China my experience

A trip of 10 days - Lijiang

Even if we plane to go Dali first and then Lijiang(丽江), we decide then to do Lijiang first and finnaly canceled Dali. We chose this because of transport logistic, because we understand that stay just 2 days in a city is just too short and tiring and because all person we met who have done the both cities said that they preferred Lijiang.

So let's go on 17th Tuesday about 10:00 am(with the plane company "Lucky air" what an ironic name!). When we arrived we can feel that the temperature is warmer than on Kunming, great! The way in bus allow us to discover many beautiful mountain landscape.

Lijiang is like Dali(大理), city which is cut in two parts; one part is the old town which is the touristic but charming side, the other part is the new city without personality, at least for Lijiang. So the taxi driver bring us to the entry of the town and stop there because not allowed to enter.

The old town is composed of many little street where there are many shop which sell tea, jewel and many kind of food like the local speciality, the Yak. After a long visit to find our guest house, we have a tea-orange break into this. This famous guest house, Mama Naxi's Guest House is very popular for foreign people. A warm and family place where it's easy to communicate with everybody. Food is good and cheaper, beds and bathroom are clean and Mama is a real show. She is like a theater character in a performance, she can speak a little of english, enough for understand. She have help of young people who made cook, company pets are here for watch (even when they are sleeping or asking food). Anyway, a guest house that you must try, moreover Mama can book ticket and can bring with car in the new city for 2 Yuans, very cozy.

The district is really organise for tourism which is I think the main source of money. You must pay about 80 Yuans to contribute to the Lijiang environment from you want to visit a touristic place. A good joke when we see the very expensive prize of tickets for temple, toll, cable car and so on. However it's true that the place is clean if we compare to the rest of China, so we can be happy with this... This tax allow you to enter in temple and park for free like the Dark Dragon park with is a pleasant place, you should visit this at the end of the day (close at 7pm). I can contribue to the Dongba culture which have a pictogram write still used, with engrave a little draw in a stone.

We also visit the Yak plain where there isn't any Yak but may be just shit of them...However the landscape were very beautiful. We were a little disappointed about this visit because it only take half a day and it's expensive. You have to take a private transport to go to a touristic center where you take a new bus to go on the mountain where you take a cable car and then take a ticket for the plane, so almost 300 Yuans just to see a mountain landscape.

During the night the old town change in a burning atmosphere with many noise and light, street became animated and in particular the street of Chine bar and club. Understand by "Chine"; hight leve music, hotess who try to rent you a table for 400 Yuans(depend of negotiate)... You should try this just to feel the atmosphere and Chinese people who become crazy... I advice to just stay few moment in this place and then go walk in the silent old town part where you can admire the show of light water and old building. Then, drink a Yak milk which is like a occidental sugar yogourt. If you are hungry you can go to the Susan's Naxi local restaurant where you can taste Yak meat with menthol with a soap cheese plate, delicious! Try the Yunan tea, my favourite one is the black.

Finally this trip also allow us to meet Alice, Nicolas, Melissa, Elvin and other, thank to everybody for their good mood. We certainly come back there to do Tiger Leaping gorge, walk in the old town and why not meet the famous Ho doctor, but it's another adventure...

A trip of 10 days - Kunming

We are at last arrived to the final district, the Yunnan(云南).

It's 11pm, we go out the airport and the temperature is pleasantly hot; we can open the windows when the taxi is running! The city seem to be modern like it's write in the Lonely Planet, road are new or in process of construction and enlighten with many decoration. We arrived on the Jinmabiji Place(金马碧鸡) where we can find many bars, clubs and restaurants. There are many youth people and the atmosphere is animated. In the Hump hotel, we decided to take a shower after have found towels and buy shower gel which are not available in the room, a little frustrating. There isn't also soap to just wash your hand... Because of the club, the room is very noisy, however, Cyril fall asleep and I decide to go to the main room to get Wifi. The place is pleasant, the big room is compose of a bar, billard, sofa and a computer space. The terrace is composed of a cover part and the other is outdoor, very enjoyable with the temperature.

On the morning we decide to wake up at 10am, a little of rest will not be bad because we had a average of 6 hours sleeping by night. The morning is consecrate to a breakfast on the sunny terrace, planification of Kunming visit and about the next travel to the other cities. At the begin of the afternoon we start with the visit of the Grand View park (Daguan Gongyuan/大观公园) where we discover a Japanese garden with many bonsai. We go near a little lake where hundreds of seagull entertain the visitors who throw food and they succeed to catch this during they are flying, very amazing.

Then we take a boat to go the the east lac side, the cross is about 10 minutes and allow us to contemplate the landscape of Xi Shan which we want climbing. We take a cable car and a little bus to arrived to the Dragon Door. Many galleries which give a very beautiful view of Kunming. We do a part of the descent by walking in the wood and we go to meet Philippe in the downtown of Kunming.

Arrived to the Green Lack, we taste "Noodles crossing the bridge"(Guoqiao mixian/过桥米线), which is a speciality of Kunming, the name come from the fact that an intelectual chinese people decide to to go a island to study, his wife cooked for him created dish and must cross a bridge in order to give these. One of the dish was appreciate and the name is for honor the woman. We go for a walk around the lake where there are many little shop, musician and dancer who are animating the place. We visite the University which is really clean and class which is uncommon for Chinese University. We finished the night by an Italian bar, named The Box and go back to the hotel.

We refused, with great to the despair of Cyril the invitation of a beautiful brunette who propose us to join  heir table, but like we have a plane early  at 10:30am on the next morning we have to got sleep to have a rest.

Enven if Kunming is not really interesting as a touristic place, I think it's good to live their because of the activity, the greenery, lakes and for the eternal spring. The city is at 2 000 meters of altitude, the temperature stay good and even is the summer. However there are many things to visit around the city like Stone forest(Shi Lin/石林), Xi Shan(西山), Dali and Lijiang.

A trip of 10 days - Chengdu

Chengdu, is done! We spent 2 days in the Sichuan capital, we arrived at 5:30 am after 17 hours of train, we directly go to the Sim"s Cozy guest house and the name is a really good choice because it's a really magic place:

Owner of this youth hotel are globe trotter, ambiance is relax and warm, we can read everywhere many little notice about "how work" the place. They pay a special attention to the environment with the no wasting or for example the select of scrap that's a like and approve. Room are clean without be luxurious and have dvd player and TV. It's possible to take some DVD and books for free. The outdoor is made of shack and water, we can meet some rabbits and cat who are free in the hotel. One of the main build is made of wood is the bar/snack/terrace where we can have a rest, eat something or do a party, that's what we done with Sergey, Melanie, Marie and 2 Israelite that I don't remember the name. Of course the place is cover by Wifi which does not work perfectly during our passage. Employees of the hotel are very nice and cookers make very good dish. Anyway, a place that I strongly recommend and which is instrumental in my vision of Chengdu.

About the city, we have visited a rebuild pseudo-traditional street which contain a park(Wu Hou Ci/武侯祠), it's a charming place and it's pleasant to walk into this. Then we go to the commercial district of the city(ChungXi lu Street/春熙路), to resume it's look like the classical american street with many buildings. During the afternoon we visit the city,in reality we take 3 hours to go the a restaurant. Indeed, because of the Saint valentine's day many Chinese people move so all the weren't any taxi available and public transport were full. Bus were our only mean of transport but the lack of informations and indications did not help us. Moreover the restaurant that I have notice in the Lonely Planet book were very bad. This snack(LongChaoShou Canting/龙炒手餐厅) seem to be a canteen and serve food that I really didn't like, which is very uncommon for my part in China. Then we go to the People parc with an artificial lack where it's possible to do barque. Many Chinese people come to the Tea house where they can relax and play some game. You can meet there Mr Lee who propose us to visite a Sichuan opera on the next day:

He bring you to the "backstage" of the opera where you can see the actor making up and the 4 performance. The experience was interesting, you can see a real opera for Chinese people and not a touristic place... Actors wear beautiful colored costume and you have tea for free. The atmosphere is very different from our occidental opera; Chinese people speaks about character and performance and many seem to know it by heart. You must go with a Chinese people because the performance is also theatrical and it's interesting to understand what is happening.

 

We also try the one of the Sichuan speciality, the hot pot (伙埚) and for sure it's very spicy. It's a metal dish where there is a kind of juice with many spicy and spice which you make boiling and you have just to put your ingredients into this; beef, chicken, fish, mushroom... Even if I use to eat spicy I can say that my mouth were burning, very great! I advice you to go to this restaurant, ChongQing QinMa HotPot (重庆亲妈伙埚) about 10 minutes by walking from the Sims's Cozy.

I write this post since the Chengdu airport to go to Kunming where we will spend the night and the day after and then go to Dali.

A trip of 10 days - Xi'an

A 10 days trip,

That's why I began on Tuesday with Fabien, Stéphane,  their families and Cyril. The way: first Xi'an with everybody, then go with Cyril in the south of China; Chengdu, Kunming, Dali and finally last LIjiang.

I blog this note since one of the Bell Tower Starbucks which is a center of Xi'an and Presently all is ok.

Yesterday we visited the famous terracotta army and watch the greatest water-sound-light show of Asia. Today we went the impressive and sportif Huat  mountain, wich enven if the fog, was a nice exploration. Tonight, we will discover Xi'an downtown and specially the musulman street. We will take the train again tomorrow for 17 hours direction Chengdu. Start at 1:30am and arrived at 7:00am(or may be 5:00...) to go directly to the famous Sim's Cozy hotel Garden that I advise. Then we will visite Chengdu city, we have plane nothing yet but I think that the simple fact of walk will be a pleasure.

The day after we will take a plane direction Kunming for just one day and go then to Dali and the day after to Lijiang. I share with you some photos that I have took.

It's better to chain six times rather one

As I haven't speak about my Great Wall trip, this chain sent by Stéphane allow me to show you a photo.

Great Wall in China: Simatai

The goal: go to your sixth Flickr page, take the sixth photo and publish it on your blog.

Then, send this chain to six blogers, for me it will be: Cyril, Gabriel, Guillaume, Mauricio, Alworms et Bibz

Experience at Tianjin

Take a bedroom's desktop in Tianjin, don't clean it during 15 days. Take a humidify paper towel et clean the surface, look at the result:

Indeed, paper towel is black of dust! At Tianjin, with the pollution and the city which is in building the air has always so much particle. Do the hoover, 2 days after, bits of fluff are there again...

My first tripe to Beijing

Beijing, it's done! I could finally visit and profit from a part of the Chinese capital. We went go Fabien, Cyril and me since 9h30 from the Tianjin train station, Stéphane did not be able to come because of his work. We arrived after 30 minutes (the train have a speed of 300km/h)to the new Beijing's train station(very impressive). It is unfortunately not link to the subway, so we had to take a taxi to go in the traffic jam and go to the nearest subway station.

Direction forbidden city, just near the famous Tian'anemen place. The good weather was here, however it was very cold because of the temperature and the wind but a blue sky, which is rare on Beijing following us during this visit. This settlement cover 720 000 m² is a city in the city. It shelter Chinese emperor from 1420 to 1911. Our visit remain approximatively 4 hors during those we can see the major part of the settlement which is a real maze!There is also many mini-museum which show historic thing, we have visited only some of them.

Since the end ho this first visit we go to the Jingshan park just behind the forbidden city, it contain a plain which overhang le center of Beijing, a great panorama is visible because of the interdiction of built building higher than the forbidden city from some kilometers around. We have been joined by Pierrick and Gabriel to appreciate a sunset without pollution.

After have drunk a Tsingtao beer we went to one of the favorite friend's restaurant which is specialized in the sea food, we have eaten meet skewer naturally. This restaurant have a reputation of a being glaucous for occidental people because when you command fish, the cooker take care of show it to you when it is even living; then you can see the cooker killing the fish by hitting the fish on the flow or the workspace, very elegant! Here the fish have a incomparable freshness.

Then we could appreciate the night life of Beijing, a large quantity of bars and club are opened all the night, we had notice that the party begin at 00pm like in occidental country opposed to Tianjin where the party is full on 10pm. A very good thing in chine is the sociability of people, there isn't any snobby person and it's possible to address people very simply, it's great!

After a short but good night at Pierrick's house we went to the Apple store and then join Gabriel to eat jiaozhi which are very delicious in a kitchen of 10m², very folk! Pierrick & Gabriel explained that many shopkeeper often live in their shop because they haven't got any money to get an accommodation.

We visited the Lama temple, a Buddhist temple where there is the higher Maitreya wood statue (26m), very impressive! Then we went to the Heaven temple where we played to the ancestor of the badminton, it's like the badminton but you smash with your foot, many Chinese people laugh of us.

We finished with a fake market, we could play to negotiate prize, Pierrick was a master at this game! We bought remote control cat and helicopter.(what we are child?)

The day ended with a occidental restaurant in a dilapidated street, we can degustate occidental food like tagliatelles or made home hamburgers, like frites and mayonaise. The returned happenned as we come and we arrivend aroud 11pm at Tianjin.

What I miss about France

I want disorientation I got it!

Even it it's not radical in a city like Tianjin, its present! As I'm very linked to the French culture, and particular, to the French food, I'm begin to feel a big lack. About pork ("charcuterie" in French) it's OK, because of my 4 sausages that I have astutely package in order to the custom does not detect it. Of course, ham, rillettes and appeared as big absents. The worth is the cheese. I'm a real consumer of cheese since my childhood and my passion for it does not regress. The moment of the day that I want to eat some, it's on the breakfast. Yes, some of you will make faces reading this post but I love my Vache Qui Rit slice of bread for example. I can't eat the same breakfast as you, like Nutella or jam, I prefer to don't eat(yeah, I'm not fan of Nutella it's not a joke). In chine, one of the only cheese available is the Camembert for 8 euros, for the present I absent, but It won't continue.

The comportment at the lunch time is also different. Chinese people loves purify their body, they loved scrape their throat to swallow a big yellow spit, event at the restaurant. It not give the appetite but with the time I don't turn my attention on it (what "or not?"). Moreover, Chinese people can smoke everywhere and speak very loudly and it's often difficult to speak quietly.

Out of the food aspect, there is also the social aspect which is a lack. A little thing like kiss or shake hand. In order to bow a girl in France, we kiss, normal. In chine it's not the case, like for Russians, Americans, frustrating! We replace it by a wave with the hand and a smile... Even the market does not bow client.

All of these are trifle and there are not disturb me enough to low my spirit and come back in France, it will may be come with cheese... Many other good things compensate for thees but it's proof of my attachment with the French type of life

ps: Welcome to Cyril who has just open his blog.

Faked idendity photo

We must, my roommate and me, do identity photo for administratives necessities. As we haven't found a photo booth, we decide to go to a professional photograph. The shop seem to be a familial business, a man and his wife welcomed us, their son is playing Counter-strike in front of the clients, it's normal... The shop-windows contain a graphic card and a camera which cost 10 times its real price. The font for the photo is a whitish sheet a half teared and the lighting seem to be a building site reflector.

The most funny arrived, after the photo have been transfered on the computer, that the font is change for a uniform white and that the color balance is calibrated, we have been retouched with Photoshop even if we asked nothing, the proove in video.

  

American Break

Even if chine and United States have stong commercial  and financial relations, the gouvernement don't prefere one of the twice candidate because of the little difference between them. However, the population have a really preference. Base on a chine daily poll (ips source), 75% of Chinese people want that Obame will be elected. As well, this rate is base on people who surf on the internet and are often young and educate, but it's show the Obama tendency. He is young, ambisious, and come from a minority, he is for chinese people the american dream and he is like an example for us. The chine is suffuring the same problem because of the 55 minorities in the chine Popular Republic, it's explain the feeling of Chinese.

chine wait the name of the next american president without panic, howevere this election is historic! America is a political, economical and military power and the present mundial super-power. And currently with; on a internationnal front, the capitalim and the ultra-liberalism are bad, that the ecology is not a preocupation but necessary, on a national front; the bad second bush mandate whith a doubty election and the Irak war which is contest, Obama can do something! We rely on the mentalities evolution about racism which were and be a real problem in america. I wish that the Bradly syndrom will not appeared again, for this one, he did't be elected however he has so many point in the rate because of his skin color.

Many Americans are confused, I can speak with some of them in chine. A black president, a new politic for a new world, it scared but it's attractive. The world look observed americans electors and they known it. I wish that a historic event will happenned, I wait, with impatience, the issue of this election.