Day 11 continued.
Our little village in East Baldwin has a population of about 25. Beijing has upward of 13 million. As we leave the station building with our backpacks it seems they have all turned up to meet us. Once again we have no idea what anyone's saying or what any of the signs say. We walk confidently out of the station and sit down on our bags about 50m away. We ahve figured this is the best plan as no one hassles you straight away if you don't look lost. So we sit and watch and try and figure out where things are. We decide to get a taxi to our hostel, we have a map of Beijing with the street names in Mandarin so we can point out where we are going. After being swamped by 20 drivers we agree a price with one, give him the map and follow him. I think he was just at the station picking up relatives because when we get to his car, they're all getting in - 4 adults and a baby, so with us and our luggage it's a tight squeeze. His suit matches his driving - poor quality. He drops 2 adults and the baby off first, we haven't a clue where we are and nor does he. He keeps looking at the map, turning it round and trying to read the tiny words on it. In order to save time he doesn't slow down while he's doing this. To his credit, being as he wasn't a taxi, and our relief, he does eventually find our hostel.
We are fairly central in Beijing, about 15 mins walk from Tianemen Square, in one of the hutong areas. These areas are a tangle of cluttered grey alleyways with poky courtyards and apartments behind. They are a real maze. This is backstreet Beijing and it's full of life.
We are staying at the Far East International Youth Hostel, which we read about and booked on the internet. We thought staying in a hutong area would be interesting and we were right.
After checking in and dumping our bags in the room, which is fine, we venture out in search of a bank. It's very, very warm and we're a little apprehensive walking these backstreet alleyways. We soon realise that these backstreets are where large amounts of people live so are actually filled with families going about their daily lives. We feel safe and eventually find the bank.
After a much needed shower we bought a couple of beers and some dumplings and then collapse into bed knackered.
Expenses: (Chinese Yuan 13 / Pound)
Taxi 100Y, Sandals 58Y, Room and key deposit 298Y, Train deposit 200Y, Bread 2Y, Beers 4Y, dumplings and more beer 8.5Y.
Day 12 - cloudy very warm 30C
After a good lie in, infact we didn't wake up until 10.30, we head off in search of Tianemen Square. Yesterday after visiting the bank of China to cash travellers cheques we tried to find Tianemen but took a wrong turn somehwere and ended up going in the opposite direction. It was 5pm, rush hour and the pavements were heaving. We were worn out so we headed back to the hostel. Today though we were prepared and found it easily.
Tiananmen square is at 400,000 sqare metres, the largest public square on earth. It's dotted with statues and surrounded by stern monumental buildings. Chairmans Mao's mausoleum is at the foot of the square and is ugly. Tiananmen would have been much more impressive beforeit was built. Mao's pickled corpse draped with a red flag within a crystal coffin is mechanically raised from a freezer every morning and is on display between 9 and 11am. He is pumped with 22 litres of formaldehyde to preserve him so he has the complexion of Mickael Jackson. Apparently during embalming he gave a cough and ear fell off so the Vietnamese technicians, who had previously pickled Ho Chi Min, had to sow it back on.
Taking up half the length of the west side of the square is the monolythic great hall of the people and on the east side are the museum of Chinese history and the museum of the revolution which are housed in the same building.
To the north of the square is Tiananmen , or the gate of heavenly peace which is the main entrance to the luxurious and ornate Forbidden City, a total contrast to the austerity of the square.
We wander across Tiananmen, there are hawkers everywhere trying to sell you anything from kites to chairman Mao watches, we manage to resist and take a few photos. Rene is then approached by a couple with a camera and she happily agrees to take a photo of them, but no, they want a picture of Rene with him, then with her and then with me as well. Another family approach, Rene is still smiling. I've had enough and whisk her away before we are swamped.
Three things we have noticed since arriving in Beijing. Firstly the hoiking and spitting, the Chinese are real experts , and give it everything they've got. They will somehow make it into a sport before 2008 and clean up the medals,and hopefully the floor. Secondly the air is so polluted , its affecting our noses ears and throats. The air at home is so clear ( how is the big ugly incinerator), we're really feeling it. Bogies are big and black, well Rene's are, boys don't pick their noses.
Thirdly is being stared at, sometimes its just a look, but often its look stop and stare, then wave friends or relatives over for a look and a point. No harm is meant, its just curiousity but its weird.Rene's pretending she's a film star, I'm pretending its not really annoying me.
We spend 3hrs walking around the Forbidden City, which was the residence and court of the Ming and qing dynasties between 1420 - 1911. It's vast in scale, but the detail on every part of the buildings is exquisite. If you're interested in the history , look it up on the internet ( we will be testing everyone on our return , especially you Joe and Holly).
We visit Jingshan park, north of the Forbidden City ,and climb to the highest point. Great panoramic views of Beijing.
We walk the 500 miles back to the hostel ( new cheap sandals = blistered feet ) have a cold Chinese beer which come in large 640ml bottles and cost 2 yuan ( 15p ), some dumplings and rice, then limp into bed. Sleep is swift.
expenses;- entry to forbidden city -120y
" " park 10y
fruit 25y beer 8y water 2.5y dinner 19y
Day 13 - Cloudy, sunny, v warm 30C
We decided to spend the day at the Summer Palace which is about 18km out of the city, so we need to get the metro (underground). The system it works on is great. There are three different lines which all inter connect. To go anywhere on any line is 3yuan (25p) so it's really easy. The third of these lines is above ground (line 13) and wasn't in any of our Beijing books. This line extends further round the city and allowed us to get close to the Summer Palace.
During the hottest months of the year, the latter day imperial court would decamp from the Forbidden City to the Summer Palace which was surrounded by hills, cooled by the huge Kunming lake and sheltered by trees. The park and lake are vast and the buildings beautiful. The walkways and trees are incredible.
The history of the park is fascinating but not fascinating enough to write it all down - so look it up on the internet (Holly Jade Moffitt).
Even on a weekday the aprk was packed with tour groups. The leader carries a coloured flag which corresponds to the colour of the baseball caps the group wears. Each group contains a coachful and they stay as close as possible to the leader in order to hear what he/she is saying. This means they move en masse and when there are lots of groups it's a nightmare. The latest camcorder is the weapon of choice and they'e not afraid to use them.
We had planned to take a rowing boat out on the lake but all we could find were pedalos. It was very windy and the lake was choppy and having walked round the park our legs weren't up to pedaling.
Taxi, train and metro saw us back in the city where we walk through the streets and alleys back to our hostel. We have walked a long way in the last two days and it's very warm and apart from Renes sore calfs and blisters from my new sandals (cheap nad badly made) we're holding up well.
What we are not doing so well is eating (virtually impossible to believe, but true). To enable us to do everything we wanted in Beijing we had decided to stay 5 nights, we also decided to keep our room, with shower and toilet for the 5 nights at 15 pounds a night (7.50 each). We could have moved to the dorm for 5 pounds each. Therefore we're spending less food. We find we're not really hungry during the day, it's very warm so we drink lots of water and try to eat fruit (quite expensive).
In the evening we eat in the hutong area where it's very cheap, a big plate of greasy fried rice each and 2 beers is 10 yuan (75p). Eighteen vegetable dumplings are 4.5 yuan (38p). There are some lovely vegetarian restaurants in Beijing but are very expensive compared to the hutongs.
Hughie there is definitely an opening for you in China, we haven't seen a potato since we arrived.
There are travellers from all countries staying in the hostel who are all very friendly and eager to share their experiences. The lovely courtyard is great for having a few beers and a chat, the dumpling cafe amd omtermet room adjoin the courtyard. The staff speak some English and are very, very helpful.
There is nothing better than an ice cold beer after a tough day sight seeing and at 18p (can you hear me Philip Sherrard 18p) it would be rude not to.
For the third night running, before sleep, I flick through the 48 chinese channels on our TV in the vain hope that somehow premiership football is going to appear but it doesn't. I go to sleep rerunning the 1977 European Cup Final instead.
Expenses:
Subway tickets 24Y, Taxi 30Y, Summer Palace 100Y, Ice cream 3Y, Water 2Y, Beer 4Y, Dinner 44Y
Day 14 - sunny scorchio 37C
Sunshine, blue sky and wonderfully hot. Rene decides to spend an hour on the computer copying out the journal and I speed march to the bank to get some cash. In fact I don't because in the hutong alleyways it's virtually impossible to speed march. An endless stream of bikes come at you, from every direction, most of them are old and battered, some are 3 wheelers with a seat on the back, others have a metal box that acts as a trailer. The bikes weave in and out braking and ringing their bells to avoid collissions with other bikes or people, handcarts, friut and veg stalls, hot food vendors, men playing cards, birds in cages or dogs on leads.
Rene is still computin when I return but ahs just deleted one of the days she's typed so is chuntering under her breath like Muttley (Dick Dasterdley and Mutley - Whacky Races). I get 2 mins at the end of our internet slot online and discover to my amazement that Liverpool have secured 4th place. They were playing bobbins when i left.
After lunch, which we didn't have, I manage to persuad Rene to hire bikes for the afternoon. It wasn't easy, she's seen the traffic. Fortunately she has also spoken to others who hired bikes yesterday and seen the cyle lanes which are superb. The bikes we hire are not. Mine was built about 1930, and the state its in suggests it must have been some sort of stunt bike. The front wheel is slightly buckled, the chain guard is loose and catches the chain and I can peddle freely with both brakes on full. Rene's bike is better as her brakes ork. We don't complain because I don't know the Mandarin for slightly buckled so with hats on and sunscreen applied off we set.
We had a fantastic afternoon. Beijing is totally flat and we rode for miles. Rene loved it, especially when we found the silk market where we practiced our haggling. Rene bought a lovely silk something for 50Y and I bought a desperately needed pair of sunglasses for 20Y. We had to resist the north face winstopper fleeces which were available for 30Y (2.50 ish) as we have absolutely no room in our rucksacks.
We stopped and had a small pizza and then rode back past Tiananmen Square past huge junctions. If we weren't sure we just followed the locals. On the roads running through the city centre the cyclists have their own totally sepeerate roads, everywhere else their is a 6ft cycle lane marked on the tarmac. It's a great system. The bikes and us made it back in one piece after 5 1/2 hours out and about.
Shower, beer, rice and bed. Early start tomorrow for the Great Wall of China.
Expenses: Internet 20Y, bike hire 40Y, Pizza and drinks 57Y, PArk ebtry 10Y, Sunglasses 20Y, Silk 50y, water and yoghurts 3y, dinner 8y, beer 8y, Great Wall excursion 240y.
Day 15 - sunny and windy 30C
Up at 6am as the coach leaves at 7am for the 3 hour minibus ride to Jinshanling. We have decided to try the 10km trek along the wall between Jinshanling and Simatai. This section is one of the most unspoilt and least visited sections of the wall and easily the most beautiful.
It's a 1/2 hour trek from minibus to the wall, it's windy, sunny and hot and very steep, but we can't wait to be up there. Hawkers can ruin your trek as soon as you reach the wall they are trying to sell you water or a Tshirt and they're persistent and will follow you the whole 10km. They are like racing snakes and spend all day walking stretches of the wall and hiding in wait in the watch towers.
Before arriving we'd talked about how Rene's brother Dave (Sgt Major Moffitt) would deal with unwanted hawkers on the wall. Firstly he'd give them clear and firm instructions not to follow him. If that didn't work he'd throw them off.
Luckily for them the first option worked and we were left in peace thw whole way. It was absolutely magnificent. This unrennovated section of the wall snakes its way over mountain ridges as far as the eye can see. The views are stunning. In some parts the wall and beacon towrs are complete, in others they are not. Some parts are so steep you are scrambling on all fours to get up. The steps are huge. Rene fell twice and cut her leg, but she doesn't mind because we're on the Great Wall of China and can't beleive it.
After 10km we cross a metal walkway over a gorge and we've reached Simatai. We;re exhausted, wind burnt and happy.
4 hours and a shower leter we are enjoying our last Beers in Beijing before heading off to Hong Kong tomorrow. We really enjoyed Beijing and the Far East International Youth Hostel is a great to place to stay with lovely helpful staff.
Expenses: Wall entry 70y, beer and crisps 10y, dinner 10y, ice cream 1y.
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