Sometimes there's no story to tell. Sometimes you just feel like taking it easy, visiting a few sights, and, for the most part, relaxing. That's how I felt in Beijing, where I made a brief stop between Yangshuo, China, and Istanbul, Turkey. So, what makes this a short post is the fact that the better part of my days were spent working out in a gym (as opposed to my cramped hotel room), running, reading, and generally recuperating after my fairly hectic travel schedule over the past several weeks.
At the same time, I think it's fair to say that my attitude was influenced in part by my failure to find Beijing's charm, to which I now turn.
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| . . . except in this picture taken at the Summer Palace, on one of my few excursions. |
My feelings about Beijing are probably skewed by the fact that I visited over the May long weekend -- when the city's main attractions are packed to capacity with locals. I found these crowds unbearable -- to the point of having slight panic attacks -- and was often overcome with a strong desire to leave immediately. It's one thing to be caught in a large, peaceful assembly; it's quite another to be caught among China's masses on the long weekend, looking completely out of place and fighting off people elbowing, pushing, bumping their way around me.
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| Crowds at the Forbidden Palace, which, apparently, is no longer so. |
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| Same. |
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| Thankfully I did not get similar treatment. |
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| I did, however, get my picture taken very often by locals. This woman and I had a great photo-off, ultimately won by me when I transitioned to video and got up close and personal. |
Indeed, I found my time at the attractions so unpleasant that I just stopped going. So, while I went to Beijing to see the Great Wall, after less-than-inspiring visits to the Forbidden Palace, Summer Palace, and a couple others in town, I decided not to go. Instead, I went to an indoor climbing gym.
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| Up high at the Summer Palace. |
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| Statue inside the Tower of Buddhist Incense. |
Right around this point Ellen would normally say: "Are you really going to write an entire post just complaining about your vacation." And I'd stop. But, she's back home sleeping, so I can continue:
It wasn't just the crowds that bothered me. It was a long list of things, like the impenetrable smog. The refusal to obey traffic laws. The constant honking of car horns. The locals who insisted on speaking (yelling?) to me in Mandarin, when it was clear that I didn't understand a word they were saying. The constant cutting in line at the airport; convenience stores; subway ticket lines. The locals who, despite being perfectly friendly, attempted to rob me every chance they got. For example, one cab driver offered to charge me $100 Yuan for a $50 Yuan trip. After much hassling I got him down to $60, but when I went to get out of the cab, I paid with $100 bill and he kept the change. We went through the whole song and dance again and, while we eventually settled up and ended with a handshake and smile, I would have preferred to skip the customary bartering stage.
Maybe Beijing just isn't for me. Or maybe it's just that I didn't give it a chance.