Cambodia 2013

I had spent the better part of 6 months planning my 4 week trip to Laos and Cambodia, so when arriving in Bangkok as my stopover to get to Laos, you can imagine my devastation to discover that I had a severe tooth infection that warranted extraction as soon as possible. Having already been misdiagnosed in Thailand I headed back home for the medical procedure and vowed if I could recover in time I would continue my trip to Cambodia in 2 weeks’ time, which thankfully became the case. So unfortunately, my story does not include Laos this time, but I did get to see some parts of Cambodia.

Phnom  Penh

I arrived in Phnom Penh (with an emphasis on the "P") via Singapore so it did take a while to get there from Australia. As a result, on arrival I was happy I had prearranged transport (organised by Mr Vannak) to take me from the airport to my hotel. I always find when arriving in certain countries (with luggage and no metro system available) you can utilise local drivers and tour guides (via the web) to save time whilst also receiving an informal introduction about your new destination. I arrived in Phnom Penh, in peak tourist season (mid January) primarily because it is dry and the chance of rain ruining your sightseeing is minimal. It was still hot and the city (like most in Asia) was a hustle and bustle mix of tuk tuks, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, buses and even cyclos. At first glance (not unlike Vietnam and China) it appears to be complete chaos of traffic, people and shop front businesses, but as you travel around the city area, you rarely see any major accidents-most likely because it is so congested, people can't meet even the minimal of speed limits!
 

                                                            

The Intercontinental Hotel

I had the better part of 3 days in this city and was staying at the Intercontinental Hotel. It is not right in the centre of the city or near the riverside where there is a jumble of bars and cafes but it was very comfortable (5 stars) and was a nice retreat after a day of being on your feet! After speaking to the concierge when checking-in, it quickly dawned on me that I really only had the afternoon left for exploring as she made it quite clear that walking the city after dark, on my own, was not recommended……OK then! Initially I thought this was a little “over the top” but as I started reading a few guide books, it was definitely a common theme as a warning to travellers. They all re iterated the same information and that was, the city was apparently fine by day but tourists were advised to stick to well-lit streets at nights. Personally during my entire time in Cambodia as a solo female traveller I felt quite safe and never saw much evidence of crime or danger, but I wasn’t go to test this particular theory by meandering down alleyways in the dead of night!!

On my first full day in the city, I set out to visit the main sites, but on meeting a couple of fellow Aussie travellers I discovered they were on the way to a shop called 'Sisters of Cambodia', which I had also read about and was interested in visiting.  ‘Sisters of Cambodia’ is a business that helps local women break free of the sex industry within Phnom Penh by giving them skills in making (and then selling) jewellery items, clothing, bags and working in the café situated above the shop front or they can also work in the adjoining spa offering expertise in manicures, pedicures or facials.  After a bit of browsing there, (I knew I would definitely come back in the next few days) I then set out for a walk down the infamous riverside to soak up the atmosphere. Obviously, the riverfront as the name suggests is a long road situated on the river dotted with more cafes than bars (which I always find a relief) although it is not entirely pretty or serene, just hectic. In general, it is hard to just walk around Phnom Penh if that is how you like exploring a city as you are constantly hassled by tuk tuk drivers every 10 steps you take. It did take a while for me to realize that trying to walk everywhere to discover the city sites was almost self defeating given the heat and dust coupled with the fact that the price of a tuk tuk driver was only $AUD2 and spending money here always helps in giving back to the local people. After walking the length of the riverside and enjoying a coffee, (an amazing ability I have in any country, even in 30+ degrees)  I flagged down a tuk tuk to travel to the Royal Palace. Unfortunately for me and the people of Phnom Penh, the father of the King had recently passed away so the palace was closed to all, however it did not stop me from taking a few pictures.



The Royal Palace

The silver pagoda remained to be visited so after spending some time there, I then decided to head off to the Russian market-another main tourist attraction. Another tuk tuk ride later and I was wandering through a maze of clothing, arts and crafts and all sorts of souvenirs. I don’t buy any of these things but I am still the last movie buff on earth who gets excited at the prospect of buying DVD movie copies and there were plenty of these vendors, so I was happy. Having spent a couple of hours there, I then caught another tuk tuk to the Tuol Sleng detention centre also known as the genocide (S21) museum…..the site of an old high school where during the Khmer rouge era, local people were rounded up and held there for torture and interrogation until they were finally moved to the killing fields where they met their death. I chose to employ a guide with me, as I suspect getting a real understanding of what happened there via a guide book would be insufficient. My guide’s father and brother were both killed as a result of the regime. Of all those that saw the inside of the S21 compound, only 7 people survived (I think 2 million were killed overall) and the only reason that those 7 escaped with their life was because they were sculptors or painters who could help document the ruthless happenings of the time. To enter the museum/site it cost AU$2 and an additional AU$6 was required for the guide although at the end of my tour, my guide made it quite clear that she had had a very hard life and I felt obliged to pay her more.

 



The Silver Pagoda

I still can’t believe this all happened in the 70s? When the Khmer Rouge came into Cambodia in 1975 the people were joyous thinking this new power were going to put an end to their ongoing civil war but within 3 hours the regime began evacuating or perhaps more accurately began forcing many of the city’s people out to the countryside. Pol Pot (one of the leaders) envisaged rebuilding Cambodia as a different society which entailed the isolation of the country from the rest of the world and to enable it to regress to a self sufficient agricultural economy. For those who showed resistance or did not subscribe to the new “return to the past” way of living they were captured, tortured and ultimately killed. In particular there was a large movement to displace and dislodge families fracturing their love and loyalty for one another in an effort to maintain dominance. People were tortured to reveal details of family members whereabouts, especially those who were educated like teachers and doctors and no one was immune- men, women, children and babies were all victims…….... Finally in 1979, the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia and were able to over throw the Pol Pot regime. In a guide book I had brought with me, they have information to suggest that once this tragic era had ended, 20 492 mass graves were uncovered and 1 112829 victims met their death by execution although other sources suggests that in reality this number is probably much higher.

The View of Phnom Penh from my hotel window

So, as you can imagine having learnt a lot about the history of Phnom Penh in one afternoon from an individual who had lived through it, the whole experience was quite draining and sobering and it meant I viewed the city with a different set of eyes and understanding. It was at this stage that I decided I did not need to see the killing fields. I had read enough about the horrific events that occurred at this site and I really did not want to see skeletal remains of the poor victims sticking out of the grounds at the mass grave site as is described in many guide books. Even without seeing this, I still knew the gravity, sadness and tragedy that this country endured. I headed back to the hotel after the visit to the S21 centre and had a quiet night in.





The Independence Monument
 

 The following day, with the sun shining I visited the Independence Monument restored in the 1980s surrounded by park greenery and the sound of monks holding meditation sessions. After this I visited the National Museum built in 1920 which houses a collection of Khmer art and relics particularly statues of Buddhas from the 6^th and 7^thcenturies. Later in the day I visited the Sisters of Cambodia store again and couldn’t resist a pedicure and a coffee in the upstairs café. It was nice way to end my time in this city as I prepared for my departure to Siem Reap the following morning.

 

 

Siem Reap

I had arranged a car to take me from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap which is definitely not the most inexpensive way of doing this as catching a bus is the most popular choice and can be as little as AU$13. However, the thought of travelling 5-6 hours of a bus with limited stops filled me with angst. I personally, could, justify spending AU$75 for a private driver to take me to the Siem Reap, and was more comfortable in the knowledge that we were able to stop at any point whenever I wanted to or needed to on the way. Probably the only flaw to this plan, was the fact that my driver did not speak any English so when I found our car suddenly veering off the highway onto some dirt track I started to get a little apprehensive as to how well I had actually planned this! I literally began formulating a mobile SOS text message on my phone in case this turned out to be one of the riskiest and naive things I had done yet, but after pointing forward out the front window and repeatedly saying “Siem Reap"  the driver kept smiling until finally we found the highway once again and thankfully, my panic was just an overreaction to  apparently what was some sort of  “short cut”. Part of the reason that I had also chose to do the trip between the 2 cities by car was to enable me to take in the scenery along the way, at my own pace. I don’t know if it was because of the season I was travelling in (it was the dry season) or whether this is always the case but the route we took just included one long highway of many dry fields and lots of dust. This was in stark contrast to trips I had previously taken in Vietnam where the scenery can be spectacular so in comparison I found this aspect a little disappointing.

After a mere 5 hours I finally arrived in the bustling city of Siem Reap, once the capital of Cambodia but now more renowned as home to the temples and in particular the Ankor Wat complex. You cannot really visit Cambodia without spending a few days at the temples. I stayed at a very nice hotel (the Sokha Angkor) conveniently located at the top end of Sivatha street home to many bars, eateries, shops and numerous day spas, and when I say numerous I mean many, in actual fact probably 1 in every 4 businesses are day spas and a 60 minute massage costs a ridiculous AU$10 in some cases. The hotel itself was nice although it soon became apparent that they were more inclined towards quantity and not so much quality when I saw a tour group of about 80 International tourists check in ALL AT ONCE. 

 

A colonial style room at the Sokha Angkor Hotel

 Once having checked into the hotel myself, I wandered down to Sivatha street to get my bearings as to my new destination and being a bit of a day spa freak could not resist the opportunity to get a foot reflexology treatment. Let’s just say that at the time the massage bordered on painful which usually I relish, but when my foot began to ache 24 hours later (for no apparent reason) I decided to take a hiatus from further spa treatments while in Siem Reap. You get what you pay for I guess. I don’t mean this is a negative way but the industry like many in Asia is not regulated so you really do need to be a little discerning when choosing certain venues and treatments as in all honesty, some real damage can happen to feet or backs as could be the case with many people.

In Siem Reap I hired a personal guide to take me through the Angkor Wat complex for the next 3 days. If you have read my other entries on my blog, this will come as no surprise, but in Siem Reap everyone hires a guide to do the temples and I really feel you would do yourself an injustice if you did not approach it in this way. My guide was to meet me in the hotel lobby on day 1 at 8am, which in my opinion, is a bit too early for a holiday and trying to battle the large tour group at breakfast time, even just to get to the eggs station(!), did not put me in the best of moods. However on meeting smiling Sela, (my guide) in the lobby, all enthusiastic and bright, I was instantly returned back to relaxed holiday mode. We set off for the temples (a half hour drive from the hotel) and I was surprised to learn that the temples here became particularly famous and popular attracting tourists from around the world with the release of the "Tomb Raider" movie starring Angelina Jolie as it was shot there. Who would have thought? Hollywood able to help a country with its tourism? The Cambodians definitely have this tourist site sorted out offering differing day passes, tours and check points which includes personalised photos printed on your day pass so you cannot secretly give the pass to another non paying customer….serious stuff!

On day 1, I visited the temples of Angkor Wat, AngkorThom and Bayon complexes which included the Royal Palace and the Terrace of the Elephants. The history of this area is amazing and the temples created in the 12^th century are considered the biggest religious monument ever built and are in dedication to the Hindu God Vishnu. The ensuing struggle between the 2 religious groups of Buddhism and Hinduism who both at some stage took rein over Cambodia (in the form of various royal families) is fascinating and evident given that you can clearly see original carvings of the temples with images scratched away by the opposing group at a later date. These temples are thousands of years old and were abandoned for around 200 hundred years and yet they are still standing (granted, some more than others) today. Some parts are missing due to nature or erosion whereas other parts like the large Buddha heads and statues are no longer present as during the complex abandonment by the ruling royal families, the local people entered the site to steal the statues for themselves. Either way, this phenomenon has to be seen to be believed and saying it is amazing is probably an understatement. There is definitely something magnificent and awe inspiring about the whole area. I could talk (or write) all day about the temples, but I really cannot tell you any more that what you could easily read in a guide book about Cambodia, so I will let my photos do the talking.

Just outside the entrance to the South Gate of Angkor Thom.

 On day 2 I tried a different approach in the morning, given my woes the day before. First change was to start sightseeing a little later and try a different time at breakfast but this was still a complete failure as the competing tour group at the hotel remained in droves at breakfast and seating became a communal experience. (What joy? If only we all spoke the same language!). None the less my day improved and was full visiting the other main components of the temples.

 

 

 

Ta Prohm is particularly interesting as you witness the struggle between the temples existence and nature all intertwined with one another and it is here that the infamous 'Tomb Raider' movie was shot. It is not unusual to hear many people darting around the area asking where is the tree that the movie was shot around?(see pictures below) I also visited the Roluos group and the Banteay Srei complex (a few kms away) which is the oldest of the complexes. Here, the carvings and intricacies of the stone buildings is detailed and complex.

 

 

 

The intricate carvings of temples thousands of years old.



On day 3 we took a river boat ride on the great Tonle Sap lake to see the local way of life of those that live in the floating villages. It was fascinating  to see all river boats lined up in clusters as evidence of the community living on the river, relying mainly on fishing as their trade and seeing children as young as 5 years old paddling down the river on their way to and from school which was also a houseboat.

We stopped briefly at what I presumed was a floating restaurant, although it was still too early for lunch so I suppose it was a good thing that this house boat also doubled as a souvenir shop and mini zoo on the river? The souvenir side was not unexpected, everyone is getting in on the tourism trade in Cambodia, but it was not long, once I was aboard, that the owners keenly presented to me their hull full of 6-8 crocodiles encouraging me to throw some food onto them. From above I looked down onto these animals, carefully considering  what I was standing on - a rickety piece of wood and quickly moved away from the enclosure politely declining the chance to whip the crocs into a frenzy for my own personal entertainment. I have seen enough, thanks. It also surprises me still, the cavalier attitude of our fellow Asian neighbours. During my visit I couldn't help noticing a bare foot 2 year old wearing only a nappy scuttling about the boat at his leisure with no concern at all sometimes dropping his arm in the tank full of turtles and being in such close proximity to the open pit of crocodiles on the other side of the boat with clearly no safety rails or measures in sight.

The local children on their way home from school
 

After we finished the boat ride, we headed back to the town of Siem Reap and I did some shopping and browsed around the old market area and then later I finished off at the night market. There probably isn’t really a lot of quality shopping to be done here, but food and alcohol are definitely cheap and it was nice to know that at this stage not all of the "young and partying types" had overrun the area and so the town remains a relaxed and nice place to spend a few days, for now. Cambodia is definitely becoming more popular for tourists and the local people are embracing it with gusto.

So all in all, my trip wasn’t really what I had planned originally but I made the best of a bad situation, I guess. Even though I was especially excited to be visiting Laos, it was still a great and humbling experience to spend some time in Cambodia. The country has been ravished by war and poverty and hopefully as more tourists continue to visit this country they  can also make a point to learn about its history and culture and in turn the government can use tourism to help rebuild a society that has endured so much.

The amazing sights of Angkor Wat

 

Kamalaya Wellness Retreat, Thailand

Just as I like to experience many new places and cultures through my travels I sometimes periodically take a time out from life and will go on a health and wellness retreat. Unfortunately the previous ones I had attended- SIX SENSES in Phuket, were well before my blogging days so you won’t get to hear me rave as to how much of a fabulous time I had there and unfortunately that retreat is no longer operational. However, this time I can tell you about the new retreat I have tried which is Kamalaya, located on the island of Samui in Thailand. The retreat itself is probably not cheap but depending on what you want to get out of it, some would say it is invaluable. Me? I take a more pragmatic approach and use it for a bit of rest and relaxation and like the idea of cutting myself off from the hustle and bustle of the world for a little while. However when visiting this type of environment it is not unusual to meet others, looking to specifically detox, lose weight, work on personal issues or wanting to find greater meaning to their life.

At Kamalaya there are a multitude of programs that you can partake in, many of them involving some sort of detoxification process, which means for the better part of your stay you eat a combination of healthy vegetables, protein shakes and no carbs. I personally went with a more relaxed program which was the Rest and Renew for 5 days which meant I could eat all the healthy food I liked (including protein and carbs) and enjoyed a therapeutic treatment of some sort each day such as a massage or a body scrub. Accommodation was included in the pricing and as well as this, I could also partake in the daily holistic activities that were available including yoga, pilates, stretching and qi gong…..to name a few.

There are also visiting guest practitioners who offer anything from astrology charting to face reading.

My room was a hillside garden room, and was fine in terms of sleeping and chilling out, easy enough to do I suppose when there is no TV and you have no consistent outside communication with the world. At Kamalaya, there is a big emphasis at keeping mobile phones and the use of technology such as laptops out of the public areas to encourage guests to switch off from their daily demanding lifestyle.

Unlike some of the other guests here who are working through personal issues or taking time for personal reflection, I tend to seek different benefits from the retreat. I just want a bit of a "time-out" and don't really want to stay in a touristy hotel in some city with random other people, especially when travelling solo. At Kamalaya, many people often like to sit alone and contemplate what they have done during the day or where they are indeed headed in life. I actually seek out company particularly in the evening times often getting the greatest value through talking to others from around the world and hearing about their life experiences as well as enjoying all the other features the retreat offers during the day.

On my arrival, I was met by the reception staff at the open air lobby and to be honest, this place just seemed like another hotel in Thailand, the staff immediately clarifying my bill (it had to all be prepaid before I left), and as my room was not ready, I was escorted down the hill for lunch at the Amrita café. Eventually when my room was ready I only had time to place my bags in it before I was whisked off to the wellness centre for my “wellness consultation”. After visiting with the naturopath, one of the first questions she asked was whether I always “had this much energy?” to which I informed her that this was me in a relaxed state! She made a few suggestions about sleep patterns, and calculated my BMI-which is not a concept I am overly impressed by, not because I am overweight, but indeed the opposite. I am a keen fitness enthusiast often working out 3 times a week and I think this is not the most accurate way of measuring individuals' health outcomes or fitness levels unless obese. Like I have alluded to earlier, with these sorts of places, I take the parts that make sense to me and the rest, I take with a "grain of salt"....and to each their own. My personal philosophy about health and fitness involves balance and moderation, it is literally that simple. But it’s a pity that the rest of the guests did not share my same cavalier attitude, some of them get so caught up in what they should be doing that it almost stresses them out (the exact opposite as to why they have come here) and I can't help feeling that this process sets them up a little as there is usually no way such a rigid routine can be upheld back in their normal life…..but there definitely is a benefit to this type of place. Apart from the actual environment of tranquillity and peace, most of the time there are useful tools that can be adopted by some to help make changes to their lives in terms of health and well being overall but in a sensible way.

After the wellness consult, I head off to my first fully body oil massage that went for 90 minutes and it became quite apparent that it would be in my best interest to advise the therapist as to the appropriate pressure exerted. Thai people really can give quite intense massages!  By the end of my treatment I had built up such an appetite that I thought it was time I headed off to the dining restaurant for dinner. Lucky for me, one of the male wait staff asked if I would like to sit at the community table to which I enthusiastically accepted. The existence of the community table, where anyone is welcomed to sit as part of a communal group over dinner times allows us all to compare notes, get to know one another and have some social interaction. And for me a night of conversation and getting my bearings about this place is exactly what I needed.

The next morning I would get up and have breakfast which was buffet style and then at 8.45am I would do a yoga or pilates class. After that, because I felt it was a little passive I would head to the gym to run for a little while on the treadmill. After showering I would then head down to the beach, careful not to get too sunburned and get some reading in. Soon enough, it was time for lunch (the restaurant was open from 12-6) and then after this it was usually time for another treatment such as an Asian foot massage or a lotus body scrub. There were also more classes in the afternoon such as stretching if you desired and come early evening, I would often listen to a talk in the library about astrology or the benefits of detoxification and then dinner. And this is how my week continued. Slowly I was starting to appreciate this place and not only was I unwinding but I was really starting to enjoy myself.

One of the highlights here was when we partook in a lantern ceremony one night, not unlike the scene in the animation ‘Enchanted'. After dinner, a few of us headed down to the shoreline around 9pm. Here, there were these huge lanterns (one per person) about 1-2 metres high standing upright on the sand. The staff then asked us to tie a wish that we had written on a note of paper to the lantern and with its flaming torch inside (similar to a hot air balloon) you let it float up into the sky out into the ocean “releasing your wish to the universe". It was really beautiful and I know the Thai people do it all the time at New Years and I couldn't help thinking how beneficial it would be, if in my home city at this time of year we spent less money on fireworks and did this instead, as it is so simple yet so pretty and somewhat meaningful!

I only did the relax and the renew program for 5 days but stayed on an extra 2 nights to complete my stay at Kamalaya. That meant that I no longer had daily treatments scheduled but I could still partake in the holistic activities and book in for an additional treatments if needed. After 5 treatments I felt I was fine in that department but I thought it might be a good idea to head into the local town of Lamai to do what I thought was a bicycle tour of the south of the island. I had previously been into town a few days before to visit the weekly night market held on “walking street” every Sunday night from 6-10pm. Even then it was interesting at how leaving the retreat and being back in the normal world felt like my senses were being  bombarded and everything was so colourful and loud, it took a few minutes to adjust and to be honest, by the end of it, I was happy to head back to the quietness  and tranquillity of the resort…….Although I must say when it came to quiet time at night during  my stay at Kamalaya between a  bunch of American yoga hipsters ( I am sure they weren’t in Thailand for the yoga!) and the local temple having a 3-4 day festival with live music until 12am, my sleep was a little deprived. Maybe opt for a room that is not a few metres in front of the reception area, especially if you are a light sleeper? Fortunately, the days were so relaxing and chilled I would hardly notice if I were actually tired or not?

But back to the bicycle tour. I thought we would be doing a ride around the island getting off at different spots, taking photos, having morning tea and lunch as we casually cycled our way past the beach and through the fields, not unlike a trip I had done previously in Nha Trang, Vietnam. On arriving at the shop from which the tour started, I realized that my ideal and what reality was, were worlds apart once I sighted our German tour guide decked out in full spandex, looking like he was about to undertake the Tour de France. Another guy from the UK and his personal trainer joined us and when our tour guide said that we would be cycling around 55-60 km in the next few hours, I was thinking hmm….I wondered how long this could really take? Then we headed out single file, mountain bikes, helmet and gloves on, and at the speed we were cycling I soon realized that sightseeing would not be part of this ride. After cycling for a little while, up and down over a few hills and somewhat struggling with my gears, at the first water stop and in the tropical heat I was in dire need of water. I thought our effort wasn’t too bad and enquired as to how many km we had done, to which the instructor replied “around 3 km”……………….great just 50 odd to go! By about half way I started to think maybe this won’t be all that easy and before long the poor English guy who had started out so strongly and had initially given me tips as to how to ride best, suddenly confessed he could go no further and routinely hopped off his bike at any hint of the appearance of a hill. Unfortunately there were no other avenues back except to ride the remaining distance. After a stop at a 7’11 where I bought a Gatorade (an electrolyte drink) and he duly bought some water which is fairly understandable, I couldn't help but be amused by his additional purchase of a couple of mars bars (apparently to keep him going)and wondered how he would break this news to his trainer?  Finally, some 4 hours later we had come full circle, completing the 60km circuit and I was just happy to sit and rehydrate for the next hour or 3! I then took a taxi back to Kamalaya and felt I had done enough activity in those 4 hours to compensate for the whole week.

Another night at dinner, and I had the others in hysterics as to the theatrics of the day's events as we drank our detox juices, ate our energy salads and I felt my muscles ache.  There was almost an international incident when one guest discovered that there were no more of the chocolate mousse left on the menu for the night. You see, almost every guest had made it their plight to have the chocolate mousse on their last night at Kamalaya as their final reward. So you can imagine this poor guest at the realization that she was going to miss this great ritual, but fortunately the staff at the restaurant again averted disaster and came through for her......perhaps having stocked away servings of such in these cases of emergencies? The food really was very good!

Now as I sit here in my room, packing my things up and ready to leave, I have really enjoyed the last 7 days immensely. I feel relaxed, light and refreshed. Particularly though, I met some really lovely people and listening to the stories of people of all nationalities from across the globe all from different walks life, it's interesting that the themes are always the same and universal (this is my 3^rd retreat). Through adversity or not, through life’s ups and downs, we are all wanting time away for reflection, searching for understanding as to what and why and ultimately seeking contentment.  I am not sure if these are all achievable at once in our everyday life or whether we even have time to contemplate them in our busy schedule, but during your stay at Kamalaya you are certainly one step closer to gaining insight, perspective and rest. Would I, or do I need to come back? I am not sure, let’s see how life treats me?

China 2011/2012

I have travelled through many parts of Asia before, including Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, but I had never been to China and thought it was really time I should go. Before you read any further I must let you know, that I am not a "backpacker type traveller" and I do enjoy my comforts. This doesn't stop me though, from trying to immerse myself into the ways of the country I am visiting as I love meeting the local people, learning about their culture and listening to their stories!

Xian

The Bell Tower

My 1st stop in China was Xian, home of the Terracotta Warriors and once the political capital of China. It is also renowned for being the eastern terminus of the Silk Road route in previous times. I did not know what to expect of China so for me this trip was really about keeping an open mind and expecting the unexpected.  The minute I arrived in Xian (albeit without most of my luggage, thanks to Qantas) I immediately felt at ease and instantly knew that my travels in China were gong to be interesting and enjoyable. I could see that this country was very different to my homeland Australia and was clearly not the lush tropical scene often experienced in Thailand or Vietnam. The already obvious differences were unique and appealing. I noticed a few concrete high rise buildings (reminiscent of communist rule often seen around the world in certain countries with this history) as I made my way from the airport, but towards the city centre, encased by the protective City Wall, I could sense the tradition of China that I had only read about or seen in the movies. I could also see the newly constructed roads (freeways) and buildings (hotels, offices and apartments) throughout, giving the impression that the Chinese were definitely making a concerted effort to becoming more commercialised and urbanised...not that I think that this is better or worst, just interesting, that even they cannot resist the trappings of the Western world.

My hotel (the Mercure, see photo right) was in a complex known as Renmin Square and was only a 20 minute walk to the CDB of Xian. I spent the better part of my first full day touring through the Muslim quarter (famous for its many ethnic food stalls and winding alleyways selling items ranging from tea sets through to the latest fashions). I also visited both the Bell and Drum Towers and before too long realised that this whole experience could become even more enriching if I could hire a local guide who would speak English and talk me through the history of this interesting country. Through the help of the website 'Viator' on day 2 I met my personal tour guide Eva at my hotel and off we went. When visiting the Terracotta Warriors (which is a fair drive from the city centre) I was thankful we had our own driver and car. Traffic in China is ALWAYS horrendous....something I was going to learn very quickly and I also discovered that even though there appeared to be many taxis on the road,  it proved difficult on many occasions to hail one down as the local drivers appeared quite specific in who and which fare they were interested in.  Also, ALWAYS have your destination address written in Chinese characters if you only speak English or else you may find yourself in a spot of trouble trying to convey to the driver as to where you want to go! Another quick lesson learnt through these travels was if  travelling to China in the winter months, wearing only one pair of socks will probably not suffice. As I headed out for my daily sightseeing, feeling quite chilly, I asked my tour guide as to whether she thought it was 3 or 4 degrees Celsius to which she replied it was actually -3 degrees.....no wonder I felt cold....now I was just hoping that I would not be the first Australian tourist with toes needing to be amputated as a result of frost bite due to poor dressing!! 

 

Most people choose to visit Xian because of the Terracotta Warriors and they are definitely worth the stop. Uncovered in 1974 by some peasant farmers while drilling, thousands of the man made soldiers and horses were discovered having once been created over 2000 years ago for the purpose of guarding Qin Shi Huangdi's tomb. The soldiers are quite tall (up to 1.5 -2 metres high) and amazingly every individual face is different (see photo left). When I was there officials were still in the process of carefully digging up more remaining relics. Whilst in Xian I also visited the Wild Goose Pagoda, the National Museum, the City Wall (which involved a quick tutorial of feng shui-which never goes astray!) and I also made sure I took in a famous TANG dynasty show-named after the famous Chinese dynasty ruling family. It's always an experience to watch a live show in Asia but considering I watched this one on New Years Eve, and I spent the night on a communal table eating dim sum with a Japanese brother and sister who were in their 60's and their mother (in her 80s)-I'm in my 30s(!)....all of whom spoke very little English coupled with my non existent Chinese nor Japanese....it took the experience to a whole new level............. None the less I had a lovely time and my companions were very keen to practise their English skills with me throughout the entire night..... bring on 2012!! 

The Drum Tower

I enjoyed Xian greatly, its only downside would have to be the pollution and being asthmatic, it did prove challenging at times. Even though the majority of people did not speak English in this part of China, I enjoyed the challenge of communicating to others using non verbal cues and lots of animation.......in fact I loved that everything was so foreign to me and that tourists like myself were not very common in this area at all.

One of the pits as large as an aircraft hangar where the Terracotta soldiers are lined up and displayed.

Shanghai

Next stop on my tour was Shanghai, the urban financial capital of China based on the Yangtze river that is essentially divided into 2 areas. West of the river is Puxi and east of the river is the Pudong area, which is the newer section represented by many new sky scrapers and banking corporations.

From the airport to my hotel, the Radisson Blu New World, which was centrally positioned and right across from a met stop (see the view from my hotel at night below), it only cost me a mere $AU2 for a 50 minute train ride.

I had just got in at lunch time when I decided to explore the surrounds on foot and after taking a couple of steps from the hotel I bumped into some Chinese university students who said they were on holidays hailing from a local village. I granted their request to take photos of them -2 guys and a girl and they appeared overly excited at being able to practise their English skills with a Westerner and invited me to go to a nearby tea festival with them. Please bear in mind when travelling in such countries, this type of enthusiasm is not that unusual and I will often walk around talking to locals as they learn and clarify certain English words and quiz me about my life in Australia....Normally at home however, I am never so trusting, in fact some would say I am almost cynical......... Yet again I relished the opportunity to spend some time with the locals and a 15 minute walk later, I found myself in a very small room in a shopping complex(!) doing a tea ceremony with my "new friends". They interpreted the whole Chinese ceremony for me in English and suddenly I noticed that their conversational skills were rather good!  All seemed to be going well until the bill came and apparently it was custom to split the bill 4 ways (???) even though I had earlier declined in purchasing additional souvenirs noticing they were doing so quite excessively. The total of the bill had me scratching my head and realising something did not fit.It ended up costing me something like 480 rmb which was about $60-70 (and this was per person) and I could not get my head around the fact that tasting some teas could cost that much money. I then realised that this was some sort of scam and to be honest the money part did not really bother me, it was more the fact that someone had conned me, and all the travel experience I had amassed over the years had failed to detect this from the initial meeting!! As if this whole scenario was not bad enough they then asked me what the rest of my plans were for the night? Sanity prevailed (on my end) and I called it quits then, knowing that having spent that much on tea, I could only imagine how the rest of the evening would go!  Holidays always provide unique experiences and sometimes lessons......perhaps I should have known better, but they were harmless.

Whilst in Shanghai I hired local guide "M" for the day and we toured around the city visiting the Pudong area, going up to the observation deck of the the Oriental Pearl Tower which appeared to be a broadcasting (TV) station. We then walked the Bund (the touristy mile walk alongside the river) until we got to the Yuyuan Gardens which were absolutely lovely alongside a bizarre that I would have enjoyed a little more time going through with all its many shops. Then we stopped for a traditional Chinese lunch at a nearby local restaurant. From there we took a taxi to the French Concession area and I admired the lovely architecture and  alleyways of antiques and art work. When it came to my tour guides, as much as they informed me as to the history of China, I was also quite keenly interested in what their personal lives were like and I really wanted to know about the one child policy in China. Having talked to various other locals I realised that many of them had siblings which I was surprised by. My guide told me that there is a law that couples can only have one child, but as of late this law has become more relaxed and if the first born is a girl, the parents can try again in the hope of having a boy. But then that is their final limit regardless of the gender of the child. If some couples do have more children than what the government allows (as there seems to be different rules for city dwellers versus those from the villages) then the families are fined exorbitant amounts of money. This can sometimes result in such families giving away the additional children and this is what happened to my tour guide. When she was young, she was the third born daughter to a struggling family from a local village so her father gave her away to another family nearby. Her sisters however implored their father to retrieve his youngest daughter as they felt this new family were bad people and were treating her unfairly.  She was eventually reunited with her biological family, but she always knew that she was initially given away and that her family had to pay a lot of money as a result of keeping her. I was amazed that she had no ill feeling about this, even though she acknowledged that her father was a difficult man. Her story truly was inspirational as she told me she was the only one from her village that managed to study at university, having now become a successful tour guide around Shanghai and she still regularly sends money back specifically to her father to help support him. Amazing!

The spectacular Yuyuan Gardens.

During my travels, not for a second did I forget that the country I was in, was under communist rule. Everywhere I went and I mean everywhere-I needed to present my passport so my details could be recorded and my movements tracked. I found it interesting when told there was a condition for those Chinese citizens who wanted to holiday abroad in them having to leave a deposit of money behind with the government to ensure their return. The Internet is regularly scoured by Internet police as to the detection of any negative comments regarding China and if found they are instantly removed and the source is investigated. Shock, horror (for some) Facebook is inaccessible....although locals do tend to find ways around this periodically. All the heating in houses is routinely switched off at 4am every day before being turned back on later in the morning and I suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg.

But back to the lighter side of touring,"M" told me I was quite fortunate at the time I was travelling in China (Dec/Jan) as it was low season and normally during high season there are queues of tourists visiting all the same spots we had been to, making the sightseeing long and tedious with a lot of waiting around....not to mention the heat. Shanghai is interesting in that it has a great history and culture and yet there seems to be a Starbucks on every corner and shopping malls are abundant. You know the saying- if you can't beat them, then join them, so I spent the following day mainly shopping. I had wanted to go to the museum but it was closed (it pays to know the hours of operation of such places, and Monday is not a good day to visit!).

 Overall Shanghai is quite vibrant especially at night, all the sky scrapers light up and so far (compared to other places in the world) it is still quite pretty without being tacky but I must say, having travelled to the places I have, maybe Shanghai is just a bit too westernised for me........coming here to specifically experience a different culture, I was looking forward to my next stop-Beijing.

The New Pudong area by night

Beijing

Next stop on my travels was Beijing, the capital of China and the northern most area I was visiting. I took the bullet train up to Beijing from Shanghai (it cost  550 RMB) and it took 4.5 hrs and all in all it was a pretty good experience. It was especially interesting navigating through a train station with only Chinese speaking attendants so luckily I had pre purchased a train ticket via the Internet. I don't recommend blindly going to a train station and enquiring as to what their schedules are as if you don't know the train number and time table that best suits your travel needs, trying to converse with those behind the ticket counters in English is near impossible. For the life of me I could not find the English speaking ticket seller even thought the Lonely Planet guide assured me of its existence! The train itself was great, punctual, clean, orderly and obviously fast, travelling at  300 km/hr.....and was vastly different to my experience when travelling with the local met service when at peak times people are continually pushing to get into the carriage and you have to breathe in to allow others to get on board, as it gets very congested......there are so many people in China as it is, but sometimes I think a lot of them you don't always see, as there's a whole extra population travelling below the ground!

From the minute I arrived in Beijing, I felt similar as to how I did in Xian. This is the China I have been enjoying, local people everywhere, not so glitzy and I am back to being the only foreigner again!! I stayed at the Regent Hotel (centrally located-see photo left) and with the help of a local tour guide called Jessie (ranked number 4 on tripadvisor-that's her claim to fame!), I spent 2 full days sight seeing with her and had another day on my own. Our first stop was the Temple of Heaven Park and while it was quite cold I was delighted when arriving here to see so many senior citizens of China out and about in the park practising tai chi, doing line dancing, partaking in karaoke or just limbering up on the exercise equipment (see photo below). These people were truly inspiring, well aged into their 70s and 80s and yet the energy and vitality they showed was just amazing. Of course the park and temple itself was extraordinary and well restored (to coincide with the previous Olympics) and my guide told me that not a single nail was used in its construction?

On the same day I visited Tiananmen Square (one of the largest public squares in the world) and also spent hours going through the Forbidden city-an area of the city forbidding the entry of citizens as it was the exclusive living quarters of two ruling dynasties thousands of years ago.  Next stop was the Hutong area with its lane ways and alcoves dotted with small houses and communal living quarters. After a lunch stop we spent the afternoon at the Summer palace which was picturesque and beautiful, I could only imagine how pretty it would be in summer if this is what it looked like in the winter!

In the evening I took in an acrobatic show which I found to be very entertaining, full of risk and death defying feats!Girls were doing pirouettes on top of mens' heads, 6 full sized motorbikes were circling around in a large oval cage at massive speeds and tumbling through rings,and multiple girls were doing acrobatics on 1 bicycle or performing a formation with 5 bicycles. It really was one of the most incredible things I have seen and definitely a recommendation of mine.



A frozen lake near to the Hutong area, for some strange reason it really
reminded me of New York (of all places!)



Undoubtedly however, the highlight of this china trip has been visiting the Great Wall in Beijing.  All the hype you hear about this 7th wonder of the world, is well and truly deserved and a lot different to what I was expecting. It is magnificent to take in, and when you get there the view of mountains either side are overwhelming.  To understand that this structure was created over 2000 years ago by the Qin dynasty to keep out nomads and protect China was awesome in itself and here I was standing on it! It was also interesting to note that the wall was actually unsuccessful in keeping the Mongolians out who eventually invaded China along with other fractions later in time. The wall itself is actually quite windy(as in bendy) but it is also very steep in some areas so I think it is more appropriate in parts to say you climbed the wall as opposed to you walked the Great Wall. It was a perfect day when I visited, fresh but a bit of sun and being up there felt serene and awe inspiring all at once!  I specifically chose a part of the wall to visit which was less touristy and it was called the Mutianyu part and with very few people around creating a somewhat peaceful atmosphere and seeing remnants of melted snow between the cracks of the large pavers it was almost magical.

Back to the city of Beijing and most people make sure they visit Wangfujing street at night where it is lined with a variety of food delicacies and delights. I am not a huge foodie but still made it my mission at night to walk down to the area to take in all its atmosphere. If you are a lover of food, I would imagine you may be making this visit nightly!

Overall I really liked Beijing, more so than Shanghai, which is interesting as on previous trips to Vietnam, I had enjoyed the north more than the south there also.  Interestingly, although Beijing is not as modern as Shanghai I feel the people here speak a lot more English as compared to those who work in the tourist industry in Shanghai.  That was a little perplexing until one person told me it was the direct result of them having hosted the Olympic games previously and having to be prepare for the influx of tourists at that time. Next stop is my last as I head off to Hangzhou, supposedly a beautiful city built around a great lake and has been crowned “heaven on earth” so fingers crossed it lives up to its reputation…

Hangzhou

My final stop in China (sadly) was the city of Hangzhou, situated on the great West lake having been a cosmopolitan and cultural sector of China in times gone by, and most likely still remains as this. I travelled by bullet train back from Beijing to Hangzhou via Shanghai, only changing trains once. The immediate impression I got from Hangzhou was that it was reminiscent of Europe- it was modern but unlike Shanghai, it appeared more quaint and overall was quite pretty. The only disappointment for me here was the weather. I only had 2 days to explore this city but it literally poured with rain the entire time I was there which made walking difficult, and this time my research had let me down and my hotel was too far from the city centre or rather the lake. If visiting here, even though it is more expensive, I really feel it's best to stay as close as possible to the lake. Again taxis are hard to come by and even if you get to your destination fine, there is then the trouble of trying to get back to your hotel! The staff at the hotel informed that at peak times it can be difficult to hail a cab, but when I checked the time and it was 11am I figured that peak time in China is apparently all the time! I eventually made my way down to the lake on my first day there and wandered around half of it.......it is huge!

I then somehow made it on foot to Qinghefang Old street (mind you I took a lot of wrong turns on the way) and enjoyed ambling through the tea houses and souvenir stores on the cobble stoned streets. On my 2nd day here, I essentially walked the city until the rain got the better of me and I relented and spent the latter half of the afternoon in a spa having a massage. It had to come at some point and my weary legs needed the break! I really liked Hangzhou and would definitely come back at some stage for a little bit longer and would choose to stay closer to the great lake. As a city, it is  simply clean, fresh, green and beautiful.

So, my travels in China have come to an end and as is the case with most of my trips I begrudge the fact that I have to head back home to normal life of work and all that comes with it! I realised having spent time here, that I haven't seen nearly enough of this large country and another trip in the future is definitely warranted. As I said at the beginning, I had no  idea what to expect of this trip to China, I did not know (maybe ignorantly) the landscape or how the people would perceive me particularly as I am a Westerner? Yes, I concede that I had to adjust to using squat toilets, some even having no doors, I had to lose any sense of personal space that I was used to when travelling on public transport and getting accustomed to people spitting up in the street as being a cultural norm was a process. But not only did I marvel at the Chinese history, culture and community but the actual geography of this country in many parts was beautiful and so untouched in a sense. In actual fact this was one of the most enjoyable and enriching travel experiences, I have had to date. 

China, I will be back, that, there is no doubt.