Day 3 - Where the Great Wall Begins

June 12, 2014

We were up at 4:45 this morning and in the lobby for pickup by 5:30.  We had arranged a trip on the bullet train from Beijing to  Shanhaiguan.  We were met by a young woman Tracy and a driver who transported to the train station.  The young man driver smiled at us and gleefully told Tracy that he had seen us walking around the day before!  Imagine that in a city of 2,000 million people.  We must have been more of a novelty that we thought.

The Beijing train station is very grand and modern. We (Russ, I, and our guide) threaded our way past the ticket checker and passed through security screening (xray belts for bags, and wanding of our bodies).  I thought at first we were stepping a scale and they were weighing us, but I think it was a metal box that was checking our shoes, or perhaps it was weighing us. Not altogether sure.

As we got on the escalator going up to the second floor, a nicely dress woman with rolling bag and hands full with fan, purse, and other bag stepped on before us.  We were a few steps behind.  Before the rising steps had leveled out, the woman got tripped up and fell down on the escalator, rolling back down as the the escalator ascended.  I thought I was going to be bowled over as I was next in line.  Fortunately, as I did not have any luggage on this day trip, I was able to help break her roll.  The escalator was stopped.  I helped to her feet and gather her belongings.  A safety officer was now right be me and took over.  Fortunately, other than her pride, the woman appeared unwounded by the nasty fall, not even a run in her stockings.  Amazing.

Our guide positioned us in the correct waiting area and gave us last minute instructions be fore she left us on our own.  She told us to get in line early as it would be crowded.  It was wonderful having a guide take us to the correct waiting area and explain the Chinese on the ticket.  We were to board car 15 and look for reserved seats 7D and 7F.

It was now 6:15.  Russ decided to get an orange juice at the McDonalds restaurant back down the hall way.  About 2 minutes after he left, there was an announcement of which I did not understand except that the entire hall of people stood up and started queuing for the turn styles. I  gathered up my day pack and Russ's and headed for the turn style, hoping Russ would return before I had to step aside and let the throng of people behind engulfed me.  There were a mass of people in front of me and an even bigger mass behind.  We weren't moving.  Fortunately, Russ was quite distinctive returning towering above most of the Chinese people behind me.  I opened up our red and white Canadian umbrella so that he could find me.  In no time he was at my side, just as the line began to move.

We negotiated our way through a long thin entrance gate which will present a bit of a problem for us if we come this way again with our luggage on Saturday night headed for Xian.  Russ usually carries his second bag cross wise over his rolling bag which will be too wide.  My two rolling bags one in each hand will not trail through as they too will be too wide.  Now I know why many of the Chinese have the slim line spinner bags.  We have a few days to think about how we will manage our entrance.  We boarded the train D29 at 6:30, and the train departed promptly at 7:00 a.m.   We are in a nicely appointed, 2nd class car with air conditioning.

Our train is currently traveling at 120 miles per hour on a smooth, quiet rail.  Smartly dressed rail attendants (young women) checked our tickets and worked the snack area.  Russ took a walk to see if he could get a cup of coffee for me.  He came back with a a little cup and a packet of instant powder that looked like a mixture of coffee and milk.  At the front of each car there is a hot water.

There is a single young Chinese man sitting in the seats across from us.  He filled his large noodle bowl with the hot water and proceeded to slurp out his breakfast.  A little bit later, he pulled out a little jar with some water and some little swimming red and black fish.  He took the jar to the hot water tap and filled it to the top and shook it.  Some of the fish dropped immediately to the bottom. Some still swam.  He shook it a few times and stowed the jar in the seat pocket in front of him while he took of his shoes, laid down and took a nap.  I think this may be his mid-morning  protein break.  Probably better than a Red Bull.   Poor little fish.

In a little while we will be getting of the train and will be met by our day guide will meet us and will be taken to Jiaoshan to the first mountain peak of the Great Wall from Shanhaiguan.   This will be our first peek of the Great Wall.  This section of the wall was built during the reign of Emperor Hongwu (1328-1398) of the Ming Dynasty, and extends about 1500 meters.  We will take a chair lift to the top and hike down the precipitous stretch.  Hopefully it will prove less exciting than this morning's escalator incidence.

On Our Way Back to Beijing

It is 6:30 and we are on the train heading back to Beijing, drinking beer and eating pretzels.  

We arrived in ShenHaiGuan at 9:34 and were met by our guide Steven and a driver.  Steven works part time for the tour company.  He lived in the US for five years and spoke excellent English.  He now owns and operates an import-export company, but enjoys working part-time when his schedule permits as a tour guide.  I think too, he needs the money.

China is an expensive place to live and the customs of the country dictate huge financial reciprocity to friends and family to help pay for weddings, funerals, and graduation parties.  In the next two months Steven has been invited to three weddings.  As a guest, he is expected to pay the grooms father, between 500-1000 yuan or approximately $90-$250 dollars (twice that much if the father is your superior (boss).  Many people are invited to the wedding and the proceeds from guests usually exceed the  wedding expense, so the father of the groom comes out ahead financially, but then in turn must reciprocate back to all of his family and friends as they finance their celebrations.  The brides father apparently does not receive any of the celebration money.  Guests do not bring gifts to the couple, only money to the groom's fatther.

Wedding Couple - Great Wall Portrait

Steven has one son who is 8 years old. China is a one-child only country.  Couples with more than one child are financially punished.   Recently China has  loosened it's restrictions to allow two single children to marry and produce two children.  It is children's unwritten cultural tradition to be raised by their grandparents while the parents work.  Since there are two sets of grandparents, each grandparent set with a single adult child, then gets to raise a grandchild (day time child care).  Multi-generational families are becoming a historic relic as young people move away from home.  Aging parents and grandparents do not have family to take care of or care for them in their old age.  The government is trying to develop some viable alternatives to elder care.   I am not sure that relaxing the 1 child per family rule is going to take care of extended family reinforcement.

At any rate learning from our guide about Chinese traditions in addition to seeing the Great Wall in three different places made for a wonderful day.  

Stop number 1 was the Great Wall raising high upon the mountain.  We took a tram to the tope and hiked down the wall.  What a thrill!  This is the oldest section of the wall and  although it is quite steep, is still in excellent original condition.  This part of the wall was designed to stop Mongol invaders.

A Steep Climb

Stop number 2 was a buffet, bar-b-que, all you could eat lunch.  We tried the Peking duck, along with dumplings and numerous other dishes.  We brought raw meat to our table and grilled it right at the table.  We even tried Chinese white wine.....whoooeeee, like white whisky...very strong.  One sip did it for me.

Stop number 3 was the First Pass Under Heaven.  The Great Wall actually begins at the sea and works its way up the mountainside (stop 1).  Before it reaches the mountain as a single it works its way around a city compound with five gates.  The First Pass Under Heaven or the first gate comes up from the sea.  Passer throughs came past the moat, and through one gate into a large courtyard with an exit gate.  If you were friendly, you were let into the walled city.  If you were not, both gates were closed and  you were captured in the courtyard.  Soldiers standing on top of the wall used the  unfriendly passer throughs as target practice, and they never made it to the inner gates.

Good Luck Holding a Child

Stop number 4 was where the Great Wall begins, 20 meters into the sea.  This part of the wall was designed to stop Japanese invaders and those who would come by sea.  It was invigorating to feel the cool sea air and smell the sea.  The wall is in a calm and protected bay, infrequently disturbed by storms.

Stop number 5 was the Temple of the Sea God.  This is actually a Buddhist temple in addition to a tribute to a more ancient God of the Sea that provided fish and sea creatures to eat.

Stop number 6 was a quick stop in a reconstructed ancient city that was lovely with traditional architecture.

The day was great and we survived the steep hike down the wall although, I did get a blister on my left foot which I have already cleaned and bandaided with our trusty little hiking first aid kit.  Now we are on the last leg of our journey.  The sun has gone down and we are gliding back to Beijing.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel Rs.