Am wandering again...

Did you know that the Chinese government implements a firewall so that sites like blogspot cannot be accessed by tourists like me??? Well, this firewall it seems is called the great wall by the locals.

How do I know this? I have been in Beijing for the past week and by God, am I ever so glad to leave it.

10 days ago D was asked to present a paper in Vancouver, and he insisted that I follow him to Vancouver (no, no I can't, it is too expensive for you...Ok) . We were planning to go via Honolulu (whoopee) but as a Malaysian citizen the earliest date for an appointment with an American immigration officer would be 23 December (helloooo). So we thought it would be interesting to visit Tokyo. I had not been there for yonks and D had never been there. Unfortunately, as a tourist in Australia, I was told by the Japanese Embassy that I could go back to Amsterdam or KL to get a visa as they are unable to issue one for me in Sydney. Bloody difficult being a wondering nomad if the damn border control officers are so difficult.

Only option was to go via China...and as the flight went through Shanghai, only a two hour flight from Beijing, we just had to visit the Great Wall.


The Starbucks within the Forbidden City...we had Skim Mocchas

.......

So we decided within 5 days of the offer to present the paper to go to Vancouver via Beijing...and within 30 minutes of landing we experienced for the first of many many times being fleeced by anyone and everyone Chinese. I hate to say this, but by God do we still have a bad taste in out mouth about being cheated left right and centre so blatantly. Our taxi ride from the airport to the hotel was officially 85 yaun, but we had no choice but to pay 230 yuan. As we haggled over this price (initially 385 yuan) in front of the airport guards, all I could think was "For Gods sake, you are a communist guard, shoot this damn insolent taxi driver!!". But then that was only a taste of the consumerism that has consumed Beijing. We had to haggle for everything, even the price of a taxi to Mutianyu to the Great Wall, with the Hotel tour office. Bearing in mind this is a 4 star hotel!! We started expecting to be cheated and had to start looking at the funny side of it, to avoid resenting the prejudice we were facing.

Don't get me wrong, Beijing is a must see. The Forbidden Palace, the Lama Temple, The Great Wall, the Tianamen Square, Mao's Tomb and the Ming Tomb's, these are historical wonders. But after visiting these sites, I hope that I never have to visit such a characterless, endlessly sprawling city such as Beijing ever again. It is such an unfriendly city, with practically everyone unwilling to assist a tourist who is only interested in experiencing a bit of their forgotten culture. It is the only city that I have ever visited that I wanted to get out of as soon as possible and never go back

Ever.

Their food though is quite good. Shame that we even had to haggle over that.

......

I walked along Robson Street in Vancouver today, stepping into the GAP, looking at coats in Zara and finally choosing a baby pink one with a rose patterned lining at Banana Republic (with a cashmere scarf). The salesgirls were friendly without being borderline nasty/accosting and I knew that the stated price was fair and final. Relief. We will be here for a week then off to Shanghai. God help us.