Over the Great Wall

China is an incredible place full of contaddictions ......

 

Naples - Rome - Beijing (14/8/04)

After a morning spent to fix the last things to go back to my Naples for a quick lunch, the train to Rome at the 15:36. After two hours of travel we arrive at Tiburtina and in less than 30 minutes we are at Fiumicino. After a quick check-in we go to our gate, the C31 board is scheduled for 19:20. At the gate we are the only Italians, there are Chinese who are to board a mass rolling .... we should get used. The plane (Air China) Party by about 1 h of late .... so we did not hurry us on vacation. On board transmit an array of programs in Chinese language ... of course incomprehensible .... but finally the Spiderman ... but also in Chinese. Resigned spend approximately 10 hours of talking about the trip + and -. In <strong>Beijingstrong> we arrive at the estimated time of 12.30, complete lengthy customs formalities, including passing the laser thermometer reduce the SARS period, we head out of the airport avoiding the &quot;taxi&quot; that would accompany a city in stratospheric figures. Just outside the airport there is a desk where the tourists stop funzinali stunned by jet lag are wondering where direct ...... give you the ticket (16 RMB) and will indicate which buses to take ... in our case we take the line 3 which passes through the center. After the stop treze decide to continue on foot, <strong>Beijingstrong> is a city incredibly huge all indications are in Chinese and this confuses us a bit ... also added an impressive mass of people who crowd every corner ... though. Fortunately the people of that site www.sinohotelguide.com for free have a liaison with the various hotels (offering a service that we offer) allow you to download all the information (name, street name, telephone number) in Chinese. .... comodissimo (obviously do not expect someone who speaks English, I counted a few and someone who uasava stapled money for beginning with the phrase ..... unless I am a young student .... bla. . .. bla bla .... curatevene and not go straight, but some will be kind), the mold and bring with you if necessary to see to make a pass and you're done. Doing precisely this package to see the right and there we can find our hotel on Fangyuan hotel (not at all nice and comfortable but in the center). After a little rest we head to the station to book a train, we arrived at the station ... there are so many incredible people that come and go, others sitting on the regional sheets ... a true chaos, we can hardly find l ' office for the sale of tickets for foreigners ... and surprise, I can not book a train from <strong>Beijingstrong>-<strong>Luoyangstrong> ... <strong>Xi'Anstrong> to book this train should be a certain <strong>Luoyangstrong> (??????).... I could have booked on the internet but I would cost 100 times more and then was not what I wanted. You can get an idea of ending the consultation site http://www.travelchinaguide.com/index.html times are right but the name of some trains has changed. After this experience, we decide to maniare in a restaurant nearby the famous Peking duck to the (exceptional) and a fried rice (sometimes find menus in English), after dinner nanna ... but the bed is clearly too small.

Beijing

Good morning wake-up time (7:30) we do a quick Chinese lunch (not exactly exciting) emerge from and after few minutes we meet our fellow travelers mitici Dany and Sasy (they are from a trip of about 14 hours via Helsinki) . Of course even without the rest pose, and part backpack, poor, we walk the road that leads us in front of the front overlooking the magnificent Tiananmen Square, incredibly huge, this place about 2 km long can accommodate 500,000 people (half Napoli) is the largest in the world. Today is Sunday and the square is affollatissiama there is a river of people in a row entering the mausoleum of Mao. Every three meti (counted) someone stops us to sell us something, but we driblando the avid sellers, arriaviamo to the Forbidden City where he shows himself a beautiful giant portrait of Mao. Having deposited their backpacks and go through the metal detector and X-rays can go up on the median door where you can have a wonderful panoramic view of the Tiananmen Square. We start visiting the forbidden city, truly a great place we see the five bridges of marble, the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the royal garden. The city is full of a wonderful scuture form of mythological animals (es.draghi) are fantastic bas-reliefs of marble. Outside the city there is an artificial hill, created with the ground gained by the creation of the moat. On this hill there is a fantastic park (Jingshan) filled with fabulous bonsai, on top of the hill stands a temple with a statue in the Buddha that looks towards the city prohibited from here we see a fantastic panorama. Second stage of the day is the temple of heaven, very beautiful, we see the altar and the circular wall of eco. The temple has a circular structure with three roofs (his image appears to be very commercially exploited) and the park that contains it is very large, almost 200 hectares. Towards evening, although a little tired we go to visit the market for pearls (freshwater?) Which obviously is not just this product.

Beijing - Zhengzhou

Even today wake up at dawn (6:15, but that holiday is?) We dress quickly and go knocking on Dany Sasy ... and that obviously asleep. Step out from trying to stop various taxi to bring us to where we can Badalin see the Great Wall. The starting price is RMB 400-500 but after a little we can find a taxi and after a heated bargaining agree for 300 RMB. Climb on the vehicle and after about 20 minutes the taxi back to us and asks us RMB 370 ... but how? After a somewhat animated discussion we decide to get off and start over other taxi to stop (the beautiful holiday DIY). Finally after a little we can find one for 320 RMB. After about 1 hour to arrive Badalin but a few km before we saw the walls of the Great Wall. Parking tourists discover that the taxi driver wants to be paid before .... like ???... trust after a heated discussion the rate gives us his card (without which it can not (theoretically) go nowhere, more a phone number made available to the municipality of <strong>Beijingstrong> taxi drivers where to report any smarter) we released 300 RMB (20 less than the agreed price). We head towards the entrance of the wall where, after evasive hordes of sellers of any kind, buy a ticket (very beautiful also accompanied four stamps). At this time where we discover that they come to bands (find out why later), the waiting time about 30 minutes (to be spent shopping) go up, but discovers that Sasy have scrubbed the tickets and then go back with us ... Dany of course we decide to go up (because the police will &quot;forced&quot; to come later ... there is another band). Walk a few meters on the wall very fraught, faticaccia true, hence there is a wonderful wonderful panorama, you see these green hills and the great wall that follows the slope up to the eye can see. On the wall we find that the Chinese have a strong curiosity towards Westerners often ask us if they can no pictures ... curious?. 12:00 return by taxi and we are lead to the building in summer. We head entered the lake and rent a boat apedali. fantastic and I Sasy pedals and Manu and Dany sunbathe (not great) with our boat spedy we head under the bridge by seventeen arches make the rounds dell'isoletta then we look at the marble boat. All very good from the center of the lake you can make beautiful photo to the summer palace. From here I recommend that you visit the silk market (which obviously does not sell only the silk) are incredible business. The technique is to ask the price (do not show keen Article), what you say and say ehhhhhh leave ... they will stop prendenoti by the arm, you shoot at 1 / 10 of the initial price and I will continue going slightly ... do this and see the results. Let's go to the airport (taxi 85 RMB) and after paying the boarding fee (50 RMB) take the flight to <strong>Zhengzhoustrong>, where we get 1 hours later. Arrived at the airport we are bringing to our hotel (taxi RMB 90, the city is quite far away) to sleep Henan civil aviation .... carino (Board altrimeti disconnected the phone call the night the &quot;masseuse&quot; .. it happens in China spessissmo even in the luxury hotel)

Zhengzhou-Luoyang-Xi'An

Alle 6:00 prendiamo un taxi che ci porta alla stazione degli autobus a lunga percorrenza dove prendiamo un bus molto confortevole che in due ore ci porta a <strong>Luoyangstrong>. A bordo siamo ovviamente gli unici stranieri, c'&232; la costante del Karaoke (ovviamente in Cinese). A <strong>Luoyangstrong> teoricamnte dovremo prenotare il biglietto per <strong>Xi'Anstrong> and take a look at the rock caves ... theoretically at the station (a nightmare .. Chinese stations still dream at night) there is a row incredible nessunissimo ... .. nobody speaks English but I use three three hours to make tipa I want to take the local train 18.00, not the tourist <strong>Beijingstrong>-<strong>Xi'Anstrong> (N351) 12:00, but nothing I do not understand even with the help of a Chinese simpaticissimo (which miraculously speaks English) I can not buy the ticket I have to buy the tourist train (even if I wanted to buy a ticket over the Internet I could buy just the tourist train) ... the moral strength to take things to the train leaving 12:00 and waste rock caves of Longmen, the alternative is the night bus with bunks that takes 10 hours .... but coniderando guide as the Chinese. We start at 12:14 p.m. after X-rays (in China make the controls even in the airport railway stations) and a visit to public bath (NOT I'll never forget the Chinese public bathroom MAI) to arrive at 18:00 <strong>Xi'Anstrong> train is very comfortable (of course, is for tourists), approposito the British company that sold the Internet bigietto wanted &163; 33 a ticket on the spot 55 RMB (5.5 euro !!!!!!). On the wagon train 12 53-56 (all on the ticket) we speak, we play a little game in verba (very nice I recommend it) it seems acceptable even by the Chinese who admire the play of cards (although we would like a version with ideograms ). Take a taxi for 70 RMB, which brings us to our beautiful hotel on Weishang (no credit cards). Unfortunately, a little tired of Chinese food at the reception asking if there is a pizza hut nearby ... is just near.

Xi'An

This morning we take a taxi for 5 RMB, which brings us to the station, here the bus No. 306 and for 8 RMB arrive at the site of the terracotta. After passing the entrance full of beautiful trees and a huge statue of Confucius buy your ticket for 90 RMB, first visit the museum (nothing special) and then ditch the famous No. 1 ..... unbelievable, fantastic, there are many statues with eyes fixed all different even the smallest details. Some of the weapons seem challenging, it posoono recognize the infantry archers etc. (which obviously have been lost or have been removed) is also seen horses. In some you can see a layer of yellow that would be the first of the final color. Excavations are continuing to bring to light new wonders, we visit the grave No. 2 and 3 which are much smaller and with less charm than the mother. Exit go to the marketplace a unique experience .. ve the Board ... with the usual technique (described earlier) we can buy good items at a great price. Regarding the purchase go to the Chinese merchants are using a very nice ... you walk by their booth if you are not interested in anything they call you and with (fake) furtive attitude you call back in (retrobancarella) and begin to show all sorts of rare (according to them) from (fake) heads up the original rock caves to ancient bamboo scrolls depicting positions of kamasutra ... an example for the head of the Buddha &quot;original&quot; cave Luongmen initial value of $ 50 U.S. ... value paid 5 euros (but). We arrive at the bus station, we do not want to return to the city but go to the Neolithic village of Bampo .. obviously there are no direct buses and take a pulmanino that for 5 RMB (obviously the price 10 times more for tourists) will download in a remote village where we take the 301 bus that we download the Neolithic village ... to all this by telling gestures and by seeing the places written in Chinese on the (mythical) lonely. Unfortunately, the village is closed for restoration works ok .... makes the game. Returning to <strong>Xi'Anstrong> we decide to see a Muslim neighborhood walk very suggestive. You must stop in a shop that writes scrolls, you have to buy a blank (I asked him to write Giancarlo and Man) and you MUST ask to meet with the teacher and observe the meter prints a unique experience. Always walking you will see the legendary conteneti cages of live crickets (!!!!).

Xi'AN-Chengdu-Leshan

Thanks to Manu I wake up at 5:15 I go to wake up and Dany Sasy (and I already awake ...!!!!), there is a taxi down to the awaiting us and for 120 RMB us all ' aereoporto. After paying the usual fee for boarding our plane we take that will lead us to <strong>Chengdustrong> (at 9:00). just off the plane take a taxi to escort us to the heart of panda reproduction (106 RMB a bit out of hand), the weather is bad it rains so much .... come to the cage of the oldest panda, Pride is called (they are also of cigarettes with his name), did not really want to see and take a nap blissfully crushes. Shortly after Pride finally, like a true star, putting herself to posing for a fantastic photo .... it is a fantastic animal can see it really close (max 1 m away) and munch bamboo ... is an incredible experience . We continue to wander to different cages, we go from sub-adults (?????) if they are there to lazily ruzzolare and scratch his back. Obviously we capatina a fast nursery where there are puppies tender (to enter must wear sottoscarpa) .. how are tender (for 400 RMB you can take photos with them in their arms ....... practice a little cruel because I'm not very enthusiastic). After Maver visited the cages of the red panda take only taxis that are outside the park (the 12:15 p.m. and everyone is at lunch) and we are to accompany the bus terminal at long distance. Quickly we can take the 13:00 bus that will take us to <strong>Leshanstrong>. Once in <strong>Leshanstrong> we take a taxi that brings us to our hotel favolosissimo the Jinhaitang hotel. After a break we go to the pier where we take a small boat with two floors all &quot;sgarrupato that for 4 RMB us the other side of the river through the beautiful big Buddha. This statue high (70 m, the highest in the world) has been carved into the rock by a monaco and is located in a spectacular location, the intersection of two rivers .... fantastic guys. Little known Vs speedboat tour boat, it is true that the speed boat going against the tide allows you to stay longer at the foot of the hill ... but with the boat, in addition to paying less, you can make excellent photos. Remember to go to the second floor and positioned on the left side ... hold the camera ready. Once landed we pay RMB 70 a street (uphill) that runs a small forest of bamboo, make a hot exaggerated due to the excessive moisture. We enter a monastery where the entrance is protected by giant stau, inside there is a very relaxed very beautiful, but take care not to lose, you have to succeed from the temple and follow the road up to a certain point pass on a great wooden bridge that will take you after a long and exhausting walk (bring a few things) on a spiazzale where you can enjoy a &quot;beautiful&quot; view of the city of <strong>Leshanstrong>, rimmarrete surprised when you see the enormous head (17m) to check from the bottom ... then protrude from the railing you will see from the Buddha in all its majesty. Fortunately, we went pretty late and then there was little people and then quickly descend the narrow staircase in the rock obtained. Arrived at the foot of the Buddha can take some beautiful photos (+ / - the same as those taken by ferry which is why it is not a speedboat). Since the street is one way in Heading in the top of the Buddha and leave from there continuing to walk the other side (there are two entrances facing one way and one which is accessed by ferry ... you can go in both directions ). We tired to the hotel for levarci shirts &quot;dripping&quot; of sweat (which sucks!) And from there a little tired of Chinese food we go to a McDonald named Disco, nice ... obviously spend three hours to sort four sandwiches since no one speaks English ... this is worsened by the fact that girls are not eating a sandwich and that was it ... no one wants without mmaionese, one wants to know if it is hot ..... ah the women.

Leshan-Emeishan-Leshan

Incredibly, the alarm is today at 9:00!, I am surprised, ok, let's go to the bus station dgli and take a bus to the town of Emei is located at the foot of one of the four sacred mountains in Buddhism Mount <strong>Emeishanstrong>. Obviously evasive skill with the usual gadgets procurers and those who want to accompany you to a crazy price, take a taxi that brings us to the teddy bear coffee. next to this cafe is a great, very organized and very modern (!) structure where you take the buses that bring in the top of the mountain. Ok take the bus whisking a 100Km / h on a very small strain and full of bends, in two hours of travel I think that my seat will be left on sediolino a few minutes .... seemed to be in a washing machine. At some point we stop in a kind of exit (in the middle of the mountain), we have to go get a new card we print photos on a digital (!!!!!) made a few minutes before a train and start over .... . ua ticket we own. Arrived at the top at about 3000m we are moving towards the cable car that will take us even further up the road there are many stalls (authorized) selling very large paintings with butterflies and all sorts of roots. At some point it appears a sign that tells us / warns that at this point is often observed in monkeys is true ... there are just as nice, are two adult and two pups can barely take a few photos because escape route. The cable car takes us five minutes to more than 3000 m we arrive on a large square with a ladder all covered with padlocks (???) suggestivo arrive at a kind of cliff where you can take wonderful photographs (see my) of a temple perched, if the weather had been covered in the photo would have been wonderful (it will appear around often) with the temple that dominates the clouds ... sin will be for next time. On this sacred mountain takes a curious phenomenon called &quot;halo of Buddha&quot;, a mirage, where you can see the projected clouds surrounded by a rainbow, the faithful consider it a call and rushed past in a vacuum. The show is exceptional, there are many temples are full of flaming censer and huge cauldrons where its lights votive candle .... mystic. Visiting the temple a little we see that even in a bellla day you can see the great Buddha of <strong>Leshanstrong>, Peo we are on top, also we are in a room where a monaco, in exchange for a little tender (if you want with great discretion ) write on a yellow prayer cloth stamped with the symbol of Mount <strong>Emeishanstrong>, a prayer for your loved ones. Unfortunately time is tyrant (considering that we have put three hours to arrive here at the top and about 50 euros !!!!) and then we take the train that will take us to the top gilded the temple built on the highest point ... but we can view it from afar. A <strong>Leshanstrong> return earlier than expected because the bus that ran in crowds to return to same speed, downhill, put the turbo using only 1 hours (!!!). <strong>Leshanstrong> again before going to the hotel to inform us of the bus station tomorrow (unfortunately also the Lonely has little information on this), of course, let alone if the tickets tipa us understand, then the usual story about four of us gets a crowd of curious that people search in all ways to help us but include fatigue (this is China in our opinion), every so often someone comes off from the rest of the people to find a Chinese who speaks English at least ... and after about half a oretta the crowd arrives and you open a girl (the few who speak English are only young people) who kindly tells us that the bus to <strong>Leshanstrong> <strong>Chongqingstrong> Party 7:10 and there are an every fifty minutes, but takes 8 hours (! !!!!!!!) for the 300 km disheartened to eat and go to bed soon .... see what awaits us tomorrow.

Leshan-Chongqing

The alternatives were to take the plane but starting from 12:00 <strong>Chengdustrong> Dazu certainly have lost or to take the bus back to <strong>Chengdustrong> (two hours) and then to the station to ask if there are any bus to <strong>Chongqingstrong> (hours? ?), too many coincidences there risking it. We start with the 7:10 point, the road is a disgusting, there are only holes, say anci that on a dirt road there are pieces of asphalt, the driver still runs like a madman (common practice in all of China) often then &quot;street&quot; stops and starts of alternating one-way streets where we have to wait at least thirty minutes. Crazy, but we riconpensati because we are immersed in real rural China, there are campaigns everywhere and rice fields where women and men covered with mud (hard to recognize the sex) reap the rice on the other leading back heavy bags of rice that stretch other rice Once collected in the sun ... the beautiful photos you waste. 5-6 hours later (and with 1h delay) come to the (perhaps it was better the first option for travel since the conditions of the road) and while the driver is overtaking grants unbridled Scassa the engine is slow and blatantly .... goodbye there was not only that ..... a fatigue (about 10 Km / h) from the exit to go from mechanical, women in their place to go to the bathroom (they are 6 hours who do not see a toilet) , come forth terrorized. The mechanic seems to say that there is little to be done, then we do go up on the bus to share .... but we all went to many eat .... but as to what time we arrive in <strong>Chongqingstrong> Dany tired ... and incazzatissima (from classical Neapolitan with remarkable talents risolutrici) gets up and goes to the horn starting to rant and can play between the applause of the Chinese on a bas richaimare the lost sheep. Cut back on but after a short stop by a new new mechanical intrigued &quot;participate&quot; in the discussion, the radiator fan was the screw that the regiment was split, the capomeccanico sends a bike somewhere. We here in this lonely place (32 km from Dazu) who are waiting ... and time passes .... the rock caves of the Dazu forget. Tired with Sasy we decide to explore the country after a few meters can find a small bus station timetable will inform you .. there is a bus to <strong>Chongqingstrong> will soon take flight to the bus (since the types say to us Dazu I want about 3 he still get to close) are the three arrive two hours later, we spent about 10 hours for three hundred kilometers ... not bad. Our hotel is the Cygnet hotel, nice, since we are in this horrible city, and we can not go back to at least Dazu mangiamoci famous (???) fonduta of Sischuan (you write well), the same restaurant. In practice there is a table with a brazier at the center brings a huge pan with a double central division that contains a red sauce (just taking a look at the fire) the other that looked like a prodino plant, then bring many little plates full of vegetables and other strange things which fortunately does not know. then the fish and the main attraction ... the mythical snake was there all bloody, the tipa him and throws in a spicy sauce .... we come from so far and do not taste the flavor bh&232; is &quot;sympathetic&quot; ( you present the nice kind Deol port a friend ... and how you ???... nice), the consistency of the fig tree that seems to feel in the mouth of the little &quot;grain&quot;, I imagine the scales. After mushrooms, chicken heads, the strange zeppoline tipa continues to put stuff in the fondue ... at some point stop the bill lievita otherwise.