The Beijing trip was very nice, but also exhausting. We (in total 10 people, check group pictures below) left from Student Halls Friday morning at 05.15, and of course I couldn't sleep practically at all before the flight... Everything went wery smoothly, and in Beijing we were just before noon.
Friday
In Beijing airport:
(Philip, Mani, Michi, Esa, Jussi, Henkka, AJ)
From the airport we took a minibus to our accommodation in the center just next to Beijing railway station for 400rmb:s (Harmony hotel). Hotel was ok, nothing special. No bugs running on the floor, and no moldish smell or anything. Breakfast was ok and included, so all and all it was worth the three stars. We didn't spend too much time there anyway...
In the hotel:
So on Friday we still had time to see something, so we headed to Temple of Heaven by foot. It was perhaps 2km:s away, and it was nice to walk since the weather was confortably cool, a bit under 20. Temple of Heaven was big and the gardens were nice, but the buildings were nothing special, if you have seen one temple or pagoda in China, all of them are more or less the same. In total it was nice, but nothing remarkable.
After the Temple we were (read "I was") very hungry, so had to find a restaurant. The nearest restaurant we found, just a bit north-east of the south exit, was a pretty nice Chinese one. We had our own room, which was just perfect for 10 people. They didn't speak English at all, and I mean not a word, but since we all have been studying Putonghua at least a little, we managed just fine. The food was very good and very cheap, in total it was ~25rmb:s/person, including beers and stomach-full of good food. Probably the best price-quality ratio I have experienced yet. After the dinner and a little shopping, we headed back to the hotel.
In the very nice and cheap restaurant:
There is a Sauna right next to our hotel, so of course we had to go there. It costed ~50rmb:s/person and was a very crappy place with ackward smell and the owen was not working very well, but still it was so great since it was the first time in sauna after I left Finland =) They didn't even mind us bringin our own beers in there. Since we complained a little about the owen not been hot enough, the owner of the place promised us the "ladies side" for next night for just 20rmb:s/person to compensate a little. After the sauna we had a couple of rounds of arschloht and were good to go to bed.
Saturday
Saturday mornign we woke up early and after pretty good breakfast were heading to see the Badaling section of the Great Wall. According to our guidebook, there was supposed to be a tourbus going there from the Beijing railway station, but we had some problems in finding the bus. After a while we found a western gentleman, who was living in Beijing, and he told not to go to Badaling since it is just a crappy tourist place. Instead he adviced us to go to Mutianyi, and even called someone and asked how to get there. Mutianyi is about 70km from Beijing and it is not that easy to get there.
There should have been a tourbus going there from nearby the Tiananmen square, but found out that it isn't. There would have been a possibility to rent a minibus for 800 yuans a roundtrip, but their timetable didn't fit for us or something (afterwards said, it wouldn't have been a bad offer...). At least we saw the Tiananmen square for the first time on our way there, so it was not bad. The Tiananmen square was pretty impressive, but it also gave me kind of a Russian feeling.
The Tiananmen square:
Two Great leaders, Mao and I (actually, the building is front gate of Forbidden city)
Since we found out that there would be no tourbus from Tiananmen and we didn't accept the minibus offer we had to find other alternatives. According to our guidebook there was supposed to be a tourbus leaving from some other place I don't remember right now, so we headed there. After getting there we found out that it doesn't go after all. Also found out, from a very nice Chinese guy speaking pretty good English, that there would be a normal bus going to Huaryi (from some other place in Beijing), which is ~20km to Mutianyi, and from there we could take another bus to Mutianyi. At that point we thought it is not worth the trouble and decided to take taxis. But of course the taxis wouldn't go there by the meter tax, since it is so far away, and for them not easy to get customers. Managed to get two taxis for 400yuans/each, so we had to fit 5 people in each...
Our taxi, Michi resting on a hard sleep:
The Mutianyi section of the Great Wall was truly Great. The sceneries were very beatiful (hen piaoliang), and since the weather was just perfect (>20 and sun was shining) it was just perfect to walk around on the Wall. Not too many people there either, I haven't been to Badaling, but still can recommend Mutianyi. There was of course also a street full of boutiques selling tourist crap. It was nice to practise Putonghua and bargain some souvenirs. I bought a very nice set of chopsticks for 22rmb:s and big Mao's book and set of postcards for 20. There really isn't a final price in China, so you can get stuff really cheap if you know how to bargain. I think I'm already getting a grip of it, since I paid for most of the stuff less than others =)
The Great Wall:
The sceneries:
Reinforced Wall:
The way back from Mutianyi was a bit smoother than the way there. Livia managed to get us a minibus ride to Huaryi for 120rmbs. 20 kms, 10 people and two minibuses, so it was not bad. From Huaryi there was the bus to Beijing that the Chinese guy told us. It costed 11rmbs, so definetly the cheapest way to get to Mutianyi is by public bus. We paid 80rmb:s/person to get there and 23 back... You have to pay to learn...
But the Saturday night was far from over. When we got back to Beijing we headed for a dinner and after that to Sauna again, and after that to a club called Banana. Of course we (read "the Finns") had to go to the sauna again since they even promised it to be hotter this time. And endeed the "ladies side" was much nicer and the sauna was so much better. If not taking into account the obvious fact that "the ladies side" was a bordell, you could almost think you were in sauna in Finland. Finnish friends, drinking beer in sauna and even the owen was Finnish. It was nice. I just wonder what the staff was thinking about us, four guys in sauna naked, drinking beer and making noice and laughing most of the time... After the sauna we headed to the club. The club was quite an experience. It had a bouncing dancefloor, pre dancers etc. and in addition it was a halloween special, so staff was in costumes. The music was very loud, of course, and the place was crowded, of course, but we are in China so you have to get used to it. It was great and at least I had a very good time. Unfortunatelu they didn't let us to take cameras in, so no pictures from the club =( We really are lacking that kind of clubs here in Hong Kong.
The basic amount of food for seven in China:
Good looking guys heading to the club:
Middle class transportation:
Working class transportation:
Sunday
On Sunday mornign after long night in the club, we still managed to get up pretty early (at ~10 o'clock). We headed to Tiananmen square and Forbidden city. Forbidden city was big, very big, but it was just full of the same looking buildings and parks over and over again. And of course you have to pay separately to all of them... Can say that been there seen that, but for me it was quite a disappointment. Perhaps a bit tired and hangoverish state did affect the judgement a bit.
Livia and I in front of some building:
Mani and Philip wondering about some other buildings:
Overview of yet a few other buildings:
After wasting two hours in the Forbidden city we split up and the hungry part headed for a restaurant. According to our guidebook there should have been a ok restaurant nearby, but when we got there it was pretty crappy place. The second one we found was probably one of the finest Teahouses in Beijing, but we were so hungry that decided to go in anyway. Outlook and atmosphere of the restaurant were very nice, but the dishes were very small and expensive. Thank god it was the afternoon teatime, so the prices were not that bad. For me it was a good experience, but perhaps AJ is having a bit different viewpoint., since he ordered a papaya juice or something and it costed almost 50rmbs. Again, you have to pay to learn.
Celebrity in the expensive restaurant:
On Sunday night we had yet one more thing to experience in Beijing. The Beijing opera. Actually we went to Laoshe teahouse where there were different kinds of shows, including a short clip of Beijing opera. It was nice, and the tea was pretty good. After that one more time eating out and then to bed totally exchausted, but unable to sleep...
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