Today we paid an overpriced amount (3 times as much as the usual rate – due to the Olympics) to get a guide (and most importantly a ride from our in the middle of no where hotel) to see the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs. The day started out promisingly enough, as we came to find out that we were the only clients for the day, and we had lucked out as The Great Wall had been closed for the previous two weeks – open only to Olympic participants and their families.
We hit the first speed bump of the day when our guide Amy, said, “before we go to the Ming Tombs, we are going to stop at the Jade Factory, to see how important Jade is to the Chinese people – as only emperors were once allowed to wear it.”
Now I can appreciate the cultural significance of Jade and its implications of ownership upon the social strata of the Imperial structure in China – but this sounded like another way to get us to buy stuff that we don’t want. In every country we have gone to there have been hawkers, schillers, salesmen, craftsmen, and guides who have tried to sell us every trinket imaginable – and having the conversation – I am traveling for 6 months I am only spending money on food and lodging, seems to make them think you are rich and just holding out for a better deal. I assure you we are just broke and with small backpacks.
Ulises and I proceeded to tell our guide that we had no interest in shopping, but would be happy to learn more about Jade, but we were not going to buy anything, as we do not want to shop, we want to see the sites. She assured us that you never have to buy; it is just to gain more information before we see the sites.
Of course our trip to the Jade store was nearly an hour long, and involved saying no more times than a kindergarten teacher. So, we climbed back into the van and decided a change of course was needed – let’s head to The Great Wall now, so we can see it before lunchtime.
We drove out of Beijing city and into the foothills to see the closest segment of the Wall open to the public. Amy asked us if we would be climbing or taking the cable car, we said we would climb, and she left us at the gate. We walked into the site, which begins at Black Bear Park – which literally has huge Black Bears lounging around on jungle gym type structures and begging for food from the tourists. We finally found the entrance to the wall and began to climb.
Now, I know that people wonder, “ Do you really climb the great wall? Isn’t it more like walking”? I can attest, it has very little to do with the act of walking, and far more with the act of back breaking, 45 degree angle leaning, shuffling straight up and down hundreds of contours in the wall, and often on slopes with no stairs. It is amazing, dangerous, and humbling. To think that the entire wall was made by human hands to protect this vast country is awe-inspiring.
Ulises and I were drenched in sweat and puffing away on our way upwards – all the time being aware that most people were walking towards us, and not up the wall. Hmmmm…maybe there is something to the whole idea of taking the cable car.
As we made our way to the highest portion of the wall, we were getting a whole lot of attention, and somehow people kept taking their photos near us. This “accidental” photography of the black girl and kind of Chinese looking guy only got more blatant as time went on. We did turn the tables on one guy and asked the only thug Chinese guy to take a photo with us due to the fact that he was wearing a Carmello Anthony Jersey.
We made it as far as our hour and a half on the wall would take us, and it was a good thing, as we slid down the 70degree angle slopes to the bottom, it started to rain. By the time we were past the first set of vendor stalls, it had gone from a sprinkle to a steady rain, and within 2 minutes more, it was a downpour.
We were huddling under a tree, and near a bunch of other poor saps that had no rain gear or umbrellas and waiting for it to let up – but after 10 minutes we decided, letting up was not an option and we should just run for it. So we ran, and got drenched – as the road was now a river, with shrubs and debris having been washed away by this torrential downpour. We found our guide, and after getting our feet thoroughly soaked until they got to that squishy toe sucking stage, we finally got into the van to head to lunch.
Speed bump #2 – The rain did not stop, in fact, we drove down the street which had in the course of just a couple of minutes become a 12 “ stream, with cars and vans stalled and stranded along the way. Our driver was indefatigable, and after navigating some extremely treacherous waters, got us to the Golden Palace for our huge lunch. The Golden Palace also happened to be a pottery workshop, silk store, pottery warehouse, and propaganda poster store. Hmmm…
Given that it was still raining, and the Ming Tombs are outside, we decided to skip the tombs and go to have some tea at a teahouse – this one is called Dr. Tea. We were shown into a little demonstration room where a young woman showed us the appropriate temperature, duration, and sipping method for Oolong, Jasmine, Puhr, and Lychee tea. As well as a whole array of cool gadgets to tell if the water is at the right temperature – things such as the PeePee Boy and the color changing dragon tea cup (all of which are available for purchase in the gift shop). We ended up buying some Lychee tea to drink while we are here, and still left Dr. Tea with that good old high-pressure sales feeling.
Next it was on to the Foot Massage place. After a day of being soaked from head to toe for 5 hours, the idea of a warm foot massage sounded heavenly to my soaking stinky feet, so I was jazzed about the experience. In all reality, the massage was great – however it was when the traditional doctor came in to diagnose my health issues from looking at my palm that I got a bit wary.
Speed bump #3 – Being talked about by a doctor in another language who says something along the lines of you have lady problems and an endocrine issue makes one ready to leave the foot massage – except ooops, they’ve got my feet. My diagnosis of course required a prescription, which could be purchased for the low price of 450Yuan. After turning down every foot soak, tea, and massage oil that was put before us, I was thoroughly ready to go – but not before we got to see the Olympic stadium up close.
Tomorrow it is off to Pingyao on the night train, and supposedly my luggage will arrive…
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