 |
| 504 miles approx |
It was at this point that the Lonely Planet guide helpfully suggest that you clean your windows in order to see the views...
We left the mountains behind and passed through a series of around eighty tunnels. When we emerged, it was into a strange post-apocalyptic vista. Masses of rubbish and laundry hung out among rusting cars, abandoned villages full of decrepit buildings, smoke stacks among dead tree stumps. The most alarming sight was the stygian gloom that was the famous Chinese air pollution. The atmosphere was nicotine yellow. Like somebody pissed in my eyes. There is no preparation for that level of filth in the air. It looked like a sci-fi film, but worse, because it’s real.
I shared a taxi with a despondent Canadian who had suffered the same defeat as I had in the bartering stakes. The cab should have cost around 35 CNY (£3.50) to our part of town, but neither of us could find a single cab, out of the 50+ parked outside the train station who would take less than 350 CNY. Thieving leeches. We both relented and handed over a whole days’ budget for one ten minute cab ride, consoling ourselves with the fact that we knew we’d be ripped off on day one, but we were too anxious to get to a shower/beer/vegetable to deal with working out the complex bus system, which requires you to announce to the driver how many stops you are going, as opposed to just your destination, and then handing over the correct change. Exactly. So we sucked it up and parted ways at our allotted stops.
I found my hostel, which was located on an ancient hútòng, built in 1267. I half checked in, ran upstairs, had a much needed shower, emptied my bag, packed a little bag, went downstairs and resumed my check-in. Once completed I found a lovely little bar with the magic three: beer, food and wi-fi. I eat, drank, wrote this blog, then discovered that my secret squirrel software for conquering the Great Firewall of Chinese internet censorship didn’t work. I snaffled this entire section of my blog out to my mum via secret email, who posted it for me. I felt like we were in ze rezistance, non!
Beijing photos to follow. I cannot believe the past week. It has been EPIC! It is by far the most astoundingly beautiful journey I have ever taken and I loved every minute of it. I would do it again in a heartbeat - I miss it already!
Now then - CHINA…!!
