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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Oct 08, 2010 02:00 PM Just married in Suzhou - China
No, it is not me, dear Friends :))
But every morning when I am leaving my hostel I see young couples and professional photographers on along the canal taking souvenir wedding pictures in the romantic scenery of the stone brigges, old houses etc. In the morning the lighting is better. I took the opportunity to take also few such a wedding pictures - I will upload them from home...
It was another interesting day: I took a walk to the pagodas of Suzhou (at least 4 of them in this town)
I found also interesting the Confucius Temple - for the first time in my life on the altar I saw a huge portrait painting of the Master (entry is free).
And in the afternoon I took a city bus 518 (4 yuan) to get to the another little watertown: Luzhi - about 20 kms away.
Luzhi with its canals and bridges is not as big as Tongli but also has this historic atmosphere. And what is important for the backpacker - they do not push you to pay the entry fee to take the outside pictures. If you wish to visit the temple or the mansions you have to pay.
Our 518 bus stayed more then half an hour in the traffic jam on the return way. Yes, there are traffic jams in China so do not plan excursions out of the town for the last day of your stay - you can miss your flight or train!
I ate 12 pieces of my faviurite bao-ji (steamed buns with meat & vegies inside) for the dinner. I hope I will sleep well anyway. Have a good night too!
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Oct 07, 2010 02:00 PM Water towns of China
They call Suzhou, where I am now "The Venice of the East". Because of many canals, stone bridges built centuries ago and overall romantic landscape... Mingtown Youth Hostel where I stay is one of the most atmospheric hostel I saw in China. Located in the old mansion on the canalside, houses just 20 rooms or so... I pay 150 yuan for a single with bath (I need it after my hardcore 42-hours journey from Turpan).
There are gardens, pagoda and temples to see in Suzhou, but I decided to escape the crowds and go to Tongli - little water town - just 18 kms away. Bus cost me 8 juans each way. Tongli is also the water town connected to the historic Grand Canal. It is small and compact, with well preserved old streets. I enjoyed it... except the entry fee - they charge hefty 80 yuan to cross the bridge. And all the bridges all well guarded, Locals go for free, normal people live there so it is like the living museum, but the guards will stop you for sure to collect mney - you are "lawai" - like a gringo, easy to recognize. Enjoy Tongli anyway!
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Oct 06, 2010 02:00 PM Hardcore travel on hardseater...
There are four classes on Chinese trains: comfy soft sleeper, hard sleeper, soft seat and hard seat. Computerized reservation system allows you to book any train 10 days in advance - not earlier... Book as early as possible! I went to the station 5 days ahead and I got only hard seat for my T-54. OK: car 5 seat 12 - window. The problem is that Chinese sell also standing tickets to the hard seat cars...
Can you imagine 42 hours journey in the crowded car? Practicaly you cannot stand - there is no space for that. And to get through the crowded aisle to the Asian-style toilet is like an expedition through the jungle of the people sleeping in the corridor! Want a hot water? Pass your cup or bottle over the heads and it will come filled in 10 minutes or so... Fellow passenders were nice to me: they offered unknown fruits and vegies and tried not to lay on me...
The electonic screen shows the speed 133 kms/hour... I was waiting for the Suzhou station a long time... Extremely tired, dirty I took a motocycle taxi to the youth hostel. Welcome to the Eastern China!
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Oct 05, 2010 02:00 PM 4000 kms on train T-54...
I started the next stage of my rail journey through China. Train no T54 goes daily from Urumchi to Shanghai... When you are coming to the station first there is ticket check, then security screening then you must wait in the line udred the flag of your train. You are alloed to get to the platform only 10 minutes before train arrival (another ticket check at the entrance), The you form the line and wait. It is coming! Stoped! Now everybody can run to the door. Why, if the seats are numbered? To get enough space for your luggage on overhead racks. Chinese carry a lot of luggage!
Why I decided to go 4000 kms in one stage? Usualy people stop n the way in famous Xian, but I have been already there. During such a long journey you will see snowy mountains and desert, camels and donkeys on the pastures, deep gorges and huge rivers and much more. It is another big adventure!
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Oct 04, 2010 02:00 PM I am in depression...
Do not worry, my dear Friends. I am still in a good mood and excited by the new adventures. But Turpan where I am is in the desert depresion: 154 m below sea level - they say... Temperatere during the day reaches 32 deg Celsius - I have a hard time visiting the area. Emin Hoja Mosque from 1777 (known fr locals as Sugong Tower) is the main attraction of the town - located some 3 kms on the outskirts of the town. In the Lonely Planet guide they do not write that bus 102 (1 youan) goes there. Museums are free in China but unfortunately China authorities charge quite a lot for the entry to the monuments. Here it is 50 yuan - and no discounts!~ Think twice - for me the outside pictures were enough. Sorry, I am the budget traveller!
On the Takla Makan Desert around Turpan there are interesting spots like Flaming Mts, ruins of Jahoe ancient town and Buddha caves. The best solution is to take a tour to get there: they will take you to all places for 80 yuan. The desert scenery around the caves is just great and you have a chance to ride camels there if you like!
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Oct 03, 2010 02:00 PM ... by slow train through China...
First stage of my railway journey takes me from most-western Kashgar to Turpan. Not a joke - it is 1445 kms! Most of the time we had a desert or high mountains on the other side of the window. But sorry - the window were very dirty and my pictures will be poor. Shame on the China Railway! You cannot open the windows of course. We tried to get of on the station on the route to clean at least one window but the response of the guard was strict: MEYO! This universal word I am listening here very often: it means don't, not allowed, you can't etc...
China Railway are not always on time - we arrived with one hour delay. It is 43 kms from the train station to the city of Turpan: shared taxi cost 20 yuan pp or you can walk 500 m to the bus station and pay just 8.50 per ride... I am on the other side of the Takla Makan Desert!
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Oct 02, 2010 02:00 PM Kashgar after years...
It is still exciting place on the crossroads of the East. Years ago it fascinates me. Now Kashgar is much "nicer" - painted and cleaned... Chairman Mao still stands on the main square. But from the old, stylish quarter around the Id Kah mosque only 2-3 streets remained unspoiled by the cleaners...
Copper,silver workshops still work there, but is is better to come early in the morning, before tourists goups will come to "improve" the landscape.
In the afrernoon my great railway journey will start - I know that the new railway station is out of the town, but you can get there by public bus paing just 1 yuan...
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Oct 01, 2010 02:00 PM Wild West of China?
This was very hard day. I started from Hotan early in the morning and they promised that after 7 hours on the Silk Road we will reach Kashgar. Now I know that 7 hours means 10 hours in China. Can you imagine 10 hours in the stinky, dirty, cramped bus with crying kids, broken seats on the bumpy road? Desert on the other side of the window... Takla Makan.
They built a new road from Kashgar to Hotan but the speed of development here, in the Wild West of China is quite different that in the East!. They built also railroad, but is seems that works are stopped somewhere in the midway of this 500-kms stretch... I arrived to historic Kashgar at 7.30. Motocycle-taxis work here (2 yuan per ride) so it was easy to get to the well known Chini Bagh hotel. From the first look I see that Sinnce my first visit Kashgar changed a lot. Years ago I have been here on my way to Khunjerab Pass. But the food stalls on the streets still work! Bon apetit!
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Sep 30, 2010 02:00 PM On the edge of Takla Makan Desert
Just near the Hotan bus station I found a room in the Jiaotong Hotel. Single room cost 140 yuan, but there is limited choice of the cheapies in this old town, located just on the egde of the desert. No, no camels on the streets but dondey carts are poular... Hotan is famous for the jade stone, silk workshops and carpet workshops. Tours are offered but if you are on the budget like me you can take the bus 10 just for one juan to get to the other side of the river and visit for free impessive carpet factory and silk workshop.
Today is a national holiday here but I was lucky - the workshops worked anyway! People are nice and helpful regardless the language barrier. I took a lot of pictures. Jade stone you can find just on the streets of Hotan - there are many sellers, but it is necessady to bargain. Fruts and vegies (tomatoes, apples, bananas, grapes) cost all about 4 juan per kilo - I enjoy very much thich chep fruit diet! Yes, you can join the camel tour throu the desert if you want to ride the camel and sleep on the sand, but this will cost you minimim 50 USD per day and you must complete a group...
I tried desert thek in the past so it is not for me...
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Sep 29, 2010 02:00 PM Embarking the bus take your shoes off!!
It takes 18 hours to get from Urumchi to Hotan (Ho-tien) throgh the Takla Makan desert. I bought the ticket 2 days in advance to make sure that I will get the space. It cost 360 yuan. There are strict security procedures at the South Bus Station in Urumchi. The bus was waiting. I soon recognized that it is sleeping bus. At the begining they ask me to get off the shoes. They provide plastic bags for them!
What do you think: what is the average height of the Chinese? 150 cm? Well, I am 182 cm and the bunks is the bus were OK for the Chinese, not for me. Too short! Little comfort...
We started with one hour delay. Nobody knows why...
The journey was attractive regarding the landscape: mountains, gorges, then the desert with a great sunset. It was my first time on Takla Makan desert... The road crossing the desert is OK, but narrow. Very few settlements on the way. Finally after 18 hours we reached Hot-an - the old town on the southern branch of the Silk Road. Lets have a rest!
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