This time through China, I was in an even bigger rush than I was during my RTW trip back in 2009-10. Then, I managed to stay in Beijing, a city I surprisingly like, for almost a full week. This time, since we were in a bit of a rush to get to Saigon to finish the Ultimate Train Challenge, we only had the one full day to explore, after getting off the train at about 6 a.m.

Through the help of the wonderful folks at China Odyssey Tours, we managed to pack in a lot more in one day than I ever could have anticipated. They provided us a car, driver and guide for the day and we headed immediately, and sleepy eyed, from the train station up to the Great Wall of China. No time for the Forbidden Palace, this time, but I think I’ll be back yet again to enjoy their beauty and odd internal naming.

If you are going to do the Great Wall at any of the spots close to Beijing, you need to be prepared for the crush of tourists. Fortunately, our guide insisted that we head out there as quickly as possible and even better, directed us to a part of the wall where…. we were the only people around.

They sky in this area seems to be permanently shrouded by a haze of pollution, so I am not incredibly happy with my photographs, but when is the last time that you saw one of the main parts of the Great Wall empty of tourists??

even at one single location, the scope and immensity of the whole wall impresses

even the graffiti on the Great Wall seems almost timeless... well, at least the Chinese graffiti

the flag flies proudly for the hordes of Chinese tourists coming to see one of their greatest tourist sites

After the Great Wall, we headed to Ming’s Tombs, which is a pretty massive complex of… you guessed it. Tombs. Thirteen of the sixteen Ming Emperors are buried there (I dare you to name one without goggling it). The Sacred Way has a long series of pretty cool statues. All in all, not a bad spot. I wouldn’t recommend a whole separate trip there, but if you are hitting the Great Wall at the closest point to Beijing, it is on your way going or coming and well worth an hour’s stop.

Some people complain I am never in any of my photos.... so... here's me.

loads and loads of statues

Emperor, statue, big building, you get the picture

After a long day, and many trains, but some great sightseeing, we all wanted just a few things.  A nice, non-moving bed to sleep in — thanks to our UTC sponsor Hostelbookers we got that at Happy Dragon Courtyard, which is in the cool, old part of Beijing that I like. And some dumplings…. which I proceeded to eat for the next three or four meals in a row.

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this is Brief Stop in Bejing on #UTC11: Great Wall from Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, Write - overland travel, RTW travel, adventure travel

Pretty much the best McDonald's location you could imagine, heh?

One of the things that I love about China is the slightly off English that you see in signs and hear from people. “Clinglish” or “Changlish” or whatever one calls it (similar to Spanglish, which was supposedly an actually good Adam Sandler movie, though I’ll never know),

China was one of the last stops on our crazy 30-day Ultimate Train Challenge. The folks at China Odyssey Tours we kind enough to sponsor us on this part of the journey and they were really invaluable, considering on how tight a schedule we were on. They scheduled up some tours for us on the few off travel days we had (Bejing and Guilen), but one of the big things they did was provide drivers and guides at each arrival and departure we had. 

China is not the easiest country to get around in. While I had been there before, during my round-the-world trip, it still is not the easiest county to get around in. Off the sixty or so countries I have been in during the last three years, China is right up at the top of “least use of English from the locals.”

While China is currently embarking in a massive effort, like most effects on any topic they embark on, to teach their citizens English, it has seemed to me that there are few people over 30 that speak any English at all.

Most cabbies are over 30. Ergo some of the difficulty of traveling there.

My Chinese visa is good for an unlimited number of entries for a 12 month period. I really enjoy China a lot, so expect to see me back there before that visa runs out in 2012. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy a few amusing signs that I saw while I was there.

Loved this sign on the high-speed train

Perhaps success in life in the next few decades is learning Mandarin

don't be going and getting and rich people glasses for me

because when I am in Beijing, I want... California food

Striding apparently is inconsistent with respect. Remember it. Live it.

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this is Little Oddities in China on #UTC11 from Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, Write - overland travel, RTW travel, adventure travel