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Our adventures continue in China and started on somewhat of a low point. I saw Luba take our Lonely Planet to the bathroom obviously for some toilet reading. However, I didn't understand the concept of toilet reading when all you have available is a squatter (think hole in the floor) but I let it fly. Two minutes later I hear commotion in the bathroom, followed by Lubes returning from the loo with a guilty look on his face. Without being too crude, cap'n clutz had managed to drop our vital guide (in a land where few speak English) into his own faeces (crap). Normally, this would be fine cos we'd just buy another one, except Lonely Planets aren't sold in China. In fact, they are often confiscated at the border since it recognizes Taiwan as an independent country (a major faux pas). Therefore, Rubes spent the next hour hacking at the book with some pocket scissors removing the offending pages, meanwhile I no longer touch the book without gloves on and the China history section is a no go.

The second low point was our first meal. English menus are usually unavailable so you just point and hope for the best. When we did our best charades impression to work out what we'd just eaten, it turned out to be pigs tail (very chewy, curly, cavity of fat running down the middle- it's obvious in hindsight). mmmm. The toilets in that restaurant also made me gag- to be honest, most the toilets in China have made me gag (worse than India!). One toilet which i recently encountered on a backroad in the badlands of Tibet was fully open plan with three squatters. As I entered, I nearly chundered, the smell was even having an effect on my eye sight, but when I saw a middle aged Chinese man taking a full frontal shit, that was my signal to leave. Bring on Japanese toilets I say- I heard they ain't bad. I realise that the opening to this post has mostly concerned shit, so I'll try to up the brow...


One thing you notice quite quickly in China is the tight grip held by the government on the people. From day one, I was shocked by the blatant propaganda spewing from the television channels (the state ones ironically known as CCTV1, 2, 3 etc). Lines emanating from box are unrelentless and are of the tone: "China has made great improvements over the last 5 years in the areas of Science and Technology all thanks to the Communist party based on Marxism with Chinese characteristics"- this mindless babble bombards you constantly. We have recently made the discovery that "Chinese characteristics" roughly translates to capitalism but anyway. The internet is censored, albeit poorly (see my other post) and some areas of the country have a severe lack of freedom- Tibet being the worst. The people are unable to talk negatively about the government as they believe informants are on every corner. They are not able to talk about the Dalai Lama (the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people); a prominent monastery is currently closed after the current Dalai Lama met with George Bush and travel throughout the region is highly restrictive to say the least. Those who break the law in these respects are sent to jail. One good thing is that the Tibetans are highly aware of the oppression they are under (grumblings are quite apparent), whereas it seems that many of those in the rest of China have never known any different therefore do not question it. Disappointingly, the Tibetans don't seem at boiling point (Burma-style), as if they have rolled over to the Chinese government after so many years of mal-treatment.

Forgetting the negatives... TIBET! Wow. I love it. The people here are really, really, really nice. For example, I just got back from a gym which had an attached Dojo of sorts. I was just doing my own thing before some karate-looking people came up to me and asked me if I wanted to try Taikwando. I was like sure, so they kitted me up with boxing gloves, shin pads, a sword etc. After embarrassing myself in front of about 15 people (my flexibility is atrocious as already proven when I tried Yoga in India), they invited me to their dinner table, plastered me with beer and then challenged me to a game of Counter Strike 3. Tibetans are very welcoming, not driven by money and will go out of their way to help you which is really refreshing.

Tibet's landscape is really breathtaking with vast mountain ranges enclosing you from all sides. Huge monasteries cast a shadow over every city and traditional cultures are something that the Tibetans are not going to lose any time soon e.g. month long pilgrimages over hundreds of miles where the partakers must crawl. The highlight of this region was definitely our 5 day trip to Mt Everest (locally called Mt Qomolangma) base camp. Words can't describe how it feels to be so close to one of the natural wonders of the world. A video might be more appropriate...


The worst thing about the images, is that it makes Everest look quite small... when you're next to it, it's fucking gargantuan! Altitude was a major problem aswell cos at 5300metres your body ain't happy- the brain starts to swell which can give you a mecca headache and nausea. This meant oxygen canisters and various medication were a must but I'm happy to report that Orlando, although going a new shade of white, survived the trek. We also met the oldest man to ever have climbed Everest (69) who was just about to try again at the age of 75... don't want to sound morbid but I reckon body bags should be at the ready. Qomolangma dudes!
Posted by Will Ryan under the categories Travel and China
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