We went to the train station at Beijing – Now, if you have ever been to a train station in China you will understand where I’m coming from when I say it is madness. Apparently at any one time 10million people are on a train somewhere in China and I am sure they all decided to board at the same station as me. Oh, and throw into the equation the biggest thunderstorm I’ve ever know, rain drops the size of snow balls and you might have a vague idea of how much of a mission it was.
In all their wisdom at Beijing South Train station they have the bag checks about an inch under cover, so everyone queues outside, well of course no one was willing to queue outside and a huge riot of people all trying to get in ensued. Anyway, once we got in I managed to figure out where we needed to be and we waited for our train.
Boarding was swift approx 30 mins before departure and I have to say – I am not a train geek, but a train geek would have wet himself over the train we got. It was a bullet train and looked amazing. The rooms were spacious (for a train) and each bed had its own private TV, Air con and lighting. Within no time we were off and the kids were straight to sleep, I took a little longer because I have to admit, the speed was a little unnerving! We were all finally sound asleep for about 11pm and awoke the next morning as we were pulling into Shanghai.
Hello my little Bhuna, firstly let me thank you – Before I left and you made me watch the Roary the Racing car song over and over and over and over (x 2,000,000) well, guess what song I have had permanently stuck in my head for the past week…… 😉 I am thinking about you every day, every time I close my eyes I see your cheeky little grin, or hear you say “Nooooo Abiiii” you are too young to know what a special place you have in my heart but old enough to know you couldn’t be more loved.
Every day I miss you more and can’t wait to see you. But not to worry mate, when I get back we’ve got a little special getaway planned. First were going to fly to Dublin, and then were going to fly to Frankfurt in Germany where we can go to the zoo and eat massive sausages! Then, were going to fly down to Venice which is in Italy – Daddy’s favourite country. I know a really nice little Island not too far from Venice with a really secluded little beach where you can play and be spoilt and get away with everything for a few days! So look forward to being showered with attention, eating Proper pizzas and being overloaded with sweets!
Do me a favour, remind meggy who is in charge and keep reading the book I made you to remind you of us.
Miss you more than you will ever know is possible.
We are getting loads of attention everywhere we go, people keep staring at us and smiling, for some reason people keep touching Abi on the head? We get let to the front of queues and people even stand up for us on the metro. Dad is doing his best but we know sometimes he is really tired and we are helping him as much as we can by behaving, listening to him and reminding him he is king.
We are having so much fun, our days are so filled with new experiences and learning new things. We never realized how big the world is! We are loving China and everywhere we have been, dad is going to take us to a wall you can see from space that is thousands of years old, we are going to see Pandas, and he reckons that in Vietnam we have loads of beach time – And we can’t wait to try eating bugs! It was funny yesterday though, we were playing a game (dad didn’t know)Anyway one of us started counting and then when dad told us to shut up we did, then a few minutes later the other would start counting, whoever got to the highest before dad told them to be quiet was the winner! But I think he sussed us when we started on the alphabet instead.
We are on such a big adventure and it is tiring at times, but we are loving it. We hope you are well and want you to know that we are both missing you loads. Not a day goes by that we don’t think about you and look forward to seeing you when we get home. And tell Grandma she better stock up on cheese strings and sweets and pop – Dad is being proper tight and letting us only drink water, eat good healthy food and is snidey with the sweets.
How many mummy’s have had their kids carry their love around the world. Not many – But you have.
We decided to go see what all the fuss about the Forbidden City was, the city set on Tiananmen Square had apparently been closed doors for hundreds of years and had not so long ago been opened to the public.
Wow. Why anyone would not want to show off such an amazing – and sprawling huge place I will never know. It is China as you imagine it, all Pagodas, hidden temples there really are no words I could write that would give the place the justice it deserves. But it is huge. Every time you walk through one door at the end of a courtyard you enter another huge courtyard. It took us about half a day to get through, but we minced. Again the kids loved it. But both for different reasons, Charlie loved the history whereas Abi was more concerned with the beauty of the place and dragons! She loves Dragons and who can blame her, they really are amazing. The heat really got to us all and it didn’t help when I was convinced I knew the way back to Tiananmen Sq, but although we were lost for about 3 hours we did get to see a side of Beijing we wouldn’t have otherwise.
Since arriving in Beijing I have had 4 photos taken, Charlie 34 and Abi 204 – Which would have been more had I not called off many a shoot – Particularly one where I noticed a guy trying to charge people to have their picture taken with Abi. Needless to say I had a moan at him and we abandoned the set.
Despite the beauty of Beijing and every site within what truly is an amazing city, there are some sobering realities of the poor. Babies don’t wear nappies, children beg for food and people are lifeless as they beg for money. That said no city has ever had such an impression on me, and Beijing will be a tough place to beat.
It’s not difficult getting a trip to the Great Wall of China, you get loads offered daily, but most cost within the region of 200+ yen, That’s an absolute scandal by all accounts and if there is one way to make sure you get the best deal it’s to do what the locals do. And the locals get the bus. So after a bit of messing about and research we found out where to get the bus. It cost 12yen each way and takes about an hour or so. Not long out of Beijing and the bus starts winding up through the mountains and it’s not long before you get a glimpse of a part of the wall. Funnily you pass all the coaches crammed full of tourists with the bus driver smiling gleefully knowing full well he has well and truly ripped off each passenger by astronomical amounts.
Anyway, upon arrival at Badaling (which supposedly is the best place to see the wall from Beijing) you are kicked off quite unceremoniously about ½ km from the entrance – Which is literally a road full of tourists. There was the usual touts selling everything from dodgy looking ice pops to pretty much everything in existence. But in China the touts are not like places like Egypt where they just goad you and pester you constantly. Usually all it takes is a simple “No thank you” and they disappear to try and peddle their business elsewhere. But some do try it on; I had told both kids that if anyone offers them anything they are not to take it. And so far they haven’t.
It cost 60yen to go on the wall and words cannot really describe the amazing site it is. Whereas the Grand Canyon leaves you breathless, the Great Wall of China not only leaves you breathless but it gives you a few kidney punches and forces your jaw to the floor. It truly is an amazing place.
The kids were mesmerized, on the bus I had explained the history behind it (ok I made most of it up since I have no real idea about it) but they loved it. Not just the beauty of it but how high it was, how steep it was. How steep! I had no idea that it was such a grueling walk. I had heard that it took someone 2 years to walk the full length but I assumed that he was stopping for a beer every few km’s. I will buy the man a few beers, anyone who can walk the full length is a great individual – we were absolutely knackered after 5 minutes. That said we did manage to walk to the highest point and we were absolutely suited!…Until of course we saw that there was a higher part in the distance. We didn’t go further, we decided to walk back down since the heat and gradient had taken its toll.
Again we were completely mobbed at the wall and the kids had plenty more poses to pull.
On the way home on the bus we were all tired and falling asleep, I asked the kids if they had enjoyed the day and Abi said “It’s been ace” and Charlie assured me that he enjoyed it so much that when he grows up he will return and trek the full distance. I hope he sees it through and if he does decide to do it who knows – Maybe ill join him (but we will be stopping for a few beers every few km)
We wanted a relaxing day so headed for Olympic Park. The subway of Beijing is great, it’s modern, clean, Air conned and easy to navigate. Most things in Beijing are written in both Chinese and English and the subway is no different. It’s a flat rate of 2yen per journey which is approx 20pence and so is very cheap. Trains come every minute or so and although Beijing is huge (it’s the size of Belgium) it doesn’t take too long to get to where you need to be. The kids were kept occupied on the subway as on the walls there are hundreds of TV’s all showing an image, as the train moves a cartoon appears. The trains are all modern and fully air conned. A seat is rare but people always stand up for the kids – Well for Abi usually.
We easily got to The Birds nest stadium which I have to say has to be seen to be believed, I really cannot see how London can better the amazing Olympic park in Beijing. I just cannot. The stadium is every bit as amazing as I expected. But that was not what really took up the day – It was Abi. She was mobbed. I had noticed on the subway people pointing and trying to touch her but nothing like this. People were coming and asking to have their photo taken with her. At one point there was a queue of 30 or more people waiting in line to get a picture with Abi. I recon she posed for over a hundred pictures that day and maybe a hundred others taken ‘on the sly’ Abi loved the attention and although Charlie was on a few he was glad to sit and rest whilst Abi simply smiled and melted the hearts of those stood with her. Even lunch was a struggle, whilst trying to eat noodles we had crowds of people stood watching and pointing and taking photos. It was slightly uncomfortable but I appreciated that some people won’t have seen and might never again someone from the Western World. One thing I did was not ever allow Abi to have her photo taken alone; it was always posed with a child, or an adult which overwhelmingly by about 99% was with a woman. Which brings me to the point that it is so sad to see that every Chinese family I have seen has always been part of the 1 child only policy. It really is sad; Charlie and Abi have a bind which I could never compete with, a friendship not comparable to anything. To think Chinese children are denied that simple privilege is sad.
Costs of stuff are generally as follows; Huge tub of Noodles = 2 – 5yen Bottle of Water – 1 – 2yen
Basically Beijing is as expensive as you let it be. The kids and I could easily get by on 100yen per day and that includes subway and sights (a tenner) yet at the same time we could easily spend more. It’s a place where it is as cheap or expensive as you let it be. Anyway, after the day was meant to be relaxing and since it was so hot (38 degrees) we headed back to the hotel for the pool and health suite.
First of all let me apologise, this is being posted from Vietnam and not China. All has been quiet on the blog front since due to the web censorship of China. Sadly in China Freedom of speech and expression is not something high on the agenda of the supposedly democratic government. I appreciate in the UK we have some form of freedom of speech – It’s almost like “freedom of speech as long as it doesn’t incite hatred or offend anyone” Well in China it is “We decide what you say, who you say it to and what you see/do” To that end, my blog is blocked, Face book, You Tube and loads of parts of Wikipedia and the BBC.
So we arrived in Beijing on time and no health visitors boarded the flight, but there was plenty of screening in an empty Beijing International Airport (which is the most amazing airport I have ever seen) Customs was easy and we were quickly away on the express bus to Beijing West Train Station. First Impressions were really bad; first of all ill explain the currency: 1 yen = about 8 pence
Well we turned up at the train station and the heat already was getting to us, it was 38 and as humid as I’ve ever known. I have been in Egypt when it has been 40 degrees plus and whilst that is bad its dry heat, it’s nothing compared to the humidity of China. We were covered in sweat and had all our bags with us. Anyway, I knew the taxi to the hotel cost approx 15yen. I had met a girl in Moscow who was from Beijing and had asked her to write the hotel address down for us. Upon showing this to taxi drivers I instantly had a crowd gathering. It’s important to note that the taxis in Beijing all charge 2 yen per KM with a starting rate of 10yen. The hotel was 3km away. The taxi drivers were so arrogant and unassuming that when they were quoting me 300yen they were actually laughing as they said it, I was obviously laughing too in disbelief that they would charge me the fare for 150km for a 3km journey. Eventually a crowd of about 50 or so bystanders/taxi drivers were all surrounding us laughing and trying to convince me 300yen was the going rate. I was getting pissed off and was just about to leave when I saw a guy pick Abi up and put her in his Tuck Tuck, as I tried to get her out he held his hand out and was saying “I take, I take” He obviously wanted me to get in so he could have his turn at ripping me off. I grabbed Abi out and took hold of Charlie and started to walk away. The Tuk Tuk guy stood in front of me and tried to get Abi again so I grabbed hold of him by his shirt and threw him out of the way. He was shouting something at me so I shouted back pointing that he tried grabbing daughter and someone gestured him away. I headed straight for a hotel across the road and asked them to call my hotel and have them send me a car – They did and I arrived at my hotel 12yen later.
We arrived at the hotel about 11am and I asked if we could check in early – Thankfully we were allowed. We spent the remainder of the day sleeping and catching up with ourselves.
