Beijing Times Two: "The closer you get, the bigger it gets" - Eric Lindenberg, May 10th, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
I will explain that quote in a minute.
Saturday night - we'd done our favourite thing - Peking Duck at the Made in China! For me this will be the essence of my Chinese trips.
But first I need to find my way to the Mutianyu Great Wall of China. Sunday dawned a little muggy. Saturday night we had decided to meet for breakfast at 6:30 and head to the Great Wall by 7:00 am. Having been to the Badaling section of the Great wall before, Kevin wanted to start out early to beat the hordes of tourists we knew would be on their way to see the wall. So at 7:00 am fortified with breakfast and take away cups of coffee, Eric, Kevin and I headed to the Great wall. The concierge negotiated a cab for us, that would take us there, and stay there until we finished and bring us back to the hotel.
The ride was beautiful. As soon as we left Beijing behind, we were in farmland. Trains, a few cars, little towns that strangely reminded me of little towns in India - we passed through all of them.
Me at the start of the Great Wall at Mutianyu.
The km long journey brought us closer and closer to the fog covered hills. We could see how lush and green they were. The ride up to the bottom of the hill was surprisingly short - we didnt climb much. We got out, got our tickets and then then started the uphill climb to the cable cars. Let me tell you this: that climb is not easy. I was breathing very heavily and had to lean on both of them to pull me up the very steep incline. And then we were at the cable cars. They didnt open till 8:30 am.. so we were some of the first people up in the cars. Both the men suffer from sea sickness... I was totally fine with letting them both sit facing uphill while I faced downhill. The car rose above the lush green foliage all around us, that was a strange mix of some tropical trees that I recognized and some that were clearly from a more temperate climate. The sun had just started to rise up above the hills to our right - the east. We could make out the crenelled outlines of the wall along the spine of the mountain. It was an amazing sight! I was actually here - at the Great wall of China!
Both Kevin and Eric always call their families first thing in the morning. I told Kevin I had a plan. I was going to call my parents from on top of the Great Wall. Eric laughed at me - would I get enough bars there? The cable car swung to a halt. We got out and headed out. A few steps up - steep steps, those, we turned a corner - and lo and behold, the first thing you see as you step on the Great Wall of China is....a row of Port-a-potties.. I just had to take a pic!
I will be adding snaps that both Kevin and Eric took later into this collection - so look out for it.
The view from that point on was breathtaking. We could see the wall snaking away to the east and to the west. This section of the Wall actually stopped marauders from the North. It was OLD!! The three of us whipped out our phones. Sure enough - enough bars! - and started dialing. It was such a great feeling to be standing there on the Great Wall and calling my mother on a cell phone! I took pictures of Eric and Kevin calling their families - they could give it to their kids and say - look, Daddy was calling you here!
We started walking towards the North. The air was a bit cool - not jacket inducing, though. We walked down steps worn down by thousands of years of people traversing them. They were not even, and the edges were the best places to walk. The centers were sometimes an inch think to three-inches thick. Even with the constant jibing-joshing-insulting relationship that is there between the three of us, at some point, we had to stop in awe and just stare. To the right, jagged peaks rushed up to the sky. To the left the hills rolled away to the bottom to a small valley. We walked through tiny doors, and tinier rooms. Kevin's big frame filled every doorway we went through.
I let my imagination free. Leaning against a battlement, I looked out. I could almost see the hordes of soldiers rushing the wall. Trying desperately to claw their way up - maybe using ladders. Behind me on the wall, I could see the soldiers leaping and running across the battlements, some of them lying on their stomachs shooting arrows out of the little vents onto the unprotected enemy below. Others rushed around protecting one segment of the wall and then another - dressed in gaudy robes, little white and black shoes, with their pigtails flying in the wind. What a life it must have been! What must it have meant to be a soldier in those days?
We continued on, to a little turret. Inside it was dark, and the Chinese must have been very small people. Kevin had to bend down to get through some of the doorways. One of the turrets was like a little maze. We wandered off, and then I could hear them calling me. I couldnt find them - until I noticed a steep flight of steps leading to the roof. Steep as in 3' high steps. They had found those steps and decide to explore. I helping hand later, and I was up there. Pictures all around. However, the aforementioned hordes of tourists had started arriving. Loud, loud tourists, mostly Chinese, but also quite a few white people! At one point, we exchanged pleasantries with a middle-aged American (or was that Canadian?) couple. Isn't the great wall amazing? its the one place in China that you can go to and speak to perfect strangers in English!
We continued on, but I was tiring. Besides I wanted a little 'me' time. So the guys dumped their jackets with me, and continued on to the next turret. I leaned against the wall and just relaxed. The sun was on my skin, I could hear bees buzzing and birds chirping. It was growing a little hot and I was feeling a little drowsy. Tourists were coming fast and thick now. For some reason they came downhill to 'my' corner and nearly bumped into me, all the while their eyes on the jackets at my feet. It was WEIRD!! But I had some time to kill and I was amused. Almost forty minutes went by, and then they returned. We were tired, but happy. It had been a wonderful day.
Returned to the hotel, a quick freshen up and lunch. I was hungry for some good ole American food - so a burger it was for me. Then we decided to go to the Olympic Village. Our hotel is almost next to the Bird's nest. Evidently, NBC had booked the entire hotel during the Olympics! Who knew - maybe Brian Williams had my room? or Matt Lauer - ohhh yeahh!!
We walked along the street up to the Bird's nest. That structure of iron grids criss-crossing gives you such a feel for the organic nature of the architecture of Beijing. There are buildings shaped like swans, and dragons, and bird's nests... well its amazing to say the least. As we walked closer to the stadium we realized just how large it was. It was at this point, that Eric dropped his profoundly irrelevant comment 'The closer you get, the bigger it gets'... however the double entendre in this sentence wasn't entirely lost on Kevin and myself - and we just cracked up. Until Eric dropped another one - this time it was his wallet. But again, as he puts it - 'I didn't drop it, gravity took it!' I wont have enough space on these notes to write about his other profoundly absurd witticisms, but .. I'll give it my best shot.
We went inside the Stadium and wandered around the gift shops. Kevin needed to buy stuff, and buy stuff he did! Back to the hotel for a tall glass of brew, and our day was over. Another beautiful day gone.. but wonderfully.
Kevin returned back to the US this week. I will miss his big beary presence as he rolls off this project. But.. I think I will be seeing him again, and we'll laugh about these days in China.
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