FIRST ~ Beijing 290305a: Approaching Beijing Airport

After an uneventful overnight flight from Singapore, we approach Beijing airport on a cold clear morning. As the SQ812 B777-200 descends from the south (see the wing flap partially extended), I can see extensive clumps of high-rise buildings. Realizing that the airport is some 40km northeast of downtown, the buildings must be in the eastern suburbs of metropolitan Beijing, home to about 15mil ppl. This, being my first trip to Beijing, makes me full of anticipation. Beijing, as it turns out, is one huge construction site, virtually aimed for Olympics 2008. I am just 3 years too early!

We land on schedule, breeze through immigration and customs (as harmless as clearing Singapore airport), and are soon in a Volvo driven by missus's friend, wife of an attache at the Malaysian Embassy, cruising along a modern toll expressway. Yes, we are putting up at the modern embassy complex for the next 5 nights, located in the diplomatic quarter of eastern Beijing.

#1

#2 

Beijing 290305b: Shoe-string budget

Tomorrow we are doing the Great Wall, and the Forbidden City & Tian'anmen Sq the next. That means a great deal of walking is in order. Sabariah purposely wants to buy her walking shoes in Beijing, so off we go to this huge shopping arcade.

Yes, a true shoes' galore indeed, and she settles for a late-model 'Puma' walking shoes. The rosy-cheeked girl says, 280 yuan (that's a bit less than RM140). Sabariah's street-wise embassy friend says, 50 yuan! A verbal argument follows, with us using a smattering of Mandarin, but we ain't budging. So when all seem lost, we decide to leave, but the shopkeeper chase us and concede defeat. I'm not sure if her face is still rosy-cheeked or actually red with anger, but what the heck, we got it for a mere RM25.

The ladies seem to enjoy this sort of 'barguing'. For me, it seems a tad stressful. I don't think I can bargue every time I want to buy something (even to buy ice-cream?). It's just tedious. But look at the pic - a pair of great-looking leather shoes for less than RM50? You'd be tempted too, but do bring a barguing lady along. :-)

After the hard work of barguing done, we went to the top floor and found a food court, complete with a halal stall too (2nd pic).

.naim

ps: The Puma lasted the trip in good condition and is now sitting pretty at home.

#1

#2

#3

Beijing 290305c: Chow time!

End of first day in Beijing, and our local friends give us a treat - a halal steamboat dinner.

Pic 1 shows the interior of restaurant. Note the typical Chinese khat (dua kalimah syahadat, brader!) above the mirror shielding the entrance to the kitchen. Forget the tacky ceiling decoration - must be a Chinese New Year left-over.

Pic 2 is my fave - rolled beef slices ready to be dipped into the steamboat. I lost count how many I devoured! The sauce that comes with it is unique - tastes like kuah satay at times.

Pic 3 is the entrance of the restaurant. More khat, but I have no clue what it says!

Damage done: 240 yuan (less than RM120) for 7 people. Thoroughly recommended for Beijing visitors.

#1

#2

#3

Beijing 300305a: Ring Road No. 3

We start at 9.00am on Wednesday morning. Got ourselves a small van for 500 yuan for the whole day (all in - car, driver, fuel, toll, etc). Beijing has 5 huge ring roads, and from the Malaysian Embassy we hit the 3rd ring road, which takes us to the toll expressway to Badaling (about 80km northwest of Beijing, where the Great Wall is nearest and at its best shape - for tourists' consumption lah). Our journey to Badaling takes almost 2 hours, with getting out of Beijing itself taking almost one hour!

A local tells me everyday 1000 new cars hit the road in Beijing, and all sorts of models are available at competitive prices - Japanese, European, American and local brands (some are blatant rip-offs of foreign designs).

#1

#2

#3

Beijing 300305b: Badaling Expressway to the Great Wall

Forty minutes into Beijing Ring Road #3, we hit the Badaling Expressway. The nearest section of the Great Wall (open to tourists) is 75km away at Badaling.

From a distance, we see a familiar sight...hmmm, yes...a toll plaza! The expressway to Badaling is a closed toll expressway (just like our North-South Expressway) and we duly collect our transit ticket, which is a simple piece of paper with 2-dimensional barcodes on it (see 2nd pic - note the wrong time-stamp on ticket, late by 25 mins).

.naim

#1

#2

#3

Beijing 300305c: The Great Wall at Badaling

Badaling at last...and am I surprised! I thought the place would be swarming with 'official tourist guides' and mobile vendors and hawkers and fortune tellers and..., just like the hordes which swamped us in Agra and Jaipur (India). But no...the place is as well-organised and well-tended as any major tourist spots in Europe. Ample parking too. I'm impressed and that's one great start.

Yes, the Great Wall is here, looking great of course. The people walking up and down the Wall remind me of the people doing sa'ie in Mekah, for some odd reason. Maybe this place is spiritual too? :-)

I go to the counter and pay 40 yuan per person for entrance fee.

.naim

Pics 1, 2 & 3: The famous Badaling section of the Great Wall of China. Built during the Ming Dynasty: mid-14th to mid-17th century. A Unesco World Heritage Site.

#1

#2

#3

Beijing 300305d: Great Wall scenes #1

Great Wall scenes...part 1.

#1

#2

#3

#4

Beijing 300305e: Great Wall scenes #2

Great Wall scenes...part 2.

#1

#2

#3

#4