Peking - Beijing

Peking, 3.6. 2012

Četrti dan mojega pekinškega postanka je že skoraj pri koncu, pa sem šele zdaj (ker zunaj dežuje) uspela najti malo več časa za internet. To mesto je res divje!!! Hodiš, hodiš, hodiš in za vsakim vogalom je kaj zanimivega. Kar mene samo preseneča je – da mi je v bistvu mesto všeč! Razen zraka seveda.

Zrak je zaradi onesnaženosti več kot oduren. Kako tu živeti in dihati se mi zdi nepredstavljivo.

Prihod v četrtek zjutraj bi lahko opisala kot brutalen. Iz umirjenega Pingyaa direkt na eno izmed neznosno kaotičnih pekinških postaj.  Posebna zgodb je -  kako najti bus ali metro ali taxi do mesta. Pa si mislim: hm … Trg nebeškega miru je tako ali tako na sredi mesta, pa še moj hostel je po mojih izračunih dokaj blizu. Ga bom že  prepoznala po sliki, ko bom blizu. In nisem se motila. Celo moja izgovarjava je bila vsaj enkrat zadovoljiva! :-) Trg sem res prepoznala.

Mao na eni strani še vedno bdi nad  ljudstvom, na drugi strani pa velika ploščad z enormnimi stavbami sovjetskega sloga.

Stopim  z avtobusa in sem res našla hostel po približno pol ure hoje. Moj namen je bil ostati v Pekingu tri noči, kar je pomenilo zelo divji tempo ogledov, pa še mongolsko vizo si moram uredit. Tako se kar takoj odpravim v Prepovedano mesto. Mesto zavzema ogromno površino, a stavbe same niso ne vem kako  ogromne, a morda ravno zato prav elegantne.

Prepovedano mesto je sestavljeno iz precejšnjega števila stavb, ki so si pravzaprav precej podobne in naj bi skupaj imele 9999 sob.

Drugi dan je bila moja največja skrb mongolska viza. Vstala sem noro zgodaj. Ko pridem do tja, ni skorajda nikogar. In  izkaže se, da je v Mongoliji praznik! Tako sem prisiljena ostati v Pekingu en dan več in poskusiti srečo v ponedeljek.

Tako mi je ostalo dovolj časa za Poletno palačo. Sprehodim se čez Trg nebeškega miru, kjer se mi pridruži kitajska mladenka. Govorila je prav dobro angleško. Razloži mi, da je na obisku pri prijateljih, ki so še v službi in se zato sama malo sprehaja naokoli. Nekaj časa hodiva skupaj in me vpraša, če bi šli na kavo. Povabi me v bližnji lokal. Takrat se mi posveti - na mizi je bilo namreč vse pripravljeno za čajno ceremonijo, in na srečo sem nekje prebrala, kako te lahko taka ceremonija stane ogromno denarja. Zato sem se hitro izgovorila, da mi prostor ni všeč in naslednji tudi ne … Pa se je vdala in sva se razšli.

Zavijem čez hutong -  to so deli Pekinga z ozkimi uličicami, ki jih še niso žrtvovali za nove stolpnice.

Ravno sanjam o mrzlem pivu, ko zagledam hostel. Ta je vedno pravi naslov, tudi kar se piva tiče. Vsa zadovoljna se vsidram s pijačo in Lonely Planetom, da preštudiram nadaljevanje potovanje, pa prisede k meni Cathie, dekle iz Velike Britanije. In že čez nekaj minut sva klepetali, kot da se poznava že celo življenje. Skupaj sva šli na nočno živilsko tržnico s prav posebnimi delikatesami - kačami, pajki, škorpijoni, ščurki, netopirji, stonogami ...

Neverjetno! Škorpijoni nabodeni na ražnjič, so se še premikali! Radovedno sem poskusila kačo, a za kaj bolj hrustljavega  nisem dovolj pogumna. Kača je bila prav dobra, niti ni bila videti kot kača, okus pa je bil čisto nevtralen.

Naslednji dan pa Zid z velikim Z. Moj drugi razlog, zakaj sem sploh na Kitajskem.

In čeprav je najbolj slavna stvar v tej deželi, sploh ni tako enostavno priti do njega. Hotela sem se izogniti najbolj razvpitemu delu, ki se imenuje Badaling. Ta je najbližje, a je menda neznosno oblegan in popolnoma spremenjen v lunapark. Izbrala sem si Mutianyu.

Da sem prišla do njega, je bilo treba kar nekaj logistike, menjave avtobusov in pogajanj z lokalnimi vozniki. Nato pol ure v hrib, šele potem lahko stopiš nanj. Vredno je vsake kaplje potu! Ravno ta dan je bilo namrec okoli 31 stopinj, tako da mi je teklo po hrbtu. Potem pa vsaj uro do dve hoje po zidu - do skrajnega konca obnovljenega dela, pa še malo naprej… In potem stopiš na pravi, neobnovljeni del, po katerem  rastejo drevesa in ki se ponekod že vdira. Ne moreš sicer daleč, ker postane preveč nevarno in preveč strmo, je pa vseeno ta del najlepši del celotnega sprehoda.

Zvečer sva šli s Cathie na pivo. Najino večerno druženje je bilo kratko, ker sem bila od dneva popolnoma uničena.

V nedeljo sem obiskala še Lamin tempelj. Kasneje pa kar tako brezciljno  hodila naokoli po mestu. To mi je po navadi najljubše.

4.6. - Ponosno sporočam, da imam mongolsko vizo! Trajalo je sicer cel dan, imam pa jo. In to je to – nasvidenje Kitajska. Za povzetek pa lahko rečem, da mi Kitajci niso ravno prirasli k srcu. Sem pa vesela, da sem srečala nekaj fantastičnih popotnikov in z njimi preživela čas in delila izkušnje. In pa seveda Zid z velikim Z, ki mi je bil neznansko všeč.

 Je pa res, da mi nič žal, da zapuščam to deželo.

Peking, 3.6 - The fourth day of my being in Beijing is about to end. I m dead of walking around. This city is a killer:-) But I must say I quite like it.

Arrival on Thursday morning was brutal. For once I haven t slept well on the train and it arrived in the middle of the day in one of its enormous train stations. As always, the challenge is to find the bus, or metro or taxi which takes you to the city. I figured that Tiannanmen square (Square of Heavenly peace) is my best bet. Even my pronounciation for once was understood! So I got there and walked the rest of the way to my hotel. My plan was to leave on Sunday evening which wouldn t give me much time for all that is supposed to be seen in Bejing and after a quick shower my first visit was to Forbidden city. It is enormous and elegant, but all the buildings in it are alike. They have built a lot but with little of imagination which confirmed over next days when visited Summer Palace and even Lama temple.

On the second day, just on my way back from the Summer palace I passed the Tiananmen square and was approched by nice young girl. She spoke good English and told me she is visiting her friend here in town. She suggests having a coffee and walks with me. We enter one place and then my alert radar was on. The table was set for the tea ceremony and luckily I have read in LP about this scam. They bring you to these places and then the bill can be outrageous. I said I don t like the place, and as I pretended also not to like the next one, she gave up. Another scam is 'art students' whose teacher is in just about to travel to Europe/America/Canada (according to where you are from) and you really shouldn't miss their exposition.:-)

I wandered through hutong (those old narrow alleyways which are rapidly disapearing giving way to scyscrappers) just thinking about a nice cold beer when I see a sign for a hostel. Always a safe bet for a cold beer.:-) I settle in a corner and take a book about Transsiberian journey when this girl, Cathie from England, sits next to me. Not long after we were chatting like we have been knowing each other forever. She was waiting for her tour of China to start and came to Bejing few days earlier. We went together to the night food market, where - you can guess - what was on the menu! Snakes, spiders, cockroaches, scorpions, bats, centipeds...That was truly amazing and I was curious enough and tried a snake, but not curious enough for something crunchier (!). The snake was good, it didn't look like one, and the taste was neutral.

And then, next day: the Wall! My second reason of being in China. Even if if is so famous it is not the easiest thing to get to. I wanted to avoid the closest section, named Badaling, because reportedly is just overcrowded and turned into one big Disneyland. I read about another section called Mutianyu which demanded some logistics and changes of buses to get there, but I managed. The wall is JUST AMAZING. First climb up to it and then like an hour and a half walking on it left me out of breath. These sections are restored but just beyond the last tower you can continue on the authentic wall. Not far though, as it gets steep and dangerous, but it is marvellous.

In the evening I met Cathie for a beer and a walk and, exhausted after the Wall,  had a really early night.

4.6.2012 - Proudly announcing I got my Mongolian visa! It took whole day but I have it. Bye China. What can I say about this country ; I liked the food, I met some great travellers, but I m not really impressed by Chinese people. It was definitely worth to climb the Wall, but all in all I'm looking forward  to next destination.