Sunday 28/9/08 - Monday 29/9/08
I checked out at midday and took a taxi to the airport. As I was leaving the city, I looked back and could see the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Centre absolutely towering over everything else - they were both so much higher than their surroundings.
The plane trips were uneventful - thankfully, no repeat sickbag performances. But the Singapore-Sydney leg was just as bumpy as the same leg at the start of the trip.
Arrived at Sydney and was surprised to see Caitlin next to Narelle waiting for me - I didn't know she was visiting from Adelaide. Unfortunately they wouldn't let me back inside the Customs area to escape.
This was one of the best holidays I've ever taken, but it would have been nice to have someone with me to share the memories. I'll have to organise another Asian journey with family members next time.
Shanghai
Saturday 27/9/08
My last full day in China. It's hard to believe that I first booked this tour almost 18 months ago. The two weeks haven't gone quickly at all, I suppose because there's been so, so much to see and absorb.
Today I strolled around Shanghai, not venturing too far as I'm fairly tired and I'm sick and tired of taking photos! This certainly is a town of, um, aromas...some pleasant, some rather earthy.
The traffic here is more constant and chaotic here than anything I have ever experienced. When you cross the road, even when you have a green light, you have to constantly scan 360 degrees all the way across - there is the ever-present risk of being hit by anything possessing wheels. And the footpaths are no safer.
I had to laugh when I saw the scene below. The policeman was giving hell to the driver in the car because he had become stuck in the middle of the intersection, but the cop seemed oblivious to the utter insanity going on round him, with cyclists and pedestrians going in all directions...
Maybe there's a shortage of electricity linesmen...
I took the Bund Tourist Tunnel to travel over to the the Pudong side of the river. This is a tunnel that passes under the river - you get into an enclosed car that travels through a series of "special effects" lighting displays. I think they must have bought every excess fluoro tube in China to build it - pretty lame and tacky, and I'm sure the epiletics love it.
When I bought my ticket I had the option to see the China Sex Culture Exhibition for a small additional charge. With a population of 1.5 billion, I didn't think I'd have the time to have a look.
The Pudong side is full of modern buildings...
The Jin Mao Tower (front) is probably the most beautiful modern building I have ever seen - matched only by KL's Petronas Towers. It has a truely elegant, Asian feel to it. The building behind it is the 101 storey Shanghai World Financial Centre, the 2nd highest building on earth. It is seriously big.
I'm so glad the best sign of the trip waited for my last day...
My last full day in China. It's hard to believe that I first booked this tour almost 18 months ago. The two weeks haven't gone quickly at all, I suppose because there's been so, so much to see and absorb.
Today I strolled around Shanghai, not venturing too far as I'm fairly tired and I'm sick and tired of taking photos! This certainly is a town of, um, aromas...some pleasant, some rather earthy.
The traffic here is more constant and chaotic here than anything I have ever experienced. When you cross the road, even when you have a green light, you have to constantly scan 360 degrees all the way across - there is the ever-present risk of being hit by anything possessing wheels. And the footpaths are no safer.
I had to laugh when I saw the scene below. The policeman was giving hell to the driver in the car because he had become stuck in the middle of the intersection, but the cop seemed oblivious to the utter insanity going on round him, with cyclists and pedestrians going in all directions...
Maybe there's a shortage of electricity linesmen...
I took the Bund Tourist Tunnel to travel over to the the Pudong side of the river. This is a tunnel that passes under the river - you get into an enclosed car that travels through a series of "special effects" lighting displays. I think they must have bought every excess fluoro tube in China to build it - pretty lame and tacky, and I'm sure the epiletics love it.
When I bought my ticket I had the option to see the China Sex Culture Exhibition for a small additional charge. With a population of 1.5 billion, I didn't think I'd have the time to have a look.
The Pudong side is full of modern buildings...
The Jin Mao Tower (front) is probably the most beautiful modern building I have ever seen - matched only by KL's Petronas Towers. It has a truely elegant, Asian feel to it. The building behind it is the 101 storey Shanghai World Financial Centre, the 2nd highest building on earth. It is seriously big.I'm so glad the best sign of the trip waited for my last day...
Shanghai
Friday 26/9/08
Today we drove a couple of hours out of the big town to the water village of Xitang. There is a canal system in the area with many villages still following a traditional way of life. It was interesting to wander through the laneways, looking into the old shops and houses. Unfortunately, our visit coincided with what appeared to be a Where's Wally convention (actually the local Pizza Hut employees on a corporate day out).
Today is the last day of our photographic tour, so we visited the Cloud 9 bar on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao Tower, the world's 5th tallest building. Stunning views.
Jin Mao Tower(left) and Shanghai World Financial Centre (right), which is the world's 2nd tallest building.
We had a lovely final dinner where Jason and Ewen gave each of us a lovely scroll with a Chinese painting calligraphy - a lovely gesture that touched us all. Then we had the obligatory final group photos.
It's hard to believe I gave these two guys my money and entrusted my well being with them...
It was sad to say goodbye to a wonderful group of people. We all got on so well, and together had a great time and a whole lot of fun. Aussies, Canadians and Americans - a great mix of similar, but different, backgrounds made for interesting conversations and viewpoints. If any of you guys read this - Dave, Helen, Natalie, Ewen, Kaye, Barbara, Lorraine, Jason, Dean - thanks a bunch for a wonderful 2 weeks.
Today we drove a couple of hours out of the big town to the water village of Xitang. There is a canal system in the area with many villages still following a traditional way of life. It was interesting to wander through the laneways, looking into the old shops and houses. Unfortunately, our visit coincided with what appeared to be a Where's Wally convention (actually the local Pizza Hut employees on a corporate day out).
Today is the last day of our photographic tour, so we visited the Cloud 9 bar on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao Tower, the world's 5th tallest building. Stunning views.
Jin Mao Tower(left) and Shanghai World Financial Centre (right), which is the world's 2nd tallest building.
We had a lovely final dinner where Jason and Ewen gave each of us a lovely scroll with a Chinese painting calligraphy - a lovely gesture that touched us all. Then we had the obligatory final group photos.
It's hard to believe I gave these two guys my money and entrusted my well being with them...
It was sad to say goodbye to a wonderful group of people. We all got on so well, and together had a great time and a whole lot of fun. Aussies, Canadians and Americans - a great mix of similar, but different, backgrounds made for interesting conversations and viewpoints. If any of you guys read this - Dave, Helen, Natalie, Ewen, Kaye, Barbara, Lorraine, Jason, Dean - thanks a bunch for a wonderful 2 weeks.
Shanghai
Thursday 25/9/08
Today we left Yangshuo - and the world's best apple crumble - and took a flight to Shanghai. The drive from the airport to our hotel allowed us to see how big this city really is. It's enormous, and has a very different feel to it compared to Beijing. As we neared the centre, the buildings steadily became more modern and much taller, and it seems to somehow be less classically Chinese than Beijing - no doubt because of its cosmopolitan history with contacts with the Europeans.
In the afternoon, some of us went with Ewen to a building with 2 floors of purely photographic gear, where I resisted temptation to buy more hardware and only purchased a lovely book of B&W images of western China - only $26, worth at least twice that at home. Getting to here involved plunging into the Shanghai subway system - again, wonderfully efficient an cheap, and incredibly crowded.
After dinner we wandered down Nanjing Rd, the main shopping street, to The Bund - the riverside strip that has a number of buildings of different styles of architecture. Across the river is the fantastically modern Pudong district - gleaming towers and buildings that contrast with traditional Chinese cityscapes. I only grabbed a few shots, as I know I'll be back over the next few days.
The Pudong district. No wonder China builds a new power station every 2 days!
Pearl TV Tower. The world's highest monument to kitsch.
Today we left Yangshuo - and the world's best apple crumble - and took a flight to Shanghai. The drive from the airport to our hotel allowed us to see how big this city really is. It's enormous, and has a very different feel to it compared to Beijing. As we neared the centre, the buildings steadily became more modern and much taller, and it seems to somehow be less classically Chinese than Beijing - no doubt because of its cosmopolitan history with contacts with the Europeans.
In the afternoon, some of us went with Ewen to a building with 2 floors of purely photographic gear, where I resisted temptation to buy more hardware and only purchased a lovely book of B&W images of western China - only $26, worth at least twice that at home. Getting to here involved plunging into the Shanghai subway system - again, wonderfully efficient an cheap, and incredibly crowded.
After dinner we wandered down Nanjing Rd, the main shopping street, to The Bund - the riverside strip that has a number of buildings of different styles of architecture. Across the river is the fantastically modern Pudong district - gleaming towers and buildings that contrast with traditional Chinese cityscapes. I only grabbed a few shots, as I know I'll be back over the next few days.
The Pudong district. No wonder China builds a new power station every 2 days!
Pearl TV Tower. The world's highest monument to kitsch.
Yangshuo
Wednesday 24/9/08
A few changes to the original schedule for today. Because it's been so stinking hot and humid, we all decided not to go for the planned bike ride this morning. Also, due to the winds that blew up overnight (apparently there's a typhoon near Taiwan which is affecting the weather), the hot air balloon trip that some of the group was going to take was cancelled. So instead we went to a calligraphy class. Who could imagine that painting "simple" strokes could be so difficult and frustrating? But it was a lot of fun, and I now know how to write the numbers 1 and 2 in Chinese, as long as I have a paintbrush in my hand. Give me a keyboard any day.
A few changes to the original schedule for today. Because it's been so stinking hot and humid, we all decided not to go for the planned bike ride this morning. Also, due to the winds that blew up overnight (apparently there's a typhoon near Taiwan which is affecting the weather), the hot air balloon trip that some of the group was going to take was cancelled. So instead we went to a calligraphy class. Who could imagine that painting "simple" strokes could be so difficult and frustrating? But it was a lot of fun, and I now know how to write the numbers 1 and 2 in Chinese, as long as I have a paintbrush in my hand. Give me a keyboard any day.
Yangshuo
Tuesday 23/9/08
I'm getting used to these damn early starts - I guess it's the photogrpher's curse, as the best shots are most often taken in the "golden hours", 1 hour after dawn and 1 hour before sunset. We tramped onto the bus and made our way through a very quiet Yangshuo to the village of Xingping. This is a scenic spot on the River Li - in fact, it's so scenic that it's depicted on the rear of the 20 yuan banknote (good old Chairman Mao is on the front of every note). Despite the mozzies as we neared the river, it was indeed a marvelous place, with incredible views of the karst formations in the early morning light.
We trotted over to the village for breakfast, and then we made our way to the markets. Wow, what an overwhelming barrage on the senses. Probably thousands of people buying and selling goods - all types of food and produce, textiles, farm implements, haircuts, outdoor dentist, and lots more - a rural Chinese megamall.
After lunch, we caught a bus to one of the small villages for another wander, getting a taste of the real rural life.
Our last adventure for the day was to attend cooking school. Pam is an Aussie who's set up a cooking school just outside town, and it's a popular attraction. Each of us were set up with a stove, wok, utensils and ingredients, and following our instructor Kelly's lead we prepared - and then consumed - egg wrapped dumplings, eggplant Yangshuo style, stir fried pork with vegetables and oyster sauce, and a couple of other dishes. I managed to avoid both burning the place down and poisoning myself - in fact, it was easy and delicious, although a bit hectic trying to remember all the instructions.
All in all, a wonderful, fascinating and varied day, ended by another visit to Drifters for apple crumble and ice cream.
I'm getting used to these damn early starts - I guess it's the photogrpher's curse, as the best shots are most often taken in the "golden hours", 1 hour after dawn and 1 hour before sunset. We tramped onto the bus and made our way through a very quiet Yangshuo to the village of Xingping. This is a scenic spot on the River Li - in fact, it's so scenic that it's depicted on the rear of the 20 yuan banknote (good old Chairman Mao is on the front of every note). Despite the mozzies as we neared the river, it was indeed a marvelous place, with incredible views of the karst formations in the early morning light.
We trotted over to the village for breakfast, and then we made our way to the markets. Wow, what an overwhelming barrage on the senses. Probably thousands of people buying and selling goods - all types of food and produce, textiles, farm implements, haircuts, outdoor dentist, and lots more - a rural Chinese megamall.
After lunch, we caught a bus to one of the small villages for another wander, getting a taste of the real rural life.
Our last adventure for the day was to attend cooking school. Pam is an Aussie who's set up a cooking school just outside town, and it's a popular attraction. Each of us were set up with a stove, wok, utensils and ingredients, and following our instructor Kelly's lead we prepared - and then consumed - egg wrapped dumplings, eggplant Yangshuo style, stir fried pork with vegetables and oyster sauce, and a couple of other dishes. I managed to avoid both burning the place down and poisoning myself - in fact, it was easy and delicious, although a bit hectic trying to remember all the instructions.
All in all, a wonderful, fascinating and varied day, ended by another visit to Drifters for apple crumble and ice cream.
Yangshuo
Monday 22/9/08
After breakfast we started the easier walk back down the trail to our waiting bus.
We rode back through Guilin and on to Yangshuo. This is a very touristy town in the middle of some of the most unusual and spectacular landscapes in the world - the limestone karst formations. From a landscape photography perspective, this is what I'm really looking forward to seeing.
On a quick walk through town this afternoon, I came across the kids coming out of school - all the parents were lined up outside on their motorbikes ready to pick them up.
I think the guy in this shot is the local version of a school bus (I count 4 kids on the bike, but there may be more hidden somewhere)...
We had dinner on the roof of a local restaurant, and then some of us went down and had apple crumble and ice cream - you have to wait about 25 minutes while they bake it fresh. YUM.
Well, we have an early start in - shit, in 5 hours - for some sunrise shots, a visit to a local market and ride back to town on the local bus. Other activities planned over the next 2 days include bike riding, a cooking class, and a sunset river cruise. All sounds like fun.
After breakfast we started the easier walk back down the trail to our waiting bus.
We rode back through Guilin and on to Yangshuo. This is a very touristy town in the middle of some of the most unusual and spectacular landscapes in the world - the limestone karst formations. From a landscape photography perspective, this is what I'm really looking forward to seeing.
On a quick walk through town this afternoon, I came across the kids coming out of school - all the parents were lined up outside on their motorbikes ready to pick them up.
I think the guy in this shot is the local version of a school bus (I count 4 kids on the bike, but there may be more hidden somewhere)...
We had dinner on the roof of a local restaurant, and then some of us went down and had apple crumble and ice cream - you have to wait about 25 minutes while they bake it fresh. YUM.
Well, we have an early start in - shit, in 5 hours - for some sunrise shots, a visit to a local market and ride back to town on the local bus. Other activities planned over the next 2 days include bike riding, a cooking class, and a sunset river cruise. All sounds like fun.
Longji rice terraces
Saturday 20 - Sunday 21/9/08
A 5am start saw us say goodbye to Xian. A flight to Guilin mid-morning and a bus trip (via a visit to a tea plantation and a lunch stop) had us arriving at the foot of some fairly serious hills, with our lodge in one of the villages an hour's uphill walk away. As soon as we arrived in the carpark, the bus was swamped with a horde of chattering Yao women, all wanting to take our baggage up to the lodge. The phrase "Kilkenny cats" comes to mind - there seemed to be a lot of bargaining and hustling going on, with Jason in their midst trying to sort out who to employ for the task.
My bag was the biggest and apparently the heaviest, and the ladies wanted extra payment to heave it upwards. Who knew that those bricks from the Great Wall would weigh so much? It was incredible to see these women carry the bags on the long and steep trail - their efforts match those of the porters in Nepal. As well, it was very warm with about 500% humidity - I was absolutely drenched in sweat by the time I arrived.
That's my bag on the right. Maybe it wasn't really that heavy after all.
Our lodge.
The views here were simply spectacular. The rice terraces are incredibly beautiful and awe inspiring, and I'm not sure that my pictures do them justice at all.
Of course, there were other sights as well in the villages and on the trails, but I wasn't able to update the blog mainly because I didn't bring a cable that was compatible with their communications system :
A 5am start saw us say goodbye to Xian. A flight to Guilin mid-morning and a bus trip (via a visit to a tea plantation and a lunch stop) had us arriving at the foot of some fairly serious hills, with our lodge in one of the villages an hour's uphill walk away. As soon as we arrived in the carpark, the bus was swamped with a horde of chattering Yao women, all wanting to take our baggage up to the lodge. The phrase "Kilkenny cats" comes to mind - there seemed to be a lot of bargaining and hustling going on, with Jason in their midst trying to sort out who to employ for the task.
My bag was the biggest and apparently the heaviest, and the ladies wanted extra payment to heave it upwards. Who knew that those bricks from the Great Wall would weigh so much? It was incredible to see these women carry the bags on the long and steep trail - their efforts match those of the porters in Nepal. As well, it was very warm with about 500% humidity - I was absolutely drenched in sweat by the time I arrived.
That's my bag on the right. Maybe it wasn't really that heavy after all.
Our lodge.The views here were simply spectacular. The rice terraces are incredibly beautiful and awe inspiring, and I'm not sure that my pictures do them justice at all.
Of course, there were other sights as well in the villages and on the trails, but I wasn't able to update the blog mainly because I didn't bring a cable that was compatible with their communications system :
Xian
Friday 19/9/08
[start rant]
Firstly, let me say that I'm sick and bloody tired of CNN. This is the only English language channel that I can find, and if Larry King sticks his petrified melon on the screen again, I'll scream. Sure, I'd like to listen to the damage hurricane Ike caused to downtown Wartsburg again - for the 19th time - but enough is surely enough. Oh for an episode of Neighbours, or even B&B...
[end rant]
Ok, today was a totally free day, so after brekky I wandered down to the South Gate in the city wall (the old city is entirely surrounded by the wall) and passed through to the parkland that rings the wall all the way around. Surprise, suprise - there were the locals doin' their stuff. Let me see - tap dancing practice; exercises and stretching on various bits of equipment scattered throughout the park (kind of like an outdoors Fitness First); painting; badminton; table tennis; knitting; singing (oh, the singing); and generally just being out and about. I was watching the badminton players, when suddenly one of them waved to me and gestured for me to play. After bringing down Australia's sporting reputation, I moved on to watch several games of table tennis being played (not on the same table), and again I was asked to play. I did a bit better this time, and would have won more games if the old lady's wheelchair wasn't distracting me so much. I sent a txt to Caitlin describing this, and she took perverse pleasure in joking that they stole my camera while I was playing. Imperialist pig.
South Gate through the City Wall
Hey, he's tougher than he looks.
On top of the city walls - total length all the way around is something like 24 km.
We had a demonstration from Ewen in the afternoon on processing digital images, and some of us are off to a restaurant tonight to try the dumplings.
We leave the hotel at 6am tomorrow for an early flight south to the rice terraces. I'm not sure of internet access there, so updates to this fine journal may be a bit patchy for several days, possibly until I get to Shanghai.
Firstly, let me say that I'm sick and bloody tired of CNN. This is the only English language channel that I can find, and if Larry King sticks his petrified melon on the screen again, I'll scream. Sure, I'd like to listen to the damage hurricane Ike caused to downtown Wartsburg again - for the 19th time - but enough is surely enough. Oh for an episode of Neighbours, or even B&B...
Ok, today was a totally free day, so after brekky I wandered down to the South Gate in the city wall (the old city is entirely surrounded by the wall) and passed through to the parkland that rings the wall all the way around. Surprise, suprise - there were the locals doin' their stuff. Let me see - tap dancing practice; exercises and stretching on various bits of equipment scattered throughout the park (kind of like an outdoors Fitness First); painting; badminton; table tennis; knitting; singing (oh, the singing); and generally just being out and about. I was watching the badminton players, when suddenly one of them waved to me and gestured for me to play. After bringing down Australia's sporting reputation, I moved on to watch several games of table tennis being played (not on the same table), and again I was asked to play. I did a bit better this time, and would have won more games if the old lady's wheelchair wasn't distracting me so much. I sent a txt to Caitlin describing this, and she took perverse pleasure in joking that they stole my camera while I was playing. Imperialist pig.
South Gate through the City Wall
Hey, he's tougher than he looks.
On top of the city walls - total length all the way around is something like 24 km.
We leave the hotel at 6am tomorrow for an early flight south to the rice terraces. I'm not sure of internet access there, so updates to this fine journal may be a bit patchy for several days, possibly until I get to Shanghai.
Xian
Thursday 18/9/08
The train trip wasn't as exotic as I had imagined. We were booked into the top class sleepers - 4 to a compartment, individual TVs (Chinese programs only!) and a bunk only marginally softer than paving stones. But it was still reasonably comfortable, and we arrived at Xian at about 8.30am. This was the former capital of China, and it looks like a fascinating place. After a quick walk to orient ourselves, I stayed on "Calligraphy Street" for about 30 minutes before lunch...
After lunch we headed out of town to see the Terracotta Warrior Army. They really make an awesome sight, all lined up waiting to defend their dead Emperor. There are 3 pits, all inside massive buildings to keep them safe and protected. As Ewen said, we're visiting here purely to see a magnificent sight - there's not a lot of photographic value here as there are limited viewing areas and everyone takes pretty much the same shots. But I'm happy with the ones I got - I think I got some interesting viewpoints.
Back to the hotel and then we went to the Muslim Quarter for dinner. Magnificent. As Xian is at the eastern end of the Silk Road, there is a definite Muslim influence here, no better seen than in the style of food we had tonight. The food I've experienced in the past week has been stupendous, and because Jason and Ewen have been here so many times and speak passable Chinese, they simply order for all of us and we share the lot. After dinner some of us wandered through the Muslim Quarter streets for some night photography. It was great fun and I took more shots tonight than any other single day so far. And I could have eaten my way from one end to the other - exotic and wonderful food being sold at street stalls everywhere, all surrounded by the usual cruched mixture of people, bikes and cars all trying to share the same space, horns blaring, people shouting and laughing, and all having a great time going about their business. It felt just so safe and natural walking through the bustle - not a worry about personal safety at all. It's just bloody wonderful!
Lorraine (Melbourne), Helen (US) and Ewen (Melbourne/Asia)...
My photography has also developed in a new way, possibly noticeable by what I've posted here. Ewen has talked to us about how to engage with people, asking for their permission to photograph them and sharing the image with them. Up till now I've avoided street photography, because it's confronting to ask a stranger if I can take their photo. But it's becoming easier, and it's certainly a buzz when you show them the shot you've just taken of them - the smiles of delight are wonderful, and you really have a connection with them.
One thing the Grasshopper guys do that's really nice is that they ask clients to send them images of the locals that they've taken on the trip. They then print them, and when they're next in that location, they try to find that person and give them the photo! Jason gave an old Chinese guy his photo, taken last year, when we were visiting the hutongs in Beijing. The look of surprise and delight on the old man's face as he recognised himself in the photo was truly priceless.
The train trip wasn't as exotic as I had imagined. We were booked into the top class sleepers - 4 to a compartment, individual TVs (Chinese programs only!) and a bunk only marginally softer than paving stones. But it was still reasonably comfortable, and we arrived at Xian at about 8.30am. This was the former capital of China, and it looks like a fascinating place. After a quick walk to orient ourselves, I stayed on "Calligraphy Street" for about 30 minutes before lunch...
After lunch we headed out of town to see the Terracotta Warrior Army. They really make an awesome sight, all lined up waiting to defend their dead Emperor. There are 3 pits, all inside massive buildings to keep them safe and protected. As Ewen said, we're visiting here purely to see a magnificent sight - there's not a lot of photographic value here as there are limited viewing areas and everyone takes pretty much the same shots. But I'm happy with the ones I got - I think I got some interesting viewpoints.
Back to the hotel and then we went to the Muslim Quarter for dinner. Magnificent. As Xian is at the eastern end of the Silk Road, there is a definite Muslim influence here, no better seen than in the style of food we had tonight. The food I've experienced in the past week has been stupendous, and because Jason and Ewen have been here so many times and speak passable Chinese, they simply order for all of us and we share the lot. After dinner some of us wandered through the Muslim Quarter streets for some night photography. It was great fun and I took more shots tonight than any other single day so far. And I could have eaten my way from one end to the other - exotic and wonderful food being sold at street stalls everywhere, all surrounded by the usual cruched mixture of people, bikes and cars all trying to share the same space, horns blaring, people shouting and laughing, and all having a great time going about their business. It felt just so safe and natural walking through the bustle - not a worry about personal safety at all. It's just bloody wonderful!
Lorraine (Melbourne), Helen (US) and Ewen (Melbourne/Asia)...
My photography has also developed in a new way, possibly noticeable by what I've posted here. Ewen has talked to us about how to engage with people, asking for their permission to photograph them and sharing the image with them. Up till now I've avoided street photography, because it's confronting to ask a stranger if I can take their photo. But it's becoming easier, and it's certainly a buzz when you show them the shot you've just taken of them - the smiles of delight are wonderful, and you really have a connection with them.
One thing the Grasshopper guys do that's really nice is that they ask clients to send them images of the locals that they've taken on the trip. They then print them, and when they're next in that location, they try to find that person and give them the photo! Jason gave an old Chinese guy his photo, taken last year, when we were visiting the hutongs in Beijing. The look of surprise and delight on the old man's face as he recognised himself in the photo was truly priceless.
Beijing
Wednesday 17/9/08
Another free morning - I just bummed around in my room checking photos, packing etc. We said goodbye to the Novotel at 11 and headed north to the Summer Palace. This is another set of temples etc set in parkland and an absolutely ginormous lake. Again, it was great just to sit and watch the locals do their stuff. After lunch I wandered for a few hours through the grounds until we all met up and headed to the Beijing North Railway Station to catch our overnight train to Xian. As you would expect, the station was chaotic with probably all of the Chinese population apparently wanting to travel at the same time as us.
Beijing is a massive city. It has many incredibly modern - even futuristic - buildings, a modern subway and highway system, and all the other aspects of a large international city. But there are so many BIG buildings - I guess they're apartments - that just go on forever. In other big cities I've been in - NY, Tokyo, Launceston - there's the major CBD area that then levels out, but here the massive buildings just seem to continue for a long, long way - imagine 10, 15, 20 storey buildings stretching out to Parramatta and beyond.
The weather has been pretty good so far - one drizzly morning only. The sky is a constant grey haze - I'm not sure how much is pollution and how much is just atmospheric humidity, which Ewen told me is quite common in Asian cities. It's not physically irritating or disturbing, but photographically it's giving us the shits! A bit of blue sky and some directional sunlight would make for a nice change.
The weather has been pretty good so far - one drizzly morning only. The sky is a constant grey haze - I'm not sure how much is pollution and how much is just atmospheric humidity, which Ewen told me is quite common in Asian cities. It's not physically irritating or disturbing, but photographically it's giving us the shits! A bit of blue sky and some directional sunlight would make for a nice change.
The Wall
Tuesday 16/9/08
I had a few hours free in the morning before we departed for the Wall, so I just wandered around the streets, watching life go by. Lots and lots of people, all going about their business. The traffic is chaotic - bikes and cars intermingle in a frightening dance of chance. Pedestrians don't count.
We left for the Wall in a minibus at 11. We were heading to a section of the Wall at Simitai, a 3 hour bus trip. This section, being further from Beijing, is less crowded with tourists compared to other sections, and is much more dramatic as it runs along a steep, narrow ridge line (Jason thinks it might even be the highest point of the entire Great Wall).
You know that magic feeling when you see something magnificent for the first time? When we arrived at the carpark and looked UP at the wall so far above, it was simply breathtaking - the wall itself, but also the sheer impossibility of where it was. After a walk to get to the wall itself, there was a choice to go left or right: left was relatively easier, still some climbing but the route most people choose; or right, the steep route apparently leading to the clouds. Ewen wanted to try the hard route as he thought the late sun would give us dramatic lighting over the vast landscape below, and of course I chose to go with him (no one else did). Well, it was hard work, but the gym membership paid for itself right here as we eventually got to the point where we could go no further. Literally - the wall is blocked off at this point as it becomes too narrow and dangerous to continue as it snakes its way to the final peak (apparently it's literally only centimetres wide along the final stretch). Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate - it was really murky and misty (Ewen said it's not smog, but simply humid air rising after the morning's rain). There were practically no other people up here (and none at the top point) and it was really humbling to just put the camera down, stop talking, and just look at the scene around us, soaking in the feeling from across the centuries. Sounds corny, but that's how it felt.
I had a few hours free in the morning before we departed for the Wall, so I just wandered around the streets, watching life go by. Lots and lots of people, all going about their business. The traffic is chaotic - bikes and cars intermingle in a frightening dance of chance. Pedestrians don't count.
We left for the Wall in a minibus at 11. We were heading to a section of the Wall at Simitai, a 3 hour bus trip. This section, being further from Beijing, is less crowded with tourists compared to other sections, and is much more dramatic as it runs along a steep, narrow ridge line (Jason thinks it might even be the highest point of the entire Great Wall).
You know that magic feeling when you see something magnificent for the first time? When we arrived at the carpark and looked UP at the wall so far above, it was simply breathtaking - the wall itself, but also the sheer impossibility of where it was. After a walk to get to the wall itself, there was a choice to go left or right: left was relatively easier, still some climbing but the route most people choose; or right, the steep route apparently leading to the clouds. Ewen wanted to try the hard route as he thought the late sun would give us dramatic lighting over the vast landscape below, and of course I chose to go with him (no one else did). Well, it was hard work, but the gym membership paid for itself right here as we eventually got to the point where we could go no further. Literally - the wall is blocked off at this point as it becomes too narrow and dangerous to continue as it snakes its way to the final peak (apparently it's literally only centimetres wide along the final stretch). Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate - it was really murky and misty (Ewen said it's not smog, but simply humid air rising after the morning's rain). There were practically no other people up here (and none at the top point) and it was really humbling to just put the camera down, stop talking, and just look at the scene around us, soaking in the feeling from across the centuries. Sounds corny, but that's how it felt.
Monday 15/9/08
Today we visited the Hutongs, the old alleyways that run between low courtyard houses - basically, Beijing as it used to be. We wandered slowly through the alleys, watching the residents as they went about their business - shopping, playing, riding their bikes, and prepaparing for lunch. It was a fascinating look at a different style and pace of life.
After lunch we had free time, and I went with some of the others to the Forbidden City. It is incredibly big (and incredibly crowded). We only had a couple of hours here, which didn't do it justice, but I found it somewhat repetitious. The weather was quite hot which didn't improve the situation, and I definitely preferred the Temple of Heaven.
Hey, note the blue sky in the shot above!!
This evening we went to a Chinese Acrobat Show. Great show - truely amazing feats of strength, balance and acrobatics. But the human body isn't supposed to bend like that!
Off to bed now - we're off to that wall thing tomorrow. A late start so we'll be there around sundown - hopefully the light will be magic. If anyone wants me to bring back a brick for them, let me know.
Today we visited the Hutongs, the old alleyways that run between low courtyard houses - basically, Beijing as it used to be. We wandered slowly through the alleys, watching the residents as they went about their business - shopping, playing, riding their bikes, and prepaparing for lunch. It was a fascinating look at a different style and pace of life.
After lunch we had free time, and I went with some of the others to the Forbidden City. It is incredibly big (and incredibly crowded). We only had a couple of hours here, which didn't do it justice, but I found it somewhat repetitious. The weather was quite hot which didn't improve the situation, and I definitely preferred the Temple of Heaven.
Hey, note the blue sky in the shot above!!
This evening we went to a Chinese Acrobat Show. Great show - truely amazing feats of strength, balance and acrobatics. But the human body isn't supposed to bend like that!
Off to bed now - we're off to that wall thing tomorrow. A late start so we'll be there around sundown - hopefully the light will be magic. If anyone wants me to bring back a brick for them, let me know.
Beijing
Sunday 14/09/08
The group will be meeting tonight for the first time, marking the start of the photo tour. After breakfast, I decided to visit the Temple of Heaven, a vast complex south of my hotel. Rather than walk, I got into a cycle-rickshaw. The driver/engine didn't appear to care about road rules or my mental well-being, especially when he decided to cross a major road in front of 2 rather large buses. We survived, continued on down footpaths and down back-alleys, until he finally dropped me off about 500m from the temple. I have no idea why we didn't go all the way, but I wasn't going to argue or tempt fate any further.
I've discovered that the concept of right-of-way doesn't seem to exist here - I actually think pedestrian crossings only exist as target zones for drivers to practice their aiming techniques, and are probably more dangerous places than simply lying down in the middle of traffic.
Anyhoo, the Temple of Heaven was definitely worth experiencing. It was a feast of sights and sounds. Not just the incredible temples themselves, but the acres of quiet, grassy woods and especially the humanity flowing through. Again, families everywhere, all just strolling, sitting, playing, singing and dancing. Yep, there were people doing ballroom dancing over there, 3 kids and their dance teacher practicing in front of a crowd over there, and people singing to recorded music or with old guys playing some sort of stringed instrument. It was incredibly fascinating to watch them - singing away at the top of their voices in the way most of us would only confine to inside the shower!
And once again I'm struck by how similar everyone across the world really are. The young people here are all stuck to their mobile phones, either chatting or snapping pitures; they all wear the same clothes we see at home; the parents all watch and chase the kids; and everyone just seems to be doing their own thing. I've ventured into a glitzy shopping mall and it could have been in Singapore, KL or even downtown Liverpool - same shops, sales, busy shoppers and fast food joints.
Communists with cash. Fascinating.
The group will be meeting tonight for the first time, marking the start of the photo tour. After breakfast, I decided to visit the Temple of Heaven, a vast complex south of my hotel. Rather than walk, I got into a cycle-rickshaw. The driver/engine didn't appear to care about road rules or my mental well-being, especially when he decided to cross a major road in front of 2 rather large buses. We survived, continued on down footpaths and down back-alleys, until he finally dropped me off about 500m from the temple. I have no idea why we didn't go all the way, but I wasn't going to argue or tempt fate any further.
I've discovered that the concept of right-of-way doesn't seem to exist here - I actually think pedestrian crossings only exist as target zones for drivers to practice their aiming techniques, and are probably more dangerous places than simply lying down in the middle of traffic.
Anyhoo, the Temple of Heaven was definitely worth experiencing. It was a feast of sights and sounds. Not just the incredible temples themselves, but the acres of quiet, grassy woods and especially the humanity flowing through. Again, families everywhere, all just strolling, sitting, playing, singing and dancing. Yep, there were people doing ballroom dancing over there, 3 kids and their dance teacher practicing in front of a crowd over there, and people singing to recorded music or with old guys playing some sort of stringed instrument. It was incredibly fascinating to watch them - singing away at the top of their voices in the way most of us would only confine to inside the shower!
And once again I'm struck by how similar everyone across the world really are. The young people here are all stuck to their mobile phones, either chatting or snapping pitures; they all wear the same clothes we see at home; the parents all watch and chase the kids; and everyone just seems to be doing their own thing. I've ventured into a glitzy shopping mall and it could have been in Singapore, KL or even downtown Liverpool - same shops, sales, busy shoppers and fast food joints.
Communists with cash. Fascinating.
Beijing
Saturday 13/9/08
Arrived at Beijing's new airport at about 7.30 am after a smooth and uneventful flight from Singapore (if you ignore the vomit bag incident). The airport is very impressive - the arrivals hall has a magnificent, sweeping roof that I would have loved to have taken a photo of, but I really didn't want to chance it. The place even smells new, but was strangely quiet, even for that hour of the morning. Passed through customs easily and quickly, and got a taxi to the hotel without any drama.
Went for a walk up to Tiananmen Square after lunch. There were just so many people about - it's probably always like this, but there were Olympic displays etc that probably brought out more people. Lots of families and young people, all just having a good time - it was like having all of Sydney crammed into my street at home. A fair number of security people walking their beats - all very serious young men with nary a smile to be seen. I would have loved to have taken some photos of them, but wasn't sure if that was a wise move.
Arrived at Beijing's new airport at about 7.30 am after a smooth and uneventful flight from Singapore (if you ignore the vomit bag incident). The airport is very impressive - the arrivals hall has a magnificent, sweeping roof that I would have loved to have taken a photo of, but I really didn't want to chance it. The place even smells new, but was strangely quiet, even for that hour of the morning. Passed through customs easily and quickly, and got a taxi to the hotel without any drama.
Went for a walk up to Tiananmen Square after lunch. There were just so many people about - it's probably always like this, but there were Olympic displays etc that probably brought out more people. Lots of families and young people, all just having a good time - it was like having all of Sydney crammed into my street at home. A fair number of security people walking their beats - all very serious young men with nary a smile to be seen. I would have loved to have taken some photos of them, but wasn't sure if that was a wise move.
Sydney-Singapore
12/09/08
cruise - cruise - bump - cruise - bumpitty - BUMP - bumpitty bump - BUMP - shit - BUMP - bump - cruise- cruise - landed.
cruise - cruise - bump - cruise - bumpitty - BUMP - bumpitty bump - BUMP - shit - BUMP - bump - cruise- cruise - landed.
Sydney
12/9/08 9:25am
Departure day at last. I think everything is packed, including the fur-lined jacket. It's good to be finally at this point, 10 months later than planned. It's hard to imagine that I should have done this trip last November, and that in 2 weeks it will be a year since I had my pulmonary embolus. That one little event had such a major impact on my life over the past 12 months, but thankfully (with the aid of medication before long flights) it hasn't stopped me travelling. I'm going to ask for an upgrade to business class today when I check in - I'll give them a sob story about needing the extra leg room, but I'm not sure if I should start crying or not; that may be counter productive.
Departure day at last. I think everything is packed, including the fur-lined jacket. It's good to be finally at this point, 10 months later than planned. It's hard to imagine that I should have done this trip last November, and that in 2 weeks it will be a year since I had my pulmonary embolus. That one little event had such a major impact on my life over the past 12 months, but thankfully (with the aid of medication before long flights) it hasn't stopped me travelling. I'm going to ask for an upgrade to business class today when I check in - I'll give them a sob story about needing the extra leg room, but I'm not sure if I should start crying or not; that may be counter productive.
Packed!
11/9/08 9:49pm
All packed and ready to leave tomorrow. It used to be the case where the biggest decisions about packing was how many pairs of undies to take, and whether you really would need that fur-lined jacket in Fiji (just in case). Now, it's all about cables, chargers and power-plug adaptors, and for a photo trip throw in memory cards, laptops, backups, lenses ad infinitum. And on top of that, don't forget all the documentation and security-related precautions - it ends up an exhausting exercise even before leaving the house.
But who's complaining - it's a HOLIDAY...woohoo!! :)
All packed and ready to leave tomorrow. It used to be the case where the biggest decisions about packing was how many pairs of undies to take, and whether you really would need that fur-lined jacket in Fiji (just in case). Now, it's all about cables, chargers and power-plug adaptors, and for a photo trip throw in memory cards, laptops, backups, lenses ad infinitum. And on top of that, don't forget all the documentation and security-related precautions - it ends up an exhausting exercise even before leaving the house.
But who's complaining - it's a HOLIDAY...woohoo!! :)
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Dilemma!
10/9/08 3:12pm
Two more sleeps before leaving! I'm in a quandry on 2 fronts:
Two more sleeps before leaving! I'm in a quandry on 2 fronts:
- do I take the 2nd 40GB drive as well as the 160GB drive to back up the images, or will the 160GB drive + the one in the PDF70 unit be enough? I'm looking to lighten the load, and take as few things, as possible - but balanced against this is having enough storage room for the photos I'll be taking. It all boils down to how many shots per day I'll be averaging.
- which camera bag to take? The one I recently bought, designed for camera gear plus laptop and other stuff, or one of the "normal" backpacks I have, which appear smaller (and lighter?)
Start here!
9/9/08 8:29pm
I'm off to China in 3 days for a photographic tour. I'm going to try to use this blog to record my thoughts during the trip, and maybe to post a few images as well.
Today I started putting together all the bits and pieces that I have to take with me. As well as my photo gear, there seems to be a mountain of cables, chargers and other assorted electronic gear.
One of the biggest considerations is how to handle the storage of my images. I carry a small hard drive device that saves the images from the camera's CF card, but I'll be also saving the images onto another portable hard drive each night as a backup; there's too much invested in this trip to rely on a single drive containing all of the images. Imagine a drive crash on the last day.....
I'm off to China in 3 days for a photographic tour. I'm going to try to use this blog to record my thoughts during the trip, and maybe to post a few images as well.
Today I started putting together all the bits and pieces that I have to take with me. As well as my photo gear, there seems to be a mountain of cables, chargers and other assorted electronic gear.
One of the biggest considerations is how to handle the storage of my images. I carry a small hard drive device that saves the images from the camera's CF card, but I'll be also saving the images onto another portable hard drive each night as a backup; there's too much invested in this trip to rely on a single drive containing all of the images. Imagine a drive crash on the last day.....
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