Journal: China, 03 May 2002 I have a few chores to take care of before boarding the train to China late this afternoon. I have heard from Sean (who undertook this journey while I went on the tour of Halong Bay) that it is a 24-hour journey from hell. At least I am now prepared for the worst. I have bought some provisions for the train journey: water, a couple of baguettes, cheese, dried fruits, peanuts, and a bottle of vodka. The bottle of vodka, of course, is an essential companion for any train journey of great length. Upon boarding, I learnt that I was to share a very comfortable 4-bed compartment with a couple of stunningly beautiful 20 year old German girls - Holle and Tina. Our initial exchanges were rather cold and stand off-ish, with the girls making me feel like an intruder in their compartment. "Oh great," I thought to myself, "I'm going to be spending the next 24 hours with a couple of stuck-up princesses". However I need not have worried. We soon got around to talking about where we were from and, after I told them that I was from Cork, there was a dramatic change in their demeanor. Soon they were two of the most friendly and talkative people imaginable. As a way of explaining their initial rudeness, they said, "oh we thought you were Canadian or something". Why Canadians should incur such treatment from these girls is still a mystery to me. Our train did not have a dining car. However the Vietnamese conductor, in typical enterprising fashion, housed a container of canned drinks in his compartment. Armed with a can of coke that I purchased from the extortionist (I mean conductor), I unveiled the bottle of vodka to the girls. You should have seen their eyes open wide with delight. Before long we were engaged in a merry, touchy-feely, animated conversation. Our initial frosty introduction was now a distant memory. Before long, the vodka got the better of Holle and she fell into a deep sleep. Tina and I continued our merry conversations long into the night. China, 04 May 2002 We awoke in China, with Holle sporting a dull hangover and Tina claiming to still be drunk. Our first stop was the city of Nanning, where the train stopped for a little more than an hour. Tina and I got off the train and walked the city in search of a bank. This proved to be more difficult than we had imagined. All signs on the buildings were in Chinese characters and no one spoke English. All over South East Asia we have been used to local businesses displaying signs in both local and Roman script. The Chinese, it appears, have no desire to cater for our ignorant ways. Eventually, we managed to change some money and make our way back to the train before it left. After walking around Nanning, my first impression of the Chinese people is not very positive. Although, I do harbour preconceived notions after reading Bo Yang's description of his people as being "rude, loud, contentious, uncaring, dogmatic, unthoughtful, and blindly proud" (in a book titled The Ugly Chinaman). At the moment I agree with him. Nanning is not the most beautiful city world. The city center has a typically communist feel, with wide streets and the type of architecture that unfortunately was in vogue during the 70s. The suburbs of Nanning are even bleaker, with decrepit apartment blocks dominating a desolate landscape. It resembled the industrialized section of the so-called "garden state" of New Jersey, only worse! After leaving the area surrounding Nanning, the views from our train improved dramatically. We enjoyed a very pleasant day of sightseeing from the insulated comfort of our train before arriving at our destination - Guilin. At Guilin, we took short minibus ride to the traveler's mecca of Yangshuo. Along the way, we were delighted to meet some very friendly Chinese people, who went out of their way to help us find information and purchase tickets. We were now beginning to think that they are not so bad after all. When I was on the DMZ tour in Vietnam, I was surprised when three Japanese girls excitedly greeted me with a salutation of "Tiger!" "How do they know about my reputation with the girls" I thought to myself. Before I could inquire further, they hurried away, shyly giggling as they left. When I boarded the minibus to Yangshuo, a young Chinese man also greeted me with a smile and the utterance of "tiger." It's a nice boost to the ego when three girls call you tiger, but it is more than a little disconcerting when a young man does so. He could tell from the pained expression on my face that I was at a bit of a loss for words. He then went on to explain that the Chinese character on the front of my t-shirt means tiger. Ah-so! When we arrived in Yangshuo, we discovered that the town is bursting at the seams with the prolonged May Day celebrations. It appears that Chinese people are more than keen to spend their newly found wealth on leisure and pleasure-related activities. It took us quiet a while, but we finally managed to find a nice room with three beds for US$15. We then enjoyed a nice meal and a few drinks under the fireworks-filled skies before retiring to bed relatively early. China, 05 May 2002 Happy Birthday, Dee! Yangshuo is a beautiful little town nestled among a number of spectacular karst outcroppings. The town is centered around a pedestrian street that is filled with outdoor cafes, tour agencies, and souvenir shops. One end of the pedestrian street leads to a river that meanders around the giant limestone pillars. The section of the river between Yangshuo and Guilin is popularly known as the "Most Beautiful Place on Earth". And it really does live up to the hype. It is breathtakingly beautiful. Today we teamed up with Anthony (from Australia) for a bike tour through the surrounding countryside. A local lady called Yu Yang acted as our guide, taking us on a day-long excursion through the back roads of Yangshuo county. Then in the evening, we went for a big meal. Anthony, Tina, and I took the plunge and decided to try the local delicacy of snake. After about a half-hour wait, the restaurant presented us with a large live snake and a sharp scissors. They then instructed us to cut the head off the snake and drain its blood into a glass. We then drank the snake blood and alcohol, while the chef prepared the snake. Eventually, we were presented with two delicious dishes: snake soup and a chewy meat and vegetable dish. After our meal, we merrily stumbled to a nearby bar to drink the night away. I spent most of the evening playing Chinese drinking games with some Chinese tourists. I discovered that Chinese people love to play drinking games; the rolling of dice or the dealing of cards was a feature of most tables in the bar. We played one rather complicated game involving dice, two different games involving cards, and a game using hands that losely resembles rock-paper-scissors. Drinking games are great... even when you lose, you win! Now, not surprisingly, we have a great impression of Chinese people. China, 06 May 2002 We were a little slow to get up today, eventually dragging ourselves out of bed in the early afternoon. The day was spent hanging out in cafes and strolling around the atmospheric streets of Yangshuo. A constant feature of our time in Yangshuo has been the high level of attention from snap-happy Chinese tourists. They photograph us as we walk, they photograph us as we talk, they photograph us as we eat, actually it feels as if they photograph us all the time. It appears as if one of the big tourist attractions for Chinese people in Yangshuo is the westerner traveler. Other aspects of the Chinese character have also provided us with amusement. Their habit of constantly coughing up and spitting out every molecule of phlegm in their lungs never fails to bring a smile to our faces. They perform this task with considerable frequency and gusto, putting every fiber of their being into the coughing and spitting movements. And everyone does it, regardless of age or sex. Another amusing habit is their penchant for belching in public places, especially restaurants. It appears as if they take great pride in the volume of their belches, reaching decibel levels that would surely inspire awe amongst the belching elite of Hungary. China, 07 May 2002 Today was a wash-out; it rained heavily all day long. I spent the day watching movies (Run Lola Run and Ocean's Eleven), reading my disappointing book (Redemption by Leon Uris), making travel arrangements at a nearby agency, and engaging in mindless chitchat with fellow travelers. After Holle and Tina left for Hong Kong, I moved out of our room and into the dorm at the hotel (costing US$2 a night). China, 08 May 2002 I awoke at the crack of a beautiful dawning morning, content in the knowledge that I was well-rested and ready for a day of rock climbing. Two fellow travelers (Karen from England and Peter from Australia) and I tackled three challenging routes up one of the spectacular rock faces near Yangshuo. I successfully negotiated the first two climbs, but failed on the third climb (a climb with an exhausting 5% incline for much of the route). At the end of a grueling day, I took my battered body back to the Lizard Lounge and enjoyed some much deserved beers with members of the Yangshuo rock-climbing community. China, 09 May 2002 Today was another wash-out, with heavy rains all day long. I took shelter in my usual hangout and spent the day watching movies and playing cards. The best movie that we watched was the hilarious Bandits. Definitely an enthusiastic two thumbs up! As the day turned into evening, we once again participated in that great Chinese institution - the drinking game. I spent most of the evening getting to know a pretty young lady who goes by the name of Joice. She is a twenty-something year old Chinese girl who is enjoying a vacation from her home in Shenzen. Joice is not her real name, but a name that she chose as her "English name". Many Chinese people choose an "English name" that is easier for westerners to pronounce and remember. To get into the spirit of things, and to avoid being called Corner all the time, I have chosen a "Chinese name" for myself. I am Hu (the Chinese word for Tiger). I had a great time with Joice. Her eng-a-wish is very good. As we were getting to know one another, I slowly began to sense that there was something not quiet right about her. She didn't appear to be as successful as other women at hiding the psychotic tendencies that lurk beneath the surface of the female psyche. Because Joice is so pretty, I chose to completely overlook the warning signs that were jumping out at me. Like a moth who is drawn to a flame, I couldn't help myself. It's funny how good looks can completely cloud one's judgement. China, 10 May 2002 Joice and I took a moto-taxi to Dragon Bridge today. While there, we enjoyed a lovely bamboo raft ride along the Li River. We then returned to Yangshuo and dined at the local food market. We shared a couple of delicious dishes. The first dish was fish cooked in beer, which is a popular dish in these parts. There were no doubts about the freshness of the fish after the cook presented us with the live, gasping fish before cooking it. The second dish was a rather bland soup with meat-stuffed pumpkins. All day long, I flirted with the idea of parting ways with Joice. But in the end I reckoned that I was actually doing quiet well for myself, after all I am lucky enough to be with one of the few Chinese people who does not spit or belch in public. China, 11 May 2002 Today I rented a bicycle (for US$1) and spent the day exploring the surrounding countryside. I have been here for more than one week now and have no desire to leave. The town of Yangshuo is a very relaxing place and the surrounding countryside is spectacular. There are a great group of travelers in town at the moment, ensuring that good times always abound. China, 12 May 2002 I went rock climbing again today. I tackled another three routes, one of which was 40 meters high. I am finding this rock climbing to be addictive. While I was climbing, a photographer took pictures of me for some upcoming promotional material. So if you're ever in Yangshuo, check out the gorgeous "model" (with the nervous smile) in the ChinaClimb.com promotional material. After enjoying a few end-of-day beers with the climbing guides, I decided that I would prefer to hang out with them rather than spending another evening with Joice. After telling her as much, we did not enjoy a very graceful parting. I then went on to enjoy a great drinking session that culminated in me giving English lessons to the barmaid until 5.30 in the morning. China, 13 May 2002 I was supposed to go hiking through the countryside with the climbing guides today. They are searching for new climbing routes. However, I slept in and instead spent the day socializing with other travelers. There are about 15 of travelers and five locals in our social group. We usually hang out in The Blue Lotus Cafe. I particularly enjoy the company of Roman (from Munich), Neil (from Manchester), and Morgan (from Washington). China, 14 May 2002 We endured yet another day of Irish weather (in other words, rain) today. We followed our usual wet weather ritual of hanging out, watching videos, and spending time on the internet. One movie in particular, the excellent "A Beautiful Mind" left a significant impression. I have decided that it is finally time to leave Yangshuo. Although I am still having a great time here, I feel that it is time for some new experiences. I have purchased a ticket on a sleeper bus to Chongqing that leaves from Guilin tomorrow morning. The bus is scheduled to take 24 hours to get to its destination (and costs US$35). China has the best counterfeit music CDs that I have found so far. They typically cost US$1.25 each. While this is twice as expensive as the cost of CDs in Hanoi, the quality is much better. In Hanoi, you receive a CD with no label and a poorly photocopied sleeve. In China, you receive a CD, sleeve, and case that are identical to the real thing. It's time to stock up once again. China, 15 May 2002 It was a little tough to get up at 6.00am after enjoying a few farewell drinks last night. However, I did manage to drag myself down to the Guilin minibus with a little time to spare. When I arrived in Guilin, I discovered that the sleeper bus to Chongqing is not running because of a problem on the only direct route between these cities. After getting my money back, I went to the train station and purchased a ticket to Guiyang, which is about half way to Chongquing. Getting the train all the way to Chongqing is a bit of an ordeal, so I am taking advice from the guy at the bus station and going as far as Guiyang. I will figure out how to get the rest of the way when I arrive there tomorrow morning. I purchased a hard sleeper ticket on the train that leaves at 2pm this afternoon. It costs US$20 for the 18-hour journey. There are four types of ticket on a Chinese train: hard seat, soft seat, hard sleeper, and soft sleeper. I don't think that the words hard and soft accurately convey the differences between these tickets. There is certainly a slight difference in the firmness. However, the real difference is that the hard seat and sleeper provide less space and offer less amenities than the soft seat and sleeper. A hard sleeper is a bed in an open six-bed compartment. With a few hours to pass before the train leaves, I decided to explore Guilin. Soon after leaving the train station, I was greeted by a young college student called Jennifer (this, of course, is her English name). After talking to Jennifer for a few minutes, I asked her if she knew of a nearby internet cafe. She led me to a dingy-looking internet cafe costing a mere 12 cents an hour. I was surprised when she waited around while I checked my email. Afterwards, she offered to take me on a short walking tour of Guilin. We enjoyed a delightful and insightful stroll around this lovely city. Along the way, we discussed several topics including the music of Brittney Spears, the movie Titanic, and the greatness of Bill Gates. Jennifer claims that many Chinese people think that Bill Gates is a great man (and actually, she is the second Chinese person to say this to me). I made every possible effort to convince her that this man is the Devil incarnate, a man put on this earth wreak havoc with our technological advances. I hope I succeeded. After a hurried lunch together, we rushed back to the train station and parted ways. I soon discovered that I was the only westerner on the train. This was not surprising, considering that usually there is no reason why a westerner would go to Guiyang. Interaction with the other people in my compartment was limited to simple Chinese greetings, occasional isolated Chinese words, smiles, and pointing at phrases in my book. I munched on my food supply, listened to my CDs, and slept through the overnight journey. My food supply consisted of peanuts, pistachios, dried peas, dried bananas, chips, biscuits, fruit juices, and water. I also purchased some instant noodles (because hot water is freely available on Chinese trains, most people eat some sort of instant dish requiring only the addition of hot water). China, 16 May 2002 The train arrived in Guiyang at 8.00am. Armed with my Lonely Planet map, I walked the couple of kilometers across town to the long distance bus station. On my walk through the city, I did not see even one other westerner. As you can imagine, I drew a lot of attention from the locals in a city that sees few foreigners. As I would pass people, they would stop walking and just stare at me. And the occasional person would point to the fair hair on my arms or to my freckles. When I got to the bus station, I used my prepared Chinese phrases to order a bus ticket to Chongqing. I might as well have been speaking English because they had no idea what I was saying. Thankfully, pointing at the Chinese characters in my phrase and guide books helped me get my message across. During all of these interactions, I was genuinely surprised at the patience, friendliness and helpfulness of the people working there. From what I was told before coming to this country, interacting with the Chinese is not supposed to be a pleasant experience. So far on this trip I am experiencing just the opposite. The lady selling me the ticket then left her booth and rushed me to the bus that was about to leave. Sitting on the bus and just about to leave Guiyang, I was feeling very proud of myself. I had successfully negotiated all hurdles in my path thus far. Once more, the people on the bus were full of smiles in my direction. Again, our only interaction consisted of the few simple phrases in my limited Chinese vocabulary, the sharing of food, and sign language. We traveled through some of the most beautiful countryside imaginable. We went up through innumerable mountain passes, with spectacular rice terraces our constant companion along the way. The only distraction outside of the bus windows was the occasional stone bridge or viaduct. Inside the bus, the constant succession of movies provided an even greater distraction. At first we were shown a few kung-fu movies. Thankfully for me, these movies had English subtitles. The best of these movies, Tokyo Dragon, had a plot with even more twists and turns than Zha Zha Gabor's love life. It started off with two guys and a girl looking for a bad guy. Then one of the good guys was found to be a bad guy, leaving a one good guy and one good girl. Then the other good guy was shown to be the real bad guy, leaving the other guy and the girl. But then the good girl was shown to be the worst of all. At this point I ignored the rest of the plot and concentrated on the fight scenes. The highlight of my bus movie experience was an Indian film with Chinese subtitles. Without the benefit of knowing what was being said, I tried to guess the plot. The actors consisted of a very caucasian-looking leading man and lady, as well as a very Indian-looking supporting cast. The film began with the leading lady bursting into suggestive song and dance. The leading man spotted her gyrations and immediately fell in love with her. He then started singing and dancing (I think all of the songs had the same backing track, but I might be mistaken). The leading man pursued the leading lady through several scenes of singing and dancing, but every time they were about to kiss something would happen. In the end, he never kissed the girl. At last I thought, something in the plot I could identify with. Then the girl was killed. The leading male sought revenge for her death and was killed himself. Then, I guess in the afterlife, they joined together for more song and dance. Indian film making at its best! We arrived in Chongqing after 15 hours on the bus. Almost 40 hours after setting out from Yangshuo, I had reached my destination. There was just enough time to get something to eat and to book the next leg of my trip before going to bed. China, 17 May 2002 Chongqing is a large and modern city, not unlike Manhattan in its appearance. This came as a surprise to me. I had been expecting a quaint city by the river, not a sprawling metropolis with more than ten million inhabitants. Chongqing is situated at the confluence of the Yangtse and Jialing Rivers. This evening, I will board a boat and take a two-day trip down the Yangtse River to Yichang. Along the way I will pass through the famous Three Gorges. In the mean time, I will explore Chongqing. In the book China Wakes, Nicholas Kristof writes that China is "only a communist country in name" and that it is a "one-party dictatorship with a market economy and a large number of state-controlled corporations". This is also my impression. It is immediately obvious to anyone visiting this country that capitalism is just as prevalent here as it is America. One only has to look at the competing tour agencies to see that capitalism is thriving in this country. Interestingly, the major item in the news today concerns the breaking up of monopolies in this country. The next major monopoly to be divided up is China Telecom, which will be broken into several competing baby telecoms. I boarded the boat at 6pm, an hour and a half before our departure time. Immediately I was accosted by the very attractive Kate (from England). She rushed up to me, said something about us being the only two westerners on the boat, and then entered into a lengthy conversation in which she did most of the talking. Eventually, I managed to politely shake her and went for a look around the boat. Immediately I bumped into Ben (from Germany) and Thomas (from Denmark) who were standing on deck with beer-in-hand. Little did I know it at the time, but this was to set the tone for the trip. Ben, Thomas, Kate, and I soon formed a little group. We made ourselves comfortable on the top deck, within a short walk of the bar. Before long we were joined by Vinny and Ross (from Ireland) and Robert (from America). Robert was the only like-minded member of a 17-person party from Akron, Ohio. This group are on a university-led tour of China and most of them are hating every moment of it. The amusingly named Brandy and Candy (who are suffering through the trip for extra credit) did join us for a short time, before retiring to their cabins for the remainder of the trip. We reckon that Thomas, the silver-tongued great Dane, must have said something to upset them. Vinny is also on his way to join the Green Army at the World Cup. Actually, over the past few weeks, I have been meeting quiet a few people who are on their way to the World Cup. I have even come across a few oddballs (all of them English of course) who undertook football-inspired odysseys. One such group are at becauseitsfootball.com. Another group set out from England, kicking a football over land all the way to Asia (I cannot remember their URL). The weather on the first night consisted of a hazy drizzle. This was just about as good as it got for the entire trip, with rain never far away. However, the wet weather did not dampen our spirit, as we enjoyed a great session under the cover on the top deck. It was the wee hours of the morning before we called a halt to the storytelling and the singsongs. China, 18 May 2002 All of us, aside from Kate, are staying in third class. Kate made the agonizing decision to slum it in second class and has been hearing about it from Thomas ever since. A third class cabin consists of six reasonably comfortable beds, a sink, a television, and air conditioning. A ticket in third class for the 1043 kilometer journey from Chongqing to Yichang costs a very reasonable US$30. Very good food is served in the dining area at meal times. Passengers must pay extra for food. It is incredibly good value and surprisingly good food, with a large meal costing less than US$1. Beer is also reasonably priced at about US$0.70 for a large bottle. We were informed that the Yangtze River is the third longest river in the world. Judging by the amount of rubbish floating on the surface and the lovely mocha-colour of the water, I speculated that it is probably the biggest sewer in the world. By the middle of the second day, the smell of the toilets on the top deck had become a little overpowering. This led me to further speculate that we were possibly on the biggest toilet in the world, floating on the biggest sewer in the world. Ah, the life of a traveler! And speaking of toilets, the toilets on the boat were spartan, to say the least. The men's bathroom consisted of a communal trough that was arranged in a u-shape. Patrons squatted over the trough, evacuating their bowels while facing their fellow squatters. This was all a bit too much for me. I just couldn't do it while a bunch of wincing Chinese faces were peering in my direction. China, 19 May 2002 We coped with our circumstances by drinking copious amounts of beer and making light of the situation. As the night passed, each person in turn had their fill of alcohol and stumbled off to their cabin. Just before daybreak, Kate and I noticed that we were the only two people left on deck. We made the most of the moment, enjoying a bit of a romantic interlude. We then enjoyed sunrise and the approach of the Three Gorges. One of the main reasons to take this trip is the see the Three Gorges. The day broke as we entered the first Gorge - the shortest of the gorges with a length of just 8 kilometers, but definitely the most spectacular of the three. The next two gorges were an impressive 40 kilometers and 80 kilometers in length, but not very interesting. Between navigating the gorges and enduring lengthy breaks for associated tours, darkness had fallen by the time we reached the site of the partially-constructed Three Gorges Dam. When completed, this mammoth construction will be the biggest dam in the world. It will flood the entire region that we have traveled for the past couple of days. Along the way, markers on the slopes have indicated the level of the water upon completion of the dam. These markers - 175 meters above us - are also above entire towns. Towns that are now, for the most part, deserted. An eerie feeling descended on us as we passed entire buildings that were stripped of anything of value. Even door frames and window frames have been removed. When you see these sights first-hand, the awesome scope of this project becomes apparent. After navigating the locks at the very impressive Gezhou Dam, we arrived at Yichang. Myself and Kate are staying with a young couple that Kate had met in Chengdu a few days before. Cameron and Julie (from Australia) are teaching English at a local university in Yichang. Even though they are a married couple, the university has provided them with two apartments. Kate and I are staying in the "spare" apartment. Kate and I are getting along very well. It is a very light-hearted relationship, with the two of us constantly making fun of one another. We are not mired in one of those heavy, oh I'm so madly in love with you, affairs. We are just having a bit of fun. For my part, I am contributing a few Irish rebel songs and am providing constant reminders of the 800 years of English oppression that my people have had to endure. For her part, my Irish accent and mispronunciation of words is a constant source of amusement. Cameron and Julie are quiet young to be married, being 21 and 22 years old respectively. They are a lovely couple and a pleasure to be around. However, they do have a terrible habit of beginning or ending every utterance with a pet name. It looks like vomitous exchanges such as "Petal, should we take Conor and Kate the market", "Oh that's a wonderful idea sweetie", "Thank you darling" are the cross we have to bear for free digs. I'm not sure that it is worth it. China, 20 May 2002 Yichang is a "small" city of 4 million people. It is a distinctly Chinese city, with very little Western influence. Kate and I spent the day trying to book our onward journey to Shanghai. A trip to the train station proved fruitless when the people behind the counter refused to make an effort to understand our phrase-book fragments of Chinese. A search for the state-run travel agency not only proved to be fruitless, but also proved to be very wet as heavy rains poured down from the heavens. It seemed as if everywhere we turned, people made no effort to help us. After a few hours, we gave up and went in to the nearest big hotel and got them to book flights for us. Booking a flight was probably a bit of an extravagance. But after enduring a few rain-soaked hours of frustrating experiences, it didn't seem that way. We were just happy that we going to get out of Yichang, and we were going to do it the following morning. After finally booking our onward journey, we went back and met Cameron. He then brought us to one of Julie's classes. She is teaching English at the local university. I was amused to check the class register. Each student has chosen an English name for themselves. The register included names like Perciville and Miranda that I would imagine were extracted from some classic literature, but my favourite name was the outstanding Tooth. Julie told us that the students often change their English names, making it difficult for her to track their grades. The four of us went to play pool at a local establishment. The establishment consisted of a pool table underneath a large tarpaulin in the local market. Not surprisingly, we did not take long to attract a large crowd of interested onlookers. We then disappointed the assembled masses by moving on to get some food and drink. We enjoyed one of the best meals of my trip so far and also one of the least expensive. For about US$8, the four of us shared six fantastic dishes and a few beers. By the time we got back to the apartment this evening, the troubles of the day seemed far behind us. China, 21 May 2002 For quiet some time I have heard travelers talk about bad China days. Most travelers experience days when they wish they were in another country, any other country. Today I had a bad China day! It all began at 5.30 in the morning. Kate and I trudged down to a nearby taxi rank to grab a cab to the airport. The usual scenario developed, with me repeatedly uttering the Chinese phrase for "airport please", only to be reciprocated with quizzical looks from the driver on each utterance. Finally I pointed to the appropriate Chinese characters in the phrase book, only for the driver to utter words that I swear are the very same as those that came from my mouth. Of course, in reality, I was probably saying something like "please run over the cat". A couple of minutes into the journey, I noticed that the cab driver was a little inconsistent in his acceleration. Then, at about the same time as I saw a half-empty bottle of rice whiskey on the passenger seat, I noticed that he was struggling to keep his eyes open. Oh great! We were not sure if we were going in the right direction, we were in a hurry, and the cab driver was drunk. I let my anger get the better of me (it was 5.30am after all) and engaged in a shouting match with the driver that, if nothing else, got his adrenaline flowing and woke him up. When we finally got to the airport, the driver then presented us with a demand for 150 RMB (about US$20). Beforehand, Julie told us that the fare would cost somewhere between 60 and 80 RMB. To cut a long story short, after a bit of negotiation and a little chat with the police, we ended up giving the little prick 70 RMB. It was with a great feeling of relief that we boarded the plane to Shanghai. We were only too glad to put Yichang behind us. Little did we know that things were not going to get much better. After landing in Shanghai, we took the airport bus into the city. It took us a while to figure out exactly where we were, but we reckoned that we were close to an Irish pub. We decided to make a beeline for the pub, shelter from the torrential rains, put or bags down, and figure out where we would stay. After walking for a while, we realized that we were not where we thought we were. This would not have been a problem if it was not raining, but it was raining and raining hard. Kate was the first one to have a mini-breakdown, but I was not far behind. After we took turns raising each other's spirits, we finally found the state-run tourist information service. But, in typically Chinese fashion, they proved to be of absolutely no assistance. They wouldn't even give us a free map of Shanghai, let along help us find accommodation. A phone call to the Conservatory of Music, who offer rooms to foreign visitors, provided us with some hope. Although the people at the other end of the phone could not speak English, after an arduous communication exercise, I was reasonably sure that they had a room available. But then we had difficulty finding a cab driver that would take us there. To cut a long story short once again, we eventually made our way to the conservatory and got a room. Once inside, we just wanted to stay in the sanctuary that was room and insulate ourselves from China. When checking in to the conservatory, there was a space on the form for our English names and for our Chinese names. In honour of Cameron and Julie, who constantly addressed each other using pet names, we decided to adopt the Chinese names Dah-ling and Hun-ee. Even though our circumstances were fairly miserable, it was really nice that we were able to cheer one another up when necessary and to have some fun along the way. After a couple of hours in our sanctuary, we were ready to face China again. We went out to get some food and ended up spending the afternoon in a nice hot pot restaurant. We felt so much better after drying off, eating a feast fit for a king, and savouring a few beers. We were now, for the first time, having serious conversations and our light-hearted relationship was becoming heavy. China, 22 May 2002 Today was primarily spent taking care of a few chores and looking around Shanghai. My chores included obtaining a Japan Rail Pass (which must be purchased outside of Japan) and confirming my flight to Japan (which proved to be an ordeal). After taking care of my few items of business, I had a chance to see some of Shanghai. Shanghai is a very modern, western-style city with an excellent public transport system. It has a nice riverfront area, some charming old areas, and some bustling shopping districts. In the evening, Kate and I eased into the intimate atmosphere of the local jazz club. It was to be our last night together. We have grown quiet close over the past few days and are not looking forward to parting ways. China, 23 May 2002 Goodbye and good riddance to China! I got up at the crack of dawn to get a taxi to the airport. The taxi cost a mere 33 RMB, instead of the 130 RMB quoted in the Lonely Planet. As is usual for me, I got to the airport with hours to spare only to discover that one can check in only within a specific window of time. So I sat on my bag in the check in area for an hour and a half while the check in staff twiddled their thumbs while waiting for my allotted window of time. Spending: $970 for 19 nights, including:
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