Thursday, 16 September 2010
Toot toot toot!
Great news, today I got my new driving licence and it's valid until 2051! This is the first time I have ever been given my licence for a period longer than 3 years as I've been seizure free for over 7 years now. Gone are the days of dredging up dates in my head of last seizure, hospital appointments and names of specialists. Just hope I stay as lucky as I have been and I don't have to do that again in the future.
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Beijing Before the Trek
On arrival at The Peking International Youth Hostel we checked in and it was a relief to get our rucksacks off our backs and flop onto a bed. It was around 1pm when we got there and the first thing on my mind was sleep but we decided to get work through the jet lag and try and adjust to China time. After a nice shower we felt a bit more human and decided to explore Beijing. For some odd reason I decided to wear some pretty new pumps for walking around Beijing, a decision I would live to regret! Anyway we headed out to the shops and just took in the surreal surroundings. My first thoughts were that it wasn't anywhere near as polluted as it is portrayed in the media, Beijing is a wonderfully architecturally stunning city and it is simply huge. After a couple of hours we decided to get some lunch/dinner so we wandered into a shopping mall (mostly to get out of the stifling heat and into an air conditioned haven) and stumbled across a friendly looking restaurant names Shanghai. Being novices of eating out in China we didn't realise that A) The portions are huge, B) They bring out food when it's ready not all at the same time and C) Chinese food in the UK is not the same! We each ordered 3 things and my they were big! I also discovered that I am not coordinated enough to handle chopsticks with ease so the next three weeks would be fun! 
After some food we had a bit of a second wind so headed back to the hostel for a quick change where I discovered my feet had been shredded to bits by my pumps! Not good considering the challenge that lay ahead. I managed to patch them up and we went out for an evening walk to some local parks. Our hostel was really near the Forbidden City but we knew that after the trek there was a day tour of Beijing including Forbidden City so instead we went to Beihai Park, £1 to get in and stunning lake and a bar where we samples the local beer for the first time
It was pretty good and a bargain at two for £2!
After our refreshment we went to Jingshan Park and climbed up a lot of stairs (would prove to bode well for the week) to find a stunning view across the Forbidden City as dusk fell, a truly awesome sight. After a few minutes we realised it was getting dark fairly rapidly so we decided to head back down the steps and home to the hostel. The odd thing was that even in such a huge city where we stuck out of the crowd we didn't ever feel in any danger. I knew then I was going to love China.
After some food we had a bit of a second wind so headed back to the hostel for a quick change where I discovered my feet had been shredded to bits by my pumps! Not good considering the challenge that lay ahead. I managed to patch them up and we went out for an evening walk to some local parks. Our hostel was really near the Forbidden City but we knew that after the trek there was a day tour of Beijing including Forbidden City so instead we went to Beihai Park, £1 to get in and stunning lake and a bar where we samples the local beer for the first time
It was pretty good and a bargain at two for £2!After our refreshment we went to Jingshan Park and climbed up a lot of stairs (would prove to bode well for the week) to find a stunning view across the Forbidden City as dusk fell, a truly awesome sight. After a few minutes we realised it was getting dark fairly rapidly so we decided to head back down the steps and home to the hostel. The odd thing was that even in such a huge city where we stuck out of the crowd we didn't ever feel in any danger. I knew then I was going to love China.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Take off to China
My first recap of many of my amazing trip to China starts now with how we got there.
It seems like a long time ago now but on Friday 25th June after a year of planning and preparing it was time to go to the airport. David had taken the morning off work so he could drive me there and it was a really odd journey as I was really excited but also a little sad as I wasn't going to see him for over 3 weeks. As I checked for the millionth time I had my passport we arrived at the drop off point and then it was time to say bye. I just about managed to keep it together without totally bursting into tears and waved him off then took a deep breath and went to find Lynsey inside. We were flying with Air France to Beijing via Paris but since we hadn't booked in online we ended up sitting at opposite sides of the plane the whole way which was a bit unfortunate.
We had a 2 hour stopover in Paris which was just enough time for me to practice some French and get myself some Chinese Yuan. After a mix up at the travel agents in Edinburgh I only had 400 Yuan rather than the £400 of Yuan that I had ordered. By the time I picked it up it was too late to organise more so this meant I had around £40 for my travels. Luckily the Bureau de Change at Paris did have Yuan so I managed to get the remaining £350 worth there. Although China is cheap, 400 Yuan would have lasted me for the weekend before the trek never mind the week!
After a coffee it was time to board the plane to Beijing and it all started to get more real. We really were in the minority on the plane and it was even worse that we weren't sitting together. Thankfully Air France have an in-flight on demand system so I was able to watch movies and listen to music to pass the time. I tried to sleep a bit too but that plane was loud it was impossible! After 10 long hours we arrived in Beijing. It felt like the middle of the night but actually it was early afternoon as we waited in the queue for passport control I looked around and tried to take it all in. It felt really odd to be somewhere so different but exciting too. We were both accepted no problem then picked up our bags and set off into the unknown that was Beijing. We had decided to get a taxi into the city for easiness but this turned out be be slightly stressful as we were bombarded with people pushing cards into our hands and grabbing our arms trying to drag us over to their cabs. I had looked up in my guidebook how much a taxi should have been and it was 100 Yuan, some of these conmen were trying to charge 280-400 Yuan so we shook them off and managed to find the official taxi rank. After asking the driver to use the meter and confirming it would be around 100 Yuan we got in the back, relieved that we were on our way to the hostel at last after a mammoth trip.
We had booked a room at the Peking International Youth Hostel and we couldn't wait to get there!
It seems like a long time ago now but on Friday 25th June after a year of planning and preparing it was time to go to the airport. David had taken the morning off work so he could drive me there and it was a really odd journey as I was really excited but also a little sad as I wasn't going to see him for over 3 weeks. As I checked for the millionth time I had my passport we arrived at the drop off point and then it was time to say bye. I just about managed to keep it together without totally bursting into tears and waved him off then took a deep breath and went to find Lynsey inside. We were flying with Air France to Beijing via Paris but since we hadn't booked in online we ended up sitting at opposite sides of the plane the whole way which was a bit unfortunate.
We had a 2 hour stopover in Paris which was just enough time for me to practice some French and get myself some Chinese Yuan. After a mix up at the travel agents in Edinburgh I only had 400 Yuan rather than the £400 of Yuan that I had ordered. By the time I picked it up it was too late to organise more so this meant I had around £40 for my travels. Luckily the Bureau de Change at Paris did have Yuan so I managed to get the remaining £350 worth there. Although China is cheap, 400 Yuan would have lasted me for the weekend before the trek never mind the week!
After a coffee it was time to board the plane to Beijing and it all started to get more real. We really were in the minority on the plane and it was even worse that we weren't sitting together. Thankfully Air France have an in-flight on demand system so I was able to watch movies and listen to music to pass the time. I tried to sleep a bit too but that plane was loud it was impossible! After 10 long hours we arrived in Beijing. It felt like the middle of the night but actually it was early afternoon as we waited in the queue for passport control I looked around and tried to take it all in. It felt really odd to be somewhere so different but exciting too. We were both accepted no problem then picked up our bags and set off into the unknown that was Beijing. We had decided to get a taxi into the city for easiness but this turned out be be slightly stressful as we were bombarded with people pushing cards into our hands and grabbing our arms trying to drag us over to their cabs. I had looked up in my guidebook how much a taxi should have been and it was 100 Yuan, some of these conmen were trying to charge 280-400 Yuan so we shook them off and managed to find the official taxi rank. After asking the driver to use the meter and confirming it would be around 100 Yuan we got in the back, relieved that we were on our way to the hostel at last after a mammoth trip.
We had booked a room at the Peking International Youth Hostel and we couldn't wait to get there!
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Worst Blogger Ever!
Just realised it is over a month since my last post which was completely rubbish anyway! I have been a terrible blogger but fully intend on blogging and chronicling my travels and experiences in China over the next few weeks. It may be slow but I will get there. August has flashed by in a whirl of weddings, travels and work...September is just around the corner and promises some posts :)
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Back and now Blog!
It's almost a week since I got back from China, it's a bit hard to believe! The trek was awesome and I'm very proud to say I completed all 5 days, climbed hundreds of steps and scrambled up and down to many many watchtowers. I can honestly say I will never look at steps the same way again :)
I promise to post all the ups and downs of the trek and our travels but I am still a bit jet lagged and haven't really had a chance to take it all in yet myself!
I promise to post all the ups and downs of the trek and our travels but I am still a bit jet lagged and haven't really had a chance to take it all in yet myself!
Friday, 25 June 2010
Leavin on Jet Plane
Cliche but true :) It's 6.12am and I've just had a very early breakfast. We don't set off until midday but I woke up around 5 and gave in an hour later and got up. It's weird being up so early but exciting too. I'm starting to believe we are going now but really I think it will only sink in when we're at the airport. I have mostly packed and my rucksack isn't too heavy for now! Just need to add in final few toiletries and camera etc.
We will arrive tomorrow morning in Beijing around 10.30am or around 3.30am UK time. I need to work out how I'm going to take my tablets to avoid mucking them up, hopefully it won't prove too tricky. We have a 4 hour stopover in Paris but this should pass fairly quickly then an overnight (China time) flight. We'll have to try and sleep as much as possible on this, I suspect after such and early start I won't find that too hard!
After a one night stay at The Peking International Hostel we will head back to the airport to meet up with the rest of the group then the adventures will start!
It all seems a bit more real now, the nerves are kicking in! I don't expect to be able to update my blog in China but rest assured I will update when I'm back and chronicle the journey. So long :)
We will arrive tomorrow morning in Beijing around 10.30am or around 3.30am UK time. I need to work out how I'm going to take my tablets to avoid mucking them up, hopefully it won't prove too tricky. We have a 4 hour stopover in Paris but this should pass fairly quickly then an overnight (China time) flight. We'll have to try and sleep as much as possible on this, I suspect after such and early start I won't find that too hard!
After a one night stay at The Peking International Hostel we will head back to the airport to meet up with the rest of the group then the adventures will start!
It all seems a bit more real now, the nerves are kicking in! I don't expect to be able to update my blog in China but rest assured I will update when I'm back and chronicle the journey. So long :)
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Take off!
Eeek tomorrow is take off day. It still hasn't really sunk in that I am going to China tomorrow but I'm hoping it will soon.
The last 2 days have been very busy and I can't afford to relax yet. I have managed to buy everything else I need (I think!) now I just need to pack it all in my rucksack and hope it fits :)
The last 2 days have been very busy and I can't afford to relax yet. I have managed to buy everything else I need (I think!) now I just need to pack it all in my rucksack and hope it fits :)
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Work- done!
Final preparation for the trek can begin in earnest now that I have finished work. I managed to finish a couple of days earlier than planned which will be a huge help. Hopefully I can finally fight off this pesky tonsillitis and get organised. I still have a lot to do but now I've got more time to do it :)
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Final weekend before the trek...
went in a flash and I'm just as unprepared. Admittedly a bout of tonsillitis has not helped especially when I was supposed to be spending the majority of the weekend shopping, packing and sorting when I actually just wanted to stay in bed! I did manage to do some things like get my hair cut and do a bit of shopping for holiday clothes so all was not lost.
On Saturday I went down to Haddington to get my hair cut and coloured for going away. It really needed done as it was getting really long and untidy. It will be interesting to see how my hair copes with the humidity in China, I expect it not to. I was going to get my hair dyed darker than usual to attempt to blend in a bit more in China but decided against it and went with red, I'm going to get stared at anyway so why not? I also met up with some of the girls for lunch at the Tyneside afterwards which was lovely. I really started to feel like I was going away for the first time when saying cheerio to them and also after I had popped into another friend's house on the way home and was waved off. David and I went for dinner at night to David Bann's which was really lovely. I was starting to feel a bit woozy by the end of the night but enjoyed our meal, I would recommend it for sure.
I managed to have a bit of a lie in in Sunday but my silly tonsils woke me up before too long so I got up and pottered about a bit and made more lists of things to do and buy. If only the shops had been open I could have bought some of these things but being a Sunday then don't open until 11 :( Since it was Father's Day my sister and I were going down to Spott to visit Dad so we set off around lunchtime via the Fort where I managed to buy some shorts, a skirt and blouse for China from Next. In truth I haven't actually looked at them again and I was feeling pretty dreadful so they may be of no use at all!
Dad and I went for a short walk in the afternoon around Spott which was lovely. It was so warm though we couldn't go very fast. We still covered a few miles and my legs were pretty wobbly by the time I got home, I think I underestimated the tonsil effect on my energy levels! After dinner we set off back to Edinburgh and I had a very early night, must be on top form for the trek!
On Saturday I went down to Haddington to get my hair cut and coloured for going away. It really needed done as it was getting really long and untidy. It will be interesting to see how my hair copes with the humidity in China, I expect it not to. I was going to get my hair dyed darker than usual to attempt to blend in a bit more in China but decided against it and went with red, I'm going to get stared at anyway so why not? I also met up with some of the girls for lunch at the Tyneside afterwards which was lovely. I really started to feel like I was going away for the first time when saying cheerio to them and also after I had popped into another friend's house on the way home and was waved off. David and I went for dinner at night to David Bann's which was really lovely. I was starting to feel a bit woozy by the end of the night but enjoyed our meal, I would recommend it for sure.
I managed to have a bit of a lie in in Sunday but my silly tonsils woke me up before too long so I got up and pottered about a bit and made more lists of things to do and buy. If only the shops had been open I could have bought some of these things but being a Sunday then don't open until 11 :( Since it was Father's Day my sister and I were going down to Spott to visit Dad so we set off around lunchtime via the Fort where I managed to buy some shorts, a skirt and blouse for China from Next. In truth I haven't actually looked at them again and I was feeling pretty dreadful so they may be of no use at all!
Dad and I went for a short walk in the afternoon around Spott which was lovely. It was so warm though we couldn't go very fast. We still covered a few miles and my legs were pretty wobbly by the time I got home, I think I underestimated the tonsil effect on my energy levels! After dinner we set off back to Edinburgh and I had a very early night, must be on top form for the trek!
Charity Challenge Updates
The emails from Charity Challenge just keep coming thick and fast now. One came late last week to inform us that a stretch of the Great Wall we were supposed to be completing is currently closed for a rumoured development of some sort so instead we are completing a different but equally challenging stretch of the wall and the schedule has been altered slightly. We have been assured that the new section we are tackling is just as challenging and just as scenic, this is good to know.
Another came though this week with the details of lodgings we will be staying in whilst completing the trek. At the end of each day we are transported to various lodgings along the way for a well earned rest and hopefully a good nights sleep! It looks like they are pretty basic but clean and comfortable which is the main thing. Our luggage is being transported for us between these lodgings so that all we have to carry whilst trekking is our day sack. This will mostly be holding sun cream, lunch, waterproof coat (just in case!), camera and water and probably a few snacks.
We also got through an email with our joining instructions. Lynsey and I arrive in Beijing a day earlier than our fellow trekkers so we will have to make our way back to Beijing Airport on Saturday 26th to meet up with our challenge leader and fellow trekkers before being transported to out first lodge at the start of the trek. We will leave from here on Sunday 27th and start the trek. We will then trek for 6 days before heading back to Beijing for a Peking Duck banquet and then a two night stay before we set off on our own adventure that has yet to be planned fully!
At the moment we are planning on travelling to Shanghai, Xian to visit the terracotta warriors and then down to the River Li area before making our way to Hong Kong for a couple of days before our flight home on 19th July. Very exciting, only 5 days to go!
Another came though this week with the details of lodgings we will be staying in whilst completing the trek. At the end of each day we are transported to various lodgings along the way for a well earned rest and hopefully a good nights sleep! It looks like they are pretty basic but clean and comfortable which is the main thing. Our luggage is being transported for us between these lodgings so that all we have to carry whilst trekking is our day sack. This will mostly be holding sun cream, lunch, waterproof coat (just in case!), camera and water and probably a few snacks.
We also got through an email with our joining instructions. Lynsey and I arrive in Beijing a day earlier than our fellow trekkers so we will have to make our way back to Beijing Airport on Saturday 26th to meet up with our challenge leader and fellow trekkers before being transported to out first lodge at the start of the trek. We will leave from here on Sunday 27th and start the trek. We will then trek for 6 days before heading back to Beijing for a Peking Duck banquet and then a two night stay before we set off on our own adventure that has yet to be planned fully!
At the moment we are planning on travelling to Shanghai, Xian to visit the terracotta warriors and then down to the River Li area before making our way to Hong Kong for a couple of days before our flight home on 19th July. Very exciting, only 5 days to go!
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