Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
So whilst this blog says I am writing about Fuzhou, I really am not. I am writing about Xiamen, south of Fuzhou by 100 or so miles. A group of seven teachers decided to go for our two day weekend, coming back the third day before work. That gave us plenty of time to explore Xiamen (though ended up missing a lot of it - so a return journey is essential ) and also to organise it. We booked our Hostel, and our train tickets prior to departure, which was on Monday at 9 from the north station. Sunday night came and I still hadnt packed, not knowing what to take, and figuring it will only take two minutes to pack anyway. Roll on the next morning and yep it was a rush to shower and pack and get out of the door in time to meet up with Caitlin and David to get the taxi, and we were inevitably the last ones to arrive at the station. Woop Woop. We were still there inplenty of time though.
In China they have this idea of scanning bags before you are allowed into the station, so we lined up to get our bags scanned. But this is China, orderly queues do not exist, please make a free for all at the entrance and see who can push their way through. I feel I am still too British to partake in this, and feel the need to apologise for everything, even though it was infact them who pushed me. Little hurdle accomplished we make our way to the correct waiting room (its pretty much like an airport with lax security) and sit down to await our train arrival.
When the train is called, again we make our way to the entrance, and almost like at a train station back home, put our tickets through the machine to open the barriers and then make our way through. No queues as such again, so please feel free to push your way infront of me, I will indeed apologise for your rudeness. Though I dont suppose it is considered a rudeness if it is infact a social norm. Details.
Our carriage is the last one, so we treked down the station, noticing how very modern and clean the station and the train is. In fact when we board the train i am very impressed. It is clean, spacious and comfortable. The leg space is more than we would get on a train back home, or a plane, and it has all the luxuries of a plane. The individual magazine, the fold down tray and the recliner seats. Amazing! Plus it goes uber fast. China beats us hands down on the cleanliness and general standard of their trains. Comeand see for yourself.
We start our hour and half journey, travelling at, as we are informed 195kmph, and seeing the high rise apartments, change to derelict high rise apartments to almost tranquil scenery, before plunging into numerous tunnels that make our ears pop. Each station we arrive at, there are people queueing in ordeal lines at the exact place where their carriage doors will open toget onto the train. it is surreal. Nothing like the madness at Fuzhou.
When we arrive at Xiamen we makeour way out, and start to walk around. We arent allowed to check in till after lunch, so back packs on backs we head for food, well a cafe in the end where i have a really nice Iced coffee. We sit, relax and talk, sharing random stories, some of which must have been hilarious as it provoked Cally to vomit (minor amounts of the coffee she had in her mouth) on to the floor twice. From one coffee. I actually have no idea what was so funny either...
Coffee finished we head to the park and explore the scenery, before getting a taxi (da di in chinese for those of you who are interested) to our hostel. Our hostel is amazing. Woop Woop again.
We all check in, pay our room charge and head up to our 8 person dorm room, which for the first time has soft(er) mattresses! Bunk beds are awesome too, so we all put our stuff down, take what we need for the rest of the day, and head out again. Purse and camera in hand we head back into town. It is so warm and so western we cant really believe it. There are foreigners everywhere! We are no longer the only white people! (small things, I know). We even come aross a bar called the Londoner and the Dubliner, and a western shop selling cheese, and brands from home - including blue cheese!! We decide to stay out, so walk along the river, beer in hand, take photos of people playing charades in the masssive ampitheater we stumbled across, and then the obligatory jumping photos in the sunset. It was amazing. We then head to a Mexican restaurant, for some real Mexican Food. and Margheritas. They were buy one get one half price, it was rude not too. We were in a western restaurant, served by english speaking Chinese waiters, surrounded by only white foreigner customers. We were almost transported to a western country, which was easy to imagine as the night progressed and ended up at a number of bars. Needless to say, come bed time, rather late, and rather worse for wear, we all pile into the room, get ready for bed and pass out. No one snored!!! how lucky huh?
Next morning, for some reason i cant sleep, and when Caitlin (aus) gets up, I dont feel bad for also getting up early. I would like to point out, that at this point I had no idea of the time, and later found out it was a bit before 6. Showered, dressed and ready for another days adventure to the island of Gulang Yu, Caitlin and myselfhead out in seach of food and drink to sustain us till the hostel restaurant opens for breakfast. We head back and play pool, to be slowly joined by other members of the group and order some breakfast :)
When we set off for the day, everyone seems no worse for wear, and go to the ferry station to buy our ferry passage. Shame thewomen couldnt really understand us (with our perfect knowledge of Chinese and all) and after a while we all have our chips which enable us onto the ferry. Heading to the ferry we are herded into a small waiting area and this is when my worst nightmare happens.
Some of you may be thinking that I have entered a room filled with spiders, all wanting to eat me, or worse, an abatoire. But no, it was filled with camera totting Chinese tourists, all wanting their pictures taken with me. I dont exaggerate when I say I felt like i was a huge celebrity in a middle of meet your fans papparazzi shoot. i had no idea which way to look, who was holding me from one moment to the next, and the rest of the group are stood laughing at me. They arent inundated with people pointing cameras at them, but left alone to gently mock me. in hell.
Escaping to the boat doesnt work. It is the same situation, but on a boat. Arriving at the islands helps a little, we all slink off and walk around the island. It is so beautiful, words cant describe it. The transition from old to new, nature to man made is just so stark but beautiful. The weather is boiling, and my inappropriate dress probably doesnt help with attention, so whilst others are on the beach I sneak off in pursuit of finding a more suitable camouflage.
When I enter the shop I know this isnt going to be easy. Im tall, Chinese women are generally short. Very short. Im not a size zero either and I realise that. So I go for the cotton flowing long dresses. The lady is trying to push the lycra long dresses at me, and there's no way on this earth I would wear that, or feel comfortable wearing anything like that surrounded by size zero women. So moving away from that I look at some t-shirts - told Im too fat. Look at a differnet, rather nice dress, and the lady grabs my stomach, and laughs saying I'm too fat. Ok you cant grab a handful or anything, but neither I am I skin and bones, and the laughing derisive mocking that comes from her and this other lady sends me into a further hell. That day wasnt my day. i grab the dress she is trying to force on me, buy it so I can leave. I regret it instantly, and every person that looks at me, which is everyone, one the way back to the beach i feel is mocking me further.
Back on the beach again I see a lady video recording me, a tour group come over and talk tous, and we are included in yet more photos. I wonder what they do with the photos? Though Adrian came up with the ingenius idea that he would ask them for their photo every time they asked for ours. Did not deter them.
Aftera mixed day, having walked what felt liek a million miles, had my photo taken so many times it is beyond count, no vegetarian food, and yep i am burnt, we head back to Xiamen, and to an Italian restaurant for some decent food. Believe me Xiamen is amazing, so beautiful and Gulang Yu Island is incredible, beyond gorgeous, plus it is the perfect place to go when you need to be in a western society, but next time i am coming in disguise!!
We dont have a big evening, we walk home after eating a huge pizza (half of with we take with us in take away containers) and head on back to our hostel with a beer. An early night ensues, as we are all exhausted from the sun and walking and food.
The last day sees us eating cold pizza for breakfast, saying goodbye to our fellow travellers and heading back into town to the train station. Stopping for breakfast on the way. The train journey home is uneventful, minus Caitlin (room mate0 having a singing lady sit next to her) and we arrive back in Fuzhou safely, already finding it hard to breathe and loving it.
David, Caitlin, Caitlin and myself grab a taxi, and then start one ofthe worst journeys of our lifes. The taxi driver decides to drive in the wrong lane, into oncoming traffic, ignore the red lights (even more so for China), and we realise themeter isnt running. Fearing for our safety we tell him to stop (ting) and David makes us girls get out first before he gets out, and hands the taxi driver 13 kwai., the price it should have been. The taxi driver is furious, demanding 40 kwai (as if) and David says no, puts the money in the taxi, and tells Caitlin (room mate) and myself to start walking, and Caitlin (aus) and himself walks the other way back to their apartment. We are petrified, having looked backandseeing the taxi driver trying to get into David's face, we decide to go into a shop and take back alleys back home. As the back alleys feel safer than the main road with the crazy taxi driver on it. All the way home we are panicking in case we see him again, before arriving home and making sure David and Caitlin are ok. They are.
Then off to work. Back to reality and life in Fuzhou.
Just as an aside from our wonderful journey to Xiamen, today, April Fools day, and after another night of drinking for Cally's leaving meal and party, i get up, and after a while Caitlin comes through and asks me if I noticed anything when I was doing my laundry the other day. No i hadnt. We go through to find a packet of condoms in our outside sink, presumably thrown through ours bars by our neighbours. I have no idea what they areinsinuating as we having had any people back, bar when we organised Xiamen trip, or when we had a movie night with some guys from work. So a random pack of unopened condoms are in our sink. We of course move them, and read the back - only use once - very wise, and notice they are ribbed (all about the females pleasure apparently). Curious as we are, we open them to realise not only are there ten of them in a tiny box, they expired in 2005!! Not much use there then. Furthermore, our friendly flat rat, has tried to visit again. After finding out about his existence - Caitlin's oatmeal was eaten and the tell tale rat droppings, we found the hole, and filled it with Lambs wool - the twisty iron strings, and sellotape it in. Tonight we heard it trying to get through (to no avail) and then heard it banging around in the hollow spaces. Very scary. We are now wondering if our efforts will succeed or be in vain.. Find out tomorrow I suppose and see how persistent the rat is.
Furthermore, just to any intrepid travellers who are thinking of coming to China. Please be aware that all the food you are likely to purchase in Fuzhou will be out of date. It can range from a couple of days out of date (almost forgiveable) to over a year out of date. This includes mayonnaise, packaged goods, milk, yoghurts, cheese, and anything that is in a container really.
Because it's China. Love it.
- comments
Alice Enjoyed this blog! I'm going to Xiamen and was wondering where you stayed, since you liked it so much? If you could tell me the name that'd be great! Thanks :)