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Monday, November 08, 2004

"BITTER SWEET"

Hey Everyone,
I did it... I made it out of China Alive.
And I had a blast! The time of my life, if you will!!..... Well unfortunately No, I'm Sorry that was a Lie. China was crazy. I couldn't stand it any longer. I had to leave the Communist country! The way of life is so unlike anything else I've encountered before it. No one has any respect for anything... They Litter and spit every where. Its the dirtiest country I have ever seen. They have all this Beauty and amazing History and yet they spit on it, Literary. It made me sick to see this. I just don't understand? Well I haven't written On the Site for weeks now... Miss Me? Ya I know you did!!! I have tons of Stories, so get ready......

Anyway, now that I said China's Crap, Not so sure I will get out of Asia alive. Because the Government monitors the inter-net over here... Even the phone calls. Well from China for sure!!! That's why I couldn't post anything on my web-site. I couldn't even view it from China. I didn't receive half of the e-mails you all said you sent me.... I couldn't believe it when I first found out.
I have almost been arrested twice, thus far. No joke! I don't even know what I did wrong. I think Its because I'm white and American. I can thank "Bush" for that one! People hate him over here... Every-thing you see is "Bush" - "Kerry" & the "War". The news is Fake. Catered to making America Look bad and China Great. But I talked to a few Chinese people about this and they say they know that the News is fake and the pay no attention to it.. Read it for laughs. That's mostly why the Internet is Censored over here.. They have Over 30 thousand People in Beijing alone Monitoring the net.. Not sure how many listening to phone calls. I was talking to a Women .That was staying in my Hotel. She was born in China she moved at 18 to the U.S. got her P.H.D. at Berkeley. And she Moved back to China 17 Years ago. Shies 68 Now. She told me tons about China, And some of its Dark secrets... She is writing a book about the corrupt way of life in China. The Government has put her in Jail Twice.. She was very luck to get out alive. But its these conspires that make you take a long hard look at what We Americans really have... And that's "Freedom"! So if this trip has done anything, its made me believe that America is one of the Greatest Countries In the Whole World!!! I'm Proud to be an American.... (Well I haven't been to Australia or New Zealand yet... And I hear the girls are wonderful.......)

And I can't tell you how many times I've been asked Bush or Kerry? Strange people off the street... Most cant speak a word of English more than that.... I mean give me a Break, I'm half way around the World. It has nothing to do with me. But that's the BIG PROBLEM over here. Everyone thinks you (the Traveler) Has this big roll in the fate and out come to all of America. As if I'm this Important Government official.... Yah right, "Me" With this huge back-pack on... Walking down the streets in China...... Laugh....
Well back to the part when I almost got arrested.....These cops were yelling at me... I just got done sending everyone a bulk e-mail. (My second day In China I might add, They really no how to make you feel welcome over here.) I was just standing there on the side of the street. Taking it all in. With a deep breath saying to my-self "I'm In China, Wow."
I was out side of this inter-net cafe. These cops came up to me, they had wooden baton's w/ what looked Tobe metal at the head of them. They were waving them around my head. This was just out side of the forbidden city, right next to Tian'anmen square.
The second time I was out late walking down the street. A little drunk. I just left the bar. I had to walk 2 blocks to my Hotel. I heard yelling then two guys started running down the street. I was walking towards the place where they were standing... I saw this old vendor news stand tipped on its side.. this guy picking up the stuff, then a girl walked over to me, I stopped, she was cute or I was really drunk... Who cares right? Anyway. She had a un-lit cigarette... She started speaking in Chinese to me I shook my head.. Said "I don't speak Chinese" She took the Cigarette and motioned that she need a light... I shrugged my shoulders... No light. Then these guys came running up to me.. One taped me from behind.. They were in uniform... (Cops) I said what? to the one that taped me... He pointed back to the guy @ the vendor... I said i don't know?.. They were just yelling at me. Every one yells in China... The girl started to yell at the cops then at me... I have no clue as to what just happened but I got the Heck out of there.. Left for Xi'an the next morning.
Crazy days.
I saw the Terracotta warriors there... Impressive! I had a good couple of days In Xi'an. & I met some great people aswell.
From there I took a ship to see the Three Gorges, last week & the boat almost sunk. (No worries tho.. They had a crew emptying the water by hand, Or should I say by buckets..)
The toilets In China are 10 time worse than the worst toilet in all of England from the movie "Train Spotting"... Remember that part in the movie.. Well no joke the toilets are just a hole in the ground... Even at 3 star hotels. I have to go to a 5 star hotel to use a proper toilet. Oh ya the best part you have to bring your own toilet paper... And if you forget... your (S.O.L.)................
And the food is ...? Interesting to say the least.... Not like the Chinese food back home, that's for sure. I miss it so much! I miss real food.&.. Bread! Oh how I miss Bread... I'm sure I've had cat, rat & dog... Who knows what else..??? But when in doubt its Chicken .. Right? I eat fast food every time I can.. And that in it-self is bad. I willingly ate a scorpion.. That was crazy! It taste like Peanut shells... Salty and Crunchy.. No distinct taste.... I booked a bus to Shanghai. Only a 6 hour trip from the National Forest and Park... Instead the bus took me on an 18 hour Adventure ( it took that long because the driver decided to pull over in-front of a overpass and sleep for 10 hours... I couldn't believe my eyes.. I couldn't leave. I had know idea where I was. And even if I was able to get a taxi. I couldn't tell him where to go..Dam language barrier. So my over night adventure ended @ 1:30pm on the 6th. of November. Now I'm in Shanghai. well come to find out I was 400 miles away... F*ck!!!!!! The guy that booked all of this. Just put to geather a slap-ass package and wrote in English every thing I thought I was buying. None of it was right.. I paid for a Nice hotel..Got a horrible Dorm room, I paid for a soft sleeper on a train.. got a hard seat, Paid for all entry fees to parks and cars, trams ext... But received none of this... Get the picture... I got ripped off. Oh well? What can I do about it. It only set me back 2300 yuan, About $230 USD. Besides it make a good Story.
So I got to see the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River. and Zhangjiajie National Forest.& Park.. The Weather @ the Gorges was horrible. I couldn't really make any of it out. I saw the worlds Largest Dam "The Three Gorge Dam" on the Yangtze River..(It is the largest engineering project on the face of the earth!!! and the most controversial. It aims to tame the mother of all floods, the Yangtze River, and generate 84 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year - enough to power much of eastern and central China. But the cost is great... 80 billion thus far... and its not finished until 2009.) But we didn't get there until 11 at night, It was to dark to appreciate. But I took a picture anyway. You cant really make it out... Oh well.
I went to the "Zhangjiajie" National Forest & Park.. Stunning!!! One of China's most beautiful nature reserves, Zhangjiajie has wonderful hiking trails in a serene environment of staggering natural beauty. Its China's 1st. National forest park. Covering 13 sq km, the park is known for it's unique landscape with lush forests dominated by quartzite sandstone pillars. Bubbling brooks and charming lakes and giant caves. (And its Steps... I walked 11,368 plus steps. In 3 days.) If I never see another step in my live it will be to soon. The park was Great For the first few hours or so while I was there.. Then the weather turned for the worse on my first day. Fog and Rain.. Couldn't see anything.That night I asked god for a break.. and you know what? The weather cleared up.. I got some great Pictures and Video... Well until My camera bag fell into the River! I swear... What the fuck? I have to have the worst luck in the world... I give up.. I just laughed. Whats the point in getting up set any more? It does me no good! I had the camera in my hand, Luckily. But my video camera Got wet. I jumped in after it.. I caught up to it. But I think Its broke. I wont no until it drys out completely.. That could take days or weeks.???I hope my travelers insurance covers it!?! I don't get it? What is God trying to tell me? It seems everything I do, it goes wrong. Everything!! You say its not God.. Well if its the Devil.. he sure like fucking with me... that for sure!!!!!!!!!!
Well I'm in Singapore, @ the airport.. I have to go for now Because Beautiful Babes & Beaches await me in Thai land. I can't wait!!!! over a month in Paradise! And Its Cheap!!!!!! Did anyone say Custom suits????
Smile everyone. I love and miss you all so much!


Check back soon for more Adventures of Scottie C. Matthews.


"The man with no plans in a land far, far, away."