May 4, 2008 - May 10, 2008 Archives

My quick drying travel underpants haven't arrived in time.
Apart from being seriously sexy, they dry in no time at all... perfect for hand washing in public toilets... which is exactly what I need considering I am not going to have any opportunity to wash my clothes on the trip.

Bolting through Heathrow. About 2 board plane. Had the best send off at the airport. Here I go!

Doing a sneaky entry from the lav. Will be in Singapore tonight. Seriously pumped. So excited. Whoops, seat belt sign. Gotta go x

30 minutes into the flight I spilt a glass of Chardy all over my crotch. (Lovely visual I know). Just as well I packed my trusty pyjamas which I am now wearing as I type from tropical Singapore. Seriously sweating, need to find somewhere to change into something a little more suitable!

So excited to be here. Got a jam packed day planned before flying to Beijing tonight!

Ahhhh!

(Taken this morning aboard old Vietnam army vessel.)

Apparently the world is in serious shortage of cranes. The reason being, they are all here. Pretty impressive considering Singapore is actually so tiny that they had to enlarge it on the world map so we can see it. Everywhere you go here there is some kind of construction taking place. Like the soon to be Singapore Casino, below.

(Taken 15:00 from a glass bottom cable car going from Mt Fabia to Sentosa island of the soon to be Singapore Casino). Meanwhile, so not worth paying the extra $6.10 for the glass bottom.

Only 1 of my 4 phones works and my internet has been down. Less than 24 hours in and the idea is already proving to be a challenge. Everything always sounds great in concept. Different when you are actually the warm body having to execute it.

Juggling being constantly moving with constant internet connection is easier said than done. Pretty challenging to find an internet connection when you are on a tiny island off Singapore (Kusu Island) or dangling in the air in a cable car heading for Sentosa Island. A 12 hour plane trip and 2 hours sleep doesn't help much. But managed to catch one now.

Ah, reality advertising. Perhaps there's a reason why nobody's ever done it. Shimmies to Skype for having the balls to put it out there.

Heading here now. Their specialty is Peking Duck, my favourite. Will put it to the test. Anyone been here who can suggest a good pick?

Just had time to type up a fellow traveller's blog post. Thank you for writing this Shelia. Its back dated to keep the posts in sequence.

"Kusu Island situated just a hop skip and jump from the city centre of Singapore and is host to not one but three Malay shrines. Previously an immigrants burial site the Island with its many legends can be reached in approximately 15 minutes. All the legends refer to a magical giant turtle and one of the stories is that of a giant turtle who turned itself into an island to save two shipwrecked sailors one Malay and one Chinese during the 17th Century.

Even today, Taoists go to the island in their thousands during the 9th lunar month to visit the Da Ba Gong Temple (Temple of the Merchant God).

The views from the island across to the mainland are quite stunning with the warm waters of the lagoon the sun and the sand it makes a very relaxed short trip from Singapore."

Post written by writer, Sheila Dickson

Good quality soya sauce and chilli complemented the light crispy spring rolls to start things off. Kikoman I suspect. We were late due to an overeager itinerary not arriving until 9.30pm. Being a Tuesday, we had the whole place to ourselves, service was great albeit a little too efficient. We got our meals 10 minutes after ordering and were pretty much done after 1/10 of a revolution above the beautifully industrial Singapore harbour - a full revolution takes 1 hour 40 minutes. The asian greens blanched to perfection with a bit of crunch still left in them – just how we like it. The amenities were great, nice strong flush. The clincher however was that while surrounded by close to a hundred lazy susan's our window view table was a table like any other. And at the end of the day, I was able to sit down to dinner, which will be somewhat of a luxury in the coming weeks. Nomad says 7/10 for Prima Tower Restaurant.

Flying in this morning, the Beijing skyline left much to be desired. It was covered by a thick smog that could not even be captured on camera. Evidently they are closing all industry in the lead up of the Beijing Olympics because the athletes don't want to compete in such unhealthy conditions. Anyone know if this has begun yet? I hope not.

Here are some pics I managed to get from the new Beijing airport (video). The government is obviously trying to make a good impression on visitors who pass through it's gates. Must have cost a fortune. Speaking of new terminals, I flew out of Terminal 3 in Singapore - so shiny and new with a healthy vine wall feature – very nice. Several officials have aggressively taken my camera and deleted pics I have taken, others talking on walkie talkies watching me from afar. Am thinking I might just lay low for the next 2 hours while I wait for my flight to Yichang - or else a convicts life for me.

Instead of shocking you with photos, the following is a visual montage of how I look just now. For a girl that normally washes her hair every day three days without showering makes you emotional. Cannot wait to get on the Yankse river boat and immerse myself in water. I may not come out till I am all shrivelled and prawn-like. Speaking of prawns, I'm hungry.

In Beijing airport at the only internet point with a lot of frustrated travellers who can’t get into their emails. Yahoo works but is temperamental. Hotmail and MSN are no-go zones. The connection is really slow. I'm going to be careful with what I say in the airport with so much security about. Gotta get to the gate for my flight to Yiching. Catch up with you as soon as possible.

^{Photos taken by Lazy Aussie . May 9th 2007.} "For the first moment since i left i am almost completely disconnected. Even skype isn't working. There is 1 computer between 200+ people and because of the mountains, now that is down. No wifi or internet cafes, so i am pressing this out on my trusty n95 for simon 2 upload. Breathe. After spending 4 hrs reducing over 400 photos down 2 allow 4 quicker upload, now all i can do is wait and pray 4 signal 2 drop back in. This is the first moment i have stopped since i left 3 days ago. I was chatting with the office on my lappy this time last night. That feels like a month ago. I was so frustrated after trying so hard all day that i had 2 get air. I headed 4 the roof of the boat, which is where i am now and called my friend, clive, rather pent up and emotional. After a few moments i sat down 2 regain my breath and was blown away by the deep beauty of this river. The mountains so great that u can't help but feel small. These mountains that minutes earlier i was cursing are now my comfort. Coupled with the warm breeze and the fact that everyone else has gone 2 bed i can now stop and be. Maybe sometimes, just once in a while, it’s good to be completely cut off and alone in the vastness. And when i do get connected i will surely be the better 4 it." ^{Transcribed from SMS and posted by Simon (Nomad Ground Control).}

While our Nomad sails down the Yangtze here's a musical interlude from Nomad Ground Control!

So, as if eating and sleeping on the move wasn’t hard enough, my paymasters at Skype have decided to make this little trip that much harder for me and that much more sadistic for you, so they’d like to announce “Fun Fund”. I’ve been given $50 to spend in 4 different locations on my journey and the catch is, you decide what I should spend it on – so have a look at my itinerary. If I’m coming to a town near you, fill your boots and leave a comment on the blog suggesting something local and devilishly difficult to track down, and then console yourself with the thought that you’re making an already tired Nomad’s journey that much harder. At the end of the trip, look out for the items on eBay (I do all the work and still don’t get the item – something is seriously wrong here..) I am going to suggest drinking cocktails or a spot of blackjack while on the ship in Alaska. Be gentle.

As you guys know my challenge is to travel around the world without stopping, and in order to do that I am asking you guys for help.

No one knows the places I am going to better than the people that live there, so give me your local secrets so that I can get a real taste of the places I will visit on a local level.

Tell me what I shouldn't miss, what to avoid like the plague, what to eat (be kind), where to eat it (needs to be on the move, remember), bus routes, and MOST importantly let me know good wi-fi hotspots so I can update the blog.

^{Photo taken by WasabiFish. December 26th 2007.}

Next week I will be in Hong Kong for 1 day, please leave your guide tips in the comments on the blog or instant message me on my 3 Skypephone (I’ll let you know my Skype Name nearer the time) and I will do my best to take on your suggestions.

Over and out.

Nomad.

That unsuspecting little number on the left happens to be the best meal I have ever tasted. No. Seriously. If I had a last meal, it would be this. Chicken and celery. Who would have thought? The only way I can explain it is like the most amazing home made chicken soup ever simmered, that you can chew! I was meant to enjoy it while at the welcome dinner in town, but that would have required stopping to eat, which I obviously cannot do. So my guide, Kitty, rang ahead and got them to package it up and drive around while I ate it. Thank you Kitty!

Yi Chang - Chinese for 'Suitable for development'. And developed it is. This little town powers over 50% of China's electricity. That's a hell of a lot of power for a tiny town of only 4 million, especially considering the gigantic population of China. With Chongqing (pronounced Chong-Ching) upstream and Shanghai downstream, Yi Chang acts as the gatekeeper of the gorge. The pillar industries of power plants and tourism account for over 70% of the towns economy. But Yi Chang wasn't always about power and energy. Just 200 years ago this 3 kingdom riverside town was a luscious forest area with a different name. And by the rate it's going, it may just have to change it's name again.

I am not one to get excited by man made machines, but this dam is magnificent.

Literally going through the ship locks as I type. Gary from England reckons we are moving ten feet per minute. We have three more locks to go. Basically all of the ships enter a waiting bay and the gates are closed. Then an immense amount of water is added and the ship begins to raise kind of like a lift, we then move along, the gates are lowered and we sail through to the other side where the water level is the same. I am sitting in my cabin watching the giant cement wall fall below me. No sign of sky yet.

Prior to coming here I had only heard bad things about the dam and the relocation of Yangtze villages (hopefully will get pictures of these tomorrow as we head past the lesser of the three gorges). Environmental concerns relating to disturbing the natural flow of the river and the extinction of species such as the Chinese river dolphin and restriction of fishing between May and August. But after chatting to the guides and a couple of the locals, I was surprised at just how welcome all this cement is. Here is what my Chinese guide had to say about it:

“There are three reasons why the dam is good. The first one, the main purpose was to help the ships that sail from Chongqing to Yi Chang move faster. The next is to control flooding - the Yangtze flooded several times in the past 100 years which meant lots of people dying and being left without a home, my father's home was flooded two times causing much loss. Then we want to make energy for power. And this creates hydro-power.”

Evidently, it provides the same amount of power as 10 power plants. So as far as energy goes, it's fairly clean I suppose. But it had to get a little dirty to get there in the first place. One of those ethical ends before the means debates? What do you think? Good or bad?

As if 2 hours sleep and three planes in 24 hours wasn't enough when I arrived in Beijing on Wednesday. This was the track that was playing over and over and over again in the airport. It's some freaky version of an old guy whistling Scarborough Fair. Well that's what I imagine, anyway. I was at the airport for 6 hours and it didn't stop playing. I had to take this audio clip just to check it wasn't all in my head.

Sitting on an Astroturf balcony on the edge of the ship with my face lit up by the neon glow of my laptop. Bad cabaret performances fade through the mountains…mountains that know so much more than they are prepared to let on. Welcome to the Yangtze. A place so steeped in history, a 2000 year old cliff hanging coffin is just part of the décor. A river that in just 2 weeks will rise 25 feet because of the controversial dam upstream. A river as much natural wonder as man made marvel. It’s a rare but special place of contradiction. And if my life was a river right now, it would definitely be this one.

I am very grateful to be here, however constant motion and literally travelling solo can get lonely. Don’t get me wrong, if I had Skype or wifi I’d be sorted. But as you know the internet is 99% non-existent where I am, so I need to ground myself and create a bit of normality.

Her name is De de mar, as named by my local guide, Lisa. She is a little Tibetan doll that I bought in a Chinese village North of Shen Long gorge. No, I’m not turning into Tom Hanks in Castaway, so hear me out. Wherever my bed is for that night, I pop her out and have instant bedroom individuality. Something constant.

And in case you think I’m a complete freak, I stole this idea from someone else who was always moving country and home for her husband’s work. With each new move came new furniture arranged by the company. While it was all beautiful, it lacked soul. So she bought herself a little Buddha and brought it to each new home she moved into. 30 years later, and it’s still sitting on her bedside table.