Travels in China - November/December 1998

Hekou, Yunnan to Shanghai

...continued from Travels in Vietnam

Sunday 15th November - Sapa, Vietnam to Hekou, China Very early start and I see Norah off with extremely mixed feelings, take a few very heavy-hearted circuits around an increasingly bustly Sapa, then say my farewells and head for the jeep. Soon we're in Lao Cai, then the border, where I think I'm going to get trouble, but no, a $1 fee, a 15 minute wait for customs that never come, and all of a sudden I'm on the bridge, looking back. China couldn't be more different. I'm welcomed courteously, the bank's open on Sunday, the hotel's a shithole, and I sleep and sleep.

Monday 16th November - Hekou to Kunming

Wake up, slice off the top of my finger with the razor, can't find my shorts, rally, dress, find railway station, make first friend and buy ticket apparently effortlessly. Change more money, have pho breakfast, it really is very Chinese! So next I head back to the railway station and re-meet Xi, who spends the rest of the day killing me with kindness. He buys me lunch, we take some photos, it turns out we have adjacent bunks. We board the train, which turns out to be luxurious. The view is breathtaking, and we have a very wonderful meal in the dining car as the sun goes down. Get a bit tired and emotional, and have a suprisingly good sleep.

Tuesday 17th November - Arrival in Kunming So we roll into Kunming at 7 a.m., and Xi takes me to his office where we have breakfast. I'm fawned over and taxied to the Camellia, where a bit of bullying gets me a ¥30 dorm. I have a cold and grab a few hours troubled sleep, turn down lunch with Xi, hoping I haven't hurt his feelings, and ramble around the vicinity, securing my China wad, thank god, planning the trip, and reeling from how very Chinese it all is. I rally a bit in the evening, get some Sapa photos collected, super big size, and eat at the restaurant on the corner. Very nice, I almost over-order but not quite. A very big fish, carp apparently. Fairly early night.

Wednesday 18th November - Western Hills, Kunming

The plan today is Bamboo Temple. I hang around Yunnan Hotel waiting to fill a minibus, never happens. Improvise a trip to the Western hills on local buses 5 and 6, which works a treat. Very hot, steep, soothing climb, two lovely temples, fantastic views of Kunming.The top is seething with Chinese tourists, lose my rag over price of coffee and feel guilty later. Completely knacker myself looking for the third temple, then walk down. Take far too long getting across the lake so that it's dark by the time I have to walk through the park, and I'm nervous that I've screwed up, but all ends well and I catch the 44 back to Kunming. Fail to locate Thai Airways, and have a delightful meal at Yunnan Typical next to the Camellia. Cold not great, booked Jinghong ticket.

Thursday 19th November - Stone Forest, Kunming Today's adventure, courtesy of Camellia's travel agency, is to Stone Forest, so it's all a bit chaotic to start, but I end up in the Chinese tourist throng this time, and it's cool. I buy an incredibly expensive lunch that I don't have time to eat, poor little duck, and we arrive and it's sensational. First too many gaggling tourists, then calm, exhileration and too many photos. A good day out. I clocked Thai in the morning, so I call in there. Shut, open 9 tomorrow, so back, shave and shower, suicide bid to find Xi, get to his office, he cycles over and we walk further miles past the lake to the Bluebird Bar, which is very pleasant, as is the English student waitress who serves us and translates. I get to eat at last, hot and spicy, which really brings out my cold, but it's a great night and we taxi back after midnight to sad farewells and good lucks all round. Friday 20th November - Kunming to Jinghong

So it's bye bye, Kunming. Busy morning starts late as I try to pack my bag in silence, head down to Three Leaves trying to take a few shots on the way, achieve Thai Airways but not Biman, and am escorted from Three Leaves to the long-distance bus station where my sleeper awaits. All looks fairly plush as I settle in and we set off, after a one hour wait at the railway station, along a far from finished expressway, and on, south, through a lunch stop where I buy 2 apples. The journey starts great, goes through an awful phase when my killer instinct deserts me and I'm left desperate for a piss and inches from pissing in a bottle when we stop for tea, a packet of biscuits for me and one of the pisses of a lifetime. After that I sleep. At midnight half the passengers get off and I've got luxury space. I sleep remarkably well, the cold is abating, and dream of bouncy buses and all sorts of weird shit.

Saturday 21st November - Arrival in Menghun I sleep so well I miss the sunrise, the cold is much better, I'm just a bit bunged up, at both ends as it happens. The bus trundles on and we eventually get to a very hot Jinghong. The transfer is effortless and in no time I'm on the way to Menghun, the Dai girl on the bus is killer gorgeous, and the "hotel" is a bit of a dump, in a very rural chinese way of course, with the cutest dog. Late afternoon I rally for a walk in the country, but back off from the ridge as the trail runs cold, and just make it back by dusk for a rather uninspiring rice tea in the wrong restaurant and an earlyish night.

Sunday 22nd November - Menghun So, the great market day has arrived and...it's pissing down. Bit of a tragedy, but the market is still hyper and very colourful. Shoot off loads, just hope there's some nice ones. Share the experience with 8 other fareng, meet John the Dutchman afterwards for beers, come back, fall asleep, wake up in time for the temple, rain persists, down to the main hotel for more beers and a very apt celebration meal for my first week in China with a great American, a French couple and John. Superb evening, starting to belong. Mildly concerned about getting to Dali.

Monday 23rd November - Menghun to Jinghong So that was Menghun, wet but certainly wonderful in parts. I wake not too early, say goodbye to the dog, get a bus almost immediately straight through to Jinghong and am back in time for lunch. First I dump my bags and check in to the hyper-luxury Xishuangbanna Guesthouse. Have a bath, having switched on the TV to catch news in English on YN, reporting the aftermath of another Lijiang earthquake. Oh dear. Anyway, luxury ablutions, out for a walk up to the first Mekong bridge, love that river, only to find another one being built, second on the river. I stop mid-sentence, there must be another bridge further upstream unless we're going to swim across with the bus I'm on north of Lancang (maybe a ferry?). Anyway, love that river. By this time it's well past lunchtime so I head for Mei Mei's on Dai Street and earwig a bunch of hippies talking about Laos and O. Eventually join them. They turn out to be great but I have to act quickly for a desperate piss, near disaster. Back to the hotel briefly to try and learn more about the earthquake then out for tea. Back to Dai Street, vow not to go back to Mei Mei's but as I pass I see John the Dutchman, who may be bullshitted about the Mekong bridge, so in I go, beer, then rice wine and a yank girl with a guitar turns into a right singalong party, and I basically get paralytic, stagger home after midnight, and throw up.

Tuesday 24th November -Jinghong to Xiaguan Slight hangover, set off determined to find the Tropical Gardens before bus departure. Walk too far, unable to get breakfast, but end up with a well worthwhile 40 minutes. Rush back, secure apples and pastries for the bus, find the bus, farewell Jinghong. Early signs of trouble when the lass next to me swaps seats and starts throwing up. Apart from this, very pleasant ride. Even score tea at a bus station that might have been Simao. The road is acutely bumpy but nothing too scary on the first day. Not quite the idyllic sleep of last time though.

Wednesday 25th November - Arrival in Xiaguan And so the sun rises and Yunnan is beautiful in the mist. Road gets a bit scarier, drivers both seem top rate. Missy keeps puking up and taking up a fuck of a lot of space, and the journey continues. Breakfast stop, 2 apples, some sickly pastries. Missy leaves, mega space, lunch stop takes hours, wheel changes, start on China postcards, truth emerges, we're heading for the new town, not the old, and not before midnight. Set off around 3, the guy with the plant gets funnier and funnier, friendly guys turn out to be a boxer and probably manager. Scenery goes mega-mega and scary, they say Lijiang river, sun goes down, meal stop, great meal, pickpocket fight, everyone very concerned about me, how sweet, doze off, arrive sure enough at midnight. Short cyclo, haggle price of hotel down to ¥25! Asleep by 1.30 a.m., shit, shower, shattered.

Thursday 26th November - Xiaguan to Dali Can't get up, do score breakfast, too late for Binchuan, pull the plug and head for Dali gucheng. Hijacked on disembarkation by the promise of a single room. Turns out to be the Old Dali Inn, very nice. Well earned lunch, up into the hills, extensive walk, end up at the Three Pagodas, beautiful, too many Chins, walk back, knackered. Tea in Inn, re-plan trip, very late.

Friday 27th November - Dali Off to Xiaguan, photos crap and expensive, back to Dali, photos less crap and expensive. Establish the choice is too big or too small, change money, brunch at Yunnan. Pay ¥160 at PSB for god knows what. Late walk down to the lake, knackered again. Get out for late tea to Mr. China's Son, very pleasant, confirm I have got a visa extension. Home happyish. Saturday 28th November - Lake Erhai, Dali

Off down to the lake again for boat trip. Probably ripped off on price but off we go. Lovely day, first to Wase and small island temple, then back to bigger temple and fishy lunch, then big island and ubiquitous caves, finally to see cormorants, not fishing just resting. Fun day if expensive. Head to Yunnan cafe, try to phone Tim but he's not in, very late to Mr. China's Son, order too much tea, send e-mail to Norah but wrong address. Not a very satisfactory night, ready to leave Dali. Sunday 29th November - Dali to Lijiang

Another lovely day. Score film, bus ticket, breakfast, little Red book, on bus, off bus, on another bus, off to Lijiang, I assume. And lo and behold the journey's fine and as we climb all of a sudden there she is. Jade Tiger Snow mountain, snow-topped as promised, and quite serene. The scenery becomes cold, high and autumnal, and we're there. For once the map is spot on, the hotel is spot on, I've not eaten since breakfast and all the restaurants in the square appear to have gone. Head for Old Town, spellbinding, nice tea, coffee and ice-cream to finish, phone Tim, totally cool, walk back a very happy bunny, can't sleep. Monday 30th November - Lijiang

Slow start, straight to Old Town. Further I walk, the better it gets. Stumble across Naxi dancing, stumble deep into the back streets, hit an amazing market, head back to hotel, pick up small photos, running late, incredibly ready for lunch. Back to Old Town, stumble across Mama Fu, Tiger Leaping sorted, getting a bit late for bicycle hire. Mama suggests bus, but after trying Biman, cop out and just walk north. No monastery but lovely day for a walk, I pretty much clear civilisation and commune with the marvellous mountain. Walk back, check out Ali Baba's, confirm tomorrow's bus, make fantastically frustrating phonecall to bank, go to bed very pissed off.

Tuesday 1st December - Lijiang to Daju - Tiger Leaping Gorge Off we go then. Nice bus journey, see Tibetan yaks, driver gets a bit crazy at the end. Escorted to Snowflake for late breakfast, make real mess of finding then descending to ferry, but all pretty straightforward after that. Lovely walk, eventually descend to the road, amazing marble formations, a harrowing wind gets up for the last hour. Only make it as far as Woody's. Massively dehydrated, drink everything on the menu, nice eats, nice sleep, early night. Wednesday 2nd December - Tiger Leaping Gorge

Say goodbye to Woody's lady, off we go, hell of a climb but when the sun appears I am quite exhilerated. Drinks break at Halfway, more climbing. Day progresses, get minorly lost, meet American on bike who says I've got 3 hours to go. Am not going to make it back to Lijiang tonight. More and more climbing, start to get seriously tired. At last hit the bends, meet Germans, Korean and Oz from Dali. Get really lost on final leg, bad descent, starting to get dark as I head back but meet 2 Dutch who say the guesthouse is 2 kms, so turn to look for bridge but after 2 kms that way no bridge, no guesthouse, change mind and turn again. Given lift in 4x4, get out at "hotel". Sit in awkward silence for 45 minutes before finding I can't stay there. Nice guy walks me up to Mama Wu's for beer, supper, bed. Hell of a day.

Thursday 3rd December - Quiatou to Lijiang Set off early for Quiatou, proves to be long but not that long, wait for bus, get bus, arrive at far bus station at 1 p.m. Spend hours looking for bank only to be sent down to bus station again! After minor hassle, get my ¥3000, try Biman, permanently engaged, back to hotel, give up on Biman. Head out for last circuit of Old Town, with intention of ringing Mother and trying London office but she's out, oh god. Nice second visit to Well, call in on Mama Fu's, earthquake in Dali, I don't half pick 'em. Friday 4th December - Baisha village, Lijiang

Still in Lijiang, so, must get life sorted today. Drop in all the films, book ticket to Jinjiang and off to Baisha. Superb place, bump straight into Dr. Ho, get the lecture and the tea, day going well, then I bump into 3 boys who walk with me and invite me to lunch in the monastery village. Things take a very bad turn. Basically sit watching TV for hours while Mum cooks up a huge lunch. The atmosphere all a bit tense, not to mention 2 hours down the drain. I leave, Mother and son are having a right spat, and apart from the embarrasment it becomes obvious as the monastery appears further away and I have another tea stop that my whole day has been "killed with kindness". I'm furious as I rush back and it becomes obvious I'm not even going to have time to see the frescoes in Baisha, and I've missed the good photographic light. Still, back home, make the last bus, raise Mother, confirm my flight for the 21st(!), arrive at the House of Tibet, fall profoundly in lust, pick up a shitload of photos and retire to bed a considerably happier bunny. Saturday 5th December - Lijiang to Jinjiang to Emei

So, bye, bye Lijiang at last. Very early start, bus to Jinjiang starts, stops, starts, you know the score by now, bye, bye Yunnan. Strange incident with poor kid opening his first ever soft drink can, picked on by 4 well-dressed men, then one gives him money, then they all get off the bus. Probably a criminal but who knows? Anyway, bus pulls into rail station, easy hard sleeper, off we go to Emei. So on the train we get, and I've got a bottom bunk, cool, so I'm settling in and along comes a babe, then another 2. Lucky me, but babe 1 strikes up animated conversation. All very disconcerting, I'm sure at one point she asks me to go home to Leshan with her, at any rate we go for dinner in the dining-car, a tortuously long walk the full length of the train, and retire to our respective beds, me a very confused and aroused bunny. Next morning is a bit strained, but we end up on the same bus.

Sunday 6th December - Emei to Leshan And the bus rolls up in Leshan, so here I am, then we're on the same local bus, then she's shooing me off, still saying ring me, so I check into an outrageously posh ¥180 a night, try to page her, and head off for Wuyou Temple, which is OK, but it's a shit day and this country saps my will. I'm back in the room by 4, confused.

How do I get in touch, what happens if I do, and how awful would it be if I can't? Monday 7th December - Leshan It seems there are no answers to these questions. I page Lijun again, then head off for the Grand Buddha, intending to arrive at Mr. Yang's for a late lunch. The Buddha Park turns out to be absolutely fabulous. I'm lost in a maze of temples, pagodas and paths that hold me rivetted till 4. Can't find the ferry so it's a long walk via the bridge into town. Leshan's main drag knocks me out, I see more beautiful women in 30 minutes than I have in 3 weeks. Then I find Mr. Yang, commit to a tour tomorrow, to changing hotels, and find that Lijun's work numbers are back in Panzhihua, can't believe she travelled back yesterday. Head back after tea in a moto-cab, hilarious and freezing. It really has been a superb day, but I so want to see Lijun again. Retire to bed early with the Asian Games.

Tuesday 8th December - Leshan Tardy getting up but lucky with the 9 a.m. boat, snatch photos of the Grand Buddha through the persistent fog, meet Mr. Yang and move into new hotel, try Lijun again (yawn, yawn) and head off for tour. Various amusements; market, noodle factory, farm, orchard, cafe, tea shop, calligraphy, great day, meet Ms. Lee. Back to hotel, out for tea, sort boat to Yuhan with Mr. Yang, and head home ready to leave Leshan.

Wednesday 9th December - Leshan to Chengdu Last walk around Leshan, suprisingly enjoyable town, grab sculpture pics and head for Chengdu. Wrong bus takes hours, nightmare walk through Chengdu, miss hotel and nightmare becomes wet, but ends well with great room, lovely tea, womens' gymnastics from the Asian Games, ahhhh! Thursday 10th December - Panda Breeding Research Centre, Chengdu

Early start, still raining but I'm determined to get to the Panda Centre, so get translation of the place from reception, get taxi, don't get ripped off (!), arrive at 8.45, turn the first corner and wow, there they are, right in our faces, so close. Then we can go round and watch them eating apples and porridge, so close. After an hour of this I've had my money's worth and set off for an explore. Don't find much on the perimeter, so return to find the original 3, 2 sleeping, 1 eating bamboo in classic pose, electric! Set off again and find lessers, breathtaking but shy, what a wonderful morning, go for lunch the happiest bunny. After lunch I try the museum, but no action so I go for another spin. This time there's at least 8 lessers, and they're really friendly, so close! Meet lovely Chinese lady, go back to giants, commune with sleepy female, last look at Orlando, museum, buy the cutest panda for Tracey, simply the best day in China. Moto-cab and walk back, quick dash round Wenshu monastery, oh what a wonderful day! Back to hotel for a luke warm cup of tea, over to Lynn's for tea, met a very nice English guy, and gymnastics to finish.

Friday 11th December - Chengdu to Chongqing - Yangtze River Wake up and the clouds have gone. Pack, scootle round Chengdu for photos, back for breakfast, taxi to bus station, luxury bus to Chongqing, walk to ferry office which I eventually find. Onto boat, bit of a disappointment, bit crumby, all in Chinese, restaurant not open (!?), pretty unfriendly bunch of non-smokers in my cabin. Off we go. Saturday 12th December - Yangtze River

Chins are all up at 5 a.m., I guess for Hell Garden. Slow start, it's very foggy and very cold. Soon we're off again, regular stops, I'm on an apple and peanuts diet and between trips up on deck for fags and ganders at the view, I plough into Fire On The Lake. Day looks up as the sun comes out, the views get better, the Chins start to smoke, and to cap it all I get tea in the restaurant. Evening we stop at what might be Waxian, off they go to some illuminated something, I'm not in the mood, crash out early. Sunday 13th December - Yangtze River So I'm up with the Chins at 6 a.m. this morning, but there's not much to see. Soon I'm signed up for the Little Gorges tour, with reservations, but off we go, bus, boat, it's all very half-arsed, Chinese, and fucking freezing, but basically an enjoyable 6 hours. Back on the boat, 2nd gorge very impressive, think we missed the 3rd one in the dark. Score tea, have a beer, doze off, but am up again for the lock at 1 a.m. Very impressive, a much more cohesive day.

Monday 14th December - Arrival in Wuhan Not up with the Chins this morning. Very late night, and it appears to be even foggier than ever. When I eventually do get up, it's not obvious whether the boat is moving at all. Surreal correlation between the very wonderful Shipping News and real life. The day goes very slowly. I resort to a pot noodle breakfast, then score lunch, then... the boat stops, the Wuhan crew get off, going to catch a bus the rest of the way. I doggedly stay on, but am shooed out of my room, so, stand on the deck. Some people are staying on, what's going on? Eventually I'm shooed off the boat. Find tour guide missy who explains all. What with the weather delay, we're bussing to Wuhan, so off we go. Finish Shipping News, wonderful. We arrive in Wuhan, but where? Take a while to find my bearings, 3 or 4 kms and a bit of help to find there's no boat tonight, so it's a night in Wuhan, a bath and TV. Such is life! Go out for a trot, hankering for a McDonalds of all things. Can't find it, but hit KFC, chicken not great, chips and Pepsi great. They're playing Christmas songs, god I hope I get home! Tuesday 15th December - Departure from Wuhan

Up so late I'm genuinely in a rush to catch the boat, but it's all cool as I rock down the gangplank. Boat's a lot bigger, quite nice. Move into 10-bed dorm, score fruit, meet Chinese student, eventually score hot pot tea, spend most of the day reading Mr. China's Son. Very early night. Wednesday 16th December - Yangtze River Fairly late morning, how many days at sea now? Continue very excellent book, meet student for lunch. Meet businessman, finish book, interesting chat with businessman as sun goes down. Retire for an early night, but am badgered back out of bed by very drunk Shanghai man and his friends, and of all places, to the Karaoke bar. Beer and cigarettes flow copiously and we have a very good night. In various ways I have touched China's heart today, much to my suprise. I stumble into bed very pissed. Thursday 17th December - Arrival in Shanghai

The room's humming by 7.30, so I'm up for a noodle breakfast and suprised that we may be due to arrive as late as 2 p.m. We'll see. Sure enough at 9.30 a.m. we roll into Nantong. So 4 hours seems right, and with 100kms left of this massive journey, I'm seriously bored. Read history of China, remain bored, get dragged in by last night's crew to a spirit drinking lunch. 2 p.m. comes and goes. I doze off, am woken at the start of the Hangpu River. The run in to Shanghai starts fascinating, docks and many boats, and as the sun sets, becomes absolutely incredible. Shanghai is incredibly spectacular. We don't get off the boat till after 5. Walk back along the Bund, find the hotel easily. Go out for a wander, meet a Chinese, and we go for a beer and watch a Celine Dion video, ends up costing me a fortune. What the hell. A better Kentucky then home to bed for a noisy night.

Friday 18th December - Shanghai Decisive day. Start by phoning Thai, and she says today or not at all. Mixed feelings, so I check out, start to walk to Shanghai Centre, decide to leave money till later, arrive at the airline office, fall hopelessly in love and get a Sunday flight, yippee! So money next, head for bank, on the way try the Visa machine and it works! Only got ¥1000, silly me. Then, would you believe, I do the meet Chinese, get ripped off on drink trick, again! Unbelievable, ¥150 this time. That's it, not again! Anyway, back to the hotel, check back in, bath, bizarre phone call from Thai, wants me to pay $25, talk her out of it. Back out, can't find acrobatics, told it's moved to Shanghai Centre. Go for pizza, then head back via Fuzhou Lu, absolutely stunning lightshow and architecture. Finish at the Bund, try to take photos, can't imagine they'll all work. Come back to hotel, try not to spend any more money!

Saturday 19th December - Shanghai So, big day. Head off with Paul down Fuzhou, end up at Shanghai Centre, no acrobatics tonight, bummer. Still, Hard Rock Cafe lunch, headed down to Yu Yuan, fun on Metro, bazaar brilliant. Stay a long time, do another loop of Fuzhou in the dark and back up Nanjing. Buy some socks, last look at the Bund, coffee, back to the hotel. Beer, repack, talk for hours about crazy China, no'one's got away without the rip-off apart from the Dutch. I can't wait to leave, I love it and hate it, particularly Shanghai.

Sunday 20th December - Shanghai to Bangkok Last day in China. Definately have a cold. Irony that I'm leaving China with one as I entered with one, and that I'm leaving on a Sunday again. Incorrigible as ever, I decide to walk all the way to Jade Buddha via Fuzhou and Nanjing. Have mobile chicken then stop at Church's chicken, am just about chickened out and have a profound insight into what tonight's meal on the plane will be. Anyway, dither in shops, find temple, enjoy, buy jade teapots, teacups, josticks, pack of real Camel, head back to Jinjiang and go mad. Teacups, suitcase, shoes, Christmas cards, christ! Rush back, repack my fake Samsonite, rush to the airport, don't get ripped off in the taxi again. Worth noting that the journey is amazing, flyovers, space-age views and first world conditions, as is the airport, and in moments I'm through. There is post, there is bank, there isn't Camels (twat!) and that surreal anaesthetic that is air travel home seeps over me. No more China, no more adventure, only endless night and holding my breath and making pacts and trying to be patient. It's a no-smoking flight, which really doesn't help. Still, it's fun to be in the air, and before I know it I'm on the 90B bus and plunged into Khao San madness. All the back places are full, and just as I'm starting to worry, Chart Guesthouse comes up trumps. A quick Singha and I'm ready for bed.

Monday 21st December - Departure from Bangkok Feeling hot, hot, hot. I set off looking to use my sense of direction to get me to Biman. Just when I think this has gone catastrophically wrong, I'm in familiar territory, and cut through Patpong. Ticket's fine. Come back via Asia Books. Wow, Bangkok's certainly moderned up, tidied up, so hot, make it back, by which time my feet are killing me. Eat, drink, buy axe cushions, taxi to airport, and we're off. Tuesday 22nd December - Home

Spend most of the day at Frankfurt airport, very delayed. Eventually arrive in Guildford at 9 p.m., and another trip is over. Happy Christmas everyone.