Exploring Nanjing in 1 day

Photo: Business and skyscrapers - Nanjing, China - 18/11/10

One day of wandering around is what I allowed myself in Nanjing where my night train brought me early early in the morning. It was still dark outside when I looked through the windows of the train onto the modern platform. Most of the Chinese clocks were about to announce 6.00am.
First trying to find the left luggage windows to leave my back, because in the afternoon the same day, a different train would be waiting for me to bring me even further north.
I got a little lost on the 3 floors counting train station as signs were not located very convenient but I managed to get my back taken care of so I was ready to take a few escalators into the ground and take the metro. From the north of the city I decided to take the metro to the south part and walk my way back up. I walked first aimlessly a little around and tried to find a good place to get a local breakfast. I found the perfect place in a side street where many local eateries where, with only locals. Many steaming pans on big fires located outside or in the entrance. My most favorite places are where their kitchen basically is located in the entrance or even outside.
I managed to order something by pointing at some noodle-slurping locals, and sat down next to them at a small wooden table outside along the street occupied with many cyclists and cycling market people or other sellers and buyers. The temperatures nearly reached the freezing-point, and when I arrived in Nanjing and leaving the metro, I quickly walked back into the metro to be out of the wind, open up my bag and put on an extra shirt. So there I was sitting, with 4 or 5 layers of clothes and the beautiful winter weather. Sitting outside on the street eating a piping hot noodle soup. One of the best noodle soups of China I had with an enormous and incredibly tasty piece of tofu! Yumyum! Sitting here sharing the table with slurping locals made me so happy, feel so local, and realize life can be so enjoyable!
While sitting there eating my noodles I noticed a young girl hanging out of the door at one of the 'eatery-kitchens' looking at me with full interest to see a big nose eating in their street, their home! When I looked again she jumped back inside giggling and two seconds later you put her head around the door again to watch me, when I waved her head shot again with a big smile indoors and instantly three faces came look around the corner. She must have told her friends about this strange person. They kept on looking and later walked to a shop and when they game back one of the girls over clearly cleared her throat asking for attention and when I looked they all started laughing again. They checked out each of my move and when they saw me finishing drinking the noodle bowl and paying they all disappeared. But when I walked back to the main street, passing in front of their kitchen and peeking inside I saw 4 young girls, a boy and two elder woman standing in front of the door all looking at me. I heard loud laughing from each of them after passing by and saying 你好(hello) with a wave. Yes Curiosity is with nearly everyone.

I started walking back by crossing the river and then turned east for my search for the city wall. I spend about 30 to 45 minutes walking in one directions but still I couldn't find any sign of the wall. And in front of me I could not recognize any bit of the wall so I decided to turn northwards, maybe the wall would start more to the north. Still nothing and I gave up because in the northern part of the city it would be much easier to find the wall. After 15 minutes walking north along a busy road and many moving people all going to their work and universities. I came along a small stretch of park or grass with some trees and benches in between the grey commuters-road and the river. The park was heavenly occupied with people doing yoga, stretching, group-aerobics, some tramps still sleeping on the benches with empty bottles and some older guys playing with the sticks with the rope in between with which they did all kind of tricks by balancing, throwing and rolling the plastic and much bigger version of the 'hour glass'. Very concentrated and with a smile of satisfaction they stood there doing their thing. And they were actually quite good at it as well! These moments are maybe to most interesting scenes along the roads in Chinese cities. Especially in the evening when 10, 20, sometimes up to 50 people performing the 'dancing aerobics' with loud dance music on the most central city squares!

At the next main crossing I turned left again heading for the central road from north to left where are some shopping areas and little squares. On one of the crossings I saw many people standing together all facing one direction. When I reached closer I noticed, parked behind the crowd, about 6 police bicycles fully equipped with flash lights and alarms. Behind these parked on the road along the curb again about 6 police motorbikes. And when I reached the people all standing on the corner, I could see on the road - because I am 1 head taller the Chinese - about 10 police cars all parked in a long line and many many police man talking with each other. Oh and there were also two cars with a few scratches, a man who had two blood-lined scratches on his front head and a lady who was about to fall unconscious. I guess the cars touched and the rest of Nanjing was 'police-less'.

Photo: Typical Chinese park - Nanjing, China - 18/11/10

With a right turn I moved north heading for the next metro station to get near the park with the lake. A big park on the outside of the old city walls with a huge gate. With the blue skies, the strong sun shines and the cold weather it was lovely to walk around here. A wide entrance road heading to the middle of the park with on both sides water. It was very busy here, a few school classes guided by their teachers, some tourists and many other students walking around. And it was only 11.00 on a Thursday morning. I could walk here for hours and so I did, here and there sitting down on a bench, enjoy the nature, reading a little, take some food or a sip from my water-bottle.
Whenever I passed a group of school kids from about 12 years all of them laughed or pointed and a few of them dared to say hello or 你好 - if they didn't know the English greeting - with loud laughs from their friends. It's interesting to see such differences in age and habits.

In the Lonely Planet(guide-book) I read that it's possible to walk over the city wall. While leaving the lake and the parks via the great entrance, I checked on the left and right but there seemed no possibility to enter the wall, so I thought to go through the big entrance, into the city and walk towards the south to find a way to access the wall.
While crossing a parking, literally bordering the wall, I saw two ladies working on the grass and the flowers and I thought to check with them, maybe they knew how to access the wall. I tried to communicate with them, but not in a single way they understood me, so I grabbed the Lonely Planet which contains some useful phrases, including Chinese writing so even if they would not understand my accent, I could point at the phrases. But of course there was no such phrase as 'where do I access the wall' but I am very creative and have a lot of patience so I tried to combine phrases to get something similar. Still no luck, so I thought to try it in a different way. I already learned the phrase '我喜欢' which means 'I'd like' and with my thick guide book kept vertically, using my fingers to imitate walking at the side of the book, and the pointing at the wall, and again walking on the book.....no luck again!
In meanwhile two girls approached, and the ladies asked them for help. One of the girls spoke very little English, and - after another at least 5 minutes of communicating - finally they understood! But the girls didn't know where....but they took me with them to their teacher of who, they were sure, would know where to enter the wall.
And yes, she spoke a little English, and yes she knew! And yes, she wished her daughter who is currently studying in Boston was there with us to explain to me where to go, and yes, I was already walking in the right direction, and yes, of course her whole class or perhaps two classes where all there and they all started gathering around me to see that foreigner talking to their teacher...and yes, each of them had to have a photo taken with me! Luckily one of the students was smart enough to get the whole class at once, so pictures with mobile phones and photo cameras were taken of me with a group of 20 students, with another 20 standing behind the scenes! And the rest of the park following this theater from every angle, because what I have noticed is that the people in China are very curious to whatever happens.
Anyway, when I was released by the many flashes and poses, the teacher dragged me out of the park to explain the directions one more time with many pointing.
Basically I should follow the wall to the left.

I followed the wall via some walking paths behind the streets, first through a little living area with locals on the streets doing their daily thing, pausing for a moment to see the stranger walking past. Three ladies sitting on a bench in the park, cutting vegetables, a few benches further older man doing their daily meeting.
And then I decided I didn't have enough time to follow the wall in order to get back on time at the train station because I needed to eat a little as well before getting on the train, and I had to buy my favorite night-train-journey-food: instant noodles and a bottle of water!
So through the living area, this time going straight instead of turning right where I came from. And a gentleman approached me telling my in Chinese that I should go the other direction to see the wall! So I thanked him for his politeness and told him I had to go to the Metro and I am sure he understood I had to go somewhere else as I kept walking very confident but stubborn in exactly the opposite direction then he pointed out to me.
I found a little local eatery which seemed suitable for me to get my lunch - I prefer the smallest and most local places to eat! The best noodles, the quickest, the best service and the cheapest!

Photo: Any place for a kitchen - Shanghai, China - 14/11/10

I tried to order something but the owner had no patience so I called for two girls sitting on the other side eating their lunch. Both girls laughing for being introduced (or forced) into what they find an awkward situation. One of the girls again spoke a little English, and I already had my guide-book with food words and phrases out, so together we found some dishes and I took the one she recommended to me. Fried noodles with some meat and egg. Unfortunately I cannot exactly remember what it was, but I know that it was very tasty. I asked if it was ok to sit down with them. We had some small talks, introduction, work, university etc. They were colleagues working at the office across the street.

After lunch, some food shopping for the train, head for the metro on the end of the road, and I cut an end to Nanjing with the breakfast by far being the highlight!

PS: As far is a know I haven't met any DSM ex-colleagues :)