Sep 2008

We arrive at our hotel by taxi. When we drive in, I think we either got a very good deal or we are at the wrong hotel.

We go to the check-in counter. They have no booking for us. I ask them if they have a 'wangba' we can use. Eventually they agree to let us use the 'wangba'. I show them our booking, or mine at least. As it turns out, I read the information incorrectly and what I thought I was paying Y199 for I was actually paying Y199 per bed ie Y398. At $66 it was still a bargain by our standards.

So we booked in went to our rooms dropped our luggage and went to the Bandjo bar.

At the hotel, there was some function on. There were drunk Chinese men everywhere. They kept dropping their money. As I walked to the taxi I just picked it up. The taxi driver was not amused as he had his eyes on the dollars. Anyway I paid him in my new found wealth and gave him a tip of the same amount. There was still enough money there for Barbara and I to have a round of drinks and some food to nibble on seeing as we hadn't had dinner.

We went on the internet at the guesthouse to try and book plane tickets back to Jinan for the next day. Still none of my cards were accepted and this time neither was Barbara's. I told Barbara not to worry about it we would just go to the airport and get a ticket. Barbara was not overly comfortable about this as she is one of those people who needs to have her tickets in her hands a month before, packed 3 weeks before and arrives at the airport 2 hours before she is required.

It is pouring with rain, we negotiate our way out of the muddy lane and find a taxi. The taxi driver takes us to the airport. We go up to the ticket counter and request two tickets for Jinan. We are told that there are no tickets available. Barbara asks when are the next available flights. She is told tomorrow. I say no we are going on standby. The lady at the ticket counter tells us to go and sit down and come back at 5.15. The flight was to leave at 5.50 pm. We had a two hour wait.

We waited in the airport, meanwhile Barbara is thinking of other alternatives. I tell her not to worry we will get on this flight.

At 5 pm I go back to the ticket counter and I'm told they have one ticket and to come back at 5.15 pm. I go back and tell Barbara the news. She then starts to go into alternative plans again. I tell her not to worry we are getting on this flight.

At 5.15 pm we go back and they print a ticket for Barbara. She tells me she is not leaving without me. I tell her it will be OK I will get a ticket. They check in Barbara's luggage. They call the boarding. Barbara was anxious -'I'm not leaving here without you.' I tell her not to worry they are just playing a game cause they don't like you turning up to the airport without tickets. Bums on seats is dollars in the pocket. I'm getting on this plane.

They hand write me a ticket and check my luggage in under Barbara's name. We are then escorted to our plane. We are right down the back with the cattle. The plane takes off and there are still empty seats on the plane! We finally arrive in Jinan at 7.15 pm. Thankful for the landing and being back into a known area.

We jump into a taxi and in my best Chinese voice I tell the driver where we want to go. Beautiful, he understands me.

We did a tour with the guest house to the Gobi desert. The cost of the trip was Y370 per person. There were 3 of us. The trip was about 3 hours. We got there just in time for lunch. The food left a little to be desired. We were then taken out to the sand dunes in a jeep. Perhaps the jeep ride was the best part of the trip!

We rode a camel which was Y65 for the hour. Thank god for desert boots. They are Y10 to hire. You could also take a ride on the sand buggy. I saw what this did to Amanda, so I opted out of the adventure. It appeared I was the only who was considering it in the group anyway.

Back on the jeep and back to the guesthouse. We stopped on the side of the road to have some watermelon. I'm not a fan of watermelon but decided to have a piece to wash the sand out of my mouth more than anything and also because I was thirsty. The guesthouse owner couldn't understand why we couldn't eat a whole watermelon. Is he nuts?!?

We drove through water and stalled the car. The car started straight away. A little further down the road the car stopped again there was water in something. The car did not stop in a very good place. We were under a bridge with trucks coming from both directions with only enough room for one vehicle. We had to push the car. Eventually with the help of the other guest the car was started.

Finally back to the guesthouse, shower and bed for us. Tomorrow we head to the grasslands.

We thought there is so much to see. But after our first day we had nearly seen everything we wanted to see.

We had a taxi driver take us to the Wuta Pagoda. When we got there it was closed for renovations. The taxi driver insisted on me having my photo taken here. He then took us to DA Zhao.

DA Zhao is a large well maintained lamasery that is still used as a temple. There are heaps of monks chanting and praying. It was Y30 to get in.

Across the road was Xilitu Zhao. It is meant to be the home of Hohhot's 11th living Buddha. It was also Y30 to get in here. The monks were not so friendly and it was not worth the Y30 to get in.

We then walked to the Great Mosque on route to find ourselves towels for the guesthouse! The Mosque is built in Chinese style. Not much to see.

We then jumped in a taxi and went to the Inner Mongolian Museum. Unbeknown to us we paid to go into what we thought was the museum only to later find out that the museum is closed on Mondays and what we paid for was actually a special exhibition. It was worth the cost but we never did get to see the Museum.

Everything we wanted to see we saw in a day!

Our first morning we went to Ming Tien for Breakfast. There is one of these in Tai'an. I ordered a latte and french toast. The latte I couldn't drink. It had like a milk film on the top of it and I think it was made of carnation milk. The french toast was a peanut butter sandwich that had been crumbed in coconut and fried. it was served with condensed milk. It was edible but not something you would order again.

Pizza Hut became our restaurant of choice. It was the only place we felt we could eat something to give us some comfort.