Backpacking into the unknown. One of my very first. This is my first time backpacking and the first time I'm travelling without any planning. Basically its just taking anything that comes along. The first day is about touring Hohhot, capital city of Inner Mongolia. Here is the guys with their backpacks. The girl with Ivan is Ah Nam, a kawaii korean whom we got to know during the mongolia trip. She is currently studying Chinese in beijing and decided to join us to tour for awhile.
Mongolian inscriptions looked like centipedes - exotic and mysterious.
Okay. Hohhot capital of enigmatic mongolia is about motorcycles.
Its about 213452342 cars and taxis
The first thing that we do like in all our travel stops is to get train tickets to the next destination. Here's Hohhot's Train station. Look at the difference in size of the two bags. One of us is definitely bringing excess baggage.
The gang in the train station.
Our first train ticket in china. It costs only about 2+ sgd for hard seat? Well, for that price it also proved to be the most "memorable" train ride ever...which I will touch on later.
On to the next destination! In tuk tuks! (It was not a matter of choice, we couldn't get any cabs)
Hmm...Exotic vernacular, post-mod mongolian architecture?
The best travel buddies :)
Dazhao temple. Oldest building in Inner Mongolia (1580) and houses the rare 2.5 metres high silver statue of Buddha. Here is the plaza built to accomodate us tourist.
Strange braces holding up the ornate roof of the gate-way.
Our first place of interest in our back-packing trip!
South-east asian architecture in Mongolia. Don't the two posts look like the masts in Mazhu temple all over SEA?
Aura over the karma Wheel ( Its clock-wise sam! duh.)
Interior of Mongolian temple. All gold, rainbow and tibetian.
After visiting the temple, we entered into our first pedestrainised street in china, selling all sorts of gifts and goods.
It was the evening and the kids from the local school made their way home. They looked simply adorable in their communist-looking red gab.
Ivan in all smiles after having quenched his thirst at the teahouse.
I really wonder how pigs can be kept as pets...
More temples after the break.
Our first ride in China's Public Bus! I have to give it to the quality of bus transport in China. The audio system reports the current stop as well as the next stop, it cost only 1 RMB to get to anywhere, the visual display gives up-to-date information of the location of the bus as well as the name of next station. SBS and Transit pales so much in comparison! The only draw-back is having to squeeze with 328735792134 Ah diongs...
Look at Lady Vegeance! ( da chang jing) Doesn't Ah Nam look just like her!
Here is one of the many location where we hide our cash with us. The idea is to have as many "lifes" as possible. As what sam said, "It would take more than 6 robbery to make me a pauper!" I just pity the guy that makes financial transaction with us. Ha Ha.
What the hell is this doing in china...It really explains why the world needs architects. Seriously.
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