Crazy crazy nights
It took a little bit time until I had convinced Tocho to hand over his telephone to the taxi driver - our common method to give directions. Arrange a Chinese to explain the taxi driver where to go. We met next to the restaurant where I had dined with the PEC colleagues Tina, Jessica, Olaf and Martin. First place for the night: a African bar in ‘Lucky Street’ – start of ‘Mochito’ season. Later Olaf and Sami joined, we changed to BarBlu, a crowded danceclub. Tocho could not believe that they play ‘la Camisa negra’, the song from the Columbian ‘Yuanes’, here. We went to one more place, it got 5:30 am until I was home…only average preparation.
Private Great Wall Marathon
Saturday I woke up from the call of ‚Charlie’, the driver whom I had arranged for the Great Wall. Also for Olaf’s call I did not have to wait for long. It was 8 am, the time we wanted to start. 8:25 I arrived at the Great Wall Sheraton, meeting point for our tour. On the way, as expected, collective sleeping. Prize for best preparation for Chilean friend… not only that he got the back bench for horizontal sleeping, also he was equipped: oropax and eyemask – way more professional than the rest. Our first stop was at Xiao Hong’s, also called the ‘fat one’ (Wolfgang Ihle). Gathering the newest information about the Great Wall section, also I ordered tomato egg noddle soup, a breakfast which gave power despite eating only 3 noodles and 3 spoons of soup. Start of PGWM was Huanghuachen Great Wall section, westwards. We climbed the first kilometres... too steep for world records here. After leaving civilization behind we could go for the opening ceremony: fireworks bought from the vendors at Huanghua village. After half distance Olaf and Sami, originally half marathon runners, decided to go for full distance. Landscape and track changed. Cross country running – we reached the un-redeveloped section of the GW. After a while we overtook a German family, obviously the only others here except us. They forced us to drink their 56% ‘Baijiu’ (Chinese liquor), after that they were first again. Only because they missed their way later on, Tocho (the prepared Chilean) and me finished first and second. Overall time about 3:30 h. At the finish, as I expected, a welcoming committee awaited us. We were at Huanghuachen park, exactly the place where I had been accidentally half year ago, when mum, Christina, Inge and Waldemar visited. The guard was angry in the beginning and showed us the sign ‘this section is not open to public….’. Yet after 5 minutes discussion (in Chinese!!!) he was easy, only still rejected to pose with us for a picture. Even easier he got when the German family came, finished 3rd to 6th and treated him with the Baijiu that had helped them also with us before.
Afterparty was again at Xiaohong’s shop (which is actually a restaurant). We feasted with Tsingdao, peanut chicken, barbeque fish. Tocho (the Chilean winner) decided not to talk anymore but concentrate on eating. Also we needed to cure the injured – Sami’s knee was swollen like hell. After collective sleeping again on the way back we finished the day at ‘a thousands and one nights’ (muslim food and belly dance) ‘Salsa carribean’ (also with some reggeaton tunes, yeah!) and again ‘barblue’ (‘la camisa negra’, un otra vez).
Marathon, part II
4 days later, after having seen Xian and Shanghai, Tocho arrived at Guangzhou. With the established method we send him to the place where I live: Fangcun a little away from downtown in Guangzhou’s south. After the exertions last time, this time the plan was more comfortable. We went for dinner. Japanese Teppanyaki. Oysters, clamps, filet – all you can eat, prepared on a hot plate at your table. My boss Dietmar accompanied us, a 150 kg man, specialised in ordering the right food on occasions like that. We finished the night at C:Union, together with Stefan and Vera at a fundraising party for the Sichuan earthquake victims. It was ‘national mourning day’ music only started after 12 pm. After ‘all you can eat’ …(also drink!!) we were slightly tired and, after half hour jazz and hiphop performance it was enough and we went home.
Next day I worked in the morning and picked up Chilean long sleeper at 10:30 am. After short stop at McDonalds, my gym, again the office and Motorola (3rd time no success, sorry!) we started Marathon part II. Mountain marathon this time. Bayun Shan, ‘white cloud mountain’ in Guangzhou’s north. We left the backpack at a kiosk, Tocho bought spectacular ‘eye hologram’ glasses, his favourite during the next day, perfect to fool extra strict Chinese customs officers. After warm up ( kicking a feather ball, most famous sport for women here…) we started up the mountain. The beginning was pretty steep upwards. People weaving – we are a curiosity. After 20 minutes we turned right, passing a grassland skiing area, than ran down a couple of hundred stairs, finally entered a small path. Now there were no people anymore. Beautiful beautiful nature! The jungle around. A cloudy day, not too hot, only humid like hell. After some kilometres still no people. We had to take some lefts and rights. I had no idea, just went anywhere. After a while we came back to a paved way…. puuh, great. We went upwards again and soon reached a tourist point. I bought drinks at a kiosk. RMB 12 for 2 Gatorate - not cheap, I had brought RMB 20. Soon we proceeded, upwards again. Hairpins. It reminded me of the big mountains at Tour de France... Tour Malet, Galibier. Very steep and selective. The road ended at a gate. RMB 5 entry per person, I had 8 left. No way to negotiate with the clerk… but also no way to end here! ‘come on Tocho run!’ I did not feel too good with that but I left the RMB 8 and we climbed upwards. After 10 minutes we reached the summit and, in deed, could descent the other side. No need to pass the gate again - lucky again. But where are we? We ran further down the road, I asked… in my best Chinese, with hand and feet. ‘Cable car valley station?’ The answer: back where we came. After descending for 20 minutes… impossible. Also we wanted to do a roundtrip! ‘Further down we can take a taxi?’ ‘Hmmm… maybe no’. Anyway we ran further down – and finally reached west gate of Bayun Shan Park. Our backpack was at the south gate. Take taxi? No! Tocho was in great running mood. We ran along the street. After 15 minutes it started raining, 10 more minutes and it poured down like hell. We under-passed some bridges and tried to avoid the cascades coming down. I was pretty dead. We asked again. ‘Yeah 10 more minutes and you got it’ …okay we went on. After 20 minutes we asked again ‘5 more minutes’, asked again ‘4 more minutes’. It was endless. (Never ask a Chinese about directions!!!). Wet like poodles we finally arrived at the kiosk. Happy having finished. Tocho showed me his pediometer: 19,8 km; 3 hours… nearly half marathon, with all the ups and downs.
Next step of the ‘masterplan’ was: recover in the nearest spa. 10 minutes later, wet poodles entered a pretty luxiory spa. Shower, whirlpool, mango juice & sushi included. Highlight was ‘fish spa’, also called ‘kissing fish’. A pool with special fish that eat the dead skin at your foot – soooo giggely! It was too late for Hong Kong. I got my hair cut and we took body massage at the parlour shop next to my house. Great fun with ‘Aling’ and ‘Cenhua’. Final stop that evening was Fangcun bar street, the nearest bar area from my home, local Chinese crowd. There was not too much going on at 1 am on Thursday. After the singer of one of the Filipino band asked us where we are from they played a German song (of which I did not understand a word) and, guess… ‘la camisa negra’.
Next day we finally made it to Hong Kong. At the Metropark Causeway bay our room was upgraded to ‘suite’. Harbour view, just spectacular. I could not help but compare the view with the one out of my apartment in Fangcun, where I still not know if it is a chicken barn on the rooftop of the rundown building across the road. After checking in, we lost no time and went up the Central Escalator, then took a taxi up Victoria peak. 3rd time for me now. New for me was the way down. We passed Stanley beach where we had great swimming and resting - and my friend, still drained from the half marathon needed a lift from beach patrol. After a boat tour through Aberdeen fishing village we enjoyed our great hotel room and ended the evening at a Latin bar in Wan Chai. Of course they also played... I don’t mention it anymore. Saturday early morning Chilean ‘brother’ left… you left the pediometer Tocho! I guess it was intention and take it as a present. hope to see you soon… maybe beginning of 2009 in Chile. Still one mountain waiting… |
