China

And so the time comes for us to board another train! Train T27 leaves Beijing West Railing Station at 9.30pm and we spend our last hour on terra firma sharing personal space with about a thousand Chinese and Westerners jostling for position. As a fully ticketed train, we’re not quite sure of the benefit of joining the crush, but decide to play along.

On Your Marks.... Get Set....

..... GO!!!!

With four nights under our belt on the Trans-Siberian and one night on the Mongolian train, we are feeling confident that two nights across the Tibetan plateau will be a snap. One key difference is that we will be six to a compartment in the ‘hard’ sleeper section, as our tour company has apparently failed to secure the ‘soft’ sleepers. This is a downer for the entire group: it turns out that about a billion Chinese managed to secure the ‘soft’ sleepers so it’s not clear what was so hard for our tour company. We suspect this is cost saving rather than administrative difficulty but – hey – six to a room isn’t so bad in the almost brand new train, and Lloyd and I quickly acclimatize to our top bunks, literally seven feet off the ground.

So, the Trans Tibetan train takes 48 hours to complete the 4,064 kilometre journey from Beijing to Lhasa, gaining altitude as it goes, and passing a maximum height of more than 5,000 metres! This is so high that oxygen is – allegedly – pumped into the carriages to assist the acclimatization of passengers and to make the journey more comfortable. Certainly, we heard something hissing from the oxygen outlets and we don’t seem to be suffering too badly from altitude, although the true test will come when we get off the train. We opted not to take the altitude medication we brought with us, taking instead a wait-and-see approach to our suffering. We have four days to acclimatize in Lhasa, so we’re hopeful we can remain drug-free!

But, back to train. As the train is sealed, windows don’t open (with the much-needed exception of the bathrooms!), so unfortunately the re-circulated air quickly becomes contaminated with cigarette smoke and some choice bathroom odours, but we do ok with it and actually sleep quite well, after all we’re pros at this by now! Additionally, for us low-budget, hard-sleepers, the lights are put out for us at 10pm encouraging us into an early slumber – presumably we’d cause too much trouble if we were allowed to stay up longer! Reveille is at about 6.30am, prompting the convergence of about 60 people on two squat toilets and three sinks. Certainly not my favourite time of the day, with Chinese men ‘hocking’ every ounce of fluid from their throats into the rubbish bin, the sink, the toilet, the paper cup… whatever they can find. You really have to steel your nerves to face the squat toilets, in varying stages of overflow and filth. To be fair, the ‘western style’ toilets up in the ‘soft’ sleepers aren’t much better, but I still find myself travelling the three cars or so to take my chances. But only when I REALLY absolutely can’t put it off any longer.

30-seconds on the Trans Tibetan

On a happier note, and as you might expect, the scenery gets progressively more impressive as we advance towards Lhasa. The lush green lands, with undulating hills, spotted with yak, long-haired sheep and horses remind us of Mongolia (only without the gers and men on horseback – here they seem to do most of their shepherding on motorcycle!), while the distant snow-peaked mountains remind us exactly where we are. Along the way, we see only a smattering of Tibetan villages formed by groups of concrete huts, and the only reason we know they are Tibetan is the five color flags adorning roofs. In some areas, construction is intense. The railroad itself was clearly an enormous undertaking, and this wasn’t just a case of building railtracks: the whole route is lines by paved gutters and metal or concrete fences, as if every inch of the track was subject to detailed scrutiny.

The Chinese were clearly enjoying the scenery as much as we were. I thought we were technology-heavy, but our Super Steady Shot, 15x zoom, Sony looked quite pathetic next to the SLRs laden with lenses that I didn't know existed. We really had to fight to get to a window at the most scenic points, and - of course - all pictures were taken through dirty train windows, so forgive the quality!

Food on the train is surprisingly good – leagues ahead of the Trans Siberian - with food carts offering drinks, noodles and even shrink-wrapped fresh fruit constantly travelling up and down the train. The buffet car is bright and spacious, and quickly becomes our favourite hang-out. On the first day, we enjoy dinner with another couple from California, ordering based on the highly scientific method of choosing what the Chinese on the table next to us had ordered! And so we enjoyed beef with garlic stems, chicken with spicy vegetables, pork with egg and fungus (much nicer than it sounds!), and shrimps with cabbage! The price for our feast was about US$4 each. Fewer Chinese eat in the dining car as they have come with boxes and boxes of provisions that line the corridors. As we trek the six carriages to the dining car, we climb over piles and piles of garbage: seeds, fruit peel, empty noodle pots, and play chicken with dozens of Chinese attired in pajamas apparently for the duration. I think I abandoned my Snoopy pajamas about three decades ago, but you’ll be pleased to know they’re still all the rage for middle-aged Chinese ladies.

As I write, we are about two hours out of Lhasa, so our Trans-Tibetan train experience is coming to an end. While I’m looking forward to – hopefully! – a clean toilet and some fresh air, I have to say that overall I’d rate the Trans-Tibetan above the Trans-Siberian. The scenery is spectacular, and overall the train is very well designed and quite comfortable. And the food is excellent. Our visit to Jiu Zhai Gou last week (only last week!), and our journey through the Tibetan plateau has certainly whet our appetites for finally reaching Tibet-‘proper’ (even though Tibetans are in the minority!).

Another group day in Beijing, and we had the luxury of a “lie-in” as we were set to meet up at 0930AM to go on our Tiananmen and Forbidden city tour before embarking on the Trans-Tibetan railroad to Lhasa. Of course, we needed to check out and get our bags into a day-room (our group “leader’s” room) and check-out of the not-so-efficient hotel by that time. Even with a bit more sleep, we were still a bit hurried getting things done and grabbing a bite at a nice bakery next door, and hence failed get our caffeine fix. This set ourselves up to view the day’s events with somewhat jaded eyes. Rule #593: Plan ahead and don’t miss your caffeine fix in the morning.

I think we have really gotten very accustomed to independent travel, as it does seem to drag a bit always needing to meet up with the group and wait (usually) for the same late people. We’re sure none of them ever served in the military with their timeliness . . . or lack thereof! In any event, we attributed our general irratibility to caffeine deprivation, and moved on with our day.

Setting off to Tiananmen Square (our hotel – the ChongWenMen Hotel – was only one metro stop away) our guide gave us a bit of information, but not really to the level we may have enjoyed. Amongst many hundreds (if not thousands) of tourists wandering about on the world’s largest central city square (at 440,000 square meters per the latest published propaganda) we really found little to enjoy or view through the hazy yellow smog that hung in the air. The large portrait of Mao hanging over Heaven’s Gate really is the only truly iconic image you can see in the area surrounded by a number of (currently closed) museums and Mao’s(currently closed) mausoleum. It may be a big square, but it’s certainly not very scenic. Seems the Chinese caught the Russian bug some decades ago that quantity, not quality is the best path. Not in our view!

Statue on Tiananmen square by Mao's final resting place . . . not much else to look at!

Jacquie and me (with Mao just about visible over my shoulder through the smog)

Jacquie about to enter the Forbidden City!

And so we entered the Forbidden City. Its 9,999 rooms (9 as a number considered the "yangest of the yang", aka: really good!) give only a minor indication as to the actual scale of the city itself. Larger yet than the total area of Tiananmen Square just outside, it is a (externally) beautiful series of ceramic tile roofed buildings with the traditional pagoda style we have grown accustomed to in our travels in China.

Jacquie by the canals just inside the gates to the Forbidden City

The Emperor’s throne building and gardens, the Queen’s quarters, servants’ rooms, eunuchs’ areas, and concubines’ chambers-the Forbidden City is divided into inner and outer courts and housed upwards of 20,000 people in the inner court alone!


A passageway in the inner court area of the Forbidden City

In all its surface splendor, one finds its relative state of disrepair and empty room after empty room beside minor rooms filled with (very dusty and un-maintained) relics of ages passed and openly disdained (at least by our tour guide). With the help of legions of tourist groups one can imagine what it would have been with 20,000 occupants in its heyday. Though somewhat neglected overall, there are ongoing renovations to smarten the main buildings for the Olympics and longer term to be completed by 2020 . . . . update to follow in 2021!

As with other places we have been, efficient knowledgeable guidance would have brought the surroundings somewhat to life. Rather we got some very topical anecdotes and views of ancillary areas, instead of the most heavily trafficked area. While it’s nice to escape crowds, it would have been nice to get a bit more of a feel for imperial China and the way the Forbidden City is viewed today (icon, relic, historically important or not?) Another tour ended, we felt as though we had looked at a lot more trees, yet missed the forest. Hot and sweaty, we lucked into a room off the beaten path that did manage to excite us as it had . . .

Rule # 647 When AC is available, ENJOY IT!

Later that day, we headed to infamous Silk Market for a spot of pre-train shopping. “Hey mista, yu wann Jackee??!!” A thousand times I was offered the only thing I walked into the store with! Ok – so they were offering jackets, but every time I heard them say it, I would turn and look for Jacquie. What a place! 5 above ground floors and 3 below, the Silk Market reminded us of Hong Kong’s street markets, but were packed floor upon floor more like a Department Store, endless row after endless row of pretty much the same clothes, electronics, authentic fake watches and jewelry. The thing I found most interesting is that the entire market seems to be under single ownership and management (as opposed to competing booths). The “shop-keepers’ are actually store employees vying for the top sales-clerk spot, and given a lengthy list of recommended phrases to use with the shoppers

Rules posted for the STAFF at the Silk Market (not for Lloyd!)

And they really go for the kill. No soft-selling here – they grab, block push and try anything they can to get you in, negotiate a price (they usually start about 10-100X what you can actually settle at) and only go low when you literally walk away. So – be prepared, wear a thick skin, and be ready to walk, walk, walk to get your price. In the end you’ll get what you pay for, if you’re lucky! Jacquie got the skirt she's been searching for since her birthday finally, and I a replacement pair of trousers (for my battle wearied gray north-face trouser scorched by and angry coal iron in Africa). Mission accomplished, and a couple more things to stuff into our (previously) slimmed kit, we returned to the hotel happy to be leaving Beijing. On to Tibet!

With regret we must admit that we will spend the next two weeks as part of a group. As far as possible, we wanted our travels to be independent, but joining a group for the next phase eased several logistical challenges: namely the legwork associated with securing (i) a Tibet visitor permit and (ii) tickets for the Beijing-to-Lhasa train. This high-altitude train only opened last year, and it is notoriously difficult to get tickets. So, by joining a group, we saved ourselves the several days and uncertainty associated with these key elements of our adventure. Also (and this is for the Mothers…!), it means we’ll be ‘supervised’ as we tackle some seriously high altitudes through Tibet and to Everest Base Camp where a group will - we hope! - enjoy greater support than two individuals.

So – this is how we found ourselves heading out of Beijing early this morning as part of a (horror!) group to visit the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu which could not fail to impress. While some sections of the Wall date back to about 400BC, this section of the Wall was most likely reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644) when – according to my trusty Frommer’s - China was trying (and ultimately failing) to contain the threat of Mongul and Manchu invasion.

We were quite unprepared for how – um – physically demanding our Great Wall experience would be. (Martin: Yangshuo's Moon Hill had nothing on this, and we didn't have fanning ladies this time!). First, we had to hike up for about twenty minutes or so just to get onto the Wall. And that was where – breathless and sweaty - the real exertion started! The landscape on which this section of the Wall was built undulates dramatically (and beautifully, of course!), and so we found ourselves scaling hundreds of steps only to descend a couple hundred more steps before going back up again! Our hearts were racing and our sweat glands were working overtime to manage the task at hand in the humid conditions. Poor Lloyd, suffering from Beijing Belly actually since we left Xi’an three days ago, nevertheless embraced the opportunity to see as much of the Wall as we could.

It's a Long Way to Travel for a Stairmaster.....

Of course, we could probably spend months visiting sections of the Great Wall, and certainly I would love to come back and see more of it – particularly some of the less-well visited areas. Today was nothing more than a taster and I feel sure that we will return. In the meantime, a tip if you are visiting this section of the Wall. Take the cable car up….. we wish we had as it drops you at almost the highest point on the Wall and then you can walk down to the Toboggan Run at the other end to descend.

Lloyd Prior to Departure. Great Wall is Visible in the Distance. (In fact, we were only about twenty metres from it, immediately to Lloyd's right)

Oh! Didn’t I mention the Toboggan? Talk about a fantastic way to descend from the Wall. If we hadn’t had a painfully slow Frenchman stopping every three hundred metres or so, I think Lloyd and I would likely have flown off the end of the Toboggan course and landed straight back in Beijing, more than two hours away!

This evening, we tried to make up missing the world famous Shanghai Acrobats (you might remember we were stuck in Mongolia longer than we expected!) by seeing a Beijing troupe. While we've seen tighter performances in terms of group choreography, we were thoroughly entertained by the Cirque-style music and costumes, and we enjoyed ooh-ing and ah-ing in awe and cringing at the near misses.

Tomorrow, we're visiting the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, before boarding the Trans-Tibetan train for the 48-hour journey to Lhasa. We'll update the blog as soon as we can - likely Thursday or Friday. Wish us luck on our high-altitude train journey!