*as a note, this report is late, my hostel does not have wireless and as such I will have to post this when I get to Wuhan. So imagine this is several days ago.
Beijing Report Day 1 & 2
So to begin the only place to begin is the begging. The flight! Well it so happened that I had made a mistake with my airline ticket. I had thought that I was leaving from San Diego airport for china when I learned the day before I left that in actuality I was to leave from LAX! That is an extra 3 hour drive. Luckily it did not pose a problem. We headed out at midnight thinking 3 hour drive+ traffic+ road construction would lead us to a 5 hour trip, arriving 2 hours before departure which is a good estimate for an ETA. However there was no traffic or road construction, the 5 hour trip was reduced down to two and a half. So in the airport I sat from 230 until 5. I had to sit there because no attendants’ shows up to let people check in until 5. There were just 2 other people waiting with me. None of us knew that we arrived before the staff did. There was a man from Peru and a girl from Germany. I talked mostly with the Peruvian and politics and life. He had a son who just died in Iraq. God bless him.
At 430 everyone from 7am flights to 9am flights showed up at once. Of course it became a crowded mess. Sadly everyone was starting forming lines. I could tell they had no idea what they were doing. In front of the ticket counter is a bunch of post with tape that sort people into a line. As that was closed off everyone just started forming lines out the door, no one thought to think they just stood behind someone. Anyone who has flown should have seen that when the staff arrived they will open up their barrier lines. So I waited by that and sure enough, a tenant at 5:05 opened up the line and voila, I was first in line… Of course all the people who waited in their “lines” were upset but it’s not my fault they are dumb, besides I was waiting here much longer before they were.
Security at LAX was quick and painless. In the terminal I ended up eating with the Peruvian and his friend. Both great were guys. The second is opening up a call center. A few muffins later it was time to depart. The flight from LA to Vancouver was not the best but I was tired, hungry and slept most of the time. However air Canada was a very nice ride. If you ever wonder about an airline, I defiantly recommend air Canada.
In Vancouver I had a 3 hour layover. What could I do but order some food and wait it out. I do remember how hot the airport is. Usually public places are kept cold but wow; it was really warm in that airport. I thought maybe the AC had broken. I was dying. While waiting for the airline I was stared at a lot. After all there maybe 20 white people on the flight and the rest were all Chinese. But in a cowboy hat, boots, and belt buckle I certainly stood out. But that was the point of wearing such a getup.
On the flight I sat next to a young lady, Careen. She was a Chinese who immigrated to Canada. She was going back to Tianjin to visit family. She was great fun. She made that flight wonderful. We talked about life, boys, china, and hobbies. It was great fun. Then I pulled out my laptop and we watched harry potter, and a Jackie Chan movie, Yes SHE LIKED JACKIE CHAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a 14 hour flight but with all the fun it only felt like a 6 hour flight. Time just flew. I also slept for maybe 6 hours. That helped. Arrival in Beijing was easy and customs was fast as an international airport can be. I meet several Olympians who are competing in the Para Olympics. GO TEAM USA!
Following the signs for a taxi, as there was no bus or subway I ended up in a taxi showing a print out of where my hostel was. AS there was slight confusion of the direction the taxi driver called a translator service and through the speaker phone she helped us call the hostel and give the taxi driver directions. The drive was an easy half hour drive and cost me about 70 Yuan. Less than $14. Amazing isn’t it?
The hostel is very nice. It is in an alleyway which makes for a quiet neighborhood without a lot of cars. There are restaurants, bars, shops all along the way. It is also a 25 min walk to the Forbidden City and 2 min to a big street to hail a taxi. The hostel itself is clean, the people speak great English and helpful. They even learned my name after the first day! Beijing Backpackers Hostel. AMAZING!!! And it is only about 10$ a night. The showers are hot, the bed is ok, the location is great, the staff is amazing, the rooms are clean, and I feel very safe. I love this place.
The business about Beijing being dirty… I don’t see it. So far the skies have been blue, few clouds. There is a slight smell but that is what appears to be from old sewer lines that need updating. Same thing in Rome, or Athens. I love this city. People are nice, helpful and just good people.
That first day I did not do much. I set out and walked aimlessly through the city knowing that for 4$ I could get a taxi back to the hostel. I ended up walking to a night street full of street food. Vendors selling lizard and seahorse on a stick, fried noodles, fruit, stir fry, candy, drinks, and deep fried slugs. I tried several things and not liking some of the more exotic things. Fried lizard was ok but the slugs were just too odd tasting. I didn’t like the way it oozed.
I took an early night, and woke up the next day about dawn. Decided, today I will go to the great wall. I had read about Sematai, supposedly a very pretty and importantly not big tourist destination. So I took a bus, and taxi out to it. I realize now I could have bartered down the price but wisdom is after the fact. I spent 60$ for the round trip and admission ticket. It’s not that bad if I consider that I spend 2 hours in a taxi and 2 hours in a bus. The wall was amazing and well worth the price. However I know not to talk mother on this section. The wall was built on a mountain, along a cliff. Why build a wall on a cliff is beyond me unless they were defending against mountain goats but the fact it was build here was beyond amazing.
*In the picture do you see the wall. Look at the ridge and you will see the watch towers…*
It was steep but wow was it worth it. At times it was so steep that I was down on all fours climbing the stairs. Other times there was no side wall and just a drop off down the wall and mountain side. 2 hours of a strait up climb. I loved it. What really was annoying but also just a wow factor was the hawkers. One lady followed me the entire way wanting to sell things to me. She was playing guide, and kept saying careful. But at the top of these walls were hawkers selling all sorts of tourist crap. Wow, they carry all this stuff up??
I did end up buying something from her. I was going to just give her 10 Yuan as a present for being a “guide” I didn’t want her book. Until she convinced me to buy the “I climbed the great wall” tee shirt. It was a pure tourist shirt but heck, it would be cool to walk around the USA and yea that’s right, I did climb the great wall. It was only 8.0$ so not a big fuss.
The ride back was quite fun. I had paid the taxi driver to wait for me at Sematai. In the parking lot I met a couple form Amsterdam who were taking a 6 month trek across Asia. We shared the taxi and bus back to Beijing. Great folk. They gave me their Beijing guide book, as they were leaving to shanghai in the morning and had no need for it. By the time I arrived back in Beijing it was 2 in the afternoon. Plenty of days left. Determined to learn the city I trekked my way back to the hostel on foot.
The hostel was easy enough to find. Stopping and getting some more cash from the hostel I set out immediately for Behai Park. A beautiful park next to the Forbidden City. It really was beautiful. Inside is a giant lake with an island in the center with temples and all sorts of old relics. It was originally the emperor’s gardens and playground.
But I was hungry. I did not eat breakfast and did not stop and eat at all today. I was determined to find food. I was walking around the park exploring the temples and watching groups do Tai chi. when I noticed a sign for a restaurant. FINALLY! I ended up meeting a Californian who worked the Olympics on the way but he did not have the time to join me for dinner. So I ate alone. Food is always better with other people.
It was a nice little restaurant. The staff elegantly dressed, and the place really decked out. It was expensive but I was so hungry I didn’t care. By the looks of the people who entered and of the surroundings I figured it had to be good. It was. It was in a style after and empress who enjoyed eating 130 course meals. Now I did not have a 130 course meal but a 10 course meal. It was only about 28$. But for a ten course meal of veggies, soup, camel, tofu & mixed seafood, fried duck, deserts, sweets, fruit, breads & meats, and cold meats it was really good and very filling. I learned the proper way to drink tea and had all the staff giggling as I was hopelessly lost with the menu. But it was good food and well worth the price.
A stroll back to hostel that evening and I was exhausted and went to sleep.
So I had to cancel the event. Well sort of. It turned out my phone ran out of time so I was unable to tell well most everyone. Ha ha its just ridiculous. So well thats how things went.
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