Ok, day one has gone and I have a great little story to tell you. Sorry it's long, but i'you will like it!
Charlie, Brock and I decided to have a walk round to the Forbidden City and that area. We were told that because it is the Chinese National Holiday, there will be millions of people - quite a sight. So off we went.
After walking for about an hour, in heavy crowds, I turnied round to see Charlie was chatting to a Chinese girl. This is a common occurence for all of us, they just come up to you, ask if your English and ask if they can practice their English. This girl was called Efan, spoke really good English and was a teacher from Mongolia. We chatted for a while, about her family etc, whilst we walked closer and closer to Tianammen Square (spelling!?).
When we got there finally, we were still with Efan, she was just pottering about and we were taking lots of photos. She wasn't a guide trying to rip us off, as we had suspected. It was really quite handy. After looking round, we talked about what we want to do next and decided with the help of Efan to go to the Hutong district, the older part of Beijing.
On the way, we stopped off for ice cream at McDonalds. By this time, we had been out and about for about three hours. We then headed off for the short walk to the Hutoing district. When we got there, we told Efan that we just wanted to walk around, have a browse about. She had mentioned going to a Tea House and we had jumped at the idea - it was scorching hot and could kill for a cuppa!
After a while, she asked if we fancied going in this tea shop, yeah we thought, why not. Inside it was great, very old, nice smelling and friendly. We were taken to a room, just for us four and a hostess. For the next hour, we sampled (by sampled I mean got a slight drop of) six types of tea. We had a plate of peanuts for a snack. It was very refreshing and we were over the moon. The hostess would speak in Chinese and Efan would translate. Anyhow, after a bit, we asked for the bill. She left, and returned with a bill for 2,500 Yuan. Tbat is equivalent to the entire amount I brought myself for the entire week. About 600 Yuan each, or 40 quid.
Gobsmacked, we couldnt understand how. When asked, it broke down to 200 Yuan for the room, 50 Yuan for snacks each and 80 Yuan per person for every type of tea tried. Blimey.
I didn't have enough, so had to pay with my card. Charlie and Brock tried to pay with their card, but they wouldnt accept them, so paid with every last Yuan they had on them. Efan had 500 Yuan, so we had to give her 80 Yuan. We felt so bad, she was literally penniless then. As a gift, to make us feel better, they gave us each a half decent tea pot.
After leaving, Efan was very appologetic. But we comforted her that it wasnt her fault, 40 quid each wasnt the end of the world, lets not let it spoil Beijing. So she asked what we wanted to do now. Moneyless, we asked to just potter about and look in the shops etc. A short way away, she showed us a 300 year old pharmacy. Nothing special, but just the kind of place we needed to go following our spending spree!
After looking round for about two minutes, I turned round. Charlie and Brock we walking fast over to a side entrance. They looked to be with two other white lads. I tried to find Efan, but could not see her. As I got closer, I noticed the side doors were shut, with a few Army officers on the other side not letting Charlie and co out. They were holding very big guns! 30 second later they were gone. As was Efan it turned out. What the hell is going on? I ask - One of the lads said that he was stopping us from going into a Tea House to be robbed and he spotted the girl who had done the same to them yesterday. What? I couldnt get my hungover head around this.
Turns out that Efan, who we had spent the last 3 to 4 hours with and got on with really well, actually had something to do with the Tea House. A bit like an agent. By taking unsuspecting westerners round all day, they get them stung with a huge bill for a few cups of tea. We were in a dodgy area of Beijing, extremely busy, with no idea who was who. Never before have I wanted to hit a person so much in my life. Efan was long gone. Now we realised, things that had occured in the last few hours made much more sense. Such as being told we could not take photos in the Tea House and many more.
The lads who helped us had to go, so Charlie and I decided to go back and see if we could get some money back. We went up the stairs, Charlie did the talking and I watched around as everybody started to act very suspiciously. The manager giggled when we said she knew the girl, we had bloody photos we could show her that we had taken that day! After 20mins of shouting, she agreed to give us one persons cash back. But told us to feel free to phone the police, they wont do anything. At this time, Brock came up with eight policemen who just happened to have been raiding the Tea Shop next door. Shaking their hands and making sure they were policemen, we were taken to a small room, and asked to sit opposite them. Us three, in a closed room, with eight men drinking the very same tea we were arguing about, a manager speaking very threateningly to us and soon the owner lady to start shouting in Chinese. Lets just say I have felt more comfortable in my life before!
After much negotiation, the policemen knew it was a con and the owner agreed to give us 800 Yuan back. We took it. Instantly we were motioned to get out. The old woman was snarling at us, workers were running about like ants and there were a few dodgy looking guys about downstairs. We left, knowing we were no were near home and with a bunch of angry Chinese people not happy with us at the Tea Shop. We walked incredibly quickly through the streets, not seeing any other westerners the entire time. About 5 minutes later we finally dived in a taxi and drove quickly away from there.
I had to cancel my card and we are now suspicious of everyone we see. Don't say you wouldn't have gone in the tea shop, or that once in you wouldn't have paid. You would have. The fear of the consequences of not paying would have made you. Plus the fact that we had NO idea at that time that Efan was in on the game.
So far, Beijing has proven interesting to say the least. I'm off out for day, hopefully I wont be updating this blog tommorow!
This is a photo of Brock and I, fully unaware that in about an hours time I shall have a lot less cash in my pocket!
Charlie, Brock and I decided to have a walk round to the Forbidden City and that area. We were told that because it is the Chinese National Holiday, there will be millions of people - quite a sight. So off we went.
After walking for about an hour, in heavy crowds, I turnied round to see Charlie was chatting to a Chinese girl. This is a common occurence for all of us, they just come up to you, ask if your English and ask if they can practice their English. This girl was called Efan, spoke really good English and was a teacher from Mongolia. We chatted for a while, about her family etc, whilst we walked closer and closer to Tianammen Square (spelling!?).
When we got there finally, we were still with Efan, she was just pottering about and we were taking lots of photos. She wasn't a guide trying to rip us off, as we had suspected. It was really quite handy. After looking round, we talked about what we want to do next and decided with the help of Efan to go to the Hutong district, the older part of Beijing.
On the way, we stopped off for ice cream at McDonalds. By this time, we had been out and about for about three hours. We then headed off for the short walk to the Hutoing district. When we got there, we told Efan that we just wanted to walk around, have a browse about. She had mentioned going to a Tea House and we had jumped at the idea - it was scorching hot and could kill for a cuppa!
After a while, she asked if we fancied going in this tea shop, yeah we thought, why not. Inside it was great, very old, nice smelling and friendly. We were taken to a room, just for us four and a hostess. For the next hour, we sampled (by sampled I mean got a slight drop of) six types of tea. We had a plate of peanuts for a snack. It was very refreshing and we were over the moon. The hostess would speak in Chinese and Efan would translate. Anyhow, after a bit, we asked for the bill. She left, and returned with a bill for 2,500 Yuan. Tbat is equivalent to the entire amount I brought myself for the entire week. About 600 Yuan each, or 40 quid.
Gobsmacked, we couldnt understand how. When asked, it broke down to 200 Yuan for the room, 50 Yuan for snacks each and 80 Yuan per person for every type of tea tried. Blimey.
I didn't have enough, so had to pay with my card. Charlie and Brock tried to pay with their card, but they wouldnt accept them, so paid with every last Yuan they had on them. Efan had 500 Yuan, so we had to give her 80 Yuan. We felt so bad, she was literally penniless then. As a gift, to make us feel better, they gave us each a half decent tea pot.
After leaving, Efan was very appologetic. But we comforted her that it wasnt her fault, 40 quid each wasnt the end of the world, lets not let it spoil Beijing. So she asked what we wanted to do now. Moneyless, we asked to just potter about and look in the shops etc. A short way away, she showed us a 300 year old pharmacy. Nothing special, but just the kind of place we needed to go following our spending spree!
After looking round for about two minutes, I turned round. Charlie and Brock we walking fast over to a side entrance. They looked to be with two other white lads. I tried to find Efan, but could not see her. As I got closer, I noticed the side doors were shut, with a few Army officers on the other side not letting Charlie and co out. They were holding very big guns! 30 second later they were gone. As was Efan it turned out. What the hell is going on? I ask - One of the lads said that he was stopping us from going into a Tea House to be robbed and he spotted the girl who had done the same to them yesterday. What? I couldnt get my hungover head around this.
Turns out that Efan, who we had spent the last 3 to 4 hours with and got on with really well, actually had something to do with the Tea House. A bit like an agent. By taking unsuspecting westerners round all day, they get them stung with a huge bill for a few cups of tea. We were in a dodgy area of Beijing, extremely busy, with no idea who was who. Never before have I wanted to hit a person so much in my life. Efan was long gone. Now we realised, things that had occured in the last few hours made much more sense. Such as being told we could not take photos in the Tea House and many more.
The lads who helped us had to go, so Charlie and I decided to go back and see if we could get some money back. We went up the stairs, Charlie did the talking and I watched around as everybody started to act very suspiciously. The manager giggled when we said she knew the girl, we had bloody photos we could show her that we had taken that day! After 20mins of shouting, she agreed to give us one persons cash back. But told us to feel free to phone the police, they wont do anything. At this time, Brock came up with eight policemen who just happened to have been raiding the Tea Shop next door. Shaking their hands and making sure they were policemen, we were taken to a small room, and asked to sit opposite them. Us three, in a closed room, with eight men drinking the very same tea we were arguing about, a manager speaking very threateningly to us and soon the owner lady to start shouting in Chinese. Lets just say I have felt more comfortable in my life before!
After much negotiation, the policemen knew it was a con and the owner agreed to give us 800 Yuan back. We took it. Instantly we were motioned to get out. The old woman was snarling at us, workers were running about like ants and there were a few dodgy looking guys about downstairs. We left, knowing we were no were near home and with a bunch of angry Chinese people not happy with us at the Tea Shop. We walked incredibly quickly through the streets, not seeing any other westerners the entire time. About 5 minutes later we finally dived in a taxi and drove quickly away from there.
I had to cancel my card and we are now suspicious of everyone we see. Don't say you wouldn't have gone in the tea shop, or that once in you wouldn't have paid. You would have. The fear of the consequences of not paying would have made you. Plus the fact that we had NO idea at that time that Efan was in on the game.
So far, Beijing has proven interesting to say the least. I'm off out for day, hopefully I wont be updating this blog tommorow!
This is a photo of Brock and I, fully unaware that in about an hours time I shall have a lot less cash in my pocket!
4 comments:
You plonkers! Confuschas he say stay away from pretty women and keep your money in your pocket!!
Mam
being stung for a bottle of beer in a lap dancing club yes, but a tea house!!!
just drink the coffee.
Your all so understanding, thanks! Wait till you see the photo of me waving a Chinese flag like a naive little boy, with my arm around the lovely Efan as if she was my best friend. 30 minutes after the photo was taken, I had money and my pride taken!
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