We took a route directly from Toronto, which took roughly forever. 14 hours. Here I was thinking we'd fly due west because that makes sense. Instead, we flew north first - over the North Pole. This was really cool! Had I been awake for it - and it was daytime - it probably would have been more awesome. I even waved to Santa. That should at least bump me closer to being off the naughty list. I also watched Goon. It seemed like an odd choice for an airplane movie (and it's kind of a favourite) so I watched it. Subtitled in Chinese, of course.
They land our plane at PEK somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Airport purgatory. Apparently many, many flights were delayed due to fog in Beijing, so they were basically landing planes wherever there was room. We were loaded on to a bus and driven to the airport, which seemed to take a long time. It is also ass in the morning. I don't actually know what time it is.
Here's the thing about China. And it seems kind of obvious. Everything is in Chinese. All of it. Occasionally there's English but in a place like the airport you have to follow the hoard of humanity and hope for the best. I found a white person and we walked together to customs, which was surprisingly quick.
Getting to the hotel is a delight. Again, it is ass in the morning. Everything is in Chinese. Having done my research, I know which bus to get on and where to get off. I've also printed off the name of the hotel in English and in Chinese so if I get lost, I can show it to people and hope for the best. Get on the bus, get off the bus. It's started to rain. As someone who has done their research, I know I need to get off the bus at Beijing Railway Station. This is less than a kilometre from my hotel. Awesome. What my research did not tell me was that even at ass in the morning, this place is still crowded. And loud. So much noise. Announcements over a shitty PA in Chinese. My research also did not plan on me landing at ass in the morning so my landmarks for how to exit the station/where to go from the station are completely ruined. But I power through because things can't be that different in the dark....can they?
Yes. They can. And they're in Chinese.
After 45 minutes I eventually give up and find a taxi who will take me to the hotel. I know I should negotiate for the rate but it is 0245 and I am in no mood for it. Turns out that if I had gone around literally the only corner of the massive train station I did not explore, I would have been able to see my hotel.
I meet with my group in the morning (they've all been there since at least the day before, as I was supposed to have) and my flight was the best one in. Everyone had been delayed or rerouted. One pair even lost their bags. Suddenly extra time in Toronto doesn't seem so bad. We eat breakfast and head off to the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu.
If we're being 100% accurate, it should be called the Great Stairs of China. Because it is stairs.
As we are walking up the road to where we ascend the Great Wall, there are two options: one - hike and two - chair lift. I did not come all this way to take a chair lift up the Great Wall of China. I came to climb the Great Wall of China and take a toboggan down.
Our guide, Howard, directs us to either the path or the chair lift and splits us in to groups. At first, I'm the only one willing to take the stairs. We've got six hours here - you will wait for this fat ass to get up and down. Half the group takes the chair lift. Team Climb takes the path.
Yeah.
No.
There are many different kinds of stairs on the Great Wall of China.
Glass stairs.
Stairs as tall as your thigh.
There are stairs that I can only describe as fish scales - they're less than an inch high and about four inches wide, layered upon one another in a way that you have to step on every single one going up or down or you will end up on your ass. There are stairs that would more correctly be called a ladder. Cobblestone stairs.
The hike is worth it because the views are breathtaking. And let's face it - you're on the freaking Great Wall of China. There are a good deal of people on the Wall but not enough to feel crowded.
There are 23 watchtowers. If you choose walk, you start at Tower 6 (chair lift drops you off at Tower 14). To get to Tower 23, you have to commit. It is nearly vertical with a lot of the fish scale stairs. Team Climb commits.
Team Climb: Fili and Isabelle (Team Germany), Jason, Ash and Julianna (3/4 Team Australia).
I don't know if Team Chair Lift made it to Tower 23 but we were rewarded with breathtaking views.
The way down was much easier. About 80% of the stairs were down.
At Tower 6, we took the slideway. "Slideway" is what they call the toboggan track down the Great Wall of China. I did not get pictures or video of this so I will borrow someone else's. Thanks, YouTube.
As you can see, this is a year round attraction. It costs about $16 Canadian and I would pay it again and again. If you go to the Great Wall, DO THIS.
There are two speeds to the toboggan - stop and go. You go about 35 km/hour, banking on turns and laughing the whole time. This was a highlight of the trip for me.
(Team Chair Lift took the chair lift down.)
Next: Actual birthday!
No comments:
Post a Comment