Plank walk and clay dudes – Xi’an

Posted on September 19, 2014 by admin

A while ago a blog caught my attention. Someone mentioned Mt. Hua Shan near Xi’an and a path on timber along a cliff. The plank walk or path to heaven. A must do it. Some people around the hostel including Gary I met in Mongolia at the train station were up for it. With the help of the hostel we got private mini bus and there we went. Entering the visitors centre we got a bit shocked about the fees they were charging. 180 yuan for entrance, 40 for the bus to the bottom of the mountain which was quite a bit to go and for cable car usage each way another 80 yuan. They know how to make money out of tourists!

The views were not the best ones on that day but at least it was not raining. Walking from the north peak to the south peak also meant to climb a lot of stairs. The whole mountain is full of them. Narrow and steep staircases up the peaks and down on the other site. Not giving you much space to take over the slow ones which basically meant the Chinese visitors.

Compared to them we were rushing through the not visible scenery. For a few moments the clouds opened up but most of the time it was misty. After less than three hours we found what we were looking for. The plank walk and it seemed like it became more popular. There was even a queue to do it and for sure you had to pay for it. A police officer ensured that everybody got a harness and safety gear before entering the track.

What we didn’t know was that the path was ending at the other way and everybody was coming back the same way. It basically means you walk in a vertical cliff on a narrow piece of wood and have to climb over each other. Kind of fun but at the same time frightening if you see how unexperienced Chinese with no logical thinking handle the gear. Taking both hooks of the cable instead one by one. Or posing with both hooks in the hand for a selfie.
The walk itself was just a few dozen meters and the end was less spectacular. Just a small temple in a cave. On the way back the cloud opened once more and gave us a quick look down the cliff. A whole trekking path like this would be fun but only if there wouldn’t be as many people as at the Mt. Hua Shan.

Perhaps more popular around Xi’an is the nearby terracotta army. An army build of clay to protect the grave of a former emperor. Quite impressing to see how many warriors they build and put in those tunnels. Most of them were destroyed by the damaged arches and also by thieves. There are still some people busy in putting them back together like a huge jigsaw. But thats it, there is not more except the Chinese tourists which are also kind of an attraction.

Another adventure we had back in Chengdu when we wanted to get our sleeper tickets. Once more we had to figure out that train tickets can be sold very quickly. And so we had to figure out that our favourite train was gone by the time we wanted to book it. The only option was to wait for the nightly maintenance cycle which blocks the booking system and frees locked tickets. The next morning we had to be at the station before 7am. Two tickets we got but not mine since I left my passport home. Worrying about not getting it I hurried back to the hostel were I got it booked online with the help of the staff. Chengdu we are coming …

Arrival in wild Mongolia

Posted on August 19, 2014 by admin

Our train arrived in Ulaanbaatar -UB- early in the morning at 6:30am. Expected a quiet hostel which turned out to be like a bee house. People here definitely want to get out of the city into the wilderness. Everybody was trying to get the hostel staff around for information and to get their bookings done. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a bed in the morning but at least there was breakfast ready for everybody. Since there was no other option than to stay up I headed out for a walk.

Ended up on a hill top in the suburbs of UB. Giving me a great view down to the city. Quite a difference between the centre with some modern glass buildings and the surrounding were people live in girs, getting the fresh water out of a well. On the way up I helped an old guy to pull his water trailer back up the rocky road. Quiet an exercise. Climbing that hill was probably my best bet in this city. Not the nicest place I’ve ever been to. So I went over to organise my things. First of all to get things together for a Chinese Visa. Application forms are only accepted three days a week. It was sunday and my next chance was monday. Some people told me how to do so I got my plane tickets and my booking. On monday morning I only needed some copies and a printer but unfortunately there was a black out. No power in our district Till I got things done it was already noon, the time the embassy closes. Got there 12:10pm and the security seemed to be strict. I got refused.
Not knowing what to do I kept waiting for a moment and tried to figure out what the other people in the line were looking for. For some reason I got waved over by the security 20’ later. I was the only one getting in. Lucky me. In the embassy was kind of a mess. The counter I was waiting for closed before I could get there. So we were sent to another counter but that girl didn’t speak english. The Mongolians just jumped queues and the foreigners didn’t know how to handle it. However, half an hour later my application got accepted and with it the last one on this day. Back in the hostel the Latvian guy who told me how to do it was surprised that I got it straight away since it took him three runs. With my visa being ready in a week I was ready to join people for a tour.

Finally, I joint a polish couple who wanted to do their thing. Five days horseback ridding and another 9 days on a car up to the north. Sounded alright and after a dinner out together the decision was settled. The last day in UB I spent with walking around and visiting the black market with a group from the hostel. A place you get many helpful things for cheap. But the most remarkable thing was how people get on buses. The bus got rushed by a wild Mongolian crowd just to be the first one for a seat. We were supposed to get off it through the front but whoever wasn’t quick enough to realise that was caught in the back. Like in the embassy, different understanding of queues…

Here we go – Russia

Posted on July 30, 2014 by admin

Finally, after all the time traveling Europe and thinking about getting the Visa done for this huge country I entered Russia. My friend Alex and I were both quite excited about our Visas and the bus ticket to Saint Petersburg.

First stop will be Saint Petersburg getting there from Tallinn-Estonia by overnight bus. Just a 7hour bus ride and perhaps a several hour stop at the border.

But finally it just took about 30min to immigrate all the passengers. No wonder if the bus is almost empty. No stupid questions, no checkups of the baggage just a stamp and in the passport, done. Welcome to Russia. Actually much easier than I thought. I guess every western country might be more difficult to enter for Russians.
The bus arrived something like 6 in the morning in Saint Petersburg. A Russian guy who ‘not really likes Russia’ organised us a ride to hour hostel the ‘Soul Kitchen’. Perhaps one of the best Hostels in the World. Awesome place with awesome people working there. For a proper check-in it was too early so we headed out for an early walk through the city. Seeing the city at a time most tourist still sleep.
After the first coffee we realised that Russia or at least SPB and Moscow are not gonna be that cheap. Paying for a coffee and croissants the same price as in Switzerland.

To my surprise I couldn’t find that many typical soviet concrete buildings or architecture. It more felt like being somewhere in Europe. Wandering around between historical buildings and water canals feels more likely being in Amsterdam or Copenhagen.

As already mentioned our hostel of choice was a great selection. Massive bunk beds, big lockers with power just all what you need. And on top of that a historical soviet fuss ball table sponsored by the soviet arcade machine museum. 😀

Few days in the West – Chernivtsi

Posted on June 3, 2014 by admin

Another trip away from Kiev this time to the west near to the Moldavian / Romanian border to a city called Chernivtsi. A place with a quarter million inhabitants which Ukrainians call to be like a european city. My hostel was truly just a short stroll away from the station. On the way there you already could recognise that the Austrian-Hungarian empire left its traces.

Just after my check-in in the hostel all the guests were offered to join the british owner to an excursion to his second Hostel in Kam’yanets’-Podil’s’kyi including the transportation. A nearby place famous for its medieval fortification. Couldn’t be better since it was on my plan to go there for one day.

The road to this rather small soviet city with its historical old town was kind of bumpy. To the first time I saw really bad roads. I mean really bad ones. The beginning and end were kind of nice or ok but in the middle there was a section which cars moved to either site of the street just to move around the huge pot holes. Luckily we had an original british LandRover which did his job and brought us safely to Kam’yanets’-Podil’s’kyi.

The hostel is based just a short walk away from the main sight around old town. The old town its quite small and in a few minutes you have seen most of the things.

There are two monasteries around which shall be connected with a tunnel. One is occupied by nuns the other one by monks. At the monastery of the nuns is a catholic church based which has kind of a funny tower. A minaret its on the churches side! Originally built as catholic church it became a muslim place and later on a catholic church again.

The new part of the city its a typical soviet place. A few parks with soviet like monuments and the infamous concrete buildings. And as usual are there also abandoned places in the middle of town. We just stayed 24h which was far enough to see the fortress, old town as well as new town. Next day we headed back over the bumpy road to Chernivtsi.

And finally I found what I was missing in other places in Ukraine. A pedestrian street former calle ‘Herrengasse’ going through the old town. Full of small cafes and european like restaurants. Surrounded by historical buildings which are kept in a great condition.

The city was influenced by the Austrian Hungarian empire as well as by Romanian culture. But one of the University buildings looked more likely it was build by some english architect. Most important buildings around the centre and the parks around them are in great shape. It kind of surprised me since in other parts of Ukraine people don’t care that much about property. i still wonder who comes up for all the maintenance and restoration since there is not that much tourism around.

As soon as you leave the centre Chernivtsi becomes more of a Soviet place. Abandoned buildings, parks are wilder and more and more nine story apartment buildings show up. And as usual some industrial complex between them which from many are abandoned.

During my stay in Chernivtsi I got the chance to meet the family of Mischa. Thank you again for the city tour and nightly walk as well as for the delicious home made Borsch and berry pie. Not to forget the Ukrainian BBQ party after the elections.

Interlaken – between lakes and mountains

Posted on April 22, 2014 by admin

When I was back in Switzerland I spend some days around one of the most touristy places in Switzerland – Interlaken. The place made for Asians. Easy to access and loads of mountains and each got a cable car to the top;)

For a place with a population of about 5’400 it has a high density of Hotels and even Hostels. Perhaps one of the best rated Hostels in CH is based in Interlaken. Anyway, that place is so popular that I had to chose another accommodation – Hostel alpLodge. Compared to the popular a fairly cheap place with a great breakfast buffet. What I liked most on this place was the old building with character. Almost nothing was aligned or not anymore. The stair steps where leaning to either site and so was the floor in the room. One of my mexican friends even felt sick and had to prove it with a coin.
The wall closet in the room brought childhood memories back. The smell was identical to the one of my grannies house. The smell of old wood.

Interlaken is a great place to head out in the morning for hikes into the surrounding areas. Either straight on foot or by public transportation. As soon as you are out of a town you can enjoy the nature without a car, aircraft or any other noise source beside birds and water.

A sign you won’t spot very often in cities but you might see on an alpine hiking track especially around the top of a mountain. Also a guarantee for the great view you will get on this spot 😉

My time in Vilnius

Posted on April 15, 2014 by admin

As I already mentioned in the post about Minsk did I live for a while in Vilnius – Lithuania. I got there mid July ’13 with the initial plan of staying for 3 weeks before I had to go home for my sis wedding. However, I went home in August and returned the same month to extend my stay till mid March ’14 when i finally left the place. Here a short resume about my time in Vilnius.

You might wonder what I was doing all the time in this relatively unknown place. First of all, I like Vilnius. It is a great place with nice people all around. To keep my expenses low I decided to volunteer in my favorite hostel while getting back a daily routine and thinking about my further steps.

Its a very hard job … I will write something about living in a hostel later.

Quite often people just stay for a few nights in Vilnius before the leave the country. Not really having the time to see any surrounding places. Especially not the small spots like this train station in the middle of the woods. The sandy path through the forest would lead you to a traditional sauna. A very peaceful place.

There were a couple of celebrations happening during my stay in Vilnius. From yearly fares to city days but perhaps one which doesn’t happen that often was the return of the national basketball team. Yes, a big sport in this small country. Lithuania became second in the european champions league. So whole Vilnius was welcoming them on the old town square 🙂

But one of the reasons I decided to stay over winter was the hope to see a lot of snow. I was expecting a lot of snow and a really cold time. This was the first snow. It would be a lie to say also the last one but there was never more than this. Anyway, it was enough for a snow ball fight and some fun. The thermometer finally hit the -20°C mark for a few days but I have to regret that I was not unhappy when it was raising again.

Back in Zurich we burn an artificial snowman to celebrate the end of the winter. Here they burn an oversized doll to celebrate the begin of spring. Its smoking more than burning but finally it was gone 😉

The 4th biggest city in Lithuania is Siauliai in the north close to the border to Latvia. The city its rather know by tourists but there is a nearby sight some travelers go to. The Hill of Crosses or as I like to say Bumper of Crosses 😡
It seems like to be a creative place. At least I met a couple of people from there and quite a few of them are working with music, graphics or photographic. Must be inspiring!

This one might be a bit confusing to hear from a country which is flat. Yap, I went skiing in Lithuania. My first indoor skiing I’ve done. After a fun night we had a fun day doing this and going afterwards to the aquapark. Not the best skiing ever but as a saturday afternoon activity together with friends a good way to spend some time.

There are also places for explorer you can discover if you have some more time or you know for what you are looking. Most people just pass those places without even recognizing them but they are in the middle of the city. Abandoned places. Old factories, bunkers and even an abandoned abbey.
Some of them are more or less left in the condition they were at the time they became abandoned.

There would still be some places to discover especially during the warmer time of the year. The lakes in the east, some more time on the coast or just a normal life outside of the hostel in Vilnius. A place I really liked and enjoyed. Going for a hot chocolate or wine, go for a walk in the park or going out. Thanks to all the folks who made this time to such an experience.

HI to the 2nd

Posted on April 6, 2014 by admin

I once wrote down my thoughts about the international hostel group HI – Hosteling International. Since then I didn’t spend much time around such properties but just had to book another one in Locarno. It was just the best rated hostel by far …!

But I have to say it just helped me to settle my opinion! Good facilities but also a place for groups, families and everything else than backpackers! Even worse, if you are not member of HI than you have to pay 6CHF more per night! Yes, you pay more as it is stated on the bill of hostelworld. So you end up paying almost 50CHF/night in a ensuit 6 bed dorm. At least a great breakfast buffet is included.

Its ok to give discount to members. But in my opinion this discount should be taken off the final bill. So you always get shown the maximum you pay and not the member price. Kind of a rip off business!

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