China III - Xian

Hello another day, another adventure.

I awoke to be met with rain the type of rain that is unstoppable, that you cannot dress for. Well this is not exactly true but packing a full set of oil skins (including the hat) and heavy wellingtons is not de riguer when trying to travel light.

If I had of course it would have been quiet a spectacle. Much more than my shorted, t shirted and sandalled appearance did. A far better non verbal reposte it would be too to the umbrella sellers and their £1 a go wares declined with a rain soaked smile.

So nothing to be done and after a quick stroll around back to the hotel to collect belongings and head to the " 8th wonder of the world ".

Now I take this description with a touch of salt as I have heard others describe themselves in a similar fashion. If it was a race then all would be in a photo finish with the same time and the next wonder coming in at position 17. So off we journeyed to the EmperorsTerracotta Warriors outside Xian.

Despite it's "Communist" government the commercial acumen and eye for a profit is something being honed by those who's shops line the "avenue de tat" that is the thoroughfare to the Terracotta Warriors. Figurines of all shapes and sizes set up to entice you to but or you can dress your family in replica warrior wear whilst wielding replica sword and staff. Bedecked in your warrior chic photographers will capture your image. Although if you have not succumbed never fear dear stand behind that plastic body with your head showing at the top of the plastic model - ah a warrior!



As you arrive you appreciate that the site organisers have studied the Australian model of visitor experiences - the big prawn, the big pineapple etc here in Xian we have the big Emperor! He stands ready to greet you to his erm.,...car park!




Inside the museum complex proper it is rather good and not at all reflects the preamble up the "cirque de fleeced touriste". I will gloss over the informative but poor quality background information movie that looks like it was shot on my late Grandads 8mm cine camera from 1971.





After this you stroll through 3 exhibition halls if you were to go from 1 to 3 it would be like seeing Elvis as the warm up before watching a smaller set from the winners and then the losers of the X Factor. By seeing the halls in reverse the scale of the figures increase until you reach the hanger that is hall 1. This is the site of the first discovery in here you have several hundreds of the clay figures standing in rows in their excavated clay trenches looking not unlike table football players who's adjoining pole has been stolen.

You can just see a little of this behind my head in this photo




Around the sides of the hall on the walk way you can see the modern Chinese standing slightly more animated that their silent brethren as they stare, capture their digital images with the essential pose that of the V peace sign. I do wonder if the emperor was pushing this task forward now would all his warriors be found in 2,000 years with their hands aloft, grinning inanely with V's raised?

So was it the "8th wonder"? The site is impressive and it is thought provoking and makes for an interesting debate on belief system, omnipotence, the enslaved masses and more. If not the 8th then pretty near and to think it all started when the farmer hit the first chamber when drilling a well. He's still around and of you don't want a warrior figure as a momento you can get him to sign his discovery story for you.

He's come along way since 1971 when it all kicked off, 1971! Maybe it was my Grandads cine camera did the campervan get this far?

Like the rain the visitors were unstoppable and more came as our day progressed nothing can be done a bit like China itself you can't do anything you just need to dive in and get wet.

TBC......
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China II

Hello again from the land of the great red dragon.




The scale of things is what hits you the numbers in the throng, the length of queues - although they seem to have learnt the art of queueing since I was last here in 1994, just as my country kin are losing it.

The size of Tianamen Square, the amount of photographs taken on the Square of a large number of grumpy kids who don't want to wear the china princess outfit. Standing in a "cool" stance giving the peace sign is much more desirable.

The sheer number of public service workers on display working hard for the state including a four man team to cut a hedge. The last sight one to send a shudder through any small government conservative.

The first 24 hours in heavy rain the second under glorious clear skys with increasing temperatures to match.

Hutangs or small neighbourhoods have been explored. These narrow streets with dwellings, businesses and small cafes all opening onto the thoroughfare remind me of descriptions of living in my home town of several hundred years ago with the important difference that these hutongs are cleaner. "Gardyloo" the warning cry as Edinburgh residents from those times threw their waste and garbage onto the street is not seen or heard here.

Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City walked and looked upon. The security presence is still there with an obvious manifestation of every entry way onto the Square and indeed the subway having security and a X-ray viewer. With no bags we attract little attention the Chinese state taking the view that they have enough indigenous "terrorists" what Anglo - Saxon would be dim enough to import it to here of all places?



Mangoes to me are a tasty juicy fruit that you chew your way through before discarding the seed and giving the skin to the dogs. However the scale thing kicks in again here. At home mango maybe an ice cream or a kulfi but nothing more. Here 2 mango cafes in close proximity and this one was picked for the place for pudding. All it sold was mango and things with mango, echoes of the Monty Python spam sketch.

After perusing the mango rich menu containing approximately 30 illustrated choices we made our decisions. My passpertout Dave had mango, tapioca and coconut milk. I had mango pieces on a mango smoothies with a dollop of vanilla I've cream - num, num and no sticky juice running down your arms either.

So now we are on a flight to Xian home to Terry Cota and his mates, a place I've never been to for a quick 24 hour dash not satisfactory but all we have time for......

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China I

Hello
Here I am sitting waiting for the planes rubber band to be wound up to take me and my fellow passengers to Beijing in the land of the Chinese. Another trip, another experience ( with a special thank you to my support team) awaits.

The past 24 hours have been a bit testy yesterday at home trying to organise the work commitments , family commitments and any other commitments that came into my head into some sort of order being a strain. Achieving this with about as much success as one would have in rounding up a flock of chooks.

The cause of it all is that I'm leaving my nearest and dearest behind as I travel like some modern day Marco Polp with his pal Davo to China. It's a trial and weighs heavy leaving them behind. Maybe im too old to leave them behind but as I sit here waiting the last 24 hours have been smoother than the 24 before that. A momentum has started flight to London - sleep - London for work - Heathrow and now waiting with calm restored.

I negotiated the check in process very surprised and proud that I am to be travelling with a less than full 30 litre sack for the first time in my life. Although at the last minute my plan was almost derailed as I was informed that a 5kg hand luggage limit was in place with my carrier. As I was obviously not an ex pat travelling home with gifts for the family - no white goods or foodstuffs I was allowed to split my belongings into my spare day bag and my main bag = 2 x 5 kg bags. The bonus of light weight travel clothing, they may be light but if I were to stand to close to a naked flame I would melt.

Through security and immigration hot, tired and sticky I stumble through the doors of the airport lounge and having fed, watered and washed (well showered - I was hot and sticky ) I wait. The only thing missing being my slippers and jammys.

It's been 16 years since I last visited Beijing and no doubt it will like myself have changed. How we shall soon see ..........



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I'm in the Zone

Hello, I've written many times that I have a good and fortunate life and one of the positives is that I have a wide choice of places to eat when my job takes me to London. When I have to stay over I need to find somewhere to eat. Sometimes I have no appetite, other occasions the appetite is for snacky rubbish, sometimes proper food. Depending on colleagues diary commitments sometimes I have company, sometimes it's the single seat corner table.

Tonight then I have an appetite for proper cooked food and after wandering around honing my appetite I plump for a branch of the Masala Zone Indian restaurant chain. Over the years I've frequented this well received chain a number of times and I've never been disappointed with the food. Each branch has art from a different part of the sub continent and are always buzzing.

I trundle up to the door and being on my own it's not the one seated table in the corner but the bar style table facing the street. I don't mind this as I'm slightly higher than the pedestrians and I look down on them negating any feelings of the "man eats dinner" reality show that can sometimes occur, especially if the menu is being displayed just about where you are sitting.

I'm fairly predictable with my choice as it never changes as I order a combination thali. A large silver tray adorned with small portions including two curry picks of your choice. A real taste selection.




Starting at 10 o'clock you have a mango chutney and just below a green looking paste that is a bit fiery all good to go with the salad and popadoms . To their right you have the boiled rice and a chapati.

Back to the clock face at 11 you have a wee bowl of daal.

At 12ish a potato and leek curry in a cumin sauce and nestlings up is another veggie taster of pea, tomatoes and other soft roots, this is a dish I would happily have had more of.

At 2 o'clock you have raita a pleasant cool gap just in case it's all too much. It never is as everything is thoughtfully seasoned and the menu uses a chilli scale to denote heat.

Then onto my curries chosen from the wider menu at 3 o'clock it's a Lamb Rogan Josh not particularly veggie but I like lamb and the rest of the salver gives enough meat free opportunities.

The final curry is a special curry of celebration from the state of Gujerat its a lentil and mixed veg dish with aubergines, snow peas amongst the most tasty ingredients. It also has a pleasant sweet edge due to the cooked banana pieces. This is a far cry from the last time I had banana with my curry from a lifetime ago.

Then it was chopped banana set around the edge of the plate that held the swan vesta boil in the bag curry they were a tasty introduction but a million miles from where I'm eating now in the Zone, dude!


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Cooz oan the lose!

Run for the trees!

Rain+Uncut Grass=Rainforest?

Drip, drip, drip, drip........