Goodness gracious the Great Wall of China

No school today! Woohoo! I was still up at my usual time since I was meeting my guide at 8:30am. I had found Qing on trip advisor (love it!) and I booked her for next Thursday and Friday since my time at school will be up but I will still be in Beijing. I also tried to see if she was free today to take me to the Great Wall. She wasn’t but said her husband could..he is the driver. He isn’t a guide, but I figured hey what is there to “guide” about the Great Wall (well..besides the history stuff, but I’m not a big history buff!)

He, and I say he because I could not understand his name, met me at my hostel at 8:30! We walked out to his car and he told me he only spoke a little English, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk so I thought perfect..and off we went! He said the ride was about an hour and a half to Mutianyu, the section of the Great Wall we were going to. I enjoyed being in a car and while we entered the highway soon, I enjoyed seeing the area by the hostel not on foot!

I think I dosed in and out for the car ride..it was so warm and comfy! We arrived at Mutianyu and he parked the car and walked me to buy my tickets! I need a ticket to get in and a ticket for the cable car ride up! He then told me to meet him when I was done at parking lot 2, where he parked the car. I thought I could manage that. I was off!

The cable car was cool, although I felt like I should have been skiing since that’s what we used for skiing in Switzerland! (Listen to me, such a travel snob!) It was also very nice to not have to walk to the top! I got my first glimpse of the Great Wall..it wasn’t anything Great yet, but I was excited! I stopped at the top to take some pictures (I PROMISE they are coming..they are downloading onto shutterfly as we speak..it just takes forever!)

Then I started to walk! Qing’s husband said I should walk from tower 14 to tower 6 and then take the toboggan ride down! Sounded like fun to me! Walking the Great Wall was NOT easy and I even did a pretty tame section! It is VERY steep either up or down and very uneven! I almost sprained my ankle a few times! Although, it was also very icy from the storm on Sunday so I don’t think that helped at all. I was so happy I didn’t do a HIKE of the Great Wall! When I was looking into places to visit I found a couple of options that seemed great (at the time). One was to hike a big section of the wall (4 hour hike) and another was to go to a park usually closed to the public and hike that. Now at the time that sounded great and less touristy, but once I was on the wall, Mutianyu was good enough for me! I am not a hiker..not to say I don’t enjoy hiking, but if I had to think of fun things to do, hiking wouldn’t be number one. Or even top five!

Needless to say I was having a wonderful time and enjoyed the burning in my legs because hey, they were burning because I was climbing the Great Wall of China! I thought it was a little strange that you could walk up beside the wall. Why would you go to the Great Wall of China and not walk ON it? I have no idea.

I met some people along the way! Mostly when I stopped and asked if they would take my picture! I asked a French woman with her two kids but she told me no because they were running away from bees! Bees were everywhere! Luckily, I am not too afraid and can stay calm, but I was very surprised! She was nice later and after her kids had stopped freaking out she took my picture!

I also met a man from China who took my picture and continued on the opposite way of me. Then I saw him again coming back my way with an older man and he told me I walked slowly! It made me laugh.

I was just about to end my hike and I was happy. It was just long enough to feel the burn and enjoy the Great Wall, but not too long that I was resenting its creation! I was able to sit on the steps for a while and just..be. It was great! While it was still cold the sun was hot and I enjoyed my snack and reading my travel books and people watching atop a step on the Great Wall of China. Life is good!

I decided I should continue on (that and my butt fell asleep) so I made my way to the toboggan ride! I was passing by an area with picnic benches and I saw someone waving, at me! Who the heck did I know on the Great Wall? My Chinese man! He called to me and told me to come over and have a snack! He was with his parents (who spoke no English). So I sat down and luckily still had another snack packed (always prepared!) It was a bit awkward, but when in China on the Great Wall, eat with the Chinese! He was very nice but I thought it was sad I had to question his intentions. Although, to get your parents in on it (a scam or whatever)..that’s a good scam! Anyway I really think he was just a nice guy who saw I was traveling alone. We made small talk and had our snacks and his mom was sewing a coat or something. Then I told him I should get going because I had to meet my guide and he thanked me for joining them and that was it!

I met Qing’s husband at his van and we were off! We were passing a fruit stand on the side of the road and he stopped so I asked him if he was hungry. He said, “No..my mom likes..I don’t know how to say it in English” so I laughed and he got out but didn’t get what he wanted so we continued on to the next stand and he bought chestnuts! He said his mom really liked them and they were known to be good in the area. I thought that was cute!

He then brought me by the Olympic Park. I got to see the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, although we didn’t get as close as I would have liked. I think I am going to go back at night to see everything lit up!

Next was Beihai Park..and I didn’t know that was in the plan so I was not prepared at all! He did hand me a handwritten map of where I should go and where to meet him, so I was off! I walked around (aimlessly) for a bit trying to understand his map. I did find the 9 Dragons which was suppose to be big (it was nice). I finally found the “boat” he was talking about to get to the other side of the lake (it was pretty big..but probably walk able). Although, it was one of those boats you read about in the newspaper that capsized in some country you have heard of, but can’t remember where it is. Although hopefully you know where China is! I did watch it go to the other side and back once and figured it was already 2 for 2 so I had good odds! Like I have said before, my momma didn’t raise no fool so I sat in the very back where it was open. I figured if we capsized I wouldn’t drown under the boat like all the sorry suckers who sat underneath. Although we made it with no problems!

I knew I was getting tired (and hungry) when I thought, you’ve seen one Chinese building you’ve seen them all. I did walk to the top and take some pictures and then continued out to either meet Qing’s husband or go to Jinshan Park..I didn’t know what he wanted me to do.

The parking lot was very confusing, but luckily I saw him waving like crazy! He showed me where Jinshan Park was and I was off again! It was a beautiful park, but there were a lot more stairs to get to the tower that overlooks the Forbidden City! It was really cool when I got to the top. It was hazy (or more like smoggy which it always is in Beijing) but it was a great bird’s eye view!

I was ready to call it a day and headed back to the van. I had read a lot of people saying that after walking the Great Wall was a great time to get a massage..but I didn’t need any excuse, I was in!

I had asked Qing if her husband could bring me somewhere cheap (not a nice hotel spa or anything) and that is exactly where he brought me! Let’s just say that 1) I would NEVER have found this place and 2) I would have left right away! But it was GREAT! I think there are two kinds of massages, the relaxing spa kind, and the hurt but feels so good cheap kind. I got the latter and I loved it!

There was nothing fancy (in the least) about this place, but it really was the best massage ever! I never think people give hard enough massages but this girl was amazing! It was the kind the hurts, so not everyone would like it, but I loved it! She was rubbing my temple area a lot and said something about not sleeping (I was confused) but then she said something like, “Your temples are telling me you aren’t sleeping well” which has been true for the past 2 nights! I have smart temples I guess. I wanted to ask what else they were telling her, but I decided it was best to keep quiet. Anyway it was very different from the massages I have gotten in the U.S. and I wouldn’t say it was relaxing but I thought it was great!

When I left I was in the area where we tried crickets so I decided to look around a bit! It really is like NYC. I was tired and hungry so I ended up at the Oriental Malls, which were beautiful! They had a million options for dinner, but yet again, I decided on Mr. Pizza. I would pay someone to find me places to eat every night! Usually I am tired and hungry, because I either just snack for lunch or eat at school (neither fills me up). I would love to try Chinese for dinner (which I will do next week with my guide who is Chinese and speaks English) but I want a real place which means no English sign that say “Best Chinese Food in Beijing”. Because let’s be honest, tourist trap! But if it is a local place with no English, that means I can’t order! Hence the catch 22. And for some reason I crave pasta or pizza every night. So there you have it!

I was exhausted and left there for the subway ride home and treated myself to a nice hot shower! Back to the grind tomorrow!

Hugs and kisses from the Great Wall of China!