Land and Sea Journal 2

Location:
China, Beijing

Beijing

By Sam Porter

Land and Sea Journal – 2

After a big scuffle at the train station’s ticket office, where the concept of queuing was non existent, we boarded the overnight sleeper to Beijing. We thought we had paid for a soft sleeper room, a carriage with only four beds in, but as it turned out there were no such sleeper rooms on this train, it was all beds, beds, beds, three on top of each other. The locals all sipped flasks of tea full of various herbs and pretty soon there was a distinct and unwavering smell of feet. Soft music was piped in so there was the constant drone of that and people continually sniffing, but thankfully there was no spitting. It took 14 hours to Beijing and luckily everyone just settled down to get some sleep soon after departure.

Beijing is an amazing place, there is so much life there, it is bustling, chaotic, hectic, fascinating. We were scammed many times, once by a taxi man who said 18, then claimed he said 80 on arrival, so steer clear of private taxis and stick to those who have a meter – even if it means ten minutes more queuing time.

The food is plentiful and unbelievably cheap and good. There is lots of choice for vegetarians and lots of meat substitute products, those meat eaters out there must save some room for Peking duck, there are hundreds of restaurants all over the place so you won’t miss out. Facilities and signage were being improved when we were there, but being so close to the Olympics now I envision it being even better (western style toilets a plenty you’ll be pleased to know).

The sights are spectacular. Save enough time to go out to the Terracotta Warriors, which with the travel will take two days. Use a whole day to see the Great Wall and pick your tour carefully as they do vary. We went on a tour to a lesser-touristy part; it was quieter, more unspoilt and more peaceful. The wall in some parts has been rebuilt to appease the tourists, but seeing parts of it crumbling and old added to its authenticity to us. The views are stunning and strangely it is quite a romantic venue. We took an open air cable car for two up to the wall, which was worth the eye-watering cold we braved in the November temperatures, walked along, lingered a while to enjoy the views and take the perfect photographs, descended the steps at the other end where the bus was waiting. Some hardcore walkers take tours where you walk along three different sections in the one day; it is quite a hike and gives you a work out.

Families fly kites in Tiananmen Square, and you can feel the history in this place. You can see Mao in his mausoleum, but be sure to check opening times and days, as you may miss it. Beware of people asking to practice their English with you, who are in truth trying to get a fee from you by becoming your impromptu tour guide for the day and leading you into different tea shops. You decide if you are happy to give these people a bit of money, often you can pay them off for a bit of peace, as hawkers are common in Beijing, even on the Great Wall we were followed for about an hour by women trying to sell us postcards. It won’t cost you much to buy yourself some space, especially if you just want to be left alone to explore and don’t mind getting a bit lost; be polite but very firm as they are very skilled and persistent sales people.

Save a day to see the Forbidden City and Palaces; this place is huge and full of ornate carvings and stunning ancient architecture. Don’t forget your camera. If you have any energy left in the evening after walking round the sights all day there are expat areas to go drinking in pub-like bars if that’s what you fancy, or you can go to one of the many restaurants around the city. There is a basic, but efficient underground train system so it is easy to get around.

If you are planning to take the train through into Mongolia and need to sort out a visa for this I strongly advise checking out the opening days and times of the Mongolian Embassy. We lost a whole day getting our visa sorted, even though it was a relatively simple process. Embassies are usually notoriously difficult to find, so allow plenty of time. We barely got our visa back in time and wasted a whole day doing this, so when you are working out how long to spend in Beijing factor this time into your itinerary.

After this we boarded the train and headed to Mongolia, where we stayed for two nights, but this is part 3 of the journal.

Further Information

Travel tips: Use metered taxis.

Must see/do at this place: Great Wall.

Wander around the shops and markets.

Forbidden City & Palaces.

Have Peking Duck.

Go out to see the Terracotta Warriors.

You should avoid here: Beware of street hawkers and 'special' prices in tea shops.