Travel changes me. Every time I go I come back a different person to the one that left, and never more so than this trip. Not only has my latest trip cemented my absolute passion for travel but it gave me one of the biggest highs and sense of contentment that I have felt in a long time. Every day was unique and weird and wonderful that coming back to normal 9-5 life took some serious getting used to.
I chose China when I booked this trip back in January as I wanted a challenge. I wanted somewhere that would push me as a person to try new things. I had many pre-conceptions before I went that I would find China really hard and that I would struggle with the language, the food, and simply the sheer scale of the place. Boy was I wrong.
The beauty of an organised tour with G Adventures is that the hard work such as choosing the right train to board or where is the safest place to eat, is taken care of. Leaving you to be able to just enjoy and engage in this crazy part of the world you are experiencing.
Leaving London on the 12th October I felt sick with nerves about what lay ahead. As a solo traveller there is always that apprehension as to how well you will get on with your fellow travellers. However after arriving in Beijing to a chaotic passport control and taking an hours taxi ride to my hotel I didn't have time to allow these feelings to linger for long.
Meeting my group for our tour briefing less than 10 minutes after arriving at my hotel was a bit of a whirlwind. We all seemed like a very mixed bunch of personalities from all parts of the world to Americans, Canadians, Australians, Swedish and British. All of us soon to be thrown together for the next 13 days. It was only when one of the three London boys cracked a joke about 'touching china' that the atmosphere lifted and I felt like things were going to be ok.
Little did I know that these 3 crazy fools would become responsible for some of the biggest laughs on the trip, and that in 2 days time when 4 more boys joined our trip that the 8 of us would become a little pack of naughty/tequila swilling buddies.
Ok enough with the nostalgia and onto Beijing.
Alarm clocks were set for 6am the next day and by 6.30am we were packed onto our mini bus to take the 90 minute ride out of Beijing to Mutianya and my third wonder of the world - 'The Great Wall of China'. This section of the wall was originally built in 550 AD but rebuilt again in 1368 during the Ming Dynasty. The great thin about arriving there so early was that by the time we had climbed up to Watchtower 10, it was still completely deserted.
We spent nearly 2 hours walking the wall all the way through to Watchtower 15, stopping to take photos along the way. It was so peaceful and quiet and with crystal blue skies it was the perfect early morning.
After arriving at the wall the hard way, we took the fun way down by riding the toboggan. The slide costs about £7 and takes about 8 minutes to the arrive at the bottom, but it was so much fun and a welcome rest-bite for the legs.
Heading back into central Beijing in the afternoon we visited the Heaven Temple, which is a large complex of religious buildings. Many of the temples were used to worship the Sun to give the local people a good harvest however others where used for animal sacrifices. These days it is a tourist hot spot and a place for local people to gather and play cards or games of Mahjong.
Our guide Leah told us that odd numbers in Chinese culture were deemed lucky and at the Heaven Temple all of the buildings or points of interest had either 3 levels of 9 or 12 steps leading up to them. The dragons that adorned the buildings were also said to bring water to the land and not fire. I was already geeking out on Chinese history on Day One.
Our second group night was spent at the Beijing Kung Fu Show where we saw the story of a young boy who dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master and attain enlightenment. The show covers his journey and the many obstacles and fears he has to overcome before he reaches his true destiny.
The show was great and had many different levels of theatre, from the fire shooting dramatic, to the delicate ballet with bubbles floating across the stage.
Day 2 we headed to Tiananmen Square where I witnessed the single most concentrated amount of Chinese people all in one place. There were hundreds of local people all queuing to visit Chairman Mao's mausoleum. Endless snaking queues of people waiting for what must have been hours to catch a glimpse of their embalmed former leader.
Mao is worshipped by the Chinese and their utter dedication to their former leader is unparalleled.
To the left of the Square you have the Heroes Monument and through the Tiananmen Gate (which translates to Heavenly Gate) lies the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City was constructed in 1406 and completed in 1420 and is home to the Imperial Palace which was once home to 24 Emperors during the Qing and Ming Dynasties. There are 9999 rooms in the city which were used to house the Emperors many hundred concubines and counsel members. Entrance into the Forbidden City was once restricted to counsel members only. However they must first have sought special permission from the Emperor to enter, hence the name 'Forbidden'.
After nearly 3 hours of exploring the Forbidden City the sun was high and the temperature creeping into the 30's and with so many many tourists we were all starting to flag a little.
Lunchtime beckoned and our guide took us to a local restaurant that specialises in traditional Beijing Duck. The food was amazing and for £5/6 you can eat like an Emperor yourself.
After nearly 3 hours of exploring the Forbidden City the sun was high and the temperature creeping into the 30's and with so many many tourists we were all starting to flag a little.
Lunchtime beckoned and our guide took us to a local restaurant that specialises in traditional Beijing Duck. The food was amazing and for £5/6 you can eat like an Emperor yourself.
Full stomachs all washed down with a few early afternoon beers we then headed to the Hutong district which is a large residential area of the city and gives you a glimpse of authentic old Beijing.
A whistlestop two days in Beijing and then it was off to the train station for our first overnight train to Xian.
Thanks for reading. Back soon with more China spam.
Nic x
