Saturday, May 28, 2005
For some reason, the Chengdu hotel computer I'm currently using doesn't allow me to access this blog. That is to say, I can edit it, but I can't view it. China's major cities actually have pretty good tech, but the internet censorship is... blah. So I can't read any of your comments, if any. I'm sorry, but for now I guess it's back to traditional email or SMS if you want to drop a line.
Yes, I'm still alive and well. However, the money seems to be draining away at an alarming rate, even though I've stubbornly refrained from splurging on souvenirs. Instead, I've been splurging on film. A necessary expense, because China, with its architecture, gardens, mountains, flora and fauna (and that includes people) makes me especially trigger-happy. I've been averaging a film consumption rate of 1.5 rolls a day, and that's a somewhat scary thought, considering how long I will be here.
In brief, the places visited:
1) Beijing
Summer Palace ('new'), Tiananmen Square + Gate, Forbidden City, Jing Shan Park, Bei Hai, Hutong, food street.
Resided at apartment in Beijing's 'Silicon Valley'. Learned how to take public transport - both trains and buses. The public transport isn't as terrible as some guide books make it out to be, and most importantly, it is cheap. A mere 1-3 yuan (S$0.20 - S$0.60), depending on the type of bus, and you can ride that bus to any stop along its route. Also realised that China is big. Far, far bigger than my native tropical island - Beijing alone is 31 times the size of Singapore, so naturally, there is plenty of walking involved. The city is located on a flat plain, though, so walking (or cycling, for that matter, but pampered Singaporeans should never attempt to cycle through the brutal Beijing traffic) isn't that strenuous. Learned how to fend off persistent Beijing touts.
2) Chengdu
Du Fu place, Zhugeliang + Three Kingdoms Shu history place, bunch of temples, tea ceremony, Ren Min Park, central shopping district
City is overcast all day long, and dusty like most other Chinese cities. But at least it's humid. Beijing's air was good for drying clothes, but bad for the eyes and lips, as I found out to my dismay. Discovered that I can't really take authentic Sichuan cuisine - they use this nasty 'flower' pepper that numbs your tongue. Charming gardens drenched in mist and overflowing with tradition, traffic more decent than Beijing's, but not by much. Well-fed with spicy Sichuan food, and imbibed local alcohol.
3) Jiuzhaigou/ Huang Long
Beautiful scenery there: snowy peaks, pine forests, waterfalls, mountain streams, impossibly blue lakes. Ate up lots of film, but I'm not complaining. I managed to avoid hypothermia and altitude sickness up there, 1500-4200m above sea level, despite having no winter coat or physical fitness. Ingested meat roasted on a spit Tibetan-style without incident. Imbibed local alcohol - some type of Tibetan wine which tasted sweet enough for me to loosen my usual inhibitions concerning alcohol. Fended off persistent Tibetan vendors.
To my parents and sister: can you please take a look at my letters and INFORM me when they come in? I'm far away on vacation and worrying about intimidating paperwork. I had a nightmare last night about important, time-sensitive emails lying unopened in my inbox.
words were spilled on Saturday, May 28, 2005
