Public Potties

IMG_3326, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

Public restrooms are very common in Beijing. In the local neighborhoods, called hutongs, there are often the only restrooms. Since they are often the newest and cleanest looking building in the area, it makes one wonder about what the neighborhood did before the toilet rooms were built.

The size, quality and cleanliness of the rooms varies from barely tolerable to pretty good. One I went into was a three-holer with no divider stalls and two were occupied. I left and waited until I was back at the hotel.

Squat toilets are the typical fixture. The trick to finding a western style throne is to look for the universal ADA/handicap sign. Inside the buildings, the sit-down stalls are also often labeled with a picture of an old man with a cane.

One disturbing aspect is that it is not customary to flush the toilet paper. Most stalls have a small wastebasket for disposal of the used tissue.

Worst. Job. Ever.

IMG_3287, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

The only rest stop I found on The Great Wall itself consisted of a two-stall outhouse. The throne itself was a sit upright can with a seat lined with a plastic bag. Outside the stall there was a plastic jug of water for hand washing.

As I left feeling much better, I profusely thanked the toilet paper vending lady. She was donning some long rubber gloves and was heading in. Apparently, everything left along The Wall must be bagged out. I felt really guilty only spending fifteen cents for the toilet paper. Great Wall Latrine Cleaner is now on my list of Worst Jobs Ever.

Great Wall Rest Stop

IMG_3286, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

While climbing the Great Wall, I felt the rumblings of a gastro-intestinal crisis. Fortuanately, on the way back down I spotted a sign in English with the international icons for toilets. To get to them you climbed down some stairs that were an original feature of The Wall down to the outhouse. At the bottom of steps a vendor was selling packs of toilet paper for 1 RMB (US$0.07). I doubled up and it was the best money I spent.

Great Wall Billboard

IMG_3289, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

Despite any qualms the Chinese may have over foreign commercialization of culturally sensitive areas, they seem to have no qualms over tooting their own horn. This sign for the 2008 Olympics is visible from nearly every part of the Badaling section of the Great Wall.

While it tends to mar the pristineness of the area, it leaves no doubt that the Chinese are not going to let any marketing opportunities for the Olympics go unexploited.

Wall of Starbucks

IMG_3313, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

At the base of the Wall, there are several restaurants that cater to the tourist trade. And one coffee shop that caters to Americans needing a strong dose of caffeine. The peak of the Great Wall is barely visible in the upper left corner of this photo.

Over the years, the Chinese have become a little more sensitive to over-commercialization of the cultural relics, particularly when it comes to foreign franchises. KFC was kicked out of Bei Hai Park and Starbucks has decided to relinquish their lease inside the Forbidden City.

Still, I doubt this Starbucks will be going anywhere soon.

Fallen Wall

IMG_3301, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

When the Manchu bribed their way through the Great Wall and overtook the Ming Dynasty, they then owned both sides of the Wall and it fell into disuse and disrepair. When the current dynasty discovered the tourism potential of the wall, sections that could be turned into attractions were repaired.

This telephoto photo of a distant section of the Wall visible from the Badaling area shows a portion of the Wall that has collapsed. What is more remarkable is that so much has stayed intact despite several hundred years of neglect.

Great Wall Photo Op

IMG_3296, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

Besides walking/climbing, the primary activity along the Great Wall is taking pictures. It is tough to go more than fifty feet without passing someone taking pictures of something or someone. Portraits, group shots, landscapes, it's all fair game.

One pair of girls caught me when I was taking a rest break and insisted on taking a picture of one of them with me. I was happy to oblige. This made me less self-conscious of taking pictures of other people.

This very stylishly dressed lady with the parasol was having a lot of pictures taken by her boyfriend. She agreed to let me take a picture and flashed the peace sign that seems to be the common posed picture hand sign.

Running The Gauntlet

IMG_3285, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

Getting past the vendors in the parking lot is just the first round of people wanting your money. While walking on the wall itself, dozens of vendors try to sell postcards, tee shirts, crafts, and knick knacks. The post card vendors are the shabbiest and most persistent. They will follow anyone vaguely American looking for a good while before giving up and looking for another victim.

Many of the vendors have semi-permanent locations. Others just pick a section and spread out. The quality ranges from the impressive like the marble carvers to the truly tacky. One lady was selling a small doll that when filled with water, spurted a stream of water from the crotch. Her sole sales pitch consisted of saying over and over again, "Look, pee-pee boy, pee-pee boy." Needless to say, I passed.

Great Stairclimber

IMG_3283, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

If you turn left after getting to the Great Wall, the climb to the high point is much shorter, about a kilometer, but much steeper. The height of the steps varies with the grade and one section in particular requires a stepping style like on a gym stairmaster. Fortunately, unlike a gym, you can stop as many times as you want.

The Long Way

IMG_3291, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

The Badaling section of the Great Wall starts in a valley. From the entrance, you can either go left or right. The right direction is longer but not a steep. This is the more popular direction. I ended up climbing both directions and the right leg was very crowded.

This leg is about 2 kilometers to the highest point. The open portion of the wall continues on but most people turn around at this point.

Great Crowds

IMG_3268, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

Since Badaling is one of the closest Great Wall sites to Beijing, it is very popular with tourists. On weekends in particular, the number of people can be stifling.

At some narrow points along the wall, bottlenecks occur and you have to literally push your way through the crowd. Since the steps can be irregular and steep, it takes some attention to work the crowds safely.

Great Vendors

IMG_3260, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

When you arrive at Badaling, the large parking lot filled with tour buses is lined with vendor stalls. They are all selling mostly tee shirts, hats, and trinkets. Since I didn't bring a hat with me to China, I bought one with "Great Wall" stitched on it. Buying one item just enourages the other vendors to pester you more.

As with most tourist sites in China, prices are extremely negotiable and bargaining is necessary.

Against The Wall

IMG_3265, originally uploaded by yellojkt.

While not THE closest place to see the Great Wall from Beijing, the restored section at Badaling is the most popular. It is about an hour out of Beijing by car or bus. An expressway from the city keeps the travel time short.

Here we pose in front of a welcome sing in the town with the summit of the Wall just barely visible in the background. This spot was very popular for group photos before getting to the main section of the Wall.