Today is our last day in all of China… it’s a somber day, as we say goodbye to some great, life-long friends. On the other hand, it is a relief to be leaving a country that comes with mixed reviews. The last few days have been adventurous to say the least…
I last left off with us returning home a couple days ago from Tienanmen Square. We next visited the Beijing food street and experienced some of the best food and tourism Beijing has to offer. I tried scorpion, which basically tasted like burnt nothing… the food on the whole was delicious, especially the lamb on a stick. The crowds were thick with foreigners and Chinese alike. I replaced my Mao hat that I lost weeks ago; that satisfied me greatly.
part of the line
The next day we planned to go see the Great Wall of China. There are basically three locations where you can visit the wall: Badaling, Mutianyu, and Simatai. Badaling is the site most visited (and crowded)… we originally planned to see the wall twice; once at Badaling with the crowds, and once at Simatai where nobody goes because it’s far away and because it hasn’t been reconstructed. We took a subway to the bus station where you can pay a couple bucks for a ticket to the wall. We got there and the line was LITERALLY farther than the eye can see. It was one twist and turn after another… around a corner, down a hill, under an overpass and beyond. It was hilarious… they were cramming people onto these buses like rice in a sack… I’m talking standing room, sardines in a can. So yeah, we scrapped that idea and decided to go see the Summer Palace.
The Summer Place (Imperial Garden) was absolutely stunning; it far outweighed our expectations. It’s a bit of a hike with lots of places to rest and enjoy the view. The crowds were bearable and the weather was gorgeous… so in the end, the day worked out.
the gauntlet
The next day we pre-booked a private driver to take us to Simatai and do the Jinshanling trek. We got in the van at 8 in the morning 
but they pulled over quickly because they decided that they didn’t wanna go to the Hebei province, where Jinshanling is located. It didn’t make any sense because it’s like 10 km from Simatai, but they just refused to do it (also, they said Simatai was closed but the sites online said it just re-opened.) After about 45 minutes of arguing with them, we decided to pay less and have them drive us to Mutianyu instead (800 kuai for 6 people in a van)… It ended up working out far better than we could have imagined. After the 45 minute ride out there, we bought our ticket and started our ascent. We decided against the gondola ride, so we hiked for about 30 minutes up these insanely steep steps to reach the top of the Great Wall. Once we reached it, we all got our second wind. At first the plethora of tourists were nauseating, but every step thinned the herd little by little, until we reached the gauntlet. I would say this section turned at least half of the remaining crowd back. It was a difficult section, but we made it and took some great photos at the top.
After another 20 minutes of hiking you essentially reach the ‘end.’ After that, they tell you to travel at
your own risk, but they don’t stop you. Slowly the upkeep got worse and worse until we reached the un-kept portion of the wall… We all loved this part because it was quite engaging to see the wall for what it actually is; no tourists, no reconstruction, no signs and plenty of overgrowth. We kept going for another 20 minutes until fatigue got the best of us. We rested, took in the view and the moment… Similar to my experience with the Inca Trail, in the end it was a euphoric; experience to be sitting atop a construction visible from space, that went on for another 4,000 km; all the way to the Gobi desert. One of the best experiences of my life…
The walk back down should have been awful, but it was actually amazing. By 2pm, most of the tourists were gone. Which meant we could take some great, isolated photos with nobody in the background ruining it. Seeing the wall with nobody on it was almost shocking… certainly inspiring. My recommendation (via Mutianyu) would be to go around 11am, take the gondola up (to save your energy) and hike as far as your body can take, until you reach the ruins and beyond. If we had it in us, we would have kept going… but that first leg of the wall took a lot out of us.
I heart crowds
The next day we forced ourselves to go see the Forbidden City, even though we knew it would be underwhelming after the wall… Probably not the best order to see things, but the weather stuck a wrench in our plans a few days earlier. We also wanted to see Mao’s body but we got up too late. Not to late to see him (you can view him until 11am) but because there are a lot of people in China; and when the sun is out, these sites can only be described as an infestation. It’s very strange to me, because the Chinese come out in full force because the weather is nice, but they all bring an umbrella to block the sun… so picture 10,000 people (my rough estimate) and half of them have umbrellas resting at eye level. Nobody looks where they are walking, so it really tests your patience. In order to go to either Tienanmen’s Square or the Forbidden City you have to walk through an underpass (essential a choke point) and a security checkpoint. It’s so moronic that we almost didn’t go; not gonna miss that…
After half an hour sweating our nuts off underground, we made it to Forbidden City (we skipped Tienanmen’s Square, because fuck it). I’ll make this quick… Forbidden City is pretty over-rated. The Summer Palace was far and away better. The crowds, the umbrellas, the heat, the price… I could go on. The Forbidden City cost more than the fucking Great Wall of China… how stupid is that? Plus, you have to pay extra to see some of the other sites inside. It doesn’t really feel so ‘forbidden’ when you experience it with half of China. I would suggest going in the late afternoon, when the crowds clear out a bit (this is a general rule you can follow in China).
For our last dinner, we experienced Beijing (Peking) duck because “I have to.” It was pretty good… damn expensive but good. We enjoyed some beers, had some laughs about our year together and passed out pretty early.
So here we are, waiting to say goodbye to China, but more importantly our good friends. It has been an amazing year; disconcerting at times and down-right euphoric during others. It’s an experience I would encourage anyone to do at least once in their lifetime. The friends and memories mean more to me than anything else money can buy. China, I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you walk away (not really).
…will miss you guys
Quick Reviews:
Lama Temple – Tibetan style… lots of Buddhas; the last one being the best, standing over 15 meters tall. 25 RMB – B-
Temple of Heaven – The temple itself is stunning but it’s very touristy; almost impossible to gt a shot without someone in it. Inside of it would have breathtaking if they let you in or at least lit the damn thing. All the other side stuff is pretty meh, 30 RMB – B
Tienanmen Square – An interesting historical site that doesn’t offer much aesthetically. The crowds can be out of control. – B
Summer Palace – Surprisingly beautiful… exceeded our expectations. It offers a short moderate hike, some interesting architecture, great views and the crowds are reasonable. Also, right on the metro line. 30 RMB – 40 w/ the viewpoint – A-
Great Wall of China (Mutianyu) – Magnificent. The hike is fantastic, challenging and rewarding. The further you go, the less people you will find. The site offers the opportunity to see the wall in it’s reconstructed stage, as well as some untouched ruins if you go up far enough. I cannot recommend this portion of the wall enough. 58 RMB – A+
Forbidden City – Located next to Tienanmen Square; it shares the crowd. Pain in the ass to get into… doesn’t really fell ‘forbidden’ with so many people bumping elbows. I’m not sure I would even like it that much even without the crowds. You also have to pay extra to see some of the interior exhibits. Maybe seeing it after the Great Wall didn’t help… I just don’t get all the hype. Needs a new paint job as well. 60 RMB – D+
Two Farts in the Wind 