Shanghai (at) Noon

Due to train schedules and whatnot, we were blessed with only 10 hours in Shanghai before we had to catch our next train.  We missed most of the city and have no real understanding of what it is really like, but we do know we want to go back.  The old, mixed with new architecture makes for a beautiful cityscape.  We went to the area call the Bund and from there we could see the financial Pudong area across the river.  The city was way too humid for September and after ducking in and out of the shadows for a few hours,and trying terrible seaweed ice cream, we settled on the aptly named Bund Brewery to avoid the heat.  Beers were 90RMB ($13.27) for half a liter of their own lager, ale, or hef.  All were good and they offered pint and liter sizes as well; we wanted to try all the brews with equal constitution, and stayed with the half liter.  

Terra Cotta Warriors: Come Out to Play

A placard says that real bone fragments were found at the site as well

The first step in seeing the Terra Cotta Warriors from Xi'an is to get to the railway station.  From there you can catch any one of the many 306 buses that run directly to the site when they fill up.  The voyage is 7RMB ($$1.03) and about an hour each way.  Once you get there you get to talk fairly far from the parking lot to the ticket booth, to the pits.  A fun jaunt that is included in the 90RMB ($13.27) entrance fee.  There are a ton of guides, hawkers, and shops that are also eager to get ahold of you money while you try to find the warriors.

I think the site is interesting, but I don't know how much of it is really ancient.  The army was found in 1974 by a farmer and it seems like the transition of tourist trap was a little too quick.  I won't say that the whole thing is fake, but it seems a little too convenient to find something like this without any written or oral history passed down.  Whatever, it was something to see and the craftsmanship was very good.  I overheard a guide tell someone that each statue has more than 200 parts in it, but that could be exaggerated.  There are signs saying that excavation continues and they have even put some of the better preserved pieces in glass so everyone can see how detailed they are.  Renee and I saw this on the day we were going to catch a train, so we only spent an hour at the site so we could catch the bus back in time.  I'd say and hour is all you really need unless pottery is your thing or you want to splurge for a guide that will fill you in on all the details.  

Xi'an

While kicking it in Xi'an, China, we figured a ride on the city wall was in order.  The wall has been restored and it turned out to be much larger than I had anticipated.  But, as an added bonus, there is a bike rental place on top.  After paying 40RMB ($5.90) each to get on the wall, we can rent bikes for 20RMB ($2.95) each with a refundable 200RMB deposit.  Well we wanted to save on the deposit cost and be extra cheeky, so why not get a tandem bike?  The bike worked fine, though it was a little wobbly from having a bent front end.  To go all the way around the wall it took us about 110 minutes and that was with an easy, steady pace with only a few stops for quick pictures.  The view during the day was of a normal Chinese city in my mind, but they sure know how to light up the place when the sun sets.  

That night we went out for for a dinner recommended by Lonely Planet of yangrou paomo at Lao Sun Jia.  I could it it everyday.  It is a beef soup with noodles and spices with bread crumbs thrown on top.  Super delicious as all the flavors mixed perfectly.  The restaurant was pretty hard to find and we walked past it several time, but we just worked up an appetite for the 24RMB ($3.54) per person we paid to share a bowl with beers.  

There Are No Escalators at the Great Wall; But There Are Cable Cars and Slide-way

After pondering the several different sections of the Great Wall that are accessible from Beijing, we decided on the Mutianyu portion.  From Dongzhimen Subway station we walked to the Dongzhimen Bus Terminal that is right outside of the station exit and took bus 916 for 11RMB ($1.62) to Huairo to transfer to a minibus/car for 25RMB ($3.67) that took us to the wall.  The whole ordeal seemed a little sketchy at first, but it all worked out as planned and is probably the cheapest way to get to this section in about to hours each way.  Our hostel offered tours for 190RMB ($27.91), but it seemed like we would have less time at the wall and more time at some shopping center where the tour company gets a commission.  We repeated the journey in reverse to get back to the hostel, though we had to pay 30RMB ($4.41) per person because the car service knew it was late and we just wanted to get to the bus.  The cost for admission to the wall was steep at 45RMB ($6.61), with the added bonus of the ticket becoming a postcard with postage after it was checked; so we will see if it gets delivered.  

The benefit of this section of the wall is that it was restored fairly accurately, has 23 towers, and offers a beautiful, mountainous environment around it.  If people are pressed for time they can take a cable car to and from the parking lot and wall, but that seems to be too lazy.  Renee and I spent over five hours there and we were pooped from all the climbing.  Just to get to the wall from the parking lot was a three kilometer uphill hike and then the wall itself climbs up and down the surrounding hills.  The steepest hike is between tower 22 and 23 with 455 steps to the end of the tourist section where you then have to turn around.  

There are a few vendors on the wall selling water, snacks, and beer; they were not too annoying and even a god-send depending  on how hard you tackled the climb.  The real treat is taking the toboggan, "slideway," down from tower 6.  It was pricey at 50RMB ($7.35), but our legs thanked us for the reprieve.  You can get going pretty fast if there aren't any pokey people in front of you.  

The wall seemed a little bit of a let down in terms of what we expected, but I guess we didn't know what to expect as it looks like pictures we had already seen.  I'd say it was worth it and we would probably try a different portion to see if it could inspire any awe in us.  One option for the truly dedicated is a 7km hike between two portions of the wall that are not as restored and less touristy; next time!  

Ah, while I don't like paying for pure;ly touristy stuff, I did get a "I climbed the Great Wall" shirt.  The trick that the hawkers play is to say it cost a dollar, and then when you are looking they move the decimal point over and hope you don't know the conversion.  A dollar is 6.7RMB, but the woman said the shirt was 65RMB.  I called her on her bluff and she tried to say it was a mistake, but that 7RMB would be too cheap.  After some back-and-forth, and threatening to walk away, I got the shirt for 12RMB ($1.76).  Yeah, it was cheap; but it was made in China, so I'm sure she still made a profit.  

Mao Morbid

(pictures will come when I'm not stuck behind China's censors)
Today we went to visit Mao and bring the number of dead communist
leaders that Chris has visited to two out of three. It is free to get
into the Mao memorial that is located at the south end of Tiananmen
square, but no bags or cameras are allowed inside, so you can check
those for 5rmb ($0.73) at a luggage check to the right of the national
museum from the square. We unexpectedly got help from a local and we
were gifted with the ability to tip him 30rmb ($4.41) for his
services; he asked for 150rmb ($22) while posing as a museum worker.
After being corralled though barricades intended for far more people
we went through a security checkpoint that emptied us into a foyer
that included a giant sitting statue of Mao and single flowers left by
mourners. After that the line is split into two that that we could
quickly proceed on either side of the clear coffin that eerily
illuminated his face. Armed guards and attendants kept the line moving
so everyone got a quick glimpse before the memorial closes at noon.
The sight is odd but nothing new after seeing Ho Chi Minh and it is
good that it is free; it could be a waxed sculpture for all we know.
We wondered around a replica old-style neighborhood that is just south
of the square, and clearly recreated for the 2008 olympics. The area
was mostly retail and chain stores, a very interesting looking
Starbucks is there, but more authentic restaurants and souvenir shops
are located behind the buildings accessible through alleys. We grabbed
way too much food, a beef and noodle soup and red-bean spring rolls,
for 66rmb ($9.69) with cola.
We got lost looking for the Summer Palace and decided to go the the
National Stadium, "bird's nest" instead. Luckily a single subway ride
anywhere is 2rmb ($0.30) and a single bus trip is 1rmb ($0.15). The
station for the Olympic venue is called, easily enough, Olympic Sports
Center and it spits you out with the neat in view. It seemed like any
other stadium I've been to and I would have rather seen an event there
but hey, we saw it in person.

Temple of Heaven: Heavenly?

The Temple of Heaven park was pretty nice and only costs 15RMB ($2.21) to enter; the through pass is recommended, 35RMB ($5.16), as it gets you into the sights within the park that would cost 20RMB ($2.95) each otherwise.  The park is fairly large and a ton of locals seem to just hangout there and play card games while smoking.  The sight carry a meaning that is lost on someone who isn't interested in Chinese history.  The architecture was nice and I'd say it was worth it to escape to an oasis within the city.  An added benefit is that the (in)famous pearl market is located just to the exit A at the Tian Tan Dongmen subway station that also serves the park.  Renee got pearls and I got to haggle, so it was a win-win for both of us.

I also tried the popsicles that seemed to be very popular with the locals; 3RMB ($0.44).  What flavor do you think the unbecoming white, frozen treat would be?  Plain? Mystery? Coconut?  Dim sum? Rice? Nope. BANANA! Yes, the yellow fruit gets a white makeover for the sun-scorched set.  I know bananas are yellow on the inside, but that isn't the color I usually associate with them.  Oh well, they are popular and cheap. So, who is really going to complain?  

Oops, Was That Forbidden?

Well, we and thousands of other people have visited the FORBIDDEN City.  It used to be forbidden and now it is just a tourist trap.  We paid 90RMB ($13.21) each plus another 40RMB ($5.87) for an audio guide that was unnecessary.  The complex is as big as a city and the architecture is pretty nice, but that is where the awe ends.  There was some special tour going on where security personnel started to rope off most of the complex and it became more of a cattle corral than historically significant.  I'd say the nicest part of the city was the garden area that was pretty relaxing and a welcome variation from old chinese architecture and grand stone courtyards.

What makes getting to these sites easy is that they are all accessible from the Tiananmen or Tiananmen East subway stations.  From those exits you are offered Mao's tomb, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the National Museum and several other important-to-the-Chinese attractions.  Everything is heavily veiled in Party motif and security cameras.  If there weren't hawkers trying to sell ice cream and tiny Chinese flags, then it could have been just after the revolution.  

The square is pretty impressive in its size and location.  It being surrounded by museums and Party buildings makes it historic and foreboding in context.  There were a ton of people just hanging out, which seems to be a Chinese past time.  There is always someone trying to make a buck, but why not.  The area isn't too photogenic, but I kind of wanted tanks lined up for photo-ops.  

HK: Lantau Island

Renee and I finally made to the Big Buddha after we got the too late the other day. (pro tip: the stairs to the statue close at 5:30pm, so of you take the cable car, you should get on before 4:30pm.)  The round trip cable car costs 107hkd ($14) and is outside of the Tung Chung station. We planned on going to the beach, but it was too rainy by the time we finished with the statue. To get from Ngong Ping village, the top of the mountain, you can take bus 23 to Mui Wo ferry port and walk to Silvermine Bay Beach; a one way cable car ride is 74hkd ($10) and the bus is 23 hkd ($3), then buses or a ferry from there to town.

This was a fairly large Buddha and it was beautiful in the setting. From it's perch, we had a great view of the bay and surrounding mountains. I really liked the clouds wrapping around the peaks as they cruised overhead. It was sprinkling while we were there but nothing that would deter us from being there. The storm did bring some wind that rocked the cable car on the way up, but it had does down for our return journey.

We got a great view of the airport and mud flats from the cable car, while the peak graced us with a more serene vantage.  I'd say the gondola was worth it once and a bus or long hike would suffice in the future.

From the base we took the MTR to Central station to check out Lan Kwai Fong for the after-work bar scene. Hong  Kong Brewhouse serves it's own beers as well as and extensive import list with great food to accompany them. We tried the three craft beers and the Brooklyn Reuben ( six pints and sandwich: 392hkd, $51).

Bali - Surfs up

Herman, my instructor

Across the street from our hotel, there was a surf shop that offer three hour surf lessons for 250,000 IDR ($27.5).  The price included transportation to the beach, board, rash guard, and direction.  I quickly got the basics from one instructor on the beach and then Herman took me out for some one-on-one time.  He was pretty helpful and encouraging as he offered tips and held the board until I got used to balancing on it.  After about an hour of that I was getting tired and we took a break.  We were trying to catch smaller waves and even though I wasn't swimming too much, the repetitive motion of walking out to the break and climbing onto the board took a lot out of me.  After the break I had another two hours of solo practice with Herman offering some advice from the shore.  For the most part he had taught me all he could and it was up to me to practice.  I think I was getting better as the day progressed, though I was moving at a much slower pace.  It was fun and I'll definitely try to get better.

Vientiane

Renee poses for a stolen picture of the US Embassy; big no-no.

Random sight in the city

Eh, boring city, but kind of nice in a boring kind of way.  We spent several days at Loas Silk Hotel for 160,000 kip ($20) a night.  The place is the nicest we have stayed at since we started the trip.  Air conditioning, wifi, plush bed, etc.  We liked this place and it was close to the river.  The first night we ate along the river at a stand that served fresh caught river fish.  Very good as it was grilled in front of us and for only a few bucks with beers.  On another night we tried the Loas hot pot from a street vender, of course it was delicious.  We added the ingredients to the broth as it cooked on the clay pot grill in front of us.  

In terms of sight seeing, you are limited to buildings and oddities.  Nothing too interesting, but something to do as you pass though.  The Patuxai, is in the center of town and has a nice park and Buddha Park shows an eclectic's desire to show off.