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Xiamen – Gulang Yu

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

Now in Gulang Yu, Xiamen in Fujian Province,  in my younger days referred to as Amoy.  A long slow train journey to get here and about 26 hours.  No fast train this one, would have done British Rail proud and food to match. At least few people on board and there were only a few of us in the carriage so all friendly enough.  Little in the ways of views except the usual non descript Chinese towns which one would hope they never have to visit.  But the usual road, railway construction going on and probably won’tbe long before a new high speed railway line completed.  Given how slow it was coming into Xiamen I think they were laying the track as we were going along.Arrived Xiamen and first sight was a TESCO, nearly tempted to go shopping !. From th erailway station to here no major hassles, the locals friendly and soon got me on a local bus and to the dockside for the quick crossing here.  The big downside is that for the first time the tourists have been out in force, I guess being further south a tempting location for Christmas/New Year  and finding an available room hard going. Probably for the first time ever had to pay full rack rate for a room so expensive and not even nice with no hot shower. Like so often with Chinese hotels the foyer looked really smart so you think the room must be good only to find they spent all the money at the entrance !.Also one other big downside, its rained since arriving.  Not cold, I am in a t shirt but just wet. And this place must be a big wedding photo destination as there are lot of couples having there wedding photos done and white flowing wedding dresses don’t like the wet any more than in the west.Anyway Gulang Yu. Nice place, another China lite destination.  A small island with lots of old colonial buildings, a few churches, very clean and kind of chic.  Wandering around the small alleys pleasant enough and some good seafood so no complaints.  An historical aside. Like Shanghai it was a treaty port which basically meant we turned up with our gunboats and threatened to flatten them unless they gave us some of their land and traded with us.  So Gulang Hu like the Bund was for our sole use and under our control.  We were then able to use the concessions to push opium onto the population. Then when they objected due to them all becoming heroin addicts, we flattened them until they gave us more concessions – the 2nd opium war saw us doing an excursion to Beijing to totally destroy the original Summer Palace, which they remind everyone on entry – still a sore point in history.Next plan was to go to Hong Kong for New Year but might go sooner. 

Shanghai and back

Friday, December 25th, 2009

Yesterday did a day trip to Shanghai just to get a glimpse.  Early morning train and about 1 and a half hours so nothing too difficult even if train station ticket offices are a bit like facing NHS doctors receptionists at 9am on a Monday morning to ask for an appointment.  Then my first chance to try out their metro which thankfully easy enough.

Checked out the French concession area, old town, Bund and main streets so a lot of walking and for some reason seemed to get lost more than normal, surprise given the landmark tower buildings are tall enough. French concession area nice.  Tree lined streets with fairy lights, chic shops and a touch of elegance.  Could do with a few more French concession areas in China  – ouch, shouldn’t say that.

The old quarter nice enough but seen many of those places now in China so not too bothered.  Biggest disappointment was the Bund and waterfront, my main reason for coming.  The whole area just one huge Chinese size building site for the EXPO 2010.  Not sure when it is but in any other country would say its 5 years away from completion but this is China so it will be completed.  So whole riverfront closed off and the buildings being renovated or knocked down.  Couldn’t happen anywhere else but here.  So anyone planning to come to Shanghai best wait until after 1010.  It has to be said even without the pollution and building work the Bund had a slightly depressing feel, large gloomy buildings with a back drop of grey skies.

After that the plan was to do the tradtional English thing of having a few beers on Christnas Eve and trying to get the last train home ( actually second to last train).  Actually not easy, Shanghai night life might be ok but the Chinese drink tea and a tea crawl not quite the same.  So I thought find one bar by which I mean not the expensive place serving imported BUD, failed at that so ended up by drinking cans from the shops.  At least cheap and had the same effect.  Then it was a case of trying to get back worse for wear,  which on a British Rail cattle truck is no problem but on one of their ultra smart jobs I felt a bit embarrased – their trains very good, even at 170km per hour didn’t feel like we were moving.

Missed the last bus back to the hotel by 6 minutes so then a long walk home. Then went night clubbing until 4am but can’t remember much about it.

Probably a late one tonight and then an early start and a 27 hour train journey to Xiamen.

Hangzhou

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
Been a hectic few days since leaving Wuyuan.  What I planned to do in 10 days somehow got narrowed down to 4. After leaving Wuyuan took the bus to Tunxi and then to Xidi. Some pleasant scenery on the way ... [Continue reading this entry]

Wuyuan

Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Have to be on my best behaviour and not saying anything bad as the internet cafe copied my passport and took all my details, lot of hassle at 9am just to check my email !. Anyway now in Wuyuan in north ... [Continue reading this entry]

Liulian – Yonding County – Fujian Province

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
Rain stops play so a chance to catch up on the internet.  Now in Liulian, a small village near Yonding. Despite this area being on the UNESCO world heritage sites and the Chinese give it a AAAA tourist award, tourism ... [Continue reading this entry]

Chaozhou old town

Sunday, December 13th, 2009
Lot of hassle trying to access my blogs site so if the Chinese are trying to block me , there wasn't really a lot of pollution yesterday ( only normal levels !) and it was a HSBC ATM machine that ... [Continue reading this entry]

Chaozhou China

Saturday, December 12th, 2009
Tonight arrived in Chaozhou in Guandong Province.  Been a long day as too lazy to get out of bed so missed the early bus.  The ticket clerk was on about going somewhere else first as it was a long wait ... [Continue reading this entry]

Next stop China

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
All being well will get my passport back tomorrow with a Chinese visa and then fly out Thursday night.  Look forward to getting out, here is very good but after a bit you need a break.  Too many late nights ... [Continue reading this entry]

The Kings Birthday

Saturday, December 5th, 2009
A Saturday night is probably not the time when I should be updating my blog but today is a special day, the revered Kings birthday.  So the Thais are all wearing pink to show allegiance to their monarchy and doing ... [Continue reading this entry]

Another quiet day in Pattaya

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
Should now be in Pattaya but yesterday had a change of plan.  Obviously too many distractions, easily happens here.  So now flying to Shenzhen in China on 10th December.  Not sure where that is and arrive 11pm which isn't the ... [Continue reading this entry]