Today we will look into something different than my normal posts. The "toilet culture" of China is quite interesting. Most places we have been to have maybe one western toilet (as in a seat). all other stalls have only a porcelain hole in the ground. Great fun is to be had if you need to go and all you find is a squater. Plus it seems that no toilets ever have toilet paper. which means you have to bring your own. What fun!
This of course leads to many questions. Does everyone in china bring toilet paper with them at all time? If not, what do they do when they need to go? Do they wipe their butts after they go publicly? Is the person next to me have crusty crap in their bum? Do they wipe them selves at all? Does that mean when it's warm and everyone is sweating, does the whole city smell like crap?
As you can see, many questions arise once you start thinking about it. Then comes the worse thought of them all (thanks James for making me realise it). Everyone you meet in China you think is hot, most likely squats, has crap in their bums (mostly bad news for James HAHA) and if we get up in a good sweat it's going to smell! Yay for poopy pants!
Luckily most people flush (but not everyone). My worst experience was in konming at their bus station:
Many stalls (good), none of the doors lock (bad), It smells a bit and none of the stalls are clean (worse), Finally brave it and take a dump in the last stall (good), next door stall flushes and shit water starts flooding into my stall (FUCKITY FUCK FUCK, MAYDAY MAYDAY, GET THE FUCK OUT!). Only thought then was just to get the fuck out and not touch the oncoming shit flood that has appeared. Luckily the shit flood went into my hole so the whole ground wasn't covered and I could escape unscathed. So yeah, toilets in china are an experience in themselves.
Later everyone!
måndag 22 november 2010
Heres a frenchy, theres a Frenchy, everywhere a Frenchy
Well last time on our big voyage, we traveled from konming to hekou. What a trip! It was a 7 hour bus ride through the big mountains and the view was fantastic. To keep us entertained our bus driver would start some hiliri-bad movies for us to watch. Then we took a stop for lunch and was served a bowl of noodles with chicken. I was the lucky one and got the chicken head in my bowl. Awesome! Didn't know how to eat it so I just left it in the bowl.
In Hekou we walked to the border and made our way into Loa Cai (border town of Vietnam). We were there for a short time and took a train direct to Hanoi.
Hanoi is busy. Not as big as the Chinese cities which we've been in but a lot of motorcycles everywhere. When we arrived we had no0 idea where to go. The only info on the city was a pamphlet for the drift. A hostel in the middle of Hanoi. Problem we had no idea where it was or where we were. Eventually we found it and checked in. And I think I found a like-minded receptionist. Her job was to make sure we had a horrible time (in a good way, think me). After settling down we looked up different ways to get to Ha long bay. We ended up deciding to take a three day tour. Reason being we have been thinking too much these past few days and with this tour you don't have to think much.
Ha Long / Cat ba islands was amazing. The views were outstanding, unfortunatly not so much night life. But it was all good. We stayed extended our stay and had one day just motorcycling through the island and finally hitting the beaches. Apparently though we found out that Vietnam is where all the French spend their vacation. Everywhere we went it was just tons of french people. I got to practice my french and impress everyone with my knowledge of the french culture (Joe Dassin). I don't think anyone was impressed but they laughed (at me or with me I don't know which) at least.
Now we arrived back at Hanoi and tommorrow head to Hue/Hoi An. Apparently good beaches and some surfing. We can only hope!
Vietnamese of the day:
Come on (phonetically) = Thank you
boom boom = massage
kong = no
In Hekou we walked to the border and made our way into Loa Cai (border town of Vietnam). We were there for a short time and took a train direct to Hanoi.
Hanoi is busy. Not as big as the Chinese cities which we've been in but a lot of motorcycles everywhere. When we arrived we had no0 idea where to go. The only info on the city was a pamphlet for the drift. A hostel in the middle of Hanoi. Problem we had no idea where it was or where we were. Eventually we found it and checked in. And I think I found a like-minded receptionist. Her job was to make sure we had a horrible time (in a good way, think me). After settling down we looked up different ways to get to Ha long bay. We ended up deciding to take a three day tour. Reason being we have been thinking too much these past few days and with this tour you don't have to think much.
Ha Long / Cat ba islands was amazing. The views were outstanding, unfortunatly not so much night life. But it was all good. We stayed extended our stay and had one day just motorcycling through the island and finally hitting the beaches. Apparently though we found out that Vietnam is where all the French spend their vacation. Everywhere we went it was just tons of french people. I got to practice my french and impress everyone with my knowledge of the french culture (Joe Dassin). I don't think anyone was impressed but they laughed (at me or with me I don't know which) at least.
Now we arrived back at Hanoi and tommorrow head to Hue/Hoi An. Apparently good beaches and some surfing. We can only hope!
Vietnamese of the day:
Come on (phonetically) = Thank you
boom boom = massage
kong = no
Beijing / Xian Photos
| Here are some pictures of Beijing and Xi'an more will follow. I do apologize to you photography buffs. I'm still learning my camera so the later ones hopefully become better. | |||||||||||
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| our hostel in beijing |
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| Some yummy local food |
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| Our first meal. A yummy noodle soup. |
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| Forbidden city |
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| entrance to the city |
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| One of the lions inside the city, Apparently female (playing with a cub, male play with a ball) |
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| One of the many hutong (alley) districts |
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| a kitchen in the hutong. Its as small as it looks |
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| Left to right: Frankie, David, my compatriot James and Milan |
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| the busy market in confucios temple |
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| llama temple (much praying there) |
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| Xians local dish, dumpling soup |
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| some family who randomly walked up to us to take photos of us. Thought I'd do the same of them. |
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| Lake in Xian which had many temples |
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| The moat sorrounding Xi'an |
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| Panda (the receptionists puppy) |
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| A stone statue at the terracotta army |
Sails ohoy! We have reached Nirvana....
Ha Long Bay.....
Wow! I could stop writing here. Words can't describe the place. Im gonna try though =)
We set on a 3 day boat journey to the Ha Long coast with it's hundreds of islands! After a bumpy 3h bus ride we reached the shores of Ha Long City. We jumped on our boat with all the others, basically a 3 story ship with sundeck, sofa corner in the front overlooking the sea and cozy restaurant. We got a nice cabin with twin beds....I just can't share bed with my mate, the sheet's tremble like hell from his farts haha =)
The boat took us in to the Ha Long bay and the islands.....just picture this, huge green islands and mountains reaching up from the turqoise sea as long as the eye can see. The word beautiful propably isn't enough to describe it...im gonna use the word miraculous instead!
We kayaked around the mountains and saw some grottos! Then we hopped back on the boat and dived from the boat in to the warm turqoise ocean and swam before dinner....ah just out of this world!
We reached Cat Ba island the next day, where we stayed overnight in a hotel. This island is like taken off the set of Jurassic park! It's huge, sparsely populated and green as all hell with jungle and mountains! We had a hike up a mountain which was awesome, just climbing up steep rocks at one point and reaching the top, climbing up an old rusted view tower overlooking the island!
Well we loved the island so we skipped our group the next day as they went back and instead we checked in to another hotel and stayed with our new found friends Nicola from New Zeeland and Guillaume and his Mama Astrid from Tahiti! Together we rentad motorbikes and set course around the island driving boldly where no one else before has....well almost hehe! The island is just awesome, you drop your chin where ever you go (Jean Marie would click click click and take a billion pictures =) ). We visited an old grotto used as a hospital back in the war days, took a beer in a little village in the middle of nowhere and drove the around coastline! The dinner was like sex on a plate and oral orgasm at the same time =) we had sea food bonanza with fresh grilled squid, fresh crab, crab rolls, sauteed pak choy, fresh langoustines and some fresh shrimps with pork....I fell ashamed when I say we paid like 150kr for it all.......yeah......
Also took a nice swim on the beach in the sunset....aaahhh how picturesque!
Haha the hotel we stayed in was shit though....it was low season there so it was us three (shared room with Nicola) and another couple just staying in the hotel. At night they locked the doors with bike locks so you couldn't get in from the outside and then at night just when taking a piss they turned the water off....imagine 2 days without shower.....mmmm mums fillibabba!!!!!
Next day back to Hanoi and here we are now as I am writing this.....just booked an open bus ticket through our hostel. Basically it's a 30 day open ticket for 900 000 Dong, which takes you through the whole coastline and it's towns all the way to Saigon which is our end destination in Vietnam! The bus has real beads plus you save some dough travelling overnight in bus instead of hostel. The next morning we reach Hoi An, which is beach paradise and there we stay about a week, renting some motorbikes and doing the surrounding beaches and mountains like Da Nang and Hue! Then we just Step on the bus and go on to Mui Ne which is supposed to be even more of a beach paradise....and yes finally surfing!!!!!
Stay tuned on Channel Nick&James
Wow! I could stop writing here. Words can't describe the place. Im gonna try though =)
We set on a 3 day boat journey to the Ha Long coast with it's hundreds of islands! After a bumpy 3h bus ride we reached the shores of Ha Long City. We jumped on our boat with all the others, basically a 3 story ship with sundeck, sofa corner in the front overlooking the sea and cozy restaurant. We got a nice cabin with twin beds....I just can't share bed with my mate, the sheet's tremble like hell from his farts haha =)
The boat took us in to the Ha Long bay and the islands.....just picture this, huge green islands and mountains reaching up from the turqoise sea as long as the eye can see. The word beautiful propably isn't enough to describe it...im gonna use the word miraculous instead!
We kayaked around the mountains and saw some grottos! Then we hopped back on the boat and dived from the boat in to the warm turqoise ocean and swam before dinner....ah just out of this world!
We reached Cat Ba island the next day, where we stayed overnight in a hotel. This island is like taken off the set of Jurassic park! It's huge, sparsely populated and green as all hell with jungle and mountains! We had a hike up a mountain which was awesome, just climbing up steep rocks at one point and reaching the top, climbing up an old rusted view tower overlooking the island!
Well we loved the island so we skipped our group the next day as they went back and instead we checked in to another hotel and stayed with our new found friends Nicola from New Zeeland and Guillaume and his Mama Astrid from Tahiti! Together we rentad motorbikes and set course around the island driving boldly where no one else before has....well almost hehe! The island is just awesome, you drop your chin where ever you go (Jean Marie would click click click and take a billion pictures =) ). We visited an old grotto used as a hospital back in the war days, took a beer in a little village in the middle of nowhere and drove the around coastline! The dinner was like sex on a plate and oral orgasm at the same time =) we had sea food bonanza with fresh grilled squid, fresh crab, crab rolls, sauteed pak choy, fresh langoustines and some fresh shrimps with pork....I fell ashamed when I say we paid like 150kr for it all.......yeah......
Also took a nice swim on the beach in the sunset....aaahhh how picturesque!
Haha the hotel we stayed in was shit though....it was low season there so it was us three (shared room with Nicola) and another couple just staying in the hotel. At night they locked the doors with bike locks so you couldn't get in from the outside and then at night just when taking a piss they turned the water off....imagine 2 days without shower.....mmmm mums fillibabba!!!!!
Next day back to Hanoi and here we are now as I am writing this.....just booked an open bus ticket through our hostel. Basically it's a 30 day open ticket for 900 000 Dong, which takes you through the whole coastline and it's towns all the way to Saigon which is our end destination in Vietnam! The bus has real beads plus you save some dough travelling overnight in bus instead of hostel. The next morning we reach Hoi An, which is beach paradise and there we stay about a week, renting some motorbikes and doing the surrounding beaches and mountains like Da Nang and Hue! Then we just Step on the bus and go on to Mui Ne which is supposed to be even more of a beach paradise....and yes finally surfing!!!!!
Stay tuned on Channel Nick&James
Once upon a time far far away.....
Vietnam! Finally reaching the heat and the sun.
Two white, crazy dudes taking a 10h bus ride from Kunming, China down to the Lao Cai border of Vietnam not knowing where the hell we are going to be dropped off at. Well luckly we managed to grab a night train to Hanoi an hour later, well that is after being harrassed by the local bike mafia who sells dodgy train tickets for cheap prices.
So we landed in crazy Hanoi.....at 4 am in the morning! No idea where to go or which direction downtown would be. Luckly again we had a broschure of one hostel somewhere in Hanoi, which we could show to a cab driver and take us there. Oh btw it was a straight road downtown to the hotel, but we got scammed driving small shitty streets...basically thats what you get if you don't know the city, so we ended up paying 120000 Dong aka 40kr instead of the 30000 it should have been. Hey when in Vietnam!!
Talking about prices, it's great to be in Vietnam as you are basically a millionaire....not cause of the budget but the exchange rate actually. See smallest bill is 1000 dong which is shit money, like 0,1 dollar. Going to the ATM our first time we took out 5 million dong!!! Ok you think we are crazy now right, walking with pockets full of cash...well eehh see that's only 230-250 dollars. Buying a coffee will set you back like 15000 dong.....it's a nightmare for my poor lazy white boy brain to calculate millions all the time when buying hahaha....I just wonder how they do when they buy cars......only 15 billion Mr, good price! =)
Hanoi is awesome in it's own laid back, old french colony style. Downtown is surrounded by a beautiful grand lake and then you have the old quarter which is just buzzing with life!!!! Imagine hundreds of shops and cafe's on narrow streets combined with thousands of motorbikes and occassional cars!! I just wonder how I'm gonna do in swedish traffic when I get back? See here you just walk out on the road and cross, you just keep eye contact with the two million motorbikes and they do the same....and never...never ever ever take a step back cause then your dead....beginner tourist mistake hehe!
Nightlife isn't too crazy here, much more in Saigon. But you do meet some great people. Everybody's just relaxed and chilled, travellers have pretty much the same stories so it's great to listen and get some tips off them! So soon we go to Hoi An but more on that in a later sequel to this thrilling blog which blows the hell out of "The bold and the beautiful".....
Two white, crazy dudes taking a 10h bus ride from Kunming, China down to the Lao Cai border of Vietnam not knowing where the hell we are going to be dropped off at. Well luckly we managed to grab a night train to Hanoi an hour later, well that is after being harrassed by the local bike mafia who sells dodgy train tickets for cheap prices.
So we landed in crazy Hanoi.....at 4 am in the morning! No idea where to go or which direction downtown would be. Luckly again we had a broschure of one hostel somewhere in Hanoi, which we could show to a cab driver and take us there. Oh btw it was a straight road downtown to the hotel, but we got scammed driving small shitty streets...basically thats what you get if you don't know the city, so we ended up paying 120000 Dong aka 40kr instead of the 30000 it should have been. Hey when in Vietnam!!
Talking about prices, it's great to be in Vietnam as you are basically a millionaire....not cause of the budget but the exchange rate actually. See smallest bill is 1000 dong which is shit money, like 0,1 dollar. Going to the ATM our first time we took out 5 million dong!!! Ok you think we are crazy now right, walking with pockets full of cash...well eehh see that's only 230-250 dollars. Buying a coffee will set you back like 15000 dong.....it's a nightmare for my poor lazy white boy brain to calculate millions all the time when buying hahaha....I just wonder how they do when they buy cars......only 15 billion Mr, good price! =)
Hanoi is awesome in it's own laid back, old french colony style. Downtown is surrounded by a beautiful grand lake and then you have the old quarter which is just buzzing with life!!!! Imagine hundreds of shops and cafe's on narrow streets combined with thousands of motorbikes and occassional cars!! I just wonder how I'm gonna do in swedish traffic when I get back? See here you just walk out on the road and cross, you just keep eye contact with the two million motorbikes and they do the same....and never...never ever ever take a step back cause then your dead....beginner tourist mistake hehe!
Nightlife isn't too crazy here, much more in Saigon. But you do meet some great people. Everybody's just relaxed and chilled, travellers have pretty much the same stories so it's great to listen and get some tips off them! So soon we go to Hoi An but more on that in a later sequel to this thrilling blog which blows the hell out of "The bold and the beautiful".....
måndag 15 november 2010
Natural born killers
Yeah forgot to mention the Xian thing. Quite creepy, we first were at the reception talking shit with the receptionist. Being the guy I am every person walking in I would say ni hao. A couple arrived and when I said it they looked at me funny. Receptionist warned me that people could be offended if I do that so decided to stop.
Later that night we were on our way to bed when I saw the guy in the corridor (had the room next to us). 5 seconds after we enter our room he knocks on the door with two wine bottles.First I thought he wanted a bottle opener, but he didn't seem to want one. He didn't speak a word of english but we figured out that he wanted to invite us for some wine. Cool I thought, I managed to charm a couple by just saying hi. Man am I good.
Well we decided to follow into their room where its all lit by candlelight. The woman was on her laptop going through somethings, while the man offered the drink. We all took a drink, James didn't take so much as he wanted me to drink to see if it was drugged (just so that one of us would be ok incase they did something, or so he says...) And then we all just stood at the balcony while the dude would try to say Xian night is beautiful (he had google translator). Then the woman wanted to take a picture of us two (James and I). That was when I felt that maybe all they wanted to do was to get us drunk and butcher our bodies. Well unfortunatly for them I like my body so we told them that we had an early train ride and had to go. They understood (kinda) and I got his cigarette pack to remember him by. aww shucks the murderers wanted me to remember them, thanks.
All in all, just a normal night for us here in china.
Later that night we were on our way to bed when I saw the guy in the corridor (had the room next to us). 5 seconds after we enter our room he knocks on the door with two wine bottles.First I thought he wanted a bottle opener, but he didn't seem to want one. He didn't speak a word of english but we figured out that he wanted to invite us for some wine. Cool I thought, I managed to charm a couple by just saying hi. Man am I good.
Well we decided to follow into their room where its all lit by candlelight. The woman was on her laptop going through somethings, while the man offered the drink. We all took a drink, James didn't take so much as he wanted me to drink to see if it was drugged (just so that one of us would be ok incase they did something, or so he says...) And then we all just stood at the balcony while the dude would try to say Xian night is beautiful (he had google translator). Then the woman wanted to take a picture of us two (James and I). That was when I felt that maybe all they wanted to do was to get us drunk and butcher our bodies. Well unfortunatly for them I like my body so we told them that we had an early train ride and had to go. They understood (kinda) and I got his cigarette pack to remember him by. aww shucks the murderers wanted me to remember them, thanks.
All in all, just a normal night for us here in china.
Insert lame joke here
Sails ahoy! We set course to Chengdu , capital of tea and pandas in China Xi’an Asia . On the last night just going to bed we had a knock on our door….upon opening up there stood a Chinese guy from the room next door, shaking two bottles of wine in his hands! The guy of course spoke no English but after a couple of misunderstandings we understood he wanted us to follow him for a drink.
So landing in his….erhm…they’re room, see he had girlfriend…ish…in high boots, miniskirt and 2 dollar make up. Nick and I shit our pants thinking we’d be raped, robbed and murdered, going through all kinds of situations in our minds. Eventually the girl walked and sat on her bed just sitting there, awkward situation started to arise and we understood we were part of the entertainment for tonight so quick as hell did we get out of there….Oh well enough about Xi’an
Back to Chengdu
So after a night of flirting by the hotel bar with our two bartenders, we got to see some pandas!!! Yeeyy, some furry, lazy, fat, hungry pandas!! They’re the cutest thing you’ll ever see and as you can see from the description above they’re just like us two haha. But man are they the laziest organisms on earth!
On our second night we met a couple of Swedish dudes and an Englishman who we had a blast with! Playing cards and drinking game till 2am in the morning and then heading out for barbecue on the streets of Chengdu, 10 skewers for 12 yuan aka 12 kr, cant be the prices =)
Now it’s all about getting to Vietnam Kunming 6.30 in the morning, no beauty sleep for us bitches.
/James
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