Day 9 Mongolia

Our itinerary was changed so we spent one less day in Beijing and we will have one extra day in Moscow. i might not get round to changing the list.

We had a peking duck dinner in Beijing before we left - it was great, I tasted most dishes and ate lots of duck - all uneventful. We then spent the next 40 hours on the train. The mountains as we left Beijing should have looked spectacular if we could have seen them - smog. Then we went passed many coal trains and horrible industrial cities for most of the day with heaps of rubbish, mostly plastic.

We were loaded off the train for 2 hours as we crossed into Mongolia because of the change of gauge and the bogeys were changed. We were then woken up at 1.30 by very serious dedicated border guards checking passports and train. All went smoothly.

We awoke to the Gobi Desert - and a BLUE SKY - the first since I arrived. Two Mongolians with lots of boxes of fruit joined us in our cabin and were appropriately friendly. The view outside the window was as expected, groups of gers, cattle, horses and herdsmen.

Tomorrow we go to stay for 2 nights in a ger. I am unsure as to weather to go horse riding. Bicycles stop when you stop pedalling.

Beijing -

We went to The Great Wall andI went up many steps with a massive crowd of people, mostly Chinese - crowd worse than any christmas shopping. The view would have been great if we could have seen it. The Wall is amazing though. I must look like a grandmother because a young couple with a 12 month old baby asked to be photographed with me.

Then we went to Ming Tombs, and the bus went passed the Olympic buildings - stadium (birds nest) and the pool, very spectacular architecture. Like Sydney there is a great deal of plenty of trees, shrubs, and laying of turf along freeways.

Tomorrow we go on about 40 hour train journey to Mongolia.

Beijing

We arrived in Beijing this morning a 7.17 on a non stop, fairly new train, bathrooms pretty good and a TV at the end of each bed with head sets. There was a Chinese film with English subtitles.

The crowds at the station were unbelieveable, all bags go through detectors like airports but it seems to work. We then visited two temples and Tienamen Square, which I found quite moving. The crowds are incredible but possibly normal, tourists and locals. We then went to the narrow streets of the old part of the city and were taken for a ride in a bicycle rickshaw and visited a house in that quarter. As there is no sewage people use public toilets.

Then more exercise as we climbed 69 steps up another bell tower.

The final feat was going to a local supermarket to buy provisions for 5 meals on the train to Ulanbaator on Tuesday. Trying to read the ingredients is a challenge but some items have it in English. The building was a rabbit warren, lots of people of course but extremely helpful shop attendents who kept offering to help whenever I seemed confused, which was most of the time. I bought bottled water, milk, yoghurt, 2 tins of fish, packet noodles, bananas and a pear for about $7.00. It made French hypermarts a breeze but there was heaps more help offered.

Tomorrow the Great Wall

Xian - Standing Up

Xian has a complete wall around the old part of the city - 13.7 km long. We cycled along it this morning so I am now standing up. Then we went up the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, lots of steps and would have had great views if we could have seen into the distance.

Then we walked through the Muslem Centre - narrow streets with lots of food sellers and Middle Eastern food. Apparently there is about 2 mill Moslems in Xian who came in the 13th century.

We are off to Beijing on an overnight train. i expect to sleep well.

Xian - Saturday - Permaculture

Our guide told us he was doing his bit for the environment - here it needs all the help it can get.

He keeps 38 hamsters, and he used the power they generate on their wheel to charge his mobile phone.

Will it take on?

Day 3 Xian

Day 3 and All is Well

Group is 6 people so far, all Australians in older age group with young Sri Lankan/Australian leader, so I share room with the leader, Mennika.

We left Hong Kong on Wednesday went to Ghanzoug - pop. 10.5 mill. where we had a short tour of city and lunch and visit to famous museum. I don't think anyone ever sees the sun here - so many young people and shops. All a bit depressing.

Then overnight train to Xian - pop. 8.7 mill - trip of 38 hours. Incident with one couple in our group - re sharing with locals - meant I shared the compartment with a bloke from the group and a 2 month old baby, woman, (baby's grandmother), and baby's father. Very interesting - baby was constantly fed, wrapped in an extraordinary amount of clothes on a hot train, never burped and toilet trained - ie held over used nappy and often this worked. Baby, whose name is Chen Xu Lin was very content and I was left in charge of him on 2 occasions.

So the incident was my good fortune. Bed on the train was comfortable and people especially young train guard were extremely friendly and helpful. All this information came from hand movements and the odd word from helpful strangers. Toilets were a bit confronting but we all adapted.

Thursday night we arrived in Xian. Today a bit of sunshine and a a bit of blue in sky. We went to see Entombed Warriors. This was not on my list of things to do so I was completely blown away on the size of the pits and the extent of the exhibition. It was completely incredible, however I resisted having a replica sent home for my garden.

Tonight we go to a Cultural Evening and a dumpling dinner.

I hope I can add photos at some point.

Farewell Lunch

Lovely food, good company and family at Veronica's.

Getting Ready

Friday 18 April Dinner with Val and Sue at Chris Semmler's - fun, interesting

Saturday 19 April Packing, gardening and dinner with Chris, Leesa and Sophie - will miss them.