As the name suggests

So what's new, I'm in Beijing and its pissing it down but I'm not letting that dampen my spirits.

After Cambodia I had a few days recovering, getting Prada suits copied and celebrating birthdays of unspecified years before trying to get a train up to Beijing. Unfortunately due to timing, money and a need to go drinking with George (living legend and goon poker victim from Sydney) I had to fly but maybe the 48 hours I have from Beijing to Lhasa tonight is enough rail travel for one trip!

So, I'm in Beijing and though it's a huge polluted mess that's predominantly closed for Olympic renovations its great. Greatest of all is the aptly named "Great Wall", I went there yesterday and was lucky enough (I know I know I'm always lucky) to meet up with my flat mates girlfriends colleague 'Tsing Tao Wang' (yes pretty much the same name as the beer), who drove us to a place called Xiangtum about 90 minutes north of Beijing that is totally untouched by tourists.

We had a great meal (including chickens feet and heads plus beers) for the equivalent of 2 pounds sterling in a little farming village then walked for about 90 min along the wall and back without seeing a soul. The section we were on is about 600 years old and though I couldn't jump off it (yes I still get that urge) its probably seconds only to Bayon in Angkor for places I've been in the last year or so, high praise indeed!

In Beijing itself I've explored a few of the cities drinking area which are mighty fine, the Ming tombs (not like the name but turned up late so not very open) plus the Forbidden City. Alas as with the great wall this place did live up to its name as lots of it is closed or fenced off for the fore mentioned renovations for the Olympics next year. That said it is still an amazing site, the luxury the emperors lived in than the number of concubines they must have had to fill the place is mind boggling.

And that's what I've mostly been doing. I'm hopefully meeting Sean in an hour or so to get the train to Lhasa this evening and with a bit of luck the permits will get us in as easily as the US dollar got me into Cambodia (I forgot to take a photo for the visa with me, on telling the customs man he simply said "one dollar", on handing it over I got my visa, no photo but guess the face of George Washington or whoever it is on American currency was enough!).

So, to Tibet.... Until the next time

JP

Far East International Youth Hostel (see, I am still young!)
Beijing
PRC

Wat country

It's been a while since I've felt inclined to write just a week after my previous bout of the typed equivalent of verbal diarrhea but it's been quite a week so....

Last Saturday afternoon Hannah arrived back in HK and after a couple of days doing the tourist essentials of the Big Buddha and local food it was time for the annual dragon boat festival at Stanley where I was racing for Hudson's recruitment (nothing to do with the new job just a mates company team that was trying to step up!).

As Hannah and I were due to fly to Phnom Penh the afternoon of the races I unfortunately only had time to guide the boat to a rather spectacular 7th place in the first qualifying race. Now out of 11 boats 7th may not sound too good but given we'd 1) hardly trained and 2) were late to the starting line so were knackered even before we started I think we did ok and it was certainly great fun. That said it was nothing on Cambodia.

Cambodia was amazing, the people are friendly, the countryside beautiful, the food's delicious and the modern history as horrific as the ancient history is spectacular.

We had about a day in the capital, Phnom Penh where we first ate amok (fish in banana skins cooked with coconut, lemon grass and chilies) and visited the Russian markets where you could by everything from north face rucksacks to H&M tops to local trinkets and fabulous food (no idea what was in it but the half savory cake/ half pancake was great and the magwistine - fruit but not as you know it - was even better).

The other highlight of Phnom Penh were the killing fields. As you might imagine not a fun place to visit given it was the site of the slaughter of about 17,000 men women and children under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and '78 and home to a gory shrine containing 8985 human sculls, but very interesting and a testament to the Cambodia people and their spirit as they deal with such a bloody past.

After Phnom Penh it was on to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor. Even the journey there was great passing though mile upon mile of farmland but the Wat (temple) ruins were something else. Angkor Wat - the worlds largest religious building - was spectacular at sunrise but my favorite Wat was Bayon, which has 216 faces carved into the walls meaning somewhat weirdly wherever you are in it you are watched by giant faces of the god-king of the day (Jayavarman VII in about 1200 AD).

If you're heading that way my other top tips are the temple of Banteay Srei and its carvings, Vong out tuck tuk driver, Ta Prohm of Tomb Raider fame, finding your camera that you thought had been stolen in the Russian markets, blind massages at La Noira hotel and aircon.

June is in the middle of the monsoon season but we were incredibly lucky to not be caught in the rain once but it was hot hot hot so escaping to the hotel pool and a nice air-conditioned room was a lifesaver - so pleased I abandoned my cheapskate tendencies for the week!

And after all that it was back to HK for me and London for Hannah, I have to admit I didn't envy her additional 12 hours flying time but hopefully the trip was worth it as we managed to cram an amazing amount in to a fantastic few days.

For me its Shenzhen in China tomorrow to get suits made for the new job then all being well
Lhasa in Tibet at the end of the week but after that who knows so watch this space.

Aw Kohn and good night.

JP