City walls, people watching, and a city that has something

The soft sleeper, although packing the matress of your grandma's couch, was the perfect fit at 6'4 lad and an ideal way to travel from Shanghai to Xi'an. For sure, we were a curiosity and a surprise to the guards and locals, but the gawks and giggles are easily humoured or ignored. Gazing out the windows, you quickly notice bare or unutilised land is a rarity; Crops are sown side by side with bridges, roads, and telephone poles. Time without a factory appearing on the horizon seems like only minutes and the word cul de sac brings new meaning, when you see 30 identical highrise apartments in a row, housing possibly ten thousand people.

Xi'an as a destination, has it. An ancient city, housing the imperial capitails for nigh on700 years, it is full of history, architectural delights and wonders. Situated in the mid east of China, it is far enough away from the megatropolises of Shanghai and Hong Kong to retain some of it's Chineseness; albeit the mix of 20th century charm, markets, and minority culture versus the neon lights and sky scrapers, and shopping malls of the 21st. The retention of the smaller city walls, 40 metres high covering 13 square kilometres, adds a real authenticity that sometimes you feel is faked for tourists. The hui muslim minority add an interesting mix with unique food, dress, music, architecture, and more kebabs than you can poke a stick at. The local sweets, less sugar intensive than western standards are brilliant at 20c a pop。As a rule, most street food is fantastic, but let me teach you a lesson Children, eating goose feet are why we invented antibiotics. Being smart ars*s, we've taken to communicating in spanish with each other when bartering, this is, until one young attendents snapped "Cuarenta es loco" and game was almost hers, 'cept that I have my Dad's dutch bartering genes.

Engaging the services of a local guide, whose self proclaimed English name is Tiger King (no, not something I made up after a few drinks), we embarked on quick jaunt around the eastern sites in his spanking new SUV. First of, the terracotta warriors, a series of underground "pits" containing at least 8000 unique 6 foot warriors, 130 chariots, 520 horses, and 150 cavarly horses, all masterfully and uniquely sculptured, painted, holding weapons. Built in 210 BC for the first emperor as protection in the after life seemed like a good idea at the time, except he failed to ensure they were adequately protected in the current life. As per most commissioners of great work, he was a bit of a tool who didn't mind engaging in the odd war, rape and pillage, and using slaves, to well, build thousands upon thousands of masterpieces, then killing them to ensure their secrecy. As such, about ten years after his passing, his enemies conquered his kingdom and plundered his tomb leaving a decades of restauration work for today's chinese.

Let me tell you, the Big Goose Pagoda is a real treat. Fortuitiously arriving just before closing time, we virtually had the whole place to ourselves for sunset, bar the odd farting monk. Fantastic architecture, brilliant gardens, and a plethora of bueatiful paintings and sculputres.



Mount Hua, one China's sacred and national mountains, with temples, shrines, and pagodas atop of scenic peaks is lauded about throughout China resulting in about a thousand tourist each day and night; oh, and it is known as the steep one to the locals. Sound brilliant? Well yes, but I accidently booked a tourist bus for Chinese who intended to bypass the hardest sections by cable car, meander up the mountains, and had no intention of letting me go it alone. Now, I'm not sure weather it was my chinglish debating skills or my constant pestering, but I secured my freedom which resulted in one of my most one day memorable hikes. Part adrenalin, part defiance at besting the lazy bunch, part iPod, and part orios, I quickly slayed the additional 2000 metres ascent a passed my group to ascend the first peak treated to a very light snow fall. Adding further to the delight with each peak was either a temple, statue, pagoda, or monastry. I wonder if it will get to me in five weeks, but I was asked to pose in about 10 photo's and even a small group offering to guide me through the passes just because I was a tall westerner.

We sped of to Chengdu on a 17 hour train ridem, befriending a pair of locals, a 17 from near Urumqi and a 24 ex army dude with 2 girlfriends who we chinglished with.

Dumplings, smog, and progress?

You can't talk about Shanghai with a little history lesson. Basically a backwater until the 1830's, when a bit of old fashioned imperialism "allowed" the french and british to set up "concessoions" (read colonies) in the heart of shanghai, complete with their own juristinctions, police forces, taxation systems, even water companies. Firstly, it turned Shanghai into the new york or paris of the orient, a place to be, visited by the likes of albert einstein and u.s. presidents. Secondly, and predictably, with three juristictions, it became a haven of crinimals and prostitues, where evading the police, became simply a matter of crossing the border, earning it the moniker, the whore of the orient. Finally, it made the chinese second class citizens in their own country, which inevitably sows the seeds of discontent.

What happened next is history, the communists formented a revolution, tearing down any vestiges of capitalism, only to reverse course in 1990.

So, what is Shanghai today?
A sprawling megatropolis of 17 million with ubiquitous construction and smog, where a new york type skyscraper can neighbour urban squalor with squat toilets, yellow water, and less than basic hygene. The urban elite buy the wares of street vendors making less than 5 dollars a day, without any sign of discontent. Mao, a man seemingly revered in China for his socialist spirit surely would turn in his grave viewing the inequality that is Shanghia.
It boast a stunning water front "the Bund" with an array of 1880's - 1930's New York and Londonesque buildings inhabit by the party apparatik.
A french concession, filled with potentially romatic relics of yesteryear with numerous fine french dining opportunities.
Wonderous, simply wonderous street vendors line the street offering dumplings, asian styled pancakes, milkshares, and numerous other tasty and "unknown" treats.
If you can picture a 1920's Chinese city, it will be old town, with the typical asian architecture you expect to see on tv. Of course, it is lined with vendors peddling anything from tea, to t-shirts, to the little red book. A quick walk around the corner reveals the urban squalor that you come to expect, but rarely a snap happy tourist would see.
And what of the Shanghaiese? For a large metropolis, they seem a happy enough bunch, albeit a bit pushy when the mere mention of an orderly line. Odly, the salesmen and women aren't pushy by contempary standards. Oh, and they certainly do like to huck a loogee, yes, even the chicks.
Finally, can't forget to mention the remarkable digs Florian put up for us, even whilst he was sunning himself in Cambodia, leaving lock, stock, and barrell to us!

I was the unfortunate diner, after ordering a tasty turtle, only have the waiter explain they were out... Oh the nerve.

All in all, even though I could certainly live and work in Shanghai, I'm not entirely sure it has a soul? Perhaps it was lost during the revolution or push for modernisation, it is sort of like a room with too many colours that don't match. Sure, you like some, but together, they look rather odd.

Next, a 17 hour trip by train to Xian.

Ready, steady, go

The rucksack is packed, but not full. A little nervous about the hour between landing in Sydney, hopefully on time, and the rush to the international terminal. At Shanghai, an hour taxi ride will land us in an apartment of a traveling mate, who just happens to be traveling in Cambodia. We just hope his flat mate is cool and not put out by a pair of stinky backpackers.

Let's go.

In search of the giant panda

Three more sleeps till the next trip.... 5 1/2 weeks in china, starting in shanghai and ending in bejing. No real plans to speak of, although a desire to head to Tibet. Gatronomically, looking to seriously punish my stomach and spend a night or two nights on some fermented yaks milk. Looking to visit as many minorities as possible, which may lead to a trip to central asia or mongolia. Hopefully the short course in Mandarin this year will help determine what animal Beth is eating. Oh yeah, If I can scare my mum with my exploits, it will probably help me feel young.

Let's do it, China '09.