Monday, February 13, 2012

After another fabulous breakfast buffet at the hotel, we checked out and rode to the section f the Great Wall.  Boys had been told it was about a three-hour ride and had brought a variety of bus entertainment along with the sheer enjoyment of spending time with peers. Beijing is so large and populated that drivers have to share the road and are only allowed to drive on certain days.  Even so, we wove in and out of other vehicles allowed on the road.  A fog had descended and the hazy sun would not be seen until mid-morning.    We turned off the highway and began weaving along windy roads lined with small shops, apartment complexes like the ones seen on the farther outskirts of most large cities except many of these had decorative themes—colorful fish seemingly jumping through the air on poles, mini-Great Walled entrances, faded yellow balls on arced posts. We passed a fifteen-foot arrangement of fruit, a frozen waterfall, and restaurants staged to ready or restore Great Wall ascenders/descenders.  Aaron alerted the boys that if we looked through the haze, we would be able to see it.  The entire bus became silent and everyone strained for their first glimpse  We pulled into the parking lot where eager vendors rushed to sell us their lacy umbrellas, Chairman Mao furry hats, a variety of t-shirts...We passed people who spoke a variety of languages, all of us linked by the anticipation and excitement of experiencing The Great Wall.

Our guide Simona had the boys drop their backpacks in the middle of a circle they made, much like the one they did in one courtyard f the Forbidden City.  She did some stretching, t-chi like exercises and talked about how to climb without straining, knees unlocked and foot flat so the calf doesn’t overstretch.  I waited for them to take off and walked over to the tram.

For me, it was about an eight-minute ride up the mountain.  I passed over views of the wall snaking endlessly along the Chinese and Mongolian landscape.  Below me I could see the silver chute for the toboggans that we would use for our descent.  I arrived at Tower 6 and walked up and down steps to Tower 10 where they would arrive. The four chaperons accompanying the climbing boys had already arrived when I found my way over. Every tower has a vendor wearing the ubiquitous green wool coat peddling tea, beer, soda, candy. Boys had been given snack bars and we enjoyed the views before walking back toward Tower 6. 

The towers had larger windows with curved tops and flat sills, all the better to see the enemy approaching. Cannons set along the wall would fire a distance to let the invaders know they could and would be stopped.  Guards might live on the wall for six months to a year-a chilling possibility in many ways.  Some towers had rooftop lookouts.  We carefully passed a ..donkey!…who was not there half an hour before.-why was he here now? We chatted with people from Brazil, England, Chile, Ohio, Italy, Portugal…all were impressed with the exuberance of our resilient boys.

Taking a group picture proved a tad more challenging. Ms.Thaler, photographer extradionnaire, finally found a vista that was group-worthy.  Nicholas passed out the signs  and tourists watched and waited for us to hold them in a way that could be recognized as words. Task accomplished we continued on looking for the perfect place for individual shots.  Although still hazy, the view was still breathtaking. I told the boys that they would remember this day for the rest of their lives and to hold on to this moment.  While the group waited in a line, one by one the boys came up as Ms. Thaler called counted, “One, two, three. “ (snap, snap) “ Do something else, one, two, three.”  In this way, we were sure that everyone had a frame-able memory of this exciting day. We arrived at the toboggan area and after a brief explanation of safety, Ms. Thaler descended first to take documentary photos of boys arriving at the bottom of the slide. I attempted to photograph them as they left, although sometimes this wasn’t possible  as strings of black toboggans might return individually or in sets.  If in sets, I could not position myself at the edge of the gate to snap each boy.  Toboggans vary in their ability to glide.  Some took off with gusto and others slowly crept away.  Hold the pole away from you and release the break. Pull back and slow down. Unless you slow down on your own which happened for Rex, second one down..and certainly for me, second to last save our tour leader Aaron. This was my third ascent do I had a sense of what to expect.  The toboggan is small and your knees are angled to accommodate the break positioned between your legs. The slide is banked with cloth signs and guards posted along the way, encouraging you to slow down, speed up, lean etc. As usual, I took off slowly creeping past the first guards and picked up a little speed as I curved around the first bends. One hand is holding my camera, video-tapping the descent. The other is pushing the break as forward as it will go. I’m picking up some speed, this is fun, the wind is slightly rushing through the curls poking though the two hats I’m wearing. I pass a napping guard…how embarrassing…and am now slowing down…a lot..too..much ..until I ma completely stopped.  Perhaps time to turn off the camera as there are others behind me.  Camera dangling from my neck, I grab at the sides of the slide, pulling myself along.  Certainly I will pick up some speed soon, it is tilted downward.  Aaron is behind me now, out of his toboggan pushing me. Back in motion, albeit slow motion, I continue, without documentation to the bottom, where, hats removed from the effort of descent, I find Mr. Jackson stationed between the coffee shop and the vendors.  Boys are wildly bargaining, purchasing t-shirts, hats, silk paintings. Some bargain well and later  they will find huge variations in prices paid for the same things. Back to the bus for a five-minute ride to a building that looks much like the San Francisco International Terminal on a much smaller scale.  Inside, it is tropical with a jungle of plants, pastel silk cloths decorating the ceiling.  Boys are naturally ravenous and the dishes keep appearing.  There’s a piano and Chris, fresh from a recent recital, attempts to play but the piano seems to be set on extra hush and even those standing around him cannot hear. No problem as it is time to get back on the bus.  No surprise that many sleep for part of the way hack to Beijing where we arrive late in the day at The Temple of Heaven.  Turns out it is the perfect time of day because most of the tourists have left. Of course we meet people from Brazil, France, Italy.. Along the way to the Temple, built in the 15^th century, we pass locals engaged in card games, ladies selling hand-made crocheted bags, animals, hats and scarves. The card games involve holding what seems like dozens of cards.  Most seem to be smoking and laughing.  It is a day in the park for them.  The guards are singing together in a group as Aaron gives the boys an overview of the history.  We walk around as the sun, still hazy, begins to cast pink shadows on the brightly painted temple. Lovely, but cold and boys are either tired, wired or a combination of both. Leo has had enough and has laid down on the stone steps and seems to be asleep. He is annoyed that the battery in his phone is dead and he wants to take pictures.  I lend him my camera and he perks up. Liam has lost a glove. I give him mine and take out an extra pair. We go back to the bus first to dinner, then to the Night Market in Beijing.

The Night Market is Beijing is a long strip of stalls.  As we approach we can see clouds of steam coming off of some grills.  All food or drink, the stalls have their wares laid out.  Above the stalls,  informative sign explain the offerings.  Many things are already on a stick, ready to be eaten or perhaps cooked.  Boys will not be eating, only enjoying the sights.  Some things will remain unknown.

(It is 5:40 and outside my hotel window, I can hear people rhythmically chanting- screaming something. It is freezing outside…not sure what is going on…_perhaps an early morning tai-chi?)

We pass fresh fruits, plastic cups with small bobbing objects in light or dark liquid, white balls bobbing in a large pot of bubbling fluid.  Gelatinous chunks appear in many colors.  And insects are on sticks-beetles, silkworm pupa, crickets large and small.  Reproductive parts are skewered-deer penis, testicles…. Dog, cat flesh and snake flesh are ready to be cooked.   Starfish and sea horse are also on skewers.  It is fascinating and horrifying and a window into a world beyond our own, a tiny microcosm of the ways beyond our own. Back to the hotel for a much needed sleep with a ridiculously early wake-up call.  We will be out of the hotel the next morning by 5:40 am for the 5-hour train to Deng Feng.