Beijing / Shanghai : Transportation options

All over China there is new prosperity. Everywhere we went we could see buildings under construction. The rich are getting richer. I noticed cars like you would see in North America; Audi, VW, Buick, Toyota, RangeRover, Cayenne and many models of SUV's. At the lower end of the scale you have the poor struggling to survive. They work long hours doing menial jobs. Owning a car is just a dream as they trudge their way to work on their bicycles or electric scooters


(downtown Shanghai)

While we treat Scooters (and motorcyles) as recreational toys they are only considered as transportation .





It is just a vehicle for getting around, to go shopping or to commute to work while we go for a ride to clear our senses and to enjoy the smells of nature and freedom.



Electric/Gas scooters and bicycles have their own dedicated lanes separated from the rest of vehicular traffic but that is not to say that they cannot share the road with cars either. From my observations, scooter lanes are not directional. Even on one-way streets, scooters can travel in any direction and ignore all traffic signals.



You are allowed to carry anything on a scooter, even live chickens . This neighbourhood metal fabrication shop uses a tricyle for delivery


(pedal powered metal delivery tricycle)

you can also deliver noodles with your bicycle



With these larger gas powered tricycles you can also display your produce for sale



In the background you see these men scrounging the restaurant waste for food to take home on their tricycle



KFC: Kentucky Fried Chicken has a large presence here in China with outlets everywhere. Even they have a fleet of bicycle delivery vehicles



I noticed many of these motorcyle tricyles, some are used as taxis, while others are used for family transportation



It is not unusual to see them riding on sidewalks. They honk for pedestrians to get out of their way. It seems that scooters have the right of way everywhere



here is a more enclosed motorcyle trike, most are used as taxis



I only saw one of these . . .


(Motorcyle trike with metal 4 door body, with motorcyle handlebars)

There were not many actual motorcyles


(looks like a Honda Nighhawk)

the following looks like an 80's era Suzuki GS series. I did not notice any motorcyles over 125cc




(another 125cc something or other)



If I had to make an educated guess based upon what I noticed, I would say that electric scooters outnumber gas powered 4-stroke 4 out of 5. The land is relatively flat and most travel is within the city. There was not a 2-stroke scooter to be seen. All the smog is created by the manufacturing sector and the thousands of diesel powered trucks and tour buses.

All of these 125cc Chinese Motorcycles appear to have


tachometers as standard equipment

No one wears any protective gear except it is compulsory for motorcycle riders



The Police ride the largest bikes.


(Yamaha 250cc Police bike)

or


(Honda 250cc Police bike)


(Shanghai Police in action)

Beijing: Counterfeit Mall & Coca Cola

One of the places we wanted to visit was the place where they sell counterfeit goods. As we all know perhaps up to 85% or more of all goods produced in the world are Made in China. Some are of good quality and some are not. They are also known for copying products of other famous trademarks. We were told that Shanghai was the place to find great bargains, but we had some free time and found the Fake Market in Beijing.



This is the building where you can shop to your heart's desire. You will find nearly everything, but beware of what you are buying and make sure it works. It is 6 floors with hundreds of vendor stalls. It is very crowded and you have to bargain for everything. It gets tiring hearing their sales pitches.

It is very hard to take photos inside as they are watching your every move. We are foreigners and stick out like a sore thumb. They recoqnize us immediately and know we don't belong. I have spent many years photographing street people and put my talents to the test, so these photos are shot "from the hip" .



All the stalls are about 10-12 ft wide and contain lots of merchandise. No prices are displayed. All the sales people shout prices out at you and try to get you to buy something. All the brand names are there: North Face, Columbia and they do look like the real thing. It is hard to resist.



Most only speak Mandarin and shout words to us that we don't understand. When we talk back in English they more or less go away. You can't bargain if you can't communicate with each other

Going down the escalater to floor -1 (they don't call it the basement)



Directly along the rear wall straight ahead there is a purse stall. They have lots of brand name purses. Another person on our tour wanted to purchase a particular style of Gucci bag. The person at this stall hands you an original Gucci catalogue and all you have to do is point at the style you want . . . and presumably it will magically appear.



It would appear that Pink Crocs have found their way here too. Look closely at the footwear of this seller. I noticed 3 persons wearing Pink Crocs on this journey and have a couple of photos somewhere



All negotiations are with us shouting back what we want to pay. They always respond by typing in their response on their calculator. They type their number into the calculator and show you the display. This way the person behind doesn't hear what the final price will be so they will have to bargain for themselves.



I think young people with no skills have a very hard time trying to make a living. Labour is cheap and they have to stand there all day shouting out like a street hawker trying to hook customers. I was told that the average wage in Shanghai was around 2,000. Yuan (RMB) per month (approx cdn$325.)



I am not sure but I think this was the stall which sold the Gucci Bags. I am sure you would be able to find what you are looking for here

I am not a shopper, but when I reached this stall I was deeply tempted. This was a shoe vendor and had many different styles of running/walking shoes. This person selected a Columbia Walking shoe and offered it to me for $100 RMB (Yuan) . Even if I had just purchased without bargaining it would only have cost Cdn $16.50 . Being the skeptical person I examined the shoe and it looked original and had all the proper tags. Vibram soles, Goretex lining, waterproof. I am of the belief that this shoe was an original from the factory. We know that these are made in China and someone had probably just "sneeked" it out of the factory without anyone looking. When I put it down I was immediately offered a Reebok shoe for the same price: $100. Yuan/RMB (approx Cdn$16.). If only I had a larger suitcase . . .



On the upper floor they also offer other Services, such as hairdressing, pedicures and foot massages. One person from our group utilized the pedicure/massage option and dared me to take her photo.


(Priska, also from Vancouver)

On the 5th floor you will find all the electronic stuff. Computers, phones, iPhones, MP3 players and watches. Sorry, no photos, it was hard, everyone is staring at you. I managed to snag a good Rolex copy. Most of the Rolex's you purchase on the "street" are of the electronic variety. I wanted a self wind classic style which they carry "under the counter" . The bidding started at $550. (RMB) after which I said "too much" and walked away. Then she started with a slightly lower number and I walked back, then she countered and I walked away again. She called me back with a lower number and I said "still too much" and started to walk away and she then said she would give me the lowest price. With her calculator she keyed in the magic number and I walked away with my new watch


(Rolex Datejust mechanical self wind watch)

Not bad for $120 RMB (Cdn$20) . You would be hard pressed to tell it from an original. In case you were wondering it's not for me, I don't wear ladies watches. I draw the line with Pink Crocs

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How much would you pay for a Coca Cola ?

After we finished our time in Beijing we travelled to Shanghai where we met up with our 2nd group of travellers. Luckily for us some of these people were also with us on our Beijing tour which we now considered as our friends. All the meals on our tour were included but tonight we were on our own and the others wanted a change from eating Chinese food so we headed down to the main shopping district on Nanjing Road for an english type meal and got hosed.

I had a hamburger and Mrs Scoot had a pizza. It was very hot and I was thirsty so I ordered my usual coca cola. I was so thirsty that I finished the first tin and ordered a 2nd. I mean, how much does a coke cost ?

here was our bill



Our bill came to $356.50 RMB/yuan (Cdn$59), which included $90. RMB for my cokes (nearly Cdn$15. for 2 tins) . This place also added 15% gratuity automatically. I mean, I have never paid Cdn$7.50 for a coke in my life, until now.

After this point everywhere I went I wanted to know the price of a tin of Coke. The average price in a store or at a street vendor ranges from $3. yuan (Cdn$0.48) to $7. yuan (Cdn $1.14)



Now this is more like it, only 2.9 yuan and it tastes the same as the Cdn$7.50 tin

Back from China

Well . . . here we are just back from China. As I write this we have been awake for nearly 36 hours. Our day started at 5am this morning, or should I say yesterday morning in Shanghai, and it has taken over 18 hours with a connecting flight to Beijing to catch our flight home to Vancouver. I find the airport security checks in China more stringent than here in North America. They have no regard for personal privacy. They will think nothing of opening ladies purses as if they were their own and just empty the contents for everyone to see. I see the faces of other travellers and know what they are thinking by their expressions but no one dares to say anything as we just want to get home.

I have much to say from my observations of what I believe to be true about life there. There is a big contrast between rich and poor and modern and old. There does not seem to be middle ground. The middle class does not appear to exist. There is much poverty which is hidden from public view. Slums are covered by huge barriers but our bus allows us to view over. I do not believe that foreigners are able to rent cars and from our few days on the road and looking at the road signs I don't think it would be wise anyway as all the signs are in Chinese. You would not be able to find your way without a guide. Motorcycles are NOT allowed on the freeways, tunnels or on the many bridges. No one seems to abide by traffic regulations and traffic signals are just there as suggestions.

Traffic is gridlocked in all the big cities. I thought Vancouver was bad but this is much worse.



The population of Canada is around 35 million and Shanghai is a city of 22 million, Beijing is around 20 million. Traffic is very agressive and this is how it works. If you want to change lanes you just pull a little ahead of the other car and move over slowly without signalling. Another method is to just honk your horn and go for it. All day long you hear the sound of horns. Scooters are the worst. They stop for nothing. If you are crossing the street and you are in the way, they just honk and expect you to move out of the way or slalom around you. Scooters go any direction they want. Going the wrong way on a one way street is very common, or just ride on the sidewalk and honk your horn at pedestrians at the same time.

I had hoped to post some photos during the past couple of weeks but did not know about the Great Firewall of China. The Government has blocked everything that allows free expression such as Blogger and YouTube. I don't think they know about free internet. They charge for internet access based on time.

I don't know exactly where we went but we left early every morning and didn't get back until late every night. It was very tiring with all the walking and the tight timetable. Over the next while I will gather my thoughts and sort out my photos.

We weren't the only ones that were tired as evidenced by this local family


(Forbidden City, Beijing, China)

Little did we know when we planned this vacation that we chose to visit during their National Holidays. This is the time where every one in the country decides to take holidays at the same time and make their pilgramage to Beijing to pay respects to Chairman Mao. Everywhere we went we were met with massive crowds and huge line ups


(Dragon Well Tea Plantation)

When ever you are in an area of large crowds they set up security check points. All bags have to go through airport type scanning machines and if you have pocket bulges you have to show what you have in your pocket. I had to open my pocket to show them my camera lens. We even took the subway and again, all bags have to be scanned before you are allowed into the station. Their subway system is very well thought out. In Beijing the fares are low to encourge less use of resources.

The scenery is very beautiful and they have many historic cities which cater to tourists


(Wuzhen, Water City)

While their cities are very modern and use cutting edge technologies to minimize energy use, others stick to more tradition methods, like this fisherman in one of the many canals


(Traditional fishing, Wuxi, China)

Taking a short photographic break, back soon

Finally, our vacation has arrived. In a couple of days we will be off and away on another anticipated adventure to a far away land. We have no idea what to expect. We cannot speak the language and have no relatives to visit. We are down to the wire. What to pack, what not to pack, how much to bring, what to leave behind. Decisions, decisions.

During the past few weeks I had been mulling things over in my mind and have come up with a simple solution and making compromises. I merely made a short list of must haves like; netbook, main camera, backup camera chargers, cables, spare batteries, tripod, and flash unit. Then I thought what if my external drive dropped on the floor then my photos would be lost, so now I am bringing an external DVD writer and purchased some DL DVDs. I even burnt a DVD to make sure things worked the way I imagined. I put an SD card in the slot and burned direct to DVD as a test. Then I thought what if my luggage got lost and I had no chargers so I am bringing a universal charger in my backpack as a spare. The universal charger is able to charge all the batteries I have, except for the netbook. So after I packed the essentials I started to add some clothes and ended up with 5 T-shirts, 1 extra jeans, shorts and under-essentials and just buy what I am missing, after all, everything is made there anyway.

We have been fairly busy every weekend but I finally had a chance to work on my video to wrap up the Gastown Blues & Chili Festival . There was great music from a few local groups and we just sat there enjoying the music and eating chili . Here is but a small sample of what we experienced.



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If you have been following Gary France on his cross country HD tour of the USA you will see some stunning photos he took while in Arizona and Utah. By co-incidence I was trying to clean up my hard drive and was archiving some photos we took on our trip to Utah, Arizona and Nevada . I was looking at my photos and thinking of Gary on his HD and dreaming that I was there too on my V-Strom. It is such a beautiful part of the country and I would like to return again to the Moab/Arches area and spend some more time there photographing.

Actually, I prefer road trips and I always consult a map to find roads that look interesting which I had not taken before. Like a seasoned traveller, which I am not, I like to take the roads less travelled and stop for many photos. It is more about the journey than actually getting there. It is the road and the people you meet along the way that brings back memories of good times and the freedom to decide which way to go every time you reach a fork in the road. While photos invoke memories of the past, sometimes they do no good by just residing on a hard drive or written to a DVD. It is about sharing your experiences and helping others to discover for themselves a part of the country which they may like to experience, first hand for themselves. I enjoy viewing photos taken by others and I have greatly enjoyed the ones that Gary has taken.

Other than arriving at an exotic location, this trip will not be much different than any other trip. I have my camera(s), my netbook, lots of memory cards and a system to back them up. Our flight flies direct to Beijing and after a few days we fly over to Shanghai for the world's fair.

I leave you with the following photos taken on our Big Circle tour of the National Parks of Utah and Arizona. We will be back in a couple of weeks with more stories to tell . (photos in no particular order)


(Main Street, Oatman, Route 66)

We had to drive along the famed Route 66. We wanted to feed the wild Donkeys so we purchased carrots in a supermarket in Laughlan, NV. After we fed one of them, they followed us into the store and it was hard to keep them away. They were very aggressive


(Arches National Park, Spectacle Arch)

I just love Arches NP and want to spend more time there, Next time . . .


(Canyonlands National Park, Mule trail to the bottom of the canyon)

There is over 1,000. miles of roads down in the canyon BUT the roads are restricted to 4x4's only. I think the next time we will rent a jeep from Pink Jeep Tours.


(Bryce Canyon, after an early morning snowstorm)

We arrived early to find the road to the south rim closed due to heavy snow. The Ranger told us they closed the trails due to too much ice and they were tired of having to rescue all the hikers. We had a terrible time navigating to the lookout because of the slippery walkways.


(near Red Rock Canyon)

We were not used to seeing rock formations like these so I had to stop for a photo


(Bryce Canyon)

Did I mention that it was very slippery there ? Lucky thing we brought our hiking sticks


(South Rim, Grand Canyon)

The Grand Canyon is a magical place. One evening we stayed for the sunset and the next morning we arrived before sunrise and it was spectacular to see the sun creep over the mountain and light up the canyon. It is such a peaceful place and you realize that you are just a small speck on the landscape.

Since we are heading "on the road", here is one for the road


(Monument Valley)

Back soon, stay tuned . . . next stop Beijing, China

will try to post a photo or two if I can find internet access.