BEIJING DAY 1

DAY 49 — February 22,  2017 — Xingang (Beijing), PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

SNOW DAY!

The aft pool deck on the Amsterdam in the snow and fog.

We were welcomed to China by with a few inches of snow and a dark, gloomy fog.  Disembarkation from the ship was delayed by an hour because the Chinese authorities had closed the roads and supposedly the tour buses, vans, taxis, etc. could not get to the port and no one would be able to go anywhere.  The problem with letting us off the ship was that we could not re-board until EVERYONE on the ship went through immigration and that could take a few hours so if our bus wasn’t there we would have to hang around outside in the snow and the cold.  So, to protect us, they kept us on board. 

Ron and I had booked a two-day overnight trip to Beijing that was set-up independently of Holland America.  I telephoned our tour guide to apprise her of the situation and she said not only was our bus there but ALL the buses were there and had been there for hours!  Finally, everyone got all their info straight and the ship’s authorities let us leave the ship and we worked our way through the very slow immigration checkpoints.   Our bus was the first to leave the port.   Forty-five minutes later we started to see cars spun off the roads and absolutely no traffic coming from the other direction.  Then all the traffic stopped.   The road was closed.  Enterprising truck drivers started working their way down the line of cars, trucks and buses selling food.  That made us a little worried thinking they knew something we didn’t.  This was our introduction to the “new” China.  Don’t miss an opportunity to make a buck – or ¥uan.

Highway snow removal crew at work.

Our main objective for the day was to get to a part of the Great Wall about 90 minutes outside of Beijing – usually a 2 ½ hour trip from the port.  With our late start, the bad roads, and our traffic stop we began to worry that we might have trouble getting there before it “closed.”  The Great Wall closes?  No.  There are just certain areas at various points along the wall that tour buses can pull up and park.  They provide great views and “facilities” to make your Great Wall experience more enjoyable.  We were stopping at the Juyong Pass section of the Wall and it closed at 4:30 pm that day.  We had a quick lunch at a restaurant and Jade Museum/store near the Wall that shuffles tourists in and out all day and we made it to through the gates in time to spend about an hour climbing parts of the wall and taking lots of photos.

All the steps and walks were snow covered and icy which made the whole climb all the more “exciting.”

Americans are usually amazed by the lack of safety features at tourist sites around the world.  Here you are encouraged to self-assess before attempting to go on the Wall.

Great Wall FAQs

Runs east to west 5660 kilometers (3500 miles)

It cannot be seen from space.

Was built between the 7^th century BCE and the 17^th century.

It is not one continuous wall.  The defensive walls of warring states were built at different times and in different places so they were not on the same line.  Sometimes 2 or 3 walls were built next to each other.

Much of the wall that we see today was built by the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The turrets of the Wall were communication towers. They used smoke during the day and fire at night to send messages along the entire wall.

It is not a defining icon for the Chinese nor a source of great pride.  It is a monumental landmark but was considered a symbol of oppression of the people. 

The Chinese consider the wall “great” now because it brings respect and tourist dollars. 

Tourists come because it is an engineering wonder hugging the contours of the terrain across north China, changing in height and width and building materials, captivating all of us with its splendor and beauty.

Our original plan had been to go to the Mutianyu section of the Wall, a much more dramatic section made even more so by the cable car that transports visitors up and down.  But the cable car system is currently under maintenance and the walk was thought to be too strenuous for our aging group of world cruisers. We are finding that many places are closed while we are here -- the hazards of traveling in the "off season."

The rest of our day included a stop for a tea “tasting” (and shopping), a visit to the Circus World of Beijing, and a Peking duck dinner before arriving at our hotel for the night.  The tea tasting was fun and educational, the Peking dinner was a disappointment, and the acrobats were UNBELIEVABLE.  We bought a DVD to take home because no one would ever believe our descriptions of what these young people are able to do with their bodies

Our hotel was modern and stunning and our room was LARGE, a nice change from our tiny cabin on the ship.

The characters spelling out Coca Cola in Mandarin are interpreted as “happiness in the mouth.”  It was served at all our meals along with Chinese beer.  Drinking water is scarce in Beijing, making bottled water an expensive treat.

The little blue oval behind the faucet in our hotel bathroom contained the warning (in very tiny type) to not drink the water.  Ron’s long experience with a wide range of hotels across China taught him where to look to see if the water was drinkable. The hotel kindly provided two bottles of water at no charge.

Our first day in Beijing was long, snowy, and cold but how exciting it is to finally be here!