Hello from Tierra del Fuego!

Day 15: Beijing

Updated: June 2, 2012

Having finished most of our packing the previous night — successfully cramming everything into our two original suitcases and a couple of carry-ons to avoid the complication of purchasing a third bag — we awoke Sunday morning to make a final trip to nearby Wangfujing Street shopping district, find some breakfast, and spend our last handful of Yuan before returning to the Peninsula to check out.

One more delicious bakery meal

Breakfast was at a bakery in the food court of the Oriental Plaza Mall, home to many of our previous dining choices. After enjoying the blueberry, peach and raisin offerings, we strolled through a few more department stores and gift shops buying last-minute souvenirs. Our last stop before heading back was McDonalds, where we bought two banana pies (and wondered if there were other flavors we were still missing…)

Success! Just as good as Sweet Taro pie

Upon returning to the hotel, we grabbed our bags, checked out, and hailed a taxi to Beijing’s Capital International Airport. Forty-five minutes later, we arrived at Terminal 3 (built in 2008) which is one of the most ridiculously large airport terminals we’ve ever seen. Turns out that is because Terminal 3 is the second-largest airport terminal in the world after one at Dubai International Airport. (Thanks Wikipedia.)

Glimpse of the Central Chinese Television building en route to airport

After locating the Continental Airlines counter and enduring a few more slow-moving lines, we were informed our 3:45 PM flight to Newark was delayed and would probably take off sometime after 5 PM. The agent offered to move our connecting flight to Monday morning in Newark, but after some quick deliberation, we decided to stick with our existing itinerary and take our chances with an more English-fluent agent after our arrival in the U.S.

Pondering the slow line and flight delays

After making our way through security and finding our gate, we browsed a couple gift shops where we discovered some of the most bold price inflation in the history of retail sales. For example, at the Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi’an, we could get a box of warrior statues for 10 Yuan. At this gift shop, the price was 230! Even better, a larger statuette that sold for 20 Yuan in Xi’an was going for 670. After the currency conversion, that’s $3 vs $100.

Hanging out at gate E12

In addition to the gift shops, we also looked for a place to grab a bite to eat and found only Pizza Hut. Probably due to a large influx of delayed travellers, our waiter told us they were out of pizza — really?!? — and we settled for pasta and waffle fries instead. (It is also possible we fell victim to China’s new “out of pizza scam” as other customers began ordering pizza again shortly thereafter.)

Finally, the plane boarded and after waiting another 20 minutes on the tarmac thanks to the rain (obviously we were not getting out of China without a little more rain), we were on our way to Newark.

Five or six in-flight movies later, we arrived. And they had good news for us – thanks to a Chinese tour group that was also on our connecting flight to Chicago, Continental had delayed the flight and we had plenty of time to pass through customs, re-do security (back to the no-shoes nonsense of American airports, sigh) and find our gate.

The final leg

The two-and-a-half hour flight to O’Hare was uneventful and we arrived with luggage in tow at 11 PM. We knew we were back in Chicago when the taxi line was actually a line and it was barely cracking 40 degrees outside. Welcome home!

Day 14: Beijing

by Nicole

Updated: June 2, 2012

6 Comments

We slept in this morning, then decided to have lunch at Huang Ting, the Peninsula’s Cantonese restaurant. We took advantage of their weekend dim sum buffet – nearly 40 items, as much as we wanted – and enjoyed a great lunch of spring rolls, dumplings, fried noodles, and more.

Delicious dim sum lunch at Peninsula

Finishing our shopping was the goal of today, so we took a taxi to Panjiayuan Antique Market, an enormous open-air flea market with over 3000 vendors. Furniture, jewelry, statues, trinkets, silk, you name it – it was here, and we had a great time walking around and bargaining some good prices for a variety of items.

Panjiayuan Market in southeast Beijing

Quite an assortment of statues

Waiting for customers

The amount of stuff for sale was staggering; there were marble lions the size of small cars, a ton of Mao paraphernalia, beautiful Tibetan furniture, a huge book bazaar, and piles of beads in every color imaginable. Around 5:00, the market began to close down, with vendors boxing up their wares and loading them onto the backs of their bicycle carts. This was one-stop-shopping at its finest.

Lots of Mao-themed items

Don't try to pick these up - you can't

This kid was ready for the camera

Endless stalls

We managed to hail a cab among the departing bicycle carts and dropped off our purchases back at the hotel before heading back out for dinner. We stopped at a department store where I bought a Chinese-style cleaver similar to the one we used at the Yangshuo cooking class.

Walking to dinner

Then we headed back to Da Dong, where we had a reservation for one more delicious roast duck dinner. This time we sat by the open kitchen, watching the roasted ducks come out of the fire. Our meal was as good as it had been the other night, and this time we ordered a dessert we’d seen at another table: fruit “dandelions”, sugar-coated fruits surrounded by a “fluff” of cotton candy.

Roasting the world-famous ducks

One last great meal in China

Cool fruit "dandelions" for dessert

We walked back to the hotel to start packing and see if we’d bought so many souvenirs we’d need another bag. Tomorrow morning is our last chance to shop, and Matt swears he saw someone eating a McDonalds banana pie, so we might have to go check that out, too… 🙂

Day 13: Beijing

by Nicole

Updated: June 2, 2012

6 Comments

We were up at 5:30 AM, on the train by 6:15, and by 7:00 we were eating Egg McMuffins on the bus to the Great Wall. Finding the bus stop the day before had been a smart thing to do; the station was very busy but we knew exactly where to go. Hiring a car for the day would have cost around $100; a round-trip bus ticket was $3.50. After an hour and a half we arrived in the city of Huairou, where we took a 15-minute taxi ride the rest of the way to the Great Wall.

Can't read much on this sign but all we needed to know was "Bus 916"

There are several sections of the Great Wall open to visitors; I chose Mutianyu after reading numerous positive trip reports about its scenery and lack of tourists. Our ticket included admission, a ropeway ticket up to the wall, and a toboggan ride back down (this was another reason I chose this spot). The ropeway was just like a ski-lift; after five minutes, we were on the wall and greeted by a souvenir vendor who immediately took our picture.

Like the hats?

The weather was gorgeous: 60 degrees, sunny, and clear. FINALLY. We decided to walk north, then turn around and come back to the toboggan slide. Since we arrived so early, there were only a few others up there with us as we started the hike.

View from near our starting point

We wore too many layers for the beautiful weather

As expected, the views were incredible. The wall sloped up and down through the mountains, sometimes very steeply, though there were usually steps to help out. It seemed impossible to take a bad picture; everywhere we looked was amazing. Like at the rice terraces, it’s hard to describe the views in words; pictures are better…

Looking back south along Great Wall

Great Wall nature

Uphill climbing ahead

Stationed along the wall were watchtowers, some of which we could climb for a better view. Vendors set up small stands with water and postcards, and we eventually passed a second access point that featured enclosed gondola cars instead of our ski-lift method. We took a break and shared a Snickers bar looking out from one of the towers.

Matt on his way up the wall

The last set of steps before we reached the end of the hike looked steep from a distance and even more so when we got to the base of them. After about 500 steps we were at the highest point and could walk no further along this section of the wall. (Which was fine – we were tired.)

At the highest point of the wall - that staircase is steeper than it looks

We earned our "I Climbed the Great Wall" t-shirts

It took us almost two hours to hike this stretch of the wall; we walked back a little faster so we’d be able to meet our taxi driver at the agreed time. By now there were many more people around; we were glad to have arrived early to avoid most of them. We thought one Chinese family was asking us to take their picture; actually, they wanted to take one with me!

Passing others on the way back

Looking north along wall

Heading south back to starting point

Afternoon clouds

Almost to the end

When we got back to our starting point, we took a toboggan ride down to the village below. It was so much fun; we wish the ride had been longer! At the bottom, we made our way through a throng of aggressive souvenir vendors where we bought the customary “I Climbed the Great Wall” t-shirts (Initial quoted price: $50! Post-bargaining price: $8).

Tobogganing IS so simple

Zooming down the mountain

When we finished shopping, our taxi driver took us back to the bus station. Ninety minutes later, we were back where we started and proud of ourselves for successfully navigating Beijing’s bus system. We stopped at McDonalds for a snack, where Matt discovered the wonders of their Sweet Taro Pie (two for a dollar or one for 80 cents, just like the crazy pricing structure at home).

Would not mind if these catch on in the US

We went back to the hotel for a swim in the pool before dinner. We had reservations at South Beauty, a Sichuan restaurant I read about online, and when we arrived we were shown to our own little alcove with a sunken table and sheepskin carpet. The food was fantastic; we had kung pao chicken, pork and pepper stirfry, roasted green beans with minced pork, and Beijing-style dumplings.

Delicious Sichuan food at South Beauty

Just as good as the dumplings in Shanghai... well, except Yang's

After dinner, we did a little shopping before walking back to the hotel, tired but happy about our great day at the Great Wall.

Day 12: Beijing

by Nicole

Updated: June 2, 2012

1 Comment

Waking up to yet another rainstorm, we decided to make it an “inside day” and check out some of Beijing’s indoor shopping markets. For lunch, we wanted to try a restaurant called Noodle Loft that we had seen on TV; one branch was located near a train stop, so we took our first trip on Beijing’s Metro. Beijing’s train system is excellent; though it’s quite crowded all hours of the day, it’s reliable, easy to figure out, and fast.

Maybe signs like these are the reasons we see so few foreigners on the subway

After a couple wrong turns in search of the restaurant, we found it only to discover – for the second time this trip – that it was closed. Too hungry to search for another restaurant, we found a bakery on the corner and bought an assortment of snacks instead. We ate our delicious lunch standing out on the sidewalk and ran back to the train as the rain started again.

Loading up on baked goods for lunch

We were planning to take the bus to the Great Wall the next day, so following some advice I’d read online, we rode the train to the bus transfer depot to find the bus stop and make sure we knew where to go. By this point, the rain had stopped and the weather was clearing, so we decided to skip the shopping and walk a few blocks over to Tiananmen Square instead.

Following the bikes to Tiananmen Square

We were just north of Tiananmen Square, standing in front of Tiananmen Gate and its gigantic portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong. The gate connects the square to the Forbidden City, but it was after closing time and we couldn’t pass through, so we took pictures and people-watched instead.

At Tiananmen Gate with Mao watching over everyone

Matt took a picture for these guys and then ended up in one, too

Across the street, we could see people starting to gather around the national flag for the evening’s flag-lowering ceremony (held every evening at dusk; there is a ceremony to raise the flag every morning, too). With only about a half-hour until dusk, we had “accidentally” arrived at just the right time, and we headed over to find a spot to watch. Crossing the street via an underground passway, we followed a group of Chinese national guardsmen as they marched up to the flag podium.

Lining up in preparation for flag ceremony

While waiting, we noted the vastness of Tiananmen Square, its massive police presence, and its lack of trees and benches. It’s just a huge open expanse of concrete, bordered by Mao’s mausoleum and a few buildings. There were lots of people walking around, but as it got closer to sunset most of them made their way over to the flag podium.

Still waiting for ceremony to begin

Keeping an eye on the crowd

At sunset, guards stopped traffic between Tiananmen Square and Gate and soon lines of perfectly synchronized soldiers marched out of the gate, crossed the street, and made their way over to the flag podium. After the flag was lowered, the soldiers marched with it back through the gate and the ceremony was over. The size of the crowd was enormous; this ceremony happens twice a day, every day, and is one of the most popular things to see in Beijing.

Soldiers marching toward flag podium

Carrying flag out of Tiananmen Square

Flag-less Tiananmen Square at dusk

Everything lit up after ceremony was finished

The concierge at the Peninsula told us the Olympic buildings were lit up at night, so we decided to find dinner at a mall nearby and then take the train out to the Olympic complex. The food court at the Oriental Plaza mall was huge, and we chose a Benihana-style restaurant where we enjoyed a great meal of steak, shrimp, and salmon.

No volcano onion at this place

The Olympic Green area was pretty empty; only a few souvenir vendors and tourists were walking around. As promised, the Bird’s Nest (Indoor Stadium) and Water Cube were beautifully lit; we wandered around taking pictures until the lights went off promptly at 10 PM. Visitors can go inside the stadium but not the pool complex; apparently there are plans to allow public swimming sometime this summer.

Olympic Green

Bird's Nest (Olympic Indoor Stadium)

Water Cube

Taken about 30 seconds before lights went out

We ran back to the Metro to catch the last train of the night and headed back to the hotel. It was a great day; we were happy the weather had cleared and we were able to see a few more sights. Next up: Great Wall!

Day 11: Beijing

by Nicole

Updated: June 2, 2012

1 Comment

Our train was scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 7:15 AM; around 6:30, lights and music came on throughout the cars and we got ready to disembark. We’d slept OK, though the rumble of the train woke me up quite a bit. At 7:30, the train pulled into the station and we went looking for a cab.

When we got to the taxi queue, there was a massive, unorganized line of people waiting as a slow trickle of cabs pulled in. For once I was glad to have my bigger suitcase, all the better for pushing my way through the crowd. An hour later, we were finally in a taxi and heading for the sanctuary of the Peninsula Beijing.

Happy to be back in a Peninsula

Upon check-in, we met the hotel’s food and beverage director with whom I had worked in Chicago for a couple years. He gave us a great map of the area and a few pointers on where to go, and we spent some time relaxing in the room before heading out to the Forbidden City.

Gigantic Yao Ming looks kind of short up there

The Forbidden City was a short walk from the hotel, and we had a couple of hours to wander around before it closed for the day. Officially known as the Palace Museum, this area is the world’s largest palace complex and was home to 24 emperors over 500 years. The symbolic center of China, it is said to contain 9,999 rooms (9 is the largest odd number less than 10, so the Chinese consider it both lucky and important).

Meridian Gate - one of two main entrances; Center door was reserved for the emperor

The buildings were amazing, loaded with exquisite architecture and detailing. We walked through the Outer Court, over marble bridges and past enormous Chinese lions guarding the entrances to the halls. Each gate and hall has a name and a specific purpose, and though you couldn’t enter any of the halls, hundreds of people crowded around them, taking pictures of the ornate thrones and decorations inside.

Gate of Supreme Harmony: Used for receiving visitors

Hall of Supreme Harmony: Used for major occasions such as enthronement of an emperor

Closer shot of Hall of Supreme Harmony - the largest hall in the palace

The Hall of Supreme Harmony has a gorgeous central ramp made of marble carved with dragons chasing clouds, and was reserved only for the emperor. Another broad walkway paved in marble bisects the entire palace and was reserved exclusively for the emperor’s sedan chair. In imperial times, no building was allowed to exceed the height of the tallest in the palace.

Gates in the city

The small figures on the rooftops were guardians against fire

The Inner Court contained the private living quarters of the emperor, his family, and servants, as well as several more halls, galleries, and the Imperial Gardens. The sheer size of the complex was overwhelming; the palaces, courtyards, and gardens just kept unfolding as we got further inside. We followed bunches of tour groups out at closing time and decided to go back to the hotel for a nap before dinner, saving Tian’anmen Square (just south of the Forbidden City) for another time. On the way, we passed by a row of street food stalls offering the strangest collection of items we’ve seen yet, including starfish, sheep kidneys and intestines, octopus, and pig’s blood soup. We would not be eating here for dinner.

How exactly do you eat a starfish?

Catching up on sleep I did not get on the train

We had a dinner reservation at Dadong, a famous Peking duck restaurant, and we met up with our friend Sarah from Yangshuo. I had researched the best duck restaurants in Beijing, and this one consistently received excellent reviews. We ordered a whole duck with all the accompaniments plus sauteed broccoli, and then watched as our duck was first presented and then carved tableside.

Carving the crispy-skinned duck

The duck was excellent, served with thin pancakes, hoisin sauce, thinly sliced cucumbers and green onions, and pickled radish, and our server showed us how to fill and fold the duck and veggies inside the pancakes (kind of like a mini-burrito). An unusual accompaniment was white sugar; our server told us to dip the crispy duck skin in it, and this was a delicious, addictive combination. We ate every last piece and then sat and talked for a couple hours before heading back to the hotel. This meal was so good we may have to come back again before we leave, and it was a lovely ending to a long day.

Day 10: Xian

by Nicole

Updated: June 2, 2012

2 Comments

We woke up to rain. AGAIN. After checking out of the hotel, we left our luggage with the desk and went out to explore more of Xian. Today we were headed for the ancient city wall, which rings the city and was once used as a military defense system to guard against enemy invasion. It is the most complete city wall left in China, and having been restored several times, it is now a popular tourist destination. We wanted to bike around the entire wall (9 miles) and check out the city from above.

Passing underneath the city wall

Heading up to the top

At the top, we found ourselves almost entirely alone; the weather seemed to keep the visitors away. A few bicycle taxis passed by, and there were a couple of men flying kites, but otherwise, we had the place to ourselves. Unfortunately, we couldn’t rent bikes due to the rain, so we decided to walk one-quarter of the wall, from its South Gate to its West Gate.

Few visitors due to rainy weather

Looking over the edge

Windy weather great for kite flying

Stationed at various points along the wall were artillery towers, lookout points, and sloping passages once used by horses to reach the top (now used by the bicycle taxis). Daily life proceeded below, including an elementary school with classes in session as we looked over the edge of the wall and observed the city.

A great view of the ornate architecture

Hanging out with warriors on the wall

After descending the wall, we walked through the city checking out more shops. Spotting a bakery with gorgeous pastries in the window, we took a break from the rain and sampled some.

Deciding what to get

We ended up back in the Muslim Quarter, where we looked for different snacks than we’d tried the night before. Today we bought a bag of roasted, salted walnuts in their shells, two different kinds of flatbread, and a crepe filled with green onions, beef, and egg.

Watching the crepes turn golden brown and delicious

Our train was scheduled to leave at 8:16, so by 6:00 we were back at the hotel to get our bags and find a cab. We asked the desk agent to call us one, but he said there was no way we’d get one with the rain and that it would be better to take the bus. However, the prospect of a rush-hour-packed bus with no English and two suitcases did not sound promising, so we stood on the curb and finally managed to hail a cab ourselves. Twenty minutes of ridiculous traffic later, we made it to the station.

Last impressions of rainy Xian

The train station was a big confusing mess of people and luggage, and the rain certainly didn’t help. We managed to find our train number on the digital display, pushed our way through a luggage screening area, and found ourselves inside the main station. Trains and their corresponding “gate area” were posted on another board, but ours wasn’t; we showed our tickets to a guard and he pointed us to the “Soft Seat Lounge”, where they finally told us we were in the right place.

Miracle: we found a seat in the lounge

I chatted a little with the ladies next to us and showed them our tickets to see if they were going to Beijing as well (they were not). Our train had finally been posted on the display in the lounge but did not have an assigned platform yet, so we waited. Suddenly, following an announcement in Chinese, the ladies motioned for us to get up and follow the crowd; apparently our train was boarding, though I’m not sure how we would have figured that out. Through a door in the back of the lounge was our train, with a helpful sign on its outside reading “Xian to Beijingxi (Beijing West)”. We had made it. 🙂

Boarding the train to Beijing

The soft-sleeper berths each had four bunks (which locked from the inside), with bedding, slippers, and boiling water provided. Matt and I had an upper and lower bunk, and we arrived in our car probably to the great amusement of the guy who’d gotten there before us. There were no lights on yet, so we unloaded our luggage and got settled in the dark. The fourth passenger arrived, a businessman named Kevin (from Delaware, of all places), the lights came on, and we talked while the train was loading. At 8:16 on the dot, we left the station, and by 10:00, Matt and I were reading quietly and the other two were asleep.

Our train car - small but comfortable

The train tickets cost a total of $120, which is definitely cheaper than two plane tickets and a hotel room would have been. While the train may have been slightly more confusing than flying, it was nice to go to sleep knowing that in eleven hours and 750 miles, we would wake up in Beijing.

Day 9: Xian

by Nicole

Updated: June 2, 2012

6 Comments

After enjoying the free breakfast in our hotel, we got a cab and headed for Xian’s train station. We had two goals here: buy train tickets to Beijing and locate the bus that would take us to the Terracotta Warriors.

At the station, a guard directed us to an English-speaking ticket window, but the line was long and unmoving. Eventually we gave up, stepped over to the empty “Ticket Refund” window, and using limited English and a little pointing, we bought two soft-sleeper tickets on tomorrow’s overnight-express train to Beijing. The station was packed and chaotic, so we wandered around until we were pretty certain where to find our train, Matt deeming it would be a miracle if we managed to do so successfully and make it to Beijing. 🙂

Xian Railway Station

Xian is a major rail hub in China

I knew from my research there were buses to the Warriors that left from a big parking lot near the train station, but we had difficulty finding them until a helpful stranger pointed us in the right direction. There were several of them lined up and each would leave when it was full. We boarded a nice coach bus, paid the $1 fare, and arrived in an hour.

The Terracotta Warriors are part of a massive mausoleum built for Qin Shihuang, who became the first emperor of a unified China in 221 B.C. His tomb complex took nearly 40 years to build using over 700,000 workers and was essentially designed to contain everything he needed in his living life in his afterlife as well, including an army, weapons, horses, and chariots. After his death, looting soldiers set fire to the entire thing, crashing the vault’s wooden support beams and tons of earth onto the statues, burying them completely until 1974, when farmers digging a well uncovered some pieces of pottery. Most of the tomb has yet to be excavated, but over 1000 warrior statues have already been pieced back together, as well as an assortment of horses, weapons, and tools.

Walking to Terracotta Warrior Museum

We visited three pits, each in various stages of excavation, and a museum with many finished statues and pieces. All were impressive, though the main pit holding thousands of warriors standing guard was even more so. Incredibly, every soldier was sculpted with unique facial features and outfits; we marveled at the detail that had gone into each one.

Pit 2: Much of it is still uncovered

Pit 2: Close-up of statue fragments

Pit 3: A charioteer stands guard at entrance

Pit 3: Warriors stand in an apparent military headquarters

In the main pit, we could see the site of the well that was being dug when the vaults were found. The weapons the soldiers were holding are lost from decay, though we learned that their bronze blades were still sharp upon excavation.

A wide view of the main vault

Warriors arranged according to rank and duty

Guarding the entrance

Matt and the warriors

After touring the vaults, we braved the gauntlet of souvenir stands and bargained for a couple bronze replica statues to take home. As we walked out, we noticed a guy standing outside his restaurant twirling and pulling noodles, shouting, “HELLO!!! NOOOOODDDLLEEESS!” at every single person who walked by, and we decided to try some.

Delicious hand-pulled noodles with beef and green onions

We found our bus and headed back to the train station. We decided to spend the rest of the evening walking through the city center and its Muslim quarter, and dinner would be whatever street food looked good. The weather was dry and warm, around 70 degrees; it was a nice change from the rain in Yangshuo.

Directing traffic downtown Xian

Not sure this is going to work out very well

Xian has a large Muslim community, and just east of its Great Mosque is a famous snack street loaded with stalls selling everything from lamb kebabs to flatbread to dumplings. We strolled along, looking through souvenir stands and buying various things to eat. Street food is the way to go in Xian; it is delicious and super cheap. Here is a list of everything we bought to eat and drink today: big bowl of noodle soup, two skewers of spicy squid, five skewers of grilled beef, flatbread sprinkled with herbs and chilies, big bowl of chopped beef mixed with finely ground wheat, an ice cream bar, two ice cream cones, a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, four bottles of water, and two bottles of Coke. Grand total: $10.

Warm flatbreads sprinkled with herbs and chilies

Cooking a huge pot of chopped beef with fine-ground wheat

Xian's Muslim Quarter

We walked home after another great day; tomorrow we’ll explore more of the city before catching our train to Beijing.

Day 8: Yangshuo/Xian

by Nicole

Updated: June 2, 2012

3 Comments

We woke up, packed our bags, had breakfast, and checked out of the hotel at noon. We had an hour before our taxi arrived to take us to the airport, so we hung out in the hotel’s common room and updated the blog.

Keeping the blog up to date

We were pleased to find our taxi driver was the same lady who drove us to the terraces. Driving through the rain toward the airport, she stopped to grab a bag of oranges from the trunk and gave them to us to take along to Xian. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time for our flight, the weather a foggy, rainy mess.

This is good advice in any country

One last look at Yangshuo scenery

In line behind people checking about 73 pieces of luggage

Our flight to Xian arrived nearly 40 minutes early, and after collecting our luggage we found the airport express bus that would take us into the city. An hour later we were dropped off in the middle of downtown Xian, where we bargained for a taxi ride to our hotel. Refusing the first overpriced offer, we were chased by another driver who offered us the trip for half the price. This taxi was not so much a car as a motorized cart (unfortunately, no picture), but both we and our luggage fit inside and we wove our way through the jam-packed streets to our hotel.

Hazy skies over Xian

We were curious to see our hotel, the Ibis Xian, as I had found an amazing deal online and booked a room for $12/night. We were pleased to find a nice, clean room with free internet and breakfast, plus a good view of the city, and after unpacking a bit we set out to find some dinner.

Best hotel deal in the city

Wandering through the streets looking for something to eat, we found a bunch of street food stalls crowded with people (always a good sign!). We bought two big steamed buns filled with pork and shrimp for 3 RMB (about 45 cents), and after buying a Coke and two ice cream cones at McDonalds, our dinner came to $2. We walked back to the hotel and made our plans for the next day.

Lit-up street in downtown Xian

Evening exercisers

Cheap, delicious dinner

Day 7: Yangshuo

by Nicole

Updated: June 2, 2012

2 Comments

This morning was the foggiest one so far; some of the karsts right outside our hotel were almost completely hidden. More rain was forecast, but it didn’t stop us from going for a short hike to a small village nearby and then bamboo rafting down the Yulong River.

You can see rafters coming downstream along Yulong river on left side

As we walked, the rain began, sometimes coming down in drenching sheets. However, there was no wind, so with our good rain gear and large umbrellas, we sloshed on, staying relatively dry waist-up. We walked past houses scattered among lots of fields full of crops, with the occasional water buffalo munching away. One unfinished building looked like nothing more than an empty shell, with two artists painting the views from the top floor.

Hanging out in the rain

Crop fields line the riverbanks

An umbrella designed for Yangshuo weather

As we walked, we suddenly were surrounded by orange trees full of fruit. We had also seen these on our drive out of Yangshuo yesterday, with stand after stand of oranges for sale lining the road. Hoping to see one now, we were happy when one appeared almost immediately, with a smiling lady selling oranges for one yuan (~ 15 cents). The orange was so good we wish we had bought more, but that was the only stand we saw.

The best orange we have ever tasted!

We arrived at the docks for the rafting, and it was easy to tell we were in the right place when about ten people came running up asking, “Bamboo? Bamboo?”. The docks were packed with a mix of tourists, vendors, raft drivers, and large trucks laden with rafts pulling in every few minutes. We watched the unloading process, which was basically to tip the truck far enough so the rafts all fell into the river at once; I suppose it was the fastest method! We paid the fee to one of the drivers, walked treacherously across a blanket of rafts, and were soon on our way.

Hoping we don't fall in on the way to our raft

En route down the Yulong River

The rafting was really pleasant and peaceful; the mist-covered karsts offered quite the backdrop as we floated along. There were several small dam areas throughout the river, and our driver motioned for us to lift our feet and smile at the camera that would take our picture as we came over the “rapids”.

Heading toward the roaring rapids...smile for the camera in the blue hut!

Our shoes were already soaked through, but we played along

Stationed throughout the river were concession stand “islands”, and our driver stopped at every one. Had it been a steamy hot summer day, a cold beer while rafting downstream would be a good idea, but today we politely refused. The strangest thing we noticed was the rafts that held Chinese couples would not stop at the camera huts after the rapids, but instead at other huts where they could have a still photo taken against a fake backdrop of the river. Pictures of screaming, smiling rafters coming over the “rapids” seem to be reserved for the foreigners!

Because our hotel was located along our rafting route, we had arranged to end the trip there. We rafted for about an hour, snapping pictures and watching for our hotel. When we arrived, we weren’t sure the driver understood we were finished; he was emphatically asking for more money as we jumped off (probably to wait for us), but we think he got the idea when we never returned. Ah, language barriers…

Karst reflections as seen from our raft

Cool tree

Approaching our hotel from river

After resting for a while in the room, we went to dinner and then took a taxi into town for our next activity: the Impression Sanjie Liu, a famous light show directed by the same man who directed the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. The hotel arranged our tickets (we bought the cheapest ones again), and we arrived at the entrance to the theater in a throng of tour buses and tourists. Somehow a lady found us, confirmed our hotel information, and asked us to follow another guy (he had a stick with a stuffed animal attached instead of a flag; we just joined our first tour group). We streamed into the theater, located our leader, and were given our tickets and a complimentary poncho. The rain was holding off, but the show would go on despite the weather. We found our seats and surveyed our surroundings.

"And YOU get a poncho, and YOU get a poncho...EVERYONE GETS A PONCHO!"

The Impression Sanjie Liu show is performed in the world’s largest natural theater, with the Li river as its stage and the surrounding karsts as its backdrop. It tells the story of Sanjie Liu, a famous singer known for her beauty and voice through the myths and legends of the Zhuang people. Told in chapters, the show gives the audience “impressions” of daily life of the Zhuang people and features over 600 local actors and actresses. Since it was performed entirely in Chinese, we had no idea what they were singing about, but we loved how they utilized the river “stage” and the creative costumes and lights. It was an excellent show and another highlight of Yangshuo.

Red Impression: Fishermen on bamboo rafts pulling red silks from the river

Silver Impression: Zhuang girls sing about the wonders of Sanjie's hometown

Grand Finale: All the actors and actresses appear on the river singing folk songs

After the show, we found our taxi driver and headed back to the hotel. We have loved visiting Yangshuo but are looking forward to the next leg of our journey: Xian and the Terracotta Warriors.

Day 6: Longsheng

by Nicole

Updated: June 2, 2012

3 Comments

This morning we got up early, had a quick breakfast, and met our taxi driver at 8:30 AM for the trip to the Longsheng Longji Rice Terraces. It was a long drive, almost 3-1/2 hours, but the sun was out, the roads were clear and soon we were zooming up an empty expressway, listening to Michael Jackson and enjoying the views.

Our awesome driver

After a couple of hours we stopped at Liu Sanjie Tea Farm, a neatly groomed orchard with hills of tea leaves growing everywhere. We had a nice tour of the grounds, including big rock pools or “tea spas”, and our guide showed us the many kinds of tea they grew and how it was dried and finished. A tea tasting was next, and we sampled oolong, jasmine, and black teas prepared in a neat “ceremony” that involved washing first the cups and then the leaves. The teas were fantastic but too expensive, so we thanked the girls for the tasting and tour and were on our way.

Preparing the tea (their nametags had no names, just numbers!)

Driving on, we eventually turned onto a winding, narrower road up through the mountains. The scenery kept getting better as we ascended, and soon we arrived at the base of the terraces where we paid a small entrance fee and got maps of the area. Our destination was another 30 miles further up the mountain via a series of switchbacks and blind curves, but with the help of her blaring horn and expert stick-shift skills, our driver got us there in one piece. 🙂 She initially asked us to meet her back at the car around 4 PM, but after we attempted to ask her a question about the map she motioned as to ask “Do you mind if I come along?”, and we happily accepted. We hadn’t hired an English-speaking guide for this trip, and while she didn’t speak English, our driver became our hiking companion.

We were in Ping’an, a small village built on Dragon Back Hill, the home of the Zhuang people, and the main sightseeing area for the Longji Terraces. A stone pathway led us through the village, where we said hello to people cooking, sewing, and carving wood. The houses were simple two-story wooden structures that looked a little like Swiss mountain chalets, and they were built in stacks and layers up into the mountainside. Dogs, cats, ducks, and chickens wandered around, all seemingly oblivious to the steady stream of tourists.

Walking through Ping'an village

Cleaning bamboo; the pieces are filled with rice and veggies and then grilled

We stopped for lunch at the Countryside Cafe where we had pork fried rice, spring rolls, and a bamboo stirfry that our driver ordered and graciously shared with us. The bamboo was sliced thinly and mixed with veggies and bacon; it was amazingly tasty. We chatted with each other as best we could, learning our driver lived in Yangshuo, and we drew maps on napkins to show her Chicago. She taught us the Chinese names for everything in the stirfry and we taught her the English ones. It was great fun and definitely something we would have missed had we gone it alone.

Delicious bamboo and bacon stirfry

Lunch over, we headed to the first of two major lookout points of the terraces. To really see them, we climbed to the top of Ping’an village where the terraces blanketed the other side of the mountain. The three of us climbed hundreds of steps, peeking into villagers’ homes and occasionally catching glimpses of the terraces. Eventually we were high enough to overlook the village and see the full extent of the terraces.

Walking to the terraces through Ping'an village

Onward and upward

We climbed and climbed, the narrow staircases cutting through lush vegetation and at times offering not much view other than what was right in front of us. Just when we thought we’d gotten to the top, we would turn a corner and find more stairs snaking higher yet. There was no one else around, and it gave the whole journey a cool aura of solitude.

No crowds at "Nine Dragons and Five Tigers" lookout

Views of the rice terraces

The Dragon Back Rice Terraces cover almost 16,000 acres and are built to fit the shapes of the hills. They are entirely the creation of the Zhuang people, and we would occasionally see some of them in the paddies, hoeing and planting rice seedlings. In late spring, the terraces are flooded with water, giving them a silvery, reflective appearance. Our visit was too early to see them totally flooded, but we were able to see some filled areas. By summer, they’re lush and green, and in autumn everything turns gold.

A flooded area of the terraces

When we finally reached the top, the terraces stretched as far as we could see. Words won’t do this area justice; pictures are better…

The Ping'an village is on the right

Mr. Ed is wondering... "How the hell did I get up here?"

We kept walking along the tops of the terraces toward the second major lookout point, beginning to see more tourists and the occasional elderly village lady selling postcards and hand-sewn crafts. When we got there, there were shops, restaurants, and opportunities to have a picture taken with girls in their local dress. After taking more pictures, we began the descent back down into the village.

Should be easy to draw a contour map of this place

Overlooking "Seven Stars with Moon"

Before leaving, we stopped to buy a bag of snacks best described as Butterfingers with nuts and sesame seeds instead of peanut butter. Two guys with enormous mallets repeatedly slammed them into a large round of the confection, and when it reached the right texture, it was cut into pieces and bagged up for sale. We were back in the car by 3:30, tired but ecstatic over our choice to come to the terraces. Having our driver along was a great bonus; she was very familiar with the area, patiently waited for us to take pictures, and pointed out bamboo trees and other plants along the way.

The drive back to Yangshuo was uneventful until about halfway through, when traffic slowed and then stopped completely. Unable to see what was happening, our driver turned the car off and offered us a plethora of snacks, including packets of pickled chili vegetables, cookies, and some sort of soybean pastry. We offered her our trail mix and apples. 🙂 People began pulling their cars up as far as they could, inching along the shoulder or straddling the line, eventually just getting out to go investigate. Occasionally a car coming from the other direction would inch through, horn blaring at the cars in its way.

Chinese traffic jam - people get out of their cars to kill time

After fifteen minutes traffic began moving, and we discovered that the road ahead was only one lane. Our direction had been stopped for a while, and now a policeman was holding up the traffic in the other direction. After this, the roads were clear and we drove on to the hotel.

Returning to Yangshuo via expressway

A word on Chinese driving: there do not appear to be many rules, if any. The median is a simply a suggestion and the car horn is used more often than the turn signal. The way of the road seems to be this: pass as much as possible, even if it means driving headlong toward an oncoming car before you swerve back into your lane at the last possible second, or if there’s no time to merge, straddle the divider until there is, all while avoiding the ever-present scooters and pedestrians and blaring your horn. Everyone drives this way, and they co-exist rather peacefully in this crazy chaotic traffic dance. We have seen no accidents and generally feel safe in cars, though a few of our driver’s passing attempts were a little close for comfort.

That being said, we arrived safely back at the hotel around 7 PM, thanked our driver for an great day, and went for dinner. We tried the famous local dish of beer fish, which was catfish or carp sauteed with vegetables and served in a beery soy sauce. Delicious!

Beer fish - very spicy but delicious!

What a day — no rain and a trip to one of the most amazing places either of us has ever been. The Longji rice terraces are definitely a must-see place for anyone visiting Yangshuo.