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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Apr 14, 2017 08:00 PM Thousand images of Buddha, maybe more...
Luoyang, China. Very hot and humid weather. The main attraction of the city are Longmen Grottos located on the outskirts of the town with enormous collection of carvings from 6th-7th century. To get there you can take the bus 81 from the station or 99 from the centre - it will take you there just for 2 yuans.
Then there is a 1 km well-marked walk to the gate, where you have to buy the ticket for 100 yuans ( no discounts for the foreigners!). Then the stree will take you with the crowd of locals to the bank of Yi River. They built there 2 bridges to connect the monuments on the both sides of the river. So be prepared to walk like 3 kms loop, starting from the West bank where the monuments are more interesting. I was walking patiently in the cowd of Chinese, upstairs, downstairs. The most impressive statue of Buddha is 17m-high. The smalest images has mayby 10 cm only... UNESCO World Heritage Site - worth to see...
I am lucky because since today in Luoyang they celebrate Peony Flower Cultural Festival. The main action goes in the Wangcheng Park - close to my YH. I spent there lovely but hot afternoon enjoying flowers and the people. Is seems that I was the only European in the crowd :)
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Apr 13, 2017 08:00 PM China: hard sleeper to Luoyang
I need a rest after yesterday's trekking. I spend again all day on the trains. First took me to Xingyang 2 hours, second - to Luoyang famous for the Bhuddist Grottos. The secon train was hard sleeper - with a 6 bunk beds in the open compartment. I hah a feeling that I was the single foreigner on the train. After 6 hours we arrived to Luoyang. With a help of young girl I found opposite the station bus stop for 103 trolleybus. It cost here just 1 yuan.
Luoyang is "middle" town with only 1,5 millon inhabitants. The centre after dark looks very bright...In the back street I found Heartland Hostel. They charge 150 y per night for the simple room with bath. Internet connection is horrible...
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Apr 12, 2017 08:00 PM Wudangshan - UNESCO world heritage site
After 21 hours on Chinese train I landed in Wudangshan. It is not just a single mountain but picturesque range. Wudangshan is a birthplace of taichi. To get to the gate of the national park I took the blue city bus for 2 yuans. Then in the gate you have to pay entry fee, which covers also unlimited usage of park minibuses. Such a bus took me to Nanyan trailhead. Then I was walkind 3 hours to the highest summit of the Wudangshan range where tao monastery is located. Great views and smaller temples on the way. Return took me 2 hours. Stairs, stairs - it is not an easy trail.
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Apr 11, 2017 08:00 PM Train K 123
I am still in cloudy Shanghai, but ready for my 21-hours rail trip to Wudangshan. There is big demand for rail tickets in this huge country so you have to book well in advance. There are Chinese agencies on the net who are ready to do it for you for a small extra fee - say 5 USD. Sometimes if you book for the first time they reduce this fee. In the past booking for train seats was opened 60 days in advance. Now it is only 1 month. Agency charges your card and (if they are able to catch the seat) they send you booking number. With this number and your passport you go to the station in China to collect your paper ticket. Not easy, isn't it? But I was lucky to get the ticket and I will depart in the afternoon, I believe :)
In the morning I took a walk to People's Square - the main square of Shanghai. It is blossom time - spring arrived. But why these people do not smile?
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Apr 10, 2017 08:00 PM Walking around Shanghai
No rain today, but still cloudy. In the morning I went to the luxury hotel on Nanjing Rd to get free map of the city. Good method! There is INFO kiosk on the pedestrian zone, but they have only Chinese version. Nanjing Rd with luxury shops looks like Champs Elysees in Paris. But it is enough to walk 100 m to the left or right to see completly different image of the town - street eateries, bicycle workshops located just on the sidewalk and the poverty. On Nanjing you -the foreigner - will be bothered many times: massage? pretty girl? rollex?
What is new since my previous visit? Local police is warning guests against "consumption trap" Friendly locals are approaching you, they speak English, they show some knowledge about your country and they want to be your best friend. They invite you to have the meal in the restaurant or to the bar and then you are forced to pay extraorbitant bill...
I took a long walk along the Bund - the waterfront, where you still can see the monument of Chairman Mao.
Then I turned to Yuyuan bazaar. It is huge are of old-like architecture. In the labirynth of stylish buildings there are two things worth to see: The taoist temple of the God of the City (entry fee 10 yuans) and the traditional Chinese garden surrounded by high wall (entry 40 y).
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Apr 09, 2017 08:00 PM Landing in Shanghai
After 23 days on the slow ship I disembarked my "slow boat to China" in Shanghai - huge and exotic city on Huangpu River. Regarding the weather it was a big disappointment - it was foggy in the morning and we experienced also little rain.
Shanghai cruise terminal luckily is located very close to the center of the city - just opposite the famous Pearl Tower. Chinese built here nice building but immigration formalities go slowly - we were waiting in the long lines to get the stamp. Just let you know, that if you do not want to go out of the province and stay more then 144 hours - 6 days you can now get here free visa on arrival. Only the onward ticket out of China is obligatory...
Most of my fellows took taxis or excursion buses to get to their hotels or airport. But I am the budget traveller. I went from the hidden terminal building to the street. City bus 37 took me for just 2 yuans to Tianjin Rd in the centre where I booked before single room in Chuangshengjiang Hotel. Tiny room with bath cost here 30 $ per night and as for huge Shanghai is is very good price. Print the confirmation with the Chinese name of the hotel since nothing in English is written on the building :)
Welcome to China!
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Apr 06, 2017 08:00 PM Foggy Hong Kong
It was thick fogg in the morning when we arrived to Hong Kong. For the first time I am approaching this exotic city by ship and I must tell you that the view is unforgettable. We are docking just near Star Ferry on the Kowloon side. Free wifi in the terminal. I believe that the fogg will come down before I will reach Victoria Peak for panoramic view...
later:
Yes, it is possible to avoid long queues and save on the tickets - I went by old Star ferry to Hong Kong island (2,50 HKG each way - like 30 USD cents). Then I was walking to the Peak Tram station, where the path along the tram rails starts. It took me about an hour (very sweaty hour) to climb to the uppr station of the tram on the Victoria Peak. The view was still imposing regardless the cloudy and foggy day! They built there huge tourist complex - I do not like it.
Back on the ship in the evening I expect a great night illumination of the city.
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Apr 04, 2017 08:00 PM Da Nang - Vietnam
Neptune was angry yesterday and our ship was rocking on the waves in the strong wind. As a result we came to Vietnamese port of Da Nang 3 hours later then it was scheduled. Socialist Vietnam is the only country on our way who require visa from cruise passengers - it is easy to get it on the ship but you have to pay extra 8 USD for one day visa.
Port of Da Nang is located opposite the city, so you have to go around the bay to reach the town. They provide shuttle bus, but it is another 6 eu cost for the round trip. To far (15kms to walk) Once you are in the city the rickshaw drivers offer 1hour city tour for 5 USD.
I went to the Han Market on the bank of the huge Han River. A lot of colors, exotic fruits, stalls with textiles and souvenirs. Catholic catedral and Cham museum is also worth to see. People are nice - smiling, but tge knowledge of English is limited.
Tourist info office on the riverside offers free wi-fi!
Hot and hazy weather. In the evening we will sail to Hongkong.
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Apr 01, 2017 08:00 PM Singa, Singa, Singapore!
I have been to this scrap of Europe in Asia three times within 30 years. But it changes fast and I have good opportunity to refresh memories.
From cruise terminal where we are docking it is like 4 kms to the centre of the city. Cruise line offers shuttle bus for extra fee - 4 euro each way. But I decided to walk - just turn right from the terminal and then follow Central Blvd. On the upper floor of the terminal there is info office with good maps and free wi-fi...
Walk was not easy regarding the temperature and high humidity, it seems that I was the only walker :) - my fellow prefere to walk around the ship...
Well, for the first time I saw this extravagant Marina Bay hotel - saying the true I do not like such a architecture... Merlion still is surrounded by the crowd of tourists. Streets perfectly clean... I crossed Singapore River to Bencoolen Street - once it was oasis of the cheap accommodation for backpackers. No longer! The little Chinese hotel where a stayed during my first visit to SIN does not exist...
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Mar 30, 2017 08:00 PM Steamy Phuket - Thailand
I have been several times to Thailand, but never to Phuket Island... So it is new place to me... Our old ship anchored in Patong Bay (zero info about this from the ship - they want you to buy expensive excursions they sell onboard) Such a excursion around the island costs 59 euro.
They took us by mororboat to primitive jegtty on pontoons. Then we were welcomed by the crowd of the smiling taxi and tuk-tuk owners.
They offer same tour for 20 $ per person or if you decide to take open-z air tuk-tuk you can bargain to 15 $ pp. That's what I did with the 5 Italian friends.
Phuket island is lush and hilly. After the night rain it was sunny, but I felt like in the team bath. We visited thwo beautiful thai temples and some nice beaches. And this was the best solution because local transport is scare and it is hard to hitchhike on the roaring motorways - the island is well developed... The end of the trip was on the southern cap of the island where you can see great panorama of the rocky islands from the platform near the fancy lighthouse.
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