Day 5

August 24th, 2006 Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
My alarm sounded early this morning. At 7:30, we were on the bus, heading out of Beijing. Our little excursion took us through some remote places, into the ‘real’ China. Bikes are a very prevalent means of transportation in these areas, and even in Beijing. As we drove, I wondered what it would be like to live in these small villages out in the middle of the Chinese nowhere. Then again, I suppose I lot of people ask the same thing about Jellico, Tennessee, which is close to the American nowhere. We weaved our way through the mountains until we came to our destination: the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. We marched up a path (I had William on my shoulders) to the cable cars which would take us up to the top. It was pretty spectacular riding over the rain forest with the guard towers looming on the distance hilltops. When I was little, I would have been pretty afraid of those cable cars, being once afraid of heights. Once I shot over six feet, I ‘grew’ out of it (I know it was corny; give me a break).
The summit was awe-inspiring. It’s been one of my dreams ever since I was first afflicted with this disease called travelitis to go to the Great Wall. The stone palisades snaked along the crest of the mountains, the mist hovering around them, which it a very surreal aura. It’s difficult to imagine how anyone, even now, could have constructed such a massive architectural wonder. Any army that could climb up through the rain forest and get over the top of these walls pretty much deserved to have China. I wanted to explore every inch of the place. Thankfully, there were very few people atop the wall, which was perfect. This section is approximately two hours from Beijing, which is far enough away from where most tourists will go. I very carefully took a little piece of rock from wall and stuck it in my bag. I would have been really disappointed if the whole thing had just collapsed. It would have cost a lot more than I have.
Five of us (Daniel, Greer, Kevin, Pierre, and I) wanted to go up to the top, which was a pretty decent hike. We had a limited amount of time before we would rendezvous with the group to head down, so we ran across the ancient stones to make our deadline. That’s right: I ran across the Great Wall of China, and I liked it. At a few points, it was pretty steep, but after conquering Masada this summer for the second time in 110°, it really wasn’t too bad. I have this thing for castles and fortresses and really long stone walls, and I just felt at home walking along the ramparts and through the guard towers. The view from the top was amazing. It’s definitely one of my ‘Traveling Highlights.’ From that top point on, the wall had not been renovated. I met some guys this evening who, with a few friends, had spent three days hiking along the wall, camping in the guard towers. I made a note to myself to come back and do that. I was a little reluctant to head down. I could have spent an entire day walking along the wall, taking pictures of every nook and cranny. So far, it has been my favorite place in China.
Poor Jennifer Byram was so sick while we were there. She had some stomach ailment and just felt weak and awful. However, she went along with the rest of us and can say that she climbed the Great Wall with a barf bag. Now that’s saying something.
We descended by way of the cable cars and made our way through the throng of souvenir sellers. I ended up buying a t-shirt (which, I realized later as I tried it on, is a little small) and a miniature of the Great Wall. We boarded the bus and drove back towards Beijing, eating lunch at a little restaurant along the way. We then visited a Cloisonne Factory which, if I remember correctly, is where much of the vases and pottery for the emperors were made. The skill required for such precision and detail is amazing. These ladies sit all day in hot rooms, carefully carving and painting the surfaces of the vases. We watched as one of the nearly finished products was lowered into a furnace and then come up with the patterns and images across it a burning red. We spent some time in the large shop before moving on.
Dinner was next, and it was spent at the famous Peking Duck Restaurant. And it was really good. The duck liver was especially tasty. They actually served duck head, with eye sockets and everything. It had been severed into two pieces and placed on a plate for us. No on was picking them up, so I grabbed one and began pulling the meat from the inside. It wasn’t as tender as the rest, but I thought it was pretty tasty. I got a pretty cool picture of me with the duck’s head inside my mouth. Kayleigh was a little grossed out by it, and I have to admit it was a little strange having the bird’s cranium inside my mouth. Still, it was an experience I had not had, and now I have most certainly experienced it.
We went back to the university afterwards where we met with some missionaries here and some of the Chinese Christians who are in their churches. Gary Jackson and his wife spent ten years in Yugoslavia and almost that same length of time in Russia before coming here two years ago. I very much enjoyed hearing about what they’re doing. I was able to spend quite some time afterwards visiting with Mr. Jackson about their work, and I gave him my email so he could send their newsletter to me. I almost spoke with Marcus and Marvin (the guys who camped at the Great Wall), two brothers who went to school at Pepperdine and have spent the last three years living in China. They grew up in Mexico while their parents served as missionaries there. They originally came for a year and have stayed ever since. It was encouraging to hear their excitement for what they do and the passion they have for the people here.
I had made up my mind after the hike this morning that I wouldn’t run tonight, but I ended up doing it anyway. It’s such a good way to be alone for awhile and think. It’s peaceful and calm on the track and I enjoy that time to myself. However, with the combination of the hike and the walking and the running I am sufficiently tired and the bed next to me looks awfully inviting.

August 25th, 2006 Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
We were on the bus by 7:45 this morning, embarking on another day in the Far East. Our first stop was at a Buddhist temple. We walked into the courtyard where we were met by a monk with a bullhorn. For some reason, he found it necessary to blast Mandarin at us as if that would in any way affect the fact that we didn’t have a darn clue what he was talking about. Vince had to yell so we could all hear the translation. The monk shared with us some of the beliefs of Buddhism, such as the extreme importance of wisdom and peace. Buddhists believe in three incarnations of the Buddha: the past, the present, and the future. The small sanctuaries scattered across the complex housed statues of various interpretations of the Buddha, along with representations of the four kings of the east. One of them contained a very large statue of Buddha that was carved from a single oak tree. This was a very quiet and calm place, as was the Taoist temple. Although it wasn’t nearly as beautiful or inspiring, those places had the same kind of reverent atmosphere as the monasteries of Meteora in Greece.
Once our visit was finished, we drove to Tiananmen Square and to the Memorial Hall dedicated to Chairman Mao. We took the underground passages beneath the streets and came up in the square, where only a few years ago the student revolts turned into a bloody massacre. The fact that the students chose to make their stand before the place commemorating Mao (a man who represented what they were rebelling against) must have added a whole other dimension to their display. We merged into line and soon entered the large building. The first room contained a sculpture of the Communist leader, one leg crossed over the other, his hand resting on his knee. Small shrubs and trees were lined on either side and before it lay dozens of flowers. It seemed strange to honor a man who caused so much death and destruction and turmoil. In the next room was Mao’s body, preserved since his death in 1976. He lay in a coffin, completely enclosed by glass; four guards were positioned around the room. A flag was over his body and his face reminded me of the wax figures in Madame Tussead’s in London. The ‘tomb’ had an eerie feel to it.
Our next stop was Hutong, one of the old portions of Beijing. This was the part of the city I had wanted to see. People sat along the road next to their shops playing checkers and talking. The houses were packed together, enclosed in courtyards by crumbling walls. We were able to leave the bus and ride around in Ped-a-cabs, which is basically a rickshaw pulled by an old bicycle. I rode with Vince in the lead. We arrived in front of the house of a local family who had prepared lunch for us. It was a wonderful meal, all thirty-five of us packed around three tables. They were very gracious, bringing plate after plate of delicious food (such as dumplings with soy sauce and sea weed). It reminded me of my family’s Arab friends. Their hospitality was very much enjoyed, at least by me.
We rode our bicycled carriages back to the bus and bustled over to the Guangming Tea House where we watched a performance. It was interesting and a little unusual. One of the guys involved could hold on to a bowl with his stomach. Big Will from Texas couldn’t rip it off, and this guy pushed him back using the bowl suctioned to his skin. The next fellow was very talented. He whipped around a three pronged spear, twirling it on his hands and back and flinging it around his body. He made it look really easy, but the last time I tried throwing around a spear I put a guy in the hospital. Another guy stabbed a nail through a three inch board of wood using only his hand. He then pulled it back out using two fingers. The last performer was a short, stocky guy with long hair and a beard reaching over his chest. He looked like a cross between Santa Claus and Confucius. But there was something special about this guy: he could swallow swords. He choked down two two-foot swords at the same time. And to top it all off, he swallowed a very large metal ball and then proceeded to pound his stomach and shoot the ball out of his mouth and into the air, catching it in his hand. Now that’s entertainment that anyone can appreciate.
Once the drama of the tea house was over, we went to the Lama Temple. This was the home of the destined-to-be emperors when they were small children, leaving the Forbidden City to a place of their own. The architecture was very similar to that of the aforementioned dwelling of the ancient rulers and, like the other temples previously visited, the air was thick with incense from the large metal burners stationed before each idol-filled building. The most impressive part of this location was the twenty-six meter tall Buddha fashioned from a single white sandalwood tree. To put it bluntly, it was very large. The sign on the front of the building seemed to prefer that we not take pictures inside, but I accidentally shot a few from my waist and had to clear my throat when the beeps of the camera occurred. Strange coincidences I thought.
And then came the Temple of Heaven. We walked down a pathway sided by trees and around to the entrance. A short flight of stairs led to a three-arched gate. I walked through and before me was a vast courtyard paved with stone, reminiscent of the Temple Mount. In the center of the vast square rose a circular plateau of three layers, atop which sat the magnificent temple. Its surface was adorned with gold and blue and red. I walked around in circles, looking at it from every angle. I do love my country, but every so often, America seems somewhat dull when compared to the ancient and magical histories of other cultures.
Dinner was eaten at the Red Mansion. We were led down a hallway and into a little section away from the main eating areas. The most intriguing part of the meal was the large bowl of eel soup. I, of course, tried it and it was remarkably good. It tasted like chicken (actually, more like fish).
The missionaries from last night were holding an English Corner, where Chinese students are able to practice their English. A few girls from our group wanted to go and taxis were sent to pick them up. However, Rich wasn’t comfortable with them going alone. He wanted at least one guy to go along. No one really jumped at the chance. Everyone was a little tired and if they went they wouldn’t get back until past 11, and we have to be up at 4:30 tomorrow morning for our flight to Xian. So, I volunteered to chaper…. I mean, accompany the girls. Once we arrived back at the university, the Jacksons were here waiting, so I was released from my duty. I would have liked to have gone, but I wanted to run and write and sleep. I felt a little guilty, but such is life.
I did, in fact, go running and am, in fact, writing. The only thing that now remains to be done is sleep.