Off to Africa- Survival

Off to Africa - Survival

Well it is finally that time to start my trip to Africa. I am so excited and promise to post more on my trip with my mom later when time permits. I expect long bus rides that I can use to write about the adventures we had. 

The Quick Update: 

Future travelers, your first lesson to learn from me is that nothing ever goes according to plan. You must plan to be flexible and figure things out. After leaving Kathmandu, Nepal and coming upon my first layover in Dubai, UAE I have found out that my bags are not on the plane. They were left behind due to weight restrictions. 

So what does that mean?

For between the next 4-8 days I have only the clothes on my back, a camera, a story book on Rwanda, a passport, and some credit cards. The rest of the essentials including Malaria medicine, sleeping bag, all of my clothes, and toiletries will not be joining me for who knows how long.

Lucky for you I still have my iPad to post and my good spirit. Let's see how this turns out!

How it all went down:

Typical to saying goodbye I sat in the airport panicking saying my final farewells. After an amazing trip together and never leaving each other's side it is hard to part. We sat in the terminal until the very last second. Waving goodbye as she disappeared through the door my eyes teared up again for the millionth time that day.

Earlier I had received news of a friend`s child passing away. Tears poured down my face. It reminded me how precious this life we live is. Time is not forever and you will never know how much of it you have. Then I am reminded again of why I travel. To see the beautiful things and the rich culture of the world. Sitting alone at the terminal for I listened to music and silently wept. 

I felt a tug at my pants and hear a thud. A lady had taken it upon herself to move my feet and my bag and occupy the chair. However she did not just take the chair but half of mine as well. SHE SAT ON ME! I am kidding you not. The lady physically shoved my stuff off the bench and then proceeded to sit on my one leg periodically giving me rude glances. Really?!?! Some comic relief when I made friends at the new terminal and told them the story and laughed a lot.

Something should have warned me about the events of the day. From the start it just seemed off. Thinking back now from the second I woke up I knew it would be a bad day.

After a half hearted sleep in which I probably damaged by bladder from holding it the whole flight and froze to death I arrived in Dubai. Yes! Passport control was a breeze. I sat at the baggage claim as time began to pass by. Fifteen minutes went by and then thirty. Before I knew it myself and 19 other passengers had waited an hour. A man came over to inform us finally of the fate of our bags. 

"Due to weight restrictions the airline had chosen to take your 20 bags off the plane. They will be able to be picked up tomorrow night at 10pm. This was done because your flights did not continue but were a final destination."

Here come the tear again. Uh no! Please no! This can not be happening. I followed him to the office to make the claim and began to explain. These bags can not come that late. I will be gone. This is not a city visit I am about to take but an African Safari. I try to explain that within a few hours of arrival I will be taking another flight to Nairobi an then to Entebee. Once there I will be getting in a truck and driving 6 hours to remote areas and have no way to access the luggage. 

It turns out the lady is from Uganda who is helping with the bags. Great she will understand. Wrong she keeps telling me she is sure the company will forward the bags to me because she knows where I am going. Yes yes yes I am sure that your travel agent will forward your bags. I am sure you will be in Bwindi on this day and in Kigali. No no no I tell her. I even pull out my book with a detailed Itinerary explaining. She doesn't believe the book and insists she knows my trip better.

After checking flights she informs me there is no way at all to get the bags there. Tears begin pouring down my face. I start to cry uncontrollably. She tells me it will be alright and that they are not lost. I try to say right they aren't lost but you don't have them for me so you are sending me into the jungle for 8 days with the clothes on my back. Every emotion takes over.  After much pleading I am sent on my way with no answers.

I find the baggage office in the main terminal and meet Moamen. He is the friendliest person ever. I could see if understand what I was going through. He tried making some phone calls, called some other airlines, and finally informed me the same bad news. He is still trying to see if anything can be done.

Then I find out that I am at the wrong terminal and due to the time spend looking for the bag it is almost time to go. On top of that I ask where the airline is and I am told it is another terminal. Cool all I need is a shuttle right. WRONG! Turns out you need a 15 dollar taxi because the terminal is really far away.

Luckily I made it through everything in time all while skyping Tyler. Frantically we tried to find insurance policy guidelines and updates from the airlines. Pretty much left with  a bunch of no answers except from the tour company. They are arranging to get me some of the essentials when I arrive. Hopefully we can pull together malaria medicine.

So here I am sitting on the airplane to Nairobi. Stressed but still happy to be taking an adventure of a lifetime!

China - The Land of Mysteries

China - The Land of Mysteries     

Over the past days we have encountered a few mysteries that just can not seemed to be solved. Well maybe they have answers but to the Western Foreigner these things seem more mysterious than who killed Jon Benet Ramsey.  #1 The toilet  

- The country has adopted the squatty potty method. In theory this could be a good revolution on toilets. Less structure to break, uses the natural squatting stance that is healthier, and seemingly less germ infested since there is a lack of sitting. Unless I am missing something this is totally wrong. Let us be honest, there is not true good way to squat without pee splashing up during your trip to the Lou. It just doesn't happen. I attribute the lingering pee smell to the splashes that litter the bottom of everyone`s pants and shoes. It could be just me but proof lays around the toilet. It is always wet and people track it out of the stalls all day long. If you do spot the elusive sitting toilet it may be accompanied by a remote control that allows you to enjoy vibrations, water spray and much more. Overall the major super cities are clean with every bit of trash being picked up off the street yet this method still continues to reign the throne quite literally. 

 #2 Toilet Stance  

(Skyping Tyler and him trying to imagine what it is like on a squatty potty. He did a good job!)

  - This mystery lies in the fact that girls do this squat method in heels all the time. I have almost slipped and falling down the hole at least three times so how do these women who constantly wear fancy heels make it out alive?   

#3 Napkins/Toilet Paper  

- Everyone uses the tiniest napkins and the tiniest squares of toilet paper. I am not sure how they do it. I know that the people are smaller but do they tinkle a whole lot less and needed less papers? Are they not as messy? Or is it just frowned upon because it is waste?

#4 Warm Drinks  

- Currently it is summer time in all of the areas we have visited in China so far. That means the weather is super warm, super humid, and super sweaty. In this extreme heat you would assume that people would enjoy a refreshing cold beverage. However, coming across an ice cold water is about as easy as spotting Sasquatch. Restaurants serve warm glasses of water, hot water is found instead of water fountains, and stores let their drinks sit out in the sun. Many Chinese have noted when we order drinks that as foreigners we are funny because we like cold drinks and then giggle. I love tea however on a hot day please give me a nice cold refreshing drink. I`m convinced they would love it if they gave it a try. When we managed to find Diet Coke with ice my mom guzzled them down.    

#5 No Water (solved: tea)  

 -  Where is the water? I am not even concerned at this point about it being warm but where is all of the water in general? It is hot, hot, and more hot every day. I sweat more than I do in a sauna! Water is a vital nutrient that all human beings need. So why is there never water for sale? A few days in to this trip and we have found water sparingly. When we do find water it is at a nice warm temperature. *** Mystery Solved - turns out that their love for tea surpasses that of the most avid British tea drinker. Although I can not understand why you would want to drink hot tea all day long in the hot sun at least they are getting their daily dose of water!  

  #6 Lack Of English Tourism  

- This one really gets me. China is a major tourist destination. With some of the most famous relics such as the Terracotta Warriors, Pandas, Forbidden City, and the Great Wall it usually is on most travelers list of must sees. Maybe we stayed in the wrong areas or went to visit sights on the wrong day but there was a serious lack of western tourists. I am not complaining by any means. It feels nice to not swarm along in a massive herds of white people aggressively yelling and taking photos. It made all of the sights better. I was just shocked at the lack of western tourists and the lack of help for english tourists because I thought the industry was totally built up. I love and enjoy traveling places where I felt lost and out of place. When my mom chose China I prepared myself to not get that experience for once. So when we arrived here and stood in the mass of Chinese tourists at each area lost and confused it was a shock!   

#7 Crazy Driving But No Dents  

- Many notable countries have some erratic driving such as India, Thailand, and Vietnam. In these countries the proof of crazy driving can be seen throughout the  dents that appear on many cars, the missing mirrors, and shattered glass. The driving here follow the same pattern yet lacks the battle wounds. While visiting China we have been in one accident, many near accidents, witnessed an accident, and been transported in the wildest of rides weaving in and out of cars. Drivers swerve around each other, drive up on sidewalks, speed through parking lot short cuts, cut straight across 5 lanes of traffic to turn, and run lights.  With all these driving habits I would assume the cars would mirror those of other crowded and intense driving countries however it doesn't. Are there way less accidents than I think, do drivers get their cars fixed, or is there a law that makes all cars stay in perfect condition?   

#8 Lost In Translation   

- Yes I would love a big bowl of fish consumption results with a side of fried precipitation! Ok once again I am not complaining. No one anywhere in the world has to cater to English speakers like I have said. However, if you go through the trouble of putting things in English ask someone to proof read it. From a business standpoint I would simply ask a tourist to proof read the menu or sign before having it printing. Let me take this even further... Airports, government building, and such are kind of concerning when things are written extremely wrong. Beijing`s airport has terrible sign translations through passport control.   

  #9 Dirty Yet Clean    

- The cities are surprisingly clean. You are hard pressed to find even a single piece of trash on the floor. If you do you can be guaranteed that within minutes someone will have come and already cleaned it up. The airports and public places are massive and open to accommodate the billion plus people. Everything seems pretty much spotless yet somehow dirty. Every half block you get a whiff of some foul smell. This may be due to the public toilets with people tracking out urine all of the time or the overly greasy food and oil for cooking everywhere. Either way I have never felt so modern and clean yet dirty at the same time.   

#10 Lack of Homeless/Handicap People  

- Throughout the trip we have started to notice the lack of elevators, escalators, and ramps for handicap people. Everywhere we go there are always stairs. We aren't talking about just the tourist destinations but also public transport, airports, and hotels. After taking note to the lack of handicap amenities we started to notice the lack of handicap people. Thinking about it we have yet to see a single person in a wheel chair. Where are they? Do they just mysteriously disappear. This same mystery applies to the homeless people of the city. I mean we are talking about cities with upwards of 12, 14, and 22 million people. Have these cities miraculously solved the homeless situation??  

  #11 Buttless Pants

- We have started to notice that many little children (which there aren't too many of) have open butt pants. Their little butt cheeks just air out in the breeze day in and day out. *** Mystery Solved - Since there are no sitting toilets the little kids would have accidents while squatting. To avoid having pee stained clothes they just decide to leave it open for easy access while squatting.   

 #12 Lines

( Even on the plank road at Mt. Hua there are lines with people crawling on top of each other. Google Plank Road in the Sky for more details. I will post about my experience soon.)

- Being that I am a teacher I love things to move in a nice and orderly fashion. China has lines... Lots of them. But lines seem to be on a voluntary basis. Even if you chose to be patient and wait in the line that does not mean you will be served in that order. More often than not while waiting in line for something we have be pushed out of the way, cut in front of, or just completely ignored. When you are living in a country with over a billion people it seems to be survival of the fittest, or in China`s case, the pushiest.   

 In Conclusion:

 While most and probably all of these have answers we have not solved them yet. Coming to China I expected something different than we found. This is not a good nor is it a bad thing. The experiences we had were like non other in the world. There was something charming about the old, cramped, smelly hutongs, the massive buildings were overwhelming, and the ancient relics nothing short of magnificent. Figuring our way to different spots such as Mt. Hua without a guide and some how managing it was rewarding. You couldn't escape feeling like a mix between a movie star and a rare animal as we walked into different places and were swarmed with hugs and pictures! It truly was a unique experience that we will remember for a lifetime.   

Stick It In Your Bag

Stick It In Your Bag  

Ok the ending to this day is by far the funniest day we have had.Another early wake up for as we move cities to the super city of Chengdu. Our taxi picked us up at 5:30 in the morning because the drive to the airport is about an hour. Quickly we realize the drive will probably be half that time as our driver goes faster than any car I have ever been in. Between the speed and lack of pre morning traffic we were going to make it in no time. Sitting at a light he begins to take off until we feel a jerk, hear a loud thump, and screech to a stop. Lovely, another car has just run into us. We sit in the middle as drivers get out, talk to each other for a little, cars honk at us (really honking at us really is going to make the wrecked cars move), and then the driver gets back in. He looks at us laughing and calls the other driver an idiot in Chinese. 

 Landing in Chengdu we collected our luggage and grabbed a taxi. As usually nothing is easy as the driver tries to rip us off and charge us 200 for a ride that should be about 80 yuan. A little arguing and agreed to use the meter. When we arrive he chooses not to use the meter and we argue some more. Neither of us understand each other. Finally gave him about 100 and walk away. I am determined to make it through without getting ripped off.Wengun Mansion Hotel is by the far the most decorated hotel we have had so far. It is decked out with lanterns, old arches, lights, paintings, and everything Chinese. It is located on an old street that looks like it should be a pedestrian walkway but cars also swerve in and out of the people as they walk down the middle. The entire street is decorated and makes for the most picturesque Chinese street. 

 We ventured to Chunxi road which puts 5th Avenue in New York to shame. There aren't just fancy shops but full department stores for Gucci, Prada, Fendi, and every other top name designer. Blocks and blocks are dedicated to shopping mall after shopping mall ranging from penny stores and cheap clothing to high end retail. I guess when you have over a billion people the demand for the number of shops rises.Lunch was delicious with a platter of sushi. Like usual the wait staff has not entertained many foreigners and was amazed by us. When my mom ate her rice with a spoon the chef personally came out to watch her for awhile. 

 In the afternoon we visited a temple that showed the history of the three kingdoms. It was pretty neat with statues of notable leaders.Next stop was Jinli street which is made to look like ancient China but is actually new. It was a beautiful shopping street with lanterns hanging, food stalls, and artistic vendors selling their crafts. There are even people who sell air blown candy sculptures. 

 In the evening we went to the traditional Sichuan Opera House to view a series of entertainment skits that showcase talents developed long ago. I was fortunate enough to get to be professionally dressed like one of the traditional ladies in the opera. One of the performers did my make up. In the end it looked super cool however the look is not exactly feminine. 

 

There is something about the big black brows higher up, the red eye shadow highlights, and the big round belt that makes the look slightly manly. Either way I really enjoyed getting to spend the time in their own dressing quarters getting ready. The only down fall is that they clean your face at the end with a cooking oil. It was the same cooking oil that we could smell on the streets and could barely stand. Worst smell ever! 

 

 

Probably the most unique talent in the show was the shadow play. Sounds dorky right? Well the Chinese have somehow managed to take a simple child's play activity and make it an artist sport. This performer made eagles flying, horses running, snakes eating rabbits, and much more!

 

 After the show we decided to get food at a hot pot. Walking into the restaurant we should have known it was going to be a rough experience. It turns out they were closing but we're going to stay open for us. Seven waiters and waitresses rushed towards us and began to ask for pictures and laugh. Once we were shown to our seats they all stood around watching. This was clearly a place that they never got western tourists at. We had no idea what to do.Finally the one boy gave us an iPad that had the menu on it with some rough English translations on some items. He went through them motioning what we should do. 

 *** Side not that I just thought of while writing. I have noticed this in the Sichuan province and now in Tibet. In the olden times when developing activities and performances the area adopted super long sleeves. This can be seen in my opera pics. They remind me of the Wacky Inflatable Arm guys at car dealerships.I clicked some buttons and the screen with some weird looks. From what I could tell we got hot oil and regular split so we could try both.

 We also ordered some boneless chicken and some beef. I kept getting weird looks when picking and a lot of laughing. What is funny about boneless chicken and beef?We soon found out. First they brought the oils out and began to boil them. He added stuff into the pot and poured things from a can on our plate. Then came the meat. A nice platter of chicken feet and nondescript meat balls with the oddest texture. 

 

Well my mom sure isn't going to eat this. I guess I am going to have to. I managed to stuff down two beef balls until I couldn't swallow anymore. My mom and I exchanged nervous looks. Stick it in your bag I told her. We took turns keeping lookout to make sure no one saw. One by one we wrapped up the chicken feet and balls and hid them. We were laughing so hard I thought I was going to pass out. 

The whole restaurant was empty and only a few workers remained cleaning up. Here we were with chicken feet soaked with that oil smell stuck in our bags hysterically laughing. They had to think we were deranged. Slowly we made our escape after paying but not before they took a few more pictures. Hope they couldn't smell those feet in my bag! Out on the street we dumped our bags and went back to the room hungry but satisfied with our day!

Next Stop Xi`an

Our other day in Beijing consisted of shopping in the Pearl Market and bein super negotiators. That evening we took the bullet train to our next stop which was the city of Xi`an. The train is very sleek in design and made for fast performance. We loaded our luggage, took our seats, and were quickly off at a speed of 300 km/h!!! Before we new it we had travelled far but quickly to our new city!

Some Fun Facts

Bell Tower rings to let people know it is morning

Drum Tower to tell it is night time.

1974 Studied Terracotta Pieces were discovered as 2,000 years old and many of the pieces were put back together. After five years a museum was built and opened up. The first pit shows about 2,000 out of the 8,000 warriors. People are still working on excavating some of the Warriors but many will be preserved and left underground. The second pit is te second biggest and has not yet been excavated. They have only begun to excavate it. The final pit is the smallest and most important of the pits because it was the headquarters. Many animal bones can be found from the sacrifices that took place.

The soldiers are different rankings. The most common are the lower ranking officials with the hair knot on their right side. The archers have their knot on the left side because of the way they shoot their arrows. Higher officials have different number of knots and some even come from Mongolian decent because they traded and trained the horses.

All of the faces are unique to that soldier and there are no two faces alike. 

Five farmers discovered the Warriors. They were uneducated so the government taught them how to write their names to sign for tourists. They sit there on most days greeting people. Recently 4 of them died but one is still left. Bill Clinton visited him and shook his hand.

Ching Dynasty was the one that united all of China. Ching is were they got the name China from when Europeans talked about it. 

Many believe the emperor, Ching, was a great man while others debate he was a monster. He restricted speech and burned much information. Very suspicious person. He believed there was a magic medicine that would let him live forever so he ordered a minister to look for the medicine. The minister asked for 3,000 children to go to the sea and find this island with the medicine. He took 1,500 boys and 1,500 girls and when they sailed they were able to find the island. Here they settled down and lived out their lives. This island is now called Japan!!! Or so the Chinese legends says. 

Visiting the Warriors was a very cool experience! It blew us away that these things were so old and were only recently discovered!!!

After touring the Warriors we took a quick nap back at the hotel. The even was very nice because we went to a dumpling banquet and Tang Dynasty show. It was a very pleasant evening specifically because we enjoyed it with a couple that we met during the Terracotta Warriors. The couple was from South Africa and loving life to the fullest. Throughout the evening we shared travel stories and it seemed like they had been everywhere. After their four children grew up they began to travel all over!!! Wishing Venice and Lawrence the best of travel wishes!

A Plank in the Sky

Hold on tight because it is about to be one adventurous ride.

Right, so awhile back I had come across an article talking about the world`s most dangerous path. So what do I do? Put it on my bucket list. Like most things on my bucket list this fit along with the after adrenaline filled tasks. Put it on the list, plan it, get there, then dread doing it. 

The pathway is located on Mt. Hua or Huashan (Still haven't been clearified on that one) which is a train ride away from the city of Xi`an. The mountain itself if a major tourist destination for Chinese and has many peaks to climb and things to visit. The plank road in the sky is only one small part located in the back. Since we have been doing tours my mom and I decided we would tackle this one on our own. She would come up the cable car and I would venture on to the walkway. Boy did this day get crazy.

5:30 - Wake Up Mom

6:00 - Wake up Lib

6:45 - Hand motion to try to get taxi from front desk

7:10 - Accomplish getting taxi

8:10 - Arrive at the railway terminal and argue with the taxi driver over the meter. It is a big thing for drivers not to use the meter and over charge. He kept pointing to two bills which were too much. Finally we realized he wanted the big one to give change with the other.

8:15 - Stand in line for tickets. Get cut off by people who just get in front of you like you do not exist. Always note that a foreigner is not a human being when it comes to lines.

8:20 - Realize we are in the wrong line

8:22 - Get in a new line. More people cut in front. Some grunting. My mom and I wonder if we made the wrong choice. I tell my mom she can take her turn trying to buy tickets. I look up and see our train number that I screen shot at the hotel. Yesssss!! I know the train number and we successfully buy tickets!

8:30 - 9:00 We sit at McDonalds and consume four diet cokes, a weird breakfast soy sauce pancake, and eggmcmuffin with the egg missing. 

9:10 - Board the train, find our seats, relax, and watch pitch perfect on my iPad for the whopping 30 minute ride. Funny that the train ride is way shorter than it takes to get anywhere else on this journey. I guess that is what happens when the train goes 300 km/h.

9:50- Now the real fun begins. Everywhere we read that everything was easily mapped out. Yes this is a total lie. DO NOT believe what you have read on tripadvisor. The next two hours was filled with confused looks, translators, being pointed in opposite directions, stared at, taken to a dingy tourist shop to buy tickets, stared at some more, not getting tickets, new tourist center, more translators, and finished with a 40 minute bus ride up a windy hill. Yippee we made it to the cable car! Or so we thought. Actually the bus drops you off below a set of 3000000 stairs up to the cable car.

Stairs

Stairs

Stairs

At this point I am sure my mom wants to kill me. 

From this point on I completely lose track of time until we come back down the monstrosities of transportation to get back home. Actually as I write this we still have not made it back to the hotel at 8pm! 

The West Cable Car- This was the more expensive of the two cable cars. Let me tell you, it was worth every single penny. The structure and path of the cable car, or rope way as they call it, is nothing short of extraordinary. The thing goes high up into the cliffs then shoots back down into the valley before going high up into the sky. When you are on the car you can barely see the destination. All around the gondola limestone mountains reach straight into the sky. The edges are sharp and the cliffs steep dropping straight down.  

To be continued....

Beijing - The Tale of the Wall, a Grasshopper, and an Angry Chinese Woman

Today was going to be a long day of touring. Starting off our day we were greeting by our new tour guide named Angel. First stop was Tianemen Square which is the largest city center in the entire world. Arriving there I was easily able to believe it. The center contains some important buildings most notable the resting place of the Chairman Mao who founded New China in 1949.

Straight across from there a large Chinese gate stands entrance to the Forbidden City. The gate is painted red with large fountains lining either side. In the direct center a massive picture of the chairman is erected.

Passing through the gate we learned that all of the doors from this point on would have 81 gold knobs which symbolized the ultimate power of the emperor. The Forbidden City used to be home to the emperor, empress, and the emperor`s 3,000 concubines. Come on, really he needed that many?

The Forbidden City itself is nothing short of extraordinary. Every detail was accounted for when this magnificent place was built.

Some fun facts:

1. 81 gold knobs on every door for ultimate power of the emperor

2. Animals adorn the roofs. The more animals the more important the building

3. People carried the emperor everywhere 

4. The main path down through the buildings is the Dragon Road

5. The number 4 is considered bad luck and death

6. The number 8 means money. People pay to have this number in their license plate.

7. Previously Chinese could only have 1 child. The law was changed in 2009 to allow couples who were both single children to have 2 children. Law was changed in 2014 to allow a family to have 2 children if one of the parents was a singe child growing up. Law was changed again recently to allow all people to have two children. 

8. Every three years men were sent to find the most beautiful women to join the emperor living in the Forbidden City.

9. When the emperor dies all 3000 of his concubines are hung and buried with him.

10. There are too many crazy facts to remember them all!

Next stop was the mandatory shopping stop. These tours love to take you to a shopping stop to make you listen to a demonstration and then purchase things. Although they are indeed interesting they can get very tiresome and annoying. This stop was the Silk Factory. We witnessed buckets of silk worms eating, making cocoons, machines unwinding the cocoons to make thread, and finally the products being made. We served our mandatory time without purchasing anything and were able to leave. 

After a nice one hour and a half nap we were outside of the city and standing at the foot of a nice small mountain range. Peering high up at the ridge I spotted for the first time the famous Great Wall of China! Yes! I was very excited to be able to mark another one of the Wonders of the World off my list. 

My mom and I opted to take a cable car up to the top of one of the peaks. The cable car turned out to be a rickety old chairlift but made for beautiful views on the way up. The wall itself is not exactly the most breath taking sight. Do not get mean wrong, the view is gorgeous but compared to things like the Taj or Machu Picchu it could not compare. What did live up to the reputation was trying to conceptualize the fact that this wall itself was built long ago and spanned not just where I could see but for miles and miles. The wall itself is long enough to cross from LA to NYC. Now look at the rock that the wall is built out of and imagine every single stone having to be carried to that stop. Nothing short of amazing!

We decided to walk part of the wall and I choose to go to the very highest point at tower number 1. From Beijing there are five sections open to the public. This section was by far the most scenic according to our researched and I am sure that it paid off! If you get a chance to come here you need to visit the Mutyuani section.

On the way to down we got to take tabogan like the one we have back home at Seven Springs. This one however went down for a much longer distance and was ten times the fun. When we bought the tickets they tried to say anyone over 60 is too old. Ppppffff nothing is stopping my mom from the fun. Probably one of the best sights was seeing a group of Buddhist monks speeding down the slide laughing and hollering. 

When we almost got back to our hotel at the end of the day Angel began to make her goodbye. She was a wonderful and helpful guide and we were planning to tip her. However, at the end of her goodbye she informed us that her tip is not included in the trip price and neither is the driver. She then went as far as to tell us the exact minimum amount she would accept as a tip.

I will keep my little rant short. Maybe this is a cultural thing or maybe it was a personal thing specific to her. Maybe her goal was to shame or make people feel awkward to get the tip she wanted. I do not know that answer but I was very put off. A wonderful trip with a great guide made my opinion change slightly. I was relieved to find out after we got out that my mom felt the same way. To us a tip is something that is earned and is at the discretion of the patron and not something that is forced or is a set amount. Rant over!

Without a minute to spare we decided since it was 6pm we should go straight out to explore a night market. Taking the subway was a breeze and before we knew it we were in the center of the business and modern area. Walking down the road everything was lit up light time square. But where is the night market? A little way down China`s Time Square I spotted the red lanterns hanging in an alleyway.

There is was! The ultimate Chinese night market. Most of you already know I love myself a good market whether it be food, souvenirs, junk, local things, etc. This market specialized in local crafts/souvenirs and more importantly..... Crazy food!

Stalls upon stalls offered up things from scorpions, grasshoppers, starfish, centipedes, and so much more. The coolest part is the the scorpions were not yet cooked so you could watch them fighting and stinging each other on the stick. Some other foods included the less interested like grilled full baby chicks, steaming juice, chips on a stick, and minion decorated eggs.

I could not help but continue to eye up the different insects on a stick. Could I possibly do it? Before I left I remember on of my bosses saying don't do anything to get hurt or sick this summer. Well Dr. Sardon I apologize but I just could not pass up some tasty looking grasshoppers. With a little salt and imagination they tasted just like some crunchy fried chicken skin. 

As our fun filled night came to a close my mom decided she wanted to buy a funny looking splat pig. They are those little balls you can throw at the ground and watch it explode then slowly regain shape. After a quick little bargain I was able to get one for 5 yuan. I handed the lady a 10 and waited for my change. 

Immediately she began to hand me another and tell me to buy two. No I only want one but thank you. I closed my hands so she couldn't leave it in my hand. Once again she started yelling "Two, two, two..." Politely but very firm I said no! She grabbed my arm and shoved the extra toy in my bag. Calmly I grabbed the ball put it in her box and pointed towards my money. She ripped the toy that I had purchased out of my hand and began to pack up with the toys and our money as we stood there empty handed. All during this she is continuing to grunt and yell at us. Calmly I pointed to the other Chinese standing around and said she took our money and gave us nothing. Quickly she got our change, gave us the toy, and walked away.

Quick rant number two. The money is not worth much. I would not have been worse without it. However, the principle of the matter is getting ripped off and treated that way. I feel bad many of these people selling things need to do so to survive. But if you make a deal you can not just steal money or try to force something else on someone. Those types of things make me feel poorly on humanity. The number of rip offs and scams are outrageous. If you allow people to get away with it then it will only continue and get worse. That is why I will not take for getting scammed because I do not want to promote it happening.

With that we decided to take our leave. We had purchased a plate of normal food to eat while walking home. On our way our we noticed a lady picking out all of the bugs, food, and anything edible to eat from the trash can. The lady had learned people waste and therefore could benefit and eat for free from it. We walked over and handed her our plate of clean food. The smile on her face will last for a good many days to come. 

Water Bottles Get Thrown

After a short nap that I wish never ended it was time for the Kung Fu Shows. In the past I have loved buying tickets to go see the shows in the city. Sometimes they are great, sometimes corny, and sometimes just bizarre. The most notable would be the Water Puppet Show in Hanoi... Please google it and you will laugh for days!

Not expecting much we got to our car and were greeted by a very pleasant driver. He did not speak English but smiled as we got in the car. 

The Red Theater was beautiful. Decorated out of completely red material, but you didn't guess that one was coming, it was what I expected. Our guide Yoyo met us and took us into our seat in the balcony with a wonderful view. Before the show started we went and had some ice cream, Diet Coke, and chips for dinner on the theater stairs. We were told to return to the car at 945 after the show!

The show was wonderful. It started with a little boy who was recently sent to be a Kung Fu warrior. That meant he had to leave his mother and everything else behind. He was very reluctant so the master came to him to tell him a story of a boy very much like himself.

The rest of the story was about another young boy growing up, learning Kung Fu, falling for the evils of a temptress girl, getting beaten up, overcoming the odds, and then eventually becoming the next head master. 

The performance was filled with acrobatics, stunts, beautiful music, and costumes. At the end the little boy figures out that his master is telling his life story! Corny but cute.

After the show ended it was 940 so we took a restroom break and got pictures with the performers. When we returned to the car it was 948. Let me tell you, you would have thought we were an hour late. The driver glared at us out of his driver`s seat as we got in the care tentatively. The entire ride back he grunted and snorted. Really could this all be over three minutes late? Well our suspicions were confirmed when we arrived back at the Hutong. When we got out of the car we left a water bottle which he proceeded to chuck at us out of the window as he left!!

Wow... This Looks Like China!

After a good night rest we were ready to go. The breakfast had an awesome layout of anything from eggs and pastries to fried chicken nuggets and dinner foods. It was a nice treat.

Our guide for the day was William and one other lady named Holla who joined us. We started the morning off by visiting the famous Chinese Panda. Come on, who is not in love with these beautiful creatures. They are just adorable. We were lucky that they were up and active!

Did you know that China gives pandas as gifts to countries? However, if those pandas mate and have a baby then the baby belongs to China. It is their decision to request to have the panda shipped back or not. 

Next stop was the Summer Palace and home of the Dragon Lady. Every summer the royal family would take a boat over to the summer palace to reside in the cool grounds. The one section is a series of walkways that have hundreds of hand painted pictures. There are four round sitting areas that represent the four seasons. At the end you can see an entrance to a palace that sits at the top. 400 some stairs lead to where the Dragon Lady would go to pray. From what we have learned she was not the friendliest of people. She was a cruel and tiresome leader using the emperor as a puppet. Whenever she died the people had her buried, unburied, and then burned to make sure she could not have an afterlife. Our guide joked that they did this because the people had to carry her everywhere, including up the 400 some steps every day in a hand carriage!

My mom and I loved just imagining what it was like when no one was around taking pictures and being touristy. It was a beautiful place with the man made hill in the back drop, lake, temples, and artwork. 

The Summer Palace is free for locals over 60 who enjoy a wide array of activities. The favorite seemed to be using long paint brush the size of a cane and ain't inn Chinese characters on the sidewalk. It is pretty darn cool.

Next up we visited a pearl market. Turns out there are fresh and salt water pearls. Salt water pearls are more precious and have one per oyster. Fresh water pearls go through a process to produce more pearls by switching shells and some other business. Was a little confused by it. The oyster we opened had over 20 pearls! Some neat new information.

Lunch was pretty crazy. Overly tacky with gold and red decorations and love signs the three of us enjoyed a multitude of dishes. We had egg drop soup, Kung pao chicken, peppered beef, fried rice, and a few other things I can not remember. I do not get how these people are so darn skinny.

Next we had a tea ceremony where we learned all about the process of pouring tea, drinking tea properly, and the good effects of tea. These tours love to take you on shopping trips and this was one of them. As soon as we were done having our tea ceremony we were ushered to try to buy every type of tea possible. Hahaha typical

Our final stop on the tour was the Lama Temple. This was probably my favorite stop for the day. We visited the different temples, learned about the differences in Buddhism, and saw the worlds largest wooden Buddha.

This Buddha was seriously massive. It was carved from one tree from Nepal, was carried to south China to be carved, and then carried and placed in the temple. It is pretty wild to think about 500 years ago people carrying something this massive on a road system that was nothing more than a foot or horse path. Viewing things like this really makes me realize how remarkable people can be when they are left without technology!!!

Bugs, Tips, and Crazy Ladies

Walked 25 miles today up and down steep mountains. No one ever told us that the Great Wall of China is literally straight up a mountain side. It was pretty impressive. We survived with a smile on our face. The Forbidden city is massive and totally Chinese looking. DId you know the emperor got 3000 woman just to himself. How does one sleep with 3000 women. Also when he died they hung all of them to buried with him. Mom is doing as the Chinese do... She pushes, shoves, tramples, and gives no personal space. But she is happy because we found the first fountain Diet Coke.

Our tour guide was wonderful today. Except at the end of the tour she told us exactly how much we needed to tip her. We ventured on the subway to find a night market. Was a fail at first until we saw some red lanterns only to find an entire city of china town with food and souvenirs. I got a little adventurous eating squid tentacles off a stick, mom got curly chips, we drank dry ice lemon drink, and I finished it all off with a salty and crunchy GRASSHOPPER.

At the end of the day mom needed one more souvenir. We haggled with a lady ad she agreed on a price. When I gave here the money she started yelling atme and stuffing things in my bag. Stood my ground and all is good. Forgot to tell you we were three minutes late to our cab and the driver threw a bottle of water at us. For more details I will be writing more blog posts soon!

We aren't in Kansas anymore...

Jet lag. A thing of fantasy in my life. Something I have never had before. It is with great sorrow that I report it is not a thing of mysteries and fairy tales but real life! Somehow we had managed to sleep most of the 13 hour flight. With the exception of watching Pride and Predjudice Zombies and Zoolander 2 it was one passed out flight. So much so that I missed all of the food cart options.

Even with all of the sleep I could barely keep my eyes open as we got off the plane. Getting a taxi was the typical of any country. The second you have your luggage you are swept off to a desk that wants to charge you way too much money. China is not exception. Ignoring the people we went straight into the local taxi line an snagged a taxi for 1/3 of the price they wanted at the tourist desk.

Beijing is full of traffic. Maybe not as bad as Bangkok but pretty bad. Our driver swerved, weaved, and drove over curbs for over an hour to make our way into the hotel. Such a pleasant man for as he fought the traffic he hooted and Hollander and continued to sing. 

Arriving at our hotel we were blown away. It is not an expensive luxury hotel but instead a very traditional courtyard inside a Hutong. A Hutong is a narrow street in which Chinese people gathered and lived in close quarters. Their shops were on the outside and they lived behind them. Immediately we were taken away from the big city feel and transported back in time. Our room is neatly decorated with gold and red everywhere! The bed has a beautiful canopy, an old fashion phone, a gold ordained wardrobe, and so much more you would consider when thinking of China.

Jet lagged and tired we made our way to explore the main road. It was clear we are halfway across the world. I have never faced such a language barrier as we have here. First, I needed to go to the pharmacy to get cream for my sun burnt lip. Because it was night the pharmacy is all locked up and they speak to you through a whole in the metal. Hand gestures and trying to explain we were left with nothing to help. Next stop food. I have never seen a book with so many options half of which were duck, tongues, goat, donkey, and every other animal on the planet. It took about five waiters to finally get our order! Once we made our way down to our hotel we had many people stopping and looking at us. For such a big modern city this has been a big surprise to me.

In the end we had a great arrival day and ready for bed!

Planes, Trains, and Mix Ups!

Life has been a bit crazy in all of the right ways. Starting off the summer I went to Disney and Universal with Tyler and then immediately off to Mysteryland with my sister and her husband. I'll post more about that maybe another day. The crazy thing is though we did not leave any tine between trips. I am saying I got home from Disney at 11 pm and left for Mysteryland at 4 am. Then I did the same thing after Mysteryland leaving for China.

We woke up Tuesday morning, showered, packed the car, and we're off to the airport with my dad and Tyler. This is the hardest time I have ever had saying bye. But before I could get choked up we hit our first road block. Well second one, but you'll have to personally ask me to find out what the first was!!!

Upon checking in with the lady we are informed that our flight has been delayed by three hours. This will leave us only 40 minutes to transfer planes in Toronto. Uh oh! Then the lady proceeds to tell us that we aren't even on that flight that the airline has already changed us to the next day. Ummm what!!! This can not be happening to me again. Can I please just fly once without a problem. I guess not because that was only the start.

The rude airline lady said she could do nothing for us, surprise, and pushed us aside. Big surprise when we found out she was a United worker checking people in on Air Canada. Honestly United may be my least favorite airline in history.

While I stood on hold connecting with our airline my mom was able to find a flight with Porter airlines. These workers were beyond nice. They saw what was going on and began to help us out. There was a flight that would be leaving soon and still had seats. The lady on the phone was also helpful and took all of our information. She putt it in the system so that we would be able to get refunded for part of the trip. Yeah this is getting better. 

Smooth flight to Toronto City Airport, smooth border control, smooth luggage collection, smooth walkway to the train to take us to the new airport across the city, and then as we step on the train it decides to break down. Come on! Broken train now and only a short time to get to the airport. Unload luggage, move train, new train, load train , and we are off again.

We made it to the airport and have time to check in. All smiles I approach the lady at the desk and she stares at the desk perplexed. Uh oh now what is wrong? She responds saying "Excuse me ma'am but your flight doesn't leave for two more months on August 14th. You will have to come back." After lots of talking and trying to explain we are redirected with 15 minutes until check in closes to a ticketing agent. She stared at me like I was speaking Chinese and could not understand that situation. Our print out tickets from online had the correct dates, our email did, the system had different ones. She finally fixed it, we were ushered to the front of check in, went through security, and then finally took our seats at the boarding gate.

Here we go! We may have started off a bit bumpy but we are on our adventure finally! 

P.S. I can not even believe the hassle it is going to be trying to explain and get our first portion of our flight refunded when all of the rest of the tickets were messed up. I can feel the massive amount of emails coming already.