Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
08.19 We have woken up in our wonderful beds at the Howard Johnson Paragon Hotel in Beijing, China (http://beijingparagonhotel.com). Thin clouds are visible in the sky this morning. This day that is today is missing some must-do or clear plans. It will be a day before finishing the trip tomorrow. We will stroll in some new parts of the city. It was a home victory in the ladies European Championship in football. The Netherlands have defeated Denmark 4-2.
09.10 We took the elevator down to level 5 and went to the Sunshine Atrium Cafe. We stated at the door that we wished to eat breakfast. Furthermore, we said the number of our room. The girl that had the hiccups, looked through his list and said, "No breakfast" Hick! Breakfast is not included in our room. Christer asked if we could pay and eat anyway. Were we able to pay or tell her the number of the room? "Sure, hick, it is good" was the reply. A receipt was written and signed. We are looking forward to a buffet breakfast. 09.51 Regardless of the range on what is offered on a buffet breakfast, you can't eat more than enough. The buffet had an extensive range of dishes and we are quite happy and satisfied, ready for a new day in the Beijing heat. 10.24 Today's mission will be to find things that we can need and see new parts of the city. 10.50 It still isn't possible to exchange money in the lobby. It feels strange in such a nice hotel that is located next to the main rail station where trains from Russia and Mongolia arrive. The visit in the nearby shopping mall, gave us mostly empty shops. Are they about to move in, or they have fled before an upcoming demolition? Well, who knows? The mall, Henderson Center, feel pretty ghastly.
A huge breakfast room this morning.
Peter is resting in Ritan Park.
Cold water is released through these pipes to make the air in the park more pleasant.
11.02 We left the mall and began to wander along the Jianguomen Inner Street. We also did that yesterday but then we went in a westerly direction. Today we go to the east.
11.20 We have walked the main avenue Jianguomen Outer Street and have come to a nice quiet neighbourhood with lots of embassies and large trees that give us shade. We are about to leave the district of Jianguomen and get closer to Chaoyang. 11.31 We went in through the southern gate and are now inside in the beautiful Ritan Park, also known as the temple of the Sun Park. My handwriting right now is really bad, hope I can read this later. Maybe it is all the Chinese characters I see that influence me? 12.04 We continued, after some resting on a bench, cooling down, our trekking further into the park. A walk along the "Secret Path" has taken us to a bench in the shade. We are about to read in our own detective stories and also in our guide book. The park which we are in is the Temple of the Sun with one of the five altars that were built in the city in 1530. Here the emperors sacrificed to the sun. The oldest buildings were destroyed so what we see here today are reconstructions. Here in the park there are also a few ancient trees, the oldest is a 1,100 year old cypress tree. 12.43 There have been a number of pages read in our books. We are able to treat us such peaceful beautiful moments on our summer trips when the pace is not always as intense as the on short trips. Now, we are considering the next move. What will we find around here? We should, in all cases eat lunch soon. 13.10 We left the park and ended up in the district of Chaoyang. We are moving around inside the Ritan International Trade Centre. Here we have, among other located a grocery store and a cinema. In these blocks there seem to be many Russians. There are signs in Russian, Russians on the streets and the Chinese address us in Russian around here.
A beautiful lotus flower.
The water pavilion in Ritan Park.
All cities need beautiful parks.
We leave the park and continue further into the Chaoyang district.
13.34 Today's lunch will be at the restaurant Nail. Christer will try Georgian sausages. We have seen a number of restaurants and many Russian stores in the neighbourhoods around here, but the absence of an ATM continues. Luckily, we still have enough money.
14.09 We had lunch for less than 100 yuan each, we thank you! A few playful children dancing around inside the restaurant were included in the price. The restaurant we ate at is located on a narrow backstreet which is full of restaurants with every possible cuisine. There were to mention some Chinese, Italian, Turkish, Indian, Russian and Caucasian places here. 14.40 We have walked a block to the east in a continued ATM hunt. In the mall Park View Green we have found levitating cows and actually, also an ATM. What more do you need in life? The levitating cows were, however, not real ones. 15.23 We are back in Ritan Park. We hear popping, clop, pinging and also song from the nearby pavilion. Thus, it is Chinese song and music. We have purchased various things in a store at Ritan International Hotel. We mostly bought beverages on this warm day. Today it has been +36°C in the shade. 16.20 Youssou N'dour is being interviewed on TV. We are at home in the hotel room again with our sweaty bodies. Now we await a phone call from tomorrow's tour guide. 17.07 Liquid on the inside and outside of our bodies makes the flames of life blaze strong.
Christer is walking into Ritan Park during our walk back to the hotel.
A levitating cow in Park View Green mall.
19.29 It didn't take much time before the flames faded. We are mostly lazy but we have managed to get some plans for the evening. We don't have stamina for more action. In addition, we continue to wait for that promised phone call.
20.24 We have, while waiting for the call, been drinking coffee. Soon we can't wait much longer if we want to have dinner. 20.53 We can't wait any more. All calls go through the reception. They will simply have to contact us later. 21.59 That's it; we are back from the dinner. Now we just wait for that damn call. 22.36 The phone has finally rung. In the morning at 07.10 we shall board a bus with registration number 12734 outside our hotel. We have ordered breakfast in the room at 06.00 and both Christer and I have signed the note. Will they finally understand that two persons wish to eat breakfast?
05.36 It is an early last morning. Sure, we're on-the-go tomorrow morning but then we are already on the way home. Today we are going on an interesting tour.
06.02 No one has called and asked about the number of breakfasts today. The fact is that they haven't delivered any breakfasts at all. We had ordered them to 06.00. 06.08 Now, the phone has rung. It was announced that breakfast is served at 06.30. Is that as early as it goes? Have they missed our note? In addition, I was asked if I was person two. What?, was the thought. Who is number one? I am not a number, I am a free man. I replied that we were two people. It was a little difficult to understand the man who called. 06.36 Yet no breakfast here. We had planned a quiet start to the day. 06.51 We finally had our breakfasts and they were consumed very quickly. Soon it is time to go out to the bus. 07.02 Now, we are on-site outside our hotel. We await a transport vehicle with the registration number 123734 from the company "Red sun". 07.10 Our ride came at exactly the appointed time. Sometimes they are really punctual here in China. It is a pity that it did not apply to breakfast. But we are here now so why whine? 07.17 Now we are waiting for more passengers. We are outside of a hotel in an unknown place in this enormous city. Outside the bus is a lady warming up her leg muscles. A gentleman is playing with a child in a baby walker. The man push the little up a small slope, steep and the little one then walk, roll towards the man. 07.24 Our guide has come on board. She announced just that this is just a pick up bus from our part of the city. We shall soon be split up into different buses depending on the destination.
Christer is waiting outside our hotel.
Tour buses have stopped outside the silk factory.
We learn about silk at this factory.
Caught in heavy traffic in northern Beijing.
We are going to visit the graves from the Ming dynasty.
07.34 Some room numbers, including ours, was called up in the bus. We were asked to remain seated and the uncalled would change to another bus.
07.53 Our guide, Melanie (who is probably called something else in Chinese) has summarized what's going to happen today. Now she talks about the silkworm. It lives on the leaves from the mulberry bush. At the age of 25 days, it spins a cocoon. It consists of a 1600 meter long thread. It is this thread that is used to silk. Of course, they use more than one worm and cocoon. 08.22 Now we are on a small tour of a silk factory in Beijing's northern outskirts. We are getting information on the material. It is, because it resembles human hair, recommended to wash the fabric with shampoo. 08.56 At the end of the tour we had the opportunity to buy goods in their store. Now we are back on board in the bus 12734. We got to keep track and get on board the right bus. There are a number of them parked here. 08.59 Before the tour in the factory we got to know one of today's stop will be at one of the thirteen tombs of the emperors in the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644). There is a total of sixteen emperors of the dynasty so why the thirteen tombs? The first ruled from and was buried in a different part of China. The other lost a war against his uncle, the future third emperor, and disappeared. We shall get to know later, what happened with the seventh Ming emperor. 09.17 The younger brother of the sixth emperor was asked to take over when the sixth emperor, was captured by the Mongols. After a year in captivity, the sixth emperor came back. He chose to put his brother under house arrest. Later, he had his brother murdered and buried. Since the seventh emperor had not had time to complete his imperial tomb, he was buried elsewhere. 09.45 The guide is away to arrange with the papers and tickets. Christer has been asked to carry the team's small flag. He hopes that it will not be for any length of time. We are at a place called Changling. 10.09 Melanie returned and took control over the banner. Now, we are in a temple full of artefacts from the Ming emperor. The roof is carried up by columns of sandalwood, a tree to each pillar. The ceilings are high. 10.21 More interesting information. This time it's a portal and a funeral temple. The portal is called "Portal of the dead"; it is considered bad luck to pass through it from this direction. Here's a Pixiu, a creature that symbolize money. They devour gold, money and wealth. They are supposed to be great to have at casinos, wonder if they are best for the owners or the gamblers. 10.33 The group is now up in the Minglou, the Tower of the Souls. The view is magnificent and the cicadas are playing beautifully for us. 10.58 After first brushing us and then stomp we could shout "I'm clean!" step through "the Portal of the dead" from the other side. Through this ritual, we left the negative energy behind us. Now we go on towards new goals.
We are walking around the Mingchangling area.
Melanie is guiding our little group.
We are visiting a jade factory.
Jade, a mineral typical for China.
Jade-pieces with prices more expensive than expensive.
Lunch in Chinese style. You share the different dishes and spin the table.
11.21 It has become time for a new tour. We are in a jade factory. On the way here, we have learned that a litre of diesel costs 2, 87 yuan or 45 cents.
11.35 We stop at the various craftsmen in the various phases of the manufacture of jade objects. 11.48 The tour is over. Now, it is free to go shopping. They offer heavy pieces to the hefty rates. I can't afford to buy any of the items here. I have made it without jade objects until now and it should probably work without them in the future as well. The nice man that works here is trying to convince us what great discounts he offers. He speaks enough truth, but also with a discount, the jade is very expensive. 11.57 Our little company has sat down at a round table with a spinning disc on top. It is time for lunch at the Chinese way where you share a number of dishes together. In addition to the two of us, the company consists of a couple from Milan in Italy, another couple from Canada and a French family from Paris, consisting of father, mother and a teenage daughter who is studying here in China. 12.35 There was a lot of tasty food to pick from the spinning disc. Now we are on the road again in our bus. 12.56 We have received information that we will go with the funicular railway up to the Great Wall of China. One in our group dare not, because of the height, to go with it. Another one just tried to pay with a fake 100 yuan note. It was claimed that the note come from an ATM. The person wondered why the ATM gave a fake note to a tourist. How did the ATM that it was a tourist? Some in the party have been convinced by Melanie not to climb up to the wall. You´ve got mountains at home, she said. Climb them instead. The funicular goes faster and smoother. Do not throw away the time by climbing. 13.30 We arrived in Badaling. We are waiting on the funicular tickets. Soon it will be a wall view. 13.39 We will soon be off with the funicular. The fact is that it started now. 13.50 Soon we were up just below a piece of the wall. Talk about the VIP version of the journey to the Great Wall. The funicular is apparently just newly built. 14.18 We are now up on the wall. We look out and we see how it runs over the mountains and through the forests. The wall is great, but can't be seen from the moon. This claim is based on an idea in a book. Everything was written before we reached the moon. However, we can see the moon from the Great Wall. This is the fifth of the world's seven new wonders that we see on our travels. Think about the difference between the Great Wall of China and the Great Wall of china.
Peter is waiting in front of the funicular ticket office.
It is not far from the top of the funicular to the wall itself here in Badaling.
Beautiful views in Badaling.
Now we are finally standing on the Great Wall.
The Great Wall of China is a magnificent achievement. It crawls like a snake through the landscape.
Peter on the Great Wall.
14.37 We had hardly sat down for a minor rest in the shade as first came a Chinese guy and wondered if he could do a survey. I said it was fine. He wondered about my country of origin, how old I was and what I thought about the wall. It all ended with a photo that his friend took and a selfie with the guy and me. Later a tourist girl asked which direction she should go.
14.52 It's soon time to return to the funicular. I am really impressed by this mighty edifice. 15.25 Soon the whole gang is once again gathered at the starting point. Our journey home is about to begin. For our part, it will be just the first step in the long journey home. 16.34 We are back in the Chinese capital's traffic. We and the couple from Milan have changed bus, all to ease the transport. It is a lengthy process to transport all the tourists to different parts of Beijing. 17.24 During the journey through the city, we have seen two of the stadiums from the 2008 Olympics. Now is it just those from Milan and us left in this vehicle. 18.07 We have come home, nice. It took a long time because the two of us and the driver were stuck in traffic for a good while. We were the last two that got off. We booked an airport taxi to 02.30 in the night before we took the elevator up to our floor 18.59 It is time for the last dinner. It will be a Eurasian combo, spaghetti and Chinese red wine, Great Wall Red Wine. 20.02 All the good ended with coffee. Now we have eaten for around 1340 yuan each during our time here. That means 3 dinners and 4 breakfasts each. Next we will have everything packed.
Christer´s neck and Peter´s foot.
Two Chinese boys appeared and made a quick interview with Peter.
We saw Beijing National Aquatics Center where the swimming competitions at the Olympics 2008 were held.
20.43 We went down to the lobby to pay for all of our meals here during our stay. These are the dinners we have eaten at the hotel restaurants and the breakfasts brought to our room. In addition is the buffet breakfast yesterday morning. According to the young lady at the reception, we had no liabilities. Instead she talked about the prices and showed us a few gift cards we could buy. After trying to explain the same thing time and time again without success, we gave up everything before I would go berserk and strangle her. The plan is now that we will return in a moment with a translation on the mobile phone.
21.13 We quickly realised that Google Translate does not work here in China. We instead did a new attempt to pay. Now it went better, because a male employee showed up and assisted. 1490 yuan or around US$220 was paid for the 3x2 room breakfasts, 3x2 dinners and 1x2 buffet breakfasts. Clearly affordable for 14 meals. 21.35 In the absence of things to do, we shall now have a few hours of rest. We will need all the energy we can gather before the long journey home.
01.37 The short sleep/rest is over. Now we and the things we own and what we are supposed to give to others is prepared for the final part of this long journey.
01.47 After some food and drink, we will wait for our ordered taxi. It is many summers since we have been going with so few taxis as this summer. 02.21 All that remains now is to leave our room, number 720, and head out into the Chinese summer night. 02.30 Now we are leaving in the taxi. 02.52 It went smooth to get to the airport and cost just less than 100 Yuan. It is fascinating to see how many cars and how much people are on the move in the middle of the night here. 03.05 Now we are in the queue to check in here at the Beijing Capital International Airport. 03.48 My backpack set off a flashing yellow alarm in the security control after the check in. We got to enter behind the check-in counter. Security had discovered my Powerbank. It may not be in the baggage. I have just placed it in my small backpack.
Early morning (or late night) it is time to leave our room.
Night flight with Aeroflot.
04.35 There was a long queue and waiting time at the passport police. Afterwards it was time for more security. It squeaked when I passed the metal detector. A young lady glided over my body with the hand held detector. It came out blank. Then I picked up my little backpack I was asked to open it and pick out my Powerbank. It is a no, no in your hand luggage. I explained that I have just been asked to move it there. It was put in a box and was x-rayed again. OK for this time, was said. Where is the proper place to have it?
04.52 Time for yet another meal. Everything was bought in a cafeteria here. This will be the last meal in China. 05.27 It went quick to get on board the aircraft from Aeroflot. Now we are sitting in the middle row. It is a bit warm in the cabin. 06.01 We just got notification that we will be delayed. In fact, we should already have taken off. The positive is that they switched on the AC in the plane. 06.35 Finally, we have air under the wings. This delay reduces the waiting time in Moscow. This is, as always, both good and bad news. CHANGING TIME ZONE 07.30 I have switched to Moscow time. Over the past six hours we have been flying at an altitude of 38 000 feet. We have been served chicken, rice and vegetables. We have been sleeping and were just served snacks, a pastry with something green and something deep fried or how it was prepared. Right now, we are back in Europe or in all cases in European airspace.RUSSIA
08.59 The landing gears had barely touched the runway at Sheremetyovo airport in Moscow before people began bring down their possessions from the luggage racks. Why this panic? This behaviour, we have seen many times before and it is still just as difficult to understand. Last time we were at this airport was in the spring of 2007 when we involuntarily was forced to fly via Moscow on our trip to and from the city of Baku, Azerbaijan.
09.54 We are now, after a change of terminal and gate for both of us, as well as visual aids for Christer (glasses to the lenses), awaiting to board the plane that will take us to Sweden.
Christer is waiting in the shadow at Sheremetyovo airport in Moscow.
We are flying again.
10.26 We are on board yet another Aeroflot aircraft.
10.32 As usual on the seat in front of us we can read about the safety belt and the life vest. This time it is in Russian. CHANGING TIME ZONE 11.33 Home time, Swedish time, from now on. It certainly wasn't yesterday. It gets a bit confusing with all the adjustments of watches. A carpet of sun illuminated clouds is visible below us. Arlanda is getting closer and closer. My train to the north will depart in about five hours. First we'll land and hopefully get our backpacks.SWEDEN
11.55 We have landed at Arlanda airport. Now we just have to get our hand luggage and ourselves out of the plane.
13.15 We have made it through a cluttered passport control and a smooth backpack pick from the luggage conveyor belt. Now the last hours of this trip will be planned. 13.42 We are seated at the traditional "Christmas tree bench", where journeys often begin and end. It is, however, no Christmas trees here now due to easily explained reasons. Christer is looking for some temporary belly filling at the kiosk Pressbyrån. His train departs in an hour. It is three hours until my train leaves. 14.05 It went well for both of us to purchase drinks and sandwiches. Both got a bag to carry everything in as well as were asked to think about reuse and then recycle the bag. Certainly we thought so, but did we do it? This is apparently a new policy introduced over the time that we have been out and travelled. 14.50 Christer is now on his way to Sundsvall. The reason why I'm not on board is that the train does not continue further to the north after reaching Sundsvall. 15.35 Now it is soon in the middle between Christer's and my departure. I have traditionally dined at Alfredo's and also had a double espresso at Starbucks. 17.06 Now, everything ends of course, with yet another train journey. This summer we have travelled by train in seven different countries. It is some years since we last travelled on the rails in so many countries. We have travelled in Latvia and Estonia, continued with ferry to Finland. Then we have made it from Helsinki to Beijing. But now all is coming to an end of. In the morning it will be normal life for me. I will be vack at my job working. Thank you for reading about this trip.
This trip ends here. Soon we will go with two different trains from Arlanda airport.
You can see 21 photos from August 7 in this photoalbum.
You can see 100 photos from August 8 in this photoalbum.
You can see 8 photos from August 9 in this photoalbum.