Beijing City - A city with character and culture.
In the centre of Beijing you’ll find the Forbidden City and the city was designed around it. Beijing is laid out in a grid formation and getting around is easy (like Boston in Bellville). It’s especially easier since the Olympics took place there in 2008 with English sign boards prominent in the subway and around tourist areas. Walk down the back alleys and you’ll find Beijing’s pirated shops with fake designer labels, spitting citizens and dirty pavements. Beijing’s contrast between prosperity and those trailing behind is visible when walking and cycling through Hutong neighbourhoods only a stone throw away from the tourist hotspots.
I often just walked around the city and between attractions. Beijing is flat and walking is easy. It’s even better to rent a bicycle to explore more of the city. I chose this bike option the one day and cycled around Beijing for 6 hours, with no real idea where I wanted to go, other than to see more of the back streets and local people. Lots of people in Beijing make use of bicycle transport and there are allocated bike lanes and bike mechanic shops around every corner. I was able to j-walk as I liked and had to be alert of cars while cycling. A feeling of being alive that was stimulating.
The backpackers I stayed at was centrally located with lots of travelers on a mission through China and beyond (at least the ones I hung out with). Downtown Backpackers has cheap dorm beds and the best of all is the killer breakfast that’s included. To top this they sell beer for 4 Yuan (R4, $0.80) which is dirt cheap. There was no excuse not to drink and at night we sat outside the backpackers on the pavement sharing travel stories. Hanging out with people on a mission was inspiring and made me jealous. I met a few travelers about to take the Trans Siberia from Beijing to Moscow and others that had completed it. Their journeys made me all the more pumped and I wished I could do the same. One thing that all the long term travelers had in common and what we know is that you first need to work hard and save money to be able to travel for so long.
My visit to Beijing was short and I only spent 4 days and 5 nights there. The amount of surveillance and every second fool wearing an authority hat stood out. Also the craziest subway I’ve been on yet a slower passed city than Seoul. A variety of sights as grown men take off their shirts while dinning at outdoor restaurants, other shit with the door open and women spit on the sidewalks.
I’d say I spent enough time in Beijing and saw a bit to have a little better understanding of the city and this huge influential country.
The main goal of my brief visit to China was to walk on the Great Wall. I checked the weather and the Wednesday would be ideal weather conditions. The backpackers offered a 10km hike on a more rural part of the Wall and I was quick to jump at the opportunity to see this celebrated heritage for myself.
