Beijing was ….. had heard a lot and read on blogs that people cheat you, taxi drivers take you for a ride — — literally by going round in circles and escalating yr bills, people ask for tips just to help, loos are dirty and non existent, carry your own toilet paper, girls try to scam you, etc etc — -our experience was totally to the contrary.
Unknown people helped us on the streets, and we asked for help often- all signs being in Chinese!. ( In fact this was the first time I felt totally alienated from other human beings simply because of the language barrier)
Furthermore, taxi drivers did not take us for a spin, we found loos wherever we needed them and they were clean, each time we tipped (even at restaurants, hotel doorman, etc) they kind of looked bemused and surprised — Definitely not expecting a tip !!! yes, bargaining was something which could be done everywhere — even at the govt run shops !
The only time — i felt we did not get a good deal was on the 1st day — which we had booked online — -a guide and taxi met us right outside the airport and we went to see the great wall at Mutinayu — — (the wall can be seen at various points — this had been rated the best and was about 2–3 hrs away from the city)- the wall looks even more amazing than it does in the pictures — — common people were ordered by the kings to go make the
wall, bricks made on the ground were carried up the hill and the wall made — -there were many causalities and a lot of people died in the process — No wonder the wall locally is said to be the largest and longest cemetery for the chinese people.
It was tough to walk on the wall — consisted of steep climbs and drops throughout with small patches of even and level ground and some scouting points where they had built lookout — the wall is built on the mountain range peaks so one has to either climb up (takes about 2 hrs) or take the trolley up — -which is what we did. coming down was fun — they had built
this toboggan rail of aluminum — something like a open tube with rims extended upwards so that one does not fall off and we sat on these small carts with a break in front thru which you could accelerated or slow down and you generally roll/ drive down the hill. it was great fun.
On the way back we visited a govt run Closiene (ceramic) factory and a tea house where we participated in a tea ceremony. an elaborately dressed lady sat with us on this interesting colourful table with her many tea kettles and cups and introduced to us various kinds of teas, how to smell them and how to drink them, benefits, etc — — and we could buy stuff at the end.
Why i felt cheated was the price we paid for the taxi and the guide for half day as well as the price we paid for the little stuff we purchased at these showrooms as even to us — on our first day -prices seemed steep. we paid 700 yuan for half a day to the car.
Anyway- they picked us from the airport and finished off the wall visit ( which would have taken us one full day) so maybe it was not such a bad deal
In the evening we went to this famous walking street which has these huge global brands stores on either side and small eating kiosks all around — -people generally walk around and have fun — stores have people dressed up as statues, or gladiators etc there are interesting statues depicting olden scenes — rickshaw puller, photographers, etc where you can stand and take pictures, etc. did not see people eating anything like cockroaches and grasshoppers but they were eating sweeten caramelized small apples on a stick like ones on which seek kabab is made. had dinner at this upmarket joint ( had to wait 45 minutes or so for a table) had Peking duck ( must do at Beijing- written about it in another blog) — took a taxi to the restaurant and casually asked the driver what he would charge for a day — visit to Summer Place (a tourist spot some distance away from the city — another Beijing must do) — he quoted 800 yuan — i countered with 200 , while spouse made faces and he AGREED ! ( that is why i felt cheated earlier!!)
and this was inclusive of a guide ( for whom we had paid 200 yuan separately the day before )
The peking duck was overrated by my standard — dry meat with little flavour — i guess for us indians — used to eating spicy food (aka chicken tikkas and tandoori chicken) — the peking duck is no big deal 🙂
The next day went to the Forbidden City- elaborate place full of huge one- two room buildings each market for some kingly ceremony — like his wedding chamber, place to receive guests, place to address people, change clothes, get coronated etc — -each palace surrounded by huge courtyards — much like the diwan- e-aam and diwan-e-khas at Red Fort — . had different wings on east and west resp, for wives quarters, concubine quarters, granary, storage, treasures, library etc. in the end was the Oriental Garden — very very pretty — -huge trees — with very interesting trunks, rock sculptures, and formations, and small pagodas all around — each with a purpose like to this is where emperor came to write poems, or this is where he selected a new concubine. they had a box of a certain height and width and the girl (age 14- 18 yrs ) had to fit into it (so that she was in proportion to the king) had to have attributes like voice, looks, etc. —
Summer palace was beautiful — — buildings and walkways around this huge huge lake — -had a number of interesting bridges connecting different parts of the lakes ……..
If Beijing was Delhi then Guangdong or Guangzhou was Gurgaon.
A city full of multi storeyed flats — and flyovers- all over the city — did not see any houses at all.
Multi level flyovers, criss crossing each other,, going so close to the buildings that you can look right into the houses and rooms — -unlike our multi flat buildings those in Guangzhou had no huge parking areas, nor any open spaces surrounding each building complex ( like those in gurgaon)
Not too many people speak English.
Most of the time here was spent in the canton fair –showcasing electronics, building material, bathroom accessories, somecomputers, machinery , automobiles and other categories not of any interest — but one day we went to their markets — one was this upmarket mall — -much like the malls we have in gurgaon but huger= — super expensive clothes and brands — global names and Chinese brands — — basement had the most crowd as that hosted the household utilities and of reasonable pricepoints.
Then went to a Sarojini Nagar — Paharganj clone market — -huge — -huge –huge — — was the whole sale market kind — -for buttons, zips, jade, pearls ( few shops) artificial beads, and clothes and clothes and clothes and accessories. Young girl teenagers would go crazy here — — yr kind of clothes and affordable prices. Sarojini is nothing compared to the market here.
Fashion in china –we saw was short dresses with either full leggings or with short shorts and high heels..most girls were wearing these in various combinations, or the dress was casual — loose t shirts and baggy pants/ half pants.
Things we have bought in all — -some food stuff — those triangular packings, clothes- mostly leggings , torches, one very classy “gulel”, some computer stuff, speakers, blue tooth earphone, amazing ceramic knives (gifts) — very sharp, jade jewellery and necklace, some pearls, shoes, bags, some odds and ends here and there
Cuisine we had
China Trip taught me something new — — It pays to research yr trip online before actually going. You have a list of must dos, with comments from people from all over — so you can decide what looks exciting to you and then go ahead and do it. It surely made our entire China a pleasure-
Food at Beijing
Peking duck at Da Dong: 1st dinner. Da Dong- celebrated place, consistent winner of best duck , best eating place in Beijing etc — had a whole wall covered with their awards
Right in the middle of the restaurant was this huge pit in which the ducks were roasted –or whatever was done to them — there was a pond kind of thing surrounding it on three side — had these huge goldfishes and various multi coloured fishes so vibrant that the fishes looked paint splattered ! tables were beyond the pool.
The duck — when it came — came full on a separate table with a cook ( complete with his top chef hat) carrying it in with the table. He proceeded to carve it up for you right there. A platter of various condiments was served along with a stack of really really thin pancake- tortilla kind of things. To eat you made a parcel of the duck, condiments etc in the tortilla — folded it up and then ate it whole (seen a video on u tube) –anyway — the duck meat was quite bland
A Fendi– a multi cuisine joint- downtown Beijing with live dance and song show each night. Reached early — the one place in Beijing where we had difficulty with the language — the serving staff had poor English skills. Ordering is easy as all places have menus with huge pictures of the dishes and an English one line explanation of the dish — so you just choose and point. Had their local beer ( quite nice) and some roasted meats on skewers — they had these huge skewers — nearly as long as yr arm- , followed by something which should have been like tandoori chicken — but was not — a huge huge helping of beef roasted in a pit and shredded into slices served with roasted cumin and red pepper. Along side with a naan. The naan was Great –very different in taste and in looks from the naan served here — in fact I think it tasted better than out naan — which turns rubbery when cold . the beef was okay –if had with the spices — else it tasted not so nice to me — but it seemed to be a hugely popular dish as most tables where there were 4 or more people had ordered it ( minus the naan)
Chinese people like their food — -noticed that on tables around us the dishes just kept coming — okay they had 4/ 6/ people but the dishes just kept coming one after the other and all people mostly ate straight out the main dish — just selecting stuff with their chopsticks and eating –.
Along with dinner there were these Arabic looking Chinese people playing a drum like thing and an instrument like a mandolin — girls dancing, singing, interactive games with audience participating, belly dancing ( took a short video) , — nice peppy foot tapping music.
Suzi Wong– a pub like place- much applauded on the net. Was a bar, dance floor etc –we went there around 10.00 pm but it was really low key at that time. DJ was good, drinks were nice ( had a nice cocktail — forget what it was — a mojito I think but very tasty — I did not get drunk — even tho’ it was stiff !) spouse danced with me for at least 15 minutes — maybe he felt comfortable enough dancing in front of strangers ! usually he hates to dance ! Maybe young crowd comes in much later — — as it is with the youngs of delhi
Pure Lotus — a vegetarian highly upmarket place. Had lunch here — — very very classy. Table mats of those huge money plant like green leaves, plates were these huge shells ( same shape as those small shells which wash up on the beach) chopsticks resting on smaller conch type shells.
The entire meal was served in courses — with each course coming as soon as the previous one finished. The waiters were always there exactly when you needed them –but they were not hovering and were not even seen till they were required to be seen!
Had exotic drinks made of ginger.apple and some others ( me) and yam and some …(spouse) — food was sashimi ( dad liked — i did not) , steak like stuff ( tasted like beef steak but was purely vegetarian) , some exotic local fruit — sweet and sour tasting — very very nice, a very nice kadhi ( called curry) made with a lot of vegetables, was slightly sweet but amazing- they bought it in a saucepan along with its own burner which they lit up on the table. Gave us a complementary drink — — sweetened vinegar on the rocks — sounds bad but was divine.
Gave us a lotus each when we left. Tried to bribe the airline check in lady with it –trying to get us a better seat on the plane from Beijing to Gungzhou ( we went straight to the airport from lunch) –got us some smiles but not a great seat –tho’ she gave us two aisle seats one behind the other ( in a full flight)
Guangzhou or Guangdong
If Beijing was Delhi then Guangdong or Guangzhou was Gurgaon.
A city full of multi storey flats — and flyovers- all over the city — did not see any houses at all.
Multi level flyovers, criss crossing each other, going so close to the buildings that you can look right into the houses and rooms — -unlike our multi flat buildings those in Guangzhou had no huge parking areas, nor any open spaces surrounding each building complex (like those in gurgaon)
Not too many people speak English.
Most of the time here was spent in the canton fair –showcasing electronics, building material, bathroom accessories, some computers, machinery, automobiles and other categories not of any interest — but one day we went to their markets — one was this upmarket mall — -much like the malls we have in gurgaon but huge — super expensive clothes and brands — global names and Chinese brands — — basement had the most crowd as that hosted the household utilities and of reasonable price points.
Then went to a Sarojini Nagar — Paharganj clone market — -huge — -huge –huge — — was the whole sale market kind — -for buttons, zips, jade, pearls ( few shops) artificial beads, and clothes and clothes and clothes and accessories. Young girl teenagers would go crazy here — — yr kind of clothes and affordable prices. Sarojini is nothing compared to the market here.
Fashion in china –we saw was short dresses with either full leggings or with short shorts and high heels…most girls were wearing these in various combinations, or the dress was casual — loose t shirts and baggy pants/ half pants.
Things we have bought in all — -some food stuff — those triangular packings, clothes- mostly leggings, torches, one very classy “gulel”, some computer stuff, speakers, blue tooth earphone, amazing ceramic knives (gifts) — very sharp, jade jewelry and necklace, some pearls, shoes, bags, some odds and ends here and there
Food at Guangzhou
Cantonese Chinese dinner the 1st night. When we entered the place they took us to a common room –thou only two more table were occupied –there was so much noise it seemed like 40 people — -chinese people talk loudly and when they are animated and excited their pitch rises quite high. Dad requested a pvt room and the waitresses, with a lot of giggling , took us to another pvt room where it was just us. Language was a huge barrier here. Had some fried kind of fish — served with lots of green and red peppers. An exotic- amazing tasting sea cucumber- in red sauce ( a sauce very different from any I have ever had, a shrimp salad. Lots of green tea. and a veg. Dish — of spinach and something- not nice at all ! — — the pvt was really pvt — there was just one girl who served us — she took care to open the door as little as possible to come in and out with the dishes and she apologized each time she opened the door — it was quite funny.
River Cruise with Dinner on the boat — -there is this huge river in the middle of Guangzhou — took a cruise with dinner on it. The river cruise was very very very nice — the night was beautiful — a nice fresh breeze — the building on either side were lit up –many with changing light patterns, the two piers and the walls on either side on the river ( it was quite broad) lit up in numerous shades of light — even the shades were aesthetically planned- so that the entire scene gelled nicely. There were around 7 bridges spanning the entire river length ( 90 minutes of cruise) — each bridge had different colour hues — again L E D lights which kept changing colours. The entire look was very pretty. Dinner was rice with pork curry and chicken curry — nothing exotic but very tasty.
3rd dinner was at a nearby popular place — was huge — easily a 100 covers — and it was FULL. We had to wait about 10 -15 minutes for a table for two.
Amazing food — ordered all fish dishes and even I liked them — -u can assess how good they must have been. We ordered something by looking at the menu and then changed the order when we saw what our neighbouring table family was eating. I am sure we offered the family some amusement in return as they kept enjoying and laughing at seeing us eat the dishes in our non Chinese manner. Tea was served to us by the attending girl- complete with a tray and kettle on burner — two small kettles- one with the leaves and the other to hold the tea — — complicated ceremony but fun to experience and the girl kept coming to replenish the tea — at least 10 times during the entire meal. Had local beer — nice.
Another dinner at Olga’s Trattoria — a celebrated Italian place at Guangzhou — -very nice soups, bruschetta and seafood pizza — wanted to try their desserts but were stuffed so could not manage.