Gros Joe does China

Day 29 photos

2005-09-21T10:06:00.000+02:00

back in Hong Kong, exploring the rainy mid-levels

and the street market

more Irish pubs and Tri-Nation rugby

the pedestrian passageways around Hong Kong

fastfood noodles at HK airport.

Day 29 : singing in the rain

2005-09-21T09:51:00.000+02:00

We woke up to driving rain and strong gusts of wind. After a moment of dissapointment (oh no! we're not going to spend our last day on the beach!), we had a moment of panic (do you see the wind? do you think the seacat is still going? We have to get back to Hong Kong for our flight out!). All things considered, it's better to spend a rainy day in Hong Kong than in Macau and we both thought it'd be more reassuring to get back to Hong Kong just in case...no need to panic about missing flights.

It was a rocky boat ride back, people vomiting left and right. Unfortunately, we were eating a pomelo when the vomit started so pomelos will never be the same again...back on dry land, we took the covered passageways from the ferry terminal to the mall at Central where we found a "city airport checkin". We were happy to be able to unload our bags for the day and explore a little more of Hong Kong.

We had big hamburgers for lunch (not so bad actually) because it was raining so hard we didn't want to leave the mall just then. We wandered the covered walkways towards central, stopping in small stores along the way. As we were heading up the mid-level escalators, we saw a massage shop so decided to take a break.

It was Rebecca's turn to suffer...we were each face down on a massage bed with our faces in the special hole cut out of the bed. Jerome said there should have been cameras to film our faces at we got massaged. At one point, Jerome yelped at which point Rebecca assumed he was suffereing as much as she was. But no, he was ticklish. Rebecca on the other hand was grinding her teeth in pain. It was pressure point massage which meant a lot of elbows digging into highly senstive points on the back, grinding against the bones. The masseueses were talking about us in Chinese but we have no clue what they were saying, except that Jerome was hairy. Despite feeling like we'd been beaten up, we felt relaxed and were once again impressed by the strength in those little hands.

We did some more wandering around in the rain, through some street markets. We bought some last minute gifts and took in a little more of the wonderful Hong Kong atmosphere. We ended up on a market street, wet and tired, we ducked into an Irish pub and caught another tri-nations match (see Shanghai). Rebecca took another wander in the rain and discovered a little store on side street seeling all sorts of good luck charms, incence and offerings.

We dragged our feet to the check-in counter at Central and took the train to the airport. Not wanting a hamburger to be her last meal in Hong Kong, Rebecca ate some won ton soup in the airport. Duty free shopping done, there was nothing else to do but board the plane...the plane was disinfected with a 'non-harmful' insecticide. As we got our last glimpse of Hong Kong before heading into the clouds, we were already planning our next trip. Maybe Tibet, maybe India? But in any case, we're definitely coming back to Hong Kong.

Day 28 photos

2005-09-13T22:02:00.000+02:00

in the hotel lobby, waiting for the rain to stop

more hotel lobby

Chinese public exercise machines

Chinese stairmaster

exercise bike or...?

around Macau

dinner at O Porto Interior, the best meal we had!

cod cakes

"basket of Macanese snacks"

Macanese style King Prawns

stuffed squid

cream with portuguese biscuits

Mango pudding

Day 28 : amazing Macau!

2005-09-13T16:15:00.000+02:00

It was pouring when we woke up so there was definitely no lazing around by the pool. We sat in the hotel lobby for a while waiting for the rain to stop and when it didn't, we went out anyway. We decided that going to Coloane Island to eat at Fernando's was out of the question since it was raining so hard we couldn't even see the port outside our window.

As the rain lightened a little, we walked towards the center of town in search of internet. On our way, we stepped into the Hotel Lisboa Casino where Rebecca lost 2MOPS (about 20 cents) in a machine. That done, we walked a little further and stumbled upon an internet cafe where we sat out the rain.

By the time we left, the sky was clearing. We walked towards the Guia fortress and through parks, noticing the Portuguese architecture mixed with Chinese culture. Not having had lunch, we got some pastries in the street. Yum.

We wandered through the smaller streets around the city center, in and out of little stores that seemed to sell everything. We were impressed with the bamboo steamers hanging from the ceilings and the many sizes of chopping knives. It felt like all of a sudden we had stepped into a different world. We enjoyed wondering in and out of stores until the rain started again...which is when we made it back to the main square and took refuge at Starbuck's. That's where we had our first encounter with the "real" Macanese - a couple of women were sitting next to us speaking Portuguese but with very Chinese features.

We were hungry by this point so decided to try and find a restaurant we'd seen the previous evening. We wandered through the back streets, in the pouring rain. The architecture in that part of town was a real mix of Chinese and Portuguese - part looked like Hong Kong and parts looked like Lagos, Portgual.

We got to the A-ma Temple and almost went the wrong way. But we found the restaurant - O Porto Interior- and we weren't disapointed. The decor was very simple, with bird cages hanging from the ceiling and dark wood chinese screens on the walls. The service and meal was unforgettable. The menu was a mix of Portugal, China and India. As we ate, it seemed like the wait staff was enjoying watching us eat as much as we were enjoying eating. We got back to the hotel with very wet feet but not feeling much because of the delicious Portuguese wine and excellent food. I'll bet Fernando's wasn't that good anyway...

Day 27 photos

2005-09-12T16:11:00.000+02:00

lunch at Os Gatos in Macau

Jerome's portuguese-style Chinese casserole

African Chicken, the most famous Macanese dish

model of our hotel

view from the steps of Sao Paolo

Sao Paolo's ruins

slices of various jerked meats

Feeding the hungry ghosts

black sesame/ginger ice cream

Macau's 338 meters high

180° - bar at the top of Macau Tower

view from the tower

entrance to the hotel, an old Portuguese fortress

Day 27: just a seacat ride away

2005-09-12T16:10:00.000+02:00

Rebecca started the morning in the swimming pool, getting a last glimpse of luxury while Jerome caught up on his sleep. We checked out of the Peninsula...and learned that breakfast was included! On the Star Ferry across the harbor, we met an American guy who'd been living in Japan for a while. We talked about travelling and living abroad. He was a strange guy who had a lot to say about Japanese toilets and politeness.

We got to the Macau Ferry Terminal and borded the boat. It was raining a bit, but we got a good look at the islands as we speeded towards Macau. The first glimpse of Macau was a very long bridge and a Amsterdam-style facade - the bridge to Taipa Island and the new "Las Vegas" style casino, respectively.

We got to our hotel which was in an old Portugeuese fortress, with an impressive entrance leading up through the rock. It could use a serious facelift, but it had charm. We checked in, explored the pool and restaurant and decided to eat at their restaurant. The African chicken was delcious! We had planned on spending the day by the pool but the weather wasn't nice. When it began to clear up, we took a walk towards town.

We walked passed the A-ma temple, towards the Place de Senado in the center of town. We of course got lost so ended up at a fortress and then walked down towards the ruins of Sao Paolo. We stopped in a store selling macanese specialties - we tested about 10 different things before settling on some nougat and some almond cookies. As we walked towards the center of town, we walked by lots of small shops and many people light incense and burning offerings in the streets. (we later learned that it was the Feast of the Hungry Ghosts). We weren't hungry since we ate late, but since we stumbled upon an ice cream store, we had to go in. We tested different flavors including green tea and durian (vile!) before settling on lemon, ginger and sesame. We also got a frequent eater card, but didn't think we'd be back 10 days in the next two days.

Walking around, Rebecca felt like a piece of Lisbon had been dropped in the middle of China. Jerome also noticed how different the ex-colony felt to Hong Kong.

As we slowly walked back towards our hotel, we decided we wanted a drink. We saw a tower from about a mile away so walked towards it. After a little hesitation (is it a casino? a bar? a radio tower?), we went inside and were pleasantly surprised to find a chic bar on at the top of the tower. We indulged in cocktails as we looked out over the network of bridges that connects Macau to its islands and to the mainland (quite impressive structures indeed!).

We walked back to the hotel, which turned out to be quite close by and dreamt about Macanese food.

Day 26 photos

2005-09-08T21:35:00.000+02:00

breakfast in the Peninsula lobby

Japanese fast food

in the Jade Market

in the Jade market 2

more Jade market

a nice surprise!

free weird pear-type pomegranite-tasting fruit!

the inside of the weird fruit

the street behind the hotel

taking an evening swim at the hotel

on the left, the Sheraton...

...and on the right, the YMCA.

Day 26 : running around Hong Kong

2005-09-08T21:34:00.000+02:00

Rebecca started the day on a treadmill running towards Hong Kong Island - normally she hates treadmills but 1) it was raining and 2) the view of Hong Kong from the exercise room in the Peninsula was increadible. So she indulged in air conditioned comfort. She then used the whirlpool and sauna before waking up Jerome.

We went to the hotel lobby for breakfast and had a moment of regret/panic when we saw the prices. We still weren't sure what was included or not so we settled on two continental breakfasts with fresh squeezed fruit. Everything was perfect and Rebecca commented on the little dish specifically placed to catch the tea that drips from the pot when pouring. It made us wonder if rich people are stupid since, seemingly, you never had to think of anything when in the lap of luxury.

It was raining so the idea of going to an island was nixed. But Rebecca really really wanted to go to the Jade Market. So we sat out the rain a little and then walked up Nathan Road, through Kowloon Park. By the time we'd crossed the park, it was pouring again. So we stepped into a pseudo-Japanese noodle shop ( the McDonald's of noodles?) and had lunch. It was still raining by the time we finished but we decided to trudge through the puddles anyway. We were so happy to finally get to the Jade Market and see that it was indoors! It was like walking into Ali Baba's cave. Rebecca's eyes twinkled and Jerome prepared himself for market hell.

Some heavy negotiations took place in the market. Rebecca really wanted a jade bangle but it was tough work. Not only bargaining the price down (much easier since everyone spoke English) but also getting a bracelet on - once she'd found a nice one, the seller took out a tub of hand cream, slathered it on Rebecca's hand and told her to relax. He took her thumb and pushed it into her palm, and forced her hand into the bracelet. A perfect fit! But will it ever come off? He assured her that it would come off and on easily with soap or hand cream.

The rain had finally stopped so we decided to take the non-touristy route towards the Star Ferry. On our way, we got a good look at the dock area on Kowloon and the future site of the Kowloon cutlural center. We made a stop in at Pacific Coffee House to check our internet and that's where the plans went down the drain. We checked our bank statements and since we'd been paid, Jerome decided he wanted to go shopping...with Rebecca's credit card (see adventures in Shanghai). Jerome got clothes at Mugi and Rebecca got a bi-lingual Chinese-English cookbook at a local bookstore.

We then went to the internet cafe where we met Sharon, a British traveller in need of advice. We were happy to provide information that the Hong Kong tourist agencies wouldn't give her (like it's cheaper to fly from mainland China, etc). As we were leaving, Rebecca realized that she'd finally found the perfect match for the extra LP China 2005 edition that she'd been carrying around for almost a month. Due to a mix-up, Rebecca had received two books and had brought the extra copy along hoping to find a worthy traveller. Rebecca happily gave (unloaded!) the book and Sharon was "so happy she could cry".

It was an evening of extremes - we went back to the Peninsula for an evening swim and found a bottle of champagne in our room with a note wishing us a happy honeymoon. We took a swim and had a cocktail looking out on rainy Hong Kong before going back to our room for champagne. Then we went to ChungKing Mansion for dinner...we decided to follow the first person who sollicited us to his restaurant. The elevator was full so we suggested taking the stairs - which would have cut our appetite if we hadn't had that cocktail and champagne in our blood. The restaurant was delicious. And on our way out we crossed paths with a rat-sized cockroach as we approached Nathan Road and the "the Golden Mile". Hong Kong is really a city of extreme contrasts.

Click here to see some Heavy rain in Hong Kong

Day 25 photos

2005-09-08T21:29:00.000+02:00

setting up camp in the Peninsula

"Who wants to be a Millionaire?" in the marble bathroom

the pomelo

inside the pomelo

Stark's restaurant "Felix"

view of HK from Felix's

the bar in Felix's

Day 25: it's raining, it's pouring, Jerome is snoring

2005-08-26T10:23:00.000+02:00

It was raining when we woke up - it was kind of a welcomed change from the extreme heat the previous three weeks. After breakfast, we got our stuff together and checked out of the hotel.

One last time at the computer to upload some photos, and we met another couple who had just spent a few weeks in Bali. After a brief discussion with them, we decided we'd go there on our next trip.

As we walked down Nathan Road, we took in the situation: two huge backbacks, dirty clothes, heavy rain and we're walking down the street to check into one of the classiest hotels in the world. Welcome to the Peninsula.

But what's true for the toilets in 4 star hotels is also true for people walking in and out to visit. We walked in like we owned the place, put our bags down and checked in. We were shown to our room...and walked in in total amazement. There was a seperate foyer which led into a huge room with an extra large bed, a sitting room, an office, and all the amenities. Once the bags were brought to us, Rebecca started jumping on the bed like a trampoline. She then rifeled through all the drawers. Jerome was especially impressed with the TV lodged in the marble at the foot of the bathtub. It would have been perfect if there had also been one in the toilet. So THIS is luxury.

We decided to explore the hotel - we went to the spa, the pool, the restauarants, the lobby, and somehow managed to get into a secret elevator up to the 28th floor to see Felix. The place was closed and we were nicely told to come back at 6PM.

Back at the room, we both started to wonder what we could and couldn't touch without getting charged. Everything was thought of - we felt pampered and decided to spend the rainy afternoon in our fancy hotel room. We put in a pirated DVD bought in Shanghai- it's pretty nice to be rich...After seeing a message saying the fruit on thet table was complimentary, we decided to eat it. But we stayed away from everything else, eating out crackers and jam that'd we'd bought at the supermarket.

While Jerome had a nap, Rebecca headed out in the rain to the Temple Street Night Market. It was strange to be in a Chinese market where people didn't push or pester. It was as much a relief as it was strange. It felt like being in China but cleaned up, anespecticized. She was disapointed not to find the equivalent of the nice brown jacket she hadn't purchased in Beijing and still regretted not buying...

After a quick look around the market, which was just being set up since the rain had stopped, she went back to the hotel. We went up to the 8th floor for an evening swim in the marble swimming pool with Roman columns and stunning view onto Hong Kong Island. After a little swim and a dip in the whirlpool, we got changed and went up to Felix's (which was now open) for a cocktail. The restaurant itself was way too expensive for us, but we decided that a celibratory cocktail was called for. We drank house specialties as we watched the "Tron" building from across the harbor...it's nice being rich.

food recap

2005-08-22T08:41:00.000+02:00

Rebecca posted this in Lonely Planet's Get Stuffed:

I feel inspired by my jet lag so here's a list of the best things we ate and a couple restaurants to try. Keep in mind that lots of stuff in the guide books is wrong. China is going through a lot of change and many things have just disappeared. You cannot rely on the guide books, not even the 2005 editions.

Worth mentioning is the fact that you can ask for a doggy bag and you usually need one.

Beijing:

Noodle King of Old Beijing (can someone tell me the name in Chinese?) It's a chain throughout the city but it is a traditional place and the food is good. Try and find one off the beaten path (we asked our cab driver and he let us off at a place in the middle of no where). A great experience not only for the food but also for the yelling and rushing around all around you as ou eat. The chicken wings are noteworthy - boned, fried and cooked in soy, sugar, anis seed and spicy pepper.

The restaurant in Dowager Empress' mansion - the card I have is in Chinese but if you're interested, I can get a translation - the food is "emperial' cuisine and very refined and elegant. We enjoyed the shrimp-stuffed tofu fried in a fish sauce.

The HuaJiayiyuan is in a nice setting - an old house. If you can't find the Empress' place go here. Get a jug of jujube juice to go with your meal. 3 Dangxiao Street in Chao Yang

Tianjin:
Baozis are the local speciality and are a nice change from regular dumplings. They are filling so don't order too many of them. he most famous place is Guobuli.

Datong:

There is a big restaurant just across from the Yunang hotel. The Peking Duck was delicious - started with the entire duck and ended with its soup. They also had terrific sichuan chicken.
To the left of the big restaurant is a little place where the aubergine was the best I've ever had. It was cooked in soy sauce and sugar and red pepper.

The restaurant to the left of the entrance to the Datong Hotel (used to be the hotel's restaurant) serves local "peasant" style food. Go for the knife cut noodles or hand rolled dumpling-like things (you can see them being prepared in front of you);

Kaifeng:
The night market! The noodles from the two noodle stands are delicious and entertaining to watch being prepared. Also try some of the various skewered things. The veggie skewers are delicious too - they cook them and put them in a pita pocket with spicy sauce. You can also eat locusts if you want.

Hangzhou:
The Chinese fondue place just next to the Overseas Chinese Hotel is good, but a little expensive. the spicy fondue was made with dried shrimp, lemon grass and red pepper.

Louwailou Caiguan, just on the lake, is good even if the decoration is a bit outdated. Try the West Lake Fish or the beggar's chicken. Avoid the Dong Po pork unless you like eating 2 inch slabs of pig fat.

Shanghai:

Guyi Hunan restaurant was divine. Thank yorkie bear for this suggestion. The smoked pork with preserved turnip was a delicious mix of smoke, sweet, spice.

There's a place on the corner of Fujian Nanlu and Jinling Donglu that was a find. Their specialty, black fish in a very spicy sauce, was delicious. They don't speak English but their menu has pictures.

The Xin Jishi was a nice place in the French Concession. They had some good shrimp dishes.

Hong Kong:

Any of the Indian places in Chung King Mansion is worth trying. don't be turned off by the dirty stairways or the cock roaches in the alley way. we had a delicious Garlic Paneer at the Taj Mahal.

There is some ok street food at the Temple Street night market but nothing as good as in Kaifeng.

There's a noodle shop on Des Voeux road called Ho Ho noodles (I think) - their shrimp wonton soup was yummy. Mr F got the special congee which was full of various organs but he quite liked it.

We didn't have much dim sum because we were sick of it by the time we got to Hong Kong. but I'm sure we missed out.

Macau:

Food was extraordinary....

O Porto Interior was delicious and a very nice place. The staff is really nice too and enjoyed watching us enjoy our food. We got king prawns Macao style and stuffed squid. The mango pudding was divine. Rua da Almirante Sergio 259-B, near the A-Ma temple.

African Chicken is delicious. I had some at Os Gatos, the restaurant in the Pousada de Sao Tiago where it was called Piri-Piri. Overpriced but nice setting.

Lemincello, an ice cream place on Travessa de Sao Domingo, has good flavors - ginger, durian, green tea, mango, sesame...and you can test them first.

We didn't get to Fernando's because it was pouring rain the whole time...too bad. It's supposed to be delicious.

Greetings from Macau

2005-08-19T09:34:00.000+02:00

We haven't been able to bring the blog up to date. We're flying back to France tomorrow but will post the rest of the trip when we get back. Stay tuned for our adventures at the most expensive hotel in the world and gambling in Macau.

Day 24 Photos

2005-08-19T09:03:00.000+02:00

Chung King Mansion alley

double-decker tram way on HK Island

construction site in Causeway Bay

Comic book-internet cafe in Causeway Bay

view from the Mid-levels escaltors

near the Botanic Gardens

cafe in Lan Kwai Fong

"Tron" building (aka the Bank of China)

building with bamboo scapholding in Tsim Sha Tsui at night

Day 24 : transported in Hong Kong

2005-08-19T09:02:00.000+02:00

Rebecca started the day with a run along the Avenue of the Stars. She actually saw other runners! She finsihed her run right where a group of people was doing Tai Chi and they asked if she wanted to join. There were a couple westerners and mostly middle aged Chinese women. The instructor, dressed in a shiny white tai chi outfit with a hands free microphone and a nice comb-over, led the group in exercises. His wife demonstrated some fan dancing. When it was over, Rebecca went to wake Jerome and they had "American" breakfast at the hotel, stocking up on the food included with their room since eating out was so expensive.

We took the Star Ferry across to Hong Kong Island and wandered around Central looking for the Tourist Office...which didn't exist. We found a big sign saying it had moved so we took a double-decker tram a few stops to Causeway Bay. And we still couldn't find the place. We stopped in a Department Store but couldn't find anything so went back outside ready to give up. And then we saw the Tourist Information Office...inside the metro stop in the basement.

The nice women at the Tourist Office (tourist info in HK is excellent by the way) gave us tons of information on bookstores, internet cafes and places to buy knives. We felt ready to attack and went to the Juo Bear Internet cafe where a computer geek gave us drinks and a computer. There were comic books and mangas all over the place. It was more like a comic library than a cyber cafe.

We did a little more shopping and then decided to head back towards Central. We took another double-decker tram and went looking for the legendary Mid-level escalators, a series of 20 escalators that go 800 meters (about half a mile) up the hill. Our book said that they transported 40.000 travellers per day. We got a look at the neighborhood as we were transported up the hill and also thought about what a pain it would be to walk back down since the book also said that in the morning the escalators only go down and at night they only go up.
When we got to the end, we found a man walking his two jack russels and looked like he knew where he was going. We followed him to a steep road down the hill where we heard running water. We were actually along side the drainage from the Peak. The heat and humidity mixed with the fact that we were just next to the Botanical Garden gave us the impression we were in a tropical green house.

We accidentally ended up in the drinking area where we decided to take advantage of Happy Hour in a bar decorated with pantone seats. It made us forget that we were in China and not in a European City. Although we weren't supposed to eat in restaurants, we were too hungry. We took the Star Ferry back to Kowloon and stopped at the Chung King Mansion, famous for it's seediness but also for it's cheap and good Indian food. The place is a total fire hazard with cockroaches running around (which we saw after getting our food).

We took the food back to the hotel and ate in front of the TV. We also opned a "Black beauty" Melon we'd bought at the supermarket. Hong Kong left a very good impression even if things are not where they're said to be.

Click here to see the Causway bay tram

Click here to see the Skyscrapers view from the tram

Day 23 Photos

2005-08-19T08:39:00.000+02:00

Airplane food from Shanghai to Hong Kong

red bean and shredded turnip in jelly

Shanghai dumplings with shrimp and pork

various meat in sauce with rice

more bamboo constructions

view of Hong Kong Island from Avenue of the Stars

Hong Kong metro

Hong Kong skyscraper

the Star Ferry arrives

Day 23 : Hong Kong

2005-08-19T08:38:00.000+02:00

We really liked our flight on Dragon Air from Shanghai to Hong Kong. They have a nice red dragon logo. All of the announcements were made in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. The Cantonese seemed to sing more than Mandarin but now we didn't even know how to say thank you or hello. We could still count with our fingers though.

Neither of us was expecting much from Hong Kong besides another big, noisy city with too many financial analysts and a few skyscrapers. As we came over the water and the islands, we both got really excited especially when we got our first glimpse of Hong Kong. We were relieved to find that the city had an entire system to bring tourists to their hotels which made it all really easy.

We checked into our first hotel but the room wasn't ready yet. So we headed across the street to the first restaurant we could find. It turned out to be really expensive since they not only add on service charge but also tourist tax and a rate for tea per person. We had Dim Sum, which was both good and interesting.

Our room was ready so we settled in and took a nap, hoping to sit out the rain a little bit. Jerome slept while Rebecca enjoyed the many English language TV stations. It was dark by the time we got up. Our first stop was the supermarket since we had spent way too much on lunch. We walked down to the harbor and along the Avenue of the Stars, a promenade with hand prints and signatures. Turns out Jet Li has really small hands...
We picked up some essentials at the supermarket and also some strange fruit (not taking a durian in the end) and then tried to find an internet cafe again.

We took the subway from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island and walked around trying to find a cyber cafe. We found the first one but it no longer existed. We walked and walked, discovering the city at the same time, but couldn't seem to find what we were looking for. We also realized that the map in Lonely Planet was mislabeled so we were looking for stuff in the wrong place. We ended up finding a chain coffee shop that offers free internet with a coffee. We settled in for a couple minutes.

We had to get back across the harbor so opted for the famed Star Ferry. We were surprised at how cheap it was. The view from the ferry was spectacular and we really enjoyed the crossing to Kowloon. The cool sea air felt really nice. As we walked back up Nathan Road to our hotel we both agreed that Hong Kong was really cool...

Day 22 Photos

2005-08-17T13:29:00.000+02:00

a neighborhood street

bamboo structures in the street

crowded aquarium

Jerome recognizes someone he knows..

in the Jade Buddha Temple

Temple shop/altar

bamboo structure detail

worshipping at the Irish pub

O'Malley's in the French Concession

smoked pork with preserved turnip

duck hotpot

Day 22 : familiar faces in Shanghai

2005-08-17T13:28:00.000+02:00

The taxi driver who took us to the Jade Buddha Temple was a Barbara Streisand fan. I can't say we actually enjoyed the music in the car but at least we recognized it.

The Jade Buddha was beautiful - a huge piece of solid jade carved into a Buddha statue. But once again we wondered how monks can be monks amongst the tourists. The Temple shop was set up in the middle of statues where people were praying and placing incense (no lighting allowed). As we were leaving, we saw a couple monks coming back with their shopping bags. Jerome also found the portrait of someone he knows (see photos).

We still hadn't looked at computers so when we left the Jade Buddha, we went to an electronics shopping mall. Forgetting it was the weekend, we walked into an ocean of pushy shoppers and loud salespeople. We left empty handed about 15 minutes later.

During the taxi ride to the mall, we had seen an inviting bar in the French Concession. We wrote down the address but, as usual, couldn't find it. At the end of our patience, and after being bitten by fleas while we looked at cheap DVDs, we decided to trust the Lonely Planet guide and went to an Irish bar a few blocks away. We ended up in what must be Shanghai's expat haven. Behind the gates, we found dozens of tables and benches and a huge TV screen. There was a rugby match so we settled in with a couple pints of beer and enjoyed the familiar environment.

For dinner, we actually knew where we were going because we accidentally found it while we were lost looking for something else. It was Guyi Hunan Restaurant - recommended by a virutal person on the Thorntree. Thanks yorkiebear! The food was great...smoked pork with preserved radish (a mix of spicy, sweet, smoky and salty all in one dish) and a "hotpot" of an entire duck with chili, onion and other spices. With this meal, we were ready to leave Shanghai...

Click here to watch Rugby

Day 21 Photos

2005-08-17T12:22:00.000+02:00

in the Humble Administrator's Garden

Pavillion in the same garden

Still in the Humble Administrator's Garden

Water lillies

Moon door in the Master of the Nets Garden

In the Lion's Grove Garden

Carpenter repairing the back supports in the garden

Turtle head in the Master of the Nets Garden

Grannies playing card in the tea house

Spicy "black" fish

beef in curry sauce

The "scene" in the restaurant

Day 21 : the Gardens of Souzhou

2005-08-17T12:21:00.000+02:00

We decided to escape from Shanghai for the day but couldn't escape the heat. Souzhou is famous for its gardens - there are hundreds of them hidden between the canals and behind houses. There used to be over 200 which somehow escaped damage during the CulturalRevolution - they weren't destroyed but weren't maintained either. Now, because of industrialisation of the city, there are only about 70 left.

The first thing we did was to buy our return ticket to Shanghai : in China, you can only buy tickets from the point of departure. Luckily, the ticket agent could speak english. We were relieved.
From there, we headed to the east of the city towards the Garden of the Humble Administrator. It was really beautiful but overcrowded with loud Chinese tour groups and people talking on cell phones. We figured that such a place would be peaceful and quiet so we couldn't appreciate it as much as we had hoped.
Then we tried to find another garden wich we couldn't find, as usual. We found it right as we were giving up. But since it was lunch time, we decided to walk south through the city to find a restaurant. We didn't calculate the distance very well so ended up walking about 4 kilometers in the noonday heat. All this on top of the fact that Jerome had his foot run over by a taxi in Shanghai the previous day.

When we finally got to the restaurant, it wasn't there...so we ended up in a local place (for local people) where no one spoke a word of English. We sat down and the waitress gave us a menu as she giggled. We took out our dictionary and pointed to a couple words: chicken, vegetable, green. We had a very nice lunch of spicy chicken, chinese brocoli, rice and cold drinks all for the price of a coffee at Starbuck's in Shanghai.

We then realized it was late so we got a taxi back to the garden we couldn't find at first. The Lion Grove Garden was interesting because of it's jagged rock formations. But it was hot and crowded and we had almost had enough. Ready to give up on the gardens, we forced ourselves to go to one more. The Master of the Nets was not only small and beautiful but it was empty. We sat around for an huor watching the fish and the turtles and enjoying the cool breeze. Have you ever seen the Chinese Garden in the Met in NY? Well, it is a copy of this garden (without the turtles and fish).

The gardens all closed early so we had a couple hours to kill before our train. The nice woman at the tourist office told us there was an internet cafe 3 traffic lights away on the left. We followed her instructions but didn't find anything. We stood on the corner for a long time, tired and sick of not finding what we were looking for. We went into a hotel and asked but no one spoke English and they didn't even seem to understand the map we were showing them (seems the maps in the guide books aren't very good). Lost, we went back to the corner and staked out people who might speak English or be internet nerds. We finally found one but he didn't know. Then we asked a rickshaw driver to take us to an address in LP but he couldn't - explaining with hands and drawings that there was a bridge he wasn't allowed to go on. We finally took a taxi - the driver didn't understand our map of course - and he dropped us off on another corner. This time, we were relieved to see @@@@@ all over the windows.

Back in Shanghai, we were hot, tired and hungry. We walked out of the hotel and just went anywhere for food. A girl in the restaurant helped with the translation and we had some fish in a really nice spicy sauce and more green vegetables. As we were finishing, a French couple walked in. They were the image of what bad tourists are to us. They didn't want this or that, didn't want spicy food or heavy food, and took about 30 minutes to decided what they wanted. The entire restaurant staff looked on so it was pretty amusing. They began to tell us about their trip and we quickly realized that we hadn't seen the same China.

Day 20 Photos

2005-08-16T05:54:00.000+02:00

Scafolding on Nanjing Lu

Needle mushrooms

Weird activity on the roof

fish

water tanks

Old man babbling in the synagogue

Around the synagogue

View from the Hyatt lobby

The bund tunnel

Reflection in a restaurant

Jerome gets crabs

A Shanghai street at night

Day 20: getting crabby in Shanghai

2005-08-15T11:30:00.000+02:00

As we were leaving the hotel, Jerome realized he had left his ATM card in the machine the night before. So the day started with a trip to the Bank of China (see experience in Heze). They couldn't help us so we made a trip next door to the Peace Hotel to use their internet because of course we didn't take the number of the bank with us. Jerome managed to contact the 24 hour emergency number to put his card on hold. But he still had to get in touch with the bank in Lille to cancel his card. And the only available number was a free phone number that of course doesn't work from abroad. He had to wait for 6 hours until he could try again (time zones and all). He tried to track down the number by calling other branches of the same bank but no one had a "real" phone number. We finally sent an email to a friend - promising loads of gifts of course - who was able to cancel the card. Thank you Bryony!

In the meantime, we visited Nanjing Lu the main shopping street in Shanghai. Jerome finally found his red ink stone (see Heze) and a perfumed black ink stone. We walked down the street and looked at the remarkable way that bamboo is used as scapholding everywhere, even on very tall buildings. We ate at a Japanese noodle shop from where we could see the roof across the street. It was piled with junk and we couldn't figure out what the guys were doing up there...
After lunch, we went to see the old synagogue but it was really boring and we didn't stay very long. We wandered around the neighborhood which was full of what looked like English row houses except there were Chinese people sitting around in their underswear and making food in the stairwells.

From there we decided to go see the 87 floor Jin Mao Tower in Pudong. We settled for the Hyatt's lobb on the 54th floor because the ride to the top was way too expensive ad the bar on the 86th floor was closed. We pushed our noses against the windows and looked across the river for a while.

To get back to the other side of the river, we decided to take the Bund Touristic Tunnel not knowing exactly what it was. We had a good laugh...it was like being in a really slow subway car with psychadelic lights and new age music. Each time the "show" changed, a voice came on to give the title of the sequence like "Magma Infusion" or "Dancing Water".

Jerome finally had his crab for dinner at a place where the waiters laughed at his feable attempts at eating it with chopsticks. We were both severely chopstick impaired so we gave the wait staff a good show.

Day 19 Photos

2005-08-15T10:33:00.000+02:00

Shanghai model city 1

Shanghai model city 2

garbage talk

The Face bar 1

The Face bar 2

Day 19 : swindled by Shanghai

2005-08-15T10:32:00.000+02:00

The say started at the Urban Planning Museum on People's Square. The first floor had old maps and pictures of "old" Shanghai - it gave us a better understanding of the city. The second floor started out impressive with a model of the entire city, it was the size of the room. There was also a model of Pudong Airport and a place where little kids could " drive" a boat. There were lots of lights and music and screen showing the major cities in the world : New York, Sydney, Paris, Rome... In brief, we were in the middle of the biggest advertisement for Shanghai World Expo 2010.

From there we went across the square to the Shanghai Museum where we saw calligraphy, pottery, costumes...but neither of us was in the mood for a museum so not even the air conditioning could keep us in the museum.

We sat outside the museum trying to figure out where to eat and keep cool when some nice students came up to us and started conversation. They said they were visiting Shanghai and had heard about a tea ceremony that they'd like to visit and did we want to come. Rebecca's guard instantly went up but remembering the reporters in Kaifeng, she decided to listen to Jerome who was more trustful. We followed them a few blocks away thinking we would watch something interesting.

We were set up in a room where a woman told us after different teas, the various ways to drink them and their benefits. By this point, we were fairly certain that we were getting swindled but could do nothing about it. Rebecca secretly believed the tea was poisoned. After tasting a few different teas, we decided it was time to end it and said we didn't want to try anymore. Our "friends" however wanted to buy some tea first stressing that tea and tea sets make great gifts. Then the bill came at which point one of our friends said they really wanted to treat us but they were just poor students. The rotten tourists who we are refused to pay their part and their tea. The only thing we lost in the end was our pride...

We needed to recover so took our time and didn't get to the French Concession until after sundown. We were heading to a bar that Jerome had read about. We decided to pass through the market to see about getting some gifts but ended up leaving with nothing but aggrevation. The market was a nightmare (see the silk market experience in Beijing). We went in circles for what seemed like forever and finally found the bar. We settled into the plush chairs of the Face Bar in an old French Concession hotel and enjoyed well deserved expensive cocktails and the calm atmosphere.

Day 18 photos

2005-08-15T05:32:00.000+02:00

bamboo scaffolding in Shanghai

cafeteria food

razor clams up close

The gardens in old Shanghai

The Bund and the Pearl of the Orient

calligraphy tools

View of the restaurant courtyard

stuffed lotus root

Grandma's Pot

the French Concession "hot" area at night

leaving the French Concession

Day 18 : First day in Shanghai

2005-08-15T04:53:00.000+02:00

Rebecca went out for a run before getting the train to Shanghai. The Chinese are definitely an ealry morning culture. This time, she didn't get lost but there were still a lot of people out by the lake doing theire morning exercises. As she ran, she saw people walking and running. But mostly there were a lot of people doing Tai Chi, Chi Gong and other Chinese exercises. People were alone next to the lake or in groups set back from the path. There was a group of about 20 women all dressed in red pants and white shirts doing dances with red fans. They all opened and closed their fans in unison as they danced. The 20 fans closing at once made a loud snap that seemed to echo a bit on the lake. There was also a woman singing a song as if in a trance as she fed the fish in the lake...

After breakfast, we got the train to Shanghai Melong station which is not the main station. First thing we had to do was negotiate the price of the taxi. As we stepped out of the station, there were half a dozen taxi drivers on us proposing their services. We made the international money sign with our hands (rubbing fingers together) and were offered a very high price. We said no and went to someone else. We eventually got the price down to half of what was initially proposed (knowing we'd beeen swindled anyway) and took off across the elevated roadways that surround and cut through Shanghai. Bo had luckily prepared directions to the hotel for us - through an intermediary at the hotel in Hangzhou - without which we never would have found the new hotel. The funny thing about the taxis in China so far is that they never know the streets or even landmarks so you always have to be ready to help them.

We dropped our stuff off and went looking for the tourist office, which didn't exist at the address we had so we just wandered up the Bund and then into the old town. We ate at a food court just near the shopping street where they claimed we could taste lots of different things - it was a cafeteria where you filled your tray as you walked down the line. There were all sorts of strange things but we settled on razor clams, fried dumplings and a strange basket of mixed things.

Then we tried to find the gardens but just kept walking in circles around the block. We eneded up at the Temple of the City Gods. And just when we decided that the gardens had probably dissapeared like many other things we had listed in our guide books, we stumbled upon the entrance. We were glad to have found it because inside the wall it was like a maze of courts, ponds and paths climbing up rock formations. There were many bridges, all of which zigzagged across the ponds - the zigzagging is a form of protection against evil spirits who can only travel straight.

We went back to the Bund and walked in the heat until we couldn't take it anymore. We looked at the buildings across the river in Pudong and decided that the Pearl of the Orient is a really unattractive structure. But the rest of the skyline was impressive.

For dinner, we took a taxi to the French Concession and ate at a restaurant housed in an old house. The restaurant was chic but traditional. We were put at a table in the tiny back courtyard. Once the drunk people at the table next to us left, we were all alone with our stuffed lotus, "grandma's pot" (sweet pork) and river shrimp fried in spring onion and ginger.

After dinner we found ourselves in the trendiest part of the French Concession, surrounded by pseudo-French cafes and bars. We weren't sure if the buildings around us were recreations or originals but the walk was nice. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at an internet bar and discovered what the young Shanghaiese do with their evenings... As we worked on our blog, people were yelling at each other across the cyber cafe, a rather smoky and noisy place with about 150 computers. Jerome looked around and noticed that many of them were playing World of Warcraft. There must have been dozens of people playing against each other on the same network. Chinese pop music is just as bad as any other pop music and we enjoyed listening to the same songs over and over and over again...but at least we had finally found a good internet connection.

Click here to see the bund !

Day 17 photos

2005-08-13T17:50:00.000+02:00

The Happy Buddha

The Happy Buddha and Dragon

Lingyin Temple

various Buddhist figures

monastery window

lighting incense

praying in front of the Crazy Monk

at the top of the "Peak flown from afar"

cooling off in the water

beggar's chicken

Day 17 : wandering around Hangzhou

2005-08-13T17:22:00.000+02:00

We got up early enough to take advantage of the hotel breakfast and experienced our first Chinese breakfast - meats, rice porridge, dumplings, silk worms and warm Tang drink. We didn't test everything though...

We were energized and ready to go to the Lingyin Temple, an active Buddhist temple just outside of the city. As legend goes, the temple was established there when an Indian monk recognized a hill from back home so the hill is called " Hill that came here by flying". We were impressed with the size of the grounds and the beauty of the buildings. There was incense burning and water flowing everywhere. But we wondered what it was like to be a monk there with all the tourists walking around and talking loudly.

We climbed up to the top of the hill and by the time we got down, we were very hot. We took our shoes off and walked around in the stream with all the other kids. Lunch was beggar's chicken, another local specialty - a whole chicken cooked in a ball of parchment with various spices. The chicken was really tender and flavorful.

We explored the city and after finding that many of the things listed in our guides didn't exist, we realized that the city was "new". Much of what was around our hotel - the center of town - looked like it had been built in the past couple months. Stores were still being painted and all the "chic" stores were opening in the next couple weeks. We settled in at Haagen-Daz for what turned out to be a very expensive ice cream. It is considered to be a luxury restaurant; we got yelled at for taking pictures inside. It was a strange cultural mix of Chinese etiquette, beret-wearing wait staff and American ice cream.

We needed a lazy night so we went to Carrefour where we bought some Belgian beer, brie, a baguette, more ice cream and cucumber flavored potato chips (vile). Tired and looking forward to leaving for Shanghai, we came back to the hotel to watch another bad movie.

Day 16 photos

2005-08-12T17:11:00.000+02:00

Xi Hu - the causeway to the island

the lillies

celery, lotus seeds and mystery vegetable

West Lake fish

shrimp with long claws

path to the lake

view around the lake

the old house on the lake

If you look closely, you can see his underwear
(as the French expression goes when someone yawns)

more mutant fish

moon door and Chinese garden

the daily pre-dinner team scolding

building site

the bar

Cantonese restaurant

eggplant Cantonese style

chicken with ginger and other spices

Day 16: how to discover Hangzhou

2005-08-12T12:55:00.000+02:00

Rebecca still hadn't run in China so was very happy to find a perfect path around a beautiful lake right outside her hotel. She was happy to be outside, looking at the people strolling and doing their morning Tai Chi and fan dances. She walked a little to get away from the crowd and began running with the lake on one side and the mountains ahead. She followed the lake around and crossed a bridge appreciating the lotus and rock gardens and how intricate the paths were getting. When she understood she was lost, she also realized she had no money to take a taxi back to the hotel. She finally found a nice man who understood the problem and her sign language, called her a taxi and showed him the hotel business card. At the hotel, she ran up to the room, woke Jerome, grabbed money and paid the taxi.

Once Rebecca had cooled off from the morning heat, we went out to explore Xi Hu - West Lake. Since it was Sunday, it was very crowded but we were happy to see a couple other foreign faces. The lake is truly beautiful, with nice views of pagodas, moutains, trees and flowers. We appreciated the diverse landscape and atmosphere. There were causeways crossing from the shore to the islands and boats criss-crossing the water.

We decided to eat on one of the islands at the Louwailou Caiguan restaurant famous for it's West Lake fish cooked in a sweet vinegar sauce. The place was tacky but we enjoyed the view and the food.

After lunch, we continued walking and enjoyed the many paths winding through the trees. Jerome had to admit that getting lost is understandable. We also visited a beautiful private house just on the lake - there were various sections, each builiding surrounding water. There were moon doors, bonsais and mutant gold fish. We continued to walk until the path ended and then headed to Carrefour for essentials such as disinfectant wipes, underwear and m&m's.

We decided to check out the nightlife so after some research we headed to a place that sounded cool in the local magazine. It turned out to be something out of a bad German TV show with German renditions of American favorites and laser lights everywhere. After one drink, we tried to find something to eat. Once again, the address we had was a little wrong. On the verge of total frustration, we finally found the Cantonese restaurant hidden amongst the bars. We pointed at the dishes we wanted and ended up with some pretty decent stuff although it was overpriced. Then we went back to the hotel. Since we had access to something other than CCTV9 for once, we had to take advantage so we watched a really bad movie on HBO...

Click here to see lucky fish

Click here to see the 'German style' bar

Day 14/15 photos

2005-08-12T11:47:00.001+02:00

second leg of the trip

setting up the night market in Kaifeng

car number 1 to Hangzhou

the morning that never ended

the evil fan that didn't work

Day14/15 : 48 hour day

2005-08-12T11:46:00.000+02:00

After a late sleep, we checked out of the hotel, had lunch at KFC (since we couldn't order anything else and didn't feel like being adventurous) and then went to the Kaifeng Museum. It was probably interesting but we couldn't understand anything so don't really know...but we did see some cool kites, arts and crafts, and engravings. The museum was in a near state of abandon which seems pretty consistent with what we'd seen so far - cultural heritage trashed for the sake of modernisation. Not that we are against modernisation, but the museum was in a really pitiful state.

We walked around towards the back of the museum vaguely looking at some sculptures and wondering what to do with the rest of the day when we heard:
-Do you speak Chinese?
-No.
-Please come with us to the Asian wall. We have a car.

Rebecca immediately assumed we would be kidnapped and left in a ditch if we went with them.
Jerome was more trusting but still reticent. When the man and woman who stopped us saw our hesitation, they triedto explain that they worked for the newspaper. In broken English, the woman said that the Asian wall would be broken and there was no protest in the city. We went with them in the car and checked that the doors were not locked being pulling away. They showed us their press cards and told us they worked for the Kaifeng Daily.

We got out at the south gate where they took our names and asked us to look at the wall while the man took pictures. What do you think they break the wall? Do you like the Asian wall? We finally understand that Asian was actually ancient. We were used as protest icons. Meanwhile, a crowd was gathering around. The woman asked what the French cities do with their ancient walls. Jerome explained in drawing that many French cities knocked them down and created ring roads in their place, saving only parts of the walls and city gates. Our picture was to appear in the paper the following Monday and they promised to send us a copy.

They dropped us off at our old hotel and once again we felt lost and too nervous to communicate. We went to the supermarket then absently wandered up the street before Jerome spotted the Capuccino Restaurant - plush chairs and coffee. It looked like an international bar in the asshole of the world, as the French expression goes. We settled in for 5 hours. At one point, a teenage girl came over to practice her English - she explained that she was very nervous because she had never spoken to a foreigner before, but it didn't show.

Rebecca practiced saying "whor cher jen" (train station) before going back to the hotel to get the bags and grab a taxi to the station. And the nightmare began...

The train arrived late, people were pushing and jumping over the barriers to get to the track. On the platform, a policeman tried to control the situation and made a single line with the hundreds of people who were waiting for the train. That's when we began to panic. We had "hard seats" (rigid, straight seats) ticket for the 15 hour train ride to Hangzhou. There was no air-conditioning in the very packed train, although it was extremely hot.

We took out a note Bo had kindly prepared for us asking in Chinese to find us sleepers but we had little hope. We looked around hoping to find the conductor. Meanwhile, Jerome saw a sign indicating the number of seats in the car : a total of 80. But there were at least 120 people in the car.

After a few minutes, Jerome went to the conductor with his note as I watched in angst and as 240 eyes stared at him. The conductor called over the policeman (each car has its own) and we understood that we should follow him but had no clue where we were going or why.

We walked from car 17 to car 1, walking through 10 cars packed with people in the aisles, in between the cars, sleeping under the seats, in the toilets, women with 2 babies on their knees...and all this with our huge backpacks on. It was so packed, that people were actually helping to push us through the aisle. We were trying to get through and hoping to get sleepers, but felt awful seeing the way everyone else was travelling.

We had a 3 minute break when the train stopped at a station, enough time to get out and run next to a couple cars. We got back on and everyone stared at us. As we stood there dripping with sweat, we took in the scene: it was like a giant dormitory in the dining car.

We finished our walk to the front of the train where a couple of conductors were sitting around smoking. We paid the supplement for what we believed would be sleeper seats. In the end, we had two beds. Even though we were in the only section of the car where the fan didn't work, we were happy and grateful, especially to Bo.

The trip finally got boring, but everything went well. We actually enjoyed the adventure and are able to laugh about it now. We arrived in Hangzhou at the tail end of a typhoon and we had never needed a shower so badly. But first, the hotel couldn't find our reservation. Bo had made the reservation but we suspect that they didn't want to honor the cheap rate he was quoted when they saw it was for Westerners. Rebecca was losing patience and Jerome was becoming delirious. We finally sorted it out after Bo called.

Two long showers later, we crossed the street to a hot pot restaurant - in the driving rain - and enjoyed a lot of beer and Chinese fondue (made with a lot of pepper and lemon grass).

After dinner, we were finally able to appreciate the beauty of the lake we would be staying on for the next 3 days.

Day 13 photos

2005-08-11T17:38:00.000+02:00

In the stationery store

outside the park

a mysterious artifact

model of the Song Dynasty palace before flooding

up to the Dragon Pavillion

half awake man on altar

Jerome posing with a Chinese tourist

Rebecca the star

going to exchange the dress

squid

tofu and veggies

the nice man whose food we didn't eat

Day 13: exploring Kaifeng

2005-08-11T17:08:00.000+02:00

We started our day in a long line at the train station only to learn that there were no night trains to Xian - because Kaifeng is a small city, they don't sell tickets to all the trains, even though they pass through! Should have read the Lonely Planet guide a little better. We adjusted our plans and bought tickets to Hangzhou where Bo would be meeting us after a couple days back home.
Bo was leaving in the afternoon but we had a lot to visit first.

First we had to exchange Rebecca's dress. Bo called the guy from the night before but we couldn't find him where he said he was. We asked Bo where his store was but it turns out he didn't have a store, just a parasol. He sold clothes by night but repaired bikes by day. We finally found him and left him the dress and should come back later for the new one.

Jerome was drawn to the stationery stores in the street, still searching for a red ink stone. We found our way to the calligraphy stores on the way to the park, but there weren't any red stones. But we did discover perfumed black ink stones.

We went to the Lingting Park to see the Dragon Pavillion, the only remainder of the palace. We learned that the palace was actually under the lake having been flooded a long time ago. Then it was Rebecca's turn to be a star and take pictures with little girls. It was starting to get annoying.
After the park, we went to pick up the dress at the man's parasol - he brought us through an alley into his room. He showed us which carton to look in for the dress because his hands were full of bike grease.

We finally saw another foreigner, an older guy from Vancouver. Our excitement left rather quickly when we understood he was doing some sex tourism...

Then we ate more baozis in a really loud place with extremely rude waitresses. From there we headed to an active temple - we were impressed. One room opened up into a garden and then into another room and so on. The final room, an octoganol building housed a thousand head and thousand arm statue. The garden was full of sculpted trees, water and rocks. We also breifly watched chanting practive with monks and lay people.

We dropped a very worried Bo off at the station. We assured him we'd be fine. We went back to the hotel and slept until the night market started up. We went back to "Mrs. Wong's" because the only thing we could order was noodles (and knew she wouldn't cheat us). We would have liked to taste what the nice man who sold us beer was making, but we couldn't understand anything...

Click here to see 'Mrs Lee's noodle making - part 2'

Click here to see 'Mrs Lee's noodle making - part 3'

Day 12 photos

2005-08-11T16:52:00.000+02:00

going to the trailor's

looking at yellowing dress patterns

Rebecca gets measured

Jerome towers over the tailor

the negotiations (Bo's "aunt who screams" in the middle)

the happy family(L to R) -
the shop assistant, R, J Bo's aunt and cousin, the tailor

the satisfaction machine at the bank

lunch at Bo's

close up shot of our buddies

a swarm

fuzzy bean

the calligrapher showing the painting made for a contest

the calligrapher in her shop

the happy family with the hotel staff and Jerome's fan (3rd from left)

at the night market in Kaifeng

the night market in Kaifeng

skewer pile "mikado"

selling lotus roots

making the sandwich

various skewered things

beggar at the market

our noodles and beer

strange addictive fruit

Day 12 : "Mrs Wong's" noodles

2005-08-11T16:10:00.000+02:00

Bo came to get us around 10 AM to bring us to the tailor's. We had to wait for "the aunt who yells" to bring us to the right shop because there were a couple right next to each other : they all looked like little hole in the wall places with not much interest.

The aunt came with her son and we walked into the shop to find a table full of different silks - most of them ugly - a tailor and a couple shop assistants. On the walls, there were different pieces of clothing in different styles. We presented Rebecca's silk to the tailor - only to learn that it was silk and cotton but good quality anyway. We both chose silk for shirts and pointed to clothing hanging in the store to design what we wanted. Rebecca chose the dress she wanted from a yellowing catalogue.

Then it was measuring time - they were impressed by Jerome's size which required a lot of fabric and by Rebecca's thin waist and wide hips...Then we had a photo session with the entire shop before heading to the bank.

The bank...Jerome couldn't get money out of the machine with his card so he decided to cash in a traveller's cheque. But it seemed like the teller didn't have much experience with traveller's cheques and the entire staff was in a mini-panic. They looked over the cheques, Jerome's passport and their collection of color scans of "specimen" cheques. After checking and rechecking for about 10 minutes, they finally gave Jerome his money. So we voted the teller "satisfactory" on the terribly degrading approval machine that was at each window.

We were invited for lunch at Bo's parents. Bo's mother had spent all morning preparing about a dozen dishes. Bo had to stop her from giving us a hundred raviolis on top of everything on the table. We once again had the tasty(?) cicadas. His parents were so hospitable and presented us with a lovely calligraphy before we left. We invited them to visit us in France or Belgium.

Jerome was still looking for a block of red ink so we went to the Heze artist quarter. After going into a couple shops, we learned that the calligraphers prefer the liquid ink so Jerome bought a couple tubes from a nice woman wearing a great dress. She wanted to take our picture and then Rebecca was inspired to buy a calligraphy. And then the artist gave us one as a gift, signing it in front of us and said she was happy to meet us and wanted to be friends.

Back at the hotel, there was a strange man staring at Jerome. Through Bo, we learned that he too wanted to be our friend - well, Jerome's friend actually. He kept touching Jerome's sweaty back and invited us to visit his town which has a special kite festival every year. We had a photo session with the hotel staff and then uncle brought us to the bus station in his police car.

Uncle was so excited to be out in public with foreigners that he bought us tickets to the wrong city. As he shoved money into Bo's hand, we were trying to get into the bus and away from the crowd that was gathering around us. The bus ride was bumpy as we drove through small villages, one of which seemed to be the Chinese capital for door and window frames. They were lined up along the road for miles and miles.

We arrived in Kaifeng just as the night market was setting up. Rebecca had to contain her excitement while we waited to find out about trains to Xian but we didn't get any information. And then we headed to the night market - a jungle of people, carts, bottles, used skewers and lots of different smells. But where was Mrs Wong?

We first stopped at a cart selling veggie skewers - we chose 6 of them, they were cooked in a pot, put into a pan, pressed with a sponge to sop up the water, mixed with spicy sauce and shoved in a pita. It was good.

And then we found two noodle making carts - we stood for a couple minutes watching the tossing, twisting, throwing, mixing and shouting. We were convinced that this was Mrs Wong even though Bo told us it was Mrs. Li's cart. We recognized her smile and energy from TV.

We ordered a bowl of noodles which we watched being prepared in front of us. We also got a bottle of beer. Total price was 5 Yuan. Bo, who doesn't like noodles, got a bowl after all and said they were good. As we were leaving, Bo asked if she had been on TV. She said that yes, she was on German TV (ARTE). Bo then told her that we had come to Kaifeng because of it. She seemed to smile...

We then explored the rest of the night market which continued down a street with old wooden balconies. We bought a couple gifts and then Rebecca bought a dress which she couldn't try on. But the seller said she could exchange it the following day if need be and gave Bo his cell phone number.

We also bought some really addictive fruits that we call the weird fruits having no idea what they are or how to translate the Chinese name.

It was a very long, full, exciting day with lots of great encounters.

Click here to see 'Driving lesson - part 3'

Click here to watch 'Mrs Lee's noodle making - part 1'

Day 11 photos

2005-08-10T11:55:00.000+02:00

Scenes from our hotel window...

sweet beans

tofu with dried fish and 100 year eggs

uncle's specialty

chicken feet

grilled cicadas

Day 11 : Foot day

2005-08-10T11:23:00.000+02:00

"Heze?" asked the middle aged man on the train.
Rebecca shakes her head yes. And the man gives a thumbs up and a big perplexed smile...
Welcome to Shagwaland (shagwa=idiot not to be confused with fagwa=French)
The night train was uneventful once the man went to sleep and stopped staring at Rebecca and giving her thumbs up. Bo also had to tell him "to go away".

We got to Heze at 7 AM and were brough to Bo's uncle's hotel - the taxi driver seemed intrigued that foreigners would be in Heze. It was the beginning of the end. Everyone stopped to look at us - that's how we realized that we were probably the only foreigners in the entire city of 2 million people.

From our hotel room window, Jerome filmed the crazy traffic in the street below - a never ending cacophony of motors and horns. Rebecca told Jerome to get his head inside the window or he'd cause an accident with his blond head.

After a brief nap, Bo and his parents met us for lunch which took place at Uncle's restaurant. See, uncle was a chef before a hotel manager so we had the best of everything - eggplant soup (fried in star anis and ginger and then cooked in broth), a mix of sweet beans on a mountain of shaved ice, fried fish... As a special treat, uncle prepared his specialty for us, which Bo informed us we had to finish because it's expensive. Not knowing what to expect, besides some sort of soft seafood, we were served sea cucumber...

Conversation was difficult but Bo's parents were so kind that we could understand a lot without speaking. After lunch, uncle brought us to the peony gardens where we learned that Heze is famous for the flowers and that they do not bloom in the summer.

Uncle dropped us off a foot massage salon where we were told to take our shoes off and follow someone into a private room. After settling into the plush, reclining chairs and turning on the very large television (CCTV 9 of course, the only English speaking station), tubs full of very hot water were placed at our feet. We finally got the courage to put our feet in and leave them there.
After a few minutes, three rather attractive women came in and grabbed our feet. They rubbed our feet very hard and that's when we learned Jerome is a sissy. The girls were also impressed with his size. They rolled his eyes when he said his brother was even bigger.

Those girls were strong despite being petite. The calloused thumbs were proof of their hard work. Who knows how long it went on - forever for Jerome - but everyone enjoyed it, despite the pain. Then a second girl came in and began massaging our heads at the same time. As one beat our feet and lower legs (making a loud slapping-snapping sound), the other stuck her fingers in our ears and shoulder blades. Then a third person came in, this time a man, and massaged our backs and it was finally over.

Dinner was in a local restaurant in a private room. Bo's parents and aunt and uncle took the liberty of ordering all the local specialities (13 platters in all) including sweet water chestnuts, flat bread with red bean paste, soup with fish balls, beef cooked in anis, baozis, chicken feet, pig's knuckles and cicadas. Everyone watched us as we politely took our first cicada. And they kept watching us until it was chewed and swallowed. It wasn't so bad after all. We finished off about 10 bottles of beer but didn't even get close to finishing all the food in front of us.

Click here to see 'Driving lesson - part 2'

Click here to see The streets of Heze

Day 10 photos

2005-08-09T17:11:00.000+02:00

The Beijing Hilton

Bo learns about Anglosaxon culture

detail from Yuan cents

surviving the market

getting bracelets made

Old Beijing style restaurant

sweet and spicy chicken

Federal Chairman of Switchland

negotiating the price of silk

space age internet cafe in Beijing

same internet cafe

unknown green veggie

Sichuan beef - too many peppers

Day 10: the many faces of silk

2005-08-09T17:10:00.000+02:00

Yaya's mother was trying to force feed us noodles, candy and anything else she could find in the fridge but all we could think about was finding a decent toilet.

After showering and changing, in her one room apartment, we got a taxi across the entire city to the Hilton. Thanks to sister Melanie for the valuable lesson learned in Paris - never use a McDonald's bathroom when you can go to a 5 star hotel where no one will ever ask questions. This was probably the most expensive crap in Beijing since we paid 50 Yuan, travelling about 20 kilometers. Talking about possible plans for the day, we taught Bo a new expression : peter dans la soie.

Silk was the theme of the day and we tried to find perfect silk for Rebecca's dress. First we went to a very pricey silk market - visited by the "President of Switchland", wherever that is. We also had fun zigzagging through the aisles and trying to lose the sales guy who followed us around the entire store.

Then we ate at another Biejing noodle place - but this time we gave our leftovers to some beggars in the streets.

Rebecca finally chose silk after having a near panic attack when revisiting the nightmarish silk market from a couple days earlier.

As we wandered trying to kill the rest of the day until our night train to Heze, we tried to go to the Green T House. But it was closed! However, they let us in for a visit (no pictures allowed but you can visit their website :http://www.greenteahouse.com.cn )

Day 9 photos

2005-08-09T16:30:00.000+02:00

Jerome uses his new ink to draw our itinerary

First leg of our trip

Taoist divinities at Heng Shan Monastery

Heng Shan Monastery

traditional mosquito trap

burning incense at the Taoist temple

inscription on the mountain side

The Hanging Monastery

holding on for dear life

scared tourists climbing down narrow staircase

Xiao Wei's neighborhood

eating "Chinese fondue"

the couchette from Datong to Beijing -
Rebecca, Yaya, Bo (from left to right)

Day 9 : old hanging rocks

2005-08-09T16:29:00.000+02:00

Xiao Wei got us all places with a tour group to Heng Shan - one of the 5 holy Taoist mountains - and the Hanging Temple about an hours drive from Datong.

Stepping onto the bus was an adventure it itself - it was a Chinese tour. And all eyes were on us, once again. We're not quite sure what the guide was saying but she seemed to be ranting about something for most of the ride to the mountain. The bus somehow managed to make it up the hills, to the base of the mountain without tipping over or falling off a cliff. Keep in mind that there are no guard rails and road rules don't apply in China.

At the foot of the mountain, the guide yelled at us not to look at the souvenirs and then we started walking up the staircase that led to the monastery which looked like it was was sitting in the middle of nowhere. Along the way, there were red Taoist inscriptions carved into the mountain and red ribbons tied around the trees (we didn't understand why of course). We finally got to the monastery which turned out to be a multi-level complex of temples and halls. The most impressive temple was up a steep 105 stairway - so steep that we were practically climbing on all fours. We opted for the cable car to get back down the mountain. Half way down, we heard "hello. how are you?" from a car going up the mountain. It was the little girl who Jerome took a picture with the previous day. By the way, Bo is terrified of cable cars and his fingers must still hurt from holding on so tight.

Then it was back down the mountain for lunch at a rather crappy tourist place where we got our first look at the Hanging Temple. The temple looked like it would be a disapointment, but only from the bottom of the cliff. Our tour guide gave us an explanation of something - Bo gave us the basics. And then we climbed up some stairs and into the first level of the temple. It turns out it doesn't actually hang from the cliff face; there are wooden beams anchored in the rock and some poles (that seem not to do much) supporting it and keeping it from falling into what was once the Yellow River below (now dammed up).

As we climbed, there seemed to be more and more people and less and less space. The walkways became more narrow as we got higher. At the very top, it was barely wide enough for one person. Rebecca and Bo were hanging onto the walls, trying to get as far from the railing as possible, as Jerome and Yaya were busy hanging their heads over the edge and taking pictures. We weren't disappointed ...

Back in town, we met Xiao Wei's mother for "huo guo" or hot pot (Chinese fondue?). Rebecca was chopstick challenged and managed to burn our hostess. But the food was great - all sorts of veggies, meats and seafood were cooked in a spicy or a flavorful broth. And as things cooked, we fished them out. The waitress was on hand to add more water, turn down the heat and skim the broth as neccessary.

Then it was onto our first night train - we were panicked at the set up. Each section had 6 couchettes and they all opened into the same corridor. We thought that it'd be impossible to sleep but it turned out to be better than night trains we'd taken in France. It seems like China has mastered the art of night trains and people sleep peacefully. We arrived in Beijing at 6:30AM and fought our way out of the station to Yaya's mother's flat...

Day 8 photos

2005-08-05T06:08:00.000+02:00

attached monks

Rebecca showing what used to be a turtle before acid rain erosion

one of the many grottoes and the carved Buddhas

looking at another grottoes

the big Buddha

soldiers having fun

Jerome's little friend

a cave containing a large stone Buddha

Xiao Wei gets a stamp carved

bitter cucumber (VERY bitter)

local specialities - black tofu and peppers

chicken and garlic cooked in aluminum

weird local dumpling things

more weird local dumpling things

two of the nine dragons

Peking duck

Chinese "French fries" and green beans

Sichuan chicken with lots of peppers!

Day 8: Datong where Jerome reveals his super star status

2005-08-05T06:07:00.000+02:00

Datong is known for its coal mining and high pollution levels. But also for it's close proximity to important historical sites.

At 9 am, the gang met us at the hotel and we went to the Yunang Grottoes about 15 km out of town. Along the way, we saw many donkey carts including one old man pulling a cart full of steel reinforcement for reinforced concrete in his donkey cart. It's a rare contrast that we don't usually see but seemed normal in China.

The Yunang Grottoes are located directly across from a coal mine which, unfortunately, causes a lot or irreperable damage. Turns out there was a seminar that same weekend about how to protect the grottoes including several hundreds of international specialists.

We were amazed at the beauty of the caves! There are 45 of them, each containing various sculptures and carvings of the Buddha and Boddhisattvas built during the Wei Dynasty. There was a 15m tall Buddha too where Jerome became a Chinese icon when a little girl asked for a picture with him. It was only the beginning and other people asked to take a picture with him, including kids and military men. There were also some Buddhist monks, very "attached" as Bo said, taking pictures in front of the carvings.

Then we went back to Datong to eat - we ended up at a place specializing in local peasant-like food. We had knife-cut noodles with various innards, chicken cooked in an aluminum pouch and various dumplings in strange shapes. Jerome went for a nap and the rest of us went to see the Nine Dragon Screen, the only remnant of the royal palace in Datong. The screen once protected the vice-king and the dragon's were meant to scare evil spirits from entering the palace. Then we went shopping...

Then Rebecca learned she was a size extra-large in China (compared to a small in the US!). There were beautiful clothes but none fit - she got stuck in a dress and the sales lady had to pull her out of it. We went to another store with tradition-modern clothes and it was Rebecca's turn to be a star. Everyone in the store was helping, bringing different clothes but in the end Rebecca only left with a shirt. And she even got a special discount.

We went to dinner in the pouring rain that followed the huge dust storm in the city. For dinner we had Peking duck, the chef cut the duck in front of us and then made soup with the bones. We also ate sichuan chicken with huge peppers, and Chinese "french fries". We had to get up early the next day so went to sleep early.

Click here to see some 'kaolaole' making

Day 7 photos

2005-08-05T05:50:00.000+02:00

Not many pictures today because we didn't want to completely embarras ourselves in the train...

in China, times zones differ by minutes too!

Jerome shows you how to eat a lotus seed (aka water lily)

1. the lotus

2. taking out the seed

3. the seed

4. the peeled seed.

Day 7: Station to station

2005-08-05T05:49:00.000+02:00

Turns out there were no places left for the night train from Tianjin to Datong so Bo worked his magic once again...making a dozen calls to ask Yaya to ask her friend's mother to get us tickets This meant going back through Beijing which gave Yaya the chance to come with us to Datong.

Arriving in Beijing, we took the bus - no taxis would take us for such a short (5 km) distance. We got off the bus and walked a bit to find the travel agency in the middle of no where where our tickets were. We grabbed a taxi and had just enough time to eat at the fast food ravioli restaurant (whose sign is a Chinese copy of Colonel Sanders of KFC).

Yaya met us and we grabbed the train....The train station was packed with people everywhere, lying and sitting on the floor. Jerome and I let out a "holy shit!" in unison when we saw the zoo. Yaya couldn't get a ticket so she had to stand for the 5 hour trip. Once on the train, our neighbors struck up a conversation with Bo and Yaya and after a while, we were all sharing the same seats. and Yaya could sit down.

After a few hours of boredom, Yaya decided she wanted a French lesson which Jerome provided - bonjour, ca va? un deux trois... Curious people were looking on, including the little boy in the seat next to us. And then a guy asked what "lovin' " meant; Rebecca immediately recognized the reference from the Chinese McDonald's ads visible all over Beijing - "I'm lovin' it". Rebecca explained that it was an abbreviation and he asked if it was the same for "Guns n' Roses". Then he asked what "colitas" was- Rebecca recognized the lyrics from "Hotel California" by the Eagles, but had to admit that she didn't know.

Xiao Wei and her brother were waiting for us in Datong, dropped us at the hotel and brought us out for dinner. As usual, we ordered too much including eggplant cooked with star anis, ginger and garlic cooked in sugar and soy sauce and the local specialty of "knife cut noodles" (more about these noodles later).

Day 6 photos

2005-08-01T12:35:00.000+02:00

Breakfast (egg-veggie dumpling & duck egg)

Tianjin, our first woman taxi driver

Mubha (aka snake)

candied nuts

kids climbing on a turd (mahua cookie)

dog don't care baozi

art supply store

fire dragon fruit

Day 6 : Tianjin and the dog don't care...

2005-08-01T12:34:00.000+02:00

Bo: There are 32,000 in Tianjin
Rebecca: People?
Bo: No, taxis. There are 10,000,000 people in Tianjin.

This is small compared to the 67,000 taxis in Beijing. And we finally had a woman taxi driver with a lace curtain shading the driver's side window and long white gloves to protect her arms from the sun. Chinese women want to stay as white as possible.

Bo's friend Lei made a reservation for us at a Chinese hotel and conveniently forgot to tell them that we were foreigners. In China, there are hotels designated for foreigners. It made our stay much cheaper.

The hotel was located on Ancient Culture Street - a new "old" street with a new "old" Drum Tower at the end. The real Ancient Culture Street was destroyed in the name of urbanisation.

We grabbed a taxi to Food Street, a sort of in door mall with restaurants of all sort. But all we wanted were the special "Dog don't care" Baozis - special dumplings in Tianjin. Everything was closed until 5 pm so we waited in McDonalds and ate "mahua" - literally "snakes" but looked more like large, solid turds.

Once we ate our baozis - once again too many of them - we went to see Bo's art academy. We went to the academy's art supply store so Jerome could buy some ink, paper and brushes. He walked out very happy with his wolf and sheep fur brushes and ink stones.

While Rebecca was busy taking care of food-induced stomach cramps, Jerome and Bo took a trip to Carrefour. They came back an hour later with a fire dragon fruit - probably one of the most beautiful fruits we've seen so far (pictures to come!)

We spent the evening relaxing and getting reading for the next day's train journey to Datong.

Day 5 photos

2005-08-01T12:12:00.000+02:00

Bo enjoying the piped music on the ride up to the Wall

Girls don't sweat, they glow

walking the wall

the lonely guard

The three stoodges

Hi-tec hits the wall

view of the wall

looking towards Jinsaling and the 10 kilometers we didn't walk

Day 5: the day we conquered the Great Wall

2005-08-01T12:11:00.000+02:00

Rebecca's suggestion of walking 15 kilometers on the Great Wall was voted down. And good thing too because it was hot.

The bus left at 6:30 am and what a bus trip it was! The drivers are maniacs but they must be extremely good drivers to do the crazy stuff they do. There were moments when we thought it was the end...or at least that there'd be some sort of accident.

Anyway, we slept on the bus and then jumped out at Simatai. We looked up and perched on top of the jagged peaks, we could see the watch towers on the Great Wall. We opted for the cable car to get us part way up. And then walked to the wall, trailed by people - who apparently camped on top of the wall waiting for the tourists to arrive - peddling t-shirts, stone carvings and water.

At the end of the renovated section, there was a soldier making sure no one would cross (or be fined 200 Yuan or 20 Euros). He asked through Bo if we had coins from our home countries that we wouldn't mind giving him. We were happy to provide him with various euros and a silver 5 Franc coin.

We walked through 10 towers, up and down and up and down and thousands and thousands of stairs. And some crazy French kids running up and down with no guard rail in site, only a sheer drop down the mountain. We ended up walking about 6 kilometers in all which wasn't so bad especially considering the terrain.

We got back to Beijing and had 2 hours to find money and shower before the hotel turned the water off for repairs. No luck at the fancy hotel but just as we lost hope, Jerome forced Rebecca to try her American ATM card. And it worked to everyone's surprise! Thank you Penn Federal in Montclair New Jersey! (PS Mom and Dad check the bank statement please).

Tired and hungry and showered, we went to a place just out of the hutong where we had to share a table with two locals who didn't seem to mind us. As usual, we didn't want to take too much food and as usual we had enough for at least 6 people. Bo explained to us that it's normal to order too much and to waste a lot because you're supposed to show your wealth. That said, seeing what our neighbors left, we could have ordered nothing and still had a full meal.

So we went back to Lotus Lane and got drunk on cocktails and reminisced about the hutong smell. We were all exhausted by Beijing and glad to be leaving the next day.

Click here to see Bo in the cable car

Day 4 photos

2005-08-01T11:47:00.000+02:00

our new hutong

Rebecca's fashion show

the not so good restaurant in a cool place

chicken and melon

spare ribs

hutong feel

urban renewal

Chinese chess at the Temple of Heaven

fancy dinner at Dowager Empress' house

Day 4 : Beijing John Malkovich

2005-08-01T11:46:00.000+02:00

We'd be lost without Bo...he's been great and patient and deserves vacation once we're gone. He spent a long time on the phone trying to get us into a hostels and into a trip to the Great Wall since we were leaving our lovely courtyard hotel (called a siheyuan in Chinese). Everything in this country is extremely complicated. Something simple that one person can do in 5 minutes takes 4 people 20 minutes to do. Not kidding.

So, Day 4's adventure started with a very talkative cab driver who was teaching himself French, English, German, Finnish with a dictaphone in his taxi....he was probably pretty annoying but we couldn't understand most of what he was saying. Poor Bo got an earful on the way to our hostel.

The Youth Hostel was full but Bo negotiated us into a room in a "new" hostel just down the street. It was cheap and in a courtyard but had that hutong smell that we have grown to know so well. We dropped our bags and went looking for food as usual. But first, Rebecca was drawn into a clothing store with a very nice and very good salewoman who managed to get a very sweaty Rebecca to try on a dozen jackets. They were pretty sticky. We walked out with only 1 jacket.

The meal was memorable for the bamboo container that the spare ribs were served in, but the food was not great. Note that this was the only restaurant we took from the guide book!

Then we went looking for money...and it started to seem like a quest for the holy grail. two hours later, we gave up and went to the Temple of Heaven, hoping that money would be provided by the heavenly Bo. But, the Temple was in renovation again...thank you Beijing 2008! We had some nice ice creams- like a creamsicle, vanilla ice cream inside an orange sorbet - and then went off to look for money again.

Anyway, we went off to the Silk Street - a large market specializing in silk and counterfeit clothing. Bo deftly negotiate a "Columbia" shirt down to half price. And then we lost our minds. On each floor there were about 50 stalls and in each stall there were at least 2 vendors. We were repeatedly harrassed and grabbed despite our weak "Bao xie xie". It was like the restaurant scene in "Being John Malkovich".

By the time Bo's cousin Yaya came to meet us, we were more than ready for a drink. We returned to Lotus Lane and Yaya provided a quick history lesson on the symbols of the Chinese doors : the more pegs there are in the lintel, the higher the rank of the person. She also explained that the animal guarding the door told us about the social category of the owner in the emporer's court.

Then I got hit by a taxi...but the driver appologized and I'm ok.

Then we ate at the Dowager Emporer's house, in a hidden courtyard house that even the taxi driver couldn't find. Bo explained that it was imperial food which is why the food was so delicate and the restaurant so classy.

Day 3 photos

2005-07-31T10:38:00.000+02:00

curious people in the bus

Suzhou Street, the imperial shopping mall

Suzhou Street - the Imperial Shopping Mall

at the summer Palace

view from the Summer Palace

Stupas at the Summer Palace

View from the front of Summer Palace

pedestrian highway around the lake

Yellow needle mushrooms

Buddhas in Behai Park

Stuppa in Behai Park

Calligrapher practicing in the park

the non-existant Hidden Tree bar

Chinese Broccoli (like broccoli rabe)

eating Peking Duck in a converted courtyard

Day 3: Summer Palace

2005-07-31T10:37:00.000+02:00

We can't upload pictures at the moment but will as soon as we can.

We started our third day with our first Chinese bus experience. After an hour of bumping and honking, we arrived at the Old Summer Palace, the imperial playground. We started at Suzhou Street - the private shopping street of the emporor - small boutiques on the edge of the canal now the emperial tourist trap. It was absolutely beautiful - there were stupas,temples and palaces up the hill. Each level was different - colors and thousands of carved buddhas and windchimes hanging from the stupas. When we got over the hill, we saw a huge manmade lake with a covered path around it - coined the pedestrian highway by Jerome. We visited the rest of the courtyards, opera set and some mini-museums before getting too hungry to continue. We tried silicon-type porridge but opted for a restaurant back in the city.

We ate in a place with a dead fish in the tank and a bird screeching in the bathroom. But the food was good.

Have we mentioned all the naked children in the streets? The toddler clothing is open in the crotch to allow for easy toilet access.

We went to Behai park which was part o the Forbidden City a long time ago. It was a maze of courtyards and temples - passageways with hidden buddhas and other statues. It was beautiful and not too crowded. As we walked along the lake, we saw aman practicing his calligraphy on the sidewalk - using a brush that was a meter long and water. It was very poetic as it evaporated little by little. Bo tried but said it was hard because the brush was made of foam.

We then went to look for a cool bar called the Hidden Tree, a cool place with a courtyard and a tree in the middle - we needed some Belgian beer and this place was recommended in the guidebooks. The taxi dropped us off at the top of the street and we walked past rubble and non-existent buildings. But where was the bar? Bo asked a woman in a cafe who said : "Most of the bars are already gone.'Turns out this was just another neighborhood that is being "improved". The bar had moved, as werealized when we found a ruin with "the tree" and a phone number written on it. We ended up on the bar street - in a tacky bar with a bad local band. But we bought some insects made of grass by a kind old man.

And then we ate again....in an old courtyard turned into a restaurant. It was peking duck time...

Click here to see Bo practicing calligraphy

Click here to see 'driving lesson - part 1'

Day 2 photos

2005-07-28T06:05:00.000+02:00

our hutong

our hutong 2

our hutong 3

our hutong 4

the hutong market

the hutong market's crowd

Meat section at the hutong market

bikes

traffic

inside the taxi

Eclectic vehicles in the right lane

Squatting

Soldiers playing pool at the forbidden city

Lining up for tickets

the crowd at the Forbidden City

Eastern palaces under renovation

More eastern palaces under renovation

"Did you see that?!" *drool*

The Noodle King's noodles

Scrambled eggs with unidentified leaves and sticky rice and red bean cake

Jerome and the best chicken wings

Sleeping on the job

Our hotel courtyard at night

Detail of our hotel courtyard at night

Day 2 : pushing through Beijing...

2005-07-28T06:04:00.000+02:00

We're waiting for a train so we have some time to write about Day 2 but we can't upload photos right now

We started the day with a stroll through the "hutong" we were staying in. A hutong is a typical Beijing structure of streets and courtyards. They were built during the Qin Dynasty and run East toWest based on the principles of feng shui. But now, most of them are over-crowded and are miserable according to Western standards. But tourists like them because the nooks and crannies are cool to explore. We ended up in a local market, hot and crowded and noisy. We discovered odors that we didn't even know existed. As well as fruits, vegetables and we also got to see fish being killed and scaled in front of us. We got a lot of 'hellos" from curious locals.

Then it was off to the Forbidden City. After surviving another crazy taxi ride, we pushed out way through the crowds to get to the ticket "line". It was hot and pushy. We were drenched by the time we got in. And to our dismay, half of the palaces were closed! The East and West palaces where the concubines and eunuchs lived were all under renovation. But we got to see the main palaces and the Disneyland-esque gardens behind. Despite it all, the Forbidden City was really amazing and beautiful but we couldn't take advantage of it the way we had hoped because of the crowds.

Then Bo grabbed us a taxi and asked the driver to bring us to a good place. We ended up at a place called "The Noodle King of Old Beijing". What an experience! It's a restaurant where the tradition is rude and loud on purpose. When we walked in, the maitre d screamed "the guests are here". They came to the table and waited while were Bo patiently ordred food. This was some serious sensory overload between the aromas, the sounds, the movement and the people. We started with some noodles, spicey chicken seasoned with star anis and red peper, omlet with some sort of thick leaf (maybe camphor?), a rice-red bean-lotus nut cake, and chicken wings cooked in soy sauce and sugar. My mouth is drooling as I type.

Then it was the White Stupa Temple, which was beautiful and quiet and under renovation...but we got to see a beautiful garden and some nice Buddist statues.

We were tired so we spent the evening in the courtyard of our hotel. Photos to come....

Day 1 Photos

2005-07-26T04:31:00.000+02:00

Using chopsticks for the first time at the Auto Club

Smoked duck

An entire sweet and sour fish

Chinese soap opera

Rain outside the Forbidden City

Rebecca advertising for Lonely Planet

More staff than customers

Day 1: Beijing in a haze under the rain...

2005-07-26T04:30:00.000+02:00

Bo and his cousin were waiting for us at the airport. It was hot and humid, even worse than a New Jersey summer. Yanyan couldn't find the hotel because it is in a "hutong", a network of courtyards and allies built by the Ming dynasty. The hotel's nice- 3 courtryards hidden behind the walls and the rooms are decorated with black wood furniture and there's air conditioning.

We took showers and then went wandering. Bo grabbed a taxi to go to a restaurant near the Forbidden City - I think our hearts are weaker for that. There are no rules here, except that pedestrians have no rights. It's a maze of cars, biks, rickshaws, motorized bikes and people trying not to get crushed. And it's scary as hell! Some of the taxis use their hand break to stop at lights which is very reassuring.

The Auto Club restaurant was empty when we got there, except for the 10 waiters sitting around watching TV. Bo got us through the menu and we decided on sweet and sour fish - our meal was presented to us in a bucket and then killed - mixed veggies, smoked duck and noodles that were too spicy for Jerome, and flower tea with the spout of th tea pot carefully pointed away from us. As we were eating, the waiters and chefs went back to watching TV. Struggling with the chopsticks, I looked around and saw the chef sitting next to us with a cigarette in one hand and a finger way up his nose. Yum.

We rolled out of the restaurant into the rain and walked around the outside of the Forbidden City, through the gates and into Tianneman square, every 5 feet someone pestering us to buy another umbrella and pushing their way through. We all got poked by umbrella spokes and pushed around except Jerome. Contrary to what we thought would happen, we almost felt invisible. People knock me around and Jerome just glides through - little kids look at Jerome funny and men seem to take an interest in my boobs.

The rest of the day is hazy and wet - we took the metro, Jerome successfully pushed his way through a non-line to buy a map. We had a drink in a posh bar in Lotus Lane with leaks on the table but just beside the imperial lake. And then we ate again - clay pot of tofu, animal parts and brown sauce, fried noodles and chicken.

Technical Difficulties

2005-07-26T04:18:00.000+02:00

We cannot see our own blog. We can add entries but we can't see what it looks like but when we try open the page, the computer tells us it doesn't exist....interesting. Also, internet access here is not as easy as we thought. There are few internet cafes (have yet to see one) and it's mainly in hotels that there's a connection which is really slow. We hope to be able to upload some pictures though...

Yeah! Pictures work. So, Air France sprayed the cabin with insecticide that they assure us is not bad for our health. And then we flew over Mongolia! We landed in Beijing an hour late, under "light rain" which turned out to be torential donwpours all day long. Landing in China was no different than landing in Brussels. It was flat and green.

The difference came when we stepped through customs and I had to pee. The toilet was my first shocker, although it was better than I had heard. There were at least walls between the stalls.

Lines don't exist in this country. More about pushing later.

safe and sound?

2005-07-23T15:09:00.000+02:00

We're here, tummies very full, feet wet from the rain, tired...more tomorrow about taxi drivers, umbrellas and nose-picking.

Almost there

2005-07-22T00:27:00.000+02:00

So we're almost going. It's 12.30 AM and I just finished cleaning the kitchen and Jérôme is packing. We left the cats at Maïté's earlier tonight (les pauvres petits pupus). We hope they don't run away. I picked up the hotel information from the travel agency (since we booked a couple nights in fancy place with our honeymoon fund). We've got an MP3 player, cookies for the plane and inflatable pillows. And so there's nothing left to do but count the hours until we leave! I'm most excited about the Night Market in Kaifeng (because of Arte and Peony by Pearl Buck) and the Forbidden City (since I read Empress Orchid by Anchee Min) and Jérôme will get excited once he's on the plane. I've been reading books for months, but Jérôme will devour them on the plane...Bo said we were lucky to NOT be taking Air China because "there are too many Chinese". But he's a bit biased I think. He also says we better be hungry when we get there because we're going to eat Peking Duck...

News from Heze

2005-07-13T09:53:00.000+02:00

Just got an email from Bo who has been back in China for just over a week. He says it's hot and humid in Heze. He also says that his parents already have a corkscrew - does that mean we have to bring a bottle of wine anyway? Bo was really retincent about going "home" this time - he's been in France for over 2 years now and he doesn't relate to the Chinese anymore. He called me from the airport before he flew back to Beijing and he said, "It's terrible. There are too many Chinese. Don't ever take Air China." (This reminds me of how I feel when I get in the line at Charles de Gaulle airport to go back to New Jersey).

Bo is a really amazing person, really interested in learning and seeing. I've never met anyone with such a thirst for knowledge. And it shows in his eyes. He is also an amazing linguist. When Bo arrived in France, he didn't speak French. We became friends because he was the only student who came to my English classes at the art school I was teaching at. He already spoke English but came to my class anyway (he later told me it was the only class he attended that year). Next year, he'll be starting a degree in philosophy at the Sorbonne.

So although Bo does not feel at home anymore "at home", being our guide may be good for him because he'll be able to see his home through foreign eyes. And we hope he'll have a little fun too...

The myth of Mrs. Wong's noodles

2005-07-12T13:47:00.000+02:00

By the way, the story of Mrs. Wong's noodles all started here with a Sunday night programme on Chinese food - http://www.arte-tv.com/fr/connaissance-decouverte/chine/262344.html. Mrs. Wong and her husband can be found in the Night Market in Kaifeng. I wonder if we'll really find Mrs. and Mr. Wong. Will we recognize them? Jérôme probably will but I'll probably be so overwhelmed by the food to see anything (what if the Night Market turns out to be a total flop? What if the Wongs don't really exist?)

Administrative Nightmare Part 2,362

2005-07-12T11:38:00.000+02:00

This has nothing to do with the trip to China but just thought I'd throw it in there anyway. This morning Jerome and I dropped off my nationality file at the courthouse. Unfortunately, all the judges are on vacation (!!!) so they can't deal with the file until September. This means that we have to once again go through the hell of getting me a residence permit since French nationality will not be granted to me by the time my current permit expires in September (fingers crossed that this is the last time!). So, I have 1 week to get all the papers together and get in touch with the people at the City Hall who have helped us in the past. Or we can stand in line all night long in front of the "Administrative City" so I can get in at 3PM the next day. I have little hope seeing as it is mid- July in France and most important people are on vacation.

By the way, I finished reading the food section of the Lonely Planet guide to China. Need to remember all the table etiquette - do not point the spout of the teapot at anyone because it's rude, do not drop your chopsticks because it's badluck, do not flip over your fish to get to the underside because you'll capsize the next boat you pass, and don't put the chopsticks straight up in your bowl of rice because it's a death omen. (I guess that also means not sticking the chopsticks in your nose or pretending they're really long fangs because it would be considered rude).

Packing Part I

2005-07-11T14:21:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I started packing - Jerome and I were both a little concerned by my urgent need to pack 2 weeks ahead of time. But once we saw my bag overflowing, we realized it was a good thing since we need to travel light. (Ok, fine, I admit that I've been planning what to pack since the beginning of June). The big problem, besides which shoes to bring, was what to do about my running clothes - a running t-shirt is one dimensional, takes up space, dries slowly and holds in odor. So, at lunch time I went and bought quick-dry t-shirts (for us both), a quick dry towel (we'll have to share since there was only one) and lavender....the lavender is a gift for Bo's family which is also a problem since we won't see them until 2 weeks into the trip. This eliminates the standard gifts I'd bring from France like wine (too heavy), chocolate (would melt in the heat) or cookies (would be eaten on the long train rides)...and at least the lavender will keep my bag smelling nice if the quick-dry t-shirt I bought isn't odor or bacteria resistant...

Itinerary

2005-07-10T15:00:00.000+02:00

July 23 - arrive Beijing
Tianjin

Datong
Heze
Kaifeng
Xi'an
Hanghzou
Shanghai
August 15 - Hong Kong
Macau
August 20 - leave Hong Kong