Kina (2): Preko Žute Reke, Xian

Prvo putovanje kineskim vozom

Posle dvodnevnog  boravka u   glavnom   gradu krećemo za Sijan (Xi-An). Putovali smo udobno kušet-kolima, 1165 km za oko 22 sata. Vozovi u Kini nisu mnogo brzi ali su tačni, uredni, zagrejani i dobro snabdeveni  svim  potrebštinama za  putnika. Domaćica vagona, simpatična mlada žena radi sve: prvo je razvila crveni tepih duž celog  hodnika vagona, zatim  prekontrolisala  karte putnika i podelila  posteljinu; brine o  higijeni, donosi termose sa vrelom vodom za čaj, održava red i  disciplinu  ali i putnici je respektuju. Od samog  polaska voza kroz vagon se razležu tihe melodije tradicionalne kineske narodne muzike, koju  smo zavoleli još u vreme priprema za ovo putovanje.

Žanet u vozu za Xian

Voz je odavno već ostavio za sobom prigradska naselja i uz poznato ujednačeno kloparanje vijuga plodnom dolinom izmedju reke Qinghui i obronaka  planine Wutai. Sedimo pokraj prozora zaneseni u svoje misli i gledamo u daljini ljude u dugim belim košuljama i slamenim šeširima na poljima pirinča, uz zvuke ove divne muzike koja se izvanredno uklapa u ceo ambijent. Žanet, naslonjena na laktove, obujmila lice šakama i gleda ćuteći. Pitam je šta misli, a ona vidno uzbudjena, odgovara: ”Ovo je najlepši film koji sam do sada sanjala a sada  gledam uživo. Divno, nemam reči” i kroz plačni osmeh obrisa suzu koja joj skliznu niz obraz. Nikad je tako srećnu nisam video.

U 18 časova raznosači donose večeru. U posudi od stiropora sa poklopcem spakovan je kompletan obrok  po ceni  od neverovatnih 2 Yuana, što iznosi oko trećinu dolara. U 22h svetla se gase, isključuje muzika i nastaje opšta tišina sve do 06 h ujutru, kada se opet oglasi tiha kineska muzika. Odmah pada u oči da su ovde ljudi veoma  disciplinovani, poštuju vreme za obrok i spavanje. Ove navike su iznad svih drugih obaveza.English version written by Jeanette.

20.9.1990

The following day at 1PM we step the firsts in our hard-sleep coach. Soon our traveling companions are coming too; they look at us with sympathy. They wear no luggage, probably are they on a business trip because the price of this coach is to high for the common people I suppose. Everyone is putting his goblet and tea on the small table close to the window.
When the train is starting a soft traditional music start to play. This vicinage, this unexpected ritual, these discreet manners, these bridled eyes, the melody….that’s what I dreamed of! From time to time our stewardess offers ebullient water the travelers need for tea they drink non-stop. Gradually the tongues come untied. Using their some notions of English, drawings and mimics, questions and answers go on. When we show our itinerary curious heads are leaning towards the map of China.

Confucius museum

They comment it vehemently. Their charivari is pleasant to hear but suddenly no more chattering, no more music. It’s ten o’clock; light goes out, it’s time to sleep.
It’s six o’clock. The melodious sounds of a concerto awake me. At once goblets, toothbrushes in their hands, everyone stands in the row to collect water provided by a boiler in the next coach. The rule is strict, no water if the thermometer is not at 100 degrees.
Now we are all ready to continue where we stopped last night. Milan tries to perfect his little knowledge of Chinese language. The pronunciation is very difficult. The whole company is enjoying it and laughing. It’s midday; our friends informed us Xian is not far away.

Traveling 20 hours we arrive in Xian, the cradle of cultural China. Here, 200 years before Jesus-Christ, the first emperor of the united China, built its palates, its historic buildings, unfortunately destroyed during the time. The sensational discovery of 7000 soldiers in terracotta was the hook, which attracted us so far.

Bags on the backs, we slip through the thousands of travelers, curious to find the hotel recommended by L.P. At the reception they speak English. We get a clean room with bathroom, air conditioning, TV. – 70 Yuan (14$) by night. Unpacking doesn’t take a long time. First we want to go to the City Walls. LP explains the way to the bus stop. We are lucky because the numbers are written in Arab numerals just like in Peking. We walk on the imposing extremely well preserved walls, old thousands of years. In the shape of rectangle, long 12 km., they encircled the city to protect it from the invaders. Going on its wide roadway, we arrive at the Provincial Museum, once the Temple of Confucius. The museum is one of the richest in original pieces in the country.
I avow being more interested in the environment than in the vessels, sculptures and bronzes which make its notoriety. We are in a whole of pavilions connected by pretty courts and gardens. I enjoy looking at the surrounding because all is new to my eyes, different from what they are used to see…a discovery! The Forest of Steles (nearly 1500 pieces) impresses me really, splendid calligraphies, work of great Masters. This prodigious collection was instaured in 1807 by the Emperor to preserve the “Classics on Stones”. After this experience we are convinced Xian is the cradle of China’s cultural.

Xian, stari grad

What a contrast, only some minutes later, entering the old city. It starts to rain, no matter; we want to see this picture of Xian. It’s the display of an intensive and animated life. It’s a pell-mell of artisans, merchants and a concurrence of small (primitive) restaurants. Nobody pay attention to the rain. Everyone continues his job; no doubt, this people lives on the Street ….possible thanks to the agreeable temperature – we are far in the south of Peking.
Curiously looking around us, smiling and sympathetic faces make us quiet relax (we are the only strangers in the corner!). Our “nihao” (hello) attracts the neighbors believing we speak their language. No matter, mimics and good will help us to get supper. We are a little sceptic because hygiene looks not to be OK. Crudeness are plunged a while in an ebullient pot at the moment we choose it, so no more problems. The owner looks at us like asking: “Do you like it”? He smiles satisfied, supposing we are.
It’s time to rest; we return to the hotel.
In 1974, 38 km. from Xian, peasants sinking a well, discovered a gallery with statues. It was the Discovery of the Century: “The asleep army of the First Emperor”
Every day thousands Chinese come to see the 7.000-foot and horse-soldiers in natural size. These are here to guard Shi huangdi, the first emperor of the unified China. He reigned from 221 B.J-C.
I can understand the respect and devotion I see in the eyes of the visitors because the regiment of soldiers individualized in their features, expressions and ranks are like reality indeed.

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Austrija, Tirolski Alpi: Seefeld

Seefeld je mesto u Tirolu, kod Insbruka, poznato po brojnim stazama za skijasko trčanje na kojima se održavaju mnoga svetska takmičenja.

Seefeld, Leutach pogled kroz prozor

Pre nekoliko godina smo se tamo zaputili neposredno posle Nove Godine. 1-og januara. Dok se većina ljudi na planeti oporavljala od mamurluka, mi  smo seli u poluprazan voz ka Zagrebu, Ljubljani i dalje ka Austriji.

Seefeld, Leutach crvena staza

U Zagrebu smo morali da predjemo u drugi vagon – kušet kola. Bilo je vrlo udobno, i put je odlicno prosao ali se suvise brzo zavrsio! Kondukter nas je probudio kad smo već bili na stanici u Insbruku!

Leutach, informaciona tabla na plavoj stazi A9

Ne znamo koliko ce voz ovde da stoji, pa se navrat nanos pakujemo, trazimo cipele, skupljamo razbacane stvari, kupimo skije i istrčavamo na peron, odvezanih pertli i poluobučeni. Tek sad pogledamo na sat i vidimo da je oko 2 ujutru! Do naseg odredista imamo jos samo 40ak minuta vožnje lokalnim vozom, ali malo je rano da se pojavimo kod gazdarice. Sedimo na klupi i čekamo da se razdani pa krecemo oko 7h, starim vozom, koji ide na svaki sat.

U Seefeld stižemo sa prvim sunčevim zracima koji polako osvetljavaju okolne snežne vrhove i boje ih u ruzicsto, kao za film. Nalazimo se u dolini ali moj GPS kaze da smo na oko 1100m nadmorske visine. Svega nekoliko dana ranije smo preko interneta rezervisali apartman. Za novogodisnje praznike je većina njih bila zauzeta, ali smo ipak uspeli da nadjemo jedan za pristojnu cenu. Ispostavilo se da smo imali sreće. Nastavak teksta »

Comment j’ai vécu la Chine

Umesto prevoda srpskog teksta, ovde dajemo putopis vidjen iz ugla drugog putnika – Jeanette. Predjte na engleski ili procitajte drugu verziju epopeje na srpskom

Ostali nastavci, pocev od Kina (2), su objedinjeni.

U nastavku, original:

Cela a commencé un dimanche matin, lorsque nous avons fait, Milan et moi, la connaissance d’un membre de l’Ambassade de Chine. A partir de ce jour nous parvenait mensuellement  la revue illustrée :  «La Chine». Bientot je  me suis mise à rêver de ce pays énigmatique dont les portes commençaient tout doucement à s’entrouvrir. On a fait l’acquisition de trois guides dont “Lonely Planet” qui contenait les meilleures informations. Petit à petit un itinéraire prenait forme……alors on s’est lancé dans une aventure fantastique ……..

Cela a duré sept semaines et nous a coûté 4.000 km. de train, 1.000 km. de bus, 2.000 km. de bateau en terre chinoise, 26 heures de vol (Belgrade – Pékin – Belgrade) – et 3.000 dollars.

Le 17 septembre 1990 a débuté notre épopée que je notais au long des jours. Plus tard, relisant mes notes,je me suis demandée si ce n’était pas l’œuvre de mon imagination trop fantaisiste…. De toute façon, c’est ainsi que je l’ai vécue, la Chine, et c’est ainsi qu’elle est restée et restera à jamais gravée dans ma mémoire

Nous voici enfin en terre chinoise! Mon rêve devient réalité. Le train nous emporte vers Xian à 1.165 km. au sud-ouest de    Pékin. Mais que s’est-il passé jusqu’à présent ?I had the opportunity to see, in company of my husband Milan, many countries not spending enormously money.
CHINA was the best of all our discoveries. Unforgettable are the moments we experienced.

This is the story of the daily meetings with the common Chinese. I hope the reader who w’ll have patience to go to the end of these fifty exciting days will enjoy that fascinant country and its charming people.

My parents went to China in 1990. Several years laters they got their first computer and started to use it every day. They both wrote their impressions of this spectacular journey, my father in Serbian and my mother in french and then english. She was 60 when she used a computer for the first time, but she managed to post a photo gallery on Flickr and made a web site with this story. She passed away in february 2011.

It all began when we walked in a park in Belgrade, when we met (my husband Milan and I) some members of the China’s embassy. Since that day we received monthly the illustrated review “China”. Soon I started to dream of that enigmatic country which doors began slowly to open and Milan accepted the risk to go to the “unknown land”.We got three guides. Lonely Planet contained the best informations. Gradually our itinerary was formed and finally we launched out in a fantastic adventure.

Itinerary of the journey through China

It lasted seven weeks, cost 4000km by train, 1000km by bus, 2000km by boat, 26 hours by air (Belgrade – Peking – Belgrade) – and 3.000 dollars.
Our epopee began on 17.9.1990. Every day I noted my experiences. Later, reading it again, I wondered whether it was the result of my imagination? Anyhow, so it will remain forever in my memory.

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