The Chinese experience

ok, ive forgotten my password so just to let you know who this is, its Lolo. I thought I should try and contribute to the blog in some way! I thought maybe you would like to know about the time I travelled all over the world. Well, it was at the end of Dec 2001. I was travelling with two other friends, Badger and Flipper. Two nicknames of course! I hope your folowing this so far.....anyway...we went to China first. We picked China because there were no other flights available for New Years Eve...so we thought, fuck it, lets go to China! So, after flying from Dublin to London we caught a flight to Beijing, which wasnt to bad after 2 valium.
The first thing I remember (because Im not sure if I will remember much from all that travelling as I took no photos!) was the cold...so fucking cold! So we arrive at the airport, find the first taxi and tell him in our best chinese to take us to a hotel in the city center. We arrive at some small hotel and manage to explain to the manager that we need a room for a few nights. First thing we always did when we arrived at hotels or hostels was to play cards, to decide who was sleeping on the floor, as there where only ever 2 beds. I cant remember who lost that first game but I do remember Flipper sleeping on a lot of hotel rooms throughout China. So, the first thing we did the next day was jump in a taxi and go to the Great Wall...which I have to say was one of the best things Ive ever seen. Its incredible.....it seems to stretch on forever...over the hills, until you cant see any further. So we went out that night in Beijing on the piss....in fairness what the hell else were we gonna do!
We must have been the only westerners in a lot of those bars, trying to converse with locals who only seemed to speak quicker and quicker as the night went on. I dont remember much....but it was goddam cold trying to get a taxi at 5 in the morning in the middle of Beijing. The next day we rented out some bicycles and cycled all over the city...through all the old parts. We went to Tianaman square...the scene of the famous student uprising in 1989 that resulted in hundreds of deaths after the Chinese government decided to put an end once and for all to their hopes of liberal reform. Things are getting slightly better since then. We also saw the Forbidden city, which you might rememeber is the scene of all those movies about Chinese emperors, once again an amazing thing to see. What I remember most is the Chinese guards standing to attention in this vast courtyard....it was like going back in time. Then we arrive to New Years Eve....which I will have to leave untill another day...as Im hungry and Im going to eat some food!
POSTED BY LOLO