johnsunter.com >> adventures - world >> far east >> beijing 3
I visit the exciting city of Beijing, and walk along the Great Wall. (3/3)
I contacted the downtown backpackers who I can completely recommend.
Although I wasn't staying with them, I asked if they had any trips organized to the great wall.
The were doing a day trip to Jinshanling and Simatai (walking between the 2). It was just the trip I was looking for, and only about £11.
We set off 7am in the morning. I was euphoric with enthusiasm.
Walking along the wall was the thing I had traveled all the way to China to do, and I had waited 30 years of my life to do it !.
The pictures I have seen of the wall, show it shopping-street flat.
The reality is very different, it was very steep, and at some of the towers, you had to jump out of "windows" onto the wall bellow.
Some of the towers were in very good condition.
My German friend David, told me that Drum and Base parties were quite common on some sections of the wall.
Whilst walking, he realized although thousands of miles from home, a German girl in our party was the sister of his best friend.
I wont bother trying to calculate the odds of that happening, but its the kind of strange and exciting thing that happens when traveling.
The rugged terrain all around the wall.
It was pointed out, that military value off the wall, was not just as a barrier.
Horesemen and Chariots could travel along the top of the wall much more quickly than raiders could trek through woodland and undergrowth.
This gave significant strategic advantage to people fighting from the wall.
The Royal seal on one of the Bricks.
When some 1960's buildings were knocked down recently, in anticipation of the Olympics, dozens of the bricks, contained this seal and must have been stolen from the wall.
A view from one of the watchtower "windows" showing a section of the wall we had walked along.
The trip was made all the better by superb weather.
Due to layout, certain sections of the wall, were vulnerable to archers.
Here a series of buildings along one side of the wall, provides protection from arrows and spears.
The view from the wall, and the sheer length, of what you can see, let alone its total length, is staggering.
I had been told to prepare a packed lunch.
I couldn't seem to find anywhere that sold sandwiches or anything like that.
I bought a Kentucky fried Chicken meal, kept it in my hotel fridge, and brought it along in a plastic bag.
The final section of the wall, was a very steep downhill walk.
There were several people selling cans, bottled water and t-shirts along the wall.
I was glad that I had visited the more authentic part of the wall.
Most people visit Badaling which is about 30 minutes from Beijing.
I was told that Badaling was completely rebuilt in 1957 and is a tourist circus.
The Chain Bridge at Simatai.
It wobbled so much, I had to take 4 pictures before I got one that wasn't blurred.
This was the end of the walk, and like climbing a peak and then walking back down a mountain, was a little sad.
I went out for the evening, with the people I met while walking the wall.
They were all staying at the downtown backpackers hostel and were a great bunch, who between them had traveled to nearly every part of the globe.
We had a sit down banquet in a private room, which the hardy travelers negotiated down to £3, including 2 bottles of beer each.
After the meal we went for a drink in a few of the waterside bars next to Houhai Lake.
It was a pretty groovy place, and although I had been walking all day, I had a great time.
We found a rooftop bar, and drank some chinese beer.
Charlotte is Canadian and during the day, I had wondered for several hours, who she reminded me of.
In the end I realized it was Donna Moss from the West Wing.
We rounded of the evening by visiting a Cafe/Bar called Salud in the Hutong next to the Downtown backpackers hostel.
It had a great atmosphere and the staff were friendly even though it was late. They played some great music, and actually put the tv on for a customer who wanted to watch football.
The customer (Chinese) had heard I was from Manchester, and immediately started to ask me about United. I hope he believed me when I told him I had no idea.
The picture on the wall, is of the proprietor as a child.
At the end of the night, the bill for 4 people drinking pints for 3 hours was £10 !.
On the way home.
The story ends as it began, with me in Beijing airport at night.
As I wander around the airport waiting for my flight, I step onto an escalator, and see this sign in now familiar chinglish.
I remained alert, but the implied service was never offered !.
