The Great Wall of ChinaI had a friend from home visiting last week. We used to call him the Mutant in college. Not for any particular reason other than it just sounded cool. Me and the Mutant decided to take the overnight train to Beijing for some tourism.
On the overnight train you share a cabin that has four beds. Me and the mutant had the bottom bunks so the Chinese guys above had to use our beds for a ladder. On the overnight train, you can only smoke at the end of the car and you cannot use the toilet if the train is stopped. Overall, the overnight train was a great way to get to Beijing. Our cabin mates went to bed early so we played cards and drank warm communist beer in the bar car.
We went to the Forbidden City. It is huge. There are a lot of Chinese people following bull horns and flags. Mutant got a coffee at the Forbidden City branch of Starbucks. Figure that one out. One of the greatest symbols of capitalism and a representative of the leader of the free world situated dead center in the capital of Red China and in the middle of one of its greatest historical treasures. If you figure that one out, let me know. It gives me a headache to think too hard about it.
We checked out Tiananmen Square. I guess you can see Mao's dead body over there but we missed the viewing hours. I couldn't figure out where they shot up all those protesters either. I had an ice cream.
The next day we hired a guy named Ting to take us to the Great Wall. Ting's brother Alex met us at the hotel. He put us in a van with 4 other people and introduced us to our driver who spoke no English. Alex told us that Ting told him that he told the driver to take us to a remote section of the Great Wall. I figured the van was probably safe and these guys were on the level. The drive was about 2 hours. After about 1 hour, the tour busses heading to the Great Wall all started taking left turns. We continued into the mountains and through farmland. Eventually, our guy made a left down a dirt road. We pounded down that road for another 20 minutes before the dude stopped to talk to a farmer sitting on a bucket. Actually the farmer was the gatekeeper to the section of the Great Wall we were to see. For 10 RMB, he opened the gate which was a log blocking the road.
The Gatekeeper of The Great Wall
The driver parked the van under some trees and led us up a trail. There was a sign that said this section of the wall was closed for repairs. It must have been a translation error as our driver/guide was not concerned. Besides, after we got up on the wall, it was clearly not being repaired. It was overgrown with trees and crumbling. It was entirely impressive. There is nothing ridiculous about the Great Wall of China. There were no tour groups and only a few Chinese people doing an odd Chinese thing where they yell as loud as they can in open places. I'd say the Great Wall tour was one of the coolest things I have done in China.
That night the Mutant took me to task on multiple games of cribbage in the bar car. In addition to the ass-kicking I was taking in cards, the beer was too warm. The Great Wall was awesome though.
On the overnight train you share a cabin that has four beds. Me and the mutant had the bottom bunks so the Chinese guys above had to use our beds for a ladder. On the overnight train, you can only smoke at the end of the car and you cannot use the toilet if the train is stopped. Overall, the overnight train was a great way to get to Beijing. Our cabin mates went to bed early so we played cards and drank warm communist beer in the bar car.
We went to the Forbidden City. It is huge. There are a lot of Chinese people following bull horns and flags. Mutant got a coffee at the Forbidden City branch of Starbucks. Figure that one out. One of the greatest symbols of capitalism and a representative of the leader of the free world situated dead center in the capital of Red China and in the middle of one of its greatest historical treasures. If you figure that one out, let me know. It gives me a headache to think too hard about it.
We checked out Tiananmen Square. I guess you can see Mao's dead body over there but we missed the viewing hours. I couldn't figure out where they shot up all those protesters either. I had an ice cream.
The next day we hired a guy named Ting to take us to the Great Wall. Ting's brother Alex met us at the hotel. He put us in a van with 4 other people and introduced us to our driver who spoke no English. Alex told us that Ting told him that he told the driver to take us to a remote section of the Great Wall. I figured the van was probably safe and these guys were on the level. The drive was about 2 hours. After about 1 hour, the tour busses heading to the Great Wall all started taking left turns. We continued into the mountains and through farmland. Eventually, our guy made a left down a dirt road. We pounded down that road for another 20 minutes before the dude stopped to talk to a farmer sitting on a bucket. Actually the farmer was the gatekeeper to the section of the Great Wall we were to see. For 10 RMB, he opened the gate which was a log blocking the road.
The Gatekeeper of The Great WallThe driver parked the van under some trees and led us up a trail. There was a sign that said this section of the wall was closed for repairs. It must have been a translation error as our driver/guide was not concerned. Besides, after we got up on the wall, it was clearly not being repaired. It was overgrown with trees and crumbling. It was entirely impressive. There is nothing ridiculous about the Great Wall of China. There were no tour groups and only a few Chinese people doing an odd Chinese thing where they yell as loud as they can in open places. I'd say the Great Wall tour was one of the coolest things I have done in China.
That night the Mutant took me to task on multiple games of cribbage in the bar car. In addition to the ass-kicking I was taking in cards, the beer was too warm. The Great Wall was awesome though.
2 comments:
On tour, when it goes the direction of hiring Ting, who's brother Alex took us to a farmer friend - that's when you make sure your passport and wallet are in your front pocket, lace up your runners just in case, then smile - you are about to get the "other" tour. Never sure what that tour will be other then - different. Glad you enjoyed the Wall. Go on google map and see the wall from zoomed way out, impressive. Good story.
Hey, how about telling us the story about the Yankee lliving in China you is taking online course to be a Wedding Minister?
Hey Adam, this is Weslley's fiancée. I enjoyed a lot your blog, pretty funny, like you always write, I laughed my head off.
It looks like you're having a lot of fun in China, and when I read everything you wrote, it really looks like you're living in another planet. How things are different in this side of the Earth, hehe.
Hope you have more and more fun, and keep entertaining us.
:-)
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