My trip to Beijing didn’t start out as a group holiday. My friend and colleague, the Legal Eagle, and I had discovered we were both interested in seeing China’s capital and decided to go for the long weekend at the start of May. We were both keen to see Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and of course, the Great Wall. I also wanted Peking duck. Lots of Peking duck. A week before we were due to depart, a couple who are mutual friends of ours also decided they were coming, and then a colleague of one half of the couple was added and voila! A group holiday hath appeared.
It all started out beautifully, with champagne in the Cathay lounge (regular readers- do I have those?- will recognise this as a pre-flight necessity) an on-time departure and arrival and a swift trip from the airport to the hotel. Our group met up in the rooftop bar of the hotel on an unusually clear Beijing night, had a couple of glasses of rose and off to bed.
The next morning we awoke to clear blue skies, unable to believe our luck. After breakfast we set off to explore Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
On the day we visited, there were surprisingly few people about, rendering both the city square and the former imperial palace even more imposing.
By 11.30 am we had walked over 21,000 steps in 35 degree heat. The Legal Eagle and I were keen to keep walking; he was engaged in a “shredding” challenge with a colleague, while I suspected that the notorious Beijing pollution would return before the end of our trip and wanted to make the most of the blue skies. Our friends were tired though and suggested getting in a tuk-tuk. This is where the metaphorical wheels fell off. Being a party of five (though not orphaned, unlike the seminal TV show of the 90’s) we needed two tuk-tuks and in the bustle of Beijing traffic, none of us thought to cover off the details- like negotiating a price or ensuring they knew where we needed to go. Weaving through the traffic, passing hotel cards written in simplified Chinese, we managed to align on our destination, not even suspecting that our tuk-tuk drivers were more in rhythm than we’d realised.
As we approached our hotel, the drivers near simultaneously pulled into alleyways that branched off the main road- one to the left and the other to the right. Our driver pulled out his rate card and demanded 300 RMB (or $40 AUD) unbelievably expensive for a short tuk-tuk ride. We paid the 300 RMB and then he demanded that was the price per head. We refused and started to walk away while the driver tried to bail the Legal Eagle up against a brick wall. As we edged towards the main road, a traffic police man appeared which cooled the tuk-tuk driver’s ardour and we made our escape. Across the other side of the road this scene was playing out simultaneously, the other half of our party trying to disentangle themselves without looking like they were dodgy tourists doing a runner on the hardworking driver.
Though we were a little shaken, these are the experiences that you laugh about- the things that got a little hairy, that could have been worse. Hold that thought.
The rest of the day passed without incident, some dumplings, some shopping, some chilling back at the hotel. The night with the 60% of the contingent being rabid AFL fans we found an Irish pub that had a game on. Ho hum. Having forced the crew in Guam to watch the Stanley Cup playoffs with me at TGI Friday’s I suppose I cannot complain.
On the Sunday morning we hired a car an set off for the Great Wall. On the recommendation of a friend we chose the Mutianyu section of the wall. It’s approximately 65 kms from Beijing (but takes around 2 hours to get to) is less crowded than the better known Badaling and is surrounded by breathtaking natural scenery. After a cable car ride to the start of the walk (a challenge for those of us who are terrified of heights, aka: me) you start to trek from watchtower to watchtower, climbing as you go. Some sections of this walk are quite steep but the views are worth the exertion. Its amazing that something can be exactly as you imagined or expected it to be and still blow you away. Ready to descend, we elected to take the luge, a fun way of winding our way back down the mountain. I may be scared of heights, but I’m a freak for speed!
That night we ventured out to Capital M, a European restaurant perched in front of the Qianmen gate and highly recommended by a foodie colleague. The Capital M terrace overlooks glorious views of Tiananmen Square and Mao’s mausoleum, lighting the night, and inside the restaurant is comfortably elegant. The food was divine, the highlight being the dessert platter which were shared between the five of us. Capital M is renowned for its fruit ladened pavlova and for good reason, but the rest of the platter did not disappoint. After a cocktail on the terrace- my passionfruit margarita was delicious- we returned to the hotel at a civilised hour.
Monday dawned and the team took off for more sightseeing at the Summer Palace while I worked from the hotel room and that evening we had dinner at the Beijing outpost of the popular Lost Heaven restaurant.
I had previously eaten twice at their Shanghai branch (the one on the bund) and enjoyed it, and the Beijing branch met the standard. The menu is huge, boasting dishes from Yunnan, Myanmar and Tibet. The cocktails are inventive twists on classics and I found a new favourite in their version of the Moscow mule.
On our last day in Beijing we did a little shopping, picking up souvenirs and wandering around the Qianmen district. The pollution had returned and we felt as though there was a film of filth covering our exteriors, dust invading our lungs. Seeking refuge we returned to Capital M for a pre-departure lunch ( we really had enjoyed it.)
Here I made an admittedly unfunny joke that referenced our earlier drama with the tuk-tuk drivers and one of our group took offence to it and stormed away from the table. It was a disappointing end to the trip, like the pollution, coating the experience in something unsavoury that belied the pleasantness that had come before. I never did get my Peking duck.
Annanotherthing’s Beijing address book:
The Emperor Beijing Qianmen
87 Xianyukou St, Dongcheng Qu, Beijing Shi, China
We also hired a car and driver from the hotel to take us to the Great Wall.
We used Blacklane for our airport transfers
Capital M, 3/F, No.2 Qianmen Avenue
Beijing, 100051
Lost Heaven, Service Hall by Qianmen Community of Dongcheng Administration Service Center, 23, Dongcheng Qu, Beijing Shi, China
