Category: Far East

Visiting and exploring Hong Kong.

23rd February 200423rd February 2016 admin Hong Kong Leave a comment

	The view of Hong Kong from the top of Mount Victoria. I walked down, several different paths on the way down the hill. It was really relaxing.
A busy street in Hong Kong. I found the people a little impolite, but since I used to work in Chinatown in Manchester, I was more than used to their culture. I found the pace of life in this city to be exhilarating.
	A forecourt in the banking sector, where people could sit and watch television. You can see Yasser Arafat here, as It was reported he wasn’t well (he has since died).
On the star ferry, travelling to Hong Kong Island (I stayed at the Marco Polo Hong Kong hotel, in Kowloon Harbour.
	One of the original trams, That still run in Hong Kong.
A waterfall, in the beautiful Hong Kong park. It even has a zoo.
	Bank of China tower, one off the newest and grandest buildings in Hong Kong.
I found the place to be very status orientated and flash. As I passed a jewellers shop, I was 2 mobile phones, one made of gold, and the other platinum. The gold phone, cost the equivalent of £35000 !.
	This was a brilliantly drawn picture on the side of a building, which caught my eye.
The two Lippo towers. I personally thought they were the best looking architecture on the Island.
	The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Head office, designed in 1984 by Sir Norman Foster.
The modern building is located on the same site as the original, and has a Lion on each side of the entrance. When the Japanese invaded Hong Kong they actually used the Lions for target practice, and you can still see the bullet holes.
	In the Hong Kong Zoo, I was an amazing underwater plant which has leaves the same shape as bowls (Victoria cruziana). More than 20 inches in diameter, a small child can sit on one, and it will float.
A cave like walkway in the Hong Kong Park. You can probably guess that I like the park, I spent quite a lot of time there.
	The original governors mansion, in the middle of the banking sector.
The entrance to Kowloon park, which was just near my hotel.
	This is a public swimming pool, in the centre of Kowloon park. I could hardly believe how clear the water was.
I was getting a drink in Hong Kong Airport. A few girls came up to me, and asked me for directions. One of them is Miss South Africa, who agreed to pose for a picture.

Visit to Beijing and walk on the Great Wall (2/2).

23rd February 200423rd February 2016 admin Beijing 2 Leave a comment

	Meridian Gate (Wumen). The emperor would pass through this gate when traveling to the courtyard. The emperor was the only living person who could pass through the middle entrance.
The beautiful man made river Jinshui He (Golden water stream) which runs through the centre of the City. Five marble bridges cross it. Its said that Chairman Mao in his later years, filled this pool with Naked young girls from all across China.
	After visiting the Forbidden city, most people visit Jingshan Imperial Garden. Its a lovely park, and is famous for 2 things. The hill in the centre, with spectacular views of Beijing (the hill is made from the soil leftover from the forbidden city moat). The 2nd is a tree, where the last Ming emperor committed suicide in 1644.
The suicide note on his lapel said: “My own insufficient virtue and wretched nature has caused me to sin against heaven above. I die knowing I am wholly unworthy to stand before my sacred ancestors.” “Let the rebels tear my miserable body to pieces but let them touch not a single hair on the head of the least of my subjects.” Afterwards the tree was considered an accessory to the emperors death and was placed in irons.
	The Tiananman gate at the top of Tiananman square featuring the face of Mao Zedong (Chairman Mao). At 400,000 square meters, is the largest public square on earth (bigger than Newton Heath where I grew up). The idea was to create a place where people could congregate. That backfired on the government in 1989.
Mao’s Memorial Hall (Mausoleum) in Tiananman Square. The so called “chain smoking poet rebel”. Born the Son of a wealthy farmer, the long march where 8000 men walked 10,000 kilometres in one year marked the peak of his military/leadership achievements. His flaw, was said to be a need for constant revolution, and his incompetent agricultural policy is reckoned to have caused the deaths of 38 million Chinese. Paranoid and eccentric towards the end, he is still revered by the common folk, who weep openly as they look at his embalmed body.
	The Chinese have gone Olympic crazy, and an Olympic countdown timer in the square shows the minutes, hours etc until the games begin. This display seemed to have a “Japanese” look to it. While here I saw lads larking about, and a bottle accidentally dropped, break on the floor. A young police officer barked orders at them and they stood bolt upright, the fear obvious on their faces. I presume he ordered the broken glass to be placed in the bin, which they did. They returned to the police officer and waited nervously for him to let them go. After checking the pavement, he shouted at them for a few minutes and ordered them on their way. A Chinese police officer can decide guilt and punishment for Crimes up to Rape and Murder on the spot. Most people seem more frightened of the Police, than they are of criminals.
As I wandered around Tiananman square, I met lots of friendly people. This chap asked to be photographed with me. Visiting Beijing for the first time, from his far away village, he had never met anyone with Blond hair. They actually offered me money to be photographed. I know how hard they work for the bit of money they earn in this country and I obviously refused. I had known it meant that much to them, I would have lost some weight for this picture :).
	The imposing Zhengyangmen (South) gate. Once the gateway between the imperial city and the commoners outside. Its ironic really: In the 1500’s there were the common people, and the godlike emperor and his dignitaries. Today there are the common people, and the godlike party members and their assistants. I can’t see the difference and wonder what the “revolution” was actually for (but then I would, I have always lived in a free country !)
In the daytime, the square is packed. Visiting it, the day after the 57th anniversary of the revolution didn’t help. I came back in the evening when it was a little quieter, and was rewarded with this superb shot. The whole square is lit up during the evening, and is a delight to see, but the Great Hall of the People, was easily the best.
	I contacted the downtown backpackers who I can completely recommend.Although I wasn’t staying with them, I asked if they had any trips organized to the great wall. The were doing a day trip to Jinshanling and Simatai (walking between the 2). It was just the trip I was looking for, and only about £11. We set off 7am in the morning. I was euphoric with enthusiasm. Walking along the wall was the thing I had traveled all the way to China to do, and I had waited 30 years of my life to do it !.
The pictures I have seen of the wall, show it shopping-street flat. The reality is very different, it was very steep, and at some of the towers, you had to jump out of “windows” onto the wall bellow.
	Some of the towers were in very good condition. My German friend David, told me that Drum and Base parties were quite common on some sections of the wall.
Whilst walking, he realized although thousands of miles from home, a German girl in our party was the sister of his best friend. I wont bother trying to calculate the odds of that happening, but its the kind of strange and exciting thing that happens when travelling.
	The rugged terrain all around the wall. It was pointed out, that military value off the wall, was not just as a barrier. Horsemen and Chariots could travel along the top of the wall much more quickly than raiders could trek through woodland and undergrowth. This gave significant strategic advantage to people fighting from the wall.
The Royal seal on one of the Bricks. When some 1960’s buildings were knocked down recently, in anticipation of the Olympics, dozens of the bricks, contained this seal and must have been stolen from the wall.
	A view from one of the watchtower “windows” showing a section of the wall we had walked along. The trip was made all the better by superb weather.
Due to layout, certain sections of the wall, were vulnerable to archers. Here a series of buildings along one side of the wall, provides protection from arrows and spears.
	The view from the wall, and the sheer length, of what you can see, let alone its total length, is staggering.
I had been told to prepare a packed lunch. I couldn’t seem to find anywhere that sold sandwiches or anything like that. I bought a Kentucky fried Chicken meal, kept it in my hotel fridge, and brought it along in a plastic bag.
	The final section of the wall, was a very steep downhill walk.There were several people selling cans, bottled water and t-shirts along the wall. I was glad that I had visited the more authentic part of the wall. Most people visit Badaling which is about 30 minutes from Beijing. I was told that Badaling was completely rebuilt in 1957 and is a tourist circus.
The Chain Bridge at Simatai. It wobbled so much, I had to take 4 pictures before I got one that wasn’t blurred. This was the end of the walk, and like climbing a peak and then walking back down a mountain, was a little sad.
	I went out for the evening, with the people I met while walking the wall.They were all staying at the downtown backpackers hostel and were a great bunch, who between them had travelled to nearly every part of the globe. We had a sit down banquet in a private room, which the hardy travellers negotiated down to £3, including 2 bottles of beer each.
After the meal we went for a drink in a few of the waterside bars next to Houhai Lake. It was a pretty groovy place, and although I had been walking all day, I had a great time.
	We found a rooftop bar, and drank some Chinese beer. Charlotte is Canadian and during the day, I had wondered for several hours, who she reminded me of. In the end I realized it was Donna Moss from the West Wing.
We rounded of the evening by visiting a Cafe/Bar called Salud in the Hutong next to the Downtown backpackers hostel. It had a great atmosphere and the staff were friendly even though it was late. They played some great music, and actually put the TV on for a customer who wanted to watch football. The customer (Chinese) had heard I was from Manchester, and immediately started to ask me about United. I hope he believed me when I told him I had no idea. The picture on the wall, is of the proprietor as a child. At the end of the night, the bill for 4 people drinking pints for 3 hours was £10 !.
	On the way home. The story ends as it began, with me in Beijing airport at night. As I wander around the airport waiting for my flight, I step onto an escalator, and see this sign in now familiar chinglish. I remained alert, but the implied service was never offered !.

Visit to Beijing and walk on the Great Wall (1/2).

23rd February 200423rd February 2016 admin Beijing 1, Far East Leave a comment

	China has always been near the top of my list of places to see and to stand on the great wall would be one of the greatest achievements of my life.I was told the country was in transition and about to change forever. I didn’t want the same thing as happened in Prague, so I booked with Emirates and off I went.
I arrived at the Red Wall hotel at 11pm and immediately setup my laptop.The room had fast (well fast for China) internet connectivity so I was able to keep in touch with my friends and upload my digital pictures each night.The room was spotlessly clean, but in every other respect the hotel was awful, and prompted me to write a letter of complaint. This is what I look like after 22 hours of travelling !.
	The following day I decided to go out exploring.The first things I noticed, was that the crossing light’s in Beijing are largely for show, and nobody takes any notice of them.The trick, is to wait until a local crosses, and match them step for step, across the road. Its also important to look inconspicuous, otherwise you will be accused of stalking :).
Although there are some spectacular buildings and stuff like that in Beijing, small alleyways called Hutongs are the place where most of the interesting stuff is (after all, a department store, is a department store, anywhere in the world, I was looking for the essence of China).Small close knit communities exist in these alley ways, a camaraderie and a help/protect one another attitude, which my Grandma used to speak of in England exists here.
	Its quite amazing, that entire societies exist just a few yards from the main roads.The most authentic shops and restaurants are in these alleyways.You can see from this picture, that someone has painted the tree’s white, to avoid accidents at night (there are no street lights here, and most people travel by bicycle !).
As I followed a few wandering people, I came to this small park.It was obviously the place where the locals go to relax (and these were after all, the people I travelled here to find out about).People stood chatting, a few played cards, and there was the usual throng of Thai Chi practitioners.
	I enjoyed an evening meal, in a family run Hutong Tea House.The whole family were sat mesmerized by the soap opera , which featured a very famous chinese actor they all seemed to like.Once I ordered, the whole family seemed to leap into action, and served me the 3 course meal you can see here, including beer, for £1.50. The food was superb, although I decided to pass on fried Bee’s !.
Across the street from the restaurant, just to the left of this picture, was a public lavatory.I watched with amazement as an elderly couple, waked across the Hutong in their pyjamas, carrying towels and toothbrushes.I learned from the owner of the cafe that many homes, don’t actually have toilets or running water, and people use the public lavatory as a bathroom.
	Although public transport was pretty good in Beijing, I have always enjoyed walking and decided to go out for a long walk.You can see from this picture, how long some of the streets are in Beijing.
I decided to Visit the military museum as recommended by the rough guide.There were lots of School trips, and outside, children queued to stand on the deck of a Navy missile launcher.
	The museum held the largest collection of military ordinance I had ever seen.The tanks and other vehicles were from all over the world (including Britain) they had the same model of tank I had seen outside reunification hall in Saigon.
The Museum showed the real iron fist of communism.This spectacular room, is filled with Jets and Tanks, and in the centre a decommissioned nuclear missile.
	Its amazing to see how some cultures solve problems common to the whole world.In the UK, if a person suffers from mobility problems, they are normally given a car, retired from work and paid an allowance.In China, a person is issued with one of these vehicles (a kind of one person taxi) and he/she can earn their own living. Equally, homeless people and the very poor, are paid a small bounty for plastic bottles, aluminium cans and other rubbish. By making these things a commodity street rubbish is virtually non existent. On one day, I walked for 19 miles, and I didn’t see a single can or bottle.
When I was a youngster, me and mum used to watch Blue Peter.I remember we watched it, when the famous Chinese Panda’s were on it.I decided to visit Beijing Zoo and see them first hand. I had read criticisms of the Zoo, but I found it to be superb.
	One exhibit that surprised me, was an enclosure for Alsatian Dogs, which I have never seen in a Western Zoo.A river runs through the centre of the Zoo, and its possible to take a boat tour.It was near here, that I tried to find the Panda enclosure. As nobody spoke English, I removed a soft toy Panda I had purchased as a gift, and started to waive it around to attract attention. They dismissed me, and I realized they thought I was trying to sell it to them. I found 2 Americans, who were able to help.
China has exported Panda’s to Zoos all over the world. They are considered a symbol of pride and a national treasure in that country.Considering they weren’t actually in the wild, I was delighted to see how happy and playful they were.Each of the Panda’s has an enormous enclosure, and I was extremely lucky to get this picture, just before the Panda got out of the chair.
	Its said the 2 things to do when visiting Beijing, are stand on the Great Wall, and eat Beijing Duck.Considering I was going to eat such a delicacy, I took some time and chose an appropriate restaurant. The food was superb.One thing I especially liked about Beijing was the delight people showed, when they received a tip. My £1 tip, was treated with the elation of a marriage proposal 🙂
I visited the Tiantan Park, to see the Temple of heaven.I was glad I had chosen 8 days for my trip, as it meant I could spend the whole day here.It was one of the most amazing sight’s in Beijing. Although this picture doesn’t capture its splendour very well, I was trying to show the scale, like most things in Beijing, is massive.
	The Brother Trees – a Cypress tree embracing a Pagoda tree in the par.Both trees are symbols of Beijing and are seen as a symbol of friendship and brotherhood, among the Beijing people
The Temple of heaven.Because I had visited on a working day, it was a lot quieter than normal.Everything about the temple relates to numbers and its alignment with energy. The 3 dome shaped roofs, symbolize Heaven, Earth and Man.
	I had expected to see many thousands of bicycles in Beijing, but the scale beggared belief.I had the option to rent one and ride around, but I decided instead to walk, as I find it more relaxing, and I was after all, on holiday.
Yonghe Gong.Bold and Brash, the largest Buddhist temple in Beijing, built in the 1700’s.It was closed for 30 years, and was lucky to escape destruction during the communist revolution. Not massively authentic, most of the monks here are pro government. It was here that China’s choice for the Panchen Lama (2nd only to the Dalai Lama) was sworn in, in 1995. Just prior to this, the Dalai Lama’s own choice 6 year old Gedhum Choekyi Nyima “disappeared”. He remains the worlds youngest political prisoner.
	My first sighting of “chinglish” (short for Chinese English) while walking around the temple.The problem is, some Chinese people learn English and then translate it literally. This can have hilarious consequences, when these fraises are put onto street signs.A sign saying “please don’t disrespect the grass” was my favorite of the whole trip.
Near the Wavu Pavilion, which features an 18 meter high wooden Buddha carved from one Sandlewood tree.It took 3 years just to transport it from Tibet. For reasons not explained, we weren’t allowed to photograph it.Trust me, I have carved spoons, and this thing was spectacular !.
	Forbidden City also known as the Gugon or Imperial Palace.I took this picture, from across the moat just before dusk.
The formidable outer wall.The city was built in the 1500’s and for 5 centuries was the home of 24 ming and quang emperors.Ordinary chinese were forbidden from even approaching its outer walls, hence its name.
	The Large courtyard where the emperor would address his courtiers.100,000 people would sit here, at the Emperors pleasure.It’s next to the chambers which hold the 11,099 volume encyclopaedia commissioned by Yongle.
A rare occasion when I found someone who spoke English and got them to photograph me.I originally thought the Chinese, quite impolite, as they constantly pushed in.I realized from my guide book, that in a city this size, “British” style queuing just doesn’t exist. When I started to push in myself (which felt quite uncomfortable at first) I found the people I “bumped” didn’t seem to mind.
	This was the home of a concubine, with its own courtyard. Her servants and guards would live in buildings nearby.The large iron bowl outside the door, was used for storing water, in the event of a fire.During winter, quilts would be used to keep the water from freezing.
The Forbidden city has Eight hundred buildings and nine thousand chambers.They are mostly connected through chambers and corridors like this one.Its normally difficult to take a picture at a popular tourist site, without getting some people in the picture somewhere. Here, it was so busy, it was difficult to take a picture without getting a photographer in it.
	A house that belongs to one of the emperors advisers.Much more elaborate than the residence of the concubine.Residences like this one, next to the imperial garden, were much sought after by courtiers.