Beijing

Kiinalainen sleeping bus kippasi enemman tai vahemman levanneet reissaajat savuiseen Pekingiin aamuun. Punkkauspaikaksi olimme valinneet hutong-alueella sijaitsevan Beijing Lotus Hostellin, joka todella osoittautui hostels.comissa saamiensa tahtien arvoiseksi. Pehmustetut toilettirenkaat, siistit privaatti-huoneet, kukkiva sisapiha ja ystavallinen respa saivat meidat tuntemaan olomme harvinaisen anti-backpackereiksi.. mutta kai se nautintokin valilla on paikallaan ;)

Peking ja liikenneruuhkat: pah! Mongolialaisen kaaoksen jalkeen paikalliset kadut vaikuttivat jarjestaytyneilta huopatossutehtailta, joissa jalankulkijankin on mahdollista sailyttaa henkensa. Sen sijaan yhtalo Beijing = hyva ruoka: consider confirmed! Aamupalaksi jotakin karvaista imukupeilla keittomuodossa, paivalliseksi kiinalaista ruokaetikettia opetellessa friteerattuja herkkuja hapanimelakastikkeessa ja valipalaksi grillattua skorpionia. Koiraa viela metsastetaan...

Visiitti Pekingin yhdessa must-mestassa, Kielletyssa kaupungissa tyssahti alkuunsa, silla olimme oikealla portilla liian myohaan sisaan paastaksemme. Alueella harhailukin tosin jo tuotti melkoisia nakoala- ja havaintoelamyksia, kuten kuvista nakyy. Kasittamatonta kauneutta karun kaupunkimaiseman keskella.. Ja nahtiin me ainakin Mao - ja ostettiin The Little Red Book. Tinkaaminen tuli koitettua, Tinkasin kirjan 180Y:sta 50, sitten Sinikalle myytiin sama kirja ilman tinkaysta 20:lla!!!

Illalla kaytiin kattoon selkarangattomia pikkukiinalaisia omituisissa asennoissa. Eli kuuluisia kiinalaisia akrobaatteja. Esitys oli mahtava!

Wednesday, november 22, 2006

The chinese “sleeping bus” ditched the more or less well rested travellers into the smoky Beijing morning. For our place to bunk in we had chosen the Beijing Lotus Hostel in the Hutong district, which turned out to be worth those stars in hostels.com indeed. The cushioned toilet seats, clean private rooms, the blooming courtyard and friendly reception made us feel exceptionally anti-backpackers, but I suppose there’s nothing wrong with occasional pleasure ;)

Beijing and traffic jams: bollocks! After the mongolian chaos the local streets seemed like well organised resting homes, where it is possible even for a pedestrian to walk and survive. And yet the equation Beijing = good food : consider confirmed! For breakfast something hairy with suction cups in form of a soup, for dinner, while still learning chinese food etiquette, some deep fried delicacies in sweet and sour sauce and for snacks grilled scorpions. Still tracking down some dog...

The visit to one of Beijing’s must-locations, the forbidden city, came to an end before it began, for we were at the right gate but too late to get inside. But even just wandering round the district gave us some quite wiews and perceptual experiences, as one can see from the photos. Unimaginable beauty in the middle of rugged city landscapes... And at least we saw Mao – and bought The Little Red Books. Tried out haggling also, haggled the price of the book from 180 Yuan to 50, and then they went and without a haggle sold Sinikka the exact same book with 20!!

At night we went to see spineless little chinamen in strange postures, that is the famous chinese acrobats. The show was awesome!