Fast trains and bureaucratic encounters - the end (Asia trek pt 28

We'll we are almost there, unfortunately I keep on thinking of more things to write, and so it seems like it never ends.

After another night of watching the football, I woke up in preparation for my tour to Suzhuo. thinking that there would be more people from the hostel going on the tour I was surprised when I was the only one to rock up in the morning. Provided with my own personal van taking me to the centre of the city where the tour bus was waiting. Something clicked. I did not see any other foreign tourists in the area and certainly none of them were getting on my bus. It turns out, as I should have realised given that most of the tourist industry in China is local, that it was a Chinese tour delivered entirely in Chinese. It would have been nice if the person I had booked with had let me know!!

As a result it was a quiet day for me as I did not talk or listen much. I just followed the herd as best I could, with the tour guide helping me out occasionally with the little bit of English she had. The drive from Shanghai out to Suzhuo takes about an hour through the flat but developing area west of Shanghai. On arrival into the city which is not exactly clear the bus winds through small streets before dropping us of at the first garden. Suzhuo is famous for it Chinese garden though there aren't many left is what the tourists come to see. And they come there on mass. The peaceful tranquility of these gardens is largely lost as the masses of Chinese tourists herd through them, with guides carrying flag and trying to use portable loudspeakers to the best effect. But despite this unique insight into Chinese style tourism, the gardens are impressive in their complexity and beauty, if there weren't another 100 tourist walking around at the same time.

The tour is built to be entertaining but also to make money. As can be found on tours in other countries, part of the cost of the tour is subsidised by companies paying for tourist to come through their shops and hopefully buy something. This was entertaining as I was taken to a silk factory (interesting to see the difference between handmade silk in Laos and Vietnam and the fully industrialised process here), a tea pot factory, which sold tea pot that were air tight and very expensive. In addition a short boat tour through the canals, and row boat exit out of one of the gardens and temples with hefty nine storey pagoda's. These provided view across grey skies over the small part of the old city that are left with the newer buildings in the backgrounds, which stand out in there repetitiveness.

All these things were entertaining but the most eventful moment was being watched by all the others as I struggled with the menu at lunch. With a little help I managed to get there and actually enjoyed a good meal. but that stage people started to warm to me and though they couldn't communicate with me smiles of acknowledgement and a willingness to try an help became evident. Back on the bus the afternoon viewing continued before some confusion about who was on what bus heading back (i had no problems here) to Shanghai. On the way we passed an endless stream of in progress apartment block, high voltage transmission lines and roads heading in different directions. It is clear from this stretch of road why the Chinese are consuming so much concrete and other resources even though on a per capita basis the people of
China are not being showered with wealth. May you be blessed that you have a backyard.

Arriving back in the evening, the coming night was the big clash between the Netherlands and Russia to qualify for the semi-finals of Euro 2008 (yes I am a little late in writing this). By this stage I had made substantial contact with a few long term residents of the hotel and we arranged a big night ahead culminating in the game at 3am in the morning. The evening started off with a few drink at the hostel before heading off to one of the more foreigner dominated clubs in town, and at 100 yuan entrance fee you can understand why. however, given that you are located on a top floor balcony on the Bund overlooking the river and Pudong business region all lit up like times square on the it is kind of worth it. the club had a good DJ with a live saxophone player wandering and mingling with the crowd throughout the evening. Outside on the deck the chilled atmosphere and warm air made for quite experience. The night wore one and I was becoming increasingly anxious about the match, so I hassled my companions to leave and leaving some behind took of in a taxi to the French Concession, where there was a supposed expat bar. My sidekicks new a bit of Chinese making it easier to navigate but even then we could find the exact place so we got dropped of on the street

Now, we hard heard that there was quite a party going for the European championship at a ex-pat bar in the area. So we walked around, got half lost , asked for directions and eventually ended up in the right place. It was clearly evident we were in the right place as we descended into a sea of Orange with hefty chants going on between the majority Dutch and a small but centralised group of Russian. the game was a up and down but the Dutch weren't playing the football that was winning many fans in the earlier matches. This led to an increasingly subdued Dutch crowd as the game wore on, only spurred by the occasional chance on goal. Eventually the Russians ran away with the game an dreary Dutch fans started filtering out of the bar on to the streets, where for the following hours you could see small bands of orange men wandering with head bowed to find the scarcely available taxi's

That night was the beginning of my last day in Shanghai. After returning to the hotel, after a stop a Macdonald on the way, I pulled a few hours sleep before go out to check off a final few things. first on the list was the Maglev. Shanghai has the only commercially operational (i doubt viable) Maglev train in the world, which transports people to the airport. Beginning at one of the exterior metro stations in shanghai it makes the 30km journey in 7 min and 20 sec reaching a top speed of 431km. I was full of expectation of a very fast comfortable ride in a whisper quiet space age train. Unfortunately reality was a little more, well? Reality! Far from being a smooth ride the Maglev bumps a jots the same if not more than an average train. It is however a special ride especially when the two train across with a cumulative speed of over 600 km per hour. The train almost hits you as it comes past and is gone before you know it. Hoping to take some photo's I pulled out my camera only to realise that I had left my batteries back at the hotel.

those short 7 min ended and I got out of the train and wandered off to get some batteries while a significant amount of other passengers walk out of the exit and straight back through the entrance. I guess I am not the only one to take the train for no reason. My batteries secured I got on the returning train, where I was able to take some blurry photos of the country side whizzing past with car almost looking like they are driving backwards. But to no surprise the return trip was much the same as the way there on these almost entirely computer controlled trains.

Back in the city I headed back to the hotel to do some shopping in the local area. I shoe shop I had walked past everyday for the last few day, provided the perfect opportunity to picking up some new footwear. The Chinese branded shoes, i expected, would fall apart immediately, however six month later they are still providing sturdy ankle support. It seems the Chinese can make good product, they just don't export it, as with their electric motorcycles?

The other shops provided nothing of interest, so I packed my bags are prepared for the trip back to Beijing at the end of the evening. I shanghai the metro provides easy mobility at the train station is sufficiently indicated in roman text, that I was able to navigate my way to the right platform and train. Another comfortable overnight sleeper to Beijing, where I pretty much woke up as we were pulling into the station.

Arriving in Beijing the public transport situation is much less desirable with buses incomprehensible and the metro network not being anywhere near the train station. So taxi is pretty much the only option but the lines are long. Seeing the initial line I was hoping that it would diminish after a while so I went and sat on the vast station square and watched the people walk by. After an hour though the line hadn't diminished so I joined the line like everyone else, leaving behind a now superfluous pair of shoes for someone to collect. In end the wait was not long as there were many taxi to pick people up.

I asked him to take me too an area just south of Tiananmen square, a despite my best efforts to speak in Chinese, only the lonely planet could save me from ended up in the middle of nowhere. The are has a lot of 'hutong' which are small streets that used to occupy a large section of Beijing but since the modernisation began a lot has be replaced. However this small area, popular with tourists still provided a lively impression of what was one more common in Beijing. Walking down the street, busy with builders preparing the city for the Olympics, I made my way to my pre-booked hotel for one night before my flight the next day.

Finding the lively and friendly hostel I walked to the front desk to check in. Handing over my passport all was well until she checked my visa. While the 30 day visa had today as the final day on it, officially the via expired the previous day, and anyway my flight was the tomorrow. I had without a doubt overstayed my visa. I did this knowingly, and I had checked the Chinese government website and foreigner were officially given 10 days grace to get out of the country. After showing my flight ticket the next day she and her manager that was brought to assess the case they were still unconvinced. So they called the local police bureau in order to get clarification on the rules, but after multiple phone calls and explaining there was no option for it. I would not be able to stay there. Dejected and a little angry I left to find another hostel, but after trying two other hostels each had the same response, all that was left for me to do was go to the PSB to try and get my visa extended.

I left my baggage at the hostel, which they kindly put in a store for me and hopped in a taxi to the PSB office at the other end of town, Kassa-ching!! Arriving at the large bureaucratic office building with a fine fitout, I walked upstairs to the visa section, where I found an enclave of ex-patriots waiting in line to apply for/extend visa. Fortunately the overstayed visa section had no line so I skipped to the front and awaited my turn.

As I walked to the desk, watching reams of paperwork being signed an copied by the preceding person I was not counting my luck. I approach the lady behind my desk and pleaded my case, handing over passport and ticket and evidence. After a moment she pass and clarified, 'you are leaving tomorrow?' 'Yes' I replied hoping for a break. Then she looked at me a said, I can't do anything as it takes ten days to create a new visa, you need to call this number. She scribbled a number on this paper. I took the paper with little clear idea as to what the number was for and headed down to the front desk where I was told there was a public phone.

I managed to get my message across that I needed to make a phone call to the lady behind the counter and dialled the number full of trepidation. The person on the other end of the line spoke and understood a broken English and to this day I am not sure what message I got a across and what it achieved, but I got the assurance that everything would be fine if I left tomorrow and there was nothing more they could do. this was all good and well, and I was somewhat reassured but it still didn't help me find a bed for the night. I returned to the area where I had left my bag but further discussion yield no opportunity to sleep. So once again leaving my bags I wandered the area in hope of finding a not so smart attendant that would not look too closely at my passport and allow me to stay.

I found one a little out of the way that asked the question but when I said I was leaving the next day were happy to take me in. I think that while I personally was not in any great difficulty the police that could come around and check who was staying at the hotels, could slap the hotel with a hefty fine or revoke the licence if found to be housing foreigners who had overstayed their visa's. I had secretly hoped that something difficult and distressing would happen on my trip and on the last day in Asia I managed to achieve such a thing. I checked in to a dorm room where two other girls were sleeping, but after about a minute I decided to leave that room and take a whole room to myself. There is something about travelling in plane that makes you want to have a bit of privacy and a good night sleep before you fly.

After checking in and freshening up I took the new beijing metro to take me to the pearl market for some cheap shopping. There I bought a few t-shirts for the family kids and and a few other small things. With a light rain falling through the grey clouds, I walked into the nearby temple of heaven park to pursue a last errand for myself. A week earlier I had seen some paintings apparently painted at a school in Xian, but being shown and sold in the park. I um'd and ahh'd at the time to buy it and had since decided while in Shanghai that I I would purchase the four paintings at $40 a pop (which now after some internet research seems to be overpriced) . The painting each reflecting one of the four seasons, was quite an impressive set. However now walking into the park and going to the store I was to found it shut. With a wad full of cash in my hand and nothing to do with it, disappointed I returned to my hotel.

Dropping off my new found goodies I headed out for my last meal in China. Fortunately there was a hot pot restaurant in the alley where I stayed who warmly coaxed me inside. Sitting down I ordered with some assistance from the waitress. What I ended up with was a big bowl of hot water and endless vegetable and meat to cook in it. It was a feast for four, but there I was on own. Drawing the gaze of all those that entered the restaurant. I took me well over an hour to get through the food without leaving too much behind and I was thoroughly stuffed. I waddled around the streets for a while looking for somewhere to drink another beers. However the long day got to me and instead I returned to my bedroom, to rest and get a good night sleep before my flight the next day.

in the morning after check I wandered up the alley, to the main road to get a taxi to the airport. The long 40 min drive to the airport is the only accessible via taxi,
which are luckily still very cheap. Crossing over onto various ring roads, it was my final salute to China and Asia as I left after 6 months of wanderings. The greyed out and polluted sky still unrelenting, despite a mere month until the Olympic games. Arriving at the the Beijing airport, which is a model of simplicity I was almost out of the country when the lady behind the check in counter got concerned about my overstayed Visa. I explained the situation and after she brought the manager over and all was sorted. Immigration didn't even blink a eye at my passport as I moved into airside, neutral territory, ready to depart. Hoping to do some duty free shopping on the way out, I was disappointed that the airport had almost nothing to sell that was of interest to me, as I could not buy liquids as I had a connecting flight in Europe. This was further exacerbated when my flight was delayed for a few hours. So I sat there and waited. Once on the flight as went as usual as I peered out the window as a final goodbye.

The six months had been interested, perspective changing and fun, even though at times I was tormented with loneliness and had to stave off my demons. But I got through it, with nothing negative of significance occurring. A pocketful of memories to take with me, I knew and know that I would miss Asia and wish to return particularly to China, where I only had one month to explore the vast country. There is so much more to these countries than I have been able to tell you, but I hope I have given more than just a travel diary, but more of an isight into how these countries work and what makes them tick.

I thank all who have stayed will me on this journey and taken the time to read these at times excessively long narratives. Also, I would like to thank those travellers and people that accompanied, advised, guided and put up with me over those six months. May you travels and lives be as lucky as mine.

Thank you for reading! :)

P.S Don't forget the actual website were additional materials and photos can be found in abundance! "ignatris.blogspot.com"