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prrrrl

131 Blog Entries
9 Trips
80 Photos

Trips:

Liaoning, 2013
Beijing I, 2012
Yunnan, China
Beijing 2012 II
China 2009
Beijing 2011
Beijing 2015
Beijing, 2010 or Liaoning, 2013. They are appear to be mixed up!
Philippines!

Shorthand link:

http://blogabond.com/prrrrl




Not waiting for the bus

Lijiang, China

Mini vans, and I mean Smart Car size mini, wait at depots and will not leave until full. There will be a line of maybe 8 vans waiting their turn to wait for 7 passengers. I arrive at the depot and am fortunate to be passenger #7 meaning immediate departure. Bonus is as the last person in I don't have to squeeze into the narrow back row and I get to be the first one out. The front passenger seat is probably the the first seat taken as it is also easy in, easy out. But they have the longest wait. I'm happy to be the last in the front bench seat. This is how I got to and from Shuhe from Lijiang. My return journey I was also passenger #7 [not counting lap children]. Only 33 cents.

permalink written by  prrrrl on March 3, 2012 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Beijing, 2010 or Liaoning, 2013. They are appear to be mixed up!
tagged Bus, Mini, Passenger, Full, Last, Bench and Squeeze
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Rat in maze test 4: FAIL!

Lijiang, China

I found the street with restaurants! I made a mental note of where to find the alley that lead to them. Later I suggested to some friends I made at the hostel that we should go for 'barbecue' as that's the local specialty. [Note to US southerners: But do they use vinegar???] They agreed. Two Americans, a Canadian, an Austrian and a Chinese go to dinner. I find the alley that I remember. We walk a ways but don't see any restaurants. We back track to the main alley and continue west. We come to the main square [Market Square complete with a plaque explaining why an odd shaped public space is called a square lest a mathematical object]. Ack! We've gone too far. I was right the first time. We opt to be bold and wander down a new alley that hugs one of the small canals that stripe the city.

We sample deep fried Naxi cheese [it has sugar sprinkled on top], Naxi stewed vegetables, barbecue fish [no vinegar, no tomato based sauce - sacrilege!], Naxi tofu, Naxi crispy yak with mint and other dishes. Apparently here barbecue means salted & dried.

permalink written by  prrrrl on March 3, 2012 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Beijing, 2010 or Liaoning, 2013. They are appear to be mixed up!
tagged Naxi, Canal, Restaurant, Alley, Yak, Friends, Lijiang, Barbecue and Cheese
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Hungry AND cold!

Beijing, China

I thought I read 24 hour access for the hostel I'm currently residing in. Either I read wrong or they have an interesting idea of what that means. After my long wait for half a meal I arrived at the hostel door to see the handles cabled, bike lock style, shut. It was 1:30 am and cold. No! I need shelter!! I banged on the door. The workers sleep on the sofas in the lounge area. One woke up and let me in. I felt guilty. So did the only logical thing: I got on line and blogged about my restaurant wait. But with 10 minutes two more groups of lodgers came banging on the locked door. Poor guy had to get up three times to let us late people in. Mind you, this was a Saturday night, not like staying out late is a Surprise. And Beijing has restaurants 24/7 - it's part of their native lifestyle, not us imposing on them.

Anyway, I felt less guilty awful quick. :-D

[Please leave comments on FB or my email. Thanks!]

permalink written by  prrrrl on March 1, 2012 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012
tagged Guilt, Late, Locked and Wake
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Frying pan into the fire Frying pan into the fire

Lijiang, China

Going to Lijiang to escape Beijing's bitter cold winter is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Or rather like jumping from the refrigerator into the freezer. No central heating anywhere! It's COLD at night here. The night was saved, however, by a heated mattress pad. Cozy! Can I see the Sunrise from my bed, please?

permalink written by  prrrrl on March 1, 2012 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Yunnan, China
tagged Sunrise, Cold and FryingPanToFire
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Rat in maze test 1: FAIL!

Lijiang, China

Lijiang's Old Town is a maze of narrow curving alleys criss-crossing up a River bank. I'm dropped off at the edge and told to go down then turn left. It's 9:30 in the evening and very dark. Hmmm... I had picked the Panba Hostel for several reasons, one being that it was one of the few accessible by car in the Old Town. Since I knew I'd be arriving at night that feature was very attractive to me. Now I was set adrift in the maze in the dark. There was more than one way to go down. Would there be more than one way to turn left? I asked directions two times - itself astonishing as the streets were nearly deserted at that hour - the second being the most helpful. I'm blogging from the Panba right now. Phew!

permalink written by  prrrrl on March 1, 2012 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Yunnan, China
tagged Dark, Rat and Maze
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Rat in maze test 2: SUCCESS!

Lijiang, China

Eat a hostel breakfast? Not if I can help it. Bad American food is not my idea of a fun time. I took off through the alleys and to stay returnable to my cozy mattress pad, I decided to go straight. That went through the market square, clear across Old Town to a tri-belief temple turned function hall. I explored the NW corner of Old Town with a 'turn right at each intersection' plan so i could retrace my steps with a series of left turns. I started recognizing alleys and could forego the retrace. I did find breakfast along the way, an egg pancake sprinkled with diced scallions. When I came upon Naxi dancers in the Market Square I was excited. My camera can take video! Then the battery died. No more alley exploring till I can record my cool finds!

permalink written by  prrrrl on March 1, 2012 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Yunnan, China
tagged Naxi, Alley, Breakfast, Battery, Success, Dancers, Maze and Pancake
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Feeling smug!

Beijing, China

I am packed for two weeks in a very small back pack & a medium size book bag. That includes toiletries, pharmacuticals, two changes of clothes, a camera with small accessories, sandals, two disassembled hiking sticks, two shawls and LOTS of socks. The two fleeces & rain shell I wear to the airport. But I'm sure I could stuff those into my two bags. too. I am carrying a plastic bag of fruit & snacks. That doesn't count, right?!

permalink written by  prrrrl on February 29, 2012 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012
tagged BackPack, Socks, PackingLight and Smug
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Out numbered

Beijing, China

I have four roommates. I am the lone non-Chinese - very good for practicing my limited language skills. They set the bar very low for Big Noses, everyone marveling at my Mandarin. Very friendly and helpful roommates but... they give me reason to use earplugs at night! I feel like I'm in a college dorm.

permalink written by  prrrrl on February 28, 2012 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012
tagged Chinese, Mandarin, Noise, Friendly and BigNose
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I feel gritty!

Beijing, China

Everybody sing:

"I feel gritty! Oh so gritty! I feel gritty and pity and fright!"

That's life in a very polluted city with very dry air and very little precipitation. Leaving it all behind tomorrow!!!

Busy day packing, shopping & cleaning up. Tailor needs to be visited now so clothes will be ready when I return from my time in the south.

If you're not in Beijing: enjoy the clean!!



permalink written by  prrrrl on February 28, 2012 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012
tagged Pollution, Clean, Fright, Grit, Tailor and Pity
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Want to see where I'm staying?

Beijing, China

Google: yonghegong haina hotel, beijing, china

Zoom in on the alleys. Not all show up as some are only as wide as a sidewalk.

permalink written by  prrrrl on February 28, 2012 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Beijing, 2010 or Liaoning, 2013. They are appear to be mixed up!
tagged Alley, Zoom, Hutong and YonghegongHainaHotel
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