It was the case of an unopened email from Qantas. I hovered my mouse over and clicked the button to see what the specials of the day were. China return for $486.00, oh, that's awesome! But could I go over there? What crazy thing could I do?
Well, I got home to check it out. Yes, there's the Great Wall, the history of their culture. It would be fantastic, but it doesn't quite sell me yet. The photography is another selling point, but I'm just not there. Then I find the Great Wall Adventure Club out of Beijing. What's this? Multiple-day hiking trips that allow you to sleep in the watchtowers on the wall. Say what? You can sleep on the Great Wall... SOLD! I'm off to China to enjoy the land and culture of the ancient dynasty dating back to 1500 BC and further.
Now it's about understanding the Chinese lifestyle and beliefs. First, knowing you need a visa to get into China. Secondly, Facebook, Google, and all those Western internet sites are banned, so a VPN might be required. Also, weather-wise, it's in reverse from Australia. So if summer is here, then winter is over there. Yippee... lol!
So I'm booked, passport ready, camera locked and loaded, backpack to the brim with warm clothes. Excitement approaches as I take my first step onto the plane from Brisbane.
Day 1 - 30th October 2017 - The Flights..
I woke up early, grabbed the backpacks, and then I was out the door to start 15 hours' worth of flights. There was a little runabout flight change: Brisbane to Sydney, then back north to Beijing. From Brisbane to Sydney, it was straightforward, but they only left me with 40 minutes to find my gate and grab something to eat before my plane left for Beijing. However, I was on the international flight before I knew it, which was great—no three-hour layover. Then it was movie after movie, and you guessed it, another movie. I was lucky enough to mix it up though with some sleep, some well-made Jameson's Irish whiskey, and another movie. After 11 hours in a chair half my size, the plane finally touched ground... CHINA.
I was wearing a shirt and a pair of jeans when my Chinese traveling buddy turned to me and said, "You do realize it's 2 degrees outside?" At that point, all I could think was, I hope baggage claim is quick. I had planned a treat earlier to feel like a rockstar and booked myself a limo to my hotel. And what a limo it was—a brand-new Mercedes C7. The driver must have known every square millimeter of that car because there wasn't a scratch on it when he dropped me off at the hotel. Confused why I said that? This guy found every fifth lane on the two-way streets Beijing offers. The road rules here are crazy, or what I can tell, there weren't any. But now it's time to check into the Lu Song Yuan hotel for the night, well, morning, as it was 2:30 am Australian time.
The Lu Song Yaun hotel, The view from my room...
Day 2 - 31th October 2017 - 1/18th of Beijing..
Wow, Beijing is huge! I knew China would be big, but... I walked for miles today, what is only a couple of city blocks on a normal map. The whole of Brisbane could fit into one street length here. I started walking towards the river, walked up around Qianhai, over the Yinding Bridge, and back down to Beihai Park. I bought a ticket to enter this "small park," and it was beautiful. It was only 9 am, and people were already dancing, doing Tai chi, twirling streamers, playing table tennis, enjoying games, and taking boat rides. You name it! The grass was greener than green, and there were people everywhere, but also little hideaways that blocked out the noise, allowing you to hear the water dropping into the lake. After spending three hours in the park, watching, walking, and exploring, I thought I should cross the road and walk to the entrance of the biggest block yet, surrounded by a moat, high walls, and golden roofs—the one and only Forbidden City.
This place was enormous. I had heard that it could get crowded, and it's best to visit in the mornings. I saw people exiting before I even saw the entrance, and I thought there wouldn't be any room to take photos. Well, I was wrong. About 100 plus people were walking through the gates every 10 minutes, but once inside, this place could fit a million and still have room. So after spending another couple of hours walking around this amazing area, I found the exit again and started my walk back home. But if you didn't get "the hotung" people calling you before you entered, they certainly would now. These are people with bikes and spare seats, and they're everywhere. You ask them how much to get somewhere, they'll say one thing, you say no and move along. It would start at 80 yen, but you can easily negotiate it down to 20 yen. To get driven 8 kilometers for $4.89 Australian, why not take a ride and save those feet?
Now I'm back at the hotel, writing this blog and enjoying a relaxing talk with the people I miss most back home. It's an early night for me, as there are huge three days to come. Let's bring a bucket list marker because something will be getting ticked off tomorrow.
Day 3 - 1st November 2017 -The Camp of a lifetime…
Yes, that's right. It all started at 9:30 am when my tour guide Aaron said, "Ni Hao (hello), Daryl, are you ready for an adventure?" Three whole days on the Great Wall of China, and the first night, we would get to camp on the wall. What an unbelievable experience to sleep under the stars on the Great Wall.
So it was just Aaron, a fellow traveler named Suzanne from the USA, and me heading out to the Jinshanling Great Wall. It took about two hours from Beijing, and then we embarked on a 10-kilometer walk along the wall that was over 800 years old. It wasn't the oldest part; some sections are over 2000 years old. But it was rugged, and there was no one in sight but us. Perfect, just a perfect start. After about five hours of hiking, we reached the tallest watchtower of this section. When we looked behind us, the moon was rising, and as we looked forward, the sun was setting. It couldn't get more real than this. We were actually going to sleep on a part of ancient history.
By the time we reached the camping ground, it was dark. But we had a full moon shining, which made the whole atmosphere even more surreal. The tents were set up with double sleeping bags because -2 degrees Celsius can get cold. We had foam mattresses for bedding, though personally, I think the rock I found was softer than the mattress. But we weren't there for a five-star hotel. This was the Great Wall of China.
Day 4 & 5 - 2nd and 3rd November 2017 - Breath taking...
Miles and miles of the Great Wall, the history stretching even further. Still trekking, feet sore, back aching, camera full, and the video camera on its last battery. But this place is breathtaking. You've seen the wall on TV, social media, in books, but nothing can truly describe how it makes you feel. So instead of writing lines of text, I'm just going to show you photos.
Standing on the Great Wall at 1038 meters above sea level..
It wasn't all walking and no fun on the wall, especially after three days and 30 kilometers of crawling, slipping, trekking, and camping. There had to be a way down that didn't involve walking, right? Well, there was. If you happen to go to the Mutianyu Great Wall section, there is a toboggan ride you can take down. Check out the fun I had!
Day 6 - 4th November 2017 - The People...
Today was a sleep-in kind of day, listening to the bustling streets below from my room at the King Joy Hotel in the Xicheng District. I laid there with YouTube playing, browsing through my photos and videos while giving my feet some much-needed rest. It was almost noon when my stomach started rumbling, signaling it was time to venture out and explore the city once again.
I stepped out of the hotel and across the road were street markets. I maneuvered through the crowds, dodging people left, right, and left again until I found a nice little restaurant. I treated myself to a king-size meal, indulging in steamed pork dumplings, spicy chili dishes, and shredded pork noodles with fungus. I had to waddle back to the hotel afterward to edit some videos and photos of the Great Wall.
As the sun finally went down, I grabbed my camera and headed out to capture some night photography of Tiananmen Square. The smog was unusually thick tonight, making it difficult to breathe and causing my eyes to sting. Visibility was limited to just two blocks away, but despite the conditions, there were still people everywhere—running, having dinner, partying—just living life as usual.
I located the square and set up my camera, but it took a while to take my first photo. Here's something I haven't mentioned before: I think I've been in more random photos than the number I've taken myself. Western people are a novelty here, and it feels like being a movie star. People constantly want to have a photo with you, and it adds an interesting element to the experience.
Zhengyangmen - Beijing
Day 7 - 5th November 2017 - The Creepy and Crawly...
Today started like any other morning, with me searching on my phone for new things to do or try. That's when I came across the Silk Street Market, so I embarked on an adventure to explore this massive building with 17,000 stores. Once I arrived, it was a clothing designer's paradise, with every possible brand and style of clothing imaginable. I could have gone crazy buying new clothes made from cashmere, silk, fur, and various sport and fashion brands that I already love. However, this wasn't the time for a shopping spree.
Instead, my hunger took over, as I had just walked 12 kilometers to reach this place, and I knew I had to walk back to the hotel as well. So, I indulged in a pizza loaded with every type of meat I could find. But it didn't stop there. I also tried a caramel-coated fruit stick, steamed dumplings, scorpion skewers, and even snake meat. Yes, that just happened. I stumbled upon the Wangfujing Street markets, where the delicacies included unique and exotic foods. Don't be put off by the fact that some of them are still wiggling and moving. Once they are fried and coated with chili powder, they become quite tasty. It was an experience worth sharing with friends and challenging them to try what's next on the menu. Octopus? Larger scorpions? Crickets? Bugs? Baby ducklings? There were even some items I couldn't even put a name to.
Day 8 - 6th November 2017 - Day of Smog...
What can I say? The smog in Beijing was thick, so thick that it felt like rolling a dice to explore on my last day there. I did some tourist shopping, meeting local artists and buying keychains and chopsticks as souvenirs. But ultimately, I made it to a heavenly place where I captured my final photos of China before my flight back home.
As the smog affected both my camera lens and my lungs, I decided to embrace it and capture the surroundings in black and white images. It was a unique way to document my last day in Beijing. I hope you enjoyed following along on my adventure.
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