Two years ago I had an amazing time with a diverse group of people at university in Tianjin - a city just South-East of Beijing. It was the furthest from home I'd ever been. It was the first time I'd been out of the UK by myself. I worked hard for it, and worked hard while I was here. I enjoyed every single minute. The people, my roommates, the culture, the classes, the learning. And here I am again!
It's sort of like I've come full circle even though I'm only at the start of my long backpacking journey. I returned to Glasgow in September 2013 and almost didn't return to uni. I'd seen a different world; the last thing I wanted to do was return to Uni and go back to normality.
In the end, the bursaries and loans swung it. Not the fact I'd get a degree, but that I was getting paid to do so. That's when the saving started. I spent my final year of uni trying to put away as much as possible. My 21st came and went and some more money went in the pot. I moved home 2 months early and started straight into a full time job, sacrificing time with housemates and coursemates. My last loan instalment went straight into my savings account and I realised it was worth it.
Eighteen months after that last loan installment I jetted off to Tokyo. Definitely worth it. I worked all the hours I could (company and time permitting,) made life long friends at work and earned every dime. And here I am. Boom, circle complete.
So if anyone says it's easy, it's not. If someone says their mum and dad paid for it, trust me it's not as worthwhile. Work for it and you earn it. It's the best sort of feeling. I've only been away 4.5 weeks and already I've had the most amazing time. I've met people I never would and feel confident in calling some friends.
So Beijing, thanks for having me back!
The weather is shit. Honestly, horrendous. The rain hasn't stopped for two days, but the day trips have continued. We disembark a night train at 6am and are greeted by blaring horns and more stares. We arrive at our hostel and stuff our faces on western breakfasts. All but three of us take part in the first outing, The Temple of Heaven, two of us opt out as we've done it before and one of the girls is dead on her feet. We crawl into the room the group has left their luggage in and sleep amongst them for a couple of hours. We check in around midday and make full use of the best showers we've had in weeks. Powerful and hot with a waterfall function, I have to tear myself out. There's a bug going around our group and has taken at least 6 people victim already, and I have the dodgy stomach version, not fabulous in a country with squat toilets I tell you. Backpacking is super glamorous, didn't you know?!
We are treated to an acrobatic show on our first evening, and while only around half of us go, we are blown away. It's exciting, funny, thrilling and sickening all at the same time. It ranges from girls spinning plates while balancing on their heads, to guys flipping themselves through 10 foot high rings, to guys speeding motor around a steel cage in motorbikes. Five of them in a giant hamster ball. That part made me feel a little queasy.
Day two sees the rest of my group head off to Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City. I've done this extensively before, and I am feeling worse than the day before so I stay in easy reach of a bathroom for the day. They return soggy and cold, and we all curl up in our hostel's movie room to watch a film in the warmth. The rest of the night is spent much the same way, dinner, some have a few drinks, another movie is popped in, and I sleep even more. I wake at 6am with my glasses and clothes still on. Seems I really needed the rest!
Day three in Beijing sees us heading on a camping trip. The fact that it's been pouring for days lies heavy at the back of our minds. We are the last group of the year to even be scheduled to camp on The Great Wall, as it's too cold once October hits, but we're not even sure it will happen.
The sun is shining in Beijing this morning and we pile onto a bus to the Olympic Park. Last time I was in the capital there was a thunderstorm and the trip was cancelled, so I'm looking forward to it. Yeah, it's just another stadium, but it's interesting to hear how Beijing people actually feel about the Olympics. Everyone in China saw it as a massive success for the country on the international stage, but people in the capital hated it. They don't like that ever since 2008, companies have commercialised their once smaller city, surrounding it in pollution and smog. They didn't like the added risk of millions of people travelling to their city and visiting their sacred places (risk of terrorism,) and nor do they like the money the government poured into it.
- Yes, the Bird's Nest was never finished. No, it wasn't supposed to look like that despite what the Chinese want you to believe.
- No, the fireworks of the opening and closing ceremonies were not live. They were filmed over a series of nights (when the weather was good) and superimposed as needed.
- The Birds Nest is never used (except on the world stage - the World Athletic Anniversary Games were held there only a month ago,) so the Chinese government spent even more money building a smaller stadium just next door. Ludicrous.
- Beijing people are not thrilled that their city has been chosen to hold the Winter Olympics in 2022. They didn't want it the first time, a second time has them up in arms. Despite them being the only city to hold both (you'd think maybe they'd be proud?)
We eventually leave a sunny Beijing behind us and bus the two and a half hours towards the Wall before squeezing into a farmhouse. In the pelting rain. The weather front seems to have beaten us here, and as we sit outside and gobble down a homemade dinner, it only gets worse. The wind picks up, the temperature drops to around 10 degrees Celsius and the rain continues to hammer on the tin roof above us.
It doesn't take long for the group to decide it would be 1) too dangerous to hike up in the dark in those conditions & 2) we'd all be soggy, miserable messes for the next 12 hours. We opt to stay at the farmhouse (the worst accommodation we've seen on our tour) make our own little campfire, toast marshmallows and play games for a few hours. At least we were under a roof and sort of warm. The beds are basically large tables with sheets on top and five of us sleep in each one. Everything is damp, nothing is particularly clean and the wind doesn't stop. We huddle, shivering, together and fall into a short-lived sleep.
We're up at 4.45am the next morning, and are happy to report to whoever hasn't made it out of the room and into the cold morning air, that yes it is clear, and yes we can see stars and the moon. Maybe sunrise on the Great Wall will happen after all!
We set off hungry and still half asleep, and hike the 35 minutes to the section of unrestored wall the government has granted us permission to visit. No tourists are allowed here, and the tranquility is astounding. The only noises are us puffing in the cold air, and the wind howling through the trees. At the top it only strengthens, the wind gusting at around 60mph, making it hard to stand let alone climb, but we persevere and set off along the unrestored section as the sun makes its ascent.
Even as someone who has seen - and climbed - The Wall before, albeit a tourist section, it doesn't fail to hit me. The magnitude and beauty of both the wall itself and the surrounding area is enough to take your breath away. Or maybe it was the wind? We don't stay as long as we'd like, due to the sheer strength of the wind and the bitter cold of the morning air - half the group haven't packed warm clothes at all and I am thanking myself for deciding to bring my hoodie in the end - and many of us comment on it being a bit like a coastal walk at home. The staggering difference between the weather and temperature in Beijing compared to the 30 degree heat awaiting us in Shanghai is mind-blowing.
Despite not camping; the whole team seemed to enjoy the experience. How many people can say they've watched the sun rise on The Great Wall of China? Not a lot of people can even say they've seen it for themselves (twice, ha,) so a sense of accomplishment still rings through us, I think.
It takes us most of the two and a half hour journey back to Beijing to warm up, but the fact that those waterfall showers are awaiting us is like the light at the end of the happy but tiring tunnel.
It seems our time in Beijing has been short lived. Even those who took part in the planned activities say they feel they haven't seen enough of the city, and I agree. My second trip has solidified how much I love this city however. It's nothing like Hong Kong or Tokyo, and I feel I misjudged it last time. I would be more than happy to return and spend more time in China's northern capital.
The relaxed part of a thrilling and daring evening. I was in too much shock to take any pictures of those parts!
The unfinished stadium that barely gets used. Wish I'd been here a month ago to see Usain Bolt beat Justin Gatlin! Olympic park doesn't have a great feel when there aren't 150,000 sports fans wandering around.
We were so lucky to get a beautifully clear morning for a sunrise in this magical part of the world. These photos don't do justice to how hard it was to even stand in the winds that were blowing! Worth it though, eh?
However, it's onwards and southwards! We've reached the tip of our tour in China and it's time to head back south into the warmth. Our next destination is Hangzhou, and it's another 15 hour night train to get there. I'd squeezed into my top bunk, less than four foot from the ceiling, with three Chinese men for company around me to write the bulk of this. We aren't lingering in Hangzhou - the third biggest city in mainland China - instead heading to Moganshan - a bamboo nature reserve two hours north for a quiet twenty-four hours.
Moganshan is the "resort" for the rich and famous for Shanghai, and straight away it's obvious there is money here. The houses hat are built and still being built are better than any we've seen, with wrought iron gates and big expensive western cars sitting outside.
We are blessed with beautiful weather, and enjoy two days of relaxing walks and a swim in a natural lagoon. Absolute bliss and perfect to wind down before the hustle and bustle of another big city!
We spent an hour walking to this secluded lagoon and then the same again splashing around in the sun before drying out on the rocks for a while. The Chinese - who don't ever get in the water - were loving the stupid westerners getting in the freezing water, but we had a blast!
With half the group still sick it's probably a good thing we've been taking it easy for a few days!
It's onwards again after only twenty four hours here, next stop Shanghai! Whoop!
This backpacker is away to test the showers in the new place.
S x
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