29th April 2006
Didn't think I had been up to much until I started writing!
Decided to have another go at the Kashgar - Osh crossing, as I couldn't get a time on how it would be to get the permit to cross over at the other border point. Once I had stocked up on the munchies it was off the bus station once more. This time there no problems, straight to the border, through it in about three hours and off to Osh. Mind you Kyrgyz customs tried to sting me for 100 som ($2.5) for not having a medical certificate - that old chestnut! But 26 hours, with very little sleep, on a cramped bus took its toll and by the time I arrived in Osh I was hungry, tired and desperately needed a shower - all at the same time - but decided to pop into the internet cafe the check on some emails as I was expecting one from a girl I had arranged to meet up with in Uzbekistan. First email I opened up was from work, "Six months ago ...." What the rock is going on!
Osh is a small sleepy place so I was there just for a couple of days. Although this is deceptive as nearly all the heroin destined for Europe passes through Osh from Afghanistan. After getting some sleep decided on a walk around town and to get some photo's taken for visa's etc. A girl started talking to me to practise her English, which was cool for an hour or two. The next day we 'bumped' into each other again but low and behold she had left her bag on the bus and it contained all her money and documents, her whole world was about to fall apart and the only thing to save it was for me to give her $100. She obviously confused me for someone that was daft and seemed somewhat surprised when I said no. Mind you if she said hard a rock that had been kicked by Buddha as he walked through the area many moons ago I would probably have bought that for $100!
After the bus trip decided to get the plane up to Bishkek, which was cool, a Yak - 40 a small twin propeller plane that seemed to struggle at times over the mountains but it was fun. Great views of the snow covered mountains. Arrived in Bishkek in the afternoon and booked into a homestay - whereby you stay with local families rather than hotels. This one had an apartment I could use with satellite TV (which proved to be rather rude!! so I'm told) so that was cool. But here just for a day or two before heading off to Naryn in the south.
The best and only way sometimes to travel Kyrgyzstan is by shared taxi, but it quite cheap, so got one to Naryn. It only took about five hours to get there and I was all set for my big adventure in the mountains, staying with nomads, horse riding and trekking. Unfortunately the nomads are not nomads all year round, only in the summer season May to September generally, and this was April. So not much of an adventure here to be had here. Spent a couple of days trekking through a valley which was nice and rather pleasant, but the hungry wolves that I was told to be weary off didn't show up so headed back to Naryn for a day before coming back to Bishkek.
The journey from Naryn to Bishkek turned into a 'happy bus'. It all started when we made our first stop - the ride lasts for about 5 hours. I bought some munchies and a bottle of beer, and the three Kyrgyz I was travelling with went off and done there thing. Five minutes later we were on our way again, then it started with a little tap on the shoulder and a shake of the vodka bottle. It was a fierce battle but I managed to fight it off for an hour or so but finally succumbed to the inevitable and had a sip, which turned into a glass and then straight from the bottle. The journey now descended an orgy of drinking and daftness, laughing at Russian jokes and telling some English ones which they found funny - laughter can be infectious. Even the driver joined in and had a couple of glasses, which may not have been the best idea considering we were driving along narrow mountain roads but such concerns were mere trivialities. By the time I arrived in Bishkek I was absolutely mullered, and then came the killer question "What hotel?". Hadn't thought that far ahead and couldn't think of my own name yet of a hotel in a strange city. Between the five of us we came to the conclusion that if we looked in the guide book there may be some recommendations that may be useful - good thinking Batman. Fortunately I had the sense to put an asterisk next to my first choice so we headed there. Got dropped off outside the homestay but it took ages to walk the 20 yards or so to the door, They had vacancies so went straight to bed. Or so I thought!! The conversation around the breakfast table the next morning was just sheer character assassination - there was talk of me going into the kitchen babbling on for five minutes, including all the hand gestures, with the only discernible words being taxi and vodka, before going into the back garden for a cigarette. On my return they assume I was saying goodnight, but it was only a guess before retiring to bed, which was fortunately on the ground floor. I must have banged my head getting out of the taxi as it was very sore the next day.
After introducing myself for the second time the following day took it easy and relaxed most of the day. The house is rather grand with a pavilion in the garden where I did some on my relaxing half nodding off, that was until the troll appeared. A shake of the shoulder and the word smoke brought me to my senses. In front of me was the wild man of Borneo but in Kyrgyzstan. To get some clean air between us I gave him a cigarette and then he sat down opposite me. Couldn't tell how old he was maybe 60 maybe 146 don't know, it was strange but as he puffed on the cigarette his whole face seemed to fold inward like a Z bed and one eye would almost pop out of its socket. Now was a good time to plan an escape route, but as this slowly forming the chap got up and left. Feeling a little shell shocked went back into the house. It turns out that three brothers live here, one with his wife and two nieces, the other two in sheds in the garden - they are alcoholics and the younger brother is obliged to care for them. The elder a painter turned political activist and other a former engineer. Must be hard on the younger brother watching them slowing fall apart. the younger niece is also the daughter of the engineer and although cares for him greatly is at times acutely embarrassed by him. The brothers' father was a famous Kyrgyz writer and the only non Russian to win the Stalin prize for literature. In Kyrygz terms this was like staying with relatives of Charles Dickens in the house he had built. Indeed an American professor kept popping round to interview the youngest brother and to view his archives as he is researching the father.
Hadn't planned to stay in Bishkek for too long as there is not much to do. That was until a chap be the of Steve arrived, a social anthropologist who has been travelling around Central Asia and China for the last 5 - 6 years, who gave me the low down on Bishkek. What a town!! The first thing was to go to the Tequila Blues, an old disused air raid shelter that has been converted into a rock / heavy metal club with live bands. Went along with three friends, Sean (Irish), Claudia (German) and Megan (US, researching gender relations) and when we got there were deciding what beer to have when Megan, who is a very petite girl, calls out "Number 9" - the beer is number 1 - 9 in order of strength with nine meaning 9%. Five or six of these and the odd vodka and we were rocking. Couldn't understand a word of what they were singing but who cared, feet were tapping and the head was nodding - mind you we were all mullered. Have been out to several bars and clubs now which have been pretty cool, the down side would be that I had to wake someone up to let me into the house after arriving back in the early hours of the morning drunk on 4 - 6 occasions now, can't quite remember the exact number.
Another thing that has kept me in Bishkek is the possibility of a revolution taking place. A big demonstration was planned for the 29th April with people coming from all over the country to attend the march. The last time a protest was this big was 24th March 2005 was lead to the storming of the Parliament building and an overthrow of the government. You never know a push in the right direction history could just repeat itself. It would all hinge of how many counter-protesters the government manages to organize, if it is only a few then it may well fizzle out, a large crowd and it could seriously kick off. Also, there were a large number of foreign press arriving in town, so there was potential there for something to happen. But before that there was the important business of saying goodbye to a fellow traveller, Claudia from Germany who was leaving i the early hours. Another night on the beer and not getting to bed until 4am. Little sleep as up at 8am to get ready for the march, setting off at 10.30. The police and army were out in force clearly making their presence known, but undeterred we headed for the main group. The protesters had organized themselves into two blocks, east and west sides of the city centre, marching towards Ata - Too, the main square. Some of the opposition, and former presidential candidates, rode on the back of a lorry repeating that it was a peaceful march for and on behalf of the people, is this carried through to the marchers with nothing more than chanting and hurrahs. There was about three and a half thousand protesters in the square, with possibly more in the surrounding streets, to listen to the opposition leaders thanking the people for coming out and denouncing the present government. At this point it started to rain quite heavily, but still they remained in the square getting soaked. As the hour mark approached there was talk that the president and the prime minister may make an appearance which stirred the crowd - could have been a very high risk decision. Thirty minutes later the people in the square were getting excited, the government had backed down and the President had signed a resolution succumbing to the demands of the protesters. Couldn't see the stage by this time so wasn't sure if he had delivered the statement in person or via a representative. Everyone seemed happy with that and so started to drift away, glad to be getting out of the rain as well no doubt. Mind you the government has until 27th May to make changes and improve things, or at least to be seen doing something, or else they would take to the streets again.
So no revolution, no storming the barricades and siezing the parliament for the people. A bit of a let down really, oh well nevermind. Will have to go and seek some adventure elsewhere.
23rd March 2006
Picked up my visa in Urumqi (yes you can get it there) but it has been a bit quite since leaving. Although being in Xingjiang province can be confusing as in effect there are two time zones. Officially the Whole of China runs on Beijing time, but because of the distance Xingjiang is from the capital technically it is two hours ahead of Bejing. So you have 'official' time and 'Xingjiang' time and get it wrong and I am either two hours early or late; have to keep checking which time is being used.
Got the bus to Khotan, which meant crossing the Taklamakhan Desert, which was done at night. So far I have avoided using public toilets but now I have run out of choices, stand back I was going in!! The first one was at a local bus station about 2 hours from Urumqi. Modern by Chinese standards, but quite bad. It was a tiled room with a raised square area for wee wee's with just a hole in it. For bowl movements it was an open channel that you just squatted over. But worse was to come. We stopped for lunch at a roadside cafe, just off the main road. The toilets were at the end of a dusty path and up a few well trodden steps. It was cordaned off by a loose wicker fence, with a small internal fence for No. 1's, for No. 2's you had to in effect squat over a pooh hill, whilst carefully balancing on the 3 - 4 branches either side that are your footrests. With about 5 of these in a row, it is a very communal activity!! Just hope you have got a dodgy stomach, not the sort of place to hang around to long.
Khotan made a pleasant change, as with being on the edge of the desert is quite warm, and laid back. Not a lot to do in the town so just stayed for a couple of days before heading for Kashgar. Which, as I didn't get up early enough, I had to get the 3.30pm bus, arriving there at 1.15am. Not the best time to arrive in any city yet alone one where there are two languages used (Chinese and Uighur) little English and having no hotel booked, but got sorted out with the hotel I wanted to stay in. Nice place to relax before setting forth into Central Asia, but not much to do so it was onwards to Kasghar after a couple of days.
Although Kashgar is quite a large town it is laid back and easy to walk around. The most direct route into Kyrgyzstan for me would have been the Tourgart Pass, but this results in a lot of hassle and about $150 just to get to the border! So decided to take the bus to Osh instead and then travel from there to Naryn, via Bishkek. So ticket sorted wandered around Kashgar for a few days. The old town is definately like stepping back in time. Adobe houses that seem to defy gravity and remain standing, metalworkers tapping away and shaping bowls and trays, blacksmiths banging away in their furnaces, leatherworkers stitching shoes together on ancient sewing machines and all done in workshops no bigger than a small shed. Children playing hopscotch on the chalked grids on the road, kebab stalls smoking areas out and ladies sat on the floor selling boiled eggs. Just so cool. Met a Uighur women called Buayxem (pronounced Bay Shem) who has shown me some of the sites which has been insightful.
The bus journey was to prove to be my biggest nightmare so far. Two hours late leaving was not a good start, but after five hours or so we were at the border. After cumtoms had checked the luggage apparently there was a problem and we would have to spend the night on the bus at the border. For two long, freezing cold days we waited there to cross into Kyrgyzstan, but nothing happened. The border is nothing more than a truck stop and all the basics that come with it. There was nothing to do but just wait, and my patience was getting seveerly tested. The reason for the waiting was that there was too much snow and so couldn't cross. Which to me seemed a little odd as overladen lorries were crossing the border on a regular basis, so it was open and that fact that a rear wheel was changed before we left to go back to Kashgar - the same wheel that had some running repairs done to it on the way from Kashgar - seemed a little more than coincidence. I think the bus was unsafe and was prevented from crossing into Kyrgyzstan and turned back. But I was not a happy bunny, and was slow journey back - and still repiars were done to the rear wheels!! We got back to Kashgar at about 11.15pm and so just dived into the nearest hotel for the night - and proved to be only one night!! Got a cheap dorm room, just over $1 a night, but it was grim. Pretty basic but I don't think the sheets have been cleaned since they were bought 10 years ago!! They felt grimey and stank of stale sweat and after going to bed and warming the bed ip the sheets started to stick to me, it was just so horrible having to pull the bedding off me. Woke up early and left.
So now I am back in Kashgar trying to figure out ther best way into Kyrgyzstan. The bus to Osh is the cheapest option, but not convienient. The Torguart Pass is quicker and more direct but is expensive to do plus I'll need a permit to do it - oh I don't know! Little Roge big China.
4th March 2006
Went to the fort at Jiayuguan which was very nice. At one stage this was the western extreme of China and the last stop before the land of barbarians. Had this idea of taking some photos of the nearby Great Wall at sunset, which after climbing to the top didn't quite work out, so I left. Problem was the gates had been locked and I was still inside! After trying to get someones attention to open the gates for about 5 mins. _ got quite vocal towards the end - gave up and had to climb the gate. About 10 -12 feet tall which wasn't too bad, just a little careful getting over the top! Another problem with sunsets is that not long after them it gets dark, oddly, and I was 10 miles from town, and so started to walk back. As my left kneecap is a little sore at the mo got a bit weary after an hour of walking, but as I flagged down a minibus to double check I was on the right road to town said he was collecting some people for the night shift in a hotel in Jiayuguan. So jumped aboard and got a lift back.
Got to Dunhuang ok, and went to the Magao Caves - a series of grotto's cut into a mountainside up to 1,500 years ago by traders wishing or thanking the Gods for a safe journey, and apparently if you say some nice things to the Buddhist statues everything turns out fine for your journey, so I said how much we look alike and could be mistaken for being brothers which I think went down well. So what can go wrong now?
Spoke too soon. Walking through town decided against crossing the road so turned to continue up the street, BANG straight into a tree. I had a lump for ages, but at the time I hoped nobody noticed, but I was wrong and when one Chinese person stops and stares you can bet 400 will stop and stare, and so they did. I pretended it didn't hurt, but still they stared like something out of the Twilight Zone and then they started to mock me. But when I demonstrated the healing powers of my Dr Who Sonic Screwdriver they were stunned and amazed. Departed rather sharply after that as I didn't want a que forming for the newly open surgery.
The sleeper bus to Urumqi was a nightmare, I have never felt so uncomfortable and squashed into such a small space as on that bus. For 13 very long hours I was confined to a bed that was 5'8" long, 18" wide and 2'6" high, a complete nightmare! Watching me try and stand up after that that was probably like watching man evolve.
But reached Urumqi eventually. Just a big city really but it is the furthest city in the world from the sea, 2250km. Went to the museum to see the mummies which was dead cool, could've done with a little balm and rouge on their lips as looked a tad dry. I came all this way to see these as they have destroyed the myth that China developed in isolation from the rest of the world, but as the mummies are of Indo-European race that can no longer be the case. Spent a couple of hours wandering the museum, and no I am not boring!!
Put my passport in for the Kyrgyz visa so had a few days to kill and what better place than Turpan, which, as it is in the Tarim Basin and the lowest dry spot on earth is relatively warm at 13 degrees. Done the usual site, one of which is the Jiaoche Ruins a deserted town on the edge of the desert. Abandoned 500 years ago and all the buildings slowly being eroded away, but was still impressive to walk around. As it is out of season I was the only one there, which was nice. On the way out stopped at a souvenir shop for a browse.
In amongst the statues, jade jewellery and brass stuff was a collection of old books, As books are lovely went to have a look but not very impressed, but a new book took my eye but couldn't read what it was about so flipped though and would you believe it a colour picture book of naked Chinese ladies!! Heaven's above, I thought, and after noticing that there was a picture on every page and after 2 - 3 minuets I put the book down at a rapid rate of knots and gave a couple of dry coughs and departed, dignity intact.
But the best thing about Turpan is I found a real Snickers bar!! So I bought two and savoured every second whilst devoured them, heaven.
But now bak in Urumqi, and heading off for Hotan tomorrow 5th March. The good idea I had was to try and joined a camel train across the desert, they still do travel that way, but could only get a tourist trek into the desert for a day and night for some ridiculous amount of money. So that will be my next project to come aback and hire some camels a guide and cross the Taklamakan Desert the long way, west to east, in the summer when its a blisteringly hot 49 degrees +, just to make it a challenge. But I've got another good idea - buy a tent and camp in the mountains and deserts of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and so on, and I've found a shop where I can get a good one cheap.
18th February 2006
Left Xiahe, and in a way glad to. Had a great time and loved the place, but the dust storms were pretty bad at times. One day that was bad, going down a lane, about 400 yards long, one minute it was nice and clear blue, then you could see a white cloud of dust coming towards me - it was a total white out. I could see it coming with nowhere to go, all I could do was turn may back and wait for it to pass. Absolutely smothered it dust, at the end of the day caked in the stuff. It would like putting an industrial strength exfoliant on your face, hand and teeth and leaving it there all day! And when I had a wash, well you wouldn't believe the colour of the water. But after a couple of days of it had a sore chest. The birthday party was good fun, no horrible music, just nice gentle day. Although I was bloated from eating noodle soup and fried noodles for 4 days and wasn't really hungry, and so apologized in case they thought I was being rude and not eating.
Had to spend a day in Lanzhou before getting the train to Jiayuguan, so went to the museum. Two miles the book said. Two miles is about halfway and by the time I found it my nose had taken a beating, still about -6 degrees, and was bright red. But least I could go into the museum to warm up, or so I thought. It was closed, still being renovated, although they had promised to have it ready for start of 2006. To say I was miffed would be an understatement, bloody livid, so decided to get the bus back into town. Before I got to the bus stop an old man with a young boy stopped me and pointed to my nose, lit his lighter (to say my nose looked like it was on fire) and pretended to throw a small bottle of water over it. He laughed, the little boy laughed and I laughed But the second time was to much, so I called him a bloody lemon and walked off!
Oh, by the way, something happen in the hotel that was so bad, I can only tell it when I'm drunk!!
Off an atom, and now in Jiayuguan. Had a few problems getting motivated as up until Xi'an I had been there before, but now its different. Virgin territory and the adventure really starts. Don't expect to see another western for 3 - 4 weeks at least. I've got this really good idea, if it comes off it will be awesome. Urumqi is where it is all going to happen, hopefully.
Off to Dunhuang either 19th or 20th.
Been in contact with people in Kyrgyzstan and looks like that is all sorted.
14th February 2006
Left Xi'an for Xiahe, via Lanzhou; a 16 hour trip involving an overnight train and a bus journey, about 100 miles SW of Lanzhou.
I originally intended on coming here for the Lantern Festival, but as it is a small Tibetan town with one of the most important monasteries, the Labrang Monastery, changed it to take in the Tibetan New Year festivities. After wandering around taking all the sights during the day, and making friends and swapping email addresses with a monk who had a better mobile phone than I got, headed for the monastery on the second night. There must have been about 2,500 people crammed into a small courtyard in front of the temple.
Hung back from the front with the other sightseers (6 or 7 Chinese), when the crowd started to surge forward. Obviously this is where the action was happening and so decided to join in and managed to squeeze myself to the front. I wasn't even sure what was at the end of all this, but it seemed good fun.
Once at the front saw what was happening. A line of Tibetan pilgrims was passing along the front of the temple paying their respects to each of the sculptures fronting each of the seven pillars. But between the pilgrims and us, the crowd, were the 'enforcers', some monks and locals there to hold back the crowd and try to organize things so that everything smoothly. As the crowd crept forward ever closer to the temple front so the 'enforcers' beat us back with either the sleeves of their coats or with sticks. And so we ebbed and flowed for about an hour, although time flew by, managing to avoid being hit. But only for so long though, I got whacked across my back (still sore after two days), but as everyone else was taking it all with good spirits so did I, but did it hurt. Finally after a while at the front, and convincing a monk that we were really brothers as we both had bald heads, he let me through. So there I was right at the front with the pilgrims passing by the sculptures paying my respects, even having a joke with some of the monks about my hair style, mind you I think the joke was probably on me! The sculptures resembled a 3D version of a Buddhist Thanka (religious painting) but were in fact all made from yak butter, amazing. All too quickly it was over and so was the fun. Although got a hit with a big stick, it was great fun, ebbing and flowing with the crowd and away from the tourists.
Although all this fun must have an effect on my head, for as I climb the second flight of stairs to my room,I realized nothing looked familiar. Not only was I not in my hostel, but was in someones private house!
Made a quick U-turn, and uttered growling apologies to the totally bemused owner as I departed.
A lot of people seem to think that the hairs on my arms are fake and try to pull them off, it starting to get a little sore now.
The one down side is the food, Tibetans are lovely people, but yak and noodles (fried or in a soup) is proving to be too much for me. I had six weeks of it when I was in Mongolia and it broke me then - the Gobi desert, rabid dogs and possible outbreak of plague I could handle but not the food. After a while you start to smell of yak fat, not nice.
I was planning to go to Jiayuguan tomorrow, 15th, but have been invited to a birthday party so leave on 16th instead.
7th February 2006
Made it to Xi'an - a cool place to hang out for a few days! and a lot warmer than Beijing. Went to the Terracotta Warriors today, 7th. Seen them before, but still impressive. Didn't realize how much garlic they use in their cooking until I was shoehorned onto this local bus for an hour - fair took my nasal hair away.
Hope to be Xiahe for the lantern Festival on 12th.
Decided to revise my path through the 'stans, I'll proberly make it up as I go along.
Next two targets are:
Urumqi because of the mummies there
Kabul It's the new Rock City
4th February 2006
Have not been up to much in the last few days, just doing the tourist thing - Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square, Lama Monastery etc. Was waiting to sort out my visa for Kyrgyzstan before heading off to Xi'an and the journey proper, but as they were asking $165 for it to be issued in one day have decided to get it in Urumqi instead so will set off to Xi'an on Sunday, 5th.
I believe it was Plato, in his book Republic, who said "a man who lives on thrash / heavy metal is only 3/4 wise". So in an attempt to find this elusive 1/4 wiseness I went to the opera. It was really cool. They dressed up, sang, danced - didn't understand a word of it but had a jolly good time, mind you didn't understand Joe Green's 'Trollope' but that was cool too.
The last time I saw that much make-up on 40 something women was in the local wine bars, as they squeezed into clothes that resembled more of a tourniquet than high fashion.
I could feel the last few days have gotten colder, but didn't realize it had dropped to -13 degrees!
Yesterday got a little dust in my eye and shed a couple of tears (manly not girlie ones). Before I could wipe them away they had frozen to my face - had visions of tearing my eyeball if I wasn't careful.
31st January 2006
Saturday night was New Years eve and as I had nothing else to do some of my new found friends invited me out for a little fun. This year was the first time in 13 years that fireworks have been allowed for celebrations in Beijing and so tonight was going to be spectacular. The hostel where I'm staying is in the old part of town, with tight narrow lanes and so did not take long to fill up with both locals and tourists. Fireworks of all sorts - rockets, single and ribbons full of crackers and Catherine wheels and some that can be only described as bunker busters just to name a few - were being set off at random and at will by anyone who had them, including my friends and I.
The noise was at times deafening and the air acrid with sulphur / gunpowder from the spent fireworks down each and every lane. Whilst we were setting some ground shakers off, with the help of a breeze block in the middle of a random lane, some locals came out of their house and offered some fireworks which resembled grenades - homemade and whose age was uncertain, but one thing was and that being that they were probably unstable. The only way to find out was to light them, and yes they were unstable. We stuck a thick cardboard tube into the breeze block and dropped a lighted grenade down and quickly backed off. Sometimes there would be a little 'puff' and it would shoot into the air and explode showering the area around with debris, other times they explode in the tube, but either way the noise left our ears ringing. Everyone enjoyed it, us boys because it made us feel like school kids doing something they knew to be illegal anywhere else in the world but fun, and the locals because they got a display on their doorstep. Too much though as at one stage part of the front of the house caught on fire, which was put out without much problem, we all laughed. As with all nights they come to an end, and so eventually we headed off home cold but happy.
As a side note, at the start of the nights adventure I went back into the hotel to get my camera. Reached into my bag to get it but all I could feel was something soft and squidgy. I gave it a good squeeze to try and get an idea what it was, and it felt like a sandwich! I quickly withdrew and saw that my bag was in fact the next to this one, and so quickly got my camera and left. So whoever it was that went to the Great Wall and found that their loving made sandwich had morphed into a Henry Moore sculpture it was not a
miracle it was me!
Sunday was spent trying to tune in my body to Beijing time, so didn't do a lot. Went out to some bars with some mates, didn't have much to drink but still got back to the hotel at 3.30am
Monday was spent trying to chase down a Kyrgyzstan visa, but the embassy was closed (til Wednesday I
think) so just wandered around Tienanmen Square and some markets. Wasn't really hungry, and certainly didn't fancy skinned day old chick kebabs, neither come to mention did the baby scorpion, crickets, grubs or seahorse kebabs appeal.
As it was in a bit a limbo today with the Kyrgyzstan embassy closed decided to do the 10km trek along the Great Wall. The problem with these mountains (and indeed mountains in general) is that they go down, then go back up again!! My little legs took a beating today. It started off ok, then the fist of many climbs loomed into sight. The fist few I took in my stride - naturally being likened to a gazelle on several occasions - but then it hit me. The next climb was a particularly tough one (part of the problem is that most of the climbing steps are a foot or more tall and no more than 6 inches wide at best making some climbs almost sheer). About half way up my heart was pounding so much I couldn't quite believe how my rib cage kept it contained, every sinew and muscle fibre in my calfs, thighs and lower back were screaming for more oxygen and that if they were anymore taut they would snap. With 20 yards to go my head was pounding, but I decided to go through the pain barrier, it was only a few more feet to what esle can go wrong. As soon as I thought this, some mucus from a recent chest infection came lose and felt as if it was rattling around my chest, leading to a rasping croaky breath. If I started to cough now it would set off a chain reaction and I would be coughing for the next ten minutes, but if I stopped for a rest I knew that it worse trying to restart the climb. So with slow, deliberate steps I inched my way upwards - with each step cursing the day I started smoking! But with all things they come to an end and so did this climb. I sat down with such a thump I was convinced by petite buttocks would be bruised black and blue, just have to make such no one sees them to avoid any awkward questions! The hardest thing while resting was that I would have to repeat this over again before the the 10km's were up. It was a hard hike, but glad I did it. It is by doing this that just for a few seconds you can appreciate the problems faced by the engineers, builders and soldiers that created and manned the wall.
Now I am so tired; I ache all over and want to sleep for three days to recharge, ooohhh can you feel my
pain?
28th January 2006 - Day 1 - London to Beijing
Just a quick note to say that I have arrived safely in Beijing. Wasn't all plain sailing though, problems getting through departures which meant that I was late getting on to the plane, so much so that they actually took my name off the flight. But it all ended in smiles.
Haven't done much today as when I landed at 9.30am Beijing time it would have been 1am UK time, so when I should have been looking forward to going to bed I had to start a new day! Found a nice hostel, but the taxi man tried to rip me off - buggers the lot of 'em. But the time I had a little wander around, sorted some money out, bought a couple things, got something to eat and had a nap it is now 8.10pm so will just chill out tonight. Bit nippy today -3 degrees. I'll probabley hire out a bike tomorrow and do a bit of sightseeing. Apart from that not a lot to report.
Oh, my backpack should arrive tomorrow (same thing happened last time I was here); hopefully just a day, last time was it took 5 days to arrive.
26th October 2005 - London to Beijing
All being well I should be setting off on 29th January to Beijing to start my journey
along the Old Silk Road in support of Sobell House Hospice in Oxford and in memory of
my mum.
I've chosen today as it's New Years Day 4704 in the Chinese calendar and
the year of the dog.
I will be making regular updates to the site to keep anyone interested in my progress
along with information about the people and places I visit and some photographs.
