Posts in the "China" Category

• Mudfest in Songpan, China: Word on the Street

  China

  Name: Faran Cohel

  Age: 22

  From: Israel

  Songpan is a Tibetan village in the mountains 10 hours from Chengdu, China.  Most travelers go horse trekking to Ice Mountain from Songpan.  When you show up in Songpan there are plenty of guest houses where you can arrange horse treks for 1,2 or 3 days!!  We opted for the 3 day trek!!

  The first night includes a homestay with a Tibetan family.  I enjoyed meeting and spending time with these people but the language barrier restricted our interaction.

  It rained throughout the night creating fields of thick, brown mud everywhere!!  And this was my first time on a horse!!  It was sooo bad that the other travelers were falling off of their horses!!  Not only was it muddy but the temperature plummeted and it began to snow!!  This slowly was turning the mud into ice!!  It got so bad that at one point we all got off of the horses and walked.  This was not as easy as it sounds!!  We kept falling and falling and falling.  When we got back we were frozen to the bone, muddy and wet!!

  This experience was hard at the time but truly amazing as well!!  It was a stunningly beautiful place, the people were welcoming we just had some bad luck!!  I would tell people to get your butt to Songpan and go horse trekking!!  Only word of advise would be to go for one or two days and not three!!!  … unless you are an experienced rider!!!

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• Sim’s Cozy Garden Hostel – Chengdu, China

  China

  No.211 North Section 4, First Ring Rd., Chengdu, Sichuan

  86 (0)28 81979337

  Ratings: 1 – 5 star each for…  The Vibe, Beds, Whereabouts, Staff, Cleanliness 

  The Vibe: This vibe was very chill!!  Great places to relax, coy fish pond, guinea pigs and rabbits running around, lots of chairs and hammocks, pool and ping pong table.  They also had a restaurant with great Chinese and Western food!!!  All at a fair price!!!  Also, the front desk was willing to help you with any and every problem you might have!!  Stars: 5

  Beds: The beds were great with big comfy blankets and pillows…sleep well!!  Huge lockers were underneath the bunks and there were privacy curtains for each bed.  Even the dorms had private bathrooms!! Stars: 5

  Whereabouts: Probably the worst aspect of this place.  Chengdu is Huge and Sim’s Cozy is not anywhere near the center!!!!  If you’re here just to pass through then go for it otherwise you might want to rethink your priorities!! Stars: 1

  Staff: Staff here was great!!  They tried their best to help you any way you might need!  Most spoke English very well.  All were usually in a very good mood. Stars 5

  Cleanliness: Superb!! Stars: 5

  Overall:  21 Stars out of 25!!  Great stay.  Only downfall is the location!!

  
  

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• Hot Pot & Pandas: Episode Ten

  China

  Kinsey’s Guide to Better Living:  Chapter Five:  One Chinese block equals about five American blocks…so take a taxi instead of getting blistered feet!!

  

  From Xi’an we traveled to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, China.  From there we planned to head into the mountains to do a horse trek and go to a national park.  To our dismay it was Chinese National Holiday Week.  What does this mean you ask…it means restricted travel to all foreigners.  Songpan was out of our plans.  So we decided to go see the Pandas and then check out of Chengdu!!!

  Pandas are Adorable, need we say more!!  If you are heading to the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center make sure you get there early!!!  And by early we mean 8a.m.  The Massive crowds start to hit around noon!!  By that time you will have NO opportunity to see and snap pictures of and with the Pandas.  Also, Pandas are more active in the morning and crash hard by noontime.  Get your butts out of bed!!

  Hot Pot is Delicious!!!!  It is a pot of simmering stock set in the center of a table where you add the ingredients you desire.  This can include any type of meat and veggies!!  This is accompanied by an array of different spices and sauces that you can mix to make your own unique dipping sauce.  Ours was amazingly delicious!!!!  We could only eat from the side of the pot that was not loaded with chilies!!  It was wayyyy too spicy for our western tongues!!

  Chelsea’s Quick Tip:

  Trip Timing:

  When planning a trip to China try to avoid holidays.  The Chinese, all 1.6 billion of them, hit the road and travel during holidays!!  This means, prices for Everything are jacked up, travel can be very difficult and certain places are restricted to foreigners!!

  

  For more Pandas don’t forget our Flickr account!!!  ——>

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• Zhangbi Tunnels: Episode Nine

  China

  Deception

  
  

  Ok so Lonely Planet lied to us on this one!!!  We thought we were going to an “Underground Castle” but we were actually just going to run around a bunch of old ass tunnels!!!  And by old we mean 1400 years old and constructed during the Sui dynasty!!  Also, like The Great Wall it was never needed for its intended use!! What’s up with the Chinese and making all of these complex devices that are unnecessary?!?!?

  While we were traipsing around the little village of Zhangbi Cun, a Yuan dynasty village, we heard fireworks going off and it was only mid day!!  Come to find out, the Chinese light off fireworks during wedding ceremonies and not only on holidays!!

  As we have said before China is filthy!!  Smoke stacks litter every horizon… if you can even see thehorizon.  Even heading out into the country to visit Zhangbi Cun there is a milky smoke hanging in the air!!  Dust and construction carve its way deeper and deeper into every beautiful landscape!  Growth is everywhere and with it comes pollution and destruction like all industrial revolutions before it!!

  For more pictures check out our Flickr account!!!  ———->

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• Xiangzimen International Youth Hostel – Xi’an, China

  China

  16 Xiangzimiao Street, 710002, Xi’an

  Ratings: 1 – 5 star each for…  The Vibe, Beds, Whereabouts, Staff, Cleanliness

  The Vibe:  This was set up more like a hotel than a hostel making it a little hard to meet people.  The bar downstairs made up for it with plenty of tables, plush couches and a pool table.  Free wifi and a restaurant with very good Western food and awesome Chinese food!!  Also, having a creative streak???  Just grab some markers and draw on the walls!!  Stars: 4
   

  Beds:  When it comes to beds in China these weren’t too bad.  Puffy, comfy pillows and blankets.  All beds get their own lamp and locker!  Stars: 4 

  Whereabouts:  Right inside the South Gate, this place is a short walk to the Muslim Quarter, malls, Goose Pagoda and the Bell and Drum Towers.  It is also a quick bus ride away from the train station where you access buses to the Terracotta Warriors.  Stars: 5 

  Staff:  Not very interactive because it was set up more like a hotel but very helpful when pursued.  Stars: 3 

  Cleanliness:  Super Duper clean!!  Beds changed everyday and the bathrooms were immaculate!!  Stars: 5 

  Total Stars: 21!!  Overall a nice stay!!  Good value for price, awesome location and good food!!!

         

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• On the Hunt – Xi’an, China: Word on the Street

  China

  Name: Ola Hanovich

  Age: 25

  From: Israel

  You Never Know What You Are Going to Get!!

   The Terracotta Warriors are located just outside the city of Xi’an and it is the main reason most tourists come here… I know that was the main reason I was in the city!!! 

  While I was filling my time wandering around the city I met a girl from Malta who was on the hunt for “Pomero”.  It is a traditional Chinese dish.  It is beef noodle soup served with bread.  It was supposed to very delicious.  I decided to join her on her hunt for this meal, food is culture and I wanted to give it a shot.

  We ended up getting lost and stumbled upon The Great Mosque in the middle of the Muslim Quarter. There we hid in the back and watched the Arabs praying until we were seen and booted out!!  It was really fun and interesting to see!!   After we had some amazing barbeque since it had been some time and we still had not found a place that served Pomero.

  After about another hour or so of wandering the streets of Xi’an we decided to give up and go to the next resaurant that seemed nice.  When we sat down and looked at the menu we saw that they served Pomero!!!  It was Delicious and just what we needed after our long day!!!

  When you are on the hunt for one thing in particular you never know what else you will find!!!

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• The Xi’an Shindig: Episode Eight

  China

  The Amazing Race

  

  Kinsey’s Guide to Better Living:  Chapter Four:  Never eat cold chicken feet in China!!  This is for your own good!

  As you saw in the video, we had our own version of The Amazing Race!!  Team Swedish Fish (surprisingly the Swedes had no idea what these are) against Team Fab in a race against time to get to the Terracotta Warriors from our hostel at 9:30am.  Team Swedish Fish booked a tour and Team Fab fabulously figured it out on their own.  Winners get free beer from losers!!  The side you didn’t see was team Swedish Fish.  To their dismay they had two excursions, one to a Terracotta Warrior figurine factory and another to a crappy, expensive café for lunch that were both in cahoots with the tour guides!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!  Thus, costing them the win and the free beer!!  Boy did those Tsingtaos taste yuuuummy!!!

  Honestly, the Warriors were cool… for about five minutes!!  When you first enter Pit One you are hit by the enormity of the efforts put into fabricating this enormous archaeological find!!  Each and every warrior is different.  They all have different faces and uniforms based on their status in the army!!  It was really cool to see but after five or ten minutes of elbowing your way through hundreds of tourists it starts to get on your nerves!  And really, the warriors aren’t doing anything they just stand there, though it is a feet in itself since they are over two thousand years old!!

  The other pits really had nothing in them other than a few broken pots and bricks!!  To our surprise everyone was standing around snapping away at the dust and dirt!!!  We split that hot dog joint and hit up an ice cream stand before heading back to the bus!

  Chelsea’s Quick Tips:  How to get to the Terracotta Warriors (without a Guide)

  1. Get to the train station just outside the North Gate.

  2. Take one of the Many green 306 buses, most labeled Terracotta Warriors.

  3. Arrive!!

  

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• Zhengjia International Hostel – Pingyao, China: Hostel Life

  China

  Ratings: 1 – 5 star each for…  The Vibe, Beds, Whereabouts, Staff, Cleanliness

  Zhengjia International Hostel

  68 Yamen Street
  

  Pingyao, China

  The Vibe: This place is great!!  It’s in an old Chinese home, fit with a small courtyard filled with ivy!!  There was a bar, pool table, foosball table, free wifi available in all rooms, two computers, plenty of tables and chairs and good reasonably priced Western and Asian food!!!  5 Stars baby!!

  Beds: The best beds we have had so far!!  Still a little on the hard side but not too bad.  Good blankets and pillows!!  4 Stars!!

  Whereabouts: Smack dab in the middle of the ancient walled section of Pingyao!!  Close to the many shops, restaurants and not too far from the train station! 5 Stars!!

  Staff: The staff was amazing!!  Young Pingyao natives that do not speak the best English but are a good time nonetheless!!  Very helpful, friendly and like to play pool!!!  5 stars!!!

  Cleanliness: Immaculate!!  The bathrooms were cleaned twice a day!!  The rooms were fresh and didn’t have a speck of dust!!!  5 stars!!!

  Overall!!  24 out of 25 stars!!  Great stay!!!!  Highly Recommend!!

  

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• Nihao from Pingyao!! Episode Seven

  China

  Old Time China

  
  

  Kinsey’s Guide to Better Living:  Chapter Three: When renting a bike, make sure it has brakes BEFORE you ride away!!!

  Pingyao is a rarity now a days.  It’s a sweet little slice of old time China still in action!!!  Complete with a Confucius Temple and many towers dotted around the city walls, which have survived since the Ming Dynasty (214 B.C.).  Watch out when strolling the narrow, winding streets because you might be run over by one of the hundreds of bikes!!!!

  Not only do you have to watch out for the bikes but you also might have to dodge a lugey or two.  FYI:  the Chinese love to spit!!  In one day you can at LEAST hear about 20 people spitting up their phlegm!!  Fun Fact:  When the Beijing Olympics were taking place Chinaheld social classes to teach all the citizens not to go around spitting all day!!!  From what we have seen we think most of them must have failed, with a Big F!!!!

  Three nights out of the four that we stayed in Pingyao we dined on Kung Pao Chicken!!!  As we were chopsticking this tasty dish into our bellies we were asked by two Chinese people if they could film us for CCTV aka China’s main t.v. station!!!  These people love us here!!  We have no idea why they wanted to film us stuffing our faces but they did!  Maybe to show how funny it is to watch Westerners eat with chopsticks???  Who knows!!! Hahaha

  Planning to hit up China??  Make sure that Pingyao is on your itinerary!!!

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• Feitian Hotel – Datong, China: Hostel Life

  China

  Ratings: 1 – 5 star each for…  The Vibe, Beds, Whereabouts, Staff, Cleanliness

  Feitian Hotel

  1 Zhanqian Jie

  Datong, China

  The Vibe: It was just a normal hotel vibe.  There are no hostels in Datong.  Free breakfast, though not that good.  2 out of 5.

  Beds: Probably the worst beds we have ever slept on, think wood board with some springs sticking in your back!!!  The pillows were like sacks of pinto beans!!  At least there was a warm blanket!!!  .5 stars.

  Whereabouts: Right by the train station and major public bus station!!  Internet café is right by and plenty of markets and restaurants!!  Probably the only thing it has going for it!!  4 stars!

  Staff: The staff was very nice.  No English spoken but used to dealing with it.  4 stars!!

  Cleanliness: The important thing was that the bathroom was clean.  The rug on the other hand clearly had not been vacuumed in a while.  Also, the hotel smelled a bit because smoking is permitted!! 3 Stars

  13.5 Stars out of 25!! If you are heading to Datong and need a place for a night or so this is not a bad gig.  It needs some improvements but all in all it was o.k.

  

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