From the habitations and the towns we know
A place we saw the lights turn low
The jig-saw jazz and the get-fresh flow
-Beck
Since the Great Wall (长城cháng chéng) is generally the first
item on the “China Must-Do” list for visitors, many of our Chinese friends
seemed a little surprised we still had not visited China’s main attraction up
to two weeks after our arrival. We weren’t working. The weather was fabulously
warm and clear. The Great Wall is really close. So why hadn’t we visited the
Great Wall? I guess were just getting accustomed to being here.
After settling in to our new crib, we were ready to
venture out like normal tourists. We decided to visit the wall section called
Badaling (八达岭), the most popular wall section for tourists. We picked a clear day for
our trip. We packed our camel packs with snacks, water, and an umbrella. (I now
appreciate the value of an umbrella on a sunny hot day. In the US, the
air-conditioned car shaded me. No such luxuries here).
birdMAN carefully planned our route to Badaling. We
would catch an early train from Beijing North train station. After the hour
ride, we would walk 20 minutes to the entrance to the Wall. There we would pay
the 45 RMB to enter, walk its length, and be home early for dinner.
Even the most carefully planned trips are subject to
a few kinks – especially when there is a language barrier.
According to the online schedule, a train would
depart from the North Beijing Train Station at 8:30 am and 9:30 am. We arrived
at the station a little before 8 am. A guard stopped us at the entrance and
pointed to a sign that read 10:57 (along with some other Chinese writing). He
indicated for us to go away. birdMAN was convinced that there was an earlier
train. The internet is never wrong, right? So we used another entrance, swiped
our metro cards and entered. All the signs read 10:57 departure for Badaling.
That guard was trying to help us after all. Thankfully, a Starbucks was nearby.
A few hours and a cup of coffee later, we entered
the train station again and swiped our metro cards. For some inexplicable
reason, each of our cards decreased by 20 RMB. What? The train ride is supposed
to be 5 RMB. We aren’t sure, but maybe there is a penalty for not swiping upon
exit.
We arrived at Badaling around 12:30 pm. This part of
the wall is pretty developed having several restaurants, grocery stores, and a
bustling KFC (yes, we did eat there). The weather was clear—great for seeing
the Great Wall snake along the mountainous terrain. The weather was also hot –
not good for wearing make-up or smelling fellow sweaty, stinky tourists.
The tourists were like Chinese paparazzi seeking
photographs of foreigners in action. One very dark skinned family (African
maybe), was surrounded by picture takers. They couldn’t even walk. Several
snapped photos of birdMAN. Some were discreet. Some asked for us to pose with
them for several shots, and then wait while the friends exchanged places so
each could have a photo with a foreigner. A group of teenage boys were brave
enough to ask for a picture with me, but got shy when I had difficulty
understanding the question. Once I understood, I was happy to give them a quick
English language lesson: “Repeat after me, ‘May I take a picture?’”
I am impressed with the people who climb the steep
sections of the Great Wall. Elderly people. Babies. Pregnant ladies. Ladies
dressed in office attire and heels. And there are tons of them! Hiking the
Great Wall is not an easy feat. The sections are extremely steep and slippery.
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| This guy is not too little to climb the Great Wall. |
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| These ladies are on their way to an office party -- uh, I mean, climb the Great Wall. |
Especially steep sections have a
metal rail for hikers on which to hold. These parts reminded me of climbing
Half Dome in Yosemite Valley, where a similar rail is nailed to the rock to
prevent climbers from falling to their deaths.
We came across a middle aged couple clearly fighting exhaustion to get
to the peak (of that section anyway). The wife clinging to the hot rail, her
teeth gritted, breathing hard as she carefully placed one foot in front of the
other. Her husband cheered her on “加油!”
The Great Wall definitely belongs on the “China
Must-Do” list. If you can handle the crowds (actually, don’t come to Beijing if
you don’t like crowds), the hike is awe-inspiring. The mountains are green and
lush, and wall is quite beautiful -- the magnitude is impressive and difficult
to describe. Definitely, the Great Wall
is where it’s at.
Chinese word of the blog: 加油! jiāyóu (literally, add
gas)
English
translation: You can do it!
Say jiāyóu! to someone who makes extra effort to cheer
him/her on.
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| A really hot day |
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| After hike snack - sweet, cold and cost 1RMB |
