Ulaan Baatar

Okay – so here's what's really been going on:

After having some real fun times in Chengdu and Xian I got to Hong Kong feeling totally drained and lacking any enthusiasm to do anything other than meet up with the people I'd met on my trip. The weather didn't help, and I kept thinking about all the things (usually people) that I missed. And I was actually thinking that it was time to go home.

But then Antonia e-mailed me about the Tibet trip, and I was thinking: I'll go to Tibet – and then I'll go home.

And while I had some of the best times so far in Tibet – it would be fair to say that there were also some frustrations which made me think: it's time to go home.

I did have a few days of feeling totally fed up in Beijing, and ended up calling a few people just to hear some friendly voices – which really helped – and it was totally what I needed.

And having chatted with Brittny about the whole China experience – I realized that I was suffering from China Fatigue.

Mina – who I'd met in Xian had sent me a list titled: You know you've been in China too long when...with a list of humorous items – there were too many on the list that I recognized.

And so I decided the best thing to do was to try somewhere new, and as I had to leave China anyway because my visa was going to run out, booked the train to Mongolia on a bit of a whim.

In hindsight – I guess it's natural to hit something like this – particularly having been on the road so long (I actually met someone today who was going through the same thing after six months on the road). The constant changes, new beds most nights, lack of continuity – it was bound to have an affect at some point. And I guess it's what people who emigrate to a new country must feel like after six months has gone by and the excitement has worn off.

But I never saw it coming – it just hit. And China (while it's a great place to visit) can be intensely frustrating at times. And so I got on the train to Mongolia feeling really deflated - and trying to work out whether it was time to call it a day.

But then Mongolia happened, and everything changed.

The train takes almost two days to make it's way from Beijing to Ulaan Baatar (which seems to have a number of spellings, although I'll be spelling it UB from now on).

Part of the trip includes having to have the wheels of the train changed, as the track in China is a different space apart from the track in Mongolia. The whole process takes about two hours, and requires the train to be driven into a huge warehouse, where each carriage is lifted up on hydraulic jacks, after which the old wheels are replaced by new wheels.

I'm wondering why they don't just ask you to get on another train (which would take all of ten minutes – but one thing I've learned in China: don't ask why – it's much easier that way :-)

I managed to stay on the train, so was able to watch the whole process, and here are some pics:

Inside the wheel changing warehouse:



Going up:





I was really lucky on the way here, as I had a whole cabin to myself – which was a real luxury (and gave me some much needed thinking time), although I did get chatting to some guy's from Melbourne in the dining car – which was fun.

Here's a few pics of the scenery:

Hot water being heated up using coal:



The train:



Traditional Yurts:




And then, in the afternoon the following day, we arrived in UB...

...and it's amazing how different it is from China. It actually feels different. There's no heavy police presence or people ordering you around, searching your bags, pushing you about, or shouting all the time. It's not excitement capital of the world – but it's got a really great laid back feel about it.

And there's two things I really noticed: It was once under Soviet control, and it reminded me so much of Eastern Europe (just how Slovakia looked back in 1991). And the second thing is how people actually seem to take care about how they look. People make an effort to look good – most people wouldn't look out of place walking through Manchester.

At the hostel I got chatting to a couple from Winchester who were doing the Trans Siberian Train route. They'd both left the army and had decided to try and drive to Mongolia, but their vehicle had broken down in Spain and they'd had to switch to the trains. We got chatting about the tour they were doing, which was three weeks seeing the key stuff in Mongolia.

I'd only planned to be here for a week or so, but it looks like such an amazing place that I was really tempted to do a similar tour. So I started thinking about my trip, and where I wanted to go, and why I was travelling – and I really started getting excited about where I was going and the whole travelling thing.

In the end – I (reluctantly) decided against spending three weeks in Mongolia for a number of reasons: It was really cold (like bitterly cold, and I spent the next day freezing my nuts off while I looked around), and I don't have the right clothes for this type of weather. The tours are also quite expensive (out of my budget), and while you can cut the cost by camping, it would mean buying another tent (to add to the four I already own :-)

So feeling way better than I have for a few weeks, I set off to look around UB. There's not that much to see, and I'd seen everything I wanted to see in a morning.

Amazing modern building in the centre of UB:



The main square:



The opera house;



The main square with the hills and a light dusting of snow in the background:



Random Street:



So I headed back to the train station to buy a ticket to Beijing. There aren't many trains that run direct, so had to buy a ticket for the next day. Which was fine – because there's a few places I can't wait to get to...

That night I went to a popular hang out for the Mongolians, and as it was fully booked out (one of the top bands in Mongolia was playing that night - and they were really amazing - the bass player and drummer were particularly good) I was asked to sit at a table with some other people, and got chatting with a British guy (Jim) and some Mongolians.

It turns out that Jim works for a development agency and was meeting his team in Mongolia on a project they are working on. They very kindly adopted me for the evening – and hanging out with some Mongolians and watching them have fun made a huge impression on me, and I got a real incite into Mongolian life.

In the 90's they broke free of Communist rule, and have switched to a democratic system coupled with a free market – which they are all really proud of. There's no fear of speaking your mind here, and it was refreshing to hear people talking about how things had been, and how they are now. And while it might be the one of the poorest countries in the world – they have a real sense of pride and optimism in the future. 75% of all university students are women and education is seen here as a key to the future – and from my brief time here – I could see that Mongolia has a strong future ahead of it.

It's a really amazing place – and a place I'd love to (is that plan to :-) return to.

When I tell everyone here that I'm in Mongolia for one full day they all say I'm crazy – and maybe I am – but it was exactly what I needed...

Train on the way back to Beijing:

Beijing - Part 2

China can, at times, be very frustrating. And the most simple task can take an age. It's actually rather amusing now – but boy – was today frustrating...

All I wanted to do was get a Mongolian Visa and buy a train ticket to Mongolia. Simple one would think. Except it took me an entire day to arrange.

A quick trip to the Mongolian Embassy, and then it was off to the station to buy a ticket. Except you can't buy tickets to Mongolia at the train station. Any where else – no worries. Mongolia – no way.

I was given the name of the place that sold the tickets, but no one could tell me how to get there or even where it was, so it took me an age to find it, and after queuing for a while managed to buy a ticket.

The next challenge was to pay for the visa, which – I was told – needed a trip to any Bank Of China where I could pay in the money and get a receipt. So I headed off to the main shopping street so I could pay my debt to Mongolia and pop into Starbucks afterwards in preparation for some site seeing in the afternoon.

So I walk into the Bank Of China branch, get a ticket and sit waiting. And finally – after just over an hour – was told I could only pay in the money at the Head Office.

Strangely – no one actually knew where the Head Office was – other than the name of the nearest metro station. So I set off to find the Head Office, and after a lot of trailing around finally found it.

And what a place. It's exactly what a Financial Services Head Office should look like: a huge atrium with what I can only describe as a lake with mock Karst Formations in, and everything made of marble. It's the kind of building you'd be proud to work in.

Having walked around for a few minutes I finally found the branch inside, who told me that there was no way I could pay in the money there, and that I had to go to a specific branch. Of course – the guy couldn't tell me where it was – other than the name of the metro station...so rather frustrated I set off to try and find it.

It was tucked away about 10 minutes walk from the metro, and when I finally found it, I got a ticket and joined the queue.

It felt exactly like being stuck in the film Brazil...

One thing you notice about China is every job seems to require between two and five people to complete it. Seriously. I've even seen five men changing a light bulb (and I'm not joking). One to hold the ladder, one to turn the bulb, and three watching. And the same was true in the bank.

There were two people serving, and five other people hanging around doing...nothing...which is why it took one and a half hours to finally pay in my money and get the receipt.

I'd not eaten all day, so a trip out to the weird food market with Brittny was a welcome end to the day.

One thing about getting a Mongolian visa is that the same day service (which you pay extra for), actually means you pick up the visa the next day, and after a late start, Brittny and I headed out to see the Olympic village. Except there was a huge thunderstorm, so ended we up wandering around H&M until it stopped.

I've not been in a clothes shop since I set off, and there was something therapeutic as doing something as mundane as wander around looking at stuff. Amazing what you miss...

After the worst of the rain had eased off, we headed off on the metro for the ride to the Olympic Park. And what a place. There are some amazing iconic buildings here, although the area does have a derelict unused air about it. And the smog was really really bad, as you can see in these pics:

The birds nest stadium:



And the swimming pool:



And then it was off to the Mongolian Embassy to pick up my passport, complete with shiny new stick in full page Mongolian Visa. And a quick graze at the street food market, and it was an earlyish night ready for the long train journey to Mongolia.

Beijing - Part 1

The train journey to Beijing was long.

Forty eight hours spent cooped up in a small confined space is enough to give anyone cabin fever, and the time passed very slowly. The scenery is incredible until you hit Xining – when the industrial heart lands of China starts, and there isn't that much to see out of the window.

Beijing is unlike any other capital city I've been in. It doesn't feel like a capital some how – it's quiet, and there doesn't seem to be an obvious centre or Central Business District to speak off – although I guess Tiananmen Square is the focal point – more of which later.

I'd left my Lonely Planet on a wall at Deprung Monastery when we were being held by the Police, so didn't have any maps or information – but what I did have was a very handy list of “what to do in Beijing” from Mark in Manchester - so was ready to hit some of the sites.

Having being stuck in a tiny cabin for 48 hours I decided get out and take a walk. So having dropped my stuff off at the Hostel I headed out on the bus to the Summer Palace.

It's a fair way out of the city on the bus, but it's worth the journey. The Summer Palace is a great place to chill out and have a walk around – exactly what I needed. Right in the centre there's a big hill, and I walked all the way to the top with out stopping. Having been at altitude for so long, the air felt really rich – it's the fittest I've felt in ages :-)

Seventeen Arch Bridge:



Looking over the park from the top of the hill:



Where the Emperors lived:



Stone carving:



The long corridor:



Just one of the hundreds of paintings:



A quiet corner in the palace:



The marble boat:



And one of the many boats that takes people across the lake:



:-)



That night I went to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag lowering ceremony. It's as you'd expect. A show of military force, under the watchful eye of Mao, as soldiers go through a twice a day ritual.

Security at the square is very tight – you have to go through security checks just to get in, and there are police everywhere. I'm not sure if it's anything to do with the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Protests, but it does feel very oppressive.

Here's the iconic picture that symbolises the uprising in 1989:



The sun setting over the square:



The next day – it was my Birthday – so I decided to have a day of loafing. So after a monster lie in (which was really needed), I headed to Starbucks for a coffee and a butter croissant. And Pizza for lunch. And then Strarbucks and a bit of a wander around :-)

That night I headed out with Brittny to the Weird Food Market (my name not theirs) in Beijing and ate the one thing I'd been looking forward to trying in Beijing: deep fried scorpion.

Pretty tasty, and not at all what I expected. The slightly disconcerting thing is that they are still alive on the stick before they get cooked – which is a bit off putting. But they are really crunchy, and some of the larger ones are a bit chewy in the middle, but they were OK – and I went back the next day for some more...

The main shopping street by the weird food market:



Starfish waiting to be deep fried:



Me - getting ready to eat four deep fried scorpion - with the stall owner:



In they go:



And all gone:



The real highlight for me so far in Beijing has been the Forbidden City. If you've never seen the film “The Last Emperor” then cancel any plans you have for this evening, buy a good bottle of wine and rent the DVD. It's an incredible film, and features the Forbidden City.

Here's me - with Chairman Mao outside the main gate of the Forbidden City:



Inside the City:







This amazing carving is cut out of a single piece of rock. It was so big they moved it by waiting until winter, and then pouring water on the ground until they had a frozen track of ice along which they dragged the block of stone.



Camouflage tree:



Amazing paint work in the City:



In the afternoon I headed off to a market to try and find a present for Joshua, and got really lost. But I ended up walking through one of the Hutong's – the traditional neighborhoods of Beijing where a quarter of the population live. The Hutongs are like crazy mazes with little alleys and shops everywhere. It's a real slice of life – and you really get to see how the average Beijinger lives – it's a real reminder that China is still a developing country.

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One thing worth noting about Beijing is that it's a city full of scams. The main one seems to be the “tea scam”, in which someone approaches you wanting to “practise their English”. They then suggest that you go for tea – which turns out to be really expensive – and you end up footing the bill.

I've met a lot of people who've been caught out. But I've also met a lot of people who've got there money back by going to the “tea” place and kicking up a fuss. Usually it doesn't work until you say your going to go get the police.

I actually had the pleasure of going with someone and getting their money back. Such a sense of satisfaction :-)

Last Day In Lhasa

A visit had been planned to some monastery or other, but I decided not to go as I wanted to have a day in Lhasa, as I didn't feel like I'd really seen everything I wanted to see. After being strictly warned not to go wandering off (would I do a thing like that? :-) I headed into town.

I spent most of the morning just walking around the old town with it's small streets, little shops, and quiet alleyways - there's a real buzz to the place. And once you get away from the main square, you get into the real Lhasa.

Lhasa Old Town:



Most of the shops in the main square, and the street leading to it, are owned by Han Chinese, as (I've been told) the government offers the Han Chinese tax incentives to move to Tibet, the thinking being that it will dilute the Tibetan culture.

Back at the main square, I forked out the 85 Yuan (about eight pounds fifty) to get into the Johkar Monastery, just for something to do (the guide had told us it wasn't worth seeing), and ended up really enjoying it. It's one of my all time favourites, and given the festival is over, it was really peaceful.

You can head up to the roof for views - although the views aren't as good as those from the New Mandala Restaurant – which also does really great curries.

The roof of the Johkar Temple:







Buddhas in the process of being painted:



Corridor in the temple:



Painting in the temple:



Military in the main square:



The temple has an inner courtyard where you can spin the pray wheels, and as I'm walking around this really great Chinese guy stops me and explains that I was going in the wrong direction (is that anti-karma?), and then wandered around with me while I turned the wheels in the right direction.



From the inner courtyard you can go into the main temple (bizarrely labelled as the “Inner Cathedral" which has loads of interesting little temples inside.

Photo taking is banned so there are no pics...

After a rather good cup of coffee and slice of cake, I headed off to do a Kora of the Potala Palace, and spun the pray wheels on the way round – and there are rather a lot as I discovered. There's a nice park behind the Palace and after sitting around for a while enjoying the day, I headed back to meet Antonia and Brittny for dinner – no curry this time :-)

While we were eating dinner, two armoured patrol vehicles with huge machine guns on the roof and about twenty soldiers in each one drove through the streets. It felt very threatening. It really does feel like a country that's been occupied by a hostile army who are trying to control the people. A country under siege.

Every Tibetan I talked to talked of their desire for a free Tibet, or a compromise in which Tibet is in China but run under a different system like Hong Kong. The government is prepared to offer this (which is encouraging), but just for the Lhasa valley, which the people don't want as they say they want freedom for all Tibetans – not just those who live in Lhasa.

There's a lot of anger, particualarly among the young people, in the way they are being treated, as they feel that all the opportunities are given to the Han Chinese. Whether this is true or not I don't know – but that's what I was told (but there's always three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the truth). But the strength of feeling really surprised me.

Which is incredibly sad – as it's one of the most beautiful places on earth - and the people live an amazing life in harmony with the landscape around them. It feels that much of this is being swept away by an oppressive external force.

On reflection – I had some of the best moments of my life in Tibet. The train ride is truly a trip of a lifetime, and to see Lhasa and the Potala Palace felt like a privilege. To stand and see Everest in the moonlight, and to walk up to Everest Base Camp while the sun rose on Everest are moments I'll never forget.

But there's a sad side to Tibet. The heavy military presence. The overly aggressive approach of the army and police. The heavily armoured vehicles with machine guns on the roof patrolling the streets. The conversations where young Tibetans are asking for freedom, and the opportunitues for their future which should go with it. And perhaps saddest of all – the missing monks.

Paradise, it seems, has a dark side.

And I came away hoping that one day the Tibetans will get the freedom they so desperately long for.

Even More Trouble In Lhasa...

Today has been...interesting...and a little unnerving...

Given that the guide hadn't turned up the night before, and we were at a loose end, and decided to head off to Drapung Monastery. It's one of the places that wasn't on the original itinerary, but when I 'd been researching Tibet had decided that I wanted to go.

The guide had told us a few days before that there was going to be a Sky Burial – the traditional funeral rites for Tibetan Buddhists, and as I'd studied The Sociology of Death as part of my degree thought it might be an interesting experience. We'd been told by the guide that we couldn't go to the Sky Burial – but I'd been to see the Police and they said it wasn't a problem. So we set off early in the morning for the monastery.

It turns out that there wasn't a Sky Burial that day and that we'd been given the wrong information, but as we made our way up the hill, we'd been followed by a security guard.

There were no efforts made to stop us – he just seemed happy to follow us at a distance.

Having given up on finding the Sky Burial, and been told it was at another monastery at the other side of the valley, we decided that, given there was an hour until the ticket office opened, that we'd have a look around and then go back and buy a ticket.

The group had split into two by this point, and one half had been told that we all had to return and buy a ticket, which would have meant waiting around for an hour.

A few of us continued to look around – although you couldn't go inside anything other than one of the chapels as it was still all locked up.

The entrance to the main temple at Draprung:



The incredible view over the Lhasa valley:



Looking back to Draprung:



About 10 minutes later, we were told that the security guard was a Police Officer and if we didn't return to the ticket office we would have our Chinese Visas revoked (unnerving when your first told - but it felt like a bluff). As the rest of the group were at the ticket office, we decided the only fair thing to do was to go back and find out what was going on. So we walked back to the Ticket Office to find that all sorts of problems had broken out.

I got chatting to the Police guy, and he told me that the problem wasn't that we'd gone wandering off (although I'm sure it didn't help) – but that we shouldn't have been there without a guide in the first place. We had been told that our permit covered the whole of the Lhasa valley and we didn't realize that some places (like Drapung) weren't included.

We were then held at the ticket office for over an hour until our guide turned up.

Feeling slightly fed up at this point, I got a lift back into town with the driver, but a few of us were summoned to the Tour Office to “explain what we had done”. Apparently, the tour office was being asked to submit a report to the police, and they might have to pay a fine.

There were a few heart stopping moments along the way...but we finally got everything sorted out when our driver (who we'd nicknamed Speedy Gonzales) came to our defense.

In the afternoon we were taken by the guide to Sera Monastery – which is famous for it's debating. Senior monks test more junior monks by asking them questions, finishing each question with a clap to show it's time to answer. The monks have to answer straight away, and there's no thinking time.

If the answer is right, the monk asks another question. If the answer is wrong the senior monk slaps the back of one hand against the palm of the other, and they keep going until the correct answer is given.

Every one takes part – right up to the High Lama, and in one corner all the senior monks were grilling each other. It's all very good natured – although at one point two monks were getting really heated – although it all ended in good natured laughs.

Great fun to watch – although it did feel like there was a bit of show boating going on for the cameras at some points.

Monks going to debate:



Can I phone a friend?:



Getting ready for the next question - which was: Do coconuts migrate?



One sad thing about Sera Monastery is that before the 14th March uprising last year (2008) there used to be over 4000 monks at the monastery. Now there are less than 500.

Some are known to have escaped to India, walking over the mountains because (I've been told - but I hasten to add - not by the monks at this or any other monastery) the Chinese Government won't give them passports. Some are being held in prisons in Tibet, and some are simply missing. The same is true of every monastery you go to here.

And then it was back in the van to Lhasa for dinner...Indian – you just can't beat a good curry...