Hitching in Yunnan, China 2009

See video on YouTube for hitching in China 2009. Click here

Clandestinjo

Trenchtown, Kunming, China

Sometimes China just is not what you think it is. A minute a go we were walking home from dinner when Jamaica's beautiful flag blew into us. Behind it, a group of hip hoppers. And there were two guitars and a drum. They were all singing. Or rapping I guess. A crowed quickly formed on the street. Some jumping up and down to the music. Everybody smiling. And then, when we thought we could not smile any wider, a cop came. Yes, a cop, on his electric scooter. He stopped in front of the band, looked suspicious for a second, but finally put on the greatest hip hop smile you can imagine and raised his hand up and down in a perfect hip hop salute. The crowd followed his lead and cheered him as a hero as he drove off with one hand on the wheal, one still waving up and down. 

Thanks XiShan! 谢谢西山！

Clandestinjo  

HaBa Snow Mountain

Only hours away from Kunming’s bustling streets lies an eternal paradise of ice and snow. The southern arms of the Himalayas in Yunnan present a spectacular mountain kingdom. Climbing to the top of one of the jewels, HaBa, the whole world is suddenly below you. For one day you can proudly claim yourself Queen or King of Yunnan.

 

For photos from the trek see here

 

In the clouds above the steep shores of the Yangtze River in the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the mountains rise up into eternity. It might look impossible from the Gorge, but Haba on the north side is not only possible to climb, it is easy and one of the most spectacular hikes in China. The snow- and glacier-covered north side offers everything a professional mountaineer needs, and it gives the rest of us the opportunity to summit a true snow mountain all year round. All you need is a healthy body, proper winter clothing and some free days to devote yourself to the journey.

 

Climbing into the storm

We arrive in HaBa village, the starting point of the trek, early on Saturday morning. Looking up, we see the earliest rays of light hit the summit 3000 meters above us. It is a beautiful, chilly November morning, but the wind on the summit is visibly blowing strong - too strong for anybody to climb it. Not a good sign.

 

But the sun is shining, and after tasting the local Yak- butter tea of HaBa village, we start on the steep journey to base camp. The village is a beautiful little community of Naxi, Tibetan, Hui and Han people. Traditional houses are built along the small rivers coming from the glaciers above. Cannabis trees in every garden fill the air with sweet smells. It is a perfect start to any trek, but soon the village is gone and thick forest covers us until we reach base camp. The little camp is located at the tree line, 4100 meters above sea level. We are lucky: nobody in our small group suffers from altitude sickness and we arrive in good time before dinner. But the wind is still strong. All attempts to summit are canceled. Other climbers who have waited several days to make an attempt are relaxing around the bonfire. They fear tomorrow is going to be another fruitless day.

 

We crawl into our sleeping bags not long after dark. The wind is getting stronger and stronger. The summit seems farther and farther away. All night it blows with the strength of a storm. We all wonder if our wooden shed is going to last the night.

 

On Sunday morning the wind is just as strong or stronger. It is difficult to walk without being blown around. The summit is shining right above us, but impossibly far away in the storm. Everybody stays close to the camp. We spend the day playing in the snow and with the wind. It is better anyway to have a day to acclimatize. We can wait a day or two. But others are not so lucky. They have to be in the office on Monday. – 'Poor bastards', we laugh, as people are preparing to leave. Most in our group leave too. Only the two lao wai stay. The remaining local staff and guides are good talkers and good chefs. We sit around the fire in the biggest of the stone shelters. We eat and we laugh. Nobody expects the wind to change.

 

Lucky bastards

We can hardly believe it, but as soon as everybody has left, the wind is all of a sudden not so scary anymore. I look at Daniel and we silently nod in agreement. Luck is with us – lets do it! We wake up at 0500 to a perfect night. Stars shining like they were suns in our own solar system, the wind is completely gone and the temperature is cozy - between minus 10 and 15. We head out as excited as two kindergarten boys. Soon we put the crampons on. In front of us is a giant hill of white, shining in the stars and our headlights. 1300 meters above, gold and diamonds are waiting. Crampon trekking is easy and our thoughts travel their own journey. Every second time I look up there is a shooting star firing through the atmosphere. Some are bigger and longer than I have ever seen.

 

We walk in the shadows of a mountain toward the east as the sun rises. Around us the colors change consistently. Behind us far in the north, already bathing in sunlight, stands Meili snow mountain like the Queen of Yunnan she is. Behind her we see into the wild mountains of Tibet.

 

As we approach 5000 meters we both start to feel the altitude. The heart is beating faster and faster, a minor headache is in the eaves, Daniel is hungry but cannot swallow another Snickers. The hardest and steepest section remains - now more ice than snow. We don’t care. The reward is only two hours away. The sun is finally warming us and still there is hardly any wind

– Come on dude, lets climb this baby! one of us shouts.

 

Boys become kings

At 11.00 we are almost there. The GPS is already showing 5300 meters above sea level. As we get over the last ridge the view to the south reveals itself and we get our reward: The Tiger Leaping Gorge 3500 vertical meters below us. The famous wall on the south side of the gorge that we before only looked up at is finally below us. In front is the proud Jade Dragon Mountain of Lijiang. And down there somewhere flows the Yangtze within the gorge. Everywhere are steep and scary rock formations diving into the angry river. Needless to say, we feel like kings. We are kings!

 

Reaching the absolute highest point Daniel collapses on his back with a big smile. I am not sure if it is out of exhaustion or if he is praying a silent prayer to the HaBa gods. He must be telling them XieXie.

 

We stay on the summit a long time. The sun is warm and we are happy. So why not stay? But we have to go down eventually. Not having brought skis, we use our butts as the most convenient means of transportation. We are back in base camp in no time. Arrogantly, we tell our tale to jealous newly arrived climbers and the local staff. 'Lihai', they say.

 

We rest some minutes around the bonfire. We are both dead tired, but we soon leave anyway for the last steep trek down to civilization. – HaBa, we will be back! we scream. And knowing that winter is approaching, a dream is being born in our heads: This mountain is perfect for skiing!

 

 

Facts and practical information:

HaBa Snow Mountain (哈巴雪山), 5396 meters above sea level, is the southern most snow mountain possible to climb anywhere in Asia and Europe. The Andes in South America and Kilimanjaro in Africa are both closer to the equator. The Jade Dragon Mountain, some kilometers to the south of Haba and de facto the southern most glacier in Asia, is forbidden to climb.

 

Climbing HaBa does not present any technical challenges except for basic crampon walking skills. The greatest challenge is coping with the altitude. Some people do the whole climb from HaBa village to the summit in two days. Without prior acclimatization this can be dangerous. The more days you stay in base camp, the easier the climb will be. Respect for the weather is the second crucial element to remember.

 

In HaBa Base Camp there have recently been set up some simple wooden and stone sheds with basic sleeping and eating necessities. Each night costs approximately 60 Yuan and each meal 20 Yuan. Bringing a tent is also an option. The staff also rents the necessary equipment, crampons and ice axe, for 100 Yuan a day per person. If you are not an experienced mountaineer, it is highly recommended that you rent a guide for the summit trek. The guide costs 150 Yuan.  Remember to call ahead to make sure there are people present in base camp. The locals in HaBa village can also provide horses and guiding to go to base camp.

Bring heaps of candy and chocolate as lack of appetite is one very common effect of altitude sickness, and normal food will not go down.

 

How to get there: From Kunming and Dali take a bus towards ZhongDian (Shangri-La) and get off at QiaoTou, the entrance of the Tiger Leaping Gorge. In QiaoTou find a taxi that can take you to HaBa village for around 200 Yuan. In HaBa ask around for the trek or hire a guide.

Hao Si 好四 (13988848381) and his colleagues in base camp (13988766211) can be very helpful with organizing a trip. Feel free to contact the author for more information.

 

Useful vocabulary:

Base Camp – 大本营 da4ben3ying2

To summit – 登顶 deng1ding3

Ice axe – 冰镐 bing1gao3

Crampons – 冰爪 bing1zhao3

The shock doctrine

Please watch this movie and read the book. Go Naomi! 

Click here

Clandestinjo

The 2008 Hat Party

Dear Hat Friends.

As you might know, another official Hat Party was just held in Oslo. For those of you present you may recall the announcement of a (very unofficial) Hat Foundation. If you do not recall this announcement (and you probably do not), or if you for some reason were not there, I’ll be happy to announce it again. Because, with the effort of all the beautiful Hat people of Oslo, we managed to get a small profit from the Party. It is with this and all future profits from any Hat Party we are creating a Hat Foundation.
The funds that the Foundation is administering will have a specific purpose. Anybody who fit the following criteria may receive it: “Incredibly creative people, who in one way or the other is marginalized and who expectantly wear a hat every now and then.” (Eller på Norsk: ”overstadig kreative mennesker som på en eller annen måte er marginaliserte og som fortrinnsvis nå og da bruker hatt.”)

The Committee is free to give the funds to anyone it may wish. Anybody can apply and anybody can suggest candidates. As of today, the funds consist of 1300 Norwegian Crones. Once a year, at the Hat Party, the Committee will announce the winner(s) and draw up the important policies for the Foundation. All decisions are taken with a unanimous toast.

The members of the Hat Party Foundation are all the Hat winners of all the official Norwegian Hat Parties ever held. They are Stine, Eirin, Kristin, Sunniva and Nosizwe. (There was no Hat winner the first year) In addition, the two most honourable Hat Party people, the two who have been to all six parties Ingeborg and Linn, are also members in the exclusive Hat Party Foundation Committee. Realizing that there are only female members in the Committee, the foundation is first of all very proud and happy, and second it wishes to encourage all male Hat Party people to try their very best to win next year. For trust you me, there will be a Hat Party in 2009 as well. (And perhaps some unofficial ones before that)

Cheers!
Skål!
La Lucha sigue!

Mano Chao goes to Scandinavia

If there is one place on earth Manu Chao does not need to play, it is probably in Scandinavia. Up here we don't need no revolution. We have it all. The best organized society the world can find. Wealth to everyone. No, Manu you could have gone somewhere else. Somewhere where people need a light, somewhere where your beautiful words may engage people to start believing. Up here, there is no need hermano.

Or hold on, maybe I am wrong. Maybe this is exactly where Manu should play? Maybe he is the man who can open our eyes? Maybe he can make us realize how spoiled and protected we are. How unbelievably rich and ignorant we are. How self good and pathetic we are. Yeah Manu, maybe you are the man. Scandinavia needs a revolution. A revolution against ignorance!

I've just spent the summer on the beautiful coast of my hometown in Norway. I remember before. We used to show the finger to people with too big and too fast plastic boats who intruded the peace in a slow going old wooden boat. Not anymore. Now my friends have the same huge, fast, expensive plastic ships, they drink Champagne instead of beer. (and me? I gladly tag along) Something has happened. Scandinavia is famous for thinking about "us", now we are on our way to join the "It is all about me, fuck everybody ells!" societies.

Yeah Manu, you were right to come here and tell us what it is all about. "Hey Manu, sing something good to me. This world goes crazy, it's an emergency." And talking about crazy and emergency: I am back in Shanghai. Manu, please, come visit. They need you here too. In Gøteborg you were fantastico. And so were we. We sung, jumped and danced as no Scandinavians before us. You even looked surprised, seeing such a wild crowd. It was good Manu. Bring it here. Bring it everywhere!

Continua Manu, grita Manu, lucha Manu! Suena Manu, suena los tambores de la rebellion.

Being white in China

Foreigners in China sometimes experience the weirdest things. For some reason we are very special creatures to the Chinese. Especially are white people popular objects and we often get asked to do some really peculiar stuff. Before Christmas I was asked to fly to Macao and play a role as a representative for an American company. This company’s problem was that although it was actually American, no white people worked there. All employees were Chinese-American. Why is this a problem? Well, apparently if one wants to be taken seriously and get credibility, one needs “real” Westerners in the company. Real means white, not yellow. Anyway, this company flew me to Macao, paid everything for me there and gave me a decent pay. All I had to do was dress up in a suit, pretend to be American, give a short speech at a conference, and of course: Be white. 

I was greeted as a hero.

This story is in no way special. Similar incident take place all the time around China. Sometimes I wonder why. Why are white people so great? If somebody knows, please enlighten me.

All right, so the end of the story is that I quit working for the company. Under you can read the resignation letter. It is addressed to one of the top leaders in the company who accompanied me to Macao. I also travelled together with another white young man who had more or less the same assignment as me. But he was actually a real American. 

Dear xxxx.

Thank you for taking me to Macao. It was very interesting to see how you work. And before I continue, I have to say that I really liked you. You are a sweet lady. Please don’t take the following personally. 

The reason I am writing is because I cannot continue to work with you. Why? I am a very political minded young man and I have values, which go against the way xxxx runs its business. Please let me explain this briefly. 

First, I don’t know if you have heard of a movement called the “global justice movement” (sometimes referred to as the “anti globalisation movement”)? Well, I am an active supporter of this movement. We are not against globalisation in itself; it is the way globalisation is happening that we are critical to. One of our greatest hopes is that there could be more fair-trade, trade that is beneficial to all levels of society and to society as a whole. I believe network marketing is the opposite of this. Network marketing is a system created to exploit the weak and give large profits to the elite.

Second, when thinking back on the experience in Macao, I am not proud of having lied to those people for such a cause. And realizing that I could do it only because of my skin colour makes me feel pathetic. I cannot corrupt myself again.

Third, as you probably have understood, I am no big fan of the American financial (or whatever kind of) imperialism. And since xxxx is an American company I prefer not to support a further expansion of this imperialism. The US imperialism is after all, from my point of view, our times greatest threat to international peace. One of many sad examples: The Americans spend over 87$ billion conducting a war in Iraq while the United Nations estimates that for less than half of that they could provide clean water, adequate diets, sanitation services, and basic education to every person on the planet. And yet Americans don’t understand why terrorists attack them.  

Last but not least, as we all know, no empire lasts forever. The American empire will also see its end. And as for my American travelling companion goes: I am confident that it is the attitude of such ignorant, arrogant, greedy and uneducated men that will (and already has started to) make the empire collapse. I do not wish to spend more time with such persons. It simply makes me sad. 

There should be plenty of white boys in this city who are willing fill my shoes.

All the best and Happy New Year