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Nathan LaurieNathan Laurie
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📍 Singapur Czytaj więcej
  • Our OE
    Dzień 62

    Welcome to Singapore!

    Wczoraj, Singapur ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Time to get back on the move properly again! A 5.30 am start today to get to the airport for our 8.30am flight. Everything went very smoothly and our plane bound for Singapore left on time. On arriving in Singapore Diane had a little hiccup trying to get through the automatic gate which didn't want to read her fingerprint... Fortunately this was straightened out pretty quickly and we made our way to the hotel.

    We planned to start exploring the CBD but unfortunately the weather had other ideas. So we holed up in a mall until the rain dried up. On the way we saw an absolute monster of a snail chilling by the footpath! We then walked over to Marina Bay to get a good view of the iconic Singaporean skyline and the Merlion.

    As it started to get a bit darker we made our way towards The Gardens and got a great view of the skytrees all lit up.

    Time for a bit of food so we caught a taxi to Lau Pa Sat - a very cool food hall with an amazing atmosphere and myriad different Asian cuisines to choose from. We opted for some Fujian style fried noodles and BBQ prawns, washed down with a nice cold Tiger beer. And we couldn't resist a couple of sweet treats for dessert either!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Our OE
    Dzień 61

    Last day in China

    1 czerwca, Chiny ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Last day before leaving China and continuing on our travels.

    We drove about an hour and a half to get back to Vela's mum's place. On arriving we were treated to some delicious homemade dumplings along with a couple of other favourite homemade dishes.

    We then repacked our bags in the afternoon before having a farewell dinner with Vela's family. We ended the evening with some Majiang, with a couple of big hands going around (including this great one from mum).

    Early flight out of Chongqing tomorrow, bound for Singapore!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Our OE
    Dzień 60

    Yongchuan Tea and Bamboo Mountain

    31 maja, Chiny ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We did a little bit of exploring around Yongchuan today. Yesterday we called Yongchuan a small town, but it turns out it isn't a town at all. It has a population of around 1.2 million, and it's actually a district of Chongqing and not even it's own place...

    Anyway, we headed up a nearby mountain to check out the tea fields. Not as impressive as the one we visited in Zunyi, but being on a mountainside the terraced look was quite cool. Also spotted a cool and brightly coloured dragonfly chilling out amongst the bushes.

    Next we headed to a Buddhist temple site. This temple was much newer but still has some cool architecture and gardens to check out, including a big pond with turtles in it!

    Then we headed into the bamboo forest. It was an area that was famous for having been the site of a movie shoot. Unfortunately I think they leaned into this a bit heavily and there was a bunch of strange props etc which ruined up the wilderness feel of the area. We still managed to find a couple of good angles for some photos.

    We headed back into town and spent the afternoon playing Majiang before heading back to the same BBQ place for some dinner.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Our OE
    Dzień 59

    Dazu Cave Carvings

    30 maja, Chiny ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    After a quiet travel day back to Chongqing (just in time as Beijing was hit by an unforecast storm!), we hit the road again to explore some of the smaller local areas. After a short hour and a half we arrived at Dazu. We entered a Buddhist temple complex where Vela lit some incense, wishing for good fortune, good fate, and long life for her mum.

    We then walked through the complex to an area which is famous for its cave carvings. There were numerous alcoves where thousands of statues had been carved. The carving is around 800-900 years old and took 70 years to complete with numerous carvers taking part. The carvings show the Buddhist beliefs, with many large Buddha's looking over those who come to view them. It also shows stories, including the tales of hell and punishment for those who don't live their lives to the Buddhist ideals.

    The most famous carving here is that of a massive Buddha lying down. There were also carvings depicting the wheel of life and reincarnation, the 9 dragons from Chinese mythology, and a cave where every square inch of it is covered with carvings. There was also a very intricate gold statue of the thousand armed Buddha.

    After we'd finished with the carvings, we drove to a lotus farm for lunch. A very picturesque area with lakes, lilies and lotus. The lotus are just starting to flower.

    Afterwards we had another short drive to the town we're staying in. We arrived about 4pm and after checking in we all took the opportunity to take a nap. After oversleeping, we headed back out around 10pm for a Chinese BBQ supper.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Our OE
    Dzień 57

    Forbidden City

    28 maja, Chiny ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Sore feet after today... We left our hotel mid-morning and attempted to avoid the lines to get into Tiananmen Square by taking the metro. Our plan was foiled however as we were directed away from Tiananmen Square... Bugger. We opted to give it a miss in the end as we'd seen it the other day when we were at the museum and headed for the Forbidden City.

    Vela and Nathan had visited 8 years ago, but this time was a very different experience. The crowds have increased significantly, and the contrast was even more obvious when we went back to look at old photos. Being there in the middle of the day the sun was beating down on us too, with very few places to hide. We also tried the audio guides, but the English versions were lacking in information and didn't seem to always work which was a little bit disappointing...

    That being said, it was still an awesome experience. Particularly impressive was the Hall of Supreme Harmony - notable with its 11 dragon children adorning the eaves, the only building to have so many and marking it as the most significant building.

    We also checked out the Palace's which were reserved for the Emperor's mother - the main large empress dowager palace as well the smaller building where she would actually reside. We made our way through multiple courtyards and past smaller pavilions, halls and bridges until we reached the royal gardens. We remembered the royal gardens being a peaceful place where you could sit and relax in a shaded area, however this was not the case on this visit with it being very noisy and crowded.

    Hot and tired after two and a half hours walking through the Forbidden City, we exited and found a restaurant open for lunch. Inside was cool and comfortable and we relaxed for an hour or so. Diane claims she was "just resting" but we know she was having a snooze.

    We then headed back out into the heat and up to a hill overlooking the Forbidden City. This hill is actually man made from when the moat was dug around the Forbidden City. It gave a great view and put into perspective the massive scale of the palatial complex.

    To wind down, we went for a walk around the northern lakes of central Beijing. There was a lovely breeze blowing over the water. We then met up with Luffy to recount the day over a delicious Beijing grilled dinner.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Our OE
    1
    Dzień 56

    Badaling - The Great Wall of China

    27 maja, Chiny ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Another big ticket item ticked off the list today. Vela did some research and made the call to not head to Badaling until the afternoon. This would give the morning crowds time to disperse and the temperature should be a bit cooler and more pleasant.

    The plan worked perfectly. So after we caught two metro trains and then a bigger inter city train, we arrived at Badaling about 3pm. After a short walk through some tourist streets we arrived at the foot of the Great Wall. It really is an amazing spectacle, and although we've been here before, it was under very different weather conditions. It was also mum and dad's first visit and they were pretty excited. We were a little worried about how they would cope with some of the steep stairs, but they handled them like champs.

    Obviously the wall is not in its original condition, having been restored many times throughout its life, but seeing it stretch off into the distance over the mountains and imagining how it would have been constructed blows the mind.

    Our original plan was to walk up to the highest point at Badaling and then catch the cable car back down. We thought the last cable car was 6pm but unfortunately it was 4.30pm and the last one left only moments before we arrived. This meant we had to walk back instead. Rather than tackling the steep stairs in reverse, we opted for the easier walk along the bottom of the wall. After getting back to the bottom, we rewarded ourselves with an ice cream.

    We caught our train back at 6.50pm and promptly headed to a hot pot restaurant. This hot pot was a little different, and being a bigger chain restaurant it priced itself on its service. Our waiter was fantastic and kept bringing us gifts - saying it was his privilege to wait on us (we were definitely getting the special "Laowai" treatment). We were even treated to a live noodle stretching dance show - even Vela was impressed!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Our OE
    Dzień 55

    National Museum of China

    26 maja, Chiny ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The National Museum of China is an absolute treasure trove. After we finally made it through the lines of people (which it turns out we didn't have to) we entered the area with Tiananmen Square and crossed over to the National Museum. The building itself is absolutely immense, it must be at least 4 storeys high (and it has a couple of basement levels too) and covers thousands of square metres in area.

    We met our favourite history buff (Luffy) inside and he immediately took us to the bottom floor where all the treasures of ancient China are on display. The first three main pieces we saw are all so valuable to China that they are not allowed to be displayed anywhere else. They were a clay pot and a hawk dated to around 2000-3000BC. There are also the remains of what they believe to be an ancient Chinese Emperor. It is thought these bones belonged to an emperor because of the pictures of a dragon and a tiger which were uncovered next to him.

    We then walked through a couple of millennia worth of bronze artifacts. The details on some of these pieces was mind blowing. The majority of these date to around 1000BC - 200BC. They included dings (vessels for holding food tributes) wine vessels, water troughs, and even an early chilly bin/fridge. It felt to us, the thoroughly uninitiated in ancient human civilization, that much of the artwork was similar to that of Mayan/Aztec art, and there was also some similarities to Maori art, in particular the use of the koru.

    We then moved on to an era with loads of jade and other stone artifacts. Particularly amazing was the pillow made from jade (not sure how comfortable it might have been), an instrument with hanging stones, a dragon fish which was an ornament for someone's roof eave, a water clock, and a spear head with two men hanging from chains.

    Everywhere we stopped were treated which were absolutely amazing. A jade burial shroud, a colourful tomb guardian, an original copy of Sunzi's "Art of War", a copy of China's first ever wooden tower (5 storeys tall, built in ShanXi and still standing today), and a royal pardon for the Qian family in the Song Dynasty - kept for 600 years by the family until used in the Ming Dynasty for the entire family to avoid the death penalty - one of their descendants was then instrumental in developing China's first atomic bomb.

    We also lined up to get a close look at the tiara from a wife of one of the Emperors from the Qing Dynasty. Made from the feathers of a bird which has meant the rich blue colour has remained as vibrant as when it was first made.

    We were thoroughly amazed by all of the wondrous items, and also very thankful to have Luffy along to give us the back story of some of the more interesting pieces. We only explored one of the basement levels of the museum, and it took us the best part of 3 hours. You could easily spend days getting lost in this place.

    We were thoroughly beat by the end, so we headed to a Beijing hotpot restaurant for some lunch and then back to the hotel for a rest. A short wander through some back alleys in central Beijing before walking to a Beijing BBQ for dinner.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Our OE
    Dzień 54

    Bullet to Beijing

    25 maja, Chiny ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Travel day today. Instead of flying we opted to take the bullet train for the 4 hour trip to the Capital. After a short taxi ride to the train station, getting on was very orderly with everyone lining up and politely waiting to get on.

    It was a cloudy, hazy day with a bit of rain around, so for the first section of the trip we couldn't see very far. But regardless we plunged past some big industrial areas with large power plants (again think many of these were nuclear) and wind/solar farms. Going through the hills and valleys we hit a top speed of about 310km/h.

    We then got out onto the plains where the track straightened and the train could really stretch its legs. We saw a top speed here of 349km/h. The 1200km trip took us a little over 4 hours.

    After arriving into Beijing we checked in at our hotel. We then were whisked off to a Peking Duck restaurant for dinner. The ducks were cooked in a proper wood fired oven and the skin was super thick and crispy. Delicious! We also had a huge assortment of other dishes, including; pork belly, hand pulled noodles, cauliflower with Chinese bacon, tomato & brisket soup and almond tofu in a white chocolate casing for dessert. Safe to say we had to be rolled home at the end.

    We got back to our hotel, the Capital Hotel near the middle of Beijing. It's an old classic style hotel which is stuffed full of antiques and art work. Being far too full from dinner, we went for a bit of a wander to check out some of the artwork which includes some amazing pieces. There are huge murals covering the walls, a grand chandelier in the main atrium, one of the most intricate wood carvings you'll ever see and a very cool display of some white gold fish. The gardens outside are also amazing, but we'll get some photos to share when it's light outside.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Our OE
    1
    Dzień 53

    Markets, Majiang & the Drum Tower

    24 maja, Chiny ⋅ ⛅ 37 °C

    After a big day previously, we took it a bit easier today. We started with a trip to the breakfast markets. Big crowds here with long lines at the popular stalls. Vela ordered a few little treats for us, including a pork sandwich, beef pastry scroll, some sweet sticky date rice and a soy milk to wash it all down.

    We headed to the park by the river and found a shady spot under a tree to eat. By this time (about 10am) it was already pushing 30 degrees (maybe more) so we headed for a coffee shop for our fix and to enjoy some air conditioning.

    We then planted ourselves at a Majiang table for the afternoon. Diane and Ross were definitely starting to get the hang of the game, with Diane putting together a big "Hu" (hand) and netting herself a very nice 8 points off Nathan. Not to be outdone, Nathan crafted a very nice hand of his own and earned 21 points off Vela (who was a little disgruntled). At this stage we aren't playing for money though, so we'll let Vela off the hook for now.

    After 4 hours of Majiang (amazing how quickly the time disappears) we headed down the road to a Cantonese restaurant. We were served fried lettuce (yes, strange to us westerners but very normal and delicious in China), a chicken dish, a frog dish, a roast pigeon, and a big bowl of fried rice.

    And to end our day we headed up the drum tower which was nearby the bell tower we explored on our first evening in Xi'An. The drum tower was used to notify residents of the time and is dated back to the Ming Dynasty in 1380AD. There were 4 massive drums, two on each end, with a diameter of nearly 3 metres, and each side was lined with 12 smaller drums. The 24 smaller drums represented each of the 24 solar terms.

    There was a cute little girl in traditional Chinese dress dancing in the corner, and Diane asked if she could get a quick photo with her. The girl obliged but put on a very serious face, Vela still managed to snap a good photo with half a smile.

    We headed upstairs and enjoyed watching the swallows swooping around the tower while the sun was setting.

    Tomorrow we leave Xi'An, headed for Beijing!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Our OE
    Dzień 52

    Terracotta Soldiers

    23 maja, Chiny ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Big ticket item today! We took a taxi about an hour out of Xi'An to see the Terracotta Soldiers. On arriving, we arranged a tour guide as Vela still isn't feeling flash and we wanted to give her a bit of a rest. Our guide Lili was great, very knowledgeable and knew all the best spots to get a good view.

    A quick bit of background on the Terracotta Soldiers. They were created to protect the first Emperor of China in the afterlife, and buried underground (inside wooden pavilions) so they could join the emperor whose tomb resides about 1500m away. The first Chinese Emperor, Emperor Qin, lived over 2200 years ago. Although the location of the Emperor's tomb was well known to Chinese historians, the Terracotta Soldiers were lost to history until they were discovered by accident when a group of local farmers were digging a well and stumbled upon the first pit in the 1970s.

    Why this particular site? Well apparently it's all about the Feng Shui. This area is at the foot of mountains where gold and silver was found. There are three rivers traversing this area, bringing fortune and wealth. And below there are wide plains.

    The first thing that amazed us was the sheer scale of the site. They have excavated three of at least 400 known pits containing the Terracotta Soldiers, unearthing over 8000 individual soldiers. The museum enclosing the first site is basically an oversized aircraft hangar, around 15,000m2 and containing 6000 soldiers. The place was packed with tourists and we had to defend our position from other pushy and impatient patrons.

    At one point in history, the pits had been discovered by the rival provinces, and many of the soldiers were smashed and fires set within the chambers. As a result of this, and natural cave-ins/damage, most of the soldiers are found incomplete and have to be painstakingly restored. Originally the archeologists would ensure the Soldiers were restored to perfection, filling in missing pieces, but in order to maintain authenticity they now only restore them the best they can with the pieces they can find.

    It was also a little surprising to us that there were horses and chariots amongst the soldiers, and that they were buried in historically accurate battle formations. Every soldier is unique, sporting different facial expressions, hairstyles, clothes and postures. They are all in battle ready poses, holding weapons (the bronze weapons were likely stolen when the pit was raided by rivals).

    We got to see the process of restoring the Soldiers, which is ongoing as they continue to excavate more pits. The excavation process has slowed since the initial rush, this is mostly due to the fact that the soldiers were originally painted, and when freshly unearthed the paint is still visible. But within two weeks of being exposed, the paint degrades and the soldiers return to the colour of the base Terracotta. At least 17 different colours were used to paint the soldiers, including purple, for which the pigment was not thought to have been discovered/invented in 200BC.

    We then went to view pit #3 (skipping pit #2 for now). This pit is thought to be a command post. It is much smaller than the other two excavated pits with around 60 soldiers. This pit was also significantly deeper with a single entry point, making it a more defensible position. Many of the Soldiers here were wearing ceremonial armour and weapons as well (not stolen as this tomb was never raided), rather than being appropriately geared for battle. However there has been no commander found at this site, so the thinking is that this command post has been set up for Emperor Qin to take command from in the afterlife.

    We then moved to pit #2. The first thing notable about pit number two is the mix of troops. With archer formations (at the back for obvious reasons) as well as foot soldiers and cavalry ready to march. The archers were either standing, ready to shoot, or kneeling and reloading. The kneeling archers were particularly well preserved as their low position better protected them from damage over time. Of particular interest was one soldier, known as the lucky soldier, which is the most complete one found, with only his right hand being broken.

    The last item from pit #2 was the posters which showed the colours of the freshly excavated Soldiers.

    Overall a very neat experience, and we were very glad we got a guided tour. Understanding the history of this place definitely increased our appreciation.     Czytaj więcej

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