Book Sharing Project 2012: Three Flights To A Library

I got choked up. And I must have squeezed my daughter Luna a little too tight. She fought her way out of my embrace and ran towards a gaggle of loitering pupils. I was standing on stage in the middle of a half-century-old school, forcing my weepy eyes to stay open. Three months we waited for that rose-colored day, I sure was not planning on dozing off even for a millisecond.

Our final destination. Photo by Paula Peralejo of Our Restless Feet.  

The library of Rizal Elementary School in Sorsogon that we helped fill was about to be (re)opened. The Book Sharing Project 2012's a brainchild of Gubat — yes, that's the municipality's name — local Emm Balabat and was spearheaded by Journeying James.

It's a labor of love. For weeks, a bunch of Filipino travel bloggers shared the school's (rather familiar) story in social media. In its more than 50 years of existence, it did not have a library.

Okay, it sorta did. But is that near empty room something you'd call a library? Yeah, I thought so.

The countless posts, tweets, shares caught tremendous attention. Sponsors/contributors poured in. We received so many books that we hired a truck to transport them from the drop off centers to a house where they were sorted. The project team also received donations in cash which we used to buy new pairs of slippers for the students.

Suffice it to say that the Book Sharing Project achieved great success. A success that wasn't just measured by the number of books given or the amount of money that we were able to spend, but by the high decibels of children's squeals and the angles of their smiles. While some of the ol' volunteers celebrated the project's anniversary five days ago by reposting photos, reminiscing about the many side trips we did, I had an entirely different flashback of my own. One that sent me back a day prior the actual event...

Crossing an empty bridge on foot at 4-ish AM in Moscow.  

About half past four in the morn, hubby and I woke from a two-hour sleep that felt more like a nap. My muscles were in pain because of that long walk from the metro station to our hostel with our packs on our backs the day before. We had only been in Moscow less than 24 hours, but we were about to leave Stolichny Hostel for a flight later that morning.

No one was in sight around the common area. We advised the owner/manager of our very early check out but it seemed she didn't care. I wouldn't be surprised if there was just some kind of miscommunication though cause she barely spoke English. Or make that, she barely spoke. She mostly communicated with the classic Russian grunt.

I left the room's key on our bed and at five we stepped out into the freezing autumnal air.

 Imagine if this was as packed as Manila's LRT during rush hour.

The walk from the Stolichny Hostel's building (Dom Na Naberezhnoy) to Borovitskaya Metro Station took half an hour, about triple Google Maps' estimate of eleven minutes. We climbed sets of stairs to a bridge, a gruesome task for the hubby who carried one twenty-kilo suitcase up then went down to take Luna because I simply cannot climb that many stairs with her in my arms and a fifteen-kilo backpack slinging on my shoulders.

We crossed the bridge to get to the other side of the river, and took turns lugging Luna. By the time we reached the station, my body was so sore that I wanted to sob but didn't have the opportunity to do so for my feeling of self-pity was quickly replaced by panic when we realized that there was no one manning the ticket counter. We were very eager to get on the trains before all the morning rushers do.

Buried under one's life's belongings.   Five minutes must have passed until a grumpy granpa decided to get back to work. After purchasing our tickets, we sprinted towards the platform to catch the next train. We eventually changed to another line at some station further along and was tailed by a young Russian couple who struggled to keep up with us because they were pushing a stroller with their son slumbering in it. They didn't know how to get to the airport.

My memory of how we were able to find the mini buses to the airport from Domodedovskaya Metro Station is already a blur of smoke, but I do remember the Russian family following us all the way until there. The mini buses leave whenever full (if not full, every fifteen minutes). We managed to squeeze our suitcase at the rear luggage compartment, but the rest we dumped between our legs and my seatmate's legs — man, was she so annoyed! The ride took around half an hour and we arrived at Domodedovo International Airport just in time for check in.

Repacking bags and changing clothes at NAIA 3.

Our seven hours and twenty minutes Moscow-Beijing flight provided little relief (though Transaero Airlines Airlines fed us two fantastic meals). I couldn't sleep soundly with all my worrying about missing our flight to Manila. We only had two hours and a half until the plane departs Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 2. We were to arrive at Terminal 1 and that means the time frame's very tight. Shuttling between two terminals eats a lot of time. 

We practically ran from the Transaero plane to the immigration counter to the baggage claim area to the free shuttle bus. Because it was past 11:00 PM, the departure interval between buses was a hair-pulling 15 minutes (past 1:00 AM it's thirty minutes). Thankfully the driver left on the dot. It saved me from making a scene.

Fifty minutes left until departure of our Manila-bound flight, we raced passed the line marker on the floor towards Cebu Pacific's check in counter and stomped on the ground as if we were stepping on an Amazing Race mat. In my head I imagined the ground staff blurting "Gay, Sherv and Luna, you're the last team to arrive but you're boarding the airplane anyway!". If I wasn't about to pass out due to lack of sleep I would initiate a belly five.

Aboard the four hours and a half flight I finally had some shuteye.

After a grueling 24-hour travel in three countries, this was our reward. Seeing kids go gaga over a library. Photo by Paula Peralejo of Our Restless Feet.  

It was 5:30 AM when we touched down Manila. At the arrivals, my father and his uncle (they drove all the way from Tarlac) was waiting for us to pick up our luggage. Yes, just our luggage, because we were to fly again(!) in three hours to Legaspi to join the Book Sharing Project team for the Rizal Elementary School library opening. My father also brought a box full of clothes which my mom prepared, for me to dig through and hopefully find stuff that we could use for the Bicol trip. Including swimmers. All we had in our suitcases and backpacks were dirty outfits for the cold.

I suddenly had a surge of energy when I thought of getting Luna involved in a historic event (I'd say in a way it was, for a lot of lives). Although she won't remember it when she's older, we are hoping that our participation will teach her later on to appreciate all the things she would own because not every child is as fortunate. I also really, really hope she treasures the value of reading.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." ~ Dr. Seuss. Photo by Mark Go of Nomadic Experiences. 

The sacrifice we endured during those many hours of transit may be considered ridiculous by some, but you know, the hubby and I are a couple of ridiculous, impractical people. And with this kind of turnout:

I don't think I got some further explaining to do. Photo by fellow volunteer Jojo Pauly.

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The Great Call Of China

Our calling came two years ago. Visuals of a snaking wall on a mountain, a "bird's nest" made of steel, a humongous portrait of a man seemingly watching over a city square, and snow - lots of snow, floated in our dreamy heads.

We took heed. Even if we're total Cheimaphobics. We arrived as honeymooners during winter, determined to conquer the cold. And then some. And we left with more than enough vivid, fond memories that could beckon us again someday. Memories that shall last a lifetime (Unbeknownst to us then, we also left with a microscopic souvenir. Like, the embryo kind.).

The itinerary I vaguely planned for our China holidays that took us from Hong Kong to Beijing to Xian and to Guangzhou in a span of eight days, was without a doubt crammed. Especially we had to travel more or less twenty hours from one city to the next via sleeper trains. If for some reason you're coincidentally doing the same insane route (I highly recommend you don't, unless you got more time in your hands.), here are some sites you could also ambitiously squeeze in such time frame - narrowed down to eight cause it's a err, lucky Chinese number.

1. The Great Wall in Badaling (Yanqing County, Beijing). The most visited of all walls, hence, the most crowded. The easiest to get to though if you're not in a tour group.


2. Tiananmen Square, Beijing. On this photo, is the iconic Tiananmen Gate which separates the square and the Forbidden City. It is the third largest city square in the world.


3. Beijing National Stadium, popularly known as the "Bird's Nest" (Olympic Green, Beijing). Can be reached via MTR. There's an admission fee to get in, but taking snapshots from outside is definitely free.


4. Visit the Beijing National Aquatics Center or the "Water Cube" while you're in the Olympic Green and do the mandatory jump shot. Okay, the mandatory part is fiction.


5. Forbidden City, Beijing. Not really a city, but a royal complex. The largest one in the world. Named so because commoners were forbidden to enter its premises during the time when emperors used the complex as their abode.


6. Great Mosque, Xian. Xian is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. Hence the evident Islam influence in the region. This mosque was built using Chinese architectural style instead of Middle Eastern. An interesting mix of different cultures.


7. Terracotta Army, Xian. Mesmerizing funerary art. Thousands of terracotta warriors and horses eerily stand guard. An archaeological site I dreamed of visiting since I saw it featured in uhm, National Geographic.


8. Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, Guangzhou. The silk and jade burial suit of King Zhao Mo (the owner of the tomb) is one of the museum's highlights, along with the actual tomb's chambers where visitors can walk through.


Has the great call of China reached you too?

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Snapshot Saturday: Brilliant Nest

Beijing's National Stadium
Also known as the Bird's Nest, is the world's largest steel structure. Strolled around this brilliant work of art and architectural genius, one fine winter morning.

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Snapshot Saturday: The Wall and The Shoelace

Still can't believe I tied my shoelaces on a historic wall!
While the above caption may not seem to make sense, I'd like to stress how difficult it was to take my foot off that handrail. I froze as a gush of winter wind swept past.

Planning to see the Great Wall of China? Read this to decide whether to join a group tour or not.

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Snapshot Saturday: Great Balls Of China

Pardon the exaggerated title. I'm actually just pertaining to squid balls.
You reckon that's what the kid is holding? Then it must play a significant role in depicting Chinese culture. Sculpture can be found along Xi'an's Beiyuanmen Muslim Culture Street.

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Guangzhou's Orchid Garden

Our last stop in China, and we almost didn't make it. The Orchid Garden is a tranquil hideaway in the middle of a bustling city. A perfect spot to take a breather after our 12-day backpacking trip across four major cities. But before we ended up in the garden, a mishap almost tragically capped off our honeymoon!

Entrance to the Orchid Garden. Serenity awaits.

After visiting the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, we had a late lunch at 7-11. Shervin and I shared a ¥14 meal. The museum staff agreed to keep our bags while we ate.

Without heavy load on our backs, we took the opportunity to walk around and look for an internet shop. We wanted to find out which Guangzhou airport Cebu Pacific flies to and from. And then we can check our transport options to there.

I flipped the pages of our guide book in search of hotels with internet services. The nearest from where we were was Guangzhou City International Youth Hostel. We walked about a kilometer to Huanshi Xilu, the street where Baiyun City Hotel sits. The hostel was supposedly housed inside it.

We approached the reception desk and asked about the hostel. The staff told us it's already closed. As in, it ceased operation. So we asked about their internet service and they told us to go to the business center just across the lobby. When we got there, the one and only computer was being serviced. The repair guy couldn't tell how long it was going to take.

Disappointed, we searched for other hotels within the area. One hotel agreed to let us use their computer for free even though we weren't their guests. Well, after Shervin begged. We got the info we needed in no time, we'll be flying from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. We also learned that there are airport buses departing from a station along Liu Hua Lu, which we could check out before picking up our bags from the museum.

Everything was going smoothly, we thought. It was 4:30 PM and we can still get in the Orchid Garden (open 8:00 AM-5:00 PM). We were already about 100 meters away from the hotel when suddenly, I noticed that Shervin was not carrying my SLR anymore. I asked him about it and he too panicked. I realized he must have left it on the computer table at the hotel's lobby. He made a run for it while I briskly followed.

Actually, I just got my camera back before leaving Manila. Shervin's mom left it under a dining table at our wedding party. I asked the catering service owner if any of her crew found a blue plastic bag containing a small gift and a camera. Surprisingly, they were able to keep it (though they never gave me a call earlier to ask if someone lost such). So you can imagine how I felt.

I lost track of Shervin for a few minutes. He emerged from a sea of pedestrians as I was nearing the hotel's street and waved the camera with the biggest smile on his face. That's when I started crying. It wasn't just the camera, it was the memory card I was so scared losing.

Sherv quickly took this photo right after showing me he found it. Look at that pretty face.

Pity I cannot remember the hotel's name. I could have spread so much rave reviews about the staff.

Moving on. We still made it to the Orchid Garden, at 5 minutes to 5! It's just along the same road as the museum (Jiefang Bei Lu). Only ¥8 for the admission fee. When inside, you'd totally forget you're in hectic Guangzhou. It's a well maintained park with winding paths through greenery, bridges over man-made ponds, and they got tea houses too! Oh yeah, orchids are on the spotlight.

Deserted at almost closing time.

We didn't stay long for we needed to pick up our bags from the museum before it closes. As we exited the garden, we saw a lot of Muslims outside the gate selling hats and rugs - and even kebabs. That's because just beside the park is a Muslim cemetery (tourists not admitted) so a lot of them frequent the area.

One of the tea houses in Orchid Garden.

Before going to the museum, we did a quick detour to Liu Hua Lu to look for the airport express station. We asked Mariott Hotel's reception if they know where it is. They instructed us to walk further down the street until we see Dong Fang Hotel. The ticketing office is just across it.

Shervin didn't trust them and thought they were just trying to shrug us off. But after walking for maybe 50 meters, we found the hotel and indeed saw the station. A bus just arrived and a big crowd hopped on board. We were told that the next bus with available seats will pick up passengers at 6:15 PM. Too early for our check in time but we thought we should take it.

Now that's settled, we finally made our way back to the museum to pick up our bags. The guard wouldn't let us in and said they're already closed. We showed our claim stub and pointed at the note the girl at the luggage counter jotted down. He let us through.

With our bags, walking was again such a chore. At least we were in no rush. We bought a takeaway dinner from McDonald's on the way to the station. When we got back to the ticketing office, it was total chaos. We didn't understand what was going on but so many passengers were furious and shouting at the poor attendant. There was no queue. Locals just crowd over the booth. It seems it's the standard operating procedure. Expect to be pushed around. And occasionally, your hair gets pulled - accidentally of course.

Despite the language barrier and the constant butting in of newly arrived passengers, the lone girl manning the booth attended to us. She gave us tickets at ¥16 each. The airport is almost 30 kilometers away from downtown Guangzhou, so the price is pretty reasonable.

Just as we left the commotion and stepped out to the parking lot, a bus arrived. It wasn't 6:15 PM yet but the conductor told us to get in. We sat near the last row. The bus smelt of french fries because of our takeaway. We'll get to the airport in about 45 minutes, and decided to just eat our dinner there. The bus had a television and to my disbelief, it played music videos by Abba. I was the only one snapping my fingers and singing to 'Dancing Queen'.

Ticketing office/station of Airport Express in front of Dong Fang Hotel.

We can hardly wait to escape from the cold. Our estimated time of arrival in Manila's 12:25 AM and guess what... We'll go home to just repack our bags. At 3:00 AM we'll be meeting up with friends at Victory Liner Pasay for a Zambales beach trip!

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Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

We arrived a little past 11:00 AM in Guangzhou (also known as Canton), the capital of Guangdong province, after a 27-hour train ride from Xi'an. We had 9 hours to kill before checking in for our 10:15 PM Manila-bound flight. Just enough time to visit one of the best museums in China.

Inside the museum. Exhibit on the second floor.
The main train station (different from Guangzhou East Railway Station) is linked with the metro's Line 2. The next station to the south is Yuexiu Park. From here, the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King is just a few meters away.

But before going to the museum, we wanted to visit the Canton Tower (also known as TV Tower) first. We checked our map and saw that the site is not near any metro. We were contemplating whether we could afford a taxi or not and were walking mindlessly around the station when a kind metro guard asked, "Hello may I help you?".

We told him our dilemma and he said not to worry for the tower is just a 30-minute walk from where we were. He asked for a paper and pen and wrote down "I want to go to TV tower" in Chinese, so we could show it to other people in case we lose our way. He pointed at which exit to take before he left us.

Though we got the help we needed, we ditched the Canton Tower plan because we knew it will be difficult to walk for 30 minutes with our 10-kilo backpacks. The tower's not yet completed anyway. And so we decided to head straight to the museum.

The metro ticket counters were closed. We approached a vending machine and studied it like an alien specimen. Shervin tinkered with the touch screen, and praise the vending machine gods, we saw an [English] button.

Single journey tickets. Guangzhou

For short rides (up to 2 stations) the fare is ¥2. If you pay for a single journey, you'll be provided a green plastic token which you shall wave over a sensor to get through the turnstile. Upon exiting, you simply slip the token in.

Our train was not crowded at noon. We didn't have any problems making our way out of the station. Again consulting our map, we strolled southwards Jiefang Beilu Road in search of our destination. We found it in no time.

The building does not boast of traditional elaborate Chinese architecture. Instead, the exterior has modern, minimalist lines. Simple it may seem, but its engraved brick-colored walls are sure attention drawers.

Some of the museum's artifacts.
A metal detector stands guard at the entrance. To the right is a booth where you can purchase admission tickets. Visitors pay an affordable ¥12 each to get in (open 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM). Audio guide can be hired for ¥10. We asked where we could stash our bags and a staff directed us to the luggage counter. The attendant asked for passports, listed down our names, and handed us a claim stub. She then accompanied us to our locker and helped us squeeze our bags in.

The tomb was accidentally discovered in 1983 by workers on a construction site. It's 20 meters underground Xianggang Shan (or Elephant Hill). The owner is Zhao Mao, the second king of Nanyue of the Western Han Dynasty.

More than 1,000 well-preserved burial artifacts and 15 sacrificial victims were unearthed. The artifacts are on display in the 10 exhibit halls of the museum. The bronze masks were particularly interesting to me. The artwork reminds me of Tiki totem poles. I wonder if the design is originally Chinese, or was already influenced by trade. Guangzhou by the way is part of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, so I'm guessing it's probable.

Something for the little ones.
One of the highlights of the museum is Zhao Mo's burial suit made of thousands of jade tiles, connected by silk - known to be the first and only of its kind in the world (most jade garments are connected by silver and gold wires. Jade suits were believed to preserve the body after death, and also provide immortality.

The jade burial suit.
Pinay Travel Junkie confession: The burial suit is not allowed to be photographed. I hid myself away from CCTV cameras and waited for the museum guard to leave us alone. She was marching animatedly to and fro. Shervin said she was overdoing it, but actually, she was just exercising! I saw her stretching her arms and legs.

The mausoleum site is outside the museum's third floor and is protected by a Louvre Pyramid-ish roof. Visitors can freely explore the chambers.

Above the king's mausoleum.

There's nothing much to see in the chambers anymore since the artifacts have already been moved to glass cases inside the museum. But the tomb raiding experience can be pretty awesome.

It made us hungry too. I glanced at my watch. It was already past two in the afternoon and we haven't had lunch yet. I remembered the 7-11 we passed by on the way to the museum. We went back to the luggage counter and asked if they can keep our bags while we eat. She nodded and asked for our claim stubs. She wrote something on it in Chinese and gave it back. We smiled and assumed that's all we needed to do... Then we're off for a meal!

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Xi'an-Guangzhou: The Long and Winding Railroad

A hair-pulling 27 hours. That's how long our train ride from Xi'an to Guangzhou was. The last of our China backpacking trip.

Image of a traveller who fell in love with intercity trains. I actually savored those 27 hours!
Rewind 44 hours earlier, at around 3:00 PM, our tourist van (we just came from The Terracotta Warriors Musuem) dropped us off Xi'an Railway Station. Clutched in Shervin's hand is a piece of paper where our very helpful guide Ana wrote in Chinese characters: "Guangzhou hard sleeper bottom bunk". Based on our experience with 'English Speaking Counters', it's best to do so.

The queue was short. We were able to buy our tickets in a jiffy, ¥430 each. We walked out of the station and crossed the parking lot towards the bus stop. Bus 603 (¥2) took us to the Bell Tower roundabout, where our hostel was located.

Our train ride the next day was at 8:30 AM so we decided to stay in. And that was one of those rare occasions when we're happy we got cable television. We tuned in to CCTV, one of the few channels that has English shows. They were featuring a TV presentation by the Confucius Institute, showcasing the talents of its students from around the world. It was fascinating to see students from Canada, Australia, Egypt, and other countries singing in Chinese - some even sampled Chinese Opera (which I really dig by the way).

Another highlight of the show is a dance number called "Thousand Hands of Buddha" performed by the Chinese Deaf (yes, deaf) Dance Team. Please, please correct me if I got the name wrong. If you're not familiar with the dance, play this video, I beg of you! You will not be disappointed. Just please bear with the long intro.


Note: Not the actual video, but the exact same routine. Thanks TezLubov for posting!
When the show finished, we surfed other channels and stumbled upon a weight lifting competition. I got so engrossed watching the women. Man, they're so strong! My favorite was Thai's unassuming contender, who looked like a beauty queen. Except, she had a short boy cut. The last two finalists who fought for the title were China and Belarus. I was so amazed with Belarus' finalist (the shortest of them all) I actually Googled her. Unfortunately, we never found out who won. Because Shervin changed channels and forgot to switch back to the show. Great.

Anyways, I will not bore you anymore with our tube viewing. I guess I was just ecstatic to share how that night turned out to be surprisingly fun even if we didn't go out. Our dinner was our 'pabalot' (leftover take away) from lunch. We accompanied it with a big bottle of Harbin Beer which we bought from the grocery. Harbin by the way is "Ice City" in northeast China (which is in my travel bucket list).

We hit the sack around midnight and awoke at 6:00 AM. I prepared instant noodles for breakfast (yet again). We packed our bags while eating. In 30 minutes, we were ready to go. We checked out and asked the receptionist which bus will take us to the train station. I forgot the bus number but the stop is just in front of Kaiyuan Mall, also across the Bell Tower roundabout. ¥2 for the ride.

The waiting area was already packed when we arrived. The boarding call blasted through the speakers at 7:30 AM, an hour before departure. On the way to our sleeper cabin, we passed by cabins that have hard and soft seats. They're for passengers who will be getting off nearby stations. That explains the 27-hour ride. The more stops, the longer the trip.

Our cabin didn't have any other passengers besides us, which made me regret we paid more for the bottom bunk. The cabin 'rooms' are more open than the ones in the Hongkong-Beijing and Beijing-Xi'an train. Other passengers can easily watch you sleep (not that they really do). The ladders also are attached at the foot of the beds, and everyone in the hallway will see you struggle as you climb up.

Our cabin. Here's what I'm talking about.

To tell you honestly, I cannot remember exactly how I passed the time. But no way did I get bored. I mostly read and reread our Lonely Planet China. Sometimes I'd just stare out of the window, focusing on nothing.

Shervin slept almost the whole time, he loves the hard sleepers too. The highlight of the trip for him was when he ate his pomegranate which we bought from the Muslim Quarter back in Xi'an. Oh. And also, when he fooled around with some train personnel out our window at one of the stops.

Later that day I forced myself to a nap. The next day will be our last day in China. I was a bit melancholic.

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The Terracotta Army

One of the greatest archaeological finds in the world, The Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang, used to parade around my dreams. Our encounter with them in real life happened unexpectedly.

The army, eerily standing guard. No two warriors are exactly alike.

Attack of the Chinese Bedbugs!

Or whatever they are. Remember how I raved about our affordable luxurious Bell Tower Youth Hostel accommodation? Here's the catch... Warning, graphic image ahead!

Awesome view of the Bell Tower from our window.

Xi'an's Muslim Quarter

East meets Middle-East. Modern civilization meets legendary silk road. Xi'an, one of the ancient capitals of China, is downright fascinating it can amuse even the jaded long-term traveller.


Entrance to the Great Mosque of Xi'an. Looking very Chinese.
It was difficult to leave the comforts of our Bell Tower Youth Hostel room, but we only had two days in the city so we dragged ourselves out of bed for a DIY walking tour.

When in Xi'an, the first order of business is to get a map. You can visit about five sights that are within a short walking distance from each other. Fortunately, our hostel is located less than 2 kilometers from these sights. Unfortunately, temperature that day was the usual 1°C. So cryophobic Shervin and I agreed not to explore past a 2-kilometer radius.

We first headed to the Beiyuanmen Muslim Culture Street (north side). Xi'an's inhabitants are predominantly Han Chinese, but along Beiyuanmen, the main residents are the Hui people. The Hui people are recognized as a Chinese ethnic group who practices Islam. So it is common (but still looks odd to me) to see local men wearing white skullcaps and women wearing head scarves strolling along this street, greeting each other "assalaamu 'alaykum".


Piping hot tea drink with fungi chewies for ¥5 sold along Beiyuanmen.
And as Muslims, they follow Islamic dietary laws. If you go to the Muslim Quarter to sample food at the hawker stands, do not expect to find pork dumplings. Their main protein source is mutton (and yes, tofu too) - halal certified, of course. Kebabs and Arabic bread rule the streets here!

After covering a few meters of Beiyuanmen, we turned right into a smaller alley marked with a directional sign to the Great Mosque. There we found more hole-in-the wall restos and colorful souvenir shops. The air smelt of dried fruits (dates, drool!), and spices that reminded me of Al Ain, U.A.E. where I worked a year ago.

The next sign to the mosque led us to another alley, a quiet one without stores. The pavement wet from the drizzle of snow earlier that morning. Besides us there were only two other people, both Muslims, passing by. The last sign, posted at the end of the alley, says it's just 50 more meters to the left.


Left: 50m to go. Right: An almost deserted alley to the mosque.
Admission fee to the Great Mosque is ¥12. A mini booklet regarding the Great Mosque's history is provided. The ticket checker amazingly speaks fluent Spanish (he was chatting with a tourist from Spain). A Chinese Muslim fluent in Spanish. You gotta love Xi'an and its perplexing surprises!

The mosque was built during the Tang Dynasty more than a thousand years ago. Its construction followed traditional Chinese architecture, so it has no domes nor minarets. To be honest, I was a wee bit disappointed about that. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see Chinese structures with Arabic writings engraved on them.

Within the grounds, I felt absolute solemnity. For real. It was the most peaceful worship place I have ever been. So peaceful I heard a flock of birds flap their wings as they swoosh above us. We wandered around for about fifteen minutes until the call to prayer blasted from the speakers and broke the silence.


The Wooden Memorial Archway built in the 17th century.
Groups by groups, Muslim men poured in. We were in front of The Worship Hall, where tourists are not allowed to enter. They didn't seem to mind our presence. We started to leave anyway, to pay our respects.

Lunch was the next part of the itinerary. Though a steaming bowl of noodles was very inviting, we chose to have middle-eastern food. So we walked back to the resto we passed en route to the mosque, where kebabs were grilled upon order.


Smoke from kebabs on the grill and noodles in the wok. Muslim Quarter's food stalls can entice every taste bud.
A young Hui (probably in his early teens) with brown hair and big eyes, tossed our beef kebab on the grill as he danced and sang to the Arabic tune on his player. Every waiter/cook who were working there looked more middle-eastern than Chinese. They spoke good English and were very friendly to us. We were asked to take our seats (we were being swallowed by the smoke as we stood by the grill), and they'll just serve our food.

Aside from the kebab and bread, we ordered mutton in fried rice. The rice was so greasy, it was swimming in mutton oil. I totally loved it! Shervin though, who's Persian born, was sickened. Altogether meals just cost ¥30, for us two.


Left: Beef kebab and a not-so-fresh-but-good-anyway Arabic bread. Right: Mutton with greasy-yummy fried rice.
After lunch, we checked our map once more and took a different route going back to the hostel. Although the Bell Tower and Drum Tower were on the way, we slashed them from our list because we didn't want to spend ¥40 to see the two (¥27 if you'll only check out one).

At that time we were very careful in handling our money for we didn't know yet how much we'll be paying for our visit to the Terracotta Warriors Museum which happens the day after!

Oh, speaking of which, I bought two miniature warriors before we left the Muslim Quarter. Only ¥15 for both. I was thinking they might be expensive in souvenir shops at the museum... and you'll soon find out if I was right or not.

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Xi'an: Silk Road's Eastern Terminus

There's more to Xi'an than the Terracotta Warriors. As the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, it keeps a lot of surprises up its sleeve - waiting to be unravelled. This, we discovered on our first day in the city.

Kebabs and Arabic bread sold on the streets of the Muslim Quarter.
Xi'an by the way is the capital of Shaanxi. Shaanxi Province is part of Northwest China, though on the map it looks like it's somewhat in the middle of the country.

The moment we hopped off the Beiing-Xi'an train, a Chinese guy in a suit approached us and offered a hotel. Shervin dealt with the tout while I dreamily watched the falling snow. The guy walked with us until we exited the station and handed us over to a fellow Chinese, a lady this time. I didn't pay attention to their conversation because I was contemplating the whole time whether to dig out my SLR or not. Well, I opted not to. I thought it was risky, it might just get wet from the snow.

I asked Shervin what was going on and he said that the guy was also trying to sell us plane tickets to Guangzhou (it was our next destination). He said that flights are very cheap during winter. The lady will be helping us inquire about the train schedule and fare at the counter (so we can compare the prices). The train ticket, at ¥430 still turned out to be a bit cheaper. Sure the plane will take us to Guangzhou faster (as opposed to a 27-hour trip!), but that means we'd need to check in a hostel to spend the night instead of sleeping in our train cabin.

We politely declined the plane tickets, but we agreed to book the accommodation they suggested. I asked if hotel pick up is included and she nodded.

Foggy morning, post-snow. Following our 'hotel pick-up''.

The three of us crossed the parking lot in front of the train station. We continued walking toward a busy bus stop. She motioned us to get on a bus. Great. Our hotel pick up was her and that bus. She swiped her smart card three times (at least she paid for our fare!) and sat behind the driver. Our bus looked like it can get sardine-packed at rush hour. It only had one row of seats on the left and another on the right. Plenty of standing room, it can even be converted to a dance floor!

Even in slow traffic, we arrived at our designated stop in less than 20 minutes. We walked for about a few meters and finally reached the Bell Tower Youth Hostel. A double bed/twin room costs ¥160, triple ¥220, and dorms at about ¥50 per person (prices are higher at peak season).

We chose the double bed room. For the first time, we were willing to pay more because it was our honeymoon. A great excuse for splurging.

  And what a room it was!
Okay, maybe it ain't that special. But believe me, for uber cheapskate backpackers like us, we define it as luxury. The room comes with TV, (drinkable) water heater, complimentary tea, hot shower of course, shampoo, toothbrush, shower cap, the works.

The best part, an unobstructed view of the Bell Tower just outside our window! We loved our room so much we decided to rest for a while and check out the cable channels before walking around Xi'an metro.

Muslim Quarter and the Great Mosque coming up next.


Bell Tower Youth Hostel
www.xianhostel.con (in Chinese characters though)
3rd Floor Post Office Building, 1 Bei Dajie
Just across the Bell Tower roundabout.

To get there: Xi'an's train station is outside the northern city wall. If you don't have a hotel pick up, the bus stop is in front of the parking lot of the station, take bus 603 ¥2. Make sure you got the exact amount before getting on, you insert your money in a box beside the driver, you will not be given any change.

Xi'an taxis are painted green. Flag-down rate is ¥6 for the first 2 kilometers and ¥1.5 for every kilometer further.

If you're coming from the airport. Ask for the shuttle, ¥25 to the city (Xian Xianyang International Airport is about 40km away) 1 hour max.

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Beijing-Xi'an: Into The Falling Snow

Shervin and I celebrated our last hurrah in Beijing at Xiabu Xiabu. Earlier that day we finally visited the Great Wall of China but did not move on to the Ming Tombs because we needed to get ready for our 12-hour train ride to Xi'an.

Drop it like it's hot into the shabu-shabu pot!

Xiabu Xiabu (shabu-shabu) is a popular bar-style hotpot place located at Henderson Centre, across our accommodation, Beijing City Central Youth Hostel. At 3-ish in the afternoon, the usually packed resto only had 3 other diners. The menu is unfortunately in Chinese characters, and nobody from the staff spoke English. Not even one word. Oh sorry, some were able to say 'hello'.

Our Lonely Planet China has a brief review of the place, and it has Mandarin translation of the usual ingredients ordered: soup base or broth - guodi, beef - feiniu, tofu - doufu, and cabbage - dabaicai. Also, it's important to mention if you want it spicy - la, or not spicy - bu la.

We ordered all of the above except cabbage, not spicy. The meal might seem ordinary, but wait until you dip each bite in their phenomenal sesame(?) sauce and you'll instantly figure out why they have so many branches within the city. It's very affordable too! Our bill was only ¥23.

After a tummy-warming mid-afternoon snack, we headed to our hostel. Our train to Xi'an (¥274) leaves Beijing West Train Station at 8:30PM, we still had time to rest a bit (Beijing City Central Youth Hostel charges ¥10-15 per hour past check-out time, no need to pay for another full day).

While packing our stuff, we watched Culture Express on CCTV (China Central Television). It was featuring Macau, and its upcoming celebrations for the 10th anniversary of its return to the motherland. We liked Culture Express so much because it's one of the few shows that's in English.

By 6:00PM we were ready to go. I had three warm layers of clothing on me plus a down jacket. We will be walking a kilometer from the Military Museum subway station to the Beijing West Train Station. That'll be the first time for me to walk outdoors at night in Beijing.

We checked out and made our way to Beijing Railway subway station, paid ¥2 each for tickets, hopped on a train to Jianguomen transfer station then another train to the Military Museum subway. Once we exited the station, we started our stroll.

Passengers of intercity trains are expected to be at the gates an hour before departure time. We decided to leave the hostel early so we could have a leisurely walk to the station. Along the way, we saw a street vendor selling fried stuff.

The fried chicken looked good, plus it was cheap (¥5 for a leg) so I bought one. We were surprised the lady popped it in the microwave for a few seconds before throwing it in a paper bag. A street vendor with a microwave?!

I decided to eat it a bit later, so we continued walking. We climbed a footbridge to the entrance of the station. Boy, that place is hectic! A signboard displays the gates for the trains. Ours was Gate 2, right at the entrance. We were still an hour and a half early so we had dinner at a restaurant just beside Gate 1 (meals are at ¥18).

After 30 minutes, we were back at Gate 2 and found the other passengers in queues already. Boarding has just been announced. We couldn't understand the commotion. Everyone's chattering and pushing even though the officers weren't letting people in yet. Another 30 minutes, the gate was finally open - and oh-my-gosh it was like a stampede! Okay it wasn't that brutal, but dang you should have seen how locals shoved each other. I felt sorry for the women and children.

Thank goodness we passed the gate alive. But that was not the end of it. We then noticed our co-passengers running to the cabins. Still wondering what was going on, I started running myself and Shervin ran after me as he shouted, "Why are we running?".

"I don't know, everyone else is.", I replied. I glanced at our ticket and checked our cabin number. I noticed that there was no bunk indicated. It dawned on me that people were trying to get the best beds, which are the bottom-most ones (to have an idea on what Chinese train are like, click here). I reached our cabin first, panting but relieved. No one was there yet so we placed our bags on the beds, marking our territory. The train was a fullhouse, unlike our Hong Kong-Beijing one.

It was just going to be a 12-hour trip anyway. Most of the time we will be sleeping. The men from the middle and upper bunks climbed up only at bed time. They never said anything to us, nor did they speak to their fellow locals. I just imagined, if only they're Filipinos, they'd already be textmates or Facebook contacts before the trip ends.

Oh wait, one of them actually asked Shervin, "Weh al yoo flom (where are you from)?". When he replied "Australia", the guy shook his head and left the room.

The next morning, I got up early to go to the restroom. I was surprised that aside from me, there was only one other passenger who was awake at 7:00AM. Everyone else started getting up at 8 including the mighty sun. As the fog thinned out, a blanket of snow can be seen covering the vast fields we passed. Not a good sign.

Snowy view from our cabin's window.
The reason why we were moving to Xi'an's not just to see the Terracotta Warriors, but also because we thought it's going to be warmer there. It was, but just a 1°C difference.

The train halted at 9:30. For a moment I felt cowardly again towards the cold, like what happened when we first arrived in Beijing. Suddenly, I saw snow lightly showering. My fear morphed into sheer excitement. I've never experienced falling snow before. What a wonderful way to be welcomed!

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Great Wall of China Group Tour: To book or not to book?

It was no ordinary Monday, for that day we fulfilled one of our travel dreams - to tread on the Great Wall of China. Now let me tell you how that day turned out to be a disappointment.

Approaching the most photographed of all walls, Badaling.
Shervin and I almost always steer away from group tours. Why? Simply because they cost more than DIY exploring. More so, we don't have to deal with tourmates we dislike (we hate putting up with tourists who complain so much).

Prior our China trip, we researched on how to get to the Great Wall without booking a tour. It's indeed possible, though a bit tricky. We laid out a meticulously-planned itinerary, for we are checking it out on our last day in Beijing. In the evening, we'll be taking the train to Xi'an, Shaanxi to see the Terracotta Warriors.

We were staying at Beijing City Central Youth Hostel. It has its own travel agent. Out of curiosity, we asked the lady manning the booth regarding prices for Badaling and Mutianyu (two of the more popular walls). She gave us the prices, ¥180 and ¥280. When asked about the packages, she mentioned similar inclusions. Transportation, admission fee and English-speaking guide. The difference? She admitted that the guide for the ¥180-tour is not given a salary and will take the tourists to jade factories or Chinese medicine shops so he/she will be given a commission when tourists buy items. The guide of the ¥280-tour on the other hand is provided a salary, and he/she need not whisk the unknowing tourists to such stores.

We appreciated her honesty, and told her we'll think about it (though in reality, we've made up our minds about getting there ourselves). And oh, I kind of lost my trust in her when I asked her about the cost of a cable car ride in Mutianyu and she answered it doesn't exist. It got me thinking, has she ever been there?


Anyway, if you're not booking a tour, here are your transport options (for Badaling Wall):
1. Beijing Sightseeing Bus. Terminals should be located northeast and northwest of Qianmen (south of Tiananmen Square). On weekdays though, buses seem to park some place else (we found them along Chongwenmen Xidajie). Ask locals for 'Badaling bus', don't mention Great Wall, most of them won't understand what you're talking about. ¥160, an hour and fifteen minutes max.
2. Bus 919. Leaves from the Deshengmen old gate. Take the subway to Jishuitan Station (along Line 2). From there, it's a 500m walk to the terminal. Fare about ¥12, ride will take an hour and a half. Ask where exactly you will be dropped off. I did not notice any 919 buses dropping off passengers near the premises of the Badaling Wall.
3. Hire a taxi for the day, around ¥400 for a group of four. Sounds reasonable, but take note that admission fee's (¥45) still not included.

For Mutianyu Wall:
1. Beijing Sightseeing Bus (see item no. 1 above). Though they don't seem to be available on weekdays. ¥110, about two hours.
2. From Dongzhimen long-distance bus station, take bus 916 to Huairou. ¥8 for an hour and forty-five minutes. From Huairou take a minibus to Mutianyu , ¥25.
Cable car ride: ¥35 single, ¥50 return.

From our hostel, we took the subway train (¥2 flat fare) to Tiananmen Square. We asked the guards roving around the square about the Beijing Sightseeing Bus Station and even showed it on our map, but they didn't know where it is. They spoke to us in Mandarin and pointed their fingers to random directions. One local must have sensed what we were looking for and asked us, "Badaling?". We nodded our heads and he led us to a bus queue. He turned us over to the tour guide, who spoke very limited English (the guy by the way didn't leave us until we handed him a ¥10 'tip'). Each sightseeing bus has a coordinator or guide, who oversees the activities. It's like any other tour, except they don't offer hotel pick up and drop off.

Our guide wrote ¥160 on a piece of paper, and also '-->9:30 <--5:00'. She was telling us that the bus leaves for Badaling at 9:30AM and will come back at 5:00PM. It didn't sound right. It's such a long period of time, even if they take us to the Ming Tombs as well. We had a feeling that a sidetrip to factories will be squeezed in between sightseeing.

We asked also if admission fee's included, and she sort of said yes. We assumed so anyways since ¥160 is too much for transportation alone. Our bus only had four non-Chinese tourists: Shervin, me and a European couple seated behind us. The bus left almost 10:00AM and arrived at Badaling around quarter past eleven.


I froze instantly as we got off the bus. I've been using 'froze' for all of my China posts I know, but that's what happened to me every single winter day. The Badaling Wall is situated in a mountainous area, and there's nowhere to hide from the harsh cold breeze sweeping through the slopes. That being said, it's better to visit in autumn (summer can get too hot) when the weather's much pleasant. Hues are also more picturesque during this season.

The guide instructed us to return to the bus at 12:30PM, then her rip-off attempt. She asked us for ¥45 each for the admission fee. Shervin argued that earlier she said it's already included. She started shouting in Mandarin. Shervin didn't back down, but kept his cool. He kept repeating it's already paid for. I watched them bicker in their respective native tongues, which was a pretty entertaining sight. I should have joined the chaos (and ranted in Tagalog!), that might have given me some heat.

She finally gave up and stomped away from us, but we still headed to the entrance's turnstile. The guards didn't ask for tickets. They must have seen us walking with the tour group.

The Great Wall's width is narrower than I expected. No wonder it cannot be seen from space with the naked eye. Its steps are already eroding like Angkor Wat's. We weren't able to walk to the farther watchtowers because I was just so cold. My runny nose was already giving me a headache, and climbing up the stairs was a laborious task for my numb feet.

Sporting a fake smile. After this photo was taken I was on the verge of tears, it was darn freezing out there!
I pleaded Shervin that we start walking back to the bus. He agreed. While looking for our bus, we bumped into the European couple and chitchatted with them for a bit. They mentioned that they weren't interested in visiting the Ming Tombs (it's included in our tour), and so were we. We told our guide to drop us off a station where Bus 919 passes so we can go home on our own.

The guide appeared to be more than happy to get rid of us.

Moral of the story: It's advisable to book a group tour. It may cost more (check package inclusions) but it saves you from getting ripped off. In a country where English is the nth language, you'll need a good and honest translator. And if you're not the bookworm type, you can rely on the brief descriptions provided by your guide. In China, facts are overwhelming (hence I didn't discuss the Great Wall's history on this post), so you can just ask what you're interested to know.

Plus if you've waited all your life to see the wall like me, then it's best to get there in a worry-free way so you can fully appreciate it.

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