Loading...
Start a new Travel Blog! Blogabond Home Maps People Photos My Stuff

Liaoning, 2013

a travel blog by prrrrl

Musings, events, observations and (mis-)adventures of a travel-holic fleaing the summer heat of Beijing. Daring RJ was brave enough to come along on the 'seat of your pants flying' ride!
view all 21 photos for this trip

Show Oldest First
Show Newest First

Chaoyang bound?

Xingcheng, China

We were at the Xingcheng train station ticket window having just bought our soft seats for Chaoyang [only $10!] when the Drama began. I attempted to make a follow on request for two tickets to Beijing from Chaoyang. Having been told by a nation-wide reservation service that no hotels in Chaoyang were cleared for accepting foreigners, we intended to choo choo in & out on the same day. But all soft seats were sold out! My western sensibilities would not tolerate a hard seat for 13+ hours. Now what? Back to the hotel where Internet access will help us scheme. There we contrives plan B. back to the train station to impliment it. Stand in line again. Get to the same ticket agent again. Show her plan B. No go. Rinse and repeat. After our third round trip still no ticket! On the knowledge that there are buses and the nation-wide reservation service could be wrong, we choo choo to Chaoyang the next morning, no firm, guaranteed plan in hand. Seat of my pants travel!!!




permalink written by  prrrrl on September 27, 2013 from Xingcheng, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013
tagged PlanB, Chaoyang and SeatOfMyPants
Send a Compliment

Wow! Talk about living up to its name!

Beijing, China

The first time I passed that corner I thought, 'Open sewer?' The second time I thought, 'Industrial spill?' The third time I paid attention to the recorded sales pitch blasted endlessly to passers-by: "Chou Dofu!"

Stinky tofu!

I'll pass!

permalink written by  prrrrl on September 28, 2013 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013
tagged Stinky, Smell and Tofu
Send a Compliment

Timing

Beijing, China

Raining! They seeded the clouds too late. Usually they engineer a bright sunny day for Oct. 1. (By mid-afternoon it was beautiful out.)

permalink written by  prrrrl on October 1, 2013 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013
tagged Rain, NationalDay and SeedingClouds
Send a Compliment

Timing

Beijing, China

Raining! They seeded the clouds too late. Usually they engineer a bright sunny day for Oct. 1. (By mid-afternoon it was beautiful out.)

permalink written by  prrrrl on October 1, 2013 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013
tagged Rain, NationalDay and SeedingClouds
Send a Compliment

Argh!

Beijing, China

The tall building has three elevators but today only one is working. It's on the eighth floor. I wait for it to descend. The doors open and I see three people, one with a dolly of boxes, one just standing there and one on a full size motorcycle. I back up to let the motorcycle back out but when he's clear the door closes without me on! The sole elevator then goes all the up to the 32 floor giving me time to hunt and peck this message! Argh!

permalink written by  prrrrl on October 1, 2013 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013
tagged Motorcycle, Elevator and Frustration
Send a Compliment

My new job?

Beijing, China

It's the national holiday so all offices are closed. Fortunately for me shops are open. I'm at one warehouse and only the owners are here. The phone rings and it's their customer in London. Poor Wu is confused - he does not speak English. He hands the phone to me. I act as translator conveying Brit's question, then Wu's answer; brit's complaint, then Wu's solution. What's my hourly rate??? (Brit said, "You sound American.")

permalink written by  prrrrl on October 1, 2013 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013
tagged Translator
Send a Compliment

Santa National Day?

Beijing, China

"Did you have a good National Day?" I asked smelly, Brit-sounding gentleman who had not left (for more than a day, anyway). The memorable answer did not come from him but from the desk clerk eavesdropping. He said, "Not really." "Of, course! You had to work!" I assumed out loud. "No, since I'm grown up, it is not special." Would the average American adult say that about the Fourth of July? Is the Chinese National Day the equivalent of Santa Claus?

permalink written by  prrrrl on October 2, 2013 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013
tagged NationalDay, GrownUp and DeskClerk
Send a Compliment

Get a whiff of...

Beijing, China

Lights back on! Yea!!

Men and smokers don't think their jackets need washing. They are everyone-else-is-plugging-their-noses wrong. I once sat behind a young man at the ballet in Raleigh Fanning my face constantly to dispel his outerwear's rankness. At the hostel I'm currently at, I complained at the front desk that the room smelled. I was wrong. The British-sounding Chinese man's clothes reeked. He said he was moving out the next day and I was looking forward to the smell's departure. His English is like my Chinese - we sound better than we comprehend. He did indeed move out though when I ran into him in the lobby the next morning he said he was staying. I thought he meant that he was staying somewhere else (as in different city) for the next week which would match our first conversation (pre smell diagnosis) that he was heading out of town for the Chinese holiday. Well, he's back (it's been one day). I enjoy talking to him but I sure hope he's staying in a different room!

Jan

permalink written by  prrrrl on October 2, 2013 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013
tagged Cigarettes, Smell and Jacket
Send a Compliment

Get a whiff of...

Beijing, China

Lights back on! Yea!!

Men and smokers don't think their jackets need washing. They are everyone-else-is-plugging-their-noses wrong. I once sat behind a young man at the ballet in Raleigh Fanning my face constantly to dispel his outerwear's rankness. At the hostel I'm currently at, I complained at the front desk that the room smelled. I was wrong. The British-sounding Chinese man's clothes reeked. He said he was moving out the next day and I was looking forward to the smell's departure. His English is like my Chinese - we sound better than we comprehend. He did indeed move out though when I ran into him in the lobby the next morning he said he was staying. I thought he meant that he was staying somewhere else (as in different city) for the next week which would match our first conversation (pre smell diagnosis) that he was heading out of town for the Chinese holiday. Well, he's back (it's been one day). I enjoy talking to him but I sure hope he's staying in a different room!

Jan

permalink written by  prrrrl on October 2, 2013 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013
tagged Cigarettes, Smell and Jacket
Send a Compliment

Darkness

Beijing, China

Today is their National Day, their 'Fourth of July'. Yet I got lots of work done visiting 3 vendors and picking up longer pants from the tailor. But I just returned to the hostel and there is no electricity to my room. This leaves all six residents in the dark. And it's their National Day - electricians are not working! The desk clerk can call the manager. But can the manager call a repair person? Doubtful. I asked for a flashlight and they quickly obliged. Could be an interesting evening!

permalink written by  prrrrl on October 2, 2013 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013
tagged Dark, FlashLight and NationalHoliday
Send a Compliment
Viewing 11 - 20 of 28 Entries
first | previous | next | last

View as Map View as Satellite Imagery View as Map with Satellite Imagery Show/Hide Info Labels Zoom Out Zoom In Zoom Out Zoom In
find city:
trip feed
 author feed
 trip kml
 author kml

   

Blogabond v2.40.58.80 © 2024 Expat Software Consulting Services about : press : rss : privacy