It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
Good things:
Words can not explain the beauty of The Great Wall of China!
-We went to a part of the wall that was very secluded and not many tourists go to, which was the absolute best way to do it! You could actually enjoy and experience the wall in a less frantic setting. We saw probably 10 or so people up there.
-Ski lift to the top
-It was surprising to me that each set of stairs were different! Some were so steep I felt like I was rock climbing, and others were skinny and small. We also walked where humans aren't supposed to which was a little dirt pathway to the very top of our section of the Wall
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Highlight: We definitely sang Mulan songs while hiking up
-We had to sit and toboggan down! The longest/fastest slide I've ever been on for sure!
The Forbidden City
Pecking Duck Dinner: They carved the duck right in front of us, and it was the best meal I had in all of China
Hidden Markets: There are tons of bargain markets in China, on little backstreets. I got a pair of Nikes for 30USD because I met these French guys in the market! You'll learn if you ever travel in Asia and see someone that looks American you automatically start talking to them. So I was chatting away and they were telling me places to go in France, and then told the owner that I was a friend and so I got a friend discount from the owner of the store (:
* I met a ridiculous amount of Australians too
Beijing Nightlife... enough said
Not so good things:
The people were loud and pushy (compared to the quiet/helpful Japanese people I encountered)
Driving was an absolute NIGHTMARE, the lines on the streets were more like guidelines to where cars could go!
Taxis
Miles, Hutch, and I get into the back seat of a cab in Beijing, because the driver wouldn't let anyone sit in the front. It was my turn to pay for the taxi and the cab cost was 30 Juan( around 5 USD) and the cab driver gives me 70 Juan, so that I would give him 100 juan. After I give him my money he starts screaming in Mandarin, and the only words the three of us (Miles, Hutch, and I) could make out were FAKE FAKE! I was so flustered, he gave me back the 100 juan and I gave him a different one. He continued to tell me every bill I gave him was fake while screaming at us! At this point I'm really flustered- starting to get frustrated- and I tried to get out of the taxi (you can see the red latches like it is unlocked) but he had LOCKED US IN. Now I'm having an anxiety attack thinking I'm about to get kidnapped again. Then Hutch starts screaming at him to let us out, while he's screaming at us in a different language that our money is fake, and Miles was trying to be level-headed with the guy and grabs my money to explain to him its real. While he does this the cab driver finally listens to my roommate and opens the doors-- still screaming. I jump out and am asking people around to help but no one will. The taxi driver grabs Miles by the shirt and Miles tells him to never touch him and he throws money and him and we get out of there fast.
Throughout the day, no taxis were accepting my money and I was really confused. I went to our hotel and asked them why no one was taking my money and they told me it was
fake! I told them that's impossible since I got the money from the ATM in the hotel and they asked if I was in any cabs that day and I told them the story.
Then they proceeded to tell me that sometimes cab drivers will switch the money that you give them for fake money. Meaning, every bill I gave him was real but he would switch it out for fake money and give me the fake money back.
I lost a good 100 USD.
We also missed our train (aka it came/left 10 min early) and they wouldn't refund us
Lost over 100 USD there too.
But you live and you learn eh?