We arrived in Shanghai to be greeted by blazing neon lights and the news that our hostel room had been given away coz we arrived 20 minutes late! After a bit of an argument, they told us they'd put us up in another hotel down the road and we could come back next day or stay there. The hotel turned out to be better than the hostel we booked into-at the same price- it was a STEAL! We stayed!
After traveling for nearly 24 hours- we still had enough energy to explore the city on our first night there.
The 'Bund' was 7 minutes away! It was bustling with the locals- after walking the stretch of it- being fascinated with the BIG building all lit up and glimmering in the water- we got gipped at dinner! The woman really took us for a ride- and since we knew no better- we paid the ridiculous amount for the dinner,we washed it down with plums on a stick (something I've been dying to eat since watching Mary Poppins 20 years ago).
As we explored the city- we found many similarities to Bombay. Of course Shanghai is light years ahead of Bombay- but the pace, the weather, the pulse...similar!
We were told the food would be good and the people quite friendly- both were true, and we found it a very easy city to navigate- all the signage is in English- the maps are bilingual- and since were were mostly walking or taking the metro- it was no trouble at all!
After a great evening at one of the city's Jazz clubs - we went to get a mid-night snack...and I was literally man-handled by a 6-7 year old girl and her younger brother. They wanted some money for me, and since i wasn't obliging, the girl hung onto my shirt and nearly tore it off and the boy refused to let go of my skirt...and the mother joined in too...Christopher had to undo their little claws from of me before i could escape into the 24 Hour diner! Scary kids! The ones at home are not half as bad!
After 2 1/2 days in Shanghai- we had done all there was on our list of To Do's and we boarded our first train of the trip to Beijing.
10 hours- in a chair car where your seat doesn't recline- not bad. I managed!
At Beijing Xi Station we were told our train to Lhasa is PACKED and we can only get a chair car seat.(Bad news seemed to greet us at beginning of every city). So, after much deliberation we decide to go for it, telling ourselves - "It's all part of the experience."
It was a long wait under the sun to get a Taxi to take us to our hostel- we finally get one after waiting like cattle in a pen. The Hostel was nice and clean-staff friendly-and all the amenities we could want.
After a much needed snooze- we headed out in the BLAZING afternoon sun. It almost feels like we were in the middle of a loo.
Spotting the first restaurant - we took refuge.
We were warned the food in Beijing may not be as familiar tasting as Shanghai- we were apprehensive. But when the food arrived it was DELICIOUS!
Beijing is a HUGE City. So much History, Culture, Sites, Food, People- lots to take in and we had 5 days!
From climbing the GREAT WALL at Simatai, to exploring the Forbidden City- which was HUMONGOUS! To seeing the beautiful Summer Palaces and walking around Tian'anmen Sqaure and discovering a quaint little park near our hostel- the city was overwhelming!
We ate some of the most delicious food in Beijing-including scorpions on a stick! Crunchy!Super light spring rolls, something similar to a baida pau (fried egg in a bun), yum pork and beef and shrimp... i miss the food- and eating with chopsticks!
After a marathon shopping spree on Wangfujing(Christopher- Not me- i sat and ate and watched the world go by), we rushed back to the hostel and packed all the shopping and headed off to the station, for our mammoth 48 hour journey to the 'Roof of the World'- Lhasa.
The Beijing Xi station itself is MEGA! I thought the station at Shanghai was huge- bu this was bigger and more opulent-by far!
We ate dinner- dumplings & sauce and boarded the train,only to discover our seats were not together! We had a very sweet Chinese guy who spoke a little English next to me & a bunch of girls sitting next to Christophe. After much hesitation- i asked the boy if he could move and let X sit next to me. He very sweetly gave up his window seat- which i promptly took.
It started well. Even though it was a chair car with seats that didn't recline- we managed the first night without too much trouble.
Next morning i had my first ever meal in a trains dining car- i was most excited- and the views outside only helped! After an English breakfast we settled down to read, write, play cards etc.
As the evening approached- we stopped at Xining- another big city. All sort of people got in and our compartment started smelling, and people started smoking as well- i started to feel a bit ill. (Chinese people are Filthy!)
After dinner- we decided to see if there were some empty seats in another compartment- turned out that the ones behind us were hardly occupied. So we moved there for the night.
I started to feel extremely ill- and threw up for a good part of the night.I realised it wasn't the altitude, coz the cabins were pressurized- but the food.
I feel asleep as dawn broke. Got some super shots of the sunrise behind snow capped peaks!
The next day we didn't eat at the dining car- instead we nibbled at the biscuits and fruits we had got with us.
At about 8:00 that evening- we arrived at Lhasa station- another BIG and opulent station!
The drive into town took us 20 mins- it was a stunning ride into town- with the moon rising on one end of the horizon and the sun setting in the other end.
We passed stores ranging from Bossini, playboy, etam and vero mode . Needless to say i was shocked!
We got to our hotel - and ofcourse there was a problem!
The price of the room was much higher than they had quoted on the internet, so again, we looked for another hotel- it was luckily about 5 mins away, so we checked into that one.
After not eating all day- we gorged on comfort food- burgers and chicken sandwich. If X had his way- he'd eat tandoori chicken!
The room was nice and large and airy with extremely comfortable beds. After long showers (not having bathed for 2 days- you fee a little grimy), we fell into deep slumber.
Next day we walked around to "acclimatise".
We went to the Tibetan artisan centre, the quaint Muslim quarter, the Jokhang and just generally checked out the place.
In our 4 days in Lhasa- we went to the famous Potala Palace- which was a bit disappointing and sad, The Summer Palace of the Dalai Lama- heart breaking- to think he can never visit the beautiful place, The monasteries at Drepung, Sera and Ramoche. There is something about these places that is indescribable- calming, spiritual, stunning- and none of these words can describe the true feeling of the place. I was overwhelmed each and every time! Stunning architecture- you wonder how they ever built these places in such unreachable heights. Beautiful artwork, paintings, sculptures.The butter lamps bathing the interiors in soft golden light...all very surreal!
Lhasa was- everything i had imagined it to be, and a huge disappointment- all at the same time.
The steel and chrome shiny buildings ruin the magic of the place. The older parts of the city still have a bit of the "Shangrila- esque" feel.
Unlike most hill stations I've visited- Lhasa was flat! It's in a huge valley- surrounded by the most stunning mountains. Anyway you look- you'll see mountains rising from behind the buildings! Really magical!
The people very extremely friendly- all out to earn a buck ofcourse! I was very surprised to have people talk to me in perfect Hindi. We saw many posters for Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai- heard alot of hindi film music, saw alot of DVD's for Bollywood films, the menus had ALOT of India food- ranging from Tandoori chicken to Dal makhani!
I realised how close we were to home.
The people were so excited when we would tell them we were from India- ofcourse they thought X was American and were shocked when he said he was Indian too! They're a very warm and friendly people. And inspite of their troubles- very jovial and fun loving.
We didn't even try to talk to them about the political situation there- but a few said they had come to Dharamsala and other parts of India.
The food was staple fare- Momos and thukpas- which we tired of soon- so it was experimenting with Chinese, local and European fare!
The weather was GORGEOUS!!! Only on one day did we have rain- but by late afternoon- it was hot again with the sun shining in a cloud-less blue sky.
After 4 gorgeous days in Lhasa- it was time to head home.
After a hair raising cab ride to the far far far airport, we finally left the "Roof of the World".
One night in Beijing, and i thought i was half way home when we got to Bangkok airport- but my luck ran out.
The Flight back to Bombay was full- so they bumped me off. While X got on the flight, i stayed back. Luckily there was a flight leaving to Bangalore 3 hours later, which was empty- so i got onto that one.
Spent the night in Bangalore, and my flight that was supposed to leave Bangalore at 8:30 the next morning, left at 1:30 in the afternoon- at one point, i felt like i would never get home!
I did finally! And I'm writing this in the comfort of my own room!
No comments:
Post a Comment