Last days in Beijing

So I only have about 2 and a half days left in China.  Where does time fly by so quickly?! These past few days have been more relaxing, since we have been situated in Beijing for quite some time now.  Keith and I have visited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and a bunch of parks/temples… oh and how could I forget.. The Great Wall!!!! (my favorite absolute favorite part of the whole trip easily thus far)


The Great Wall was absolutely fjdaiofjsdijfas awesome. I can’t even describe it.  We went to a section called Mutianyu which was very nicely restored from towers 1 to about 22. After that, the Great Wall was in its original shape- broken down with bricks crumbling off the sides of the mountain, but nevertheless a little path could be found with overgrown with bushes that you had to push through.  We got to tower 28 which was completely run down and wanted to continue forward (we like the less touristy areas),but we were with a tourist group and time was quickly running out.  We had to turn back and we miraculously made the whole entire trek back within about an hour and a half (and only were about 30 min late).

            At the Great Wall they also have cable cars to take you up to tower 14 to begin your trek there; however, it costs extra money that Keith and I don’t really have… so we had to trek up the hard way by intense stairs which was A okay with me, legs are just a tad bit sore now lol. There is also a toboggan ride down from one of the towers, which apparently is extremely fun, but on the day that we went it was closed.  Also, although the visibility was poor at times, I could not have envisioned any other better weather.  It was cool and misty which felt wonderful while trekking along the Great Wall.  We talked to a few friends we made at the hostel who went when it was sunny and hot, and they definitely were sweating gallons.  The Great Wall was truly amazing, I wish I had more time to explore and go further through the parts that were unrestored.  If I ever come back to China, I would try to go on the Great Wall without a tour group, so that way I could spend even more time up in the mountains :)

Forbidden City

I guess being on this trip has made me realize I don’t exactly like to do the necessary “touristy” things.  Of course I feel compelled to see certain things such as the Great Wall, Forbidden city, Temple of Heaven, etc. because these are monumental historical spots that have so much history behind them and reveal so much about the culture, but for me I personally like the not so “sight-seeing” parts of the trip.  My favorite so far has been the Great Wall, but what I loved doing as well was walking to parks and interacting with the people there.  At the parks, older men and women play board games (I can’t remember the name of the specific one I am thinking about), they  sing together and bring their instruments out to play for the fun of it.  They have huddles in the middle of the paths discussing deep philosophical ideas.  They teach ballroom dancing to others- Keith and I got invited to dance with a few locals and they taught us a few steps, just out in the park on a sunny day.  It’s this community feeling that I feel is missing from the States.

 It might be the area that I live in, but when I think of for example Independence Grove I see people running with their headphones in concentrated on what they are doing.  There are families as well, but do we see families who are strangers interacting with one another?  I’m pretty sure it is very uncommon to see that.  Fathers play badminton with their sons, even grandpas are out flying their kites watching them soar through the sky here.  Even though I have only been here for two weeks and couldn't even possibly grasp the culture here in this time, I still think I have seen something that is missing for me back at home- simply the sense of community between neighbors, between families, between everyone as a whole. Of course ways of life are different everywhere you go, but I think love, family, and friends are the most important we have.

Sunset at Summer Palace

Back to Beijing

The days are flying by so quick, it’s hard to keep track of everything that has happened even with this blog.  I think part of the reason is because a lot of the time spent here has been traveling from place to place.  We got into Beijing yesterday after a 5 hour bus ride which didn’t exactly take us to the place in Beijing where we wanted to be, so we had to subway hop about 3 different lines.  One thing that I am SUPER impressed with in China is the transportation system.  No matter where you are, there is always a way to find some mode of transportation.  The subway system in Beijing is exceptional and I already feel like a pro- hopping from one line to the next, being aggressive so that you actually get into the subway, and simply navigating your way around the stations.  Trains are plenty and there are loads of bus stations as well.

Today Keith and I went to the Olympic Stadium in Beijing followed by a street nicknamed “Ghost Street” which is a street full of life, color, and FOOD! Barbeques, hot pots… you name it, this street has got it! It was really nice too because the hostel that we are staying at was only two blocks away.  The Olympic Green was full of people and we waited until it got dark to see all of the buildings be lit up.  It was definitely a sight to see!  There is also the “cube” which has a water park in it, which we might check out later in the week because it is extremely hot and humid these past couple of days.

 (THE CUBE)

Ghost Street

I can’t believe I have less than a week here in Beijing.  I feel as if by the time I come home it is going to feel like a dream.  Thankfully I’ll have all my pictures and this blog to read through so that it can bring me back.

Since I have been here I don’t think I ever really went through “culture shock”.   Certain things are very different from what I know, for example the bathrooms, but other than that life is very similar to back at home.  The main aspects of life such as work, family, friends and even faith are all the same.  The only differences are the small ways in which we live our lives.  The interesting thing about China is that it is also similar to the U.S. because of how vast it is.  In the U.S. the culture of the west, Midwest, south all have regional differences.  The same goes for China.  Different regions have specific dialects, different foods, and overall slightly different cultures from one another.

I guess another reason why I don’t think I have experienced “culture shock” is because of the media.  Watching tv, movies, and browsing the internet has exposed all of us to different cultures.  Even having friends of different backgrounds has prepared each and every one of us to be open to seeing other ways of life that are different from our own.  Seeing these things first hand simply brings another piece of the puzzle together in shaping how I see and experience the world.  I feel very lucky and blessed that this opportunity came about :)

I also had a little "epiphany" while on the bus headed to Beijing. Kate if you're reading this... this is for you. We HAVE to become ecologists/environmentalists.  Sure, America is doing a great job of going green and being environmentally conscious, but we are only one small part of this world.  I don't think a lot of people realize and truly grasp how many people there are on this planet and how our actions affect the earth. Traveling has made me see that we are so infinitely small as one person, but as a whole people, there is so much we can achieve.  Becoming environmentally friendly and "saving the planet" truly has to be a GLOBAL effort.  Education is key. Collecting data and sharing that information with the world and doing something about it fueled by passion and a desire to change has to occur on a grand scale in order for a change to take place. Sorry for the little rant... I guess this was mostly fueled by the smog that I saw in Beijing and fear about what can happen if we don't start making great global efforts.

*Oh and everyone loves kites here.  Alex- I'm getting you a giant kite and we're going to fly them back at home :)

...But maybe not as big as this one!

Anyways, lots to see in Beijing this last week and then off to Thailand!

Wutai Shan

So here we are in Wutai Shan!  This is going to be a quick post because my lap top is dying and I forgot to bring a converter with me to plug in my laptop. Anyways, Watai Shan is a GORGEOUS beautiful just absolutely breath taking town situated in the mountains.  It is a town full of temples where monks actually live and practice as well as villagers who have set up shops and restaurants.  The ride to get to here took a good 7-8 hours.  We took a 2 hour bus ride from Pingyao to a city called Taiyuan; the  bus had no a/c and was horribly hot.  We then had to get a taxi from the bus station... and I am almost positive our driver was tipsy... the taxi reeked of alcohol after we got into it and he also over charged us but we didn't feel like haggling to lower the price.  After we got to another bus station we took a 5 hour bus ride to the hills of Wutai Shan!

We saw 4 temples today and each one is very different and very beautiful with figures of Bodhisattva's and Buddhist beings.  I wish we had a guide or some way to translate the writings at the temples so we could better understand what it is that we were seeing and the history behind it.

The trek to see these temple is INSANE.  There are stony paths and crazy steep stairs to get up into the mountains and the temples. The view is breath taking- once you're up there all the problems of the world simply melt away and you are surrounded by the unprecedented beauty surrounding you- just in a state of bliss :)

*decided to not take the stairs down and instead take the path that the horses take!

On the second day at Wutai Shan we decided to go hiking.  Wutai Shan is a pilgrimage town with five terraces.  Each of these are about 25 km away in each direction (north, east, south, west) from the main village.  We were unable to see the five terraces with temples because they were so far away and we were only there for a short amount of time. However, the hiking was awesome!

 On the mountain we ran into a sheep herder with his flock of sheep and talked for a bit (it's really helpful that Keith knows enough Chinese to get around quite well). Because the hills were so steep, we couldn't see the top... and once we reached the top we literally ran into a herd of cows.  It was so scary because we were about 5 yards away from a cow and her three calves.  We slowly backed away trying not to disturb their peace and thankfully we got away A okay but we were definitely not expecting to run into cows at the top! 

And of course the street food was amazing.  We had tons of barbequed lamb, pork, veggies, and tofu.  It was definitely spicy and I'm surprised I could handle it! I guess I'm really starting to get used to spicy foods now.  Keith and I also decided to drink a beer with every meal because we feel like the little alcohol content in it has kept us from getting any food poisoning or any kind of sickness from the food that we eat. 

We left Wutai Shan for Beijing and plan to spend the rest of the trip in Beijing seeing the Great Wall, Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, and all the other must see's Beijing has to offer.

Pingyao

Today we are leaving Pingyao for either Wutai Shan or Lijiashan.  We can't really decide where we are going to go... so we're just going to make a decision once we get to the bus station.  A quick recap on Pingyao- IT IS BEAUTIFUL :)

 

Pingyao is an ancient walled in city as I had previously mentioned.  It is absolutely huge and has such a rich history.  You can take a walk on the wall around the whole entire city.  Keith and I hardly made it halfway because it was getting dark out and we were already walking for about an hour and a half (and only made it halfway... I told you.. its huge!)

Inside the city there is an interesting mix of museums (temples/old government residences/buildings/etc) all mixed in between shops and alleys where people actually live.  The city thrived off of tourism, but regardless the city has been preserved and still stands as a beautiful representation of the ancient past.  I truly wish I could post pictures because the city was absolutely stunning.  The food is also really good- dumplings are the staple as well as a variety of noodle dishes.  I think I found my favorite dish which is cooked spinach with pine nuts and an added spice that gives it a little kick!

 

A few more thoughts on what I have seen so far:
Smoking: Smoking is allowed everywhere and I guess I am surprised at how many people smoke.  People smoked on the overnight train, they smoke at hotels, at restaurants-pretty much everywhere.
Dogs: I have seen so many dogs on the streets.  Its hard to tell whether they are strays or someones, but they  simply wander around and are very useful because they eat scraps from the garbage which helps with the trash that you can see outside piled in the streets.

I don't know when I will have internet next, but I'm excited to see the upcoming towns that we are going to be visiting!

A few days in...

Sorry this first blog post from China is so late! It has been quite hard to get on the internet although there is wi-fi from many of the places I have been at so far, blogger and other websites are hard to get access to.  Anyways, I am here safe and sound and I can't believe I am finally here!!! It is absolutely surreal.

On the first night I landed in Beijing airport after a thirteen hour plane ride which actually went very smooth  No turbulence and I sat next to a guy who was 21 years old which made time fly by super fast (no pun intended) because we simply spent the whole flight talking and watching movies! Once I landed I met Keith at the airport and we found out hotel in the Dongcheng District in Beijing.  First day was simple- just relaxing and taking in the sights.  On our second day we went out to a park and watched a whole lot of badminton games, people dancing, playing flutes, and singing opera all around the park :)

We only spent one night in Beijing and then Keith and I had an overnight train that went to Pingyao, Shanxi Province in China.  It was a fourteen hour train ride to Pingyao- a perfectly preserved ancient walled in city.  We are currently here at hostel number two and soon going out to eat for dinner!! We are staying here for a few days and sight seeing the beautiful remnants of the city.

 

(In one "room" on the train there were six beds.  We had two beds on the lower level and there was a middle and a higher bed above us on both sides)

A few initial thoughts that struck me as I got into China:

1.  The bathrooms: I was definitely not prepared for the bathrooms, let's just say that. At hotels/hostels there are western bathrooms provided; however, everywhere else that you go the bathroom is a toilet but in the ground, so that in order to take care of business you must squat.  It is definitely something that is going to take a lottt of getting used to, that's for sure!
2. The smog (especially in Beijing): Even though we were only in Beijing for one night/day it was extremely hard to breathe in the city while walking around. There were a few people with masks in order to make breathing easier, but you definitely tire more quickly and the sun appears foggy behind a thick cloud of smog.
3. The subways: I have never been on the subway and it was such an awesome experience! It was crowded and you kind of had to push and shove your way in so that you get onto the subway.  I fell right onto all of my luggage because I forgot to hold on to the handles and I definitely got some stares.
4. Taking a tricycle/buggy (thing): Once in Pingyao, we took a "buggy" to the inner city and it was the craziest drive ever!  There are seats in the back and then a motorcycle where the driver sits. There weren't really any rules to the road... the driver went against traffic beeping and speeding along trying not to hit people or run into other cars.  We made it safe, but whew that was one awesome ride!

Well that is all for now, just a little catch up from the past few days! I'll be sure to post more as soon as I can!  (Also, I am really trying to upload some photos but am having a few difficulties that I'm hoping to fix)

Before the Departure

Hello everyone! This is the beginning of an awesome adventure and I can't wait to get started! Just a little background... I will be in China for two weeks simply sightseeing and backpacking around for a bit and then I will be headed off to Thailand where I will be volunteering. I was offered a Fellowship from Cross Cultural Solutions, a volunteer organization, through the College of Lake County this year and decided that Thailand was one country that I truly wanted to see and experience! I am so grateful for this amazing opportunity and can't wait to be on the 13 hour plane ride headed over to Beijing! I will do my very best to keep my blog updated on all the neat things that I see, and I hope you will see and learn something new from reading through my blog and looking at pictures. I have wanted to travel for so long and I am finally able to see my dreams come true :) And of course... I wanted to say thank you to my parents for finally letting me go and explore the world. "It is better to travel well than to arrive" -Buddha