Climbing the Great Wall

It is now Sunday morning here (having a hard time wrapping my mind around the time difference), and we are waiting at the airport to fly to Hangzhou. There, we will meet our daughter and sister Charlotte tomorrow. Can't wait!

Yesterday (Saturday) was our second full day in Beijing. Helena and Liu met us at the hotel and we headed out for the Great Wall, about 30 miles outside the city. On the way, we stopped at a cloisonné "factory" where pieces are hand made by craftswomen. We were told it is a dying art - as the economy modernizes few young people want to spend the time learning and perfecting the craft.

Then, we went to the Wall at Juyong Guan, in the mountains. The setting is spectacular. The mountain seem to rise straight up from the valley, and so does the Wall. The views were amazing. Maura and Biz had enough after about 15 minutes of climbing (very steep and slippery) while Chuck managed to make it nearly to the top of the nearest peak. There seemed to be a large number of international visitors, though Helena told us that this was not a busy day. Lots of languages being spoken. Maura and Biz talked to a lady from Germany and two Pakistanis.

On the way back to Beijing we stopped at a jade "factory" where we also had lunch. Then we went to a hutong near the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Hutongs are old neighborhoods in Beijing. Many have been overrun by modern development, but some survive in the downtown area. It was a good chance to see traditional city life. We visited a porcelain "factory" then got a rickshaw ride around the hutong. Helena had us stop to visit with a family who told us about their life. Then we went to the Bell Tower. Chuck and Bizzy climbed the 72 steep steps to see the enormous bell as well as some magnificent views of the city. Following that, we had a tea tasting in a shop below the Bell Tower, then called it a day.

We very much enjoyed our stay in Beijing. It is an enormous, impressive city packed full of sites worth visiting. It felt as though we only scratched the surface. Helena and Liu were fantastic, the hotel was first rate (Bizzy grooved on the opportunity to eat Chinese noodles for breakfast). And now we feel relatively acclimated to China and ready to meet Charlotte.

First Full Day in Beijing

We had a full and wonderful day. We had breakfast at the hotel, then our guide Helena and our driver Liu met us and took us to Tien'an Men Square. The square is massive and spectacular, flanked by the Great Hall of the People (essentially China's Capitol building), Mao's mausoleum and the iconic portrait of Mao over the Gate of Heavenly Peace.

We went through a series of gates into the Forbidden City. In the center of the complex is the Hall of Supreme Harmony which holds the throne where the emperor sat for important ceremonies. The Forbidden City is about 600 years old and was the seat of power during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Helena told us the story of the Empress Dowager Ci Xi, who essentially ran China for most of the last half of the 19th century. Finally we toured the beautiful Imperial Gardens.

After a delicious lunch (we ate so much that we ended up skipping dinner), Helena took us to the Temple of Heaven. This is a mostly outdoor complex where the Emperor would make sacrifices to heaven to wish for a good harvest. At the center is the Qinian Dian, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, which is gorgeous. The surrounding grounds contain beautiful gardens where we saw some elderly Chinese playing cards and others exercising, both favorite pastimes.

A recurring theme in the places we visited is balance and harmony.

Speaking of which, we ended our day day watching a show of Chinese acrobats. Tremendous feats of strength and daring. They are a bit hard to describe, but it was amazing.

The day started hazy, but got so clear in the afternoon that we could see the mountains in the distance. Today, we visit the Great Wall.

We made it!

As you might have guessed, it is a long flight. We flew Boston to Chicago and Chicago to Beijing. On the Beijing leg (13.5 hours), we flew up through Canada and over the Arctic and down over Siberia and Mongolia into China. The views would have been spectacular but it was dark over the northern latitudes.

We were met at the airport by our guide Helena, who is very nice and very knowledgeable. She got us to our hotel and helped us check in. Then we immediately fell asleep.

Our initial impression of Beijing? It is huge. 20 million people live in the city. The airport is the biggest in the world. The traffic jams are epic, according to Helena. We have not seen much yet, but our hotel is nice.

Today Helena will take us to see some sights. We should have some pictures for the next post.

In the Airport Hotel

Maybe our last burgers for a while! We take off first thing in the morning. I think it's about 16 hours of total flight time. Thanks to everyone for your positive thoughts and support!