AWOL Geordie - Steve’s global adventure

I am sitting in a Hutong in Beijing. I love China man. Been here 5 days and I love it. I saw my first guy having a shit in the street yesterday! I have also recovered from a week long bout of the runs myself after sampling some fermented alcoholic horse milk in Mongolia - good job Immodium exists. I departed from the tour group thing on Tuesday and it is a relief to be alone and independent again. I left the Hotel and had to find a Hostel. An Indian/London guy gave me the directions to a hostel down a Hutong near Tianemen Square. I took the subway and then stood there like a lost fool with no map. A local guy called John (his English name ) came and asked if I was lost and offered to help me find the place. It took us 3 hours to find. I bought him some lunch and we have been friends since. The Chinese are incredibly nice people. They have nowt but you can’t wipe the smile off their faces and their hospitality has to be experienced to be believed. Only last night I had a meal in his flat on the outskirts of Beijing with his gf and flatmate. It was quite a humbling experience. I would love to bring John to England so he can see how we live! No foreigners venture where he lives - so again I was the object of much curiousity and he loved showing me around his locality. We walked around a farmer’s market where young kids walk around naked. John is originally from Jilin and has only been in Beijing 2 months. He hasn’t seen any of the main sites so we did them together. On Wednesday we saw Chairman Mao’s corpse - spooky. Then into the Forbidden City where I saw the chair that the Emporers exerted their mighty power from. The Temple of Heaven was next and this place was too nice for words. Yesterday we visited the Great Wall and hiked about 5 miles around the bugger. Some bits are so steep it is hard to imagine the poor buggers who had to build the thing all them years ago. We were going to go to the Summer Palace today but I can’t be arsed. I fancy a day just chilling in the Hutong!

There is much effort been focused on getting ready for the 2008 Olympics here. If spitting was an Olympic sport the Chinese men would definitely get gold, silver and bronze!

So after a fantastic 5 days in Beijing I am currently waiting to board a 13 hour overnight train to Shanghai where I meet Fen. I am looking forward to seeing her very much. However, I don’t have a bed on this train and locals tell me I will have no sleep tonight…….mmmmmmmm! John is coming to see me off and think I will miss the lad.

Oh, did I forget to mention the food? Jeez man, I won’t go hungry here. Imagine your favourite Chinese restaurant - the real stuff out here is better - I swear! Cheap and lush food. After the minging slop of miserable Russia it is shear joy to have delicous food off happy people.

So after 7 weeks of slog I am still loving it! Keep the faith.

I don’t know why, but I have always wanted to come here. This place kicks serious ass (in the parlance of my Yank roomy - I am sure my accent is Americanising). We trained in from Irkustk and spent a pointless 9 hours at the Russian/Mongolian border - the Russians really are miserable twats. I grew to despise the bastards. It was so refreshing to arrive in a country where people smile. It was good to see the changing racial characteristics too as you really start to feel far from home when you walk down the street and you are the only white guy. Young kids staring at you and stuff - it amuses me - what with my longish fair hair and blue eyes. We transferred from Ulan Bator (or UB if you are a cool local) and headed to Terelj national park where we lived in a Ger camp for 2 days. I went horse riding for 3 hours and I picked it up no problem. I looked like the Marlboro man with my denim jacket and galloping horse in this fantastic landscape. I really bonded with my horse and he would gallop off at a twitch of my heels or a whisper in his ear - mint! The rest of the group just walked along in a group like a bunch of faggots. I climbed a nearby mountain the next day but the flies were a real problem. Good views if you could tolerate the flies. Then it was an international sing song around a camp fire. The nights here are so dark, you can easily make out the Milky-Way cloud in the night sky and become encapsulated. You see way more than back in Blighty. Back to Ulan Bator for a night and I spent the time wandering around eating lamb kebabs on skewers (lush and only a quid) and having massages (only 3 quid). The people eat alot of meat here, particularly lamb. I forgot to take my camera so I have no pics of UB. Tomorrow we head to China and I just wish I could stay in Mongolia longer - the place is beautiful and the people are legendary. I can finally post a couple of pics.

Well well well, quite alot has happened since Gothenburg. I have reached Siberia and find myself 8 time zones ahead of the UK. I think this is the furthest I have been from home. England got knocked out of the World ... [Continue reading this entry]