China

China China China!!! Needless to say we were slightly excited about our trip our china adventure. Although with all the hassle of getting the visa in Bangkok we only had less than two weeks to make it through the country. It didn’t seem like too much of a task until we realized just what a big country it is. Its motherfudging huge!!! Judging from the fact it takes max six hours to make it from one end of Ireland to the next we figured maybe three times that for china..ehh NO slight underestimation. From Beijing to our first stop Xi’an, it was going to be over 24hours on the train!! And so this became the week of flights, three in two weeks to be exact. So sorry to Niamh for ruining all her work on her eco friendly trip..we’ve been recycling like crazy to try and reverse the damage. But without Airchina and  their ridiculously cheap flights we’d probably still be only halfway through the country.

Our first day in Beijing, we got another awful shock-RAIN! We were  prepared for the cold, with plenty of layers and hats and scarves, but rain, now that was a shock. We had intentions of doing every touristy thing around the city but after our first stop at the forbidden city we gave up, wet and freezing feet don’t go well with city exploring. Don’t we look delighted in the photos? That was us trying to brave the weather for the photo, we were miserable! 

While trying to cheer ourselves up, we inadvertently started some Chinese addictions- Annie to Chinese tea or as it was called in the stores- Chinese characterization of English tea! It was amazing and tasted strangely like ambrosia rice! And sherry to lattes and McFlurrys. The McFlurry addiction almost got out of hand, at one point she was having three a day!

The day was almost a day wasted because of the weather, but we redeemed it that night, doing what we do best, drinking the heads of ourselves! We had heard that Beijing night life was crazy, with clubs that have 10 floors and rooftop Jacuzzis, and it didn’t disappoint. At night the skyscrapers are lit up and there is such a buzz about the place, how could there not be thought when there is 23 million people living in it, there always has to be something going on. The first thing we noticed when we went into the night club was a stage in front of the DJ box on the dance floor. So strange, the girls get up and ‘drop it like its hot’, pulling out all the moves while guys stand in front and watch. Reminded us slightly of a cattlemart! We somehow ended up in the VIP section upstairs which was individual rooms with endless supplies of alcohol-heaven! Don’t ask us how we got away with it but we just kept walking into each room, sitting down, drinking a few drinks and moving on with some excuse! We didn’t spend a penny all night. Don’t think either of have been called beautiful more times in our lives, if we ever need an ego boost we know where to go. Between Annies blonde hair and Sherrys green eyes we were a hit! One particular guy took a shine and hit us with the most hilarious chat up line ever, think he’s been watching too much american tv, but he just strolls up to us and says ‘Hi, I play in a rock and roll band, would you like a drink’ It was trying to escape this particular guy that we bumped into Pelly! Ah Pelly how to describe her..hmmm well a picture paints a thousand words! 

She was our Bessie for the night, introducing us to her brothers, uncles, great aunts! In hindsight we think that she may have been a hooker and they were her pimps and fellow hoes..eek! But that point aside we had probably the funniest night we’ve ever had ever.

To say we were suffering the next day is a bit of an understatement. It was only due to one particular photo of Sherry that we survived..again a picture paints a thousand words..Orange peel face! We cried laughing for a solid twenty minutes when we saw it, and anytime were sad it sets us straight! We think that it could possibly be used some day to cure depression..maybe even cancer..

Thankfully the rain of the first day was gone and we were able to properly see the city, its amazing. There is a mix of ancient statues and palaces with modern day building and skyrise towers. We also noticed an uncanny resemblence between every middle aged chinese woman and Annie's mam, and any young chinese girl with Annies sister Niamh and Siobhain Diskin. Were thinking maybe a chinese version of Pat Mustard must have been doing the rounds back home! Going through the shopping district was torture. Damn those girls are fashionable. Were planning to head back with an empty suitcase one of these days and go wild! The highlight for us in the city was the birds nest, the Olympic stadium. It was so good we saw it twice. Well actually the first time we went during the day, thought it was beautiful and then were told it is lit up at night time and is even better. During our day visit, things got slightly out of hand. All through India and Nepal people would strangely ask for photos with us in them, even at the taj mahal! Seriously what are they going to do with them, put them on the mantle place?! But we had gotten used to it and even had a coy routine going (what? You want our photo??!!). However this was another level. We were trying to get a photo of the two of us in front of the stadium, when people started rushing over asking to get in the shot. Then they started attracting more people, getting a vicious circle going. Now we know the lives of celebrities (and we were loving it ha!). At one stage there were twenty people around us and another twenty taking photos, and then there were the individual photos with them all! At one stage, we actually had to say ‘No more photos please’! Under the cover of darkness we were didn’t attract quite so much attention and managed to get our photo taken with just the two of us!

It had been over a week since we’d seen a wonder of the world and we were getting withdrawal symptoms. Thankfully the great wall was only a stones throw away. The name doesn’t disappoint it is indeed a great wall. We were so lucky with the weather conditions, it was picturesque with snow on the ground but a clear sky. We couldn’t have asked for better. We walked for what seems like hours around the wall, with major flashbacks to Nepal trekking! As we were walking we noticed an awkward crowd of teenage boys who happened to be following the same route as us, stopping when we stopping etc. After awhile, one of them must have plucked up the courage and asked could he take a photo with us. Then the flood gates opened, we must have been in a hundred other people’s photos that day. Damn paparazzi!! By the end we started photobombing with orange peel face, they’re going to get  a shock when they look back on those photos!

Then came flight number two (Sorry Niamh), to Xi’an home of the terracotta warriors. Another wonder of the world! Well technically it’s considered the 8^th wonder of the world, but lets not nitpick! The site is buried under ground and is still being excavated. The first pit we went into is still in the early process, but we didn’t know that at the time. You should have seen the look of disappointment on our faces when we walked in expecting to be wowed and saw what can only be described a muddy whole in the ground. We glanced at each other bemused and burst into giggles, that didn’t go down so well with the locals! The next pit we went into was the real deal and we got the wowing that we wanted. There are hundreds of carved figures, with the tiniest of details included. Amazing to think they were made in  200 B.C. we struggle making playdo figures!

Back in the city, we explored what Xi’an had to offer. There’s seriously was a McDonalds on every second corner, which didn’t help Sherry and her McFlurry addiction. Xi’an boasts about a wall, but after the great wall it was nothing! When we went to the Pagoda and took inspiration from what we saw in India and had a mini holiday photoshoot, standing in the most awkward poses at ridiculously places! We’re not sure that people got we were messing but think that made it funnier!

The most shocking thing about China is the food…apparently a 3-in-1 is not a local specialty!! Its all noodles this, rice that, with meat thrown in everywhere and the word dog used a little bit too often! So for a vegetarian who isn’t a fan of noodles or rice (a bit of struggle when travelling through Asia), Annie had barely eaten anything at all (apart from McFlurrys)! With fear she’d waste away, one night we surveyed all the local restaurants and picked the one of choice. Armed with a piece of paper that had written in Chinese ‘I am a strict Buddhist, I cannot eat meat” which apparently is the only way to stop them chopping up a leg of lamb and sticking it in, we got to ordering. Being in china, the menu is obviously in Chinese, which neither of us have an inkling of, but this menu had pictures so we ordered 5 or 6 dishes, thinking we’d surely strike gold. It couldn’t have gone worse! Everything was either ridiculously spicy (another problem for Annie in asia!), or laced the most disgusting gravy sauce or topped off with slimy tofu that looked like the fat off a ham. The only thing that was edible were the potato balls…a Chinese delight! Just when we thought the dinner couldn’t get worse we witnessed what can only be described as the single most disgusting, repulsive, stomach churning thing we’ve ever seen ever! We have at this stage gotten so used to people hacking up their lungs in the street, in the bathroom of hostels every morning, in the train station etc but the guy beside us in the restaurant took the biscuit. There he was dressed to the nines on a date with his girlfriend or whoever she was, when he turns and hacks up a pile of phlegm and spits it on the ground of the restaurant! And then casually throws a tissue on it! Definitely not good table etiquette! Both us were repulsed, struggling to keep our food down. He was genuinely baffled when he seen our horrified faces or when Annie told him that that was disgusting! Definitely the biggest culture divide yet. Learning from experience, for our next meal we choose a restaurant down the road when you picked the ingredients and cooked them in a pot at your table! Not a bit of tofu in sight! The restaurant had no knives or forks and so our struggle with chopsticks was exposed, Annie was particular brutal was basically just using them to scoop the food into her mouth about an inch from the bowl, but atleast she finally got a decent meal!

Flight number three (Sorry Niamh L) to Kunming. Another city! We really wanted to go into the country side and see the other side of china but because we ended up staying so long in Beijing we didn’t get the chance. When we come back for our shopping spree were going to venture out! On the flight to Kunming, one of us may or may not have left their passport on the plane (we’re not saying who, but past behavior of losing things may be a hint), which led to a very scary 10 hours trying to get it back, especially as we only had one day left on our visa- which costs a $100 for everyday your over, and the embassy was in Beijing a 40hour train journey away and wasn’t open for another two days! AHHH disaster! Especially as the workers at the hostel didn’t seem to get the problem and thought we were worried about not being able to check into the hotel without the passport! Eventually, literally after about an hour of explaining, they got the picture and called the airlines. And eventually after a very sleepless night and hours of waiting around we got word that the passport had been found! Hallelujah!! We vowed never to speak of Kunming again!

Although brief, we did so much in our time in China and was most definately worth the hassle of the visa.Two wonders of the world in a week is no small feat. Now just to wean Sherry off the Mcflurrys! At this stage we think we done enough culteral things for awhile, time to hit Laos and get this party started :)