The morning started by taking the subway to the bus station. As we got off the subway there was friendly lady who helped us get from the subway to the bus station. She worked for the bus station and was paid to go to the subway and surrounding area to find help people get to the station. We told her that we wanted to go climb the Great Wall out in Jing Shan Ling, and she helped us get on Bus #980, which would take us to where we needed to go.
The bus was pretty full and we had to split up and share seats with Chinese people. I sat next to a college student, who I was able to converse with and practice a little bit of my Chinese. She was heading home from nursing school to celebrate the new year with her familiy. After a little over an hour, the bus reached our stop. When the bus pulled up to our stop, I said good-bye to the college student and the three of us set out to find a taxi.
We had not even gotten off the bus when a driver yelled up and told us that he would take us to the Jing Shan Ling trail. I figure the lady at the bus station called ahead and told him that three foreigners were coming to climb the wall. He was a really nice man, and we rented his cab services for the afternoon. He drove us out to our portion of the wall, and helped us find the where the trail began. He also agreed to meet us in four hours at the parking lot of the end of our trail in Simatai.
We set out on the path, and were soon joined by three local Chinese people. The started to make small talk, and asked us if we wanted to buy any books or t-shirts from them. We politely said no, and they replied, "not now, maybe later." And continued to walk with us on the trail. They guided us to the stairs that brought us up onto the wall, and set on our journey with us.
The initial views of the Great Wall were magnificant. The wall runs for miles in each direction, and overlooks open valleys and mountains. Parts of it have been redone, to make it a little safer, and other parts are old and crumbly. Standing on it, I knew I was on a part history and I was excited for the hike that was about to come.
As we hiked, the wall continued on and on, being interupted by towers. Our hike included over 20 towers, connecting the 10km of wall. As we continued to travel, our three Chinese friends provided information about the towers and the walls. They showed places where battles might have been fought. They also showed us unique features of the wall, such the ducts where the Chinese would dowse their enemies with water mixed with wood, nails, and rocks.
These friendly people even provided support as we climbed steep portions of the wall. They were older than us, but were very strong and steady handed. I asked the man how often he climbed this trail, and he responded that he usually did it twice a day. They also were most helpful in taking pictures of the three of us over scenic spots on the wall. In addition to all of this hospitality, I enjoyed the chance to practice my Chinese conversation. It will probably be the only time I have free Chinese lesson at such a historic site.
Meanwhile we all hiked along laughing, looking at the wall, the towers, and the beauty of God's great earth. There was one opportunity were we could take a short cut across a path, in order to avoid a really steep section of the wall. However, we felt good and decided to press on with the more challenging section.
When we got to the 12th tower, our guides informed us that they had to leave. But again, before they left, they asked if we would buy any t-shirts or books from them. We were really appreciative of their help and company, so we wanted to do something to thank them. So we took a look at their books and t-shirts, and decided to buy something, or at least give them some cash for helping us. Each of the three had their own things to sell, but they had seemed to be traveling and interacting as one group. We decided to buy a book of pictures taken of the Great Wall, which cost about $20.00. But they pressured us to buy more, and now brought out post cards and smaller pictures which were cheaper. I asked them if they shared the money together, or if each of them were individual sellers.
It was at this point I realized it was all about business. The lady wearing red spoke up and said that the were all separate, and that we should buy from all of them. I said that I would be happy to if, I could have my money back and disperse it evenly and buy from all of them. She then turned to the lady in green (who had sold the book) and in Chinese specifically told her not to let me have my money back. I asked the lady in green and again and she refused. The lady in red then started to pressure me to buy from her and told me how she had kids and not a lot of money. She said that we should buy from all of them and not just one. I got very frustrated and told her that I would be happy to if I could exchange the book, but that I did not want to spend anymore money. She just continued to beg, until I said I could not buy anymore and decided to leave.
Normally, I would not have minded paying a little extra to help the people, or having to spend more money on a souveniour from a historic site, but here I felt robbed. I was upset because I was genuinely happy for their help along the way, and wanted to thank them. But they made it out to be simply business and in the process I realized that I could have gotten by much cheaper if I was smarter about it. I should have tried to negotiate or bargain right off the bat, or asked to see other things. I was silly not to have tried to negotiate or get bye cheaper. I should have known the score and been on my toes. I have been in these situations many times in my travels throughout Asia. But I trusted them, not expecting the previous hour and a half of hiking and laughs to end in this tense business situation. I felt taken for a ride.
As they turned around to go back, Michelle, Kevin, and I continued on the hike. We discussed how it was too bad the situation ended like that, and I felt a dampening of the mood. It was in this context where we approached tower #13.
We walked into the tower and as we came to the exit door, there was a sudden drop. The stairs were gone, and below us was a hill. Straight below, the ground was close to six feet from the ledge, getting steeper and steeper going down hill to the left. To the right was the path, that was nearly five feet below us, but connected to the wall.
A couple who was hiking in front of us had just passed through the tower. They showed us a couple of footholds in the wall that we might use to climb down, and then went on their way. As we appraised the situation, we all realized we were a little scared. The footholds were in positions that were difficult to reach and they were not too sturdy. It seemed like we might have to take a bit of a leap and hope to land on the solid ground. Now, I don't want to be overdramatic and tell you that I felt I was heading for my certain death...however, I could foresee a missed step resulting in a slide down the hill and the need to grab onto the surrounding trees as a slid. This no doubt would have brought some bumps, bruises and scrapes.
As we examined the situation, Kevin reminded us of the importance of prayer. We took a moment to lift it up and give it to God. Asking for His guidance and protection. What a gift we have that we can go to Him whenever we need him. His strength and His love are ever present.
After the prayer, we made a plan. Michelle and Kevin held my arms as I slid down the wall and swung myself onto the higher ground. Once I was down below, I got solid footing and helped Kevin as he came down. Michelle held his arms from the tower, and I pushed his legs, so he too could land on the higher ground. Finally, we were both down there to catch Michelle and push her toward the solid ground.
We made it, thankful to God that we done so without scrapes or injuries. We could continue on our hike. As we moved toward the next towers, I remembered my thought process over previous half an hour. Not too long ago, I had been upset and frustrated about being ripped off. Now I remembered that money wasn't all that important in the grand scheme of things. I thought of how eager God must have been to re-teach me that lesson. How silly the book, money, and tension seemed after swinging to safety on tower #13. Praise God that His love and faithfulness are always there, even when we stumble in sin.
The rest of the hike went off without a hitch. The three of us enjoyed each other's company and sang praise songs as we hiked. We stopped and had a picnic lunch on the wall. It composed of sandwhiches of left-over Beijing roasted duck, canned fruit (I had mandarin oranges), and plenty of water.
The second half of the hike included older sections of the wall that were more rocky and not redone (although still safe). At one point, we had to walk beside the wall because the top was closed off. Here, I saw just how big the wall is. I could not imagine any enemy coming and trying to actually penetrate this line of defense.
As the hike finished up, we made our down the wall and back over toward the parking lot. There our cab driver was waiting for us with a big smile on his face. He was very friendly and helped us make our way back to the bus stop, to head to Beijing. It was the end to an amazing adventure!
1 comment:
What a great story!
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