Traveling the World

The Great Wall is the single most touristy thing someone could do when in China. I tried my hardest to make it more intrepid, and I feel I succeeded. My hostel was trying to get us to book with them, but their trip involved a huge bus, food, and worst of all going to Badaling. This is the the most boring and crowded section of the wall, not to mention it would have cost almost $100 USD per person.

My friend Ewa from the hostel told us about another way to get there. This involved first going to the Dongzhimen long-distance bus station (located right off the Dongzhimen metro station). When we got off the subway, there was a Chinese woman waiting for people who wanted to go to the Wall. She showed us to the public 980 bus, which costs 14rmb to go to from the city limits to Miyun. She gave me a card and said her friend would be waiting for us at the Miyun Tai Yang bus stop and he’d take us to Simatai for cheap. I didn’t ask how much because I knew I’d do better to bargain with him.

An hour and 20 minutes later, we were rudely woken up to the shrills of a man screaming we had arrived at Miyun. When we got off we were immediately bombarded by touts, yet thankfully we found our man. Like most people in China, he didn’t speak a word of English, so I had to test my skills. He immediately started off with 70rmb a person each way. I told him his friend said it’d be cheap and I knew 70 was a ripoff. He said fine, 65. Then I said I was Chinese, not a tourist. He said it was really far from where we were and gas was expensive. Since I live here, I know he was lying, so I told him I liked him and didn’t want to screw around, and I only wanted to pay 30 per person each way.

Thinking he was slick and I would fold (he didn’t know he was dealing with a Jewish person), he went to 60. I told him there were many other people standing there who would give it to me for less, and he said none of them had a van for all 5 of us, but went to 55. I finally said the hostel would have been easier, but I chose this method because I thought it’d be cheaper, so he agreed to 45 per person each way. Total negotiation time took 6 minutes, and I know this because Melba timed it.

Another hour and 20 minutes later, we were at Simatai. We exited the van and he presented us with the entrance tickets, valued at 40rmb each. This guy seemed really nice and was on the ball with these things, so we were happy with our choice.

Map

Climbing Higher

As we approached the end and the highest point possible, we all sat down and took a photo. The wind was picking up, and the clouds were moving so fast, it felt like a fairy tale. As a species, humans are so accustomed to the sounds of electronics in their ears at all times, so that being in a place like this with absolutely no sound in your ears besides that of the wind is quite freaky.

Top of the Wall

Path of Doom

Train to Guilin = 212rmb (paid for Lily) ($30.9)
Hostel in Guilin = 70rmb (paid for Lily) ($10.2)
Food in Guilin = 35.5rmb ($5.10)
Transportation in Guilin = 6rmb (buses/paid for Lily) ($0.80)
Activities in Guilin = 40rmb (die cai shan, paid for lily) ($5.80)
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Total for Guilin = 363.5rmb ($52.80)

Bus to Yangshuo = 30rmb (paid for Lily) ($4.37)
Hostel in Yangshuo = 70rmb (paid for Lily) ($10.2)
Food in Yangshuo = 55rmb ($8.02)
Transportation in Yangshuo = 5rmb ($0.72)
Activities in Yangshuo = 0rmb
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Total for Yangshuo = 160rmb ($23.31)

Train to Chengdu = 104rmb ($15.1)
Hostel in Chengdu = 60rmb (Melba paid for my first night) ($8.75)
Food in Chengdu = 62rmb ($9.05)
Activities in Chengdu = 100rmb ($14.59)
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Total for Chengdu = 326rmb ($47.49)

Bus to Emei Shan from Chengdu = 46rmb ($6.71)
Monastery in Emei Shan = 50rmb ($7.29)
Food in Emei Shan = 50rmb ($7.29)
Donation to Monastery = 30rmb ($4.37)
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Total for Emei Shan = 176rmb ($25.66)

Private Car to Leshan from Emei Shan = 30rmb ($4.37)
Activities in Leshan = 90rmb ($13.13)
Bus back to Chengdu = 45rmb ($6.56)
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Total for Leshan = 165rmb ($24.06)

Train to Xi’an = 209rmb ($30.51)
Hostel in Xi’an = 50rmb ($7.29)
Food in Xi’an = 101rmb ($14.74)
Activities in Xi’an = 155rmb ($22.62)
Transportation in Xi’an = 15rmb ($2.18)
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Total for Xi’an = 530rmb ($77.34)

Train to Beijing = 311rmb ($45.40)
Hostel in Beijing = 140rmb ($20.43)
Food in Beijing = 242rmb ($35.32)
Activities in Beijing = 100rmb ($14.59)
Transport in Beijing = 139rmb ($20.29)
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Total for Beijing = 932rmb ($136.03)

Train to Wuhan = 287 ($41.89)
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Total spent = 2939.5rmb ($428.58), My budget was 4500rmb ($656.93)

In the end, my friends paid for these things for me (thanks Alfred, Richard, and Melba!):

Hot Air Balloon = 480×2 (paid for Lily)
Black and White Panda = 1000
Red Panda (really a raccoon) = 100

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Look for my upcoming posts about Guilin, Yangshuo, Emei Shan, Leshan, Chengdu, Xi’an, and Beijing!

Itinerary

As I said, my friends are arriving in Hong Kong and going into the Chinese mainland via Shenzhen. From there, they’ll meet Lily and I at Guilin (her and I are coming from Wuhan). In Guilin, we’ll see the beautiful natural scenery that’s infamous amongst people who travel to China (or live here). Then we’ll go over to Shanghai, where I went in April. After Shanghai we’ll move on to Beijing, a city I’ve avoided seeing for the entirety of my time in China! There we will see the extremely old wall of China, the emperor/dictator’s city, and whatever else tourist crap they will throw at us. After, we’ll head to Xi’an, where the terra cotta soldiers are located. I have a German friend there that I’m hoping to meet up with too!

Unfortunately, because my job begins so early, I’ll only really have 10 or 11 days with my friends, whom I haven’t seen since May 2008, when I graduated from university. 3 of them live in Seattle, and the other in North Carolina, so me being a Floridian and now a Chinaman, it was impossible to see them after university. As a result of my job, I have to leave them at Xi’an to return to Wuhan. They are tentatively planning to fly from Xi’an or Wuhan to Lijiang to hike for a few days in the Tiger Leaping Gorge. In the end, they’ll have a few days left to hang out in the surrounding area of Hong Kong. They’ll be free to see such areas as Shenzhen, Macau, Zhuhai, and Xiamen!

Well, that is the itinerary for my next trip! I’m veryyyyyyyyyyy busy from now until then, so don’t expect to see much action on the website!