A Dose of the World

What started off as a simple idea, the last 5 months turned into something more than anyone of us could have imagined. It was straightforward enough: how great would be to travel the world with your best friends? We already spend most of our free time together, so what’s the big deal? In some ways we weren’t fully prepared for what this trip had to offer but willingly accepted everything it threw at us. From our initial anticipated meet up in Ho Chi Minh, to our journey through Ha Long bay, our first destination lead us to believe we were expert travellers. We then fell in love with the scenery in Laos and came away with no injuries from the river bars. We met some great people in Thailand, partied like we’d never partied before during the Thai New Year and conquered the skies with our zip lining experience. In Cambodia, we stood in awe of the mighty Angkor Wat and were moved by the tragic history but also the present strength of the people we met. It was in India where we had our first real culture shock as the food, the people, and the heat tried every ounce of our beings. However, it was there where we saw the most amazing things in our whole trip. The grand forts, the breathtaking Taj Mahal, the romantic city of Udaipur, the spiritual ceremonies performed on the river Ganges, are all things we feel everyone should experience in their lifetime. China gave us back normalcy as Beijing became our second home and offered us best views as we scaled the greatest wall in the world. Losing ourselves to the endless steppes of the Mongolia countryside, we partook in traditional nomadic ways and vowed never to eat mutton again. And just when we thought our trip couldn’t get any better, Russia surprised us with its kindness and overwhelming culture. There was no turning back as we crossed the Asia - Europe border, and we were finally on our way home.

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As the saying goes, “It’s about the journey, not the destination”. A truly epic journey: 120 days, 12 countries, 10 flights, 9 bus rides, 6 travel ailments, 3 embalmed communist leaders, 2 world wonders, 1 cross continent train ride and so much more. We may not miss the pesky mosquito bites, the rampaging animals, the intense sunburns and walking for miles with our heavy backpacks, but it was worth it. It was a trip of a lifetime, one we will never forget and tell stories about forever. We end this trip, not knowing what lies next, but that we will continue our next adventures together still as best friends.

Described as having characteristics of “unsmiling gloom and fatalistic melancholy” by Lonely Planet, Russians seem to have a reputation of being surly and unfriendly. Therefore our reservations entering the world’s largest country did not come as a surprise. Fortunately, as we stepped off the train ,our reservations quickly vanished. We were met by a friendly and hospitable gentleman who would be transferring us to Listvyanka, a small town that sits on the shore of Lake Baikal. After a 1 hour twisty and bumpy bus ride, we arrived at a beautiful chalet which would be our home for the next 3 days. Again, we were met with hospitality as we were offered tea and gingersnaps. It proved to be a savoir as we felt a bit hung over, some of us more than others, after our previous night of wine and vodka on the train. Afterwards, we were shown our nicest accommodations on the trip so far, a spacious and rustic room with a large balcony. After months of sleeping on hard dorm beds, sharing a king between the three of us, or being bounced around on a train hard sleeper, the soft beds felt like heaven. Having a Banff wooden cottage vibe, the chalet reminded us of home, the only difference being our view which was the world’s largest lake rather than the Rocky Mountains. It was only fitting to later enjoy such a view with drinks on the balcony as we sampled six different Russian beers, some tastier than others.

Our days in Listvyanka were of course spent enjoying Lake Baikal and all that it has to offer. With of depth of 1637m, it is the world’s deepest lake, accounts for 20 % of the world’s fresh water, and is home to thousands of different species, 80% of which are found nowhere else in the world. One such species is the omul fish, a cousin of salmon, which we enjoyed both baked and smoked. The temperature of the lake never goes above 15 °C and was 5 °C when we were there. This meant only going in up to our knees but at least we can still say we stood in the world’s largest lake! Lily had the opportunity to scuba dive with a dry suit which, although an opportunity of lifetime, was not her best dive. Fully suited, head to toe with lots of layers, she felt inexperienced and spent a lot of the time trying not to float to the top of the lake. Hoping to educate ourselves further on the lake, we visited the shore-side museum but just left confused as the museum offered little English or direction to which exhibits could actually be viewed. Our last day in Listvyanka was capped with a boat ride on the lake out to Shaman Rock. The rock apparently is representative of the spirit of the lake and brings good luck to those who touch it or make a wish by offering small change. Being that the weather was cool and misty, we were given heavy-duty winter jackets to keep warm. It was hard to believe we were melting in India only a month before.

This ended our time at Lake Baikal and we were transferred back to Irkutsk to catch the train to Yekaterinburg. As we left Listvyanka, we were sad to say goodbye to the beautiful chalet, the lake and the hospitality. Since our train left at midnight we had the opportunity to walk around Irkutsk, visiting the Lenin statue, the Bogoyavlensky Cathedral, and a photography exhibit in the town’s square. After prepping for another long journey, we headed northeast through Siberia. This time around we met less travellers and more locals, although the obvious language barrier hindered conversation. We did, however, manage to get to know two military boys who emphatically stated they were part of the special forces, not just the regular army, which all young males must join when they turn 18. Using the limited Russian in our guide book, we determined their age, how many siblings they have, and where they were from. Using their limited English they managed to invite us to the dining cart for champagne! The rest of train ride was spent enjoying each other’s company, playing on the i-touch, reading our books, practicing different hairstyles on each other, and sharing meals of instant oatmeal, potatoes, and noodles.
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We arrived in Yekaterinburg in the wee hours of the morning and were fortunately met by our friendly city contact, Constantine. For the night we stayed in a old soviet complex built in the 1920s described by Constantine as “KGB apartments.” As we would be transferring to the countryside the next afternoon, we got up early and did our own sight-seeing walking tour down the city’s main street, visiting the Chapel of the Saint Yekaterina, the historical public garden, the city pond, and of course as always the Lenin statue. We finished our walk visiting the 1918 murder site of the Romanov family, the last Russian royals. The area honours the family with an iron cross, a statue, and the extravagant Cathedral in the Name of All Saints, more commonly known as the Church of the Blood. Having some knowledge of the Russian Revolution from school, we found the memorial site eerie but also interesting. Before leaving Yekaterinburg, we drove to where east meets west, the Asia-Europe border! The clashing of the continents is marked with an obelisk, as well as a piece of stone from Asia’s most eastern point and a piece from Europe’s most western point. It was definitely a highlight of the trip to have one foot in Asia and one in Europe (or in Lily’s case, one hand in each!).

Our last two nights in Siberia were spent at a home stay in a small village called Byngi, which sits within the Ural Mountains, north of Yekaterinburg. Hosted by an amazing and hospitable couple, Stefan and Olga, we stayed in an izba,a traditional Russian wooden cottage. Having charm and character the cottage is not only home to Stefan and Olga but also a family of geese, including one day old goslings, a plump, lovable grey cat named Barsick, and the couple‘s lovely helping hand for the summer Lili (two Lily‘s under one roof…too much!). Stefan, originally from Germany, had a vast collection of humorous tales about the area and showed us around, with the local church, the nearby Nevyansk leaning tower, and Byngi’s scenery being the highlights. Olga cooked us some of the most delicious and well-rounded meals we have had on our trip so far and the thought of leaving her home-cooking for instant soup on the train left us all a little depressed. But after completing our Russian experience with shots of vodka and a banya shower (essentially bathing with buckets while standing in a dry sauna) it was time to move on. After two wonderful nights we said goodbye to Stefan, Olga, Lili and Barsick and boarded the train to Moscow.

Without any hassle we settled into our cabin, our home for next 26 hours, on our way to the nation‘s capital. This time around our cabin mate was a local Russian lady, with a mothering personality, who in no time at all began taking care of us. We quickly learned that on Russian trains one packs enough food for everyone in their cabin and not just themselves as she offered us cookies, tea, smoked fish, chips, beer, chocolate, fruit and yogurt. Reading from our guide book that it is rude to say no, we accepted each offering despite our increasingly full bellies. In return we showed her pictures from our travels and humoured her with our terrible Russian. As she left the train she gave us all the leftover food, insisting she could not take it with her, kissed us each on the cheek and hurried away, leaving us alone to tackle Russia’s largest city.

In Moscow our trio became a quartet with the addition of Adrian, Lily’s eldest brother. Our accommodation in the capital was an apartment homestay hosted by an elderly Russia lady named Natalia who was quite particular about her home…slippers must be worn, no hair left in the drain, only eat in the kitchen, make sure the doors don’t slam! Although she did not speak English, we were fortunate to learn that she was fluent in French. However, we quickly learned her liking to you depended on your French skills and she preferred to only talk to Adrian since his was the best. We decided to cook dinner one night, which seemed quite traumatizing to Natalia as she hovered over us giving us orders on what dishes we could use and how to clean up afterwards (pre-clean dishes with paper-towels!).The only time we saw Natalia smile was when we attempted to give her a gift of Russian glasses, given to us by a very drunk man on our previous train, which she adamantly refused. Despite our host’s tyrannous personality, we still enjoyed our stay and can chalk it up to another crazy experience on our trip.

Our time Moscow was not only spent receiving orders from Natalia. On our first day we set out to explore Moscow’s most popular sight, the Red Square. Once a market square, the area features St. Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin’s mausoleum, and is adjacent to the famous Kremlin, all sites being must-sees! The exterior of St. Basil’s has a ginger-bread house vibe with a fusion of colours and shapes, and was definitely one of the most beautiful and interesting cathedrals we have seen on the trip so far. Capping off our embalmed communist leader tour, Lenin did not disappoint and actually looked quite good despite being under glass for almost a century. After exiting the mausoleum we passed the graves of other communist heavy hitters, most notably Josef Stalin. The adjacent Kremlin, described as the apex of Russian political power, is the site where tsars, communist leaders, and presidents have done their best and worst for Russia. We strolled through the area visiting cathedrals, the world’s largest bell, and the fort’s garden.

We finished our time in Moscow visiting less world-known sites. Particularly enjoyable was Park Pobedy, a complex memorializing WW2 with fountains and statues. The centerpiece of the park is the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, which features soviet war memorabilia and includes a diorama of every major WW2 soviet-axis battle. We found it interesting to see how our allies portrayed the war, found the museum to be quite comprehensive, and were amazed by how extensive the collection was. Keeping with Soviet history, we also visited the Art Muzeon, the resting grounds for all the statues of communist leaders that were torn down in 1991 following the fall of Soviet Russia. The park is overshadowed by a mammoth Peter the Great statue that sits on the riverbank and could quite possibly be the largest memorial statue we have ever seen. Our last afternoon was spent taking a metro tour as we had been told the stations are sites within themselves. As we hopped from station to station we enjoyed the different mosaics, statues and murals. Our last stop of the day was Leningradsky Rail terminal, Moscow’s oldest principal rail station and our departure point to St. Petersburg. After an uneventful 8 hour train ride we arrived in Peter the Great’s namesake city, the last destination of our T3 adventure.

Our last homestay in Russia was a modern apartment suite all to ourselves with no host. This allowed us to cook our own meals, eat wherever we wanted and only wear slippers if we wanted to. St. Petersburg proved to have just as amazing sites as Moscow. Our first day was spent wandering around getting to know the city. We happened to stumble upon St. Petersburg most recognizable cathedral, the Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood. Built on the assassination site of Alexander II, hence the name, the church is modeled after Moscow’s St. Basil’s with a similar exterior of domes and colours. The inside, however, was a step above with over 7000 m2 of colourful mosaics covering every inch of the walls. We found it incredibly beautiful but pictures do not do it justice so you’ll just have to take to our word for it. Next we visited the Peter and Paul fortress built by Peter the Great in 1703. The highlight of the fortified area is definitely Peter and Paul’s Cathedral where all previous emperors and empresses are entombed. The most visited one’s are those of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and the Romanov family who were not layed to rest there until 1998, over 80 years after their murders. We also managed to visit a couple of museums and a prison within the fortress which provided a ton of history on the development of St. Petersburg, as well as the fortress itself.

Our second day in St. Petersburg was all about the art. We spent a good portion of the day exploring the city’s most popular museum, the Hermitage. Set within the Royal family’s old winter palace, a piece of art within itself, the museum contains over 3 million items. While we enjoyed the entire museum, we particularly liked the extensive collection of neoclassical art which included works by Monet, Van Gogh Renoir, and Picasso. We also enjoyed a temporary photography exhibit which featured an eclectic mix of photos taken by Annie Leibovitz, former Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair photographer. The exhibit featured photos of politicians, the royal family, and celebrities, the most recognizable being Demi Moore’s naked pregnancy Vanity Fair cover. After spending a good portion of the day indoors, we moved outside to visit Petrodovet Park, which sits on the Gulf of Finland. The park has an extensive dancing water fountain system, which we managed to see just in the nick of time before it was turned off. We spent the rest of the time at the park sitting by the gulf, enjoying the cool ocean breeze. St. Petersburg is described as the Venice of the North so we decided to finish our day with a midnight boat tour. During the months of June and July, the city experiences white nights, meaning it never truly gets dark. As we cruised through the canals, seeing familiar sights from our previous two days, it was hard to believe it was one in the morning when it felt like nine at night.

We finished our time in St. Petersburg visiting St. Isaacs Cathedral, Russia’s largest Orthodox church. After visiting the inside of many Russian churches we opted to stick to the exterior and climb to the top of the church’s dome. The climb was well worth it as we were rewarded with a great panoramic view of the city. To celebrate the end of our trip we splurged and bought tickets to a Russian ballet, the show being Swan Lake. As we watched the movement of the dancers we were left awed with their talent and strength. After, the show we were all in agreement that it was the best ballet any of us had ever seen and felt it was a nice way to finish our time together. After a celebratory drink it was time hit the hay with early flights the next day. Sara was meeting her family in Germany for 3 weeks and Lily and Michelle were headed to Scotland for some rest and relaxation with Michelle’s extended family. After seeing so many amazing sights and meeting some incredible people it was hard to believe the 5 months were over. But like so many times on our trip before it is time to move on, which just really means it’s time for a new adventure…

Said to be one of life’s great travel experiences, we had finally arrived at the last leg of our trip, a journey to Russia on the Trans-Siberian railway via the Trans-Mongolian route. With an average speed of around 60km/h, the cross-continental train ride goes through several time zones and evolving landscapes. Not only we were interested in seeing the differences between the three countries along the train route, but also eager to experience the train culture; meeting fellow travellers, sharing stories and participating in the most talked about activity, drinking vodka. It was a bittersweet moment as we got on the train, very excited for the ride, but sad to know that we only had 3 weeks left together.

Scenery leaving Beijing is known to be quite dramatic. The train crosses farms and orchards surrounded by a mountainous backdrop and you can even see the great wall. Unfortunately we stayed up late the night before (as it was our last night in Beijing), got into our cabin exhausted and fell right asleep missing most of the sights. Occasionally one of us woke up to take a picture before falling back to sleep from the steady sound of the train on the tracks. When we did wake up, we caught up with an Australian couple we met in Beijing applying for our Mongolian visa and shared stories with our cabin neighbours, a similar travelling trio of boys from Malta. We explored the other cabins on the train and had a sub par meal in the dinning car.

Just when we thought the excitement was over for the night, we arrived at the Chinese -Mongolian border for a long but very interesting stop. We heard that the boarder crossing usually takes about 5 hours but we weren’t really sure what to expect. Mongolia’s trains run on a 5ft gauge, which is slightly wider than the standard gauge used in the rest of the world. Before the train can continue its journey, the wheels need to be changed. So with the passengers still inside, the coaches are separated and then moved to a changing shed where they are raised and the wheels are replaced. It was really interesting to see the process through our window as well as feel and hear all the action around us. It kept our interest for about 20 minutes and then we sat and watched a movie on our computer until the train started moving again.

The next day was better for views as we were better rested than the night before. We saw the landscape change from the Gobi dessert to the wide Mongolian steppes and finally reaching our destination Ulan Bataar. We did not have good first impressions of the city as it looked quite unattractive, run down, and had terrible traffic for a population of only 1 million people. More than seventy years of old Russian influence is very much apparent as many of the original buildings, including monasteries were destroyed and replaced by soviet-style apartment buildings. It’s a shame because the city surroundings are just stunning as UB is situated in a large wide valley with the backdrop of the vast Khentiy mountain range and the Tuul River running east to west through it.

Taking full advantage of the beautiful countryside, the land of eternal blue sky, we immediately left the city for a ger camp in Terelj national park, 80 kms away from UB. First, we passed by a massive 40 meter high stainless steel statue of Chinggis (Genghis) Khan riding on horseback. Chinggis Khan memorabilia is everywhere; a bronze statue in the heart of the city, in shopping malls, hanging on walls of homes, and even on various alcoholic beverages (which we enjoyed). Mongolians regard him as a national hero as he conquered some of the most powerful civilizations of his era and created the greatest empire in world history.

The surrounding 1600 meters of the national park is wide open alpine scenery that seems endless with the occasional gers clustered around the area. Literally a circular felt tent, our ger was exactly like a traditional nomadic house with 3 beds on the perimeter, a central arch and stove in the middle. At the camp, we were fed enormous amounts of traditional food, all meals included mutton, and did traditional Mongolian activities such as horseback riding and archery. Our horseback riding tour was quite the adventure as the horses are much more wild than the ones at home and did not listen to our commands. Animal rearing seemed to be much different as there are no fences and the animals are free to run around as they please. They are only to be returned in the afternoon when their owner goes out and searches for them. It was pretty surreal as we even saw a calf take its first steps as it had just been born 5 minutes before we arrived at the scene. We also visited a nomadic family that offered us fresh thick cream and yogurt, all products of their livestock. It was a great 3 days spent at the camp as we learned a lot about the ever present nomadic lifestyle, met some really nice and hospitable Mongolian people and lazed around appreciating the scenery.

Our return to UB proved better than our first impressions. UB is quite the unique city as there is clash of old with the new. It’s unfortunate that lots of tradition seems to be lost with the building of a new and modern city. The largest and most important monestary, Gandan Khiid, is in an unimpressive complex surrounded by construction. However, inside holds a 26.5 m tall lovely statue of Buddha encircled by prayer wheels. The Buddha park is not much of a park, with a 18 m tall standing golden Skyamuni statue surrounded by high rise buildings. We also visited the Winter Palace of Bogd Khaan, the last king of Mongolia, which didn’t look like much from the outside but had an impressive amount of exhibits inside. One of our favourites was a ger made out of 150 leopard skins that was given to him on his 20th birthday. Finally we climbed the steps to the Zaisan memorial, a landmark on top of the hill built by the Russians to commemorate unknown soldiers and heroes from various wars, which had a great panoramic view of the city and surrounding hills.

The highlight in UB was watching the performance of the Tumen Ekh national song and dance ensemble. We enjoyed hearing traditional music played on a morin khuur (horse head fiddle) but were unsure about songs with throat singing called Khoomii. This type of singing allows a person to sing two or even three distinct pitches at the same time and although impressive, made our throats uncomfortable just watching it. The best act was the traditional folk dance as the Mongolian dancers seemed to have so much fun with their routines. Called bigyelgee, dances are originated from the nomadic way of life. It is a descriptive dance that acts out several scenes from the everyday life of herders, such as milking the cow, cooking, and hunting. It was a great last evening in Mongolia.

And just like that, we again found ourselves taking another 32 hour train ride to another vast and unknown country, Russia. Like the first train, we met up with the same boys from Malta along with new train mates from Canada and New Zealand. Hours were spent watching the scenery change similar to Canadian landscapes, swapping travel experiences, watching movies and having dance parties. Easing into the Russian culture we sang the tune Ra Ra Rasputin and spent the last night on the train drinking wine and vodka. The train rides were proving to be a great way to travel! Finally, upon seeing our first glimpses of the mighty lake Baikal, we left the train, ready to embrace Russia.

Our last stop before the final big train journey was Beijing. Arriving in this buzzing metropolis was both exciting and sad, as there were incredible sights to be seen but we knew the end of our travels were nearing. Beijing, the capital of China, is a city full of history, temples, palaces, culture and forward thinking. The city as it is known now was re-established and developed during the Ming dynasty in the 1400s by Emperor Yongle. He built famous, incredible sights including the Forbidden City which have lasted over time. As the host of the 2008 summer Olympics, Beijing spent billions of dollars to improve the transportation systems, the air quality, and build more impressive structures. This last stop before boarding the Trans-Siberian Train would prove to be a great city.

The first day in the capital of China was mildly complicated as our flight arrived at the smaller old military airport instead of the main airport from which we had hostel directions. It was also here we confirmed China does not have much English signage, nor do many people speak English. One would think we had learned to always bring the hostel information with us but this was not the case! Unfazed, we ventured into Beijing’s transport system and eventually checked into our dorm room. After settling in, we ventured out to view Olympic park at night. For the Olympics, Beijing built an amazing swimming facility which from the outsides looks like water droplets covering a cube. Appropriately titled the Water Cube, this building is amazing at night as it is lit up and shines bright blue. In the same area is the National Stadium, or Bird’s Nest, which is the large athletic stadium. Also shining brightly at night, this steel nest-like structure is another great sight. Nearby, the Olympic flame cauldron can be seen, as well as many vendors and people strolling about enjoying the whole park.

Our days were filled visiting many of the wonderful historical and cultural sites in Beijing. Continuing with our communist leader tour, we visited Tiananmen Square where Mao has come to rest. After a shoe kerfuffle (no “slippers” aka flip flops allowed!), we took turns with a shared pair of shoes walking through the mausoleum and contrasting it to Ho Chi Minh’s. The security was tight but nowhere near the level of that in Vietnam, and the actual mausoleum was mildly cheesy and hotel lobby-esque! Mao himself looked waxy and less real than Ho Chi Minh but it was clear that he died a more well-fed man. Walking north, we were able to visit the Forbidden City which has the best preserved ancient buildings in Beijing. In this massive complex the emperors of several dynasties lived with their wives and concubines, separated from the general public by a large moat. Courtesy of the audio guide, we learned of their stories and scandals in ancient times. We enjoyed the east side where less people were touring, there was a beautiful dragon screen and the buildings were open with different artefacts inside. When emperors and other royalties wanted a summer escape from the Forbidden City, they visited the Summer Palace. We spent a lazy afternoon wandering around this Palace with its beautiful gardens and temples, and large lake to paddle boat on.

With our hostel one morning, we went on a bike tour of the Hutongs (narrow alleyways) and city parks. The tour was rather random, but we enjoyed attempting the Chinese version of hacky sack and seeing the locals use the odd fitness equipment in the park. Another afternoon we were rewarded with the most stunning panoramic views of Beijing when we visited Jingshan Park and hiked to the top of the large hill. The big hill was actually created from the dirt excavated to build the moat around the Forbidden City. On our last day we visited a unique area known as the 798 Art District where once abandoned warehouses and factories have been turned into art galleries, small shops and restaurants. We saw some interesting sculptures and beautiful works while we strolled in the streets of the district.

The sight we were anticipating the most to visit while in Beijing was the Great Wall of China. As one of the official Wonders of the World, we had been looking forward to our first glimpse. The wall is an amazing architectural feat as it follows the steep landscape up and down and snakes along the countryside, protecting China from northern invaders. The wall was built in sections over several dynasties, using different materials, and once totalled over 7200 km. Much of the wall has crumbled with time, but certain areas are still passable or have been restored and allow tourists to visit. Wanting to get the most of our Great Wall experience, we visited two separate areas on different days. True to our style, we went without tour groups and took public transit (though not without some challenges)! The first section we went to was Mutianyu, which is known to be slightly less busy and less restored. The day was hazy and provided an eerie atmosphere on the wall. We picnicked in one of the many watchtowers, and climbed to the highest point open to the public. Instead of climbing down all the stairs, we decided to go down on the toboggan slide which was very fast and a lot of fun.

Our second trip to the Great Wall was to the Badaling section which has gone through much restoration. The views here were spectacular; we went on a very clear day and could see the wall curving through the hills for miles. Badaling is very crowded with tourist as it is the closest to Beijing, but most only visit a small part. Once we passed the main area, we felt like we were the only ones on the wall as we climbed the incredibly steep sections and enjoyed the views. We enjoyed lunch on the steps of the Great Wall which Lily worked hard for by re-enacting Rocky`s famous stair climb. Although we were exhausted after climbing many steps and covering kilometers of the wall, both days on the wonder were amazing. As president Nixon once said, “this truly is a Great Wall!”

In addition to the amazing historical sites and cultural experiences, Beijing filled our other days with fun and adventures. A good few hours were devoted to shopping around the city. There is everything from high-end retail shops to souvenir stores to shady subway vendors. Almost everywhere bargaining is a game; a seller would say a ridiculous price, and eventually after a few counters would agree on something much lower (usually about 20% of the starting offer). At the Silk Market, a knock-off haven, we all left with a few more treasures and lighter money belts! Another afternoon was spent at the Water Cube. After the Olympics, part of the cube was transformed into an indoor water park which was a lot of fun to swim in. On one of our last days in Beijing, we ventured to Wangfujing Street, one of the oldest shopping streets in Beijing. Everything imaginable to eat is for sale in the little crowded alleyways. Lily and Michelle both ate snake and dog which truly tasted somewhat like chicken. All three of us ate mini scorpions which were so deep fried they barely had a taste. Lily also tried seahorse, which was very hard and not so tasty. Others on the street were eating starfish, giant scorpions, tarantulas and even sheep penis. Wanfujing street was crazy, busy and an adventure!

To fill our evenings we decided to check out two of the many theatrical performances Beijing has to offer. We chose to see an acrobatic performance and a Kung Fu show, both of which China is known for. First up for us was the Chaoyang Acrobatic Show. China has many talented gymnasts and provides Cirque de Soleil with amazing performers, so it makes sense that they have incredible circuses and acrobatic shows. The show was jam packed with amazing feats and stunts. We really enjoyed the three strong men who held incredible positions while balancing on tiny spots and the 11 women who balanced on one bike as it rolled around the stage. The second show we chose was the Legend of Kung Fu after being told it has toured all over the world including Canada. This show told a story as the performers did fantastic flips, stunts, and Kung Fu moves across the stage. They awed us with their strength and talent. These unique evening shows were a wonderful cap to a few of our days in China.

Our food experiences in Beijing were pretty tasty. Although English was scarce at some restaurants and not many menus had pictures, we were pleasantly surprised by new Chinese dishes. In the mornings, many vendors set up small stalls and sold breakfast foods. We discovered and enjoyed a few times amazing egg mcmuffins a la Chinese street style! A must meal in Beijing is Peking duck where you get a whole roasted duck with small wrappers, vegetables and dipping sauce. We enjoyed this dinner with a new friend we had met in Chengdu and an eclectic group of people from our hostel. Yet again we went to our hostel’s dumpling party, improved our shaping skills and enjoyed our creations. We enjoyed a few meals at our favourite street BBQ spot where they had delicious corn on the cobs and tasty, very seasoned toasted bread. After our mouth numbing Szechwan experience, we were please to discover delicious hotpot in Beijing. With a great picture menu, individual burners, and tasty mushroom broth, we enjoyed this meal enough to go back a second time. Overall, we were pleased with our meals and the Beijing food choices.

10 days in Beijing allowed us to relax and get a true feel for the city. Everywhere we went, we saw incredible sights and beautiful areas. The people were friendly and helpful, the transit was easy, and the food was delicious. Beijing was one of our favourite city thus far and a great final stop before the train journey towards home.

As we said namaste to India we said ni hao to China. This meant saying hello again to many things we had become familiar and comfortable with in S.E. Asia. Once again we were able to wear tank tops and shorts (although +20 °C felt chilly compared to India). It was the return of chop sticks, noodle soup, dumplings and beef. We once again found ourselves in hostels with dormitory beds and fellow backpackers. Escaping the +40 °C heat meant the return of kidney function and the ability to stay outside past noon. It was the return of locals expecting Lily to speak their language followed by locals laughing at Lily for not. While we were sad to say goodbye to some luxuries in India, such as English and Facebook, it was nice to once again make our own itinerary and move at a slower pace. Each one of us had different expectations and hopes. Michelle was excited to knock another world wonder off her list. Lily was looking forward to trying familiar foods with an international twist and saying goodbye to masala. And Sara was curious to see how China, although a different region, would compare the second time around. Fortunately our first couple stops did not disappoint.

Our first stop was the ancient capital Xi’an in the province of Shanxi. We stayed in a comfortable and friendly hostel within the old city which is surrounded by a 12 m high ancient wall. While Xi’an offers some of the most spectacular sights in China, it has become most popular as of late due to the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors. Built by emperor Qin Shi Huang, China’s first unifier, this site contains thousands of life-size soldiers. Although the reason for the emperor’s protectors are unknown, archaeologists speculate he believed his rule would continue in death as it had in life. When we arrived at the sight we were excited to sneak off on our own and explore the three archaeological pits, escaping our hyper tour guide. Each pit consists of rows of warriors, each with a unique face, hairstyle, armour, and even footwear. Although the site was spectacular we realized tours were not the avenue we wanted to take to visit sites within China.

After leaving Xi’an to visit the Terracotta Warriors on our first day in China, it was only fitting to explore the city the next day. One of Xi’an most impressive and obvious architectural feats is the 12 m high and 14 km2 city wall built in 1370, which offers views of the old city. We decided to bike the 13.7 km circumference of the wall. While the ride was refreshing after our laziness in India, the bicycles seemed to date back to when the wall was built and that, in combination with the bumpy wall surface left our asses sore for a couple days. However, the ride did offer some good city views and fun photo opportunities.


The rest of our time in Xi’an was spent exploring the Muslim quarter, making dumplings, and visiting the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. The Muslim quarter is a small area made up of narrow lanes full of shops and stands offering a variety of goods. Although we didn’t spend much time there, it was nice to see what the area had to offer. We filled one of our nights learning how to make dumplings courtesy of our hostel. While most of our creations looked like perogies and tortellini, they were tasty and once again we were glad to pick up some more cooking skills to bring home to Canada. Our last day was spent at Xi’an’s most famous landmark, the 64m high Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. In front of the pagoda sits Asia’s largest water fountain, measuring 20000 square metres, which just happened to be in the middle of its musical light show when we arrived.

And that ended our time in Xi’an and we headed south to Chengdu via train. We were curious to see how the station and the train itself would compare to India’s. Getting the tickets was an experience in itself as we attempted to communicate with the non-English cashier at the ticket office. Fortunately we were saved by a local standing behind us who spoke enough English to book us 3 hard sleepers. The station was pretty modern but it was here we learned getting to your cabin was survival of the fittest and queuing was non-existent. The train itself was not much different from India’s hard sleepersand after a 16 hour ride we arrived in Chengdu, capital of the Sichuan province.

While Chengdu is popular for many reasons such as its surrounding national parks and infamous Sichuan spice, visiting the nearby Giant Panda Breeding Base was the highlight. Pandas are perhaps the world’s most recognized endangered species, but the reserve promotes environmental conservation and public awareness not only for them but also red pandas, black cranes, swans, and peacocks. We arrived early in the morning when the pandas are most active and eager for their morning feeding. It was quite the site to see the pandas running around the reserve, playing with toys, climbing trees and wresting each other. We also checked out the rest of the 106 hectare facility which included a science centre, a veterinary hospital, and a small theatre. The area was quite beautiful and the adorable pandas were definitely a must-see.


Apparently if you haven’t tried Sichuan hot pot in Chengdu you haven’t actually visited the city. So with some new friends we decided to try the local specialty. Sichuan hotpot is basically a big pot of soup, oil, and Sichuan spices simmering in a pot in the middle of the table. Lamb, mushrooms, beef, tofu, potatoes and various other ingredients are added to the simmering pot and then fished out once cooked to enjoy. We found the Sichuan spice left our mouths uncomfortably numb and we were slightly disappointed with the meal but hey, at least we can say we’ve been to Chengdu now.

The next day we decided to take advantage of the hostel’s free bike tour of the city. Being that the tour was complimentary, we couldn’t complain as we were lead to a pet store and flower shop. However, we did see some interesting sights within the city such as the university area, a fish market, Tianfu square, and the People’s park. The park was quite eclectic as we walked past screeching karaoke, old men practicing poetry on the footpaths, and Chinese line dancing. It was also at this park where we had an ear massage, apparently a Chengdu ancient practice that involves using metal scrapers and vibrations to remove ear wax. We found the cleaning slightly uncomfortable but that could be because we couldn’t relax fearing our eardrums were on the line.

We decided to cap off our visit to the Sichuan province with a hike up Mount Qing Cheng Shan, a one hour train ride from Chengdu. Believed to be one of the birthplaces of Taoism, various temples and pagodas have been built throughout the subtropical forested mountain. While most tourists take a cable car to the top of the mountain we opted for some exercise, later discovering this involves climbing tens of thousands of steps to the peak. Fortunately, after all the curry and bread in India this meant some serious calorie burning and we had no regrets. In no time we reached the 1260m summit, which is capped with the newly constructed and beautiful Lao Jun Cabinet pagoda. While the view of the surrounding mountains was quite nice, it was unfortunately hazy due to the high level of pollution in the area. We decided to take a different route down the mountain to check out some different temples and new scenery. After descending a number of mossy, decrepit steps we found ourselves stuck in a construction site surrounded by a tall wall. We could see tourists on the other side but could find no exit. Knowing that going back meant double the stairs, we seriously considered scaling the 10 foot wall or swimming down a small stream nearby as the water had to go somewhere. Fortunately, we stumbled upon a lost Chinese tourist who had made the same mistake as us but was able to convince a construction worker to guide us to the other side of the wall. With the beautiful temples, breathtaking scenery and our temporary imprisonment, the entire hike was definitely different from any hike we had done in the past.

Xi’an and Chengdu had plenty to offer for our first week in China. It’s hard to believe in such a short time we visited a world renowned archaeological site, stood captivated by the antics of Giant pandas, and climbed one of China’s most religious mountains. Sampling just a snippet of China we were excited to move on to the buzzing metropolis of Beijing.