population explosion, China has a one child policy, so that if you have more than one child you are punished with a large fine. For those less fortunate families who cannot afford to pay the fine, their child is not registered and therefore left with no identity, no passport, no school, no possibility of a decent job and no health care. NO FUTURE.... There are an estimated 300 million of these people, thats about 5 times the population of the whole UK (for those who are not close to a calculator), and Lisburn is being called a city?! Not only do we feel insignificant but also so fortunate to be raised in a country free of the problems that China faces. We do not mean to insult the Chinese government or condone all their practises, for within the last year China has faced more catastrophes than potatoes eaten in Ireland, and the government seems to be acting accordingly, or atleast that's how our guide feels alongs with the rest of his countrymen, apparantly. In January, China was crippled with heavy snows, then there was the Tibet crisis, then the earthquakes, then the floods in the south and most recently a Tsunami I have been told although some may have been lost in translation. Still the people are happy and resilient, and either not aware of how much their government censors or simply not worried. How much does our own government do the same which we are simply oblivious to? So the next time it rains at home, put on a coat and get on with things. The next time it snows, defrost your windscreen and go to work. If we ever happen to enjoy a bit of sun, put on some clothes and don't complain of sunstroke after lying about all day in the sun with little more than a napkin protecting your delicate pasty white irish skin and most importantly your dignity. And we thought we were built tough in Ireland!
So to the Great Wall then. This is without doubt, the ultimate of Chinese symbols, displaying their past greatness and fuelling a new future for China along side it's world dominating, "Made in China" industry, from the wallets of it's ever increasing tourist industry. It's also the ultimate photograph and the ultimate of memories. Ranks up there so far with the temples of Bangkok, Islands of Malaysia and scenery of New Zealand. A scorcher of a day, we were left as tired as I was after just finishing my thoughts in that last paragraph, after clambering up, down and around a wall that is in some places towering 30m into the blue yonder, and in other places no more than a pile of rubble on a remote hillside. Something like 16,000 kms long, it's pretty darn big. We don't have time to look up another comparison, but we're sure you're all perfectly capable yourselves. (Send interesting comparisons this way please!) Even more impressive, are the 70 year old ladies that make their money aiding the hoardes of tourists by supplying them with ice-cold water and even carrying them up the worst sections on their bent and crooked old backs. Loughview Fold better watch out, Ryan is expecting a lot from them on his return! Our hotel for the night was once again far too nice for the likes of us with air-con, TV, double bed for Rory and a restaurant overlooking a mill pond still reservoir that reflects a soaring mountain ridge, crowned along it's length by the Great Wall itself! Not too shabby ehh?
Unfortunately our bed the next night wasn't quite as luxurious. A little bit more like what we were used to, we were squeezed into a sleeper train with countless others, using toilets that that were little more than a hole in the ground. Ahhhh that's better........ 13 hours later we arrived in Xi'an, or commonly known as the "Evil city" due to the frequent robberys that take place in this, the ancient walled capital city of China. Before we visited the the warriors that put this city on the tourist trail, we had a day or 2 to cycle the walls, get lost in it's markets and trudge up one of the 5 holy Taoist mountains to celebrate Ryan's birthday. 2 kms of steps were near vertical at times, encouraging not so charming amounts of sweat and scaring off hundreds of other tourists that bought their medals at the top after taking the strenuous and energetic cable car to the top! No wonder they didn't look like and stink like we did. Ryan celebrated his birthday in suitable style sucking the brains out of a chicken head like Rory had enjoyed the previous night. Chicken feet were equally as interesting although more useful as a tooth pick as you could find more eating on a cat-walk model. Still the next day it was time to experience another of Chinas trademark tourist hotspots and one of the worlds finest tombs. Built near 200 BC, 6000 life-sized, unique, terracotta painted warriors, line up like their human models did in time of war, in a pit the size of a football pitch. This is only one of 13 pits found so far and the pyramid shaped tomb next door is reportedly the largest in the world. Walking through a working excavation sight like that with thousands of other overwhelmed holiday snappers was quite surreal but also incredibly exciting.
From Xi'an it was another 16 hour train to the colonial style metropolis of Shanghai. 3 days here allowed us to be hounded by countless hawkers, desperate to sell their fake Gucci bags, Breitling watches and Armani wallets. By the time they had all hounded us sufficiently, we hadn't much time left to explore such sights as the quaint old town, complete with oldest tea house in China, Alan Titchmarshes heaven on earth; the Yuyuan Gardens, the ridiculous Oriental Pearl Telecommunications Tower, and Shanghai's most expensive beer and ice-cream, 87 stories on top of the Jin-Mao Tower. Other highlights include escaping tropical rainfall by jumping aboard a bus bound for who knows where, holding our breath as kids defied physics as part of the Shanghai Acrobats, and enjoyed the most typical of Chinese past-times, Karaokee. Frank, our guide for the trip, found what he himself describes as "a 5 star karaokee club" with "100%guaranteed enjoyment" for Kathryn's 19th birthday. Even those toatlly against the thought of making such a fool of themselves, joined in and while Matthew professionally executed songs such as Frank Sinatra's Mr. Bo-jangles, the rest crippled our throats, bruised our dancing feet and crucified songs such as Wannabee, In the Navy, and Senorita. A particular favourite amongst the crowds and cheering fans was a rendition of You Raise Me Up, by Westlife performed by none other than the 3 silly Irish blokes with croaky throats and choreographed dance moves. EMI music doesn't seem to have received their demo recording as yet, but when they do, it's obvious those boys are destined for greatness the likes only The Pogues and The Proclaimers have ever tasted!
A 24 hour train journey was plenty of time to rest and recouperate our bleeding ears and tattered throats. It also happened to deposit us in our current location of Yangshuo, Guilin. A Cathedral of granite/dolomite spikes it is a geographers dream and our home for the next 2 days. Activities such as Kungfu, Tai-Chi, rock-climbing and cooking are all on the cards so our next post should be equally filled with such rubbish and tales of woe as this one. Hope it will keep you all happy for a wee while anyway. Only 2 months of this silly blog rubbish, so we'll do our best to finish it all off in style!
Mie Amigos, au revoir.
xo
Monday, 30 June 2008
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
East Coast Australia
You know what, this time I'm not even going to apologise for taking so long to update you all with our most recent happenings as we've all been having too much fun to care, and as for the rest of you, I doubt you care any more than we do!
Since leaving our loved ones in a pool of tears back in Belfast International Airport, Rory and I have spent one long, cold, lonely night apart. Now that we are in the more pleasant Aussie climate, and with different ideas of how to waste as much money as possible over in OZ, we parted company in Brisbane knowing that we would find each other again in Sydney atleast, if for no other reason than we had the same plane to catch. For this reason, you lot are in for a special treat, with the chance of reading not one, but two accounts of our time here in the land of the BBQ's, beer and beaches!
So Ryan to go first. New Zealand was always the country I desperately wanted to see, what with all the mountains, rugby and sheep, how could I resist! As for Australia, it's just a big desert filled with people with silly accents. I never was particularly keen to visit it and only because it was on the way to NZ and we had a couple of free stop overs on our plane tickets, did it become a destination on our itinerary. It was dear old Aaron Bolt of STA Travel, who first got me interested in the place, promising desert islands, sailing, Grand Prix and the usual host of Swedish travellers. Two of the attractions he talked about were the Whitsunday Islands and Fraser Island both north of Brisbane. It was this lure that separated us in Brisbane as I headed north into Queensland and Rory travelled south with Matthew to Byron Bay, New South Wales.
A cheap flight landed me in Prosperine, along the Whitsunday Coast at a small airfield whose customers enjoy an outdoor waiting room and a baggage reclaim off the back of a tractor. What on earth was this place? It turned out to be simply one of the most beautiful and relaxed locations along the east coast of Australia and home to 47 beach lined islands that fringe the Great Barrier reef. After a night out with a few friends that I had met in Melbourne over 2 months ago, I boarded the Silent Night II and got settled in to life sailing the seven seas. There were 12 scurvy sea-dogs on board and we toiled hard on Whitehaven Beach (tipped as one of the best in the world), dived for our dinner in 24 degree, crystal clear, tropical water and inspected the deck closely for hours on end under the tan-inducing sun. It was tough......getting off but I knew Hervey Bay and Fraser Island beyond were in desperate need of my presence.
The weather had beaten Fraser into abandonment the weekend before my arrival, so slightly nervously I packed my bags up early in the morning and prayed for a driver more responsible than myself to take the reigns of our 4x4 for the next 3 days. God definitely does answer prayers, and blessed us with a white van driver from London, who could lap Silverstone in a trolley under 2 minutes! Steve was a legend and guided our beast through tangled forests, along cyclone beaten beaches and over huge sand-dunes. He may have mangled a tyre in the process, but honestly, I probably wouldn't have got it off the ferry safely. Long strolls along empty beaches lead us to the Champagne pools. These were beautiful rock pools that were safe to swim in unlike the shark, sting ray and jelly-fish infested coastal waters that make up one of the most dangerous seas in the world! BBQ feasts, Lake McKenzie gymnastics and beach parties were other highlights that have made Fraser Island have a lasting impression on me and a huge recommendation for any would be traveller.
Bumping into my Melbourne friends, Luke and Kellie again, we agreed to meet up again down in the relaxed town of Noosa. A very up and coming place with money flowing from it's appartment-lined canals and rivers, it reminded me of Holywood only with better weather and a nudist beach. Accidentally stumbled on while with a new french friend, it was just a tad awkward, but, when in Rome......nah just messing but don't tempt me when I'm next back on Helensbay beach! Noosa was also the base for a day trip to Australia Zoo, or more commonly known as "Crikey, it's the shrine to Steve Irwin". Choreographed and staged attractions such as the crocoseum was good stuff, but come on, Koalas are just so cute and cuddly. I could have one as a hot water bottle at home if they weren't so smelly. It took another day or 2 lounging about in Noosa, either on the beaches or trying to kayak with Luke and Kellie before I finally roused from my Koala like trance and headed south back into Brisbane.
Thankfully there was no sign of any magician who required my skilled assistance this time round, and I was simply able to enjoy city life, whether it was chilling out in the park, people watching over a mochaccino or partying all night long with the countless other Irish backpackers that currently called home, "Brissie".
Unfortunately, I only had time for one night in Brissie as I had little over a week to get down to Sydney before my flight took off without me. Countless travellers had warned me not to waste time going anywhere else except for the heaven on earth that is Byron Bay. God definitely did bless this town, with beautiful surf pounded beaches, countless brilliant backpacker hostels and the awesome spectacle of a Whale highway only a few hundred metres off the shore. Unfortunately though, He forgot to keep this place a secret from the Germans, and most of the 1.5 MILLION German tourists in Australia at the minute, seem to be stuck in Byron. This is not a lesson to Bush on foreign relations building, but they were a good bunch and we had a lot of fun together, partying in Cheeky Monkeys and surfing all of the daylight hours. Like me, one may ask how safe it is to surf and swim in the coast of the most vemonous country on the planet? Well apparantly it's OK so long as you're smart but a few dolphins playing in the waves where I was surfing did give me a scare!
It really was very difficult to drag myself away but I had a rugby game to attend in Sydney and there is no force on earth that could stop me from being there, unless it involves ice-cream in some way, perhaps. Let us discuss though for a jiffy. We could cross NI in maybe 2 hours, or 90 minutes so long as we don't drive like my sister. That would take us through countless towns and past many, many world-class sights. That would also HAVE BEEN, a long drive in my books, before that is, I came to Australia. I spent nearly 13 hours on a coach getting to Sydney, and that was only half the length of the state. Whereas at home we could drive north to south in maybe 5 hours, my friend in Sydney here informs me it would take 5 very good DAYS of solid driving to cross the whole country! This place is HUGE! Anyway a few hours rest after bad sleep on the bus (I am no longer the man I was, and sleep is not the natural gift I use to enjoy) before I toodled across to the world famous Bondi Beach. Nice enough but nothing on Portrush strand. It was then time to get a move on to the Sydney Football Stadium where the Sydney Roosters were to beat the Penrith Panthers black and blue in possibly the best sport the world has ever seen, Rugby League. The players in the NRL make our "finely tuned athletes" back home in the Magners League, look like nancy school girls and make me scream in horror at the mere thought of ever stepping out onto a pitch against them. One day though, I'll be there handing out burgers or something,but I'll be back. Weight gain is improving thankfully, so the target of 100kg is looking more promising so long as mother continues to feed me my current diet of cow and tatties. This is also perfect mountain food, .which is a good thing as the next day I was trooping around the Blue Mountains National Park. That's another World Heritage sight ticked off my list. Similar to the Grand Canyon but with possibly even more Asian tourists, it was another one of those places with sights that make you pinch yourself as you realise where you are again! The three sisters were almost as beautiful as Rory's four sisters at home and the towering cliffs and massive trees really made me feel so insignificant. Back at base though I was made to feel big again with not only the arrival of Rory and Matthew, but also another very small friend, Rachel Woods from Holywood. Crazy how we just happen to be in the same hostel, in the same city, in the same country at the same time.
Sydney has continued to entertain us, most notably the Sydney opera House on the banks of the Harbour. We were lucky enough to enjoy a concert in the main hall for little over 10 pounds and even the pesky security, telling me off for taking photos couldn't take away from the experience. Although none of us are particularly enthralled by a string ensemble, try telling us a better way to appreciate one of the worlds truly great, internationally recognisable buildings. Sydney really is beautiful and the Harbour Bridge dominates most tourists photos, including our own.
Tomorrow though we once again pick up our bags and head off for Beijing, China. I think it's safe to say we're all a little excited but unless I want you to smell me all the way back in NI, I better go and pack my bags so I have clothes and things with which to keep myself hygienically respectable.
In the mean time keep yourselves clean, take advantage of all that hot running water and enjoy the great Irish summer.
xox
Since leaving our loved ones in a pool of tears back in Belfast International Airport, Rory and I have spent one long, cold, lonely night apart. Now that we are in the more pleasant Aussie climate, and with different ideas of how to waste as much money as possible over in OZ, we parted company in Brisbane knowing that we would find each other again in Sydney atleast, if for no other reason than we had the same plane to catch. For this reason, you lot are in for a special treat, with the chance of reading not one, but two accounts of our time here in the land of the BBQ's, beer and beaches!
So Ryan to go first. New Zealand was always the country I desperately wanted to see, what with all the mountains, rugby and sheep, how could I resist! As for Australia, it's just a big desert filled with people with silly accents. I never was particularly keen to visit it and only because it was on the way to NZ and we had a couple of free stop overs on our plane tickets, did it become a destination on our itinerary. It was dear old Aaron Bolt of STA Travel, who first got me interested in the place, promising desert islands, sailing, Grand Prix and the usual host of Swedish travellers. Two of the attractions he talked about were the Whitsunday Islands and Fraser Island both north of Brisbane. It was this lure that separated us in Brisbane as I headed north into Queensland and Rory travelled south with Matthew to Byron Bay, New South Wales.
A cheap flight landed me in Prosperine, along the Whitsunday Coast at a small airfield whose customers enjoy an outdoor waiting room and a baggage reclaim off the back of a tractor. What on earth was this place? It turned out to be simply one of the most beautiful and relaxed locations along the east coast of Australia and home to 47 beach lined islands that fringe the Great Barrier reef. After a night out with a few friends that I had met in Melbourne over 2 months ago, I boarded the Silent Night II and got settled in to life sailing the seven seas. There were 12 scurvy sea-dogs on board and we toiled hard on Whitehaven Beach (tipped as one of the best in the world), dived for our dinner in 24 degree, crystal clear, tropical water and inspected the deck closely for hours on end under the tan-inducing sun. It was tough......getting off but I knew Hervey Bay and Fraser Island beyond were in desperate need of my presence.
The weather had beaten Fraser into abandonment the weekend before my arrival, so slightly nervously I packed my bags up early in the morning and prayed for a driver more responsible than myself to take the reigns of our 4x4 for the next 3 days. God definitely does answer prayers, and blessed us with a white van driver from London, who could lap Silverstone in a trolley under 2 minutes! Steve was a legend and guided our beast through tangled forests, along cyclone beaten beaches and over huge sand-dunes. He may have mangled a tyre in the process, but honestly, I probably wouldn't have got it off the ferry safely. Long strolls along empty beaches lead us to the Champagne pools. These were beautiful rock pools that were safe to swim in unlike the shark, sting ray and jelly-fish infested coastal waters that make up one of the most dangerous seas in the world! BBQ feasts, Lake McKenzie gymnastics and beach parties were other highlights that have made Fraser Island have a lasting impression on me and a huge recommendation for any would be traveller.
Bumping into my Melbourne friends, Luke and Kellie again, we agreed to meet up again down in the relaxed town of Noosa. A very up and coming place with money flowing from it's appartment-lined canals and rivers, it reminded me of Holywood only with better weather and a nudist beach. Accidentally stumbled on while with a new french friend, it was just a tad awkward, but, when in Rome......nah just messing but don't tempt me when I'm next back on Helensbay beach! Noosa was also the base for a day trip to Australia Zoo, or more commonly known as "Crikey, it's the shrine to Steve Irwin". Choreographed and staged attractions such as the crocoseum was good stuff, but come on, Koalas are just so cute and cuddly. I could have one as a hot water bottle at home if they weren't so smelly. It took another day or 2 lounging about in Noosa, either on the beaches or trying to kayak with Luke and Kellie before I finally roused from my Koala like trance and headed south back into Brisbane.
Thankfully there was no sign of any magician who required my skilled assistance this time round, and I was simply able to enjoy city life, whether it was chilling out in the park, people watching over a mochaccino or partying all night long with the countless other Irish backpackers that currently called home, "Brissie".
Unfortunately, I only had time for one night in Brissie as I had little over a week to get down to Sydney before my flight took off without me. Countless travellers had warned me not to waste time going anywhere else except for the heaven on earth that is Byron Bay. God definitely did bless this town, with beautiful surf pounded beaches, countless brilliant backpacker hostels and the awesome spectacle of a Whale highway only a few hundred metres off the shore. Unfortunately though, He forgot to keep this place a secret from the Germans, and most of the 1.5 MILLION German tourists in Australia at the minute, seem to be stuck in Byron. This is not a lesson to Bush on foreign relations building, but they were a good bunch and we had a lot of fun together, partying in Cheeky Monkeys and surfing all of the daylight hours. Like me, one may ask how safe it is to surf and swim in the coast of the most vemonous country on the planet? Well apparantly it's OK so long as you're smart but a few dolphins playing in the waves where I was surfing did give me a scare!
It really was very difficult to drag myself away but I had a rugby game to attend in Sydney and there is no force on earth that could stop me from being there, unless it involves ice-cream in some way, perhaps. Let us discuss though for a jiffy. We could cross NI in maybe 2 hours, or 90 minutes so long as we don't drive like my sister. That would take us through countless towns and past many, many world-class sights. That would also HAVE BEEN, a long drive in my books, before that is, I came to Australia. I spent nearly 13 hours on a coach getting to Sydney, and that was only half the length of the state. Whereas at home we could drive north to south in maybe 5 hours, my friend in Sydney here informs me it would take 5 very good DAYS of solid driving to cross the whole country! This place is HUGE! Anyway a few hours rest after bad sleep on the bus (I am no longer the man I was, and sleep is not the natural gift I use to enjoy) before I toodled across to the world famous Bondi Beach. Nice enough but nothing on Portrush strand. It was then time to get a move on to the Sydney Football Stadium where the Sydney Roosters were to beat the Penrith Panthers black and blue in possibly the best sport the world has ever seen, Rugby League. The players in the NRL make our "finely tuned athletes" back home in the Magners League, look like nancy school girls and make me scream in horror at the mere thought of ever stepping out onto a pitch against them. One day though, I'll be there handing out burgers or something,but I'll be back. Weight gain is improving thankfully, so the target of 100kg is looking more promising so long as mother continues to feed me my current diet of cow and tatties. This is also perfect mountain food, .which is a good thing as the next day I was trooping around the Blue Mountains National Park. That's another World Heritage sight ticked off my list. Similar to the Grand Canyon but with possibly even more Asian tourists, it was another one of those places with sights that make you pinch yourself as you realise where you are again! The three sisters were almost as beautiful as Rory's four sisters at home and the towering cliffs and massive trees really made me feel so insignificant. Back at base though I was made to feel big again with not only the arrival of Rory and Matthew, but also another very small friend, Rachel Woods from Holywood. Crazy how we just happen to be in the same hostel, in the same city, in the same country at the same time.
Sydney has continued to entertain us, most notably the Sydney opera House on the banks of the Harbour. We were lucky enough to enjoy a concert in the main hall for little over 10 pounds and even the pesky security, telling me off for taking photos couldn't take away from the experience. Although none of us are particularly enthralled by a string ensemble, try telling us a better way to appreciate one of the worlds truly great, internationally recognisable buildings. Sydney really is beautiful and the Harbour Bridge dominates most tourists photos, including our own.
Tomorrow though we once again pick up our bags and head off for Beijing, China. I think it's safe to say we're all a little excited but unless I want you to smell me all the way back in NI, I better go and pack my bags so I have clothes and things with which to keep myself hygienically respectable.
In the mean time keep yourselves clean, take advantage of all that hot running water and enjoy the great Irish summer.
xox
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