So carrying on with the 'branching out of music' theme, I thought I would do a post on my traveling experiences...not that I've had many, but it's a start!
So to begin this topic, let's travel back to October 2013 where I boarded a bus with my school and we made our way to Sydney to catch our flight to China!
Yes, this was most certainly a school trip and there was a lot of rules set in place but I honestly wasn't complaining! It was actually a trip for years 9 & 10 only but there was a couple of us lucky year 11s that got the opportunity to be leaders and join the trip.
From memory, the initial plane trip was 9 hours and there was a lot of waiting around in airports before and after, so what better way to spend that time than to play blackjack! I won pretty much every game *just saying*
And, for me, that's about where the fun ends. I was horrendously ill for the entire 10 days we were there. It most definitely sucked all the fun out of it but I tried my very best to stay positive! In between my vomiting (from both ends) and slowly dying, we did some typical tourist things and saw the sights.
Now this is where the fun ends for me. After the first day of seeing the sights of the city, our school had organised for us to spend the day at the local international school and follow around the kids that were the same age as us and what not. However, I was violently ill again that night and ended up spending the day in the schools sick bay sleeping. When it got to about lunch time and my teachers had checked up on me for the 50th time, they all decided I wasn't getting any better and thought the best idea was to take me to hospital. At this point I was freaking out. I am absolutely petrified of hospitals, let alone going to a hospital in another country. As it turns out, it was a public holiday or something like that and all the international hospitals were closed which meant they had to take me to a local chinese hospital. *cue the anxiety*
After the worlds deadliest taxi ride, we made it to the hospital and it made me want to be even more sick than I already was. There was bloody phlegm on the floor, people spluttering everywhere and of course no one spoke english so we had to bring in a translator too! There was a lot of back and forth in Chinese, but apparently they wanted a blood sample from me and wanted to put me on an IV drip and my teacher said that was absolutely not happening. I'm pretty sure I cried a little bit and in the end I had to get a needle in my bum…yes, a needle IN MY BUM, that prevented me from throwing up. I can safely say, it didn't work. I'm definitely not trying to put you off ever going to china, but jut don't go to their hospitals!
A couple days and 12 hour train journey later, we arrived in a rural village in Chengdu. Looking back on it now, it was probably one of the most beautiful places I have seen. Just the remoteness of it but the surrounding areas…it was just stunning. This was where we were staying for the next 2 nights. The accommodation was connected to the village and had so many local shops and restaurants surrounding it. The next day we were split into 2 groups; the year 11s (us) and the twelvies (year 9-10s). For us older kids, it was our rest day while the others went to volunteer at a panda sanctuary and all I could say was THANK GOD. I still was feeling like death itself and I didn't want to do a single thing. Well, thats not what my teachers had in mind. We ended up going for a mini hike up and around the village which turned out to be amazing, although it tired me out completely. After the hike, we spent time in the village, buying souvenirs from the shops and stocking up on chocolate and oreos (not that I could stomach either).
The next day came and it was our turn to volunteer at the panda sanctuary! I was extremely excited for this day and it was one of the only days I didn't feel sick! That's a victory in itself. When we got to the place, we had to pop on some super attractive jumpsuits and gloves and await instructions. We were split into groups and sent to different areas for the day. My groups first task was to smash up bamboo for their food and I also had to get into the pandas cage (no, they weren't inside them) and clean up their poop and sweep out their wee. Oh my lord, I have never smelt something so bad, not to mention it made my converse smell for weeks after we got back! Once we had finished with those duties we then got to move onto the most exciting part; feeding the pandas! This was a crazy experience and one I am very thankful for. It was most definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. We then spent the rest of the day wandering around the park and checking out all they had to offer.
That was then our last night in the village and we travelled back into the city the next morning. That was then our last day in China and it was very relaxed and we all just enjoyed each others company and reflected on our time in the country. All in all, it was a great trip and I am definitely glad that I ended up going. Despite the fact that was I horribly ill for pretty much the whole time, I don't regret a single thing and I am glad I stayed positive throughout the experience. Although I wouldn't go back to China anytime soon, I do think that perhaps when I am older and a bit more mature as an adult, I would definitely go back and see more of what China has to offer!
Keep your eyes peeled because in late August, me and my closest/oldest friend are travelling around Europe for a month. So you can definitely expect many posts and photos. In the mean time, i'll try to keep y'all entertained.
Xx
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