Bad News 2

So at least I fix one of my problems.
I had to bite a bitter morsel and make a little compromise for my flyless trip, but at the end I would be in Hong Kong on time for my flight to Europe.

I booked a flight to Shenzen and from there I can reach Hong Kong easily. Even if I have to swim to Hong Kong, as I was adviced to do, in the worst scenario.

Train ticket to Shangai was available, but it was not sure I could get a train to Hong Kong once there, and there were no available tickets from Beijing to Hong Kong.

With the help of a fellow CSer, Catherine (I would like to write the chinese name, but I am afraid to misspell it), I tried to book a direct flight to Hong Kong, but, after confirmation, we discovered I could not pay with international credit card. Just chinese payment system accepted.
I should have known better. At the end of the day, this has been my job for a while now.

Chinese website seems to have their local version of PayPal, called Alipay and I am already an unsatisfied user.

As for the boat, I got now two more options:

d. get a cruise ship from Bali, but, as the booking office pointed out, even if I could get the passage for such a short segment, the price would be quite high. I reckon it would anyway be a strange sigth my appereance on a world tour cruise. Pity I left all my best suite in Spain.

e. change the scope of the trip, and coming back to Europe via India, a few of the -stan countries and Turkey. But I will think a lot before to jump in this boat.

While thinking about the different options, I am now enjoying a lazy staying in Beijing. With not more pressure in seeing the sights (but still the Summer Palace missing) I am getting laid.
Wake up late in the morning, breakfast and then “working” on internet to look busy.
Now that I arranged my way out on next Saturday, I am afraid this will become worst.

Beijing is a revelation. Plenty of bars with plenty of people.
There is a huge ex-pat community, but, even without, the Chinese people are busy getting the night alive.
Bars use to stay open until late, there always some live music somewhere and people are friendly and curious.

Maybe sometimes too friendly and too curiuos.
In Xi’an I had been the ignare subject of lot of pictures. Once Cyril and me had to have our pictures taken with an entire family. I do not mean one picture with the family. I mean one picture with each member of the family.
At the end I wanted to put a sign on my neck and ask for 10 YUAN per pictures. I could have easily paid a week at the hostel in just one day of posing for the camera.
In Beijing they are more discreet. But I caught more than one girl discreetly taking picture of me while in the metro. Even if I felt a little flattered by the honour, I just turned my face on the other side. To find another cell eye pointed in my direction. Strange enough, guys are not so keen on taking pictures. Or maybe they are more skilled in hiding the click.

Maybe it is the beard. I stopped shaving from the beginning of the trip and now I sport a big beard, with need of some minor adjustment. But I do not trust chinese barber. Here there is not beard trimming, for the lack of proper hair growth. It is either shaving it or let it growing wild.
Hair on chest, they told me, actually is something never heard of…

And today is quite gone again. Summer palace will wait another day.

Comments

  1. molto interessante la faccenda della loro curiosità “razzistica” all’inverso rispetto al nostro consueto.
    se posso permettermi, sarei curioso di leggere altre osservazioni su specifici dettagli di questo tipo. per esempio, quando parlavi delle discoteche mi sono chiesto come fosse l’atmosfera che hai percepito: odori, espressioni, bevande, atteggiamento dei camerieri e quant’altro.
    complimenti per tutto.
    carlo
    (amico nordico di alfredo)

    • sulle sensazioni in disco, sarai accontentato presto
      sto raccogliendo materiale sul campo

  2. Altro che bad news! secondo me te la stai spassando alla grande. E i contrattempi sono solo parte del gioco.
    Sono un po’ invidiosa.
    Comunque, la scena delle ragazze cinesi che ti rubano le foto è fantastica.
    a presto con latre news!

  3. Me like Mariangela, am jealous… I find myself reading the story with a dumb smile on my face, as if I was picturing myself on those situations, ah… I love it!

    Keep enjoying your trip and taking us there momentarily while reading the stories.

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