Hastings - the fishing town

It was time for a romantic break, the coast was the destination and heading in the Southerly direction was the intention. Storms had been battering Britain for weeks, we new whichever coastal town we were heading to that it would be cold, wet and potentially bleak.

We chose Hastings, I had last visited in 1993 and my only memories were the ruins of the castle and the pebble beach. We booked bed and breakfast at Alexander's Guest House with a sea view for a respectable £70 just 10 days prior - so we expected Hastimgs to be reasonably quiet.

On the drive down we stopped at Bodium Castle, we were aware it would be closed between the Christmas and New Year break and I was concerned that this detour would be a waste of time. Fortunately the parking gates were wide open and the skies cleared long enough for us to enjoy a walk around the mote marvelling this historic building, the beauty of the surrounding landscape was accentuated by the flooded plains and burst banks of the river. Families hopped across muddy pastures and dog walkers enjoyed the relative peace. The cold soon bit at our cheeks so we headed for the 30 minute remaining drive to Hastings.

Hastings old town is small but perfectly formed. Historic small buildings line the narrow street as you pass trinket stores, vintage shops, fish restaurants, quaint cafés, old pubs and antique hordes. Climb to the East Hill for the castle ruins (closed over Christmas) and enjoy the roof top views overlooking the sea and fisherman's quarter, the roofs covered in vibrant green moss. 

We spent our time dipping in and out of pubs and enjoying fish and steak, the quiet weekend between Christmas and New Year was a perfect time to visit, a romantic time - the cold, the wet, the wind all added to the magic in this historic town as dusk set in at 4pm and the town was lit by amber lighting. 

After another stroll along the promenade, a coffee stop we then headed back home, stopping at Ashford Designer Outlet along the way. We will return to Hastings in the summer to enjoy some Lobster!

Guide to Beijing, China: Getting around, what has the city have to offer?

China – can it sustain growth? Getting around Beijing

I may have only spent time in Beijing, and took a train across the country, but the sheer size of its towns and cities, the growth of the skyline, and its modern look just exemplifies the place that China holds in the world.

Beijing has been flattened and rebuilt with many big block faceless buildings. History and culture seems to have been surrendered, even the Hutong area has been and is being rebuilt.

Speaking to a local, he tells me of the property bubble and how it is growing out of control. Rates and costs are rising, and this is unsustainable.

Sustainability is the theme here. So many people, so much growth and so many fighting to make sure they get the slice of the cake. I watch people as I travel and here in Beijing it’s no different, except there are so many more people here to watch.

I am first amazed by how everyone seems out for their own. People queue jump and push in line, they force their way onto the metro before people have disembarked. They seem to want to be there first before someone else gets there. And its easy to understand why, 1 billion people, if they are to have a chance they have to push up front. Natural selection and the fittest will survive seems to be very evident.

It’s also surprising how large the Beijing people seem to be, obesity is certainly a problem and growing by the day. Hundreds of fast-food outlets with McDonalds and KFC, to be honest this is a relief away from some of the very heavy Chinese food.

TAXIS

The roads are packed and it is likely you will not get anywhere fast, so use the metro if you can, only in the early hours of the morning are the roads quieter. Most of the taxi drivers I had seemed rude. In fact one evening I asked 3 taxi drivers to take me somewhere and they all Declined. I tried to show them somewhere on my map and they declined, this could be because they could not read. This either indicates their eyesight ability or their literacy levels.

In most cases it's quicker to take the metro and walk between locations, though expect a 10-15 minute walk to locations, plus only costs 2RMB

SHOPPING

Silk Market 

The home of replica branded clothes (shorts, tshirts, dresses, trousers etc) including Superdry, Armani, Abercrombie & Fitch etc, silk products, handcrafts, and tailored clothing. There’s a lot to feast your eyes on, and many ready to feast on your wallet:

- Expect to have to haggle hard, the buying process is more ridiculous than India and can often be much more offensive.

- Remain unbelievably calm

- When haggling don't speak just use their calculator

- They will try to charge you a ridiculous price for example a replica Superdry Tshirt is quoted as 700rmb. You should only pay what you feel the value is. Place a counter offer of 30Rmb, this will go back and forth until a final offer is agreed. It is likely you could get it for 50rmb but It's about being tough with negotiation.

- The experience left me bitter, angry and upset. They seem to be very much playing games with tourists, so it's important not to take it seriously (like I did) and play the game back. There's plenty of shops selling the same items so you can always move to another seller, at which point they are likely to say they will accept the offer. Thank god I was not alone on this trip…

EATING

The Den by Bar Street

4 Gongti Dong Lu, Gongti, Chaoyang District

·      Western food

·      Burger bacon and egg with fries and salad. Very good. 45rmb

·      Popular with westerners especially expats

CULTURE

798 - arts district 

Visit the arts district, it somewhat reminds me of East London and Shoreditch, or Brooklyn/ Williamsberg. It is very cool, and very Chinese new art. It feels like an escape from the busy surrounding city and is a certain must visit if you have 4 days in Beijing. It only takes 45 minutes to get there. Follow these directions.

909 bus (2rmb) from exit C at Dongzhmen subway (Line 2)

6km journey out of the city North East towards airport 

798 has many bars, coffee shops and restaurants, art houses, craft stores, galleries, so it is easy to while away a lot of time here.

HISTORY

Visit Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Drum Tower, Bell Tower, and Hutong area while here, all this will take you just one day. You will find it incredibly busy, but it is pretty much all within walking distance. If the clouds look heavy and grey take an umbrella! Don’t be caught in the heavy rainstorms.

While we were in Hutong we grabbed a lunch and a massage, the area was once the old part of Beijing, rebuilt it still has many of the trademarks of former times, with smaller streets, one-storey buildings, many restaurants and shops and pretty much the back-packer tourist area. I felt little vibe here due to the fact it had been heavily rebuilt, but this is what I found from much of Beijing.

EXCURSIONS

The Great Wall, Ming Tombs

We took a day trip out to The Great Wall on an excursion that included shopping outlets and the Ming Tombs. To be honest, I wished I had opted only for The Great Wall and taken the hike of the Jinshanling part of the wall, instead we took the Mutuanyu, with a cable car up to the top and a toboggan down to the bottom (which is quite fun). The wall length is limited for walking, but provides a wonderful view of the Wall and the surrounding landscape.

The excursion cost us 180RMB

The Beach, BeDaihe

We were spending 5 days in Beijing, so I needed to escape. We were advised to visit the beach. On reading more details we found it is a popular tourist destination for Russians, and so to it is – with all signs being dual language Chinese and Russian where English is forgotten. We took a train in the morning (7.35am) arriving at 9.30am, we were on the beach by 11am and enjoying a fresh Crab and Fish lunch at 2.30pm. A train back at 4.40pm and we were in Beijing again by 7pm, ticket 180RMB return.

When booking a train ticket, look out for the Train Ticket office in the far right side of Beijing station as you look at it. There is an English Desk and you will need to look hard. Alternatively queue, speak English and they will find someone for you. This process could take about an hour, so give yourself plenty of time.

To/From Airport

Take the train, it’s only 25RM and only takes 30 minutes to get to the Metro, then it is very easy to figure out from there.

Safety

I felt safe in Beijing, no fear of pickpockets nor did I feel threatened, but it’s worth being aware of your surroundings

Currency

Working 10RMB to the £ helped me budget a bit, but it does seem like Beijing is an expensive city and not the cheap I was expecting. Just be aware of costs.

Technology

Download a VPN Direct Application, especially to access Facebook

WeChat – excellent for connecting with any local

Jack’d – connect with gay locals.

See my China Gay Travel post

Vietnam - Heading to Hy Long Bay, direct but rough

We packed up and left our short stay in Hanoi, I felt I could have done with a few more hours. I actually was quite keen to see the dead body of Ho Chi Minh, but we really didn't have time. It was time though for our onward journey Easy,  heading to the coast for the sea of 1,969 islands - Hy Long Bay.

The journey was just a few hours by coach, so we made ourselves comfortable for the onward drive. Not long after leaving Hanoi on the grey, bleak highroads the heavens opened and the driver forged through torrential rains but this wasn't as bad as the way Vietnamese drive. The roads are full of potholes, and while they are meant to drive on the rightm if the driver wants to get somewhere fast he will take centre location between the two lanes and at full speed (of around 50km) swerve around Tuk Tuks, mo-peds, cars and lorries and should an even bigger vehicle be coming in the opposite direction will swerve right at the last minute to avoid a collison. I couldn't figure out if they are excellent drivers or totally insane.

We were being thrown left and right and it wasn't worth looking forward outside the drivers window - so I buried my head in a book.

We arrived in Hy Long Bay around 7pm as the sun was setting, it was very much dusk. The skies were a purple grey and the islands smoothly jutted out from the water, as was described, like "a dragon's back spikes as it descends into the sea." On the beach it was quiet, and romantic, not somewhere for a lone single man to be gazing into the placid evening sky. The water rippled gently and tourists were making their way to dinner. I had to wait to the morning to discover the true adventure in those 1000's islands.

The evening we dined on local fish, another 12-dish experience, giving me chance to explore as many different varieties of fish as I could for the first time in my life. Following food, there is little to do in Hy Long Bay. Walk along the bay, it's quiet yet warm. Stop and gaze at horrendous Vietnamese karaoke, burn your ears and move on. Shop in the tourist markets and barter to get a good deal. Head back to the hotel for an early night.

Next day, we hopped on a boat and headed out to the bay. Another overcast day made it somewhere cool, a mild 21/22 degrees. We made our way to some caves between the maze of jutting islands. Admittedly if the weather was clearer I would have been in my element, the water was an exciting green and the rock formations did put me somewhat in awe - but the weather lost the sparkle it would otherwise have. Keen to take photos, the images that were coming out weren't so impressive either - so I resided to chill out and follow the tour.

We cave walked, deciphered stalactites and stalagmites and the limestone interiors that at one point had also been submerged in water and battered by the sea. Stopping at a manmade beach we got the chance to swim - my first time in Asian sea. I had really wanted to jump from the boat, but that wasn't to happen. Instead I had to tiptoe in from the sand, surrounded by washed up debris and rubbish, to wade into waist height, quickly bathe, just to say I had been in. But it was hardly clean, very unfortunately.

Dinner was served on the boat, the boat that had been painted white under orders of the Government. Apparently a government minister had visited Europe and liked the look of all the white boats, and ordered for them to be painted in Vietnam - as you can imagine the owners were unhappy with it - and as you can further imagine, these wonderful wooden boats looked nothing as glamorous as the super-tanked 007 Sunseeker variety in Europe.....