Out of Words 17 : Oh Captain My Captain

The Conquest of Xi 'an, the West Capital

OUR TWO days of boredom in Shanghai resulted to push the wanderer in us (naks), myself and John to purchase a train ticket during the National Holiday. Really, it was only when I step inside the train coach did I realize I was leaving Shanghai to conquer a far far away land, former silk road city called Xi ‘an (西安) the capital of Shaanxi Province nestling in China’s vast northwest. Armed only with an A4 map that lacked Hanzi, John’s prowess to converse in Mandarin and few notes and online readings, we were ready to conquer Xi’an by storm.

Day 01 10.02.08AD

The train fare cost us 510rmb. It’s quite expensive but we were provided a small but comfortable bed inside a train cabin for 4 passengers so we could survive a 15 hrs ride to our destination. In Shanghai, the ticketing office did not give us a return ticket and said we could purchase them in Xi ‘an only to find out later we made a big mistake.

In our cabin, we met this middle age and a very interesting Chinese lady now carrying a Swiss passport. I forgot her name but she conversed in English very well. She shared tales of her life inside and outside of China, personal experiences during the Mao era and the Cultural Revolution, her thoughts about Zhang Yimou and the Beijing Olympics. We spent like 3 hrs talking with her until we realized it’s time to have dinner.

After dinner we slept awhile and woke up nand still we were not there. Spent few hours in the dining taking booze of local beer served uncold with the train employees on the other side talking and talking loud before calling it day. I had a hard time sleeping on my bed except that I thought it was cool ala Harry Potter going to Hogwarts, but luckily, no Dementors around to piss me off.

Day 02 10.03.08AD

We arrived in Xi ‘an rail depot by 8am and greeted by the City Walls nearby. The morning weather was colder and foggy (or was it smog). In the ticket area, we saw ocean of people (人山人海)on queue buying ticket this scene we expected but the news that there were no available train seats to Shanghai this coming weekend really blew our minds and thought we were dead and stranded.

So, half day we spent looking for the hotel and thinking how on earth we would go back to Shanghai. Motel 168 was full so we tried the one beside it and luckily we got a room for 230rmb but only after manager’s intervention. Her counter people weren’t friendly to check us in for reason we did not know of. After considering a lot of things, we decided to take a plane back to Shanghai. It would cost us a lot but it’s faster, more comfortable and so sure we would get back. Thanks to John’s Mandy for taking care of us on these all the way from Macau.

Knowing everything was ok we went inside the City Walls to it’s center, where the north, south east west streets collide, taking pictures of the Bell Tower (西安钟楼), it’s people and the city itself. Xi ‘an was one of the four ancient capital of China with it walls still preserved. The southern gates provide you access for 40rmb to the walls, climbed its stairs and walk and see from a 4 storey high view point the life inside and outside the walls though the fog ruined every far away panorama. There where structures like sentry towers in the walls but to walk its perimeter was very exhausting and we made a descent. We headed south, taking a ride on this 3 wheeled motorcycle with our driver avoiding wisely traffic jam, slithering on the city thoroughfares and driving like hell.

On our destination, we were welcome by these big jets of fountains dancing on a square with many spectators encircling in awe. Paid 40rmb again, to enter to a Buddhist territory and had a closer look of the centuries old Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔). I concluded that it’s a remarkable piece of ancient ecclesiastical architecture still towering to live another day. Late afternoon we headed back to the hotel to rest a bit and to get some things. The taxi’s flag rate here by the way pegged at 6rmb.

Dark came early, so we returned inside the city center again, roamed and took night shots of the Drum Tower (鼓楼) in Xi Da Jie. There were a lots of lots of souvenir shops in the area but did not buy any. memento What we need that time was to feed ourselves and the Muslim Street (回民街) nearby was a mecca for exotic food you’d never imagined people would eat. There were people everywhere walking, selling, haggling, buying, eating and eating again. I loved the festive atmosphere in the street it was like silk road of the ancient times and we his nomads from the east. In Xi’an you’d see people with caps on their heads and sometimes women with veil in their heads and really felt how diverse the culture of China was.

Day 03 10.04.08AD

The next day we got up early, check out from the hotel, got a cab and rode the number 306 bus for 6rmb to take us in one of the most important archeological treasure of China, The Army of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses (兵马俑). It took us less than an hour to get to the place non stop from the city walls. How popular is the site could be read on hundreds of cars parked outside that early morning. The ticket a bit pricey like 90rmb and there were like three checks and a one long walk to get inside the compound. The first museum we visited gave us a look on these 2 wheeled chariots and story of the finds and the constructions of the museums. The next one housed the biggest pit and there they were Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army and Horses (and weapons of bronze) unearthed to tell to modern man the history of what was once a great dynasty. I was like 10 minutes in the viewing platform beholding these artifacts of great magnitude. The size and scale and thinking that it’s 210BC material really amazed me but that did not stop me from taking pictures trigger happy. There were 2 more pits and they were great and I love the way the interior space of the museums, generally the architecture, adjusted to the treasures it sheltered. It was really amen to the intricate details of the warriors learning them up close.

On our way out, there was long line of commercial spaces with souvenirs selling figures of the warriors from tiny to life sized. Interestingly, there were many shops selling wolf and fox fur, in all sizes and colors, which would make PETA screaming for foul.

The taxi driver learning that we were going to Qinshinhuang Mausoleum next commented that it was not fun there at all. But still we made a stop. Examining the spot from the gate we knew we would go climbing so we didn’t go. We thought our feet had enough of walking and made to believe that perhaps the cab driver was telling us the truth.

The next taxi driver was again a very kind and Samaritan Xi ‘anese. He was so very helpful and friendly to us in giving us a lift to the foot of Li Shan (Mount Li). The nameless soul even taught us where to leave our bags safely and gave the direction of the bus going to the city.

To pamper ourselves we took a cable car to the top of the mountain. On the top, we saw Lintong county covered mostly of afternoon fog and personally felt disappointed. In the brochure, the tour to the mountain was promising but we have less time to carry another that adventure and so we headed back to the inside Xi’an walls and feasted on chicken, beef, egg and rice western style in a cozy restaurant downtown.

By 4.30pm we were Starbucks, near the Bell Tower, sipping frapuccino and buying the only memento for this grand escapade, Starbucks city mug. How’s that? And what do you know, there were plenty of buses waiting for us across the Nan Da Jie to take us to the airport for 6rmb.

It was a great trip. Using Pablo Coelho’s cliché, we believe the universe was conspiring with us all the while. This was a tour really prepared come what may but the outcome went fine, really really fine.

on Travelling

Lakbayan created by Eugene Villar test how much you traveled the the Philippines graphically. Killing time at the office I tried and gave me this result and a grade me as C. Pity my map has a lot of white shades meaning is self explanatory. I dont know what C means but looking back I the best 3 places to me are Boracay, Sagada and Batanes. Kaw?
anung top 3 best na lugar mo sa Pinas???

My Lakbayan grade is C!

Tale of two Cities

Two of the renowned city of the Mainland I recently visited this summer. Their close proximity to Shanghai made it possible to visit these lovely cities which are considered the courtyards of Shanghai. In this literature you’d find out that there are more reasons of visiting them other than collecting Starbucks city mug.

Hangzhou, Epitome of Classic Chinese beauty

I knew I would be back to this city this time with no work in mine but to explore its natural beauty and what a nice thing to do the sight seeing with my Nang, my lovely wife, with me. It was a sort of our honeymoon after getting married in the Philippines and a personal conviction that when I take Nang abroad she would also see other city than Shanghai. It was good idea also to explore a realm unknown to us together and learn and love the things after.

So, I asked the office people to purchase me 2 roundtrip ticket to Hangzhou from Shanghai and vice versa (54rmb per trip) this after checking that eastern China would receive heavy rains during the weekend. We have umbrella anyway, just in case I realized. I did research about the city from the net and my paperback, wrote notes to sort of have informal itinerary in my mind.

We woke up early on that Saturday and Shanghai was gloomy and raining. The city metro from Changshu Road took us to the circular shaped Shanghai South Railway Station. The way every mode of transportation depots link close to each other is one thing I appreciate here in Shanghai. By 7.30am, we were on CRH electric train riding 150km/hr southbound to Zhejiang province.

The train ride to Hangzhou
took at least 2hrs and the Shanghai rain seemed to lost in her way and stopped trailing us. In the station, I hired this van to take us in Xihutiandi for 30rmb after desperately giving up of finding cab. In Nanshan road, I bought a city map in English in a kiosk to guide us accordingly and to spot the right and best spot to enjoy Hangzhou. We passed on this temple and slithered on pathways with lawns and flower plants along leading us to our destination… Xihu or West Lake. I have seen Nanjing’s XuanWu lake but Xihu was superbly classical and naturally blessed with scenic landscape.

While we walked on the gray pavement, with water and garden in between us, the growing willows trees on the edge lake with their branches and leaves kissing the peaceful water was quite a lovely attraction to appreciate.The pedestrian bridge and zigzag boardwalk in Chinese in their style and form were also worth to capture on frames.

After paying 40rmb for a ticket, we headed to our boat docking at Pier 1 at Lakeside Park with already 20 people on board. The wooden boat with a pagoda looking shed took us in a 10 minutes ride to Midlake Pavilion and Ruan Gong Islet, these two islands nestle in the middle of the lake and provides you
a scenery of Chinese gardens and architecture that dates back to dynasty days. What impressed me most, and I hope Nang would agree with me, was the island called Xiaoying Island with its Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, never understood what that really meant. Roaming the island covered in green and lush planting you’d see floating wooden pavilions of red, white and gray hue and concrete pathway on stilts laid out in Chinese fret pattern like.
The calm water of the pond and with the island panorama seemed to invite me to meditate, seating crossed leg, eyes closed like Buddha position and receiving the enlightenment.

We had a break, ate some light lunch whilst viewing the boats crossing the lake and further south we saw Leifing Pagoda towering mightily over the green mountain. By late noon, we took our last Xihu boat ride and headed north to the largest island called Guashan Island and with a still small amount of energy we still have, we braved enough to climb those steep slopes. Downhill, we were rewarded with a view of armies of large lotus covering the lake.

Realizing our feet and stomachs were complaining, we decided to hitch on one of those electric carts that circles Xihu. The carts passed along the Bai Causeway and many important waterfront but we made our stop in Xihutiandi. This Hangzhou’s version of Xintiandi looks cozy and gives you a feeling that you are one with nature with its chow buildings designed in glass panel walls and roofing surrounded outside with fine bamboo and greens. Eating inside the glass walls or even a walk along Xihutiandi’s esplanades is a must. We ended our day in Hangzhou sipping cold frappuccino in Starbucks that still has a good window view of the lake called Xihu.

P.S.

This literature is to my wife, Nang.

A great and noble Suzhou

The idea was conceived to conquer Suzhou happened over a cup of coffee with Filipino friends two days prior. It was sort of a treat to a friend who wished to see Suzhou and who was leaving China in a week.

It was a Sunday, when I first set my foot to Suzhou. It’s a 30 minutes train ride from Shanghai and cost me 62rmb for a roundtrip. Before noon there were already crowds of people in the rail depot not to mention the locals who were offering some transport service that to rent for a day. But we opted to ride in this modern rickshaw that can carries two passengers for 20 rmb. Our chauffeurs headed us in Dong Bei Jie our first destination.

The Suzhou Museum is a new attraction of the city and houses few artifacts mostly from Qing and Ming dynasty period but the building was an architectural wonders of its own designed by infamous architect Ieoh Ming Pei (貝聿銘). The museum of white and gray was very modern and very minimal in design but still seemed to embrace stay loyal to Suzhou and Chinese tradition. I personally like the hallway ceiling in wooden slots over a glass skylight. Meanwhile the stone wave on the back draft of a big white wall was amazing but I felt some Japanese style there. The entrance to the museum was free and the fully air conditioned interior was a refuge from the scorching heat outside.

The tour of Suzhou would not be complete
without riding a Chinese galley that slithers on the city’s dynasty old canals. The 40minutes galley ride was quite an experience seeing these old houses along and arch stone bridges who bare witness to the silk trade in the old days. When noon came, we ate Chinese lunch fried rice and dried noodles in this cozy bridge like restaurant over the city’s canal.

Because it’s a peak season we paid 70rmb to enter to a World Heritage Site called The Humble Administrator's Garden. It was grand, green and luxuriant. There were numerous pavilions, ponds with lily pads and maze like paths that seem endless to walk at.

We ended the tour visiting the pedestrian lane called Gong Xiang Jie. Here we paid homage to Starbucks and bought a city mug. We rested for a while near the yellow gold wall temple of Xuanmiao until we realized its time to say goodbye to this Chinese noble city.