In the

fall of last

year I was one of the
thirty-five or so people from Emily
Carr who went to China. I kept a
small and sporadic account of the
trip ina notebook I tried to keep with
me at all times. For the Exotica Issue
of The Planet I have extracted a few
of the notes I jotted down. These are
not necessarily highlights asI tended
to live for the moment when things
were really going well. I wrote when
I had time on busses , trains and
various waiting rooms. To keep the
flavour of life on the road I’ ve left the
short-hand style of the diary intact.
Anything in brackets was written
for this article. At times I get pretty
gripey so you can see that the note-
book served both to record events
and vent steam. Travelling with so
many other people could be a bit
trying, especially under such con-
trolled cir¢umstances. However for
the most part] think we all got along
amazingly well. We left on Oct.31st.,
and arrived on Nov.2nd., since we
leapfrogged over the International
Dateline.

by GAIL NOONAN

lost a day in
transit. At the airport in Shanghai I
saw aman using an abacus. The hotel
is still under construction. We are
shoe-homed three to a room and there
is no heat. We’ve got running water
though and a toilet. Today we were
bussed to the Beijing Academy. No-
body knew where it was so we went
around and around.

Nov.3

Tons of people on bikes. Yes-
terday I saw a three wheeler loaded
down with five double mattresses.
Today we passed an army truck with
the engine on fire. Lots of people wear
white gloves. People truck everything
around on bikes. We just passed a
woman carrying eggs. Everything is
done by hand. We passed four women
carrying the metal frame for an arch. It
must have been bloody heavy. Lots of
horse and donkey carts.

Nov.4

Weare outinthecountry. Very
flat with mountains off to the left and
ahead of us. More donkey carts with
people riding on top of whatever is
piled on the back. Field after field of

VOL.4 NO.6

bok
choy. Every-
thing is made out
ofbrick. Ancient hous-
ing compounds,tile rooves.
Beautiful blue sky.

The Great Wall — we could
see it as a ribbon on the side of the
mountains. Hairpin turns, near the top
they had mirrors so that you could see
around the comer. Lots of cyclists,
horse carts. There is a little tourist-trap
village near the Wall. We parked the
bus there and walked up. It’s very
steep in places. Lots of tourists, mainly
Chinese. Large square flag stones,
could be some kind of slate, used to
pave the road on top of the wall. I took
a picture of a Scotsman in his kilt on a
parapet with the Wall trailing off in the
distance.

Nov.6 [this might have

been Nov.5 ] Wow, I thought

I lost this book. It was wrapped up in
one of my roommates’ blankets. This
morning both roomies were miserable.
They over-did it last night. One was
curled up in a fetal position and the
other was yowling. It was actually
funny in a weird way.

Rightnow we are sitting on the
bus outside the Forbidden City. The
place is absolutely astounding both in
terms of it’s scale and for the wild
variety of people you seein the crowds.
I saw some Tibetans and a Buddhist
monk. People stared atme quite frankly.

Colinnever showed up

forthe bus. We eventually had

to leave. Hugh and Dave stayed
behind to look for him.

Really Nov.6

We are on our way to Xi’an
after a night train trip from Beijing to
Lou Yang.

The train trip was quite an ex-
perience. Outside the station, which
was enormous, there were huge crowds.
We had to push our way through a
tightly packed throng at the entrance
gate. It was pretty close to panic be-
cause we didn’t have much time.
Getting through the gate meant push-
ing tiny, elderly men and women ahead
of you. Others were ramming in ahead
and squeezing in from the sides. We
passed our baggage over to Richard
who was already inside. After waiting
to board we discovered that we had to
load our luggage ourselves in less than
five minutes so we tried forming a
chain.

Colin had still not shown up by
the time we had to leave for the train.
He’s back now, safe and sound. I'll
have to get the story from him later.

Nov.7

Yesterday was the classic bus
tour day. We were met at the train
station at 6:30 in the moming and taken
to a smoke-filled restaurant for a pre-
ordered dim sum breakfast. The first
dish we got was pigs knuckles. The
feel of the bristles was pretty nauseat-
ing and the thought of chewing on pig
skin wasn’t too appetizing. After afew
tentative bites I kept to the peanuts in
the sauce. About fifteen minutes later

i}

~*~
“41 4y \S

eee VEN e8 ¥
4 >

a

we got

the second dish which was layer
cake with hard icing. Dish #3 arrived
after a healthy interval and turned out
to be meat balls. The vegetarians really
suffered with this one.

After a squat stop we had the
usual wait until everyone was loaded
back on the bus. Actually I’ve left a |
whole part out of this account. First of
all, right off the train we were taken to
a swanky hotel so we could use the
bathroom and wash up a bit and wait
and wait and wait until we were loaded
on the bus and driven around the block
to the restaurant. From there it was as
I’ve already described.

After breakfast we took a two
hour bus ride with the horn blasting
every two seconds. As we got closer to
the mountains the land got spectacu-
larly beautiful. Lots and lots of con-
struction. People were building houses
and more terraces or otherwise rear-
ranging the land. We went over the
Luo river which has flat land far to
either side and also flat delta-like is-
lands in the middle of it. The vegeta-
tion was pretty much the same as cen-
tral Canada with maple trees and the
like. Winter wheat made all the fields
velvety green. The fields are not open
and flat but have small raised borders
every two yards or so.

The sounds here are out of the
world. The train horns are higher
pitched. At the stations the announce-
ments sound sci-fi because of the
reverb, echoes started after the first
syllable through tinny speakers. The
trains make an almost trumpet like
sound when they start up. It must have
something to do with the brakes.

The stars at night are incredi-
bly brilliant. [began to understand how

In the
fall of last

year I was one of the

thirty-five or so people from Emily
Carr who went to China. I kept 2
small and sporadle account of the
tripinanotebook Itriedtokeep with
‘meatalltimes. For the Exotia Issue
of The Planet Ihave extracted a few
ofthenotesI jotted down. These are
notnecessarily highlightsasI tended
to live for the moment when things
‘were rally golng well. Iwrote when
T had time on busses , trains and
‘various walting rooms. To keep the
ayour of lifeon the road I'veleftthe
short-hand style ofthe ary Intact.
Anything In brackets was weitten
for this article. At times [get pretty
sripey so you can see that the note-
book served both to record events
and vent steam. Travelling with so
many other people could be a bit
trying, especially under such con-
‘rolled ciréumstances. However for
the most part think weall got along
amazingly well. Welefton Oct3ist,
and arrived on Nov.2nd., since we
Jeapfrogged over the International
Dateline.

by GAL HODKAN

“Nl BES W

We
Ney. Desmarais

twansit, At the airport in Shanghai I
saw aman using an abacus. The hotel
is still under constuction. We are
shoe homed three to room and there
{sno heat. We've got running water
though and a toilet. Today we were
bussed tothe Beijing Academy. No-
body knew where it was so We Went
around snd around.
Nov.3

“Tons of people on bikes. Yes
terday Isaw a thee wheeler loaded
down with five double matresses.
‘Today we passed an army tuck with
theengineonfire Lots of people wear
white gloves. People truck everything
sound on bikes. We just passed a
woman carrying eggs. Everything is
done by hand. We passed four women
carrying the metal frame for an arch. It
smusthave been bloody heavy. Lots of
hore and donkey ears

Nov.4

‘Weareoutinthecountry. Very
fla with mountains off to the left and
ahead of us. More donkey cats with
people riding on top of whatever is
piled on the back. Field after eld of

Ws

ofbrick. Ancienthous-
ing. compoundsile rooves.
Beautiful bie sky.

‘The Great Wall — we could
soe it asa ribbon on the side of the
‘mountains. Hairpin tums, near the top
they had mirors so that you could see
sound the comer. Lots of eyeliss,
horsecarts, Thereis litle tourist-ap
village near the Wall. We parked the
‘bus there and walked up. It's very
stexpinplaces, Lowsof tourists mainly
Chinese. Large square flag stones,
‘could be some kind of slate, used 0
‘pavethe road ontop ofthe wall. Itook
‘picture ofa Scotsman in his kilton a
parapet with the Wall railing offin the
sistance.

Nov.6 [this might have

been Nov.5] — Wow,Ithought
Tost this book. It was wrapped up in
‘one of my roommates’ blankets. This
‘moming bothroomies were miserable
‘They over-did it ast night. One was
curled up in a fetal position snd the
other was yowling. It was actually
fanny in a weird wa

Rightnow wearesiting onthe
bus outside the Forbidden City. The
place is absolutely astounding both in
terms of i's seale and for the wild
variety of peopleyouseeinthe crowds.
T saw some Tibetans and a Buddhist
‘monk. Poplestaredatmequite frankly

Colinnevershowedup
forthebus. Weeventually had
to leave. Hugh and Dave stayed
‘behind to look for him,

Really Nov.6

‘We are on our way to Xi'an
after anight train rp from Being to
os Yang

“The wan rip was quite an x
parience. Outside the sation, which
tasenomous, here werchugecrowds.
We had to push our way tough «
Sghly packed trong athe enrance
ate. I was prety close to panic be
cause we didn't have much time
Getting through the gate meant push-
ingtny elderly menand women head
of you, Others were rammingin ahead
tad aqueeing in rom the sides. We
pasted our baggage over to Richard
‘who was already inside. After wating
to board we discovered that we had ©
Joadourloggsge ourselves in ess than
five minutes #9 we tied forming a
chain.

* Colinhad sllnotshownupby

the time we had to leave fo the tain.

He's back now, safe and sound. I'l

Ihave to get the story from him later,
Nov.7

Yesterday was the classic bus
tour day. We were met at the tain
station t 6:30 the moming and taken
to a smoke filled restaurant fora pre-
‘ordered dim sum breakfast. The first
dish we got was pigs knuckles. The
feel ofthe bristles was prety naveat-
jing andthe thought of chewing on pig,
skinwasn'ttoo appetizing. Afterafew
tentative bites I kept to the peanuts in
the sauce, About teen minutes later

Sz
S g
Sri we

{the second dish which was layer
cake with hard icing. Dish #3 arived
after a healthy interval and rumed out
tobemeatballs. The vegetarians really
suffered with this one

‘After a squat stop we had the
‘usual wait until everyone was loaded
‘back on the bus. Actually I've left a
whole partoutof this account First of
all, ight off the ain we were taken to
1 swanky hotel so we could use the
bathroom and wash up abit and wait
snd wait and waitunti we were loaded
‘onthe bus and driven around the block
to the restaurant. From there it was as
ve already described.

‘After breakfast we tok a two
hour bur ride with the hor blasting
every woseconds. As we gotcloterto
the mountains the land got spectacu-
larly beatiful. Lots and lots of con-
struction. People were building houses
and more terraces or otherwise rear-
ranging the Ind. We went over the
Luo river which has flat land far to
either side and alzo flat ela-like is-
lands inthe middle oft. The vegeta-
‘ion was pretty much the same as cen
‘wal Canada with maple wees and the
like, Winter wheat made al the fields
velvety green. The field arenot open
snd flat but have small raised borders
‘every two yards ors.

"The sounds here ae out ofthe
world, The tain horns are higher
Pitched, Atthe stations the announce:
ments sound sci-fi because of the
reverb, echoes started after the first
sflable through tinny speakers. The
trains make an almost trumpet like
sound when they startup. Itmusthave
Something todo withthe brakes.

‘The star at night are incredi-
blybrilian. begantoundersandhow