Doubtless I have lost most of my reading audience at this point, as I haven't posted in over, oh, I don't know... two months, but I figured might as well try and get back on the wagon for the remaining devoted.
My last, albeit brief, post was promising a description of the voyage I took during my winter holiday, and I'll do my best to share that experience with you all, albeit in a truncated way. I'm sure this will probably end up running a bit long, so if you don't really feel like reading where all I went, here is a shorter version:
Qufu -> Beijing -> Guilin -> Yangshuo -> Guilin ->Haikou -> Sanya ->Guangzhou -> Hong Kong -> Bangkok -> Chiang Mai -> SriRacha -> Hong Kong -> Guangzhou -> Shanghai -> Qufu.
Or something like that. My last (real) post was from Yangshuo, describing how I spent Chinese New Year almost a month ago. I'll do my best to pick up where I left off...
When I originally left Qufu, I knew two things for certain: first, that I was flying from Beijing to Guilin on the 20Th of January, and two, that I was flying from Hong Kong to Bangkok on the 5Th of February. Now, one of the major warnings which had been repeated over and over to me by students, other teachers, and other foreigners was that traveling during spring festival is at best complete and utter chaos. Keeping that in mind, I wasn't too worried about making my way around China with out a plan, partly because the idea of not knowing necessarily where I was going/not HAVING anywhere to be was somewhat appealing. I had a rough outline in my mind of places I might want to visit, and I was comfortable enough at this point booking transportation and accommodation (I had a totally sweet system down for getting train tickets, and hostelworld.com treated me magnificently), so I wasn't really all that worried and somewhat excited about the pending adventure. One nice thing about China is that, while traveling by train is more comfortable (I think at least, not everyone agrees with me) and much more desirable, when it's not available well there is always the bus.
....Enter the 14 hour overnight sleeper bus.
This is toward the back of the bus - three rows, two isles, two tiers. mm mm good.
This is toward the front left - roughly half of my view for the 14 hour trip. Alas, they never did turn the TV on...One of the interesting designs features of the Chinese sleeper bus is that the back of the "beds" aren't flat, but curved so that you sleep almost in a half sitting up position. Not actually that uncomfortable, but not that comfortable. Also, they provide you with a blanket or quilt which has very obviously been used on the previous 1,000 trips this bus has taken, and probably hasn't been washed too many times in between... yummy.
My particular bus left at around 4:40 in the afternoon headed for the Island of Hainan. I had decided, rather last minute, to head for the city of Haikou on the northern end of Hainan island, and then to Sanya (the Chinese Hawaii!) on the southern end the next day. Most people bypass Haikou completely because there isn't really much to see, but I had time to kill. The bus ride, apart from causing significant physical exhaustion, was uneventful except for when we stopped for dinner (at 10:00 at night) and i got off the bus, bent over to tie my shoe, and narrowly escaped the woman who just made it off the bus in time to projectile vomit six inches from my head. Catastrophe avoided; on to Hainan! Oh, also, since the bus I was on actually had the final destination of Sanya, all of those passengers getting off in Haikou (me and one other guy) got kicked off on the ferry dock at 5:30 in the morning.
Haikou, as expected, wasn't very exciting. Luckily the hostel I had booked let me check in to my room at 6:45 in the morning (that sleeper bus didn't exactly get in at the most convenient time), so I slept off the morning before exploring the city.
The next day I caught an express bus from Haikou down to Sanya, roughly a three hour drive around the eastern shore of the island. It was a generally pleasant bus ride, and I got in to Sanya in the late afternoon. One of the most surprising aspects of Sanya was the presence of Russian tourists; and I mean a BIG presence. Much like Harbin, many of the signs and restaurants had Chinese, Russian, and sometimes English as a third language. The beaches were totally packed with Russian tourists. I FINALLY was able to find warm weather after several weeks of searching, which was really, really nice. I actually managed, believe it or not, to catch the Superbowl at a bar/restaurant near the hostel I was staying at, which was fun. Believe it or not there were plenty of rowdy Americans up and drinking cheap beer at 7:30 in the morning to watch the game. In general I had an uneventful time in Sanya - at this point I had been traveling by myself for a while and was, especially at meal times, beginning to miss other people. It's really annoying eating in China by yourself. On one of the last nights there I ended up spending time with a group of American college-age students who were staying at the hostel, which was neat.
I ended up staying for three nights, and had at this point planned out the rest of the trip... the plan was to, upon leaving Sanya, head for the city of Guangzhou, and immediately head to Hong Kong, where I would spend the night of the 4th, and then fly to Bangkok the next day. This was basically what happened, but I'll elaborate:
My particular bus left at around 4:40 in the afternoon headed for the Island of Hainan. I had decided, rather last minute, to head for the city of Haikou on the northern end of Hainan island, and then to Sanya (the Chinese Hawaii!) on the southern end the next day. Most people bypass Haikou completely because there isn't really much to see, but I had time to kill. The bus ride, apart from causing significant physical exhaustion, was uneventful except for when we stopped for dinner (at 10:00 at night) and i got off the bus, bent over to tie my shoe, and narrowly escaped the woman who just made it off the bus in time to projectile vomit six inches from my head. Catastrophe avoided; on to Hainan! Oh, also, since the bus I was on actually had the final destination of Sanya, all of those passengers getting off in Haikou (me and one other guy) got kicked off on the ferry dock at 5:30 in the morning.
Haikou, as expected, wasn't very exciting. Luckily the hostel I had booked let me check in to my room at 6:45 in the morning (that sleeper bus didn't exactly get in at the most convenient time), so I slept off the morning before exploring the city.
The next day I caught an express bus from Haikou down to Sanya, roughly a three hour drive around the eastern shore of the island. It was a generally pleasant bus ride, and I got in to Sanya in the late afternoon. One of the most surprising aspects of Sanya was the presence of Russian tourists; and I mean a BIG presence. Much like Harbin, many of the signs and restaurants had Chinese, Russian, and sometimes English as a third language. The beaches were totally packed with Russian tourists. I FINALLY was able to find warm weather after several weeks of searching, which was really, really nice. I actually managed, believe it or not, to catch the Superbowl at a bar/restaurant near the hostel I was staying at, which was fun. Believe it or not there were plenty of rowdy Americans up and drinking cheap beer at 7:30 in the morning to watch the game. In general I had an uneventful time in Sanya - at this point I had been traveling by myself for a while and was, especially at meal times, beginning to miss other people. It's really annoying eating in China by yourself. On one of the last nights there I ended up spending time with a group of American college-age students who were staying at the hostel, which was neat.
I ended up staying for three nights, and had at this point planned out the rest of the trip... the plan was to, upon leaving Sanya, head for the city of Guangzhou, and immediately head to Hong Kong, where I would spend the night of the 4th, and then fly to Bangkok the next day. This was basically what happened, but I'll elaborate:
The train from Sanya to Guangzhou was of course sold out. I could have flown, and in retrospect might have, but when I found out the train wasn't available, instead of heading all the way back across town to try my hand at plane tickets though the hostel, I just walked across the street from the train station ticket office to the bus station and bought myself a ticket for another fantastic 16 hour bus ride. This ride was NOT a sleeper, but it was a very nice normal bus with a good amount of leg room, which was nice. It left Sanya at 12:30 in the afternoon (I almost missed it, which would have been really lame), which very conveniently put me in to the city of Guangzhou at roughly 4:30 in the morning. Sweet. The nice thing about Guangzhou is that it is one of China's most developed cities, and a MAJOR transportation hub. The Guangzhou train station is legendary - "a chaotic and seething mass of humanity," so says the Lonely Planet. They weren't kidding. The train I intended to catch to Hong Kong actually left from the East Railway Station, but the bus station I arrived at was right next to the main train station, so I wondered down to take a gander (it also had a subway station which connected up to the East Railway Station all the way across town).
The main train station in Guangzhou, at 5 in the morning...
I didn't actually even see Guangzhou during the day at this point, because I took the first commuter train to Hong Kong, putting me into Hong Kong around 10:00 in the morning. This was really nice, because it gave me the day to see the city before heading off to Thailand the next day. Hong Kong is a really different place (obviously) compared to mainland China. Clean, orderly, extremely modern, and extremely expensive compared to the mainland. It is also a very picturesque city, as you can see...
Hong Kong Island, on one of the traditional ferry's between HKI and Kowloon.
The skyline from the top of the Victoria Peak tram. Had a really nice day.
Hong Kong is a really nice city, but I wasn't overly excited for it for a few reasons, the main one being I really just wanted to get down to Thailand and hang out with Lowell Thomson (family friend and former teacher who moved to Thailand two years back) and his family, so my day in Hong Kong, while nice, was mostly just killing time. the next day, February 5Th, I got to the airport almost 3 hours early. This actually wasn't too bad, because the Hong Kong airport is absolutely fantastic - it's almost worth transferring there just so you can experience the airport - I sat in a sports bar, had a Guinness draught, and ate a hot dog. Poets spend their lifetimes struggling to capture moments like the one I experienced with that Guinness and hot dog.
Now, when I bought my ticket for Thailand, it was based on price, and price alone. $189 round trip between Hong Kong and Bangkok? SOLD. It happened to be on Sri Lankan air, but it was only a three hour flight and it was that or Kenyan Airways for another 50 dollars... Sri Lankan Air here I come! Now, by the buildup I make it sound like it's going to be a harrowing adventure of a flight - nothing could be further from the truth. It was actually (both there and back) one of the most comfortable and enjoyable flights I've ever taken. Big, comfy plane with plenty of leg room, a personal TV, and complimentary drinks and dinner. Awesome. I definitely recommend Sri Lankan Air, they totally came through.
Upon the advice of LT, my first stop over in Thailand would be a place called Khao San (sp?) road in Bangkok. This is THE backpacker's crash landing hot spot. Again, to paraphrase the Lonely Planet, "as a rule, you can show up on Khao San at any time of the day or night and find a place to crash." Hooooly crap, I can't believe I made it out of there alive. It was absolutely insane. Ask me about "Mr. Thailand" sometime - quite possibly the only photograph I regret not taking. Also, if you're really, REALLY brave, I can tell you about the Aussie I met in the airport and ended up splitting a room with that night. Not for the faint of heart or parents. Sorry mom.
I only spent the one night in Bangkok, and it was more than enough. Again, on the advice of Lowell, the next day I hopped a train to the city of Chiang Mai in the north west of Thailand. Chiang Mai was a really neat place. The population of Thailand is extremely Buddhist, and Chiang Mai is absolutely filled with ancient Wats (temples).
Traditional Thai Wat architecture.
I'm pretty sure this is actually in Bangkok, but it's a good example of what a Thai Wat looks like.
Reclining Buddha at a famous Wat in Chiang Mai.
Now, when I bought my ticket for Thailand, it was based on price, and price alone. $189 round trip between Hong Kong and Bangkok? SOLD. It happened to be on Sri Lankan air, but it was only a three hour flight and it was that or Kenyan Airways for another 50 dollars... Sri Lankan Air here I come! Now, by the buildup I make it sound like it's going to be a harrowing adventure of a flight - nothing could be further from the truth. It was actually (both there and back) one of the most comfortable and enjoyable flights I've ever taken. Big, comfy plane with plenty of leg room, a personal TV, and complimentary drinks and dinner. Awesome. I definitely recommend Sri Lankan Air, they totally came through.
Upon the advice of LT, my first stop over in Thailand would be a place called Khao San (sp?) road in Bangkok. This is THE backpacker's crash landing hot spot. Again, to paraphrase the Lonely Planet, "as a rule, you can show up on Khao San at any time of the day or night and find a place to crash." Hooooly crap, I can't believe I made it out of there alive. It was absolutely insane. Ask me about "Mr. Thailand" sometime - quite possibly the only photograph I regret not taking. Also, if you're really, REALLY brave, I can tell you about the Aussie I met in the airport and ended up splitting a room with that night. Not for the faint of heart or parents. Sorry mom.
I only spent the one night in Bangkok, and it was more than enough. Again, on the advice of Lowell, the next day I hopped a train to the city of Chiang Mai in the north west of Thailand. Chiang Mai was a really neat place. The population of Thailand is extremely Buddhist, and Chiang Mai is absolutely filled with ancient Wats (temples).
Traditional Thai Wat architecture.
I'm pretty sure this is actually in Bangkok, but it's a good example of what a Thai Wat looks like.
Reclining Buddha at a famous Wat in Chiang Mai.Probably one of the most enjoyable thing about Chiang Mai was not the city itself, but how I decided to travel around while I was there. Now, in China, public transportation abounds. Bigger cities have subway systems, most cities have buses, and taxis are always available. Thailand, and particularly Chiang Mai, is not known for having any of these forms of transportation available... So instead of walking through the oppressive heat the entire time, I, against my better judgment, did what any 22 year old single male ought to do while traveling in Thailand... I rented a scooter!
My sweet ass scooter, complete with adorable kitten.
My sweet ass scooter, complete with adorable kitten.This thing was fantastically fun. I can't even begin to explain how much fun it was and was really easy to drive, except that in Thailand they drive on the left side of the road... I mean, nothing like trial by fire right? Hey, I lived, and that's the important part. I don't really have much else to say about Chiang Mai, because like Hong Kong, I really was just killing time until the Thomson residence. So, after a couple nights in Chiang Mai, I packed up and headed back to Bangkok on the overnight train, bound for the city of SriRacha, an hour and a half bus ride south of Bangkok, and home to Lowell Thomson, his wife Devin, and their son David.
The four of us out to dinner.
The four of us out to dinner.Lowell, Devin, and David's hospitality was legendary. They live in a very comfortable home in the city of SriRacha on the eastern shore of the Bay of Bangkok. SriRacha(actually pronounced SiRacha, as I learned) is not generally a place tourists go, because it really doesn't have much to offer. I however had a blast with the Thomsons. Between badmittion in the front yard with David, a rousing game of softball at school with Lowell, and talking food with Devin, it was exactly what I needed after a long solo journey across China. I spent four days in the SriRacha area.
One of those days I did a day trip out to a small island off the coast, where I rented a small sea kayak and paddled my way across the ocean to an even smaller island with a beach and some snorkeling. It wasn't the worlds nicest beach, but I had it to myself. Well sort of, there were three dogs and the goat that thought it was a dog (see previous post). Seriously, it was the most comical thing to watch - the dogs spotted my approach about 300 yards out from the beach and immediately began barking and running up and down the length of the beach, while the goat attempted to imitate the behavior of his only friends by chasing and "baaahhhing" up and down the beach. Absolutely priceless.
My boat, and my beach.
Way off in the distance is a breaker protecting a bay where I rented the boat. Good arm workout.
One of those days I did a day trip out to a small island off the coast, where I rented a small sea kayak and paddled my way across the ocean to an even smaller island with a beach and some snorkeling. It wasn't the worlds nicest beach, but I had it to myself. Well sort of, there were three dogs and the goat that thought it was a dog (see previous post). Seriously, it was the most comical thing to watch - the dogs spotted my approach about 300 yards out from the beach and immediately began barking and running up and down the length of the beach, while the goat attempted to imitate the behavior of his only friends by chasing and "baaahhhing" up and down the beach. Absolutely priceless.
My boat, and my beach.
Way off in the distance is a breaker protecting a bay where I rented the boat. Good arm workout.The last full day I was there, Sunday, Lowell and I went SCUBA diving off the coast of Pattaya, a major city about 45 minutes below SriRacha. It was an absolutely beautiful day, the water was clear, the boat was big and comfortable, and the sea life was abundant. There are many awesome pictures from that particular adventure, as Lowell has an underwater case for his camera, but instead of trying to post them all right now I'll try and do another post soon with more pictures. Suffice it to say, it was a fantastic day.
My time in SriRacha was without a doubt my favorite part of the entire trip, start to finish. If I had planned better/had more money available to me (I'm impressed I made it as far as I did on a Chinese teachers' salary), I would doubltess have stayed in Thailand longer - I didn't get to see any of the Andaman coast in the south, which is where all the iconic Thai beaches are. Next trip. Instead, I caught a ride with a driver the Thomsons use from time to time, who took me directly to the Bangkok airport in style. After my relaxing Sri Lankan air adventure, I caught the last train from Hong Kong back to Guangzhou, and spent the night there.
The next day I hopped a sleeper train all the way up to Shanghai, where I again stayed a night. Finally, the next day, after a relentless travel onslaught from the time of leaving the Thomsons, I arrived safely back in the great, beautiful city of Qufu. As evidenced by the picture I snapped the day I returned.
"Dear Nick, we know you just spent the last two weeks in 80 degree, sunny weather. Welcome back to Qufu! It's 35 degrees out, and that air is mostly coal dust." -Love, China.
My time in SriRacha was without a doubt my favorite part of the entire trip, start to finish. If I had planned better/had more money available to me (I'm impressed I made it as far as I did on a Chinese teachers' salary), I would doubltess have stayed in Thailand longer - I didn't get to see any of the Andaman coast in the south, which is where all the iconic Thai beaches are. Next trip. Instead, I caught a ride with a driver the Thomsons use from time to time, who took me directly to the Bangkok airport in style. After my relaxing Sri Lankan air adventure, I caught the last train from Hong Kong back to Guangzhou, and spent the night there.
The next day I hopped a sleeper train all the way up to Shanghai, where I again stayed a night. Finally, the next day, after a relentless travel onslaught from the time of leaving the Thomsons, I arrived safely back in the great, beautiful city of Qufu. As evidenced by the picture I snapped the day I returned.
"Dear Nick, we know you just spent the last two weeks in 80 degree, sunny weather. Welcome back to Qufu! It's 35 degrees out, and that air is mostly coal dust." -Love, China.
Again, sorry it took me so long to get around to completing this post... Hopefully I can now get around to writing about more current events like all the visitors we've been having, or how beautiful Qufu has actually become in the last month or so.
Cheers!
Cheers!
