GWoC - 27.10.15 Karaoke Kings

Tuesday 27 October 2015

My alarm went off at 06:30 and I had passed a great night of sleep. We got ready and I took my main bag as well as my day sack to breakfast about 07:15. 

I ate hot pancakes and banana: yum! This and the porridge were my favourite breakfasts of the trip.

Us outside the hotel restaurant ready for the off.

We dropped our main bags to the bus and set off walking up to the wall. Today the plan was to walk a section of wall containing 22 towers. It was really cold when we set off about 8ish and there was still a frost on the ground following the clear moonlit night. Some of the group just joined us for the first part of the walk because it was quite tough going with mega steep slopes and deep steps.

The weather was glorious sunshine and clear blue skies with no clouds. We started at Shalingkou Tower and then came off the wall 22 towers later.

Local guides who walked with us for the day 

We were joined today by 3 local ladies who tried to help us up the big steps, whether we wanted help or not! They walked among us with backpacks full of souvenirs or ‘Tourist Crap’ as Alan calls it! One lady walked with us most of the time and gave us information about the history of parts of the wall. 

Sarah proving that she can be thrown out of a coffee shop absolutely anywhere! 

On the top of one of the towers there were some locals selling coffee and other drinks. I managed to buy my first Chinese bottle of Coke Zero! The group set off to continue the walk and, as Sarah and I weren’t quite ready, we were the only ones left. Sarah had a little bit of coffee left in her cup and as she was adjusting her rucksack, the coffee seller lady came over and picked up Sarah’s cup and pointed at the doorway, telling us to go! 

Our fabulous guide, Alan.

 There were some pretty steep steps to climb up today!

And equally as steep steps down.

Alan showing that he's pretty supple!

Our walking buddy selfie today: Sarah, me and Alan

A group of Chinese teenagers passed us, all wearing bright orange outfits and waving flags while shouting to each other over the sides of the wall. As we walked along today it was the Mongolian side on the left and Chinese side on the right.

I had brought pancakes and a banana with me for my lunch, which I ate just before leaving the wall. The pancakes were small, just like Scotch pancakes and were delicious.

When we got to the end of the walk, as we were eating our lunch, the local ladies offered us souvenirs to buy. As she had been so charming with her very good English, I bought a fridge magnet from the lady who had walked with us. 

We walked down to the bus and at the bottom there was a big building with people selling drinks and an icecream freezer. I took the opportunity to collect a few people’s 'Challenge Dean' facts and ate a chocolate Magnum icecream. When in China!

We assumed our usual seats on the bus and set off about 13:00 in the direction of Beijing. We had to go through a Police check point to enter the province of Beijing so there was a bottleneck of traffic. As we were sitting in this we could see drivers getting out and having a wee the other side of the barrier!

It was a very quiet coach ride to the hotel with most people taking the opportunity to have a doze. Sarah sang a couple of songs including ‘Sister Josephine’ but the group weren’t up for a sing song! As we neared Beijing, the fields gave way to high rise buildings and motorways.

We arrived at the hotel about 16:00 and checked in. We were sharing a room with Bev and Kate, in a 5 Bedroom, 2 floor suite. The hotel was huge. Sarah and I were sleeping on a mezzanine floor up a flight of stairs from Bev and Kate. 

We had a couple of hours before dinner so we explored a bit and discovered a sports hall next to our room corridor with two ping pong tables and a badminton court. I played Dean at both and he beat me (just!) about 50 - 42 at badminton. I wasn't going to give up! We stopped about 18:00 to prepare for dinner.

We all met in the lobby before dinner and waited until about 19:00 before going into the restaurant. While we were waiting, 3 Chinese ladies pestered me and others to have photos with them.

The bar in the hotel restaurant

We ate dinner and it was delicious; much spicier than we’d had so far on the trip. Alan brought in some 100 year old eggs to try, which I didn’t fancy. 

As it was Di’s birthday, a large cake had been arranged and Alan and Dean wheeled it out from the Kitchen about 20:00 and we all sang ‘Happy Birthday’. The cake was just as elaborately decorated as that yesterday, but was just one tier rather than two. I had some of the fruit and cream: yum! Some of the group ordered a bottle of red wine to share but they said it tasted horrible so they named it ‘wine-beaner’.

Christmas tinsel: a novel way to disguise ugly pipes in the hotel corridor!

About 21:00 half of the group went back to their rooms and the rest wanted to try the karaoke room. So we paid 300YN split between 12 of us and a teenage member of staff, who sulkily avoided all eye contact while going up to the karaoke room, set it up for us. When Alan told me there were ‘some’ songs in English, I didn’t think he meant only about six! 

Becky on the mike

Shaun did it "My way ..."

I watched Becky and Shaun kick the backside out of a few songs and then, about 22:30, went back to our room as I was pretty tired. I left Sarah in the karaoke room at the control screen desperately trying to find more songs in English. Bev and Kate were both fast asleep when I crept in.