LucyTreagusChina

2006-07-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Day 2 China

The bus ride to the Great Wall took nearly 2-3 hours and was an amazing journey – the roads were packed solid with cars, vans, bikes, tricycles, carts and people. Yes people were just walking down the road. I would see people on bicycles carrying elderly relatives in an open cart, other people had their knapsacks slung over their shoulders and were literally walking down the road. The other thing I noticed was the noise. The roads were a constant blur of horns and breaks. I came up with the following theory on the constant barrage of beeping and the litter of crashed vehicles we witnessed. When wishing to overtake instead of indicating one sounds ones horn. If the car which you were going to overtake is not in agreement with this then they will sound their horn. Roughly translated as **** Off. If the car still wishes to overtake they will beep back “No you **** off!” The following sounding of the horns is often obliterated by the sounds of the crash and broken glass. Our Bus driver seemed to support my so-far excellent theory by hitting the horn and accelerating at the same time. She allowed us ample opportunity to read the license plates of the cars in front. For the most part I noticed they weren’t there.

When we reached the wall, Sean assured us that there was no need to take the cable car – just a short walk he said and in anycase it is easier to walk up than it is to walk down. The only way I can see this is true is that after walking up one has lost all feeling in ones leg so walking down would be problematic.
It took nearly 2 hours to reach the top. The path was nearly all stairs. It really was the most difficult climb I have ever done and the blood had all rushed to my head and I felt faint and dizzy. But when I finally go to the top I would have done it all again. I was standing ON TOP OF THE WORLD. It is impossible to explain how it feels to stand on the great wall. Two milenia of work, billions of years of natural evolution to create mountains; beautiful peaks and breathtaking nature. The English language despite its multitude of adjectives cannot adequately describe the sheer breathtaking awe that one feels when standing on the top of the Great Wall of China and even as I write these notes I can barely believe it is true. I hope I can find a way to remember that moment of bliss.

2006-07-05T13:40:00.001-07:00

Here are my diary entries from China

2006-07-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Beijing at 13:40. As we were landing I noticed the clouds were hanging low and the air was foggy and seemed polluted. The roofs of the houses were brown old and derelect yet those of the larger buildings were bright red.

Once i had sucessfully gone through immigration and changed my money - a two inch wad of notes I ran to the toilets to stuff the cash into various parts of my body and baggage. I then set about trying to get a taxi. I had heard the cheapest and safest taxis were the official ones with the meters. They would be able to take me to the hotel for about 100 yuan (£7). Taxi touts, I had been warned, can approach you and try to take you but charge you 250 yuan. I was determined to ride in one of the official cars which i had heard were run down old citroens. The taxi touts were everywhere tugging at my arms and saying "where you going". I pushed them off with either French or German and headed toward the sign saying Tourist Information so I could ask where the real taxis were.
"Where are you going?" he asked
"Harmony Hotel"
"Actually we have a bus that goes there."
"Great how much?"
"250 yuan."
"No way I can get a taxi for 100."
The guy smiled as if he knew he had lost and another taxi tout tapped me on the arm and said "150?"
"Where are all the official taxis?" I asked.
"Outside" said the tourist information man - such a helpful answer! I managed to make my way through the crowds and the touts and into an official taxi. It is highly likely that the taxi ripped me off as it cost me 182 yuan! I wa sproud of myself though that I had resisted all temptation to ride in an official airport limousine to ride in one of the official taxis.

My taxi was old, dirty and I couldnt see the driver or the meter. I noticed that all the taxis were covered in mud and and as were almost landed in the back of a lorry I realised that chinese taxi drivers care as much about their cars as they do the highway code. its there, its used but its not squeaky clean! As we drove closer to Beijing my main memory will be of the cyclists, hundreds and hundreds of cyclists.

At the hotel I met the rest of the tour. Everyone seems nice and friendly.

We ate dinner in the most wonderful restaurant. We ate dishes of vegetables which were delicious and then we had peking duck. The ducks were brought out whole and were huge. The meat was carved for us and served with the rolling bread cucumber, spring onions and the sauce. IT WAS DEVINE! When I am a millionaire I will fly to Beijing just to eat peking duck it is now my favourite meal. The meal (we ate so much we couldn't move) cost less than 20 yuan each (£1.50). Its sooo cheap!

We walked to Tianamen Square and saw Mao's statue and all the lights. The square is heavily guarded. When Hiroi the Japanese lady in our tour asked the guide, Sean, about the Tiannmen Square Massacre he didn't want to talk about it - he said it was too difficult as there were guards everywhere. A reminder that I'm now in a country where there is no freedom of expression.

Beijing is a wonderful and powerful city. The traffic is crazy and crossing the road is up there with Bungee jumping and parachuting but it's great here - I love it.
Must sleep now - tomorrow we go to the great wall!