Here it is day three and I've hardly written about my time here. Presently we are on the number 916 bus headed out of Beijing for the Great Wall. There are multiple tours that will make a day trip to the Great Wall for what seems a reasonable price - 100 Yuan, maybe $15. The problem is that I have read so many horror stories about these one day tours. Almost all of them force you to stop at silk factories, tea sellers or jade and jewelry stores. Not only do these "tours" cut down on your time at the landmarks, but the sales pressure is high. Many operators change the rules of the game when you get to the destination. "Now you must pay the tour guide YU 100 to take the tour." The government appears to have very few controls on ripping off tourist. Also we have met very few Chinese who speak English even though they were taking it since kindergarten.
Thus we chose to take the 916 bus, about an hour ride to a small town, where we must negotiate a shuttle to the wall. YU 12 each for the bus trip. We were met by a gentleman that pushed to get us into the bus. Being here has made me suspicious of everyone who approaches you, for so many are on the take and will charge you whatever they can get. This guy appears to be selling himself as a guide for us, a guide that doesn't speak English. Nevertheless the bus is clean and air conditioned if not tight in the small seats.
We were alerted to begin the next phase of our journey - about 30 miles north of Beijing now we get out of the bus and we are immediately approached by a driver. He wants to drive us to the Great Wall and says: 60 Yuen. In fact Chinese expect negotiation when giving a quote. We had heard that it was 30 to 40 Yuen, So I immediate said "Forty". He said "fifty" and that is what we agreed to. Again this man spoke very little English, but he drives tourists to the Great Wall for a living. When we got there he asked if we wanted him to take us back and we said yes. We agreed upon a time to meet. I handed him 100 Yuen for the trip there and back (I thought). Just for reference 100 Yuen is about $15- really not a bad price to be driven another 20 miles or so.
I should clarify that we are visiting the Mutianyu part of the wall. There are at least four locations that tourists can access. This location is one of the closer ones to Beijing, as well as having many amenities and known for its spectacular views. It was begun about 200 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, under the Emperor Qin Shi Wang. It was revamped under the Ming Dynasty. I have heard the Mao encouraged citizens to take its bricks to build their houses, but now extensive parts of the wall are being meticulously restored.
Tourists arrive in a little commercial village - with a Burger King included. We had just missed breakfast at the hotel, so I was starving. There were many little restaurants and I saw the words Cappuccino and scrambled eggs- a nice combo for me. I included a plate of fruit, which turned out to be mostly bananas. Still it was the right combination for the right time. After breakfast we climbed a hill to board the shuttle bus to the ski lift- actually enclosed orange boxes, very safe. I was astounded by the length that one could walk on the wall, if you so desired, probably 3 miles in each direction.
More spectacular were the views- the views of distant mountain ranges, the views of green valleys, the views for the wall stretching in both directions over the hills. This part of the wall apart from the spectacular views is well maintained. It appears that is brick is not out of place. And there are treacherous climbs up and down with mostly small steps up and down. The wall undulates mile by mile and ups and downs on these small steps are frequent. Guard houses pop up ever hundred yards or so. They are fun to climb on top of and take in the views.
We were smiled upon by low 80s weather and a few clouds. There were breathtaking views in every direction punctuated by the guardhouses that stretched for miles in both directions weaving through the mountains. Truckee reminded me that the views also actually increased the security of the wall, as guards along the wall could see for miles.
At the end of our walk along the wall, we ended out it with a trip on an aluminum toboggantrack- It was a great way to end the trip and to these hills. It was totally safe, but exhilarating too. Children as well as old folks like me could get on and accelerate or slow down as they wished. The easy to use controls made the toboggan a ride that could feel safe or risky. I have stunning photos of the wall. I will try to post them as html. Let's see how that works.
We met our driver as planned. When we arrived at the bus stop, he asked for 100 more Yuan. We said that we had already paid him as agreed, 50 yuan each way. He said that was 50 yuan per person each way. Live and learn.
From the first day I have been approached by pedibikers who pick up tourists and ride them where ever they want to go. "Where you go? 3 Yuan..." It is repeated over and over again, as you walk along the street. Then, "Ok, 2 Yuan, you get on" There are 15 Yuan to a dollar. That would be changing 15 cents for the ride. Again from what I have read, one cannot be too careful. For if he charges you 100 Yuan at the end of the trip, it is your word against his, and he speaks the language. You don't. It is indeed tempting to take the offer on these very hot days in Beijing.
You asked if people discuss politics. I honestly don't know, but I have a guess. Other than to the very educated politics don't seem to play a roll in the every day lives of Beijingers. They are mostly concerned with the everyday existence they have, whether it be in an office, restaurant or hustling on the street. Among friends I am sure that there are open discussions about politics, but I really don't think that it enters the minds of most people here. This is in stark contrast to Russia, where many people love to discuss politics, but again it is mostly among friends.
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