While I dislike passing judgement on a city after a mere few days in its clutch, and therefore realize my assessment is both premature and potentially incorrect, (and I also fear offending those who may be reading this blog who live in this city or appreciate it otherwise), I could not get out of Delhi fast enough. While yes, the city has some bright spots - friendly people, plenty of trees & parks, attractive sights - it simply was not my cup of herbal tea.
On the plus side, the pollution in India has not been nearly as bad as in China. The sky is always blue - which means the sun roasts us like chestnuts on an open fire - but at least deep breaths are possible! In most cases, at least. Warned of the 'smells in India' we anticipated the worst. Yes, the scent of raw sewage and cow dung is pretty rampant, but China still tops my list of places where a clothespin on the nose would be a handy little device.
The child begging (and 'entertaining' by dislocating both shoulders and weaving their body through clasped hands) is disturbing; the car/motorcycle/truck/moped/bus/auto rickshaw horns DO NOT EVER stop, the streets are overflowing with people, vehicles and cows; everyone wants one of three things:
1. Rupees ($)
2. For you to buy something from them
3. Simply to welcome you to the city or country.
With our skepticism we're never certain who falls into the latter category.
We hired a driver for a day and a half, saw many of the sights and learned about Delhi's history and culture. The food was decent, and we booked a trip to Darjeeling, in the Himalayas, once we arrive in Kolkata.
There are 12 of us on this tour, and we're quite pleased we didn't have a go at India ourselves as I think we are having a much richer experience with Intrepid.
We are now in Jaisalmer, a small city in the province of Rajasthan, near the Pakistani border. It is beautiful. We're staying inside the Fort, in a gorgeous guesthouse, and Marc and I were given the 'Honeymoon Suite', which is lovely, with windows on three sides - providing a view of the city and a gentle breeze in the desert heat! I've thoroughly enjoyed the food here. Both nights we've had dinner on a rooftop terrace, lit by candle-, star- and moonlight, overlooking the city. Last night we were all decked out in traditional Rajasthani Indian gear... saris for the women, tunics, ali baba pants and turbans for the men! We sweat loads. I don't know how the Indians manage it!
The people in this city are very friendly, and the atmosphere is peaceful & inviting. Still can't escape the honking though! As we walk along the extremely narrow streets in the fort we are constantly shifting left or right to avoid motorcycles or cow droppings. It's an unexpected surprise when you feel something brush your elbow and you turn to find yourself looking directly into the eyes of a cow! They roam freely in Jaisalmer. I have never before seen such skinny cows! This morning I was actually headbutted by an impatient cow... Suppose it was in a hurry!
In a few minutes we are off to ride camels in the desert, then sleep under the stars.
I neglected to mention our train ride, which was meant to be 17 hours but stretched to 24 hours! And while we initially thought the trains in China were of sub-par quality... Whew, we were mistaken. Dingy, dirty, dusty... with cockroaches of varying sizes crawling all over the floor and on our beds. This prompted me to question why we fear them so in Canada... Is it simply their means of proliferation? Do they carry disease? We accepted their presence as we really had little choice in the matter!
Must run... Alice awaits!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Bye Bye China: One Down, Five to Go
Ah, Hong Kong. A fabulous city... unfortunately, I spent most of our time here sick with a deathly flu/cold! I may have caught it from Emily, one of our trip mates, but I don't want to place blame on her and make her feel bad as it may be entirely possible I found some germs on our last overnight train! Four lengthy train journeys in China - Complete!
Hugs, tears and goodbye kisses were shared with our group on a debaucherous night out in Kowloon. Words of Wisdom: Polishing off a bottle of rice wine (53% alcohol) among 10 people guarantees a lively night! Chasers are mandatory (for me, anyway).
Not hitting Macau or the other outlying islands, Marc and I have spent the past five days in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Plenty to see and do so we haven't been bored! Marc is a little bothered as he doesn't feel we saw the picturesque areas in HK (my fault - needed to recover from debilitating illness) so he didn't hit his quota for pics in this city! Kidding... he doesn't actually have a set number although it may not have surprised you all if he did! ;)
I'm better now, in case you're wondering. We've checked out of our very nice, brand new, albeit LOUD hotel room - thankfully construction stops overnight but during the day it sounds as if they're constructing a building in our washroom!
Next Stop on our (Part of) Asia Tour: India
We fly out tonight! Updates to follow...
Hugs, tears and goodbye kisses were shared with our group on a debaucherous night out in Kowloon. Words of Wisdom: Polishing off a bottle of rice wine (53% alcohol) among 10 people guarantees a lively night! Chasers are mandatory (for me, anyway).
Not hitting Macau or the other outlying islands, Marc and I have spent the past five days in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Plenty to see and do so we haven't been bored! Marc is a little bothered as he doesn't feel we saw the picturesque areas in HK (my fault - needed to recover from debilitating illness) so he didn't hit his quota for pics in this city! Kidding... he doesn't actually have a set number although it may not have surprised you all if he did! ;)
I'm better now, in case you're wondering. We've checked out of our very nice, brand new, albeit LOUD hotel room - thankfully construction stops overnight but during the day it sounds as if they're constructing a building in our washroom!
Next Stop on our (Part of) Asia Tour: India
We fly out tonight! Updates to follow...
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Attacking, Drinking, Biking, Trekking...
I haven't written in a while as we've been keeping busy, and have not had internet access all week. Marc has found a way to access our blog (shh!) so thankfully I'm able to look back to what I last wrote as I honestly can't recall!
Shanghai is an impressive, modern city. We strolled the Bund upon our arrival and were blown away by the incredibly modern buildings (for example, the Pearl Tower) on the opposite side of the river. On our side were 20th century buildings reminiscent of Europe (large clock towers, etc.) The hardest thing to adjust to was the fact that the city is home to approximately 18 million people - over half the population of our entire country. Mind Blowing.
We spent some time in the pedestrian area and at the Yu Yuan Gardens and Bazaar. This area was very cool as well. It felt very old world, with small shops and covered walkways, until you get to the open squares to find Starbucks in all its glory. Marc and I waited in line for 20 minutes to stand sharing some fantastic dumplings. No idea what was in them but with that kind of popularity, they had to be good! Through the windows we watched them being handmade (although the people were working at robotic speed) and then steamed.
We had one of our best dinners of our trip here, somewhere around the 3rd ring road. Marc and I also took a trip to the airport on the Maglev, the train that reaches speeds of 431 km/h!
From Shanghai we boarded another train to Guilin, followed by a bus ride to Yangshuo, a funky, touristy town we really enjoyed. We learned some Kung Fu here, and were to go on a cruise along the Li River however Marc and I missed it as I was unwell. Better by evening though so we all went out for an intense vegetarian dinner and then some bar hopping (cocktails and drinking games). Marc took over the stage in one bar, playing 'Good Riddance' by Green Day while I sang, and Karma Police by Radiohead, attracting a small audience from upstairs. The night ended with some stage dancing at another bar.
The next day we moved on to a small village just outside Yangshuo, and this very chilled wooden guesthouse. Marc learned to cook a complete Chinese meal at a cooking school (can't wait for him to test out his skills upon our return!). We relaxed here, playing some pool, writing in our journals and watching movies. The next morning we went on a five hour bike ride over some rough and muddy terrain to check out the Yangshuo landscape (gorgeous little mountains, famous in China).
Our next stop was in the Longji Rice Terraces. First we returned to Guilin to store our backpacks at the train station. We had to fit two days' worth of stuff into our daypacks. Difficult! We trekked an hour to our first guesthouse, which was basic but very lovely. Our room overlooked the rice terraces. In this area women of the Yao Minority Ethnic Group offer their services to carry your bags for you, and also sell their brightly coloured, knitted handicrafts. They dress traditionally, in fuschia tops and black skirts, and only cut their hair twice in their lives, so it is incredibly long, although twisted up under hats. We rose the next morning and trekked five hours to our next guesthouse. The path rises and falls through the terraces, between 300 m and 1200 m above sea level, and we walk on large rocks that have been placed there over the last 700 years by workers in the area, who use the paths to reach their crops or bring construction materials, etc. carried by horses to and from their homes. Often we had to shift off the path for horses or workers trying to get by us. Last night we slept in another guesthouse in Ping'An, even nicer than the first, also with a gorgeous view of the terraces. We also watched and participated in some traditional entertainment put on by women of the Zhuang Minority Group. I was 'married' to Johnny, one of our fellow travelers, in a traditional wedding ceremony. No worries as it's not legally binding!
It is unbelievable how many people smoke here. As I type I have cigarette smoke streaming in front of the screen. Ugh.
I'm pleased to announce I'm becoming a master of the squat toilet - although we've been lucky to have proper toilets in most places we've stayed. Public toilets are another matter altogether. Testing one's ability to avoid an intake of breath for the longest time possible has become a sport. I'm no Olympian yet.
Off to grab some dinner and snacks for our last overnight train journey in China - this time to Hong Kong. Stay tuned!
- Trish -
Shanghai is an impressive, modern city. We strolled the Bund upon our arrival and were blown away by the incredibly modern buildings (for example, the Pearl Tower) on the opposite side of the river. On our side were 20th century buildings reminiscent of Europe (large clock towers, etc.) The hardest thing to adjust to was the fact that the city is home to approximately 18 million people - over half the population of our entire country. Mind Blowing.
We spent some time in the pedestrian area and at the Yu Yuan Gardens and Bazaar. This area was very cool as well. It felt very old world, with small shops and covered walkways, until you get to the open squares to find Starbucks in all its glory. Marc and I waited in line for 20 minutes to stand sharing some fantastic dumplings. No idea what was in them but with that kind of popularity, they had to be good! Through the windows we watched them being handmade (although the people were working at robotic speed) and then steamed.
We had one of our best dinners of our trip here, somewhere around the 3rd ring road. Marc and I also took a trip to the airport on the Maglev, the train that reaches speeds of 431 km/h!
From Shanghai we boarded another train to Guilin, followed by a bus ride to Yangshuo, a funky, touristy town we really enjoyed. We learned some Kung Fu here, and were to go on a cruise along the Li River however Marc and I missed it as I was unwell. Better by evening though so we all went out for an intense vegetarian dinner and then some bar hopping (cocktails and drinking games). Marc took over the stage in one bar, playing 'Good Riddance' by Green Day while I sang, and Karma Police by Radiohead, attracting a small audience from upstairs. The night ended with some stage dancing at another bar.
The next day we moved on to a small village just outside Yangshuo, and this very chilled wooden guesthouse. Marc learned to cook a complete Chinese meal at a cooking school (can't wait for him to test out his skills upon our return!). We relaxed here, playing some pool, writing in our journals and watching movies. The next morning we went on a five hour bike ride over some rough and muddy terrain to check out the Yangshuo landscape (gorgeous little mountains, famous in China).
Our next stop was in the Longji Rice Terraces. First we returned to Guilin to store our backpacks at the train station. We had to fit two days' worth of stuff into our daypacks. Difficult! We trekked an hour to our first guesthouse, which was basic but very lovely. Our room overlooked the rice terraces. In this area women of the Yao Minority Ethnic Group offer their services to carry your bags for you, and also sell their brightly coloured, knitted handicrafts. They dress traditionally, in fuschia tops and black skirts, and only cut their hair twice in their lives, so it is incredibly long, although twisted up under hats. We rose the next morning and trekked five hours to our next guesthouse. The path rises and falls through the terraces, between 300 m and 1200 m above sea level, and we walk on large rocks that have been placed there over the last 700 years by workers in the area, who use the paths to reach their crops or bring construction materials, etc. carried by horses to and from their homes. Often we had to shift off the path for horses or workers trying to get by us. Last night we slept in another guesthouse in Ping'An, even nicer than the first, also with a gorgeous view of the terraces. We also watched and participated in some traditional entertainment put on by women of the Zhuang Minority Group. I was 'married' to Johnny, one of our fellow travelers, in a traditional wedding ceremony. No worries as it's not legally binding!
It is unbelievable how many people smoke here. As I type I have cigarette smoke streaming in front of the screen. Ugh.
I'm pleased to announce I'm becoming a master of the squat toilet - although we've been lucky to have proper toilets in most places we've stayed. Public toilets are another matter altogether. Testing one's ability to avoid an intake of breath for the longest time possible has become a sport. I'm no Olympian yet.
Off to grab some dinner and snacks for our last overnight train journey in China - this time to Hong Kong. Stay tuned!
- Trish -
Sunday, September 2, 2007
I'm in China!
We just came off a 24 hour train ride from Shanghai to Yangshuo and I'm now in the Internet cafe of our hotel/guesthouse. Every single part of my body hurts!
I have to say that China is really cool! I'm also very happy that since before the Great Wall, my stomach has been on its best behaviour. (Knock on wood).
Here are a few things that you may notice if you come to China...
1- Everyone seems to be very nice and they become very curious when they see Westerners - especially in the back streets. We get lots of long stares and smiles.
2- Almost all of them don't understand the slightest bit of English. However, you'll find a few of them that are learning English that will try and practice it with you. Beware though because sometimes they just want you to buy something.
3- The Chinese are a bunch of crazy drivers! They don't pay attention to red lights, they cut through lanes like it was nothing and they'll pass a car even if there's a car coming in the other direction. They expect the oncoming car to use the shoulder. And keep your eyes open when you cross the street because the cars don't stop for pedestrians. They'll just swerve around you. Surprisingly, I haven't seen an accident yet.
4- The Great Wall is an awesome sight. Just simply amazing. So are the Terracotta Warriors.
5- Shanghai is a superbly massive city and has an awesome skyline. And it's almost impossible to find a taxi when you need one.
6- Most things are cheap here if you know where to look. The Internet at the hotel, although somewhat slow, is only about 80 cents for an hour.
7- Bicycles and motorcycles seem to be the preferred method of travel. All the cities that we've been to have dedicated, and quite wide, bicycle lanes.
8- Street beggars can be quite pushy and irritating. The trick is to not give them any money.
9- Bargaining at the night markets is fun. I got an automatic Bulgari knock off watch for less than $20 CDN. It's the kind of watch that doesn't have a crank or a battery. It cranks itself automatically with the normal movement of your arm. Cool!
10- We're really happy we opted for the Intrepid tour. The group is really fun and we're saving a lot of time by having our transportation and accommodations pre-booked.
That's it for now! Tomorrow I'm taking a Kung Fu class and we'll be taking a nice cruise on the Li River!
Marc
I have to say that China is really cool! I'm also very happy that since before the Great Wall, my stomach has been on its best behaviour. (Knock on wood).
Here are a few things that you may notice if you come to China...
1- Everyone seems to be very nice and they become very curious when they see Westerners - especially in the back streets. We get lots of long stares and smiles.
2- Almost all of them don't understand the slightest bit of English. However, you'll find a few of them that are learning English that will try and practice it with you. Beware though because sometimes they just want you to buy something.
3- The Chinese are a bunch of crazy drivers! They don't pay attention to red lights, they cut through lanes like it was nothing and they'll pass a car even if there's a car coming in the other direction. They expect the oncoming car to use the shoulder. And keep your eyes open when you cross the street because the cars don't stop for pedestrians. They'll just swerve around you. Surprisingly, I haven't seen an accident yet.
4- The Great Wall is an awesome sight. Just simply amazing. So are the Terracotta Warriors.
5- Shanghai is a superbly massive city and has an awesome skyline. And it's almost impossible to find a taxi when you need one.
6- Most things are cheap here if you know where to look. The Internet at the hotel, although somewhat slow, is only about 80 cents for an hour.
7- Bicycles and motorcycles seem to be the preferred method of travel. All the cities that we've been to have dedicated, and quite wide, bicycle lanes.
8- Street beggars can be quite pushy and irritating. The trick is to not give them any money.
9- Bargaining at the night markets is fun. I got an automatic Bulgari knock off watch for less than $20 CDN. It's the kind of watch that doesn't have a crank or a battery. It cranks itself automatically with the normal movement of your arm. Cool!
10- We're really happy we opted for the Intrepid tour. The group is really fun and we're saving a lot of time by having our transportation and accommodations pre-booked.
That's it for now! Tomorrow I'm taking a Kung Fu class and we'll be taking a nice cruise on the Li River!
Marc
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