My roommate Jordan came to Shanghai to visit for a few weeks right before we came back to school. My friend Kevin and I greeted her in the airport with a giant sign and a dragon costume. The next day it was off to Beijing and Datong for the three of us. We had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into when we began the trip.
I've had been to Beijing twice prior to this trip and was excited to plan everything and book the flights and hostels. I've always done the hotel thing with my family and was excited to check out the hostel world. After arriving in Beijing we checked into the hostel and set out to explore Beijing before we had to leave on a train at midnight. We ended up spending our time on treat street and daring each other into eating starfish, sheep balls, and penis. Quite the appetizing dinner. We then showered and grabbed a taxi to the train station.
The train was ridiculous. We were the only white people in existence and the only ones who didn't speak chinese. We shared a "cabin" with three chinese people and had to stay in hard sleepers that had just been slept in by other people. 7 hours later, we arrived in Datong to find our hotel that was, of course, under construction. We hired a taxi and headed to the sites. The ride to the Yunguan Grottoes was maybe one of the funniest things of my life. The road was dirt and full of pot holes so we were playing dodge the pot hole the entire way. We saw three wheeled cars and scooters with thrones on them. After this crazy ride we got to the grottoes, not knowing what to expect. There really wasn't an entrance since the tourism in Datong isn't quite on its feet. However, after we walked up to the mountain I was blown away. Thousands of Buddhas were carved into the mountainside. There were giant ones and tiny ones and they went on and on for ever.
We then headed to the Hanging monastery after another crazy taxi ride and we hiked up to it as well. Datong is a gem. If not for the sites, for the adventure. The next day we took the train back to Beijing and hung out in the hostel (I'm a big fan of hostels now. They are cheap and a great way to meet people...even if the rooms smell like sewer). On our last day we walked on and slid down the Great Wall and explored the Forbidden City. We ended the night by taking the bus to the Olympic sites and playing a round of cards. We thought the craziness ended then after we said goodbye to Kevin (who headed back to Shenzhen). However, we were wrong. At 5 the next morning Jordan and I took a taxi to the wrong airport and had to catch another one across town to the airport in the middle of nowhere. Literally, I've never seen an airport so tiny. Only one airlines flies in and out and no one speaks english. We picked a line and after getting to the front, we were told that I had booked the flight for the wrong month. Yes ladies and gents, I did that. Ridiculous. Luckily, China is nicer than America and let us on a flight at the exact same time that day without charging us. I think they took pity on the two blonde Americans.
Jordan and I then spent a week of relaxing and city living in Shanghai.
Now I'm back in Provo. I am so lucky that I got to spend two months in China with my wonderful family. I guess it's back to real life now.
No comments:
Post a Comment