The Great Wall...is a toilet!!!

This morning I get to go to the Great Wall. Looking forward to it now I must say. Our first stop however was to one of the Tombs. Couldn't tell you which one it was and can't really say that I care. It's not what I came to see and checking out someone's grave sight is not really my thing. Not here anyway.

The group on tour was a African American, an Iranian couple and Steve and Betty, another American couple. Pretty good group but man I felt for Jennita the AA. She goes through what I go through but she seems to take the attention from me which I have to say I appreciated. But it is kind of weird being on the other side when you know what it feels like. She has many people trying to take her photo as she has very dark skin which they are fascinated with. They also try to get close up's of her face. It's so very rude of them and she has had more than enough. She will actually go up to them, yelling, grab their camera and erase the picture. It was something to see but I sympathised. I think the others were a little horrified by her behaviour especially as she is a nice person. But I understood where she was coming from and quietly cheered for her.

The full extent of the filth of this city was coming out on show. The smog is really bad and didn't really clear at all the further we got away from the city. Photo's don't even show it to it's full disgustingness. This is just another side of this city that shows that the Olympics should not have been given to them.

Our guide basically insisted that we take the 'trolley' up to the middle section where the best views are. I asked about the cable car to the top but he shut me up quick smart. Found out why later. The cable car is actually cheaper, gets you all the way to the top and he wouldn't receive commission from it. Wanker.

So we lined up and then were truly horrified when we got sight of the 'trolley'. It was more like a slide you would find at an amusement fair. The poor Iranian wife did not look at all keen and I did not blame her. Quite frankly I was worried if she would be able to do it.

We all got on one by one and took the ride to the middle. I was happily getting out at the right spot then the guy grabbed me by the arm, pulled me off balance and I nearly fell. Bloody hurt my arm to. Double wanker. What's wrong with these people?

The view would have been truly fantastic if not for all the smog but still worth the visit. We all started to climb upwards. Yes climb. It's not all steps but sometimes very step inclines and declines. The Iranian husband almost lost his balance when just catching his breath at one stage.

At another section we seemed to have stalled. Where as in our cultures it is polite to keep moving and not stand in the way, the locals do not have the same standards. Blocking the way is their done thing. So we did another of their done things...we barged through. We all took a line behind each other and pushed. It got to a point we couldn't get any further. The area had halved due to a stairwell and the people standing around looking down it. It had also become a spot with a very hard to see stairwell for us to descend. As we were pushed in like cattle, I turned to let the Iranian couple know it was there. As I turned back around I got bumped and lost my footing. Yep, I fell. Not far just enough to hurt my knee. No cuts though so no blood just a bruised bone I think. Hurts though.

We were late getting back down to reach our tour guide but didn't really care. He had told us about tipping him earlier in the day but after the 'trolley' incident, he wasn't getting anything from us let alone being on time. We stuck to that idea as a team. Instead we shopped a little and took photo's of the bear's. You read it right. They have bears there in horrid cement enclosures as a money spinner. There are plates of cucumber all around the sides. If you throw it to the bears, which they are very grateful for, a guy will come out of no where to charge you for it. Nothing is for free here. Quite frankly the whole bottom area is tacky and they have ruined a national monument.

Oh and before I forget, one part of the wall, one of the towers, we referred to as the 'toilet'. Why? The obvious. It's not a toilet but as the wall has none, the locals and I'm sure some tourists, consider it a place to do their business. It stunk and if they want that cleaned up in time for the Olympics they better get some pretty powerful disinfectants and pay those doing the job a lot of money.

I got back to the hotel and got ready to go out. Debina had invited us to join them for her celebration dinner. We stopped in first at the G 'n' D (of course) and met Sue and Dale. Great couple and I hope to see more of them. We had to leave to head over to the restaurant to meet up with the others.

The dinner was of course fabulous. It was another hotpot but this time the bowl was split into two side with a divider. One side was spicy and the other normal. Their spicy is a bit full on for me so I stuck to the wimpy side. It was so delicious and I kept just scooping out the 'soup' as the flavour was yummy. A bowl of just that gets people's attention though and I constantly had someone grab my bowl and put things in it to fill it before handing it back to me. The manners of all of these wonderful people are impeccable.

After we went out to a club. Kokomo was actually on the list of places to go to given to me by a travel mate. Now I know why. It's great and we had a good time. We squeezed in with some accommodating people at first as all the other tables were full but then a group left and we scored the comfy lounge area. Excellent. Lot's more drinks (and many a trip to the toilet) and a bit of dancing, made for a great evening.

Back at the G 'n' D we enjoyed more drinks and I was very glad that I did not have another tour booked for the morning. It will be nice just to lay in. I can't believe how much my initial thoughts of this place have changed. It comes down to good people.

This city leaves a lot to be desired and watching them rip families from their homes to bulldoze them and build hotels etc for the Olympics, trying to make all the taxi drivers speak English by then (no chance), clean the place up (sand blasting might help) and stopping the people from spitting...yeah right, it's just not going to happen. It's a disgusting habit that they know will offend the people spending big money to fly in, but it's ingrained in these people and it just might take the threat of prison time to get them to stop.

13 Jul 2007

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