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~ Katherine
~ Katherine
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Monday, 10 June 2013
Sabah, Malaysia - April 2013
Kota Kinabalu
4.4.13
We arrived in KK(how the locals refer to Kota Kinabalu) after a flight through KL (Kuala Lumpar) to arrive in Sabah for the first time. Despite having gone through customs in KL, we had to do it again when we got off our domestic flight, which was sort of bizarre.
Once we checked into the Promenade Service Apartments, we took a stroll through the KK city center. The city itself is surprisingly small - we were able to walk from one side to the other in under 20 minutes. It seem like the city is largely composed of shopping malls, restaurants and hotels, with most residential areas lying in the suburbs. After scouring out the dive shop we were to go to the following day, we sat down for a dinner of KK's specialty - fish. The grouper we ate was not only incredibly fresh and sweet, but also incredibly cheap, only 40 ringgits/kilo! With it, we also tried a local vegetable, a sort of fern, which was also scrumptious, as well as some kueh - I love Malaysian food :D
KK
5.4.13
After a breakfast of roti canai and curry, we headed down to the diveshop to take the boat to Pulau Sapi, part of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. As we were the only people to book diving that day, we had the boat and dive masters all to ourselves, just like a private tour! The beaches there were beautiful pristine white while the sea was a beautiful aquamarine colour. The diving was pretty good with a variety of both hard and soft corals. We saw a giant school of barracuda like that in Finding Nemo as well as the typical sea creatures, such as parrot fish, angel fish, prawns, box fish, stingrays and clown fish. While diving, I couldn't help thinking that I may be eating one of the fish for dinner that night!
That night, we did eat fish for dinner again, but thankfully it didn't look like one of the ones I had seen on the dive (although they were selling parrot fish in the wet market). While mom conversed with one of the restaurant owners in Hakka - Sabah has a surprisingly large Hakkanese population - we also tried some delicious coconut based Tom Yum. Yum.
KK
6.4.13
Not having too much planned for the day, we rented a car with the intent of i) seeing the proboscis monkeys, ii) getting out of the city, and iii) getting some driving practise. Once we got into our tiny manual 660cc Kancil, we headed out to the Low Kawi Wildlife Park to find ourselves some monkeys. Contained in large cages, the proboscis monkeys weren't too hard to find. I was surprise by their minute size. Despite their large dominating photos on tourist brochures, the monkeys themselves are tiny. Their noses do not have any specific function other than for the production of mating sounds. I have to say, they're really funny looking.
Next to the proboscis monkeys in the zoo were the squirrel monkeys. Full of energy, they ran around their cage as fast and as indecisively as a squirrel. They were literally hyperactive, jumping all over the cage - I can only wonder what they'd be like on red bull!
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| proboscis monkey |
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| squirrel monkeys |
After the Wildlife Park, we made our way towards the tip of Borneo to the Usukan Cover area by Kota Belud. After a long, scenic drive, we finally arrived at this beautiful area yet to be touched by tourism. There we saw the traditional stilt houses, watched the cows wander onto the roads, and swam on a completely deserted beach - it was perfect.
On the way back, Mark drove. It was a pretty pleasant drive, except there will be one cow who's eyes I'm unlikely to ever forget. That night, after another scrumptious seafood dinner (with halibut fried with sambal and then steamed on banana leaf), I learnt how to drive a manual car forwards! I only stalled once!
Mt Kinabalu
7.4.13
We're off to hike Mt Kinabalu!
After being picked up from our hotel at 7am in the morning for a two or so hour trip to Mt Kinabalu Park, we started our hike up the highest peak in Borneo at 10am in the morning. We only had to cover 6km up to the accommodation at Laban Rata.
Even so, carrying all our luggage, it wasn't easy. We had over estimated how much water to bring and ended up carrying about 7L of it up the mountain, definitely adding to our load. To make things slightly worse, there was a persistent drizzle all throughout our hike up to the 6km mark. However, the hike was very pretty with amazing flora and fauna. It was easy to see the distinction between the various environments we passed through as we hiked along the steep path.
When we arrived at the guest house, it was around 3pm, and boy, we were tired. We were staying not at the main accommodation at Laban Rata, but a smaller hut called the Waras Hut, about 5 minutes further down the mountain. Despite the lack of central heating, the lack of warm water and the outdoor toilets, the room was clean and simple. While we ate dinner at 4:30 in Laban Rata, I couldn't believe who I saw! There was a group of grade 9s from UWCSEA with the two of the teachers that had accompanied me on the Ladakh trip. Supposedly I wasn't the first other UWCSEA student they had seen on the mountain - they'd seen another on their way up. At mom's asking, they repaired the sole of her hiking boot that had broke on the way up - it was lucky that I had spotted them!
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| start of the hike |
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| laban rata |
Mt Kinabalu
8.4.13
In order to see the sunrise from the top of the mountain, we woke up at 2am after a restless night to leave camp at 3am. Initially, the trail was rather crowded on the way up as everyone had left at a similar time, but as we got further up, the crowd began to spread out. The walk up to the peak was difficult. Not only was it incredibly steep and slippery in some sections, there was also the danger of falling if you let go of the climbing ropes. That coupled with the altitude and lack of visibility made the climb ever more challenging. In the last kilometre, we had to take breaks every 50/100m to catch our breath. When we reached the summit of Low's Peak at 4095m at 5:30am, we sat down to wait for the sunrise. Although the temperature was fine when we were walking, it was freezing cold when we were waiting so much so that the cold could be felt through a thinsulate, fleece top and gortex jacket! Unfortunately for us, we didn't get much of a sunrise, with the thick white clouds rolling over the mountains obstructing the view. On descent however, once the sun had risen, we got amazing views of the country below us - we could even see KK from the top! The descent back to Laban Rata was easier than the climb up - partially because we weren't as breathless. On the way down, the steep rope sections were even harder. I was constantly slipping and grasping onto the rope for my dear life. I got lots of bruises as souvenirs after my falls.
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| cloudy sunrise |
We reached Laban Rata at 8am for a second breakfast before we descended all the way back down to the bottom. We had amazing french toast as we sat outside on the patio, admiring the view :) . Around 9:30, we began our final descent, reaching the bottom around 1:30. The descent wasn't too difficult, but the gradient was constantly steep, lacking many flat sections. This made for very sore legs and knees by the time we finally arrived at the bottom.
After another 2h drive back to the hotel, mom and I went for massages - my first. It was so painful. I can't actually believe people find it relaxing! By the end of it, I don't know if my legs actually hurt more!
KK
9.4.13
On the last day of our holiday, we awoke with incredibly sore legs. It was painful to walk (and I'm not exaggerating). After our last roti canai breakfast and some last minute shopping, we caught our flight back to Singapore.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Japan, February 2013
Day 1
7.2.13
Sapporo, Japan
Today we flew from Singapore to Narita, and then from Narita to Sapporo. There was a possibility that our flight to Sapporo would have to turn around due to weather conditions: blizzards. Luckily, despite a delay in the flight departure and a slight longer flight, we arrived around 8pm after a long day of travelling. Lack of snow definitely won't be a problem for skiing - the tarmac was covered with it!
We checked into the Sapporo International Youth Hostel around 10pm, into a very cute tatami room. Feeling in need of refreshment, mom and I headed to the Japanese style bath. It was an interesting experience showering privately and them heading naked into a communal bath - something that I'd get use to during our week long stay in Japan.
Day 2
8.2.13
Sapporo, Japan
When we woke up the next morning, most of the vast amount of snow covering the roads had been cleared. After buying bus tickets for the bus to Sapporo tomorrow, we headed to the 64th Sapporo Snow Festival.
The snow sculptures at Odori were quite a sight. The huge, towering white sculptures were intricately carved - some were so large they required over 480 trucks, over 2800 tonnes, of snow! As well as all the snow and ice sculptures of varying sizes, there was also a huge ski jump where snowboarder after snowboarder climbed up to present some amazing arial feats to the crowd at the bottom of the hill.
Living in Singapore, where it's always a rather hot 25 - 30C, it was absolutely freezing in Sapporo. Despite being bundled up in all our Canadian winter gear, the cold cut to the bone. Luckily, the Snow Festival was well prepared for the circumstance we found ourselves in. The festival was scattered with little shelters equip with warm electrical heaters. We had to frequently stop to warm ourselves up.
For lunch, we tried one of the various Japanese seafood stalls in the festival, treating ourselves to a bowl of steaming hot scallops. The scallops were huge, sweet and absolutely delicious - the only problem was we could hardly move our chopsticks with our bare hands freezing in the cold.
Following lunch, I decided to try some of the various activities around the festival. My bottom being already too cold to try one of the snow slides, I joined to queue of little kids to take a ride on a mini steam powered train. It was so cute <3
Before dinner, we also checked out the ice sculpture side of the festival, getting quite lost on the way. My favourite sculpture had to be the one with the frozen fish inside - it looked so cool (literally). For dinner, we had some miso ramen: we had to warm our hand on the bowl before we had enough motor control to use our chopsticks!
Day 3
9.2.13
Sapporo/ Niseko, Japan
After having sushi for breakfast (yum!), we took the bus to Niseko Village. We were staying at not one of the large hotels, but a small little Japanese wooden lodge on what was a potato farm during the summer months. The lodge, called Ambitious Niseko, was made completely out of logs - it literally was a log cabin.
That afternoon, we walked around the Hirafu village. The one thing that really struck me was the massive size of the snow drifts. They were at least twice my height! We also got a glimpse into how they maintained the roads with all the snow when we saw a snow clearing team of several trucks and a massive snow blower cleaning up one of the drifts.
Once all the other guests were shuttled back from the hills, we had a scrumptious dinner of burgers, potato salad, soup, vegetables, rice, and a huge variety of side dishes I cannot begin to describe. It was delicious.
Day 4 - 8
10.2.3 - 14.2.3
Niseko, Japan
For the next three and a half days, we had an amazing time skiing. Annupuri, Niseko Village, Hirafu and Hanazano, we covered them all. Even at the end if the day, the powder was still awesome - it may have helped having powder skis. Out of all the areas we skied, my favourites would have to be Annupuri and Hanazano. The snow there was the best, especially outside the gates in the back country. The powder just made everything so much more fun and easy to ski.
One of the best things about skiing was not so much the actual skiing, but the après-ski. Purchasing a three use onsen pass, we headed to the onsen at the Hilton everyday to relax in their hot spring in an incredibly relaxing setting. The outdoor onsen was amazing. As your body was submerged in the 42C spring water, you could watch the snow falling onto the trees in front of the mountain backdrop. (http://www.niseko-village.com/en/accommodation/hiltonnv_spa.html)
Our lodge was amazing. Other than the delicious food every single morning and night, the shuttle service they provided was exactly like having a personal chauffeur! Despite the language barrier, our hosts were very helpful and hospitable.
On the last day, we had a half day of skiing before we had to go back to Sapporo to catch our flight back to Tokyo. To finish our wonderful skiing experience, we went to the Niskeko Milk Kobo. Their food was amazing! The ice-cream tasted of milk, their cheesecake was light and fluffy, and I could rave the whole day about their wonderful choux buns. The Milk Kobo is a must visit for anyone in Niseko - it's never too cold to have amazing ice cream.
Day 9-10
15.2.13 - 16.3.13
Tokyo, Japan
To finish off our holiday, we spent two days in Tokyo. From our B&B near to the Tokyo Skytree, we were in a great place to see and do a lot. We went to the Meiji Shrine, got nearly lost in Shinjuku, stared in awe at the fish in the Tsujiki Fish Market, tasted fresh sushi, and got some terrible fortunes revealed at the Asakusa temple complex. Tokyo is such a huge city - the metro line is pretty confusing! It was a great way to end an amazing holiday.
7.2.13
Sapporo, Japan
Today we flew from Singapore to Narita, and then from Narita to Sapporo. There was a possibility that our flight to Sapporo would have to turn around due to weather conditions: blizzards. Luckily, despite a delay in the flight departure and a slight longer flight, we arrived around 8pm after a long day of travelling. Lack of snow definitely won't be a problem for skiing - the tarmac was covered with it!
We checked into the Sapporo International Youth Hostel around 10pm, into a very cute tatami room. Feeling in need of refreshment, mom and I headed to the Japanese style bath. It was an interesting experience showering privately and them heading naked into a communal bath - something that I'd get use to during our week long stay in Japan.
Day 2
8.2.13
Sapporo, Japan
When we woke up the next morning, most of the vast amount of snow covering the roads had been cleared. After buying bus tickets for the bus to Sapporo tomorrow, we headed to the 64th Sapporo Snow Festival.
The snow sculptures at Odori were quite a sight. The huge, towering white sculptures were intricately carved - some were so large they required over 480 trucks, over 2800 tonnes, of snow! As well as all the snow and ice sculptures of varying sizes, there was also a huge ski jump where snowboarder after snowboarder climbed up to present some amazing arial feats to the crowd at the bottom of the hill.
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| One of the huge snow sculptures! |
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| And another |
Living in Singapore, where it's always a rather hot 25 - 30C, it was absolutely freezing in Sapporo. Despite being bundled up in all our Canadian winter gear, the cold cut to the bone. Luckily, the Snow Festival was well prepared for the circumstance we found ourselves in. The festival was scattered with little shelters equip with warm electrical heaters. We had to frequently stop to warm ourselves up.
For lunch, we tried one of the various Japanese seafood stalls in the festival, treating ourselves to a bowl of steaming hot scallops. The scallops were huge, sweet and absolutely delicious - the only problem was we could hardly move our chopsticks with our bare hands freezing in the cold.
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| Scallops! |
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| An ice castle |
Following lunch, I decided to try some of the various activities around the festival. My bottom being already too cold to try one of the snow slides, I joined to queue of little kids to take a ride on a mini steam powered train. It was so cute <3
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| Mini train! |
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| The Hawaiian Airlines snow sculpture and hula performance |
Before dinner, we also checked out the ice sculpture side of the festival, getting quite lost on the way. My favourite sculpture had to be the one with the frozen fish inside - it looked so cool (literally). For dinner, we had some miso ramen: we had to warm our hand on the bowl before we had enough motor control to use our chopsticks!
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| Frozen fish tanks! |
Day 3
9.2.13
Sapporo/ Niseko, Japan
After having sushi for breakfast (yum!), we took the bus to Niseko Village. We were staying at not one of the large hotels, but a small little Japanese wooden lodge on what was a potato farm during the summer months. The lodge, called Ambitious Niseko, was made completely out of logs - it literally was a log cabin.
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| Snow clearing |
Once all the other guests were shuttled back from the hills, we had a scrumptious dinner of burgers, potato salad, soup, vegetables, rice, and a huge variety of side dishes I cannot begin to describe. It was delicious.
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| Our room |
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| Massive snow drifts |
Day 4 - 8
10.2.3 - 14.2.3
Niseko, Japan
For the next three and a half days, we had an amazing time skiing. Annupuri, Niseko Village, Hirafu and Hanazano, we covered them all. Even at the end if the day, the powder was still awesome - it may have helped having powder skis. Out of all the areas we skied, my favourites would have to be Annupuri and Hanazano. The snow there was the best, especially outside the gates in the back country. The powder just made everything so much more fun and easy to ski.
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| Snow! |
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| The volcanic Mt Yotei from the hill |
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| The lodge |
One of the best things about skiing was not so much the actual skiing, but the après-ski. Purchasing a three use onsen pass, we headed to the onsen at the Hilton everyday to relax in their hot spring in an incredibly relaxing setting. The outdoor onsen was amazing. As your body was submerged in the 42C spring water, you could watch the snow falling onto the trees in front of the mountain backdrop. (http://www.niseko-village.com/en/accommodation/hiltonnv_spa.html)
Our lodge was amazing. Other than the delicious food every single morning and night, the shuttle service they provided was exactly like having a personal chauffeur! Despite the language barrier, our hosts were very helpful and hospitable.
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| Dinner! |
On the last day, we had a half day of skiing before we had to go back to Sapporo to catch our flight back to Tokyo. To finish our wonderful skiing experience, we went to the Niskeko Milk Kobo. Their food was amazing! The ice-cream tasted of milk, their cheesecake was light and fluffy, and I could rave the whole day about their wonderful choux buns. The Milk Kobo is a must visit for anyone in Niseko - it's never too cold to have amazing ice cream.
Day 9-10
15.2.13 - 16.3.13
Tokyo, Japan
To finish off our holiday, we spent two days in Tokyo. From our B&B near to the Tokyo Skytree, we were in a great place to see and do a lot. We went to the Meiji Shrine, got nearly lost in Shinjuku, stared in awe at the fish in the Tsujiki Fish Market, tasted fresh sushi, and got some terrible fortunes revealed at the Asakusa temple complex. Tokyo is such a huge city - the metro line is pretty confusing! It was a great way to end an amazing holiday.
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| At the Meiji Temple |
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| Sake barrels |
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| Multicoloured sunglasses at the Meiji Temple |
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| Very Berry cake - it looks as good as the plastic displays! |
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| Fish market |
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| Frozen tuna |
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| Asakusa lantern |
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| Our large stack of sushi plates! |
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| Getting a fortune |
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| Tying the bad fortune away |
Saturday, 16 February 2013
China, October 2012
Intro
Procrastination. A terrible curse afflicting adolescents globally, and the reasons I'm finally writing this blog entry in FEBRUARY. Better late than never, right....?
Three and a half months ago, I spent the two weeks of my October holiday in mainland China. In my first visit to the mainland, my family and I spent 14 packed days in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xi'an, and Beijing.
Day 1
13/10/12
Guangzhou, China
(As in journal)
A long gruelling day has finally come to an end. I am completely wiped! As our flight to Guangzhou departed Singapore at 6am, we had to wake up at 3. Ugh. The last minute packing the night before really didn't aid the situation - at most, I think I got only four hours of sleep.
Anyways, our flight arrived on time, and due to the efficient custom system (and the fact we had our visas), we quickly managed to clear immigration. Around 11am we made it to our B&B, situated in the old part of the city.
Our knowledgable and kind hosts helped us plan our itinerary for the next two days. Following a quick lunch and nap, we made our wat out onto the streets to explore mainland China.
After a quick walk through a half closed wet market containing live chickens and ducks and a stroll along the remarkably filthy Pearl River, we decided to explore Shamian. Shamian is an island that had been given to the British and French following the Second Opium War. While there were some nice buildings, nothing really impressed following my stint in France over the summer. I better watch out - I'm becoming slightly jaded! I think I did remark in Shamian was the number of photo shoots taking place. We spotted at least two couples taking wedding photos and a number of other fashion shoots as we strolled along.
Hungry and weary after our flight, we stumbled into some roadside stalls - a perfect place to snack before dinner. We sampled savory pancakes as well as glutinous rice balls with peanut sauce: delicious.
After walking for another half an hour, we finally reached the night market we had been searching for. Expecting the night markets of Taiwan or Malaysia filled with local food, the night market that unraveled in front of us was a big surprise. The long commercial pedestrian road was lined with clothing shops! We eventually found the food court. Dinner was noodles washed down with delectable honeydew ice-cream.
Day 2
14/10/12
Guangzhou, China
(as written in journal)
Today, I started my day with a short run. The mornings in Guangzhou are quite pleasant, absent of the haze we had experienced yesterday afternoon. As I ran along the boardwalk next to the river, I saw tons of people doing tai chi, dancing, or cycling. Everyone seemed to be up early!
For breakfast/lunch, we made our way to a dim sum place. Guangdong (the province of which Guangzhou is the capital city), is well know for dim sum, and we wanted to try a few local specialties. Once we finally found the restaurant recommended to us, we endured a grueling hour long wait for a table - something typical of any dim sum restaurant (or so they say). When we made it inside, we encountered another problem - how would we order? The menus were completely Cantonese! Luckily, with mom's basic knowledge of the language and the waitresses patience, we managed to order pretty much everything we wanted, with a few surprises. We accidentally ordered tripe, one of the "thumbs up"dishes on the menu. We also ordered an excessive amount of food: take-away it was. The best dishes were: radish cake, cheong fun, ha kow, and the sticky rice wrapped in tea leaves. We were so stuffed we had to waddle out of the restaurant.
Later that afternoon, fully rested and still rather stuffed, we headed to the Baijyunshan Pesort, a mountainous national park not far out of the city. Once there, we recklessly decided to be adventurous and scurry up an unmarked path to the top of a small peak, hoping that it would be much quicker than the winding paved path. As expected, we got lost. Eventually, dodging bit of thick growth here and there, we made it down to a marked route. We stuck to the paths for the rest of the day.
Day 3
15.10.12
Shanghai, China
Today was a day predominantly spent in transit. After waking up around 6am and saying goodbye to the squawking parrot (the owners of the B&B liked unusual pets), we decided to brave the MTR with all our luggage to make our way to the airport. Initially, it didn't seem to be that bad an idea - that is until we reached the CBD. The somewhat full train suddenly became crammed to the brim with people - and we thought that Singapore was bad! Luckily, this claustrophobic environment didn't last for too long. Within a few stops, the crowd began to dissipate. It seemed like we had just managed to avoid rush hour.
Once we finally made it to the airport, we checked in for our flight to Shanghai: everything seemed to be running smoothly. That was, until we actually got on the plane. We had to wait for 1h30 before the plane got approval from air traffic control to take off. Later that day, when we reached our B&B, we learnt that that type of delay was considered normal in China, where flights could be delayed up to 8h without explanation. That explained the "Flight Cancellation Exit" we saw in the terminal!
That evening, we visited the business district opposite the Bund. Compared to Guangzhou, the air was crisp, clean, yet when the sun set, it became rather chilly. In the business district, the buildings towered to enormous heights, casting long dark shadows across the river. The streets were so wide that instead of traffic lights, enormous pedestrian squares were constructed on top of intersections.
Day 4
16.10.12
Shanghai, China
Today we headed to the town of Suzhou, both an ancient water town and a new industrial centre connected to Shanghai via a bullet train that ran every half hour. After waiting out a huge que to purchase tickets, we enjoyed the short and smooth ride - moving at 300km/h.
30 minutes later we arrived in Suzhou completely disoriented. What we had expected to be more or less a traditional water town looked nothing like we had imagined. When one thinks of a water town, images of idyllic rivers and swaying, overhanging trees comes to mind. That was so far from the reality. Suzhou had been transformed into a huge industrial centre - complete with skyscrapers that dotted the horizon. Once we were finally orientated, we boarded a bus which we thought was heading towards the old town where the pagodas and gardens we were searching for existed. We were once again, wrong. Instead of boarding tourist bus 2, we boarded bus 2, which took us on a nice journey along the highway all the way to the newly developed city centre. Not getting too unsettled by this event, we took in the sights of the new, green city, and promptly retraced our steps by taking the metro back. Their MTR was only 4 months old!
By the time we arrived in the near vicinity of where we originally wanted to go, it was about noon and hunger was creeping upon us. Fancying some street food, we scoured the area to no avail. Just as we were beginning to give up hope, I spotted some paos being handed out of a circular window - a quaint little shop with no english markings what so ever. We tried 4 pork paos, and another 4, and then 4 vegetable ones, and then took another 6 as snacks along the way! We almost beat the pao record we had set in Taiwan - we were only off by 2 or 3 buns. They were amazingly good, filled with tender meat and succulent juices - perfect for getting all over our shoes. Nom nom nom.
Full, we got to the sightseeing. Walking down Pinjiang Ju, a small road running parallel to a cute river, I was captivated by the beauty of the Ming period architecture. Cafés lined the bank and river cleaners swept up fallen leaves with grace as they stood on their wooden boats. Promenading up this road, we reached the point at which we intended to start the day: the Humble Administrators Garden. The UNESCO site was enormous. The gardens were spectacular with ponds, lakes and rock sculptures expressive natural harmony. Unfortunately it hadn't rained in a while so some of the plants were not as spectacular as they could had been.
For dinner, we found a wonderful Chinese Muslim restaurant. This little place made noodles fresh in front of our eyes. No knives were required: the art of getting then the right thickness was all in the twirling, twisting and slapping of the dough. It was absolutely scrumptious.
Day 5
17.10.12
Shanghai, China
After a run and a late start, we headed to Taikang Rd. , a touristy area with lots of old Chinese architecture and narrow alleyways. Despite the number of tourists in the area, it was really a quite pleasant atmosphere with the narrow atmosphere and boutique shops. We then proceeded to walk for a few hours all the way up to the People's Park. As we walked, we gained an insight into the residential life of the cities. Children rode in colourful school uniforms two to a bicycle, array of local and foreign produce were displayed in the multitude of little fruit and vegetable shops. We even found few pao place - naturally, we had to sample a few...
The People's Park was like any other city park filled with lawns and fake lakes. One thing distinctly different however, was the gambling. Young and old gathered around old stone tables in the park, playing, watching and better on both cards and majong.
Today we also visited the Bund and Nanjing Rd, the main shopping street in Shanghai. Nanjing Rd was full of life. People filled the streets, almost fighting one another for the next batch of fresh meat mooncakes. We enjoyed the sunset from the Bund, overlooking the financial district from over the Huangpu river.
That evening we watched the ERA production, an acrobatic circus performance five years in the running. Some of the feats they performed were breathtaking and honestly amazing, however others solely evoked emotion through fear for the acrobats involved. Compared to Cirque de Soleil, the performance seemed somewhat one-sided.
Luckily, the noodle place was opening late into the night. We returned there for another great dinner.
Day 6
18.10.12
Xi'an China
This morning, we took an early flight to Xi'an - 7:25 am. The flight, despite being delayed a meager half hour, was uneventful. Once we got settled into the apartment we were renting for the next few days we got a slight shock: no matter how cold it would get, there would be no heating. In government run apartment buildings, the government sets the date for the turning on of heat for the winter. That day wouldn't come for another few weeks.
Another shock I received that day came as a real surprise. As we walked to the train station to purchase tickets for the next day, we saw not one, but two grown men peeing against the wall! This surprise quickly grew into passive acceptance - pants for children in China actually come with a slit at the crotch, enabling them to pee wherever convenient. Better watch what you lean against!
Xi'an is really unique city. Surrounding the old city is a giant wall, left from the long gone dynasties when Xi'an was actually the capital city of China. It had been incredibly well preserved and reserved. In the summer months, they hold a half marathon along the top!
In the middle of the old city, was the Muslim Quarter representative of the large Muslim Chinese population of the city. The Muslim Quarter was vibrant with lots of shops, restaurants and street stalls. Tourists came by the bus-full as the night fell.
Day 7
19.10.12
Xi'an China
Today we woke up at 6am to take the train to Mt Huashan. As we found out as we arrived at the metro to take the train, the stop connecting the railway station to the metro system was yet to be built. There was no other option but to take a cab. To our wonderful luck, the streets leading to the city gates were completely gridlocked. It took almost a half hour to drive to the station 4km away! Thank goodness that the train was reliably 45 minutes late - otherwise we may have missed it.
Mt Huashan is one of the Five Great Mountains of China, with religious significance in Daoism. It's also one of the most deadly. Despite the official Chinese claim that there have been no deaths on the mountain, Yahoo recently ran an article calling Mt Huashan one of the most dangerous hikes in the world in the winter. It's not hard to see why. Filled with hoard of both local and foreign tourists with dangerously narrow paths and incredibly steep ascents, danger seemed imminent. No matter where we went, we were unable to catch a moment of peace and quiet, even when we began the strenuous hike to the peak. The lack of solitude kind of spoiled the picturesque, serene scene of the almost sheer white cliffs. The views however, were breathtaking.
The line back to the cable car was an exhibit of some of China's worsts characteristics. People were pushing and shoving to get through the line, squeezing through any available gapin the crowd.
For dinner, back in the Muslin Quarter, we tasted a delicious local specialty: paomo, a soup with crumbled un leaden bread in mutton soup.
Day 8
20.10.12
Xi'an, China
Tired from yesterdays hike, we slept through our alarms and woke up 'late': 6:45am. When we finally made our way out, it was 8am. Today we were heading to another famous UNESCO site: the Terracotta Warriors. On the to the bus, we once again got lost on public transport, but like always found the correct place in the end. The line for the bus for the terracotta warriors took a whole hour. I was beginning to see the difficulty with travel in China: so many people!
The terracotta warriors were stunning. There were thousands upon thousands of them, all intricately sculpted and designed. The details on both warrior and horses were amazing. There was a height gap between the tallest and shortest warriors of 2ft: tallest warrior was over 6 ft tall and the shortest around 4ft. The idea that there were still so many more pits to be excavated left me awestruck. It was incredibly impressive.
On the way back from the terracotta warrior, we picked up some fresh, juicy pomegranates. Interestingly, we observed that the locals would not eat the seeds but simply suck the juices and spit the seeds to the ground. This proved to infuriate the municipal street cleaner so much that he began to yell at a group of teenage boys who just ignored him.
Day 9
21.10.12
Xi'an, China
Today, with nothing planned, we had a somewhat proper sleep in until 8am. We then wandered back to the Muslim Quarter. Despite the three dinners that we had eaten there, we had never ventured the Southern side. There, we found a maze of shops selling physical goods in a massive bazaar. Fakes of bags and belts were to be found in every shop where the shop keeper would persuade you of the quality and authenticity of the good, typical of markets everywhere. We toured around the rest of the city, visiting the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the Great Mosque, and contemplated walking along the Wall. The cloudy, overcast weather threatening rain removed that thought from our heads.
That night, we headed off to Beijing by train. The entrance line to the station was horrible. Masses of people were trying to squeeze through the security check: pushing, shoving and shouting was rampant. Note to self: give yourself extra time travelling anywhere in China.
Day 10 - 16
22.10.12 - 27.10.12
Beijing, China
Over the following 6 days, we joined a tour group to tour around the sites and monuments in an around Beijing. In our packed itinerary, we visited the Temple of Heaven Complex, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the 798 contemporary art district, toured a hutong by rickshaw, visited the Great Wall of China twice (once with the group and once on our own), and toured the Summer Palace. After doing all of this travelling on our own, at first it was strange travelling with a group being shuttled from place to place. Despite the convenience, the tour didn't really allow for me to gain a sense of the city.
Through the tour however, I learnt some pretty interesting things. For one, when we visited Tiananmen Square, we asked our guide where the tanks had entered the square to quell the protest in 1989 - she was unable to respond as the tour guides are not allowed to talk about those things. I also learnt about the immense importance of the number 9 in China, associated with the heavens and the emperor. In places such as the Circular Mound Altar in the Temple of Heaven Complex, the number of stones in each ring around the altar are a multiple of 9.
We had amazing luck with the weather in Beijing. Four days of beautiful blue skies with crisp, moderate temperatures and no smog in sight. It was only when we got back I realized how fortunate we had been. A week after our return, Beijing received a premature huge dump of snow.
Procrastination. A terrible curse afflicting adolescents globally, and the reasons I'm finally writing this blog entry in FEBRUARY. Better late than never, right....?
Three and a half months ago, I spent the two weeks of my October holiday in mainland China. In my first visit to the mainland, my family and I spent 14 packed days in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xi'an, and Beijing.
Day 1
13/10/12
Guangzhou, China
(As in journal)
A long gruelling day has finally come to an end. I am completely wiped! As our flight to Guangzhou departed Singapore at 6am, we had to wake up at 3. Ugh. The last minute packing the night before really didn't aid the situation - at most, I think I got only four hours of sleep.
Anyways, our flight arrived on time, and due to the efficient custom system (and the fact we had our visas), we quickly managed to clear immigration. Around 11am we made it to our B&B, situated in the old part of the city.
Our knowledgable and kind hosts helped us plan our itinerary for the next two days. Following a quick lunch and nap, we made our wat out onto the streets to explore mainland China.
After a quick walk through a half closed wet market containing live chickens and ducks and a stroll along the remarkably filthy Pearl River, we decided to explore Shamian. Shamian is an island that had been given to the British and French following the Second Opium War. While there were some nice buildings, nothing really impressed following my stint in France over the summer. I better watch out - I'm becoming slightly jaded! I think I did remark in Shamian was the number of photo shoots taking place. We spotted at least two couples taking wedding photos and a number of other fashion shoots as we strolled along.
Hungry and weary after our flight, we stumbled into some roadside stalls - a perfect place to snack before dinner. We sampled savory pancakes as well as glutinous rice balls with peanut sauce: delicious.
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| Shamian - old French post office |
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After walking for another half an hour, we finally reached the night market we had been searching for. Expecting the night markets of Taiwan or Malaysia filled with local food, the night market that unraveled in front of us was a big surprise. The long commercial pedestrian road was lined with clothing shops! We eventually found the food court. Dinner was noodles washed down with delectable honeydew ice-cream.
Day 2
14/10/12
Guangzhou, China
(as written in journal)
Today, I started my day with a short run. The mornings in Guangzhou are quite pleasant, absent of the haze we had experienced yesterday afternoon. As I ran along the boardwalk next to the river, I saw tons of people doing tai chi, dancing, or cycling. Everyone seemed to be up early!
For breakfast/lunch, we made our way to a dim sum place. Guangdong (the province of which Guangzhou is the capital city), is well know for dim sum, and we wanted to try a few local specialties. Once we finally found the restaurant recommended to us, we endured a grueling hour long wait for a table - something typical of any dim sum restaurant (or so they say). When we made it inside, we encountered another problem - how would we order? The menus were completely Cantonese! Luckily, with mom's basic knowledge of the language and the waitresses patience, we managed to order pretty much everything we wanted, with a few surprises. We accidentally ordered tripe, one of the "thumbs up"dishes on the menu. We also ordered an excessive amount of food: take-away it was. The best dishes were: radish cake, cheong fun, ha kow, and the sticky rice wrapped in tea leaves. We were so stuffed we had to waddle out of the restaurant.
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| View of an old apartment from our B&B |
Later that afternoon, fully rested and still rather stuffed, we headed to the Baijyunshan Pesort, a mountainous national park not far out of the city. Once there, we recklessly decided to be adventurous and scurry up an unmarked path to the top of a small peak, hoping that it would be much quicker than the winding paved path. As expected, we got lost. Eventually, dodging bit of thick growth here and there, we made it down to a marked route. We stuck to the paths for the rest of the day.
Day 3
15.10.12
Shanghai, China
Today was a day predominantly spent in transit. After waking up around 6am and saying goodbye to the squawking parrot (the owners of the B&B liked unusual pets), we decided to brave the MTR with all our luggage to make our way to the airport. Initially, it didn't seem to be that bad an idea - that is until we reached the CBD. The somewhat full train suddenly became crammed to the brim with people - and we thought that Singapore was bad! Luckily, this claustrophobic environment didn't last for too long. Within a few stops, the crowd began to dissipate. It seemed like we had just managed to avoid rush hour.
Once we finally made it to the airport, we checked in for our flight to Shanghai: everything seemed to be running smoothly. That was, until we actually got on the plane. We had to wait for 1h30 before the plane got approval from air traffic control to take off. Later that day, when we reached our B&B, we learnt that that type of delay was considered normal in China, where flights could be delayed up to 8h without explanation. That explained the "Flight Cancellation Exit" we saw in the terminal!
That evening, we visited the business district opposite the Bund. Compared to Guangzhou, the air was crisp, clean, yet when the sun set, it became rather chilly. In the business district, the buildings towered to enormous heights, casting long dark shadows across the river. The streets were so wide that instead of traffic lights, enormous pedestrian squares were constructed on top of intersections.
Day 4
16.10.12
Shanghai, China
Today we headed to the town of Suzhou, both an ancient water town and a new industrial centre connected to Shanghai via a bullet train that ran every half hour. After waiting out a huge que to purchase tickets, we enjoyed the short and smooth ride - moving at 300km/h.
30 minutes later we arrived in Suzhou completely disoriented. What we had expected to be more or less a traditional water town looked nothing like we had imagined. When one thinks of a water town, images of idyllic rivers and swaying, overhanging trees comes to mind. That was so far from the reality. Suzhou had been transformed into a huge industrial centre - complete with skyscrapers that dotted the horizon. Once we were finally orientated, we boarded a bus which we thought was heading towards the old town where the pagodas and gardens we were searching for existed. We were once again, wrong. Instead of boarding tourist bus 2, we boarded bus 2, which took us on a nice journey along the highway all the way to the newly developed city centre. Not getting too unsettled by this event, we took in the sights of the new, green city, and promptly retraced our steps by taking the metro back. Their MTR was only 4 months old!
By the time we arrived in the near vicinity of where we originally wanted to go, it was about noon and hunger was creeping upon us. Fancying some street food, we scoured the area to no avail. Just as we were beginning to give up hope, I spotted some paos being handed out of a circular window - a quaint little shop with no english markings what so ever. We tried 4 pork paos, and another 4, and then 4 vegetable ones, and then took another 6 as snacks along the way! We almost beat the pao record we had set in Taiwan - we were only off by 2 or 3 buns. They were amazingly good, filled with tender meat and succulent juices - perfect for getting all over our shoes. Nom nom nom.
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| Humble Administrators Garden |
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| Pinjiang Ju |
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| Noodles! |
For dinner, we found a wonderful Chinese Muslim restaurant. This little place made noodles fresh in front of our eyes. No knives were required: the art of getting then the right thickness was all in the twirling, twisting and slapping of the dough. It was absolutely scrumptious.
Day 5
17.10.12
Shanghai, China
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| Taikang Rd |
After a run and a late start, we headed to Taikang Rd. , a touristy area with lots of old Chinese architecture and narrow alleyways. Despite the number of tourists in the area, it was really a quite pleasant atmosphere with the narrow atmosphere and boutique shops. We then proceeded to walk for a few hours all the way up to the People's Park. As we walked, we gained an insight into the residential life of the cities. Children rode in colourful school uniforms two to a bicycle, array of local and foreign produce were displayed in the multitude of little fruit and vegetable shops. We even found few pao place - naturally, we had to sample a few...
The People's Park was like any other city park filled with lawns and fake lakes. One thing distinctly different however, was the gambling. Young and old gathered around old stone tables in the park, playing, watching and better on both cards and majong.
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| The Bund |
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| Financial district at sunset |
Today we also visited the Bund and Nanjing Rd, the main shopping street in Shanghai. Nanjing Rd was full of life. People filled the streets, almost fighting one another for the next batch of fresh meat mooncakes. We enjoyed the sunset from the Bund, overlooking the financial district from over the Huangpu river.That evening we watched the ERA production, an acrobatic circus performance five years in the running. Some of the feats they performed were breathtaking and honestly amazing, however others solely evoked emotion through fear for the acrobats involved. Compared to Cirque de Soleil, the performance seemed somewhat one-sided.
Luckily, the noodle place was opening late into the night. We returned there for another great dinner.
Day 6
18.10.12
Xi'an China
This morning, we took an early flight to Xi'an - 7:25 am. The flight, despite being delayed a meager half hour, was uneventful. Once we got settled into the apartment we were renting for the next few days we got a slight shock: no matter how cold it would get, there would be no heating. In government run apartment buildings, the government sets the date for the turning on of heat for the winter. That day wouldn't come for another few weeks.
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| Guard tower by night |
Another shock I received that day came as a real surprise. As we walked to the train station to purchase tickets for the next day, we saw not one, but two grown men peeing against the wall! This surprise quickly grew into passive acceptance - pants for children in China actually come with a slit at the crotch, enabling them to pee wherever convenient. Better watch what you lean against!
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| In front of a sweet shop in the Muslim Quarter |
Xi'an is really unique city. Surrounding the old city is a giant wall, left from the long gone dynasties when Xi'an was actually the capital city of China. It had been incredibly well preserved and reserved. In the summer months, they hold a half marathon along the top!
In the middle of the old city, was the Muslim Quarter representative of the large Muslim Chinese population of the city. The Muslim Quarter was vibrant with lots of shops, restaurants and street stalls. Tourists came by the bus-full as the night fell.
Day 7
19.10.12
Xi'an China
Today we woke up at 6am to take the train to Mt Huashan. As we found out as we arrived at the metro to take the train, the stop connecting the railway station to the metro system was yet to be built. There was no other option but to take a cab. To our wonderful luck, the streets leading to the city gates were completely gridlocked. It took almost a half hour to drive to the station 4km away! Thank goodness that the train was reliably 45 minutes late - otherwise we may have missed it.
Mt Huashan is one of the Five Great Mountains of China, with religious significance in Daoism. It's also one of the most deadly. Despite the official Chinese claim that there have been no deaths on the mountain, Yahoo recently ran an article calling Mt Huashan one of the most dangerous hikes in the world in the winter. It's not hard to see why. Filled with hoard of both local and foreign tourists with dangerously narrow paths and incredibly steep ascents, danger seemed imminent. No matter where we went, we were unable to catch a moment of peace and quiet, even when we began the strenuous hike to the peak. The lack of solitude kind of spoiled the picturesque, serene scene of the almost sheer white cliffs. The views however, were breathtaking.
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| An example of the crowds |
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| Red ribbons and padlocks lined the railings throughout the mountain |
The line back to the cable car was an exhibit of some of China's worsts characteristics. People were pushing and shoving to get through the line, squeezing through any available gapin the crowd.
20.10.12
Xi'an, China
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| Terracotta warriors in Pit 2 |
Tired from yesterdays hike, we slept through our alarms and woke up 'late': 6:45am. When we finally made our way out, it was 8am. Today we were heading to another famous UNESCO site: the Terracotta Warriors. On the to the bus, we once again got lost on public transport, but like always found the correct place in the end. The line for the bus for the terracotta warriors took a whole hour. I was beginning to see the difficulty with travel in China: so many people!
The terracotta warriors were stunning. There were thousands upon thousands of them, all intricately sculpted and designed. The details on both warrior and horses were amazing. There was a height gap between the tallest and shortest warriors of 2ft: tallest warrior was over 6 ft tall and the shortest around 4ft. The idea that there were still so many more pits to be excavated left me awestruck. It was incredibly impressive.
 |
| Pomegranate! |
On the way back from the terracotta warrior, we picked up some fresh, juicy pomegranates. Interestingly, we observed that the locals would not eat the seeds but simply suck the juices and spit the seeds to the ground. This proved to infuriate the municipal street cleaner so much that he began to yell at a group of teenage boys who just ignored him.
Day 9
21.10.12
Xi'an, China
Today, with nothing planned, we had a somewhat proper sleep in until 8am. We then wandered back to the Muslim Quarter. Despite the three dinners that we had eaten there, we had never ventured the Southern side. There, we found a maze of shops selling physical goods in a massive bazaar. Fakes of bags and belts were to be found in every shop where the shop keeper would persuade you of the quality and authenticity of the good, typical of markets everywhere. We toured around the rest of the city, visiting the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the Great Mosque, and contemplated walking along the Wall. The cloudy, overcast weather threatening rain removed that thought from our heads.
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| Cooking in the Muslim Quarter |
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| The Bell Tower |
That night, we headed off to Beijing by train. The entrance line to the station was horrible. Masses of people were trying to squeeze through the security check: pushing, shoving and shouting was rampant. Note to self: give yourself extra time travelling anywhere in China.
Day 10 - 16
22.10.12 - 27.10.12
Beijing, China
Over the following 6 days, we joined a tour group to tour around the sites and monuments in an around Beijing. In our packed itinerary, we visited the Temple of Heaven Complex, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the 798 contemporary art district, toured a hutong by rickshaw, visited the Great Wall of China twice (once with the group and once on our own), and toured the Summer Palace. After doing all of this travelling on our own, at first it was strange travelling with a group being shuttled from place to place. Despite the convenience, the tour didn't really allow for me to gain a sense of the city.
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| Temple of Heaven |
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| Mural at the Summer Palace |
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| Temple from the Forbidden City |
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| 798 Art District |
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| Multicoloured sunglasses at 798 |
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| Tiananmen Square |
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| Forbidden City |
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| 798 Art Dictrict |
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| Great Wall fo China |
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| Great Wall - so many stairs!!! |
We had amazing luck with the weather in Beijing. Four days of beautiful blue skies with crisp, moderate temperatures and no smog in sight. It was only when we got back I realized how fortunate we had been. A week after our return, Beijing received a premature huge dump of snow.
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