My trip to China began on Christmas day. My friend from back home, Becca, who is working in Busan met me at a tube stop and we began our adventure there. Arriving at the airport late, around eleven, we searched for the most comfortable benches. Thinking we had found the treasured padded seats, we attempted to sleep. Turns out no one else would sleep there b/c they were located by the largest windows, therefore most sunny and freezing areas. This resulted in the worst nights sleep of our mutual lives.
Moving on... after one morning Heineken we boarded the plane and slept the majority of the two-ish hour flight. Upon arrival we could not find a cabby to take us to our Chinese written address. This proved to be a common theme throughout the trip. An hour in the cab brought us to "The Happy Dragon" - appeared to be very sketchy and in a dark alley. Especially today, I could not be more grateful to the Happy Dragon. We spent many a night there, and met many a good friend/boyfriend there.
We slept the first full day, then played some dice in our hostel bar in hopes of meeting a crew to hangout with. Success. In desperation I turned to the table next to us - Aaron and Stephen, two sweet looking South Dallas guys - and asked boldly, "Where you two going? And can we join you?" These questions led to two of the best days that molded into two great weeks ending only last Tuesday. The four of us took on the town for the next 48 plus hours, wandering the streets till sunrise, beating Beijing to McDonald's breakfast and watching the sunrise while during the daily flag rising in Tiananmen Square.
The rest of the events of the week are now a blur as to when they happened. Here is my best recap:
The Great Wall hike was one we were not prepared for. It was a ten k hike up and down to thirty different tours. When I say up and down, I want you to imagine the steepest slopes and inclines with the smallest then biggest stairs you have ever witnessed, then smash them a couple times just to make it more challenging. As difficult as the hike was, it was a rewarding and exciting journey. The view of Mongolia on one side and China on the other, with mountains further than the eyes can see, was an indescribable view.
Incredible. I say we were not prepared, b/c the first part of the hike was miserably freezing (Minnesotaesque), then melting hot by the time you reached the top and climbed over a hundred stairs. Then we didn't bring enough money to do the gratifying zip-line, or eat lunch after being on the wall. Those were minor blips in the amazingness that is the Great Wall. It is mind-boggling to wrap yourself around the labor that went into the construction of this defense. Incredible.
On our list of to do's were obviously the many markets. We hit up any shopping opportunity we saw. This included the Silk Market, the Pearl Market, the Antique Market and every alley market we passed. The excitement was derived not from the items purchased, but from the haggling that was involved. Our biggest mistake was starting at the Silk Market. They kicked our butts! Silk Market 10, Kelsey and Becca 0. We could not believe what we read - to a fault. Venders will over charge you 70%, it is your goal to get that down to 25% at least. My first purchase were a pair of pants that I ended up buying for about $70, thinking I got a deal after bringing her down $50. As soon as I brought the pants home, the size was not what was advertised, the button popped off at first touch and the zipper is non-functional. Not every experience was this unsuccessful. In fact, I got pretty good, making most barters for the two of us, walking away with pissed off merchants and cheap Chinese goods. It became an art and a challenge after the pants debacle.
Becca and I also made it to all the typical tourist sites, including General Mao's memorial.
We hit up the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Gardens, and now I have forgotten the rest. Within these ancient walls held beautiful architecture, vibrant colors, gardens that must be fluorescent in summer, and hidden treats to boot. The temples, buildings, hallways and interiors were covered in elaborate designs, with almost neon reds, blues, golds, and greens. The moldings were as you would imagine them, decked with dragons and other celebrated animals. Along with the dynamic colors and detailed construction came the epic history of China. It was fascinating to learn what little we did about this old and proud country.
The one brilliant thing about China that I have not mentioned, that I am sure you are probably all thinking about, was the FOOD! We did it up right. We would nibble all day, then gorge on an extravagant meal, never once knowing exactly what we were going to get. The experience involved pointing at pictures, which is how we would choose a restaurant - whether or not they had picture menus :) We ate everything typical - fried rice, spicy soups, lomein, dumplings, spicy sandwiches and assorted meats. Our favorite restaurant was also our cheapest meal. We went in, not feeling too well, ordered what little we understood and came out with the yummiest sandwiches on crispy pitas and bomb spicy, noodle soup. The food was not what brought us joy, but the cooks. Eleven of them crowded a little doorway, eventually spreading themselves throughout the restaurant to look at the pseudo-blondies. They went so far as taking "discreet" pictures on their camera phones. As embarrassing as it was to have them capture shots of me (Becca was not facing them... grrr...) slurping down soup, I have never been more flattered. This day goes down in history as the day I was a celebrity!
Overall, the trip was a pleasant one. We had enough chill time that we still felt refreshed when returning home, yet we were able to accomplish everything on our imaginary to do list. SUCCESS!
If you would like to see more pictures, find them at:
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