I've never been the type for tour groups. On many occasions since I’ve been here, I’ve seen a herd of doe-eyed day-trippers in tacky hats and sweatshirts (that usually say something like "A Meeting of Cultures: Beijing 2012") following someone waving a tiny flag. A few times, I’ll accidentally end up in the throng and start thinking to myself, “Boy, I’m glad I’m not with them.” But, in an effort to see a section of the Great Wall of China that is not easily accessible via public transport, and is therefore (a little) less touristy, I bit the bullet and booked a full-day tour that included transport to/from the Mutianyu Section of the wall (about an hour and a half ride from town), a three-course lunch, and a stop at the recently constructed Olympic Village. Although it cost more than what I’ve been used to spending, I think I made the right decision, as I was informed after the trip by other travelers that my tour was the cheapest around, and instead of having to follow someone flying flyspeck colors, I had a pleasant ride in the front seat of a Peugeot with only two other amiable Americans, LeAnn and Kevin from Phoenix.
“Maggie”, our driver, wasn’t very talkative, but full of useful information whenever we asked for it. When we arrived at the base of the mountain, she gave us valuable advice based on what we wanted to see, then let us ascend on our own and explore, requesting that make it back down in three hours for lunch. LeAnn and Kevin decided to head west, I decided to walk east.
There were a few things I hadn’t thought about when planning to see the Wall. One was the steepness and strenuousness of the hike itself. Some staircases were only a couple of degrees shy from becoming ladders, and a lot of people chose to slide down these parts on their derrieres. Another realization was that because the Wall follows the highest divide along the mountains, the views of the countryside were nothing short of stunning.
Much of the Great Wall was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty about 400 years ago, and a lot of that was reconstructed in the 1960’s…because throughout history, many of the locals used the ruins as a quarry for stone to build houses, or took the fill dirt behind the brick as topsoil for their farms. But, there are sections of 2,000 year old Han Wall that exist beyond the point where tourists are supposed to trek. Not one to be deterred by signs that I can’t read, I managed to survey some of these B.C. bastions, and even found a quiet spot where I could connect with history and commune with nature.
Of course, there were lots of Westerners on the Wall, and I chatted along my walk with many of them; Crystal from Omaha, in China to study acupuncture…Matt and Jordan, youthful Yankees taking a break from their jobs in Shanghai…and Chao-Chi (“George”) a Chinese-American from San Francisco who is an Advisor on Trade Policy and Negotiation to President Obama, and claimed he could help my band out with gigs in The Philippines (I got his card).
While I was able to avoid purchasing a “Maobama” T-Shirt (it’s got a pic of Barack dressed as, you guessed it, Chairman Mao) from the slew of sellers along the Wall, I could not resist taking the “Toboggan Sport Slide” back down the mountain. I think they’ve got one in Gatlinburg, but I’d never tried it before, and it was a lot of fun. I got a few seconds of video en route…I’ll try to post it if I can.
After my rapid descent via sled, I met back up with LeAnn and Kevin at the restaurant for our inclusive lunch, and because they are vegetarians, asked for my plate to be meatless as well so that we all could share. It was hard for me not to nap in the car on our way back to the city, after a long hike and a satisfying meal, but I stayed awake, and got out for a quick peek at the 2008 Olympic Village. The three of us walked around for about half an hour (Maggie again waiting in the Peugeot) and observed the sports complexes, most notably the “Birds Nest” (where the track and field events were held) and the “Water Cube” (the natatorium made famous by Michael Phelps). I think we all kind of had the same “take it or leave it” attitude about the place. Nice to see, but not a bucket list item like the Great Wall.
When I got back, my blog writing was interrupted by conversations with a handful of hip foreigners…English teachers from New Zealand and the US in from Chengdu, an amiable Danish fellow, and the nicest Netherlanders this side of the Eastern Hemisphere. At some point, I mentioned that I really wanted to try Peking Duck, but needed to go with someone, because even with my hearty appetite, tackling an entire bird would be a challenge. They informed me that they were planning on going out for duck, and invited me to tag along. We walked a few blocks to the nicest-looking restaurant we could find, and they sat us in a fancy room with a giant chandelier that I could only describe as a suite for VIP’s…or perhaps, loud foreigners. We ordered many dishes, and although the roast waterfowl we were served wasn’t exactly Peking-style, we had a blast, enjoying the tasty cuisine and laughing so hard at each other’s jokes that I was hoping someone in the room knew the Heimlich in case one of us began choking.
Since yesterday was my splurge day, today I’ll probably just enjoy the rare sunny weather and kick around town a little bit. It probably won’t make for a blog-worthy day, so I may wait until I check out a couple more tourist attractions before I make another post. I’ve got three days left here in the Capital before I leave for Bangkok, and I feel like I’ve adapted pretty well here considering the gap in language and culture.
