Nanjing - Day 3

Apr 26, 2014

Today was the day that we had to go from Beijing to Nanjing via high-speed train. You can opt to take the train or take the plane. Almost the whole group took the train, except for two. It was a super early morning, had to wake up at 6AM and no later so that we can pack and then meet the rest of the tour group at 7AM in the lobby. We don't get to use our AYCE ticket that day, so sad. The tour guide provided us with water and bread to eat, and he asked us if we still have our breakfast coupon, to which we said that we gave it back to the reception after checking out. The tour guide was asking everybody to give him the breakfast tickets so that he can get a REFUND- he didn't explicitly say refund (saw him talking to the employees). We had to drop two people at the airport first and then they dropped us off at the train station.

Once we got off at the train station, we went inside but we didn't know what to do and where to go. I was quite surprised that our group was quite cohesive and worked together, watching and guiding each other. There was a security check at the front where they scan you and have you put your bags through the scanner. We had 1-1.5 hours to spare at the station. Thus, me and my sister went exploring and by chance we found a ticket machine and decided to check out the price. The ticket we got only cost around $80 CND. What a rip-off!. The tour agency in Canada charged us $120 CND for the mandatory high-speed train. These tour agencies are totally trying to rip you off! I mean, we could've gotten 1st class seats with that price.

Initially, it was quite confusing and difficult trying to locate our gate because the train that you get on can be anyone of them, so you have to watch for the announcement with your destination and time. We lined up 10 minutes before the train arrived, but once the gate is open, everybody mobbed the entrance so really, there was no use lining up.

It took approximately 3 hours to get to our destination, "Nanjing". Once out of the platform, we had to look for our new tour guide. We stood there for quite a while, and some people decided to search around for him/her. Anyways, once we met up with the new tour guide we went straight to lunch. And he notified us that the "other group" is already at the restaurant. So our tour group became a group of 20+ people. Damn it.

After lunch we went to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen mausoleum. This guy is famous - the father of China. You can clearly see all the tour groups arriving at the same time. It's like certain times are dedicated just for tour groups. When you arrive, you can choose to take a little bus to the mountain bottom or hike up - bus cost around $2 CND and I thought this was included in the attraction expense for the tour ($150USD attraction fees), but apparently not. Nevertheless, you will still have to walk part of the way. IMO, I'd rather hike up and enjoy the green scenery.

 

Up the long flight of stairs -reminds me of the cathedral in Macau.

 You can go in for free, it's basically just circular walk around this statue. Apparently, you cannot take pictures while inside, but if you are outside then you can.

Money inside a pot, a broken pot at that. 

 View from the top.

 There was a lot of people trying to rub this chamber. For good luck?

Also, while we were walking down the stairs, we encountered a situation that I thought was fake when I watched it on youtube. Basically, in the middle of the stairs you see a woman (in 30-40s) yelling frantically and angrily at her husband while slapping him in the face. The husband (I presume) was kneeling on the ground and did not utter a word. He just knelled there while the wife (I presume) slapped him, god knows how many times (at least 10 times)- it was super loud slapping, along with the murderous yelling. I don't understand what the woman was yelling about since it was in Mandarin, but the bystanders told the woman to stop hitting him and to talk it out. The woman said that "you don't know what's wrong". I guess maybe infidelity? I mean, the husband looks so sad and ashamed. Who would just kneel and assaulted in a public place just to be shamed by someone you love/loved? Anyways, we left soon enough since we are on a schedule.

Next stop  "Dongshuiguan Old City Wall Ruins".

 Must pass through this gate to go inside the park and the ruins will be nested inside.

 CAUTION: This pretty white building here is actually a washroom at the bottom. But be warned, it is one of the nastiest ones I've ever been to. Makes sense since it is a public washroom in a park. Throughout China, there are NO toilet paper. ⊙▂⊙ Good thing we carry one roll in our bag- Yes, we share it with others. I was lucky to get a regular toilet and not a squatter, but this one was disgusting - can barely flush, the seat is brown and stained yellow, there are flies and bugs in the stall, and it smells atrocious! When you finished and go out to wash your hands, they is barely and running water...

How the ruins looks like at the top.

 What you see on top of the ruins. Free to climb.

Afterwards, the tour-guide brought us to the Confucius Temple area for some shopping- real shopping! We get an hour to ourselves. The admiring the ancient architecture is a joy in itself. 

 Many shops that sells little souvenirs and Chinese food.

 This is the supposedly "stinky tofu" that we got, but it wasn't stinky at all. Taste like regular tofu. It was 10 yuan for 6 pieces, so a bit under $2 CND.

 This is the famous Wende bridge overlooking the Qinhuai River. 

 AWWWW. Don't those trashcans look soo CUTE?!

 I think this is the Confucius temple. We didn't go in cause I think you have to pay?

 It's so pretty how there are so many red lanterns hanging around this place; it kind of reminds me of the time I went to Chinatown in San Francisco- the same phenomenon.

To end the day, we went to dinner and the itinerary said that we were supposed to cruise along the Qinhuai River, but we didn't cause it was too late- said Mr. tour-guide. Punch him in the face. I don't recall where we went for the mandatory shopping. Anyways, we arrived at a new hotel, "Hilton Nanjing Riverside Hotel".

 Every time we arrive at the hotel, it is always nighttime.

 The entrance way which is quite spacious, and definitely very clean.

 The beds; there's actually 3 bed, one on the side - just a fold-up bed.

 The bathroom is huge! What I dislike is that there are no locks on the doors. Hate. I was taking a shower and my mother walks in- how rude, I told her not to. There's two doors to allow you to get into the bathroom.

Beijing - Day 2

Apr 25, 2014

Day 2 - Beijing

First stop was the Great Wall of China! WOOHOO! or so that was what the tour guide said. After an hour of driving we approached a Chinese medical shop? We went in and were seated in a room with a speaker who presented us with products such as a long wooden spoon, a bracelet made of some kind of expensive rock, a small circular wooden scraper, etc. And these products are meant to prolong life and help keep the qi (energy) in our body and expel the negative ones. The prices for these products are expensive! There were quite a few wealthy tourists in our group. One couple owns a cleaning business in the states and the husband is always on the phone with someone from the USA discussing the business; his wife bought the bracelet for a couple of hundreds dollars CND. The logic behind the wife's purchase was that "you are paying for the "reassurance" of your health." I believe they are the only one that bought something from this place. The circular wooden scraper which cost around $100 CND here; we saw it in Beijing for around $10CND or less, the materials may be different though. Who knows.

After the lecture and hard-selling was done, our tour guide was gone. He disappeared. The tour bus was there and we saw many tours coming in and out of this shop. I would say there are at least 16 lecture rooms on the first floor. Yes, there is a second floor. Our group was standing and waiting for our guide for approximately 30-40 minutes, which in my opinion is a ridiculously long time. Is it because we didn't make the quota? I was appalled. Where did the tour guide and bus driver ran off too? No apology from either of them when they approached the bus. 凸ಠ益ಠ)凸 This shop was out of the way cause we had to turn back the other way and drive for a while to the Great Wall.

 At last the Great Wall of China...

 

The guide gave us 40 minutes to explore the Great Wall. I hate these tours, always give so less time to look around, but they have all the time in the world if you are going to those mandatory medical/jade/herbs/pearl shops. Anyways, this was a bad vantage point to start. The hill is murderous. The steps are high and short, so you have to be careful of your footing. I was sweating like crazy and can't help but rest every now and then. This is what you see at the top of the tower. There is many different point that you can start at; it's just that the tour-guide brought us to this particular starting point.

 Some charms inside a hidden (not really) courtyard at the main entrance. Before ascending the stairs, at the resting area. You will see a little stairway that's kind of hidden, and once you go down, there's a neat little courtyard with ancient statues, paladin, etc. -basically a mini museum.  It's quite pretty, kind of reminds me of Japan.

Afterwards, we went for lunch. There was peking duck, but it was one peking duck to be shared in a table of 10+ ish, thus everybody can only eat 1-2 small pieces. So cheap! They make it sound like peking duck is SO EXPENSIVE. The best was the deep fried sweet and sour fish! SO GOOD! I've never tasted one of these in Vancouver, so it was something new.

After lunch we headed over to the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 venue. 

 The Olympic mascot in Beijing. Ours definitely looks cuter.

 There's a line of shops that seem to go on forever, and they look like they all sell the same products.

 Bird's nest. I remember watching the Beijing 2008 Olympic opening on TV, it was by far the best opening ever.

 Water Cube - apparently it looks very pretty at night. so disappointed.

 If you really have to go to the washroom...

There are only  squatters... There was a long line to use one of these and somebody opened the door to one of the stall and there was a person using it... embarrassing lol. squatting position.

Once we got on the bus the tour guide began talking about health again in both Cantonese and Mandarin. I just want to sew that mouth of his. So, he can speak both language when taking about health but not when explaining the significance of the tourist attractions?

Low and behold - we went to Tongrentang, a famous Chinese medicine shop. Whether the medicine is real or fake, you will not know. Of course, they will try to pursue you that it is indeed authentic. I've been researching about scams before going on this tour. Many blogs and sites have been giving me a mixture of answers. It's either 1. it's fake products or 2. it's real but it is selling for 3x the regular price. At that place, another lecture by a "supposedly" doctor explaining about health. After the lecture, she invited at least 10 doctors and their assistants into the room to do a pulse examination and talk about your "illnesses" or what you WILL DEVELOP in the future. These "FAKE" doctors are like fortune-tellers, they use an idea that's very common in the general population and go from there. I mean, if you are female and over the age of 50, it is very likely that you are going through menopause with hot flashes, irregular bleeding, etc. There are certain conditions that are very likely in certain age groups, so don't be FOOLED. By answering their questions, you are giving them hints into your health. If you are with children, they will probably develop a life-threatening illness if you don't start this medication right now, and then they will try to sell you the medicial herbs on the spot. My mother asked how much for the Chinese medicine because the doctor told her that she needs to take it every so and so day to help her through her menopause. It's several hundred dollars for a 3 month supply.  They are using scare-tactics!

My mother did buy something from Tongrentang, some constipation pills for my grandma. It's like the cheapest thing there, ~ approximately $10CND. The customer service was unbelievably BAD. The sale girls just stand there and give you dirty looks if don't buy the medicine that you ask to see. If you say no, they ask "why not, it's very good." And if you look at something cheap, they give you attitude like they want to leave. A suspicious thing here is that you cannot bring the product that you want to buy after examining it to the cashier; you have to pay first and afterwards bring the receipt to the counter and then they'll give you the product. Once you give them the receipt, they take the product out and then show it to you, then wrap it up, then they give you the product with the bag. I mean, suspicious much?? Is this where the switch happens- real with fake?

Lastly, we went to dinner and it was the last day with that tour guide and he gave us a questionnaire that we must fill out. Everybody said that they will give him a perfect score. I'm like WTF. Seriously. My mother was being a nag and told me to put a perfect score too. I was reluctant so I gave him a 4/5. I wanted to give him a 1/5, cause he sucks. HE SUCKS!

After dinner, he bought us for foot massages that I thought was for FREE, but apparently not. The first 5 minutes is free, but you have to pay them 20 yuan or the remainder 15 minutes. And this is where my mother got scammed $700 USD; money we will never get back. The tour guide said that this place is where the Olympic trainees come for relaxation and training.

Onto the foot massage tea-bag scam, the foot massage is disguised as a way for them to examine your health. While massaging your foot, they will tell you that you have this problem and that problem. The kid (maybe 20ish in age) wanted to ask me what happened to my toe nail cause it's black - I know he wanted to use it as a way to say I have a certain illness. Well, my toe nail is black cause my shoe is squishy, and I walk a lot. geez. I don't speak Mandarin and my sister understand a little. The guy massaging my sister's foot wanted to tell her that she has some kidney problems. lol. The women massaging my mother's foot fooled her damn well. She told her that she has osteoporosis - which is obvious if you look at her bones and it is dented - and if she don't treat it fast she will not be able to walk. Then my mother and that woman disappeared and later came back. Apparently, she took her to have a consultation with a doctor and did a bone density scan on her lower leg. That alone cost $80USD. If she did it in Vancouver, it would be covered by MSP.While she was gone, they somehow persuaded her to buy useless teabags which will magically heal her leg and osteoporosis. Considering that she was a nurse for 10+ years, you think she would be able to think logically. I been telling her about this scam every single day before the departure and not to be fooled. I guess, I am the fool. I was totally against it and I voiced out my opinions but my mother told me to shut up. For $700 USD, you get 3 months supply of tea. Another tourist in our group got scammed, she has been told the same thing, but they sold her the exact amount for $800 USD. For women in the menopause age, bone begins breaking down faster.

I can see the fake doctor and the employees drooling at the cash. After we were done, we waited outside for a while for the tour guide, to which I can assume he was inside splitting the cash. He was whistling and in such a good mood when he came out. Words cannot even describe how I was feeling that day. I want to knock him out.

Beijing - Day 1, Part 2

Apr 24, 2014

Day 1, Part 2

After navigating through the depths of the Forbidden City, we encounter the Imperial garden that was built during the Ming dynasty. The garden is enormous with centuries-old trees and rocks, shaped in peculiar ways.

Most of the doors/gates have this every pretty flower-like pattern on it. Chinese tend to like the color red because it symbolizes prosperity, luck and happiness. I know, cause I am Chinese. (๑´ㅂ`๑)

Throughout the garden you'll find these rocks everywhere. Also, there are so many tourists that make it utterly difficult to snap a picture without them in the background.

 Centuries-old tree. 

After leaving the Imperial Garden, we headed off for lunch.The outside scenery of the Forbidden City was just magnificent, befitting of an emperor, with the palace surrounded by water.

And this is the place that we went for lunch at. You will see a lot of tour groups at every single lunch and dinner restaurant. It's like the restaurant are built just to serve us. Every time you are at the restaurant there will be BEER; apparently, beer is cheaper than Pepsi or 7-up.

After lunch we headed of to the "Summer Palace of the Qing Dynasty" which is another imperial garden, but built in the Qing dynasty. We only had 30-40 minutes here which was not a lot of time. The tour guide just wanted to bring us to a Chinese herb shop, which we were in for at least an hour. It sucks. You can barely see anything in that short amount of time, I would say at least 2 hours is needed to really appreciate the garden. It is gigantic with many courtyards, temples, bridges, etc. 

 There was this old man writing a poem? on the ground with a gigantic paintbrush with water.

 There was this super long corridor that stretches on forever! We did not walk to the very end because we didn't have enough time before we had to meet up with the tour again, and as far as I can see we were nowhere near the end. Apparently, if they lose you, or if you are not back in time, they are allowed to leave you. There are ancient pictures on the wood of the corridor and each picture is different, I wonder how long it took to build this and paint this.

 

I wanted to climb up the hill to see this temple :'(

No time thanks to the money-grabbing tour guide.

 

After visiting the Summer Palace we went for dinner. One thing I hate about restaurants in China is that even though it says "NO SMOKING", people still smokes yet the employees does not stop them. Last stop after dinner was an acrobatic show, which I thought was pretty good. There was a lot of dancing, great music and tricks. Unfortunately, my mother fell asleep even though I was nudging her every once in a while. At the end, she couldn't stand it and went out since the dark was just making her sleepy. I would say 90% of customers at the shows was thanks to the tour groups. We got back to the hotel around 10:30PMish and we were beyond exhausted, fell asleep snoring.