Beijing #2

After staying in bed for two days recuperate I decide to go to Beijing again. I didn’t make it to the Great Wall on my first trip and that’s one of the things which I really wanted to see while I am in China. Besides, my three German friends are still in Tibet at that time and I am jealous because they are travelling and I’m not. I don’t want to go by myself so I call a friend who I had met in Beijing during my first trip and who also wants to go to do this trip.

There is more than one place where you can see the Wall and go hiking, but the one that we pick is supposed to be the least touristic. It is a 10km hike from Jinshanling to Simatai. We take the public bus from Beijing, but after the final stop we have to change into a “black taxi”. It is not really a taxi, just a minibus with a driver who is going to take us to the entrance of the Great Wall. Then he is going to wait for us at the exit and take us back to the bus stop. After a little bargaining, we take off and the hiking can begin.

The weather is not as clear as it was supposed to be, but there are still some nice views!

The hiking feels good. I like it especially because there is almost nobody there with us. Unfortunately, some Chinese people decide to walk with us. They probably only want to sell stuff, but they explain a few things about the Wall and its history. And they take a few pictures of the three of us.

Sarah, Tobi and Anne (my friend who is studying in Beijing)

By the way, it is St. Nicholas’ Day today. That’s why Sarah is wearing the hat. On the way, we stop for a German “Brotzeit”. I have brought some bread from the German bakery in Shanghai. We all love it and the cheese and sausage.

Some parts of the Wall are rebuilt and look very new. But the further we go, the less of the Wall is restored. I like that a lot more, because it looks more authentic. In the next picture you can see the difference between old and new.

At the end of our walk, we see a nice rope bridge which we have to use in order to cross a little valley. I am very glad to have come here. This hike was not very tough, but definitely worth going there!

Once back in Beijing, we meet up with another friend and eat at a Korean restaurant. It’s my first time and I really like the food and the company of my friends.

On the next day, I go out sightseeing on my own. There are a few things which I wasn’t able to see during my last visit. One of them is Beijing underground. It is a city [Lonely Planet description]. Sounds very interesting, but unfortunately it is closed. I do have a chance to see the Lama Temple, though, but it is not as impressive as I had expected. Maybe that is because I have seen much better ones in Tibet. Here is a picture:

In the evening, I meet the other guys and we have dinner and desert together. That’s the end of this trip. My flight leaves in the morning and I have to go back to university.

Tobi, Dian, Anne and Sarah after eating doughnuts for desert. Yummy!

IN: spontaneous travelling

OUT: having to go back to Shanghai because of university classes and upcoming exams