TRAVEL | Shanghai & Beijing, China (2010)

Shanghai & Beijing, China (2010)

Why China? Of all places, why would I find myself in  China, you ask. Well first it was an idea of a Korean friend to meet up in China. And as far as I remember, it was a late night discussion after office hours when Jake, my Korean friend blurted out - "What if we meet in China?" And that's how it all began.

30 Sep 2010, Manila

7am.

Right after my morning class, I packed my things and bid my boss goodbye. My boss was still sick when I left. I felt guilty but also awesome. I was just clueless on what to expect on this trip. I passed by my boarding house first. I needed to print some things.

12pm.

Time was just running out for me. I was so irritated that the girl on the computer shop couldn't print my document. In the end, I just had to settle on the mediocre print out. When I came back to my boarding house, I was invited to eat lunch first so I had to stay for an hour or so. It started raining so I was like "what the ..." then I checked my bag to find my wallet was missing so I had to look high and low for it. I even had to take out all the things in my bag. Then Dana found it from the small pocket of the bag. Really silly of me. 

I realized that I tend to forget my things when I get too excited. So I should always keep my cool. I took a taxi en route to borrow a camera from a friend. But I had to burn the pictures first and print my hotel bookings. The lady from the store said, "May hinahabol ka ano?" And I told her I was late for my 5pm flight.

3pm.

It was almost 3pm and I still need to get my passport and Visa from Makati. It took me less than an hour to reach Baron's Travel Agency (I thought I couldn't make it, but I did!) I was just so relieved to finally secure my passport. The feeling was just unbelievable. I am really flying to China and I still can't believe it. I reached Terminal 3.

6pm.

Still got plenty of time so I ate first and then boarded my 5J 678 plane. I called everybody to say goodbye. I never said goodbye to my parents since they do not know about this trip but I would have wanted to, it's just that I hate the melodrama. 

I changed 5,000 PhP from withdrawing money. I don't like exchanging money at the airport but I was anxious I may not have enough cash when I reach China. After all, it will be Oct 7th when I receive my backup money. So I had 500 yuan as pocket money.

The Immigration and Rejection

I don't know what is up with the Philippine Immigration but after presenting my passport and Visa, the Officer asked for my job. I said teacher and I was brought to this interrogation room. There were many Filipinos inside the room. Some of them, as I have witnessed were not allowed to board their planes simply because their documents do not support them. 

Imagine all the money they spent just to get there, but the immigration would just prevent them. I mean they could have at least positioned the before the boarding, perhaps a separate documentation but for crying out loud, not before boarding. What do they prove by that? 

Philippine government should look at this stupidity. And there I was, denied by this fat sadly-looking female officer saying that my money was not enough. Why? Has she been to China? Has she lived my life to know how much will be enough for my traveling? Really made my blood soar. But I kept my cool. I prayed all that while that something will happen.

And something did.

Another more considerate officer suddenly sat in the desk, asked me a few questions and allowed me. Wow! And I thought I'll never leave the country. So after giving the previous female immigration officer the stare, I boarded the plane.

Inside the Plane

So this is Cebu Pacific. Everything was almost a bliss except for one more glitch. There was a special kid just right next to me and he made the most annoying sounds. He kept grumbling for the whole four hours. It was such a terrible flight. I wanted to hit the mother for bringing the kid to the plane. I mean I do not have anything against special kids but I also have the right to rest. I cannot blame the kid because, he's special so it was the mother who's really responsible.

Shanghai Airport

After four hours, I finally landed and told myself, yes this is China. On my own and just now I am so proud of myself by being on my own. I have nothing but myself to depend on. While waiting for my bag to come out, I was thinking what I will do just in case it doesn't come. I thought about how I would communicate with the people in the airport.

I was getting nervous because it's taking a long time before my bag comes out but finally it came. Now, the problem is how to get to my hostel. It was already 2am and no more bus nor subway. The only hope was taxi. I was warned that taxi from the airport would be expensive and I didn't have much option. I could have slept in the airport but I was just too tired.

So I went outside, braved the odds and got in the first taxi. I showed him the hotel address but it was in English so he had a difficult time. There was a phone number in the address and he called it- worked. After a while, I was in the hostel. The taxi billed 260 RMB ( 1900 PhP ), an amount equivalent to three days of worth of stay in my hostel. Anyway, charge to experience. I have to be more careful next time.

Blue Mountain Youth Hostel

The hostel was normal. It was cozy and full of foreign people. I loved that feeling as everybody was from another country. In my room, there were three other guys. One English and two Chinese. I never really talked to the Englishman but the Chinese guys were rather friendly.

Anyway, let me just describe the room.

To enter, one needs an electronic card key. Inside the room, there are four beds (two double-decked beds). There is also an airconditioner which is kept at 25C. I was occupying the lower deck. Each deck has a lamp, book stand and socket. The mattress was really comfortable and soft. Just what you need to sleep well at night.


1 Oct 2010, First Day

I didn't really have any plans in Shanghai. I just walked around hoping to see a decent place where I can eat breakfast. So I walked around the hostel. Along my way I noticed that there was something odd, then it hit me- today is a holiday! There was this Expo, though I didn't know what that Expo meant. I reached this place looking like a ticketing office. I think this was the entrance for the Expo. It was expensive at 200 RMB so I didn't enter. 

At this point, I didn't want to spend much because I didn't have any idea how much I have to last until Oct 7th. I still have to book my train to Beijing which is really expensive.

After a while, I found myself in the banks of the Huang Pu River. I was amazed by the river's beauty. I do not see many rivers like this. I mean Pasig River is hardly a river now but more of a sewage. At the riverbanks, it was my first time to ask a Chinese to take my picture. And it was my first picture in China. 

Along the way was a park with many old Chinese. A few more meters and I saw KFC. My very first meal in China - oily Chicken, fries and soy milk. With Spongebob toy but I left it in the store. After coming back to the hostel, I had to check my email and send Jake a message that I will book my train ticket to Beijing. I have been trying to call Jake ever since my arrival in China but his phone cannot be reached.



At lunch, I went to the Railway Station to buy my train ticket. I was again anxious because it's a holiday and there might not be available trains to Beijing. I just had to push my luck. I changed my 238 USD to Yuan and got around 1500 RMB. Not really a lot of money but would be enough just until I reach Beijing. Good thing that in the ticketing office, there's an English counter. I had to buy the most expensive ticket, 650 Yuan (that's around 5,000 PhP). It was for a soft sleeper. After buying my ticket, I saw a McDonalds and had my lunch there. I wanted to look around more but it was quite late in the afternoon so I returned to the hostel. When I reached the hostel , I fixed my stuff; took a shower and slept.

9 Oct 2010, Last Day

The saddest say in the whole trip. At breakfast, Jake had American while I had tuna. We packed our bags and checked out at 11.30am. Walked to Xinjiekon Station en route to Peking University and had lunch at KFC. And at the station, we bid each other farewell.

It will take another 5 years before I can meet Jake again, this time in South Korea.

See related article:
TRAVEL | South Korea: Roundtrip from Seoul to South and Back


Travel Insights

• When booking a flight, it is best to arrive when metro or bus is available. Otherwise, book a taxi service in advance. On the spot taxi is always more expensive.

• When booking a holiday, choose a day when it is not a holiday in the local destination. Otherwise, you run the risk of brawling with fellow travelers.

• When booking a train ticket, do it online if that facility is available. In China, most signs are in Chinese so it is challenging to find the right ticketing counters.