Tuesday 18 November 2014

I’m a bit tempted to think, “Phew, only 12 days to go”, but I know it’s only the illness talking. Luckily I get enormous enjoyment out of doing this computer work so I don’t mind being a bit confined.

I did go out walking yesterday for nearly an hour, reaching the Hoan Kiem Lake. It’s not far. It’s quite picturesque – it’s a pity I couldn’t do it justice.

I stopped at a lakeside restaurant for lunch and ordered a chicken sandwich. I was surprised to receive a huge triple decker with a fried egg, salad and cheese in the middle, side salad and chips (to which I added salt). It was a full meal. Very nice, although their bread tends to be too white and too sweet for me. Beautiful lime juice, total 120,000 dong or $6.54. Can’t complain about that. (The exchange rate is A$1 = D18,365 approx. There are no coins and the smallest note is 1,000 dong or 5.5c.)

Tyred out before lunch

Then at 6pm it was time for dinner with my cousin who is stationed here. He lives in an obviously better area in a very fine colonial era house with a police guard at the front. I got out of the taxi and approached the gates, expecting to find an intercom. But the guard was having none of me. I couldn’t understand what he was saying but he wouldn’t announce me. I gathered he wanted ID but my passport is in the hotel safe. I pulled out my WA Driver’s Licence. He peered at it in the semi dark and it seemed to pass the test, so he pressed the buzzer and seconds later my cousin was there to let me in.

The first thing I noticed was a massive pair of QUAD electrostatic loudspeakers with matching QUAD amp and CD player. Wow. These are legendary. You can buy stuff like that here, but you wouldn’t find anything even close in Perth.

My cousin was suffering just like me from a chest infection so we walked only 200m to a nearby Italian restaurant where he knows the owner. Neither of us had a big appetite so it was antipasto with Italian cheese and a large mixed aperitif drink that kicked like a horse. It was a little bitter for my taste, but an experience.

Then spaghetti marinara cooked in a kind of pastry crust, full of small clams and prawns. Delicious.

Finally zabaglione – warm, specially made. I tried a bit – too sweet for me but nice. With a couple of hours of good conversation it was a good night. Thanks mate.

Monday 17 November 2014

The hotel made the appointment for me at the Family Medical Practice Hanoi at 11am as requested, called the taxi for me and instructed the driver. No problems.

When I got there I found you have to go up two steep flights of stairs and feeling the way I did, that was hard, but I got there. I had to wait nearly 3/4 hr (just like at home /:( but eventually I got in to see Dr Brian. He’s an Irishman. I described how low I am feeling, weak and washed out. After some talk, I had blood taken (expertly! first go) and another 30 min wait for the results. They have their own lab in the building.

He called me in again – result – chest infection, different antiobiotic to the one I’m taking, and too low sodium level. That was a surprise. I need to eat more salt, add salt to my food. Wow. BP was 137/60, by the way. Pretty good, I reckon.

He prescribed several medications for me, all dispensed from the in-house pharmacy, all looking absolutely kosher in proper packaging, carefully labelled.

All this cost a fair bit – his fee was $60, the lab tests cost $110 and the meds added $90 for a total of US$238. Lucky they took Visa.

See what I mean? This is typical of the streets around here, but in other areas it’s much more open and normal.

So back to the hotel, getting quite an interesting tour from the taxi on the way. This is a great place, a wide range from total chaos, like in the street outside my room, to a Rolls Royce showroom! Huge classy hotels to ultra cheap but nice looking hotels. Sophisticated Italian dining to hawker food. Classy clothes shops to jam packed little crevices. I love it.

And I’m even a little cold. It’s cool and dry, perfect weather.

We ate around the corner with beers at $1.80 for 500ml and a gin and tonic for $4. Jan’s off to Ha Long Bay tomorrow. I can’t go due to my illness but also because I need mains power for my CPAP machine to sleep. Can’t do, I’m afraid.

The view out the room window.

Sunday 16 November 2014

Pretty boring day, I’m afraid, as I can’t remember much except resting and doing this blog. Still feeling pretty crook.

By 8pm I felt awful, weak, tired out and pretty low in mood. I was wondering whether I could keep going. Even to fly home would have needed wheel chairs, I felt. I asked my cousin and he told me the name of the good doctor to go to tomorrow. Will do.

Imagination. Beijing.

Saturday 15 November 2014

Today we left Beijing, not sorry to go. Our flight wasn’t until 1545 but we ordered the taxi for 10am, happy to get going.

We’re flying Vietnam Airlines Beijing to Hanoi. Absolutely amazing – if you’d told me forty years ago I’d be flying between these two cities, I wouldn’t have believed you.

We had a long boring wait to check in but then had to go through the most thorough, intrusive, almost rude bag and body search I’ve ever had. They looked at everything! I had toothpaste – they smelt it. Shampoo? No! And I had to take my cameras out of their bag and put them through the X-ray scanner again. I had coins in my carry on bag – obviously I should have declared them – disapproving look, and so on and on. The guy with the metal detector went over every inch of me, between my legs, everywhere. There was no courtesy. It was cold and rude. Not surprisingly, they didn’t find anything on me, although I’d earlier remembered to move a pair of scissors from carry-on to suitcase, luckily.

Then airside and a loo stop, at last. Then a Starbucks! Maybe I can get a decent coffee and sandwich? Not a chance. The coffee was insipid and the chicken/cheese/tomato sandwich, wrapped in paper, expected to be crisp, was inside wrapped in Glad Wrap and was a soggy mess. It all cost about $8.50. Aaaarrrgh.

When we reached the departure lounge, what a surprise. From our sunny clear morning drive to the airport, it was as if Big Daddy had said, “OK, guys, you can start the factories and power stations up again now. APEC’s over.” The smog had descended and we could hardly see the planes on the tarmac.

So finally onto the near new A330 and I was very pleased to find the seat spacing greater than normal, such that I could nearly get the tray down. But then the guy in front of me, with all his extra space in the exit row, reclined his seat. Bastard. We had a spare seat in the middle so it was OK.

Three and a half hours later and we were going through Hanoi immigration. I’d been warned that Hanoi airport is notorious for being “po faced” but I was delighted when a gorgeous young immigration lady in immaculate green uniform smiled and asked if I was OK. (Obviously, I have been looking quite sick and exhausted.) I said yes, I’m OK, but thanks for asking and got another nice smile. Great introduction.

Our hotel driver was there as promised and we were off on a hairy, scary drive to the city. Wow. Blare your horn. Flash your lights, weave from lane to lane, force the other guy out of the way, never give an inch. This is worse than Jakarta as the speeds are much higher. It became chaotic as we got into the old area and suddenly, surprisingly, we were outside this very narrow white doorway and here we were. The Oriental Central City Hotel, 30 Hang Bac St, Hoah Kiem Old Quarter.

Very modern, but very traditional, with a fabulous greeting and a fruit smoothie, but unfortunately also a long talk about where we were on the map, what to see and do, where to go, what not to do and on and on. Enough, not now.

Then it was up to the room on the top floor, where we got a shock. A Junior Suite with Window included a double bed. We both recoiled. No, no, no, we don’t share a bed. Oh, sir, but that’s what you ordered. Ummm, no.

I’d wanted separate rooms anyway so we asked. Fully booked tonight sir. Have to be a folding bed. OK. Jan is a contortionist so it was no trouble for him, but he got another room for Sunday night. He’s off to Ha Long Bay Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday so no problem. I’m too sick to take the trip. Doctor on Monday.

Exit. Close the door after you leave.

Friday 14 November 2014

Awoke feeling crook (flu) and it got worse. I had brekky, then found myself dry heaving for a bit. Not nice, not well.

This time we decided to do it properly. Taxi at 0930 to Tien An Men Square. It was a long way – 20 mins drive.

I got out of the taxi feeling terrible. We walked slowly to the centre among the incredible crowds, virtually all Chinese. I had more dry heaving over a railing, feeling terrible. I could hardly walk. I sat on a box in the sun for 10 mins or so trying to recuperate. Not one person paid me any attention except Jan said a European couple were looking a bit concerned. Chinese couldn’t care. I got shots of Mao and traffic and crowds!

Crowds, what crowds?

These crowds!

This was as close as I got to Tien An Men. Just to prove I was there.

I walked very slowly to the taxis at the other end and went back to the hotel, Y32.70 again. Feeling terrible. Lay on bed, tried to sleep for 2hrs with no success, but rested and better. So that was my attempt at the famous sites.

Rah rah!

The room is still too bloody hot! 26-27C. Sweat is rolling down my neck in the bathroom. We can’t get them to adjust it properly. There’s no airflow!

Jan came back at 2.15pm, tired. This place is too hard. Can’t wait to go! Feeling pretty bad – not as bad as this morning but feverish, achey, coughing.

Email to Hanoi hotel for airport pickup. All OK. Email works OK but it’s so frustrating not to be able to access this blog.

1830 – walked to main street for food. We went into what seemed like a good restaurant, lots of customers. Picture menu, I chose what I thought were mustard dumplings. They were bloody cold cabbage rolls! Plenty of mustard, but cold and wet and sloppy..

We both chose chicken dishes, thinking they were stir fry, but both were cold!!! They just chop the chicken up with a cleaver, bones and all and serve you the mess of gristle, bones and skin. Crap food. This is hopeless. I paid, Y82 = $15.76. Even at that price, not worth it. Can’t wait to hit the airport and get outta here.

Walked back nearly 1Km? Hard going!. A woman in the lobby of our hotel, a guest, not a staff member, asked if I was OK. First time! She was Chinese looking but maybe US?

A friendly Chinese! What a surprise.

Thursday 13 Nov 2014

Good sleep. Up at 7.15am. Got the runs again. Five times before midday.

Jan went off to Tien An Men Square / Forbidden City by himself, but in fact never made it, instead he tried to walk there and ended up lost, walking around the lakes instead. He was back at about 2pm, buggered. He had tried to take a taxi, but found it already had passengers and he couldn’t get the driver to understand what he wanted. So he walked 17Km (?) around the lakes, didn’t see Tien An Men/FC and was pretty fed up.

While he was out I rolled on my glasses on the bed and broke the frame. Emergency – can they send me to a place? A desk guy takes them and says he’ll ride his bike to a place where they will fix them. Later he says the glasses bloke will be back at 5pm. He came up to the room at about 6.30pm, all fixed, They looked as good as new, and when I asked about the cost, he said no charge!! How about that for service? I am mightily impressed.

Without my glasses, I walked to small shop nearby and found it’s OK.

Out to eat at 7pm and tried what turned out to be a real dump of a place just nearby. Food was peasant fare – pork balls, cabbage, vermicelli in a soup. Another bowl was noodles, tomato, mushroom. Near cold  All crap. Y26 Jan paid. There was a drunk guy at the next table who was out to it. They tried to lift him out but he wasn’t going. Cigarette smoke! Terrible. Marks all over the walls, nothing had been cleaned for centuries. Ugh.

Not a good day. We can’t wait to move on.

There it is.

Wednesday 12 November 2014

Today was our trip to the slightly famous Wall. Out at 8am in a mini van and I thought, Oh, this is quite comfortable, let’s go.But for some reason we had drove into a deeeep underground garage and had to swap vans. It felt like a NY gangster scene. But our change was to a black Mercedes van. Near new, all leather. Nice.

It was about a 1 hr drive to Mutianyu. I embarrassed myself by getting caught between seats and door while trying to get out. I had to pull myself in and try again. I learnt the knack after that.

Cold! We walked up steps to a huge alpine village full of rip off shops and cafes. Jan bought a ticket for the cable car to the Wall and a sled ride back. I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance so I stayed behind. I could see the wall, so … that was enough.

It was cold! It was a crystal clear day but a bit of wind made it very chilly, I’d guess 2 – 4C? My hands were soon hurting. Of course the way is lined with stalls all trying to grab your sleeve or at least your attention to sell you gloves or scarves or beanies.There were very few customers. I had the world’s most expensive Cappuccino, Y35 = A$6.73..I fell asleep at the table, but since I was the only customer it hardly mattered. I’d chosen this place in preference to the Burger King next door, but I think I should have gone there.

I went back to the van about 1230 to find Jan already there. I wouldn’t have made it, he said. Even he had trouble – he said the cold was 0C or below with a freezing wind. He couldn’t stay warm.

So it was off on another 1hr drive through the drab countryside along narrow roads to the Ming Tombs at DingLing. We paid Y105 for tickets and lunch, but what do we do? There seemed to be four areas, but how to deal with it? No English translations. We walked around a bit, then had the lunch we’d paid for, in a hall tucked right around the back, with only a Chinese character sign to show the way. Lunch was rice, soy chicken and cold cabbage. It was crap. Nothing to drink.

At the Ming Tombs

I couldn’t be bothered with anything else. Jan found a tomb and went down but soon came back saying it was about 50m down steps, and even he had trouble getting back up. This was a complete waste of money. They are not geared for foreign tourism. Y105 = A$20.19.

Another 1hr drive back to hotel around 4pm. There was the 8 hrs we paid Y1,300, = A$250 for ($125 each).

Tired! I bought beer and chips Y17, but no dinner because we can’t find anything around here..

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Woke very early. Breakfast provided, nice buns, mini egg burgers, full cooked if you wanted it, croissants, salad, fruit, great brewed coffee.

Due to certain tummy troubles I slept from 0930 to 11am. Jan went walking.

I was OK at 1230 – so we booked a Wall tour tomorrow 0800, with Ming Tombs, 8 hours for Y1300 for two. Hotel will give us a cut lunch! More on this later.

Then it was out and a walk through the park to the lake. (Lake Behai?) Very, very nice area. Good photos.

Huh? Someone did this. Good luck symbol?

Walked along lake to the bridge at the neck of the two lakes, with a bridge.

Crowds! Lunch at 1400 in an odd food hall place. Buy a Y100 encoded card, choose your food at various vendors, eat upstairs, waiter helped me carry my tray up steep stairs, then return your card when finished. I got Y65 back so it cost me Y35. It works fine but is confusing. This was about the only nice Chinese food I had in China! A crispy pancake with eggs, veges, chopped meat, spices etc, folded over and over and cut up. Crunchy and nice. Crowded tourist street! All Chinese, all rugged up in heavy parkas. Me in my windcheater, but long pants this time at least. I still got lots of finger pointing behind my back, though, according to Jan. Bloody rude!

We had a fizzy mango-passion drink because it looked so delicious. I’ve seen nothing like it. Fizzing balls in a fruit drink emitting vapour. Very nice – Y10. Gave Y20 (it’s only $4) to beggar lady with no legs. She followed us for more.

I wanted a rickshaw back to the hotel. Jan walked on around the lake. My rickshaw was Y100 for the trip to the hotel, so I thought. But after many, many turns and streets, I ended up back where I started! It wasn’t a scam, he just misunderstood my request, even though I showed him the hotel name on my map. He gave me the Y100 tour! It was OK, but it meant I had to walk back to hotel.

I got lost! It seemed so simple on the map. I went down wrong street after wrong street. I didn’t get back until 5pm. Tired, and a bit crapped off.

Bought 2x 500ml cans beer at Y9.90 ea, peanuts same, Y29.70. Plastic bag Y3!

Hotel at 5pm. Pain in feet!

Now 1955. Shadow Art Performance starts soon.

Shi Cha Hai Shadow Art Performance stage

8pm: sure enough, the Shadow Art Performance starts. It’s the traditional Asian shadow play with puppets backlit onto a screen. Musician to the left. Sorry about the poor photos, I was so tired.

A hutong is an old style alleyway

Monday 10 November 2014

Awoke suddenly at 0500. We had to be ready to go by 0630 and I thought it was 0600 so I jumped out of bed in a panic, then looked at my watch again and saw the right time..

We had time for brekky. We have to wear the same clothes as last night as our cases were collected overnight. Out to Club Fusion at 0630. Not bad, not too long a wait before our bus group was called. Crumbs, to think I thought we would do our travel into Beijing on our own. Possible, but only if you’re young and brave.

Off the ship about 0645, to find all our bags lined up in rows in the immigration hall, No customs or immigration checks this time, presumably because we were done at Shanghai. Reasonably fast passage to our buses, pulling our own heavy bags, of course..

Set off for Beijing in Silver 3 bus at 0725. Freeway all the way. Plantation trees all along the route, millions of them. I’m not exaggerating, millions of trees in neat rows in plantations, kilometre after kilometre, most of them propped with bamboo tripod supports. This is China’s green policy in full view. They will be very attractive forests in a few short years. Excellent.

Stopped for a loo stop and shop at about 10am. Starting blocks, no loo paper but used paper in a plastic bin. Need I say more? By what standard is this OK? Horrible.

Traffic grew as we neared the city. Gradual increase. We made our stops at major hotels. Driver kept getting stuck in the hotel parking areas, backing and swearing to get out. He’s not a very good driver.

Our guide was another serial talker at first, Galen, but he shut up as we dropped people off. Blessed quiet. I asked him many questions as we went along, about government, press freedom (there ain’t any) and so on. A Govt job for Chinese is no. 1.desire, a job for life, secure. “We Love China”..

Then I got a big surprise – we passed under a wide footbridge, with Einstein’s relativity and gravity equations in metal signs on the railings! Where else in the world would you see that? Wow. I was impressed.

Finally reached the Shi Cha Hai hutong about 2pm. We had a quite long (300m?) walk down the hutongs to reach our hotel, having a dispute about which turnings to take, but we got there OK. Nice check-in. They speak halting but quite good English. Room is brilliant, one of the best I’ve ever had, I think. Modern, recently built, immaculately clean. No fridge in the room, so I had to go downstairs and ask that my insulin be kept in their fridge. No problems, but every morning and evening I had to go to the desk and retrieve it, use it and go back again.

Once rested, we went out for a walk about 2.30pm to an ATM on a big main street nearby.. Drew Y1,000 = A$192.30 approx. Needed my CBA EFTPOS PIN but no trouble. Amazing, it all works worldwide. More walking, slowly, in pain – my feet and ankles hurt like hell. Had lunch 3pm at a small cheap looking restaurant, all we could find. Beer Y6 = $1.15 for a 600ml bottle of Chinese beer, but it’s only 3.6% alc! As I was to discover, that’s basically all you can get in China, low alcohol, some as low as 2.6%.

But we were totally confused and frustrated. Bloody people can’t seem to understand pointing at a picture on the menu and putting a finger up to say one please. What is there not to understand??!! Each time we did this, we got a string of questions in reply. Eventually we got shrugs of shoulders. In the end we got a big bowl of barley, cabbage and egg soup Y15, but very bland, and six big things like giant spring rolls, very nice, Y20.

I also got lots of funny looks and finger pointing because I was wearing my ship summer rig in the Beijing climate – shoes and socks yes, but white socks, with shorts and a thin black T shirt. I was cool, for sure, but not cold, but the locals thought this was a great joke. So bloody what does it matter what I wear? We wouldn’t treat Chinese tourists this way. I laugh at it but I was pretty pissed off.

Walked back to the hotel via a shop – 500ml can German beer, 2 x mixed drinks, peanuts, toothpaste at last, Y63.70. Back to hotel so tired that I collapsed on the bed at 1730. Tried to sleep but wouldn’t come. Noises! Finally took a sedative at 2130 and after a while dropped off. Woke at 0530.

Sunday 9 November 2014

Longitude 124.12E, Latitude 35.84N Speed 38Kmh

Temp about 10C? Not bad. Windy but dry and cloudy. 59F at 0830.

My cabin bill – US$1057.59 so far!

Here we are at the tail end, the last day of the cruise. We get off at TianJin tomorrow morning early. We’ve booked a bus to get us from the ship right through to Beijing, to the Lido Hotel, wherever that is. We’ll get a taxi from there to our Shi Cha Hai Shadow Art Hotel. I’ve shown the beautiful waitress Keqing (Keching) the hotel booking form to see that the taxi driver will be able to understand it. She says yes, no problems. Also, she says that taxi drivers understand “money” and “how much?”. No doubt they do.

On the ship I’ve just tried to exchange US$ for Chinese Yuan but the machine doesn’t give anything except Korean Won. Big bloody help. We’ve just left Korea. So I go to the ATM but it’s not working. Big bloody help.

Impressions of the trip so far:

• What a mixture of emotions. It seems an age since we left Singapore but it’s only 16 days. What a range of different places we’ve been thorough.
• The highlights have been the Hong Kong departure at night, unforgettable, and leaving Nagasaki at night as well, with an orange full moon rising over the hills.
• My feelings are, I’m sick of people! Being in such crowds, I suppose. I am so sick of being talked at. Not talked to, talked at, with no breaks in the conversation and no interest in what I might have to say.
• I am sick of the haughty attitudes of Americans, not all, but too many. Similarly, to a lesser degree, of British.
• I’m sick of boring Aussies, unintelligent, embarrassing yokels.
• I’m especially sick of eastern Europeans, or whatever they are. Rude, thoughtless, ill mannered, pushy.
• Chinese are OK, but keep to their own kind.

But essentially I want to get away from people. Never again will I do one of these mass group tours. I’m not sure how much future travelling I’ll be doing, but it’ll be back to individual travel, for sure. Some people cruise all the time, staying on the ship for the reverse voyage to Singapore. Aaaarrrgh. No way.