The Great wall of China–the road to Japan?

 ( For those of you who do not understand swedish, here is my last post in english for you to read! )

My already long trip to Tokyo became even longer when I, after having waited at the Beijing airport for about six hours and then waited some more in a warm airplane, got to know that the flight because of a Typhoon in Tokyo had been cancelled. It was just to pack my stuff and squish back out of the airplane, back into the hot terminal bus and then go hang around waiting for the rest of the luggage. And then on to the ticket counter to wait in line some more -luckily me and Joakim, who seemed to be the only other swede “onboard”, got to this line quite fast- before receiving a seat on the first possible flight to Tokyo after the typhoon passed. Which turned out to be at 4.40 the next afternoon. Welcome to China! At first I was a bit worried I might have to spend the night and next day in the airport since I didn't have a Chinese visa, but no one checked and soon we had been sent with bus to a hotel where we received a dinner buffet and (finally!)- a shower. After trying to send out a couple of emails on the cranky old computer that was in the hotel I jumped into bed and watched some Chinese music videos before falling asleep. About time! Strangely enough I woke just a couple of hours later and wasn't sleepy at all. But it was way to early to get up, so I counted some sheep and forced myself to sleep a bit more before me and Joakim had an early breakfast before checking out and tossing our bags into the trunk of the waiting “taxi”.

The taxi was a small old car without safety belts and with no functioning air conditioner and broken windows (sadly not broken as in no windows, but windows that were impossible to open) = Hot! Behind the steering wheel was a small Chinese man who looked very happy and very friendly, but who didn't know a single word in English. Next to him was our “guide”, who in broken English told us a little bit about this and that. First they brought us to this Jade-factory, which we weren’t really interested in seeing but that seemed to be part of the deal. It was pretty cool, kind of interesting but mostly just boring. Then we continued towards our goal, the purpose of our trip. Never did I think when I got on that plane towards Beijing to transfer to Tokyo that Id get a chance to walk the Great Wall of China! Our “guide” followed us from the car to the entrance of the wall (about 20 meters) before announcing: “Okkeii, see you here again 11 o’clock!” So much for that guided tour, but it was nice of him to walk us to the wall, or we might have missed it… ha.

It was a perfect day! Sunny, but not boiling. Beautiful! From the point where our guide had left us we peered up towards the steep wall of stairs ahead of us, and sighed at the sight – a million Chinese people, Japanese people and other tourists of all kinds were squishing their way up the stairs. Yuck. We had a look around and in the other direction the wall seemed to be completely empty, although it didn't have that crazy Chinese-wall-wormy-way of moving upwards, although that might not be such a bad thing. Sadly it looked as if it wasn't possible to get very far in the other direction, but we still decided that we weren’t ready to join the crowd of tourists just yet and would instead check the other side out. And I’m glad we did so, because we found a little secret staircase that brought us to the empty side of the wall. Wonderful! We had about two hours to walk on the wall and that was a pretty good time considering we had been cleaver enough to bring about 2 deciliters of water, no more. We climbed tiny stairs of a couple of centimeters as well as huge ones. Slowly stumbling our way forward. And then there we were, with the Great Wall of China curling its way ahead of us, and with the green hilltops surrounding us. Fantastic! Even more fantastic considering it had been as unplanned as it can possible get. Just thinking of it makes me laugh. What a bonus!

Kinesiska muren - vagen till Japan?

Min langa resa till Tokyo blev annu langre da jag, efter att forst ha vantat 6 timmar pa Pekings flygplats och sedan ytterligare i ett varmt flygplan, fick veta att flyget pga en Tyfon i Tokyo blivit installt. Sa var det bara att packa ihop sig och klamma sig ut ur flygplanet igen, tillbaks in i den varma terminalbussen och sedan stalla sig att vanta pa vaskan. Sedan till biljettkassan for att vanta i ko ytterligare en stund (som tur var lyckades jag och Joakim, som verkade vara den enda andra svensken "ombord", komma till denna ko hyfsat tidigt) och tilldelas plats pa forsta basta flyg till Tokyo efter Tyfonen - vilket visade sig vara klockan 16.40 nasta dag. Valkommen till Kina! Vart forst lite orolig att jag skulle behova spendera natten och foljande dag pa flygplatsen eftersom jag inte har nagot Kinesiskt visum, men det var ingen som kollade och snart hade vi bussats ut till ett hotell dar vi fick middagsbuffe och (antligen!)- en dusch. Efter att ha forsokt skicka ett par mail pa den gamla rossliga datorn som fanns pa hotellet hoppade jag i sang och kikade pa lite kinesisk musik-tv innan jag hyfsat snabbt somnade. Pa tiden! Vaknade konstigt nog bara nagra timmar senare och var klarvaken. Men an var det inte dags att ga upp, utan jag raknade far och tvingade mig sjalv att sova lite till innan jag och Joakim at tidig frukostbuffe for att sedan checka ut och slanga in vara vaskor i "taxin" som vantade.

Taxin vad en liten rosslig bil utan bilbalten och med trasig aircondition och trasiga fonster (tyvarr inte krossade utan omojliga att rulla ner) = Varmt! Bakom ratten satt en kinesisk man som sag mycket glad och trevlig ut, men som inte kunde ett enda ord pa engelska, samt varan "guide" som pa knagglig engelska forklarade lite ditt och datt for oss medan vi rullade fram. Pratade lite kejsare och stader och sant. Forst tog de med oss till en Jade-fabrik, som vi egentligen inte alls var intresserade av men som ingick i dealen. Helt okej, ganska intressant faktiskt, men ratt trist. Sedan vidare till dagens hojdpunkt. Aldrig trodde jag val nar jag satt pa det dar planet mot Peking for transfer till Tokyo att jag skulle fa en chans att ga pa Kinesiska Muren! Varan "guide" foljde oss fran bilen till borjan av muren (ca 20 meter) innan han sa "Okkeii, see you here again 11 oclock". Ingen guidad tur for oss alltsa, men det var ju tur att han visade oss till muren, annars kanske vi hade missat den... ha.

Det var en perfekt dag! Soligt, men inte stekhett. Vackert! Vi plirade upp mot den branta muren dar guiden lamnat oss och suckade at synen - en miljon kineser, japaner och diverse turister ringlade sig svettiga upp for trapporna. Urk. Vi kikade oss lite omkring och at andra hallet var det istallet helt tomt, det ringlade sig iofs inte uppat pa samma galna satt, men det kandes inte som en sa himla dum sak. Tyvarr sag det ut som att det inte var mojligt att ta sig dit, men vi bestamde oss iallafall att vi inte var redo att ge oss in i turisthorden utan att vi istallet skulle ta en titt at andra hallet. Och tur var det, for dar hittade vi en liten hemlig trappa som tog oss till den tomma sidan av muren. Underbart! Vi hade tva timmar pa oss att promenera muren fram och det var ganska lagom, med tanke pa att vi varit smarta nog att ta med oss ungefar 2 deciliter vatten, inte mer. Vi klattrade pa trappsteg som var ett par centimeter hoga och pa trappstag som var typ en meter hoga och snubblade oss fram. Och sedan stod vi dar, med muren ringlande framfor oss, och de grona bergstopparna runt omkring. Fantastiskt! Extra fantastiskt eftersom det varit sa oplanerat som det bara kan bli. Det ar nastan sa att jag skrattar nar jag tanker pa det. Vilken bonus!

2009.10.10 (2)

Cuba
- Saturday 10 October 2009

Thought we should tell you guys some about our trip to Cuba, since we know some of you are waiting excitedly!

After alot of hows and ifs we finally got to Cuba, this was about 2 weeks ago but it sure wasnt easty to get online there!

Anyway. The visit to Cuba started with tears and big irritation when we got held in the Cuban Airport while they went through our luggage. We had only brought our small backpacks bringing change of clothes for a two day visit, which they found very suspicious and thought we had brought all kinds of forbidden things from Jamaica. To be standing in a tiny airport, in the middle of the luggage claim and all of the people, hearing a icky guy say "Youre so beautiful" while watching him go through your underwear is not a pleasant experience. And we had brought so little only to be able to get out of the airport quickly for once, but ended up being the last ones out. Havana was off to a great start.

"Did you smoke marijuana in Jamaica? - Well, yes. All day everyday? - No. Did you bring any cigarettes? - No. Not even a little one? Tiny?"...

We felt better once we found our Guesthouse. A pretty room and a really sweet host who sat us down the very second we walked through the door, took out a map and started telling us in what little english he knew all the things he thought we absolutely could not miss while in Havana.

During the 3 days we spent there we saw alot of beautiful old houses. But also alot of broken ones, old and run down. And alot of gorgeous old cars, taking turns with new ones and with little motorbike-taxi-thingies. And then we had alot of horrible food. You can tell they dont have alot of products to choose from. Maja had a pasta with tomato sauce, the same tomatosauce that Julia's pizza was swimming in. The food really is nothing to brag about, which is sad since we both love the food experience of a country. It ended with us pretty much living off of bread and chocolates. Yum..!

( Also one of my fav pictures from the trip. )

Havana doesnt seem to be the best place to go party- there was alot of salsashows going on, but not alot of space to dance yourself. We had some mojitos, smoked a cigarr, went to Casa de la Musica and listened to music. And went to an old salsa school where they showed old music videos at night and during the day we found, at the bottom floor, a gang of old cuban men yamming away. Thats the real Cuba! Aswell as all these cute old men coming together outside one restaurant where we were having dinner to sit on the sidewalk, smoke cigarrs and play chess.

( Yaamin' away. It was absolutely amazing. )

The last night, as we were walking through the city (which feel very safe, although people ofcourse dont leave us alone here either) we heard booming Michael Jackson songs coming from accross the street. Turned out it was a little yard with plastic chairs, a tiny bar and a couple of big tv-screens showing old Jackson conserts. Perfection.

2009.10.10

2 rude girls in Negril
- Saturday 10 October 2009

Mi ladies, sistas, white girls, white chicks.. ey sisters, blondie.. brown suga. Here we are in our own little paradise. At the moment were sitting in the garden of the castle. Its hard to describe with words how beautiful this place really is. The castle is located a bit up the "main street" of the area, on the cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Everyone knows everyone around here and when the electricity is blacked out (which happens atleast once a week) people come together outside the MiniMart, under the light of the Redstripe sign, which always stays on - and smokes a spliff. Sometimes we sleep late, sometimes we wake up early, we always go for a salty morning dip and curse the night before: "Maybe you guys have a drinking problem" - too many rum and pepsi's.

The day before yesterday we went for a drive with Lenny, our number one taxi driver. We went to the Black River for another crocodile safari. A dip with the crocodiles, 10 times more adventurous than in Miami. This time we were really swimming just a few meters away from them. And then on to the YS falls, a more beautiful nature experience would be hard to find... We swam in the different pools of the waterfall and had our picture taken by the lifeguards, who didnt seem to mind the effort.

 (Ready for the Black River tour, with our pretty driver.)

(One of my fav pictures.)

(He picked flowers for all the ladies on board. Me, Julia and one little girl. How sweet.)

(As you can see the black rivers water is quite black. Until it leaves the river, and you can see how clear it really is)

(The YS falls.)

After this we headed over to the Appleton Rumfactory and was ofcourse welcomed with a rumpunch. We took the tour and got to see how the rum is made, and was offered to drink as much as we wanted. It was a whole day trip and when we got back we were exhausted and slept for a couple of hours.. and then it was just to reboot and get ready for the Jungle, the big nightclub here in Negril. Ofcourse all the boys go crazy when two blond "sisters" enter. We get to hear a little bit of everything, everyday theres something new. "You want to take me home and play threesome?" As mentioned before - they are pretty, yes. But some of them are a bit too intense, and dont know when its time to throw in the towel and accept a no.

( "Here are a few different kinds of rums. And here are a million cups. Imma go get some stuff done, so go ahead and drink while im gone" )

We have spent alot of time with this great man we met, who is also staying at the Castle. Drew. Hes from California and comes here every now and then. And ive gotta say, im sure wed do the same if only Jamaica was closer to Sweden. It sure is a great place, Jamaica, and the castle. Drew hangs out here, swims in the ocean, snorkel and play his drums. He took us out for dinner at this great place along the road, and weve shared alot of great food and good conversation. Hes kindof like a papa to us here in the castle - Hes the king of the castle, and were the princesses.

(Drew - King of the Castle.)

(Boat + Driver + Spliff = ?)

One day the three of us went on a glass bottom boat out to the reefs to snorkel. A million yellow fishies hiding in the corals. Not the best snorkelling ive done, but ofcourse it was great. Snorkelling always is. The other day we brought him with us to go night snorkelling at Xtabi with Andrew as our guide. It was 5 of us in total, swimming around in the dark water with our tiny flashlights (some of them barly working). It was an amazing experience. Imagine floating on those big waves, with just the light from the flashlight. If you turned it off it was pretty much completely dark, and if you popped your head out of the water, you could see the lightning cross the sky far far away, over the dark water. Amazing. We swam around for a good while, and Andrew showed us all kinds of things. We saw some squid peacefully floating through the water, played around with some starfish and petted one of those fishes that blow them selfs up like a balloon when they get scared. It was like nothing weve ever experienced before. Undescribable.

Even though the days are calm it feels as if theres so much going on its hard to keep up. But atleast now the problem of the tickets have been solved and we will be staying in JA until the 21st, thinking of moving down to Debbie on the beach, to her SeaSand Eco Villas, and are planning to go to the JERK FESTIVAL the 18th and see BEENIE MAN! What can we say, Jamaica no problem.