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Beijing ("North Capital") is the administrative and historical heart of modern China. I gambled on it capturing my interest by planning more time there than in Shanghai. In addition, after the grind that China has been, I was also hoping for some comfort.
Sevag joined me in Beijing and his company was most welcome. Sevag had already visited Xi'an for the Terracotta Warriors and gone downstream on the Yangtze on what he described as the most disgusting boat (and accommodations) he had ever seen in his life. Apparently, along the way he also bowled over a cable car operator that tried to extract extra money out of a car full of tourists and was subsequently chased to the river docks by said operator and police where he hid in his cabin until the boat pulled away.
Needless to say, we were both a little frayed when we met in Beijing. Perhaps fitting then, that our first day in Beijing may have been the clearest day in Beijing history. A city notorious for smog and sandstorms, provided us a crystal clear blue day. We rewarded our strange luck by visiting the Forbidden City (whose reds and yellows contrasted sharply w the deep blue sky) and ambling around Tianamen Square. Because we went late in the day, we avoided much of the crowds and at times had the back alleys of the Forbidden City to ourselves.
The remainder of our time in Beijing saw a return to hazy pollution and dust. The air quality is absolutely terrible. Part of this is due to the frenetic pace of change in Beijing. You can literally see the old hutong neighbourhoods (dusty and drab blocks of low rise, generally low income, courtyard housing) being demolished for new office, residential and retail development. Beijing is building for 2008. Traffic is terrible as more and more Chinese are buying and driving cars than ever before. 5km at rush hour takes an hour. Yet thousands of bicyclists weave their way between their cars and still have their own dedicated lanes. It is a city in transition - an insight into the past and future of this country.
On the next sunniest day (shrouded in smog), we headed to a relatively isolated section of the wall at Jinlingshan. From there we walked along a largely unrestored section of the wall which snaked across a ridgetop for 10km to Simatai. Along the way the wall literally crumbled to nothing more than an elevated path with collapsed watchtowers, while at other times the wall was in full grandeur with the watchtowers intact and lording over the valleys below. The walk was at times nearly vertical and tough, but rewarding. Due to the lack of crowds, we could look along the wall for kilometers and not see another soul. It was a Great Wall experience that neither of us could have aniticipated given that tourism in China is so often diminished by hawkers and hordes of tourists.
The food has been hit and miss. With the exception of a night market where food (including scorpions and sparrows) can be bought from stalls for mere pennies, we have eaten at largely mid-range to upscale places. This saves us from trying to interpret menus with animal parts and species we did not know existed, or least of all could be cooked. Best of all, we enjoyed great Peking Duck (roast duck which you wrap in a crepe-like pancake with hoisin sauce and onion). And of course, we shopped. You name it, it can be had for a fraction of the price back home....
Off to Shanghai
previous travel blog entry
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