Follow the Way of Mao!

Yesterday a friend and I "followed the way of Mao Zedong"** all the way up the Chinese Wall at Mutianyu. In a lapse of sanity, we decided it was a good idea to train for our half Great Wall Marathon (coming up in three weeks) by running (read: walking) all the way up the steps to the Wall, then on the Wall for another two kilometers or so, and back.

 

(And friends in Holland or America or anywhere else relatively flat, if you think: "That's easy, I can run five kilometers," I invite you to come to Beijing and run five kilometers on the Wall with me. The whole thing--maybe six or so kilometers; my phone said 8.01km but the GPS gets confused on the steps--ended up taking us 1 hour and 50 minutes (including some time spent negotiating with the guy who wanted to sell us his 3 Yuan bottle of water for five times that price).

 

Here is a stellar picture of me, at the ticket window. It's hard to see, but the text above the window says "Slide the ticket," meaning you could perhaps "Slide your ticket" or buy "Tickets for the slide" that brings you back down from the Wall. I am not sure.

 

About an hour after ticket purchase we reach our end point. The Wall turns into a big bush... no more running. (Phew!) (OK, there was no time to take pictures on the way up!)

 

Celebrating the good work! - You might notice that summer has arrived in the Jing!

 

If we had brought a red ribbon, we could have tied it to this tree to show success. The kids are all school children, identified by their blue and white uniforms. (They actually looked remarkably fresh considering they just made the same climb we did.)

 

Great view over the Mutianyu valley. Beijing is somewhere far in the distance.

 

What goes up ...

 

... must come down.

 

Coming down to a watch tower. Better not to be afraid of heights, stairs, or people.

 

**Why "the way of Mao Zedong" you wonder? Well...all the way running up, that was our goal: four gigantic Chinese characters painted on the side of a rock saying "follow the way of Mao"! So we did...except, when we got there, in our euphoric state, we forgot to take a picture! I'll leave that for next time...when you, my precious reader, are coming to Beijing to run this track with me!

 

In het Nederlands: Gegroet familie! Het was natuurlijk een lange radio (Internet) stilte, maar dan hier toch maar een keer weer een nieuw bericht. Gisteren heb ik met een vriendin een flink stuk gelopen- geklommen-gerend om onze arme benen voor te bereiden op de halve marathon over de Chinese muur die we over drie weken gaan rennen. Het is prachtig weer hier opeens. Je kan op de foto's zien dat de zomer is losgebarsten.

Blue Sky Morning Run

Hello dear reader,

 

As I am sitting cozy inside with my laptop, outside the pollution particles are quickly stacking up again. Simon was supposed to have a soccer tournament today, but it was cancelled because of the 375 "hazardous" pollution level.

 

 

As you can see in the photo, our local grocery shop sells masks at the check-out counter, along with condoms and some drinks. I guess that's all you need in a rush, really!

 

 
So with this dreary, gloomy weather outside, it is about time I post some fun pictures from a recent run. It was a beautiful Thursday morning last week, three days before the Beijing marathon. So I decided to stretch my legs and go for an easy run.
 

 
This is just at the edge of our "foreigner neighborhood." The building on the right is actually from a golf court. Some people play there, others just pass it on their run :)
 

 
After the golf court, I usually run through a small orchard. Well, I don't really see the orchard, but I run through this little group of buildings where the farmers live. I guess the tea is almost ready!
 

 
Just out of the little farmer's compound, my journey continues past a more secretive complex of buildings and parks. I am not allowed in the park, and armed guards are standing at the gates. This giant lion probably knows more, but he is not telling me. Rumor has it that family members of some high-ranked party officials of China's Communist Party live here. Great for them to live so close to me!
 

 
I follow the lion's gaze and run out towards the big road. (The road through the farm field was kind of a short cut to go to this big street behind my neighborhood.) Ooh, look out, a school is coming up. It's Simon and Thomas' school. It's great to run while they are busy building their brains!

 

 
Some guys at work in the middle of my running trail. After I pass the school and a couple of shops, I turn right to zip past a little shopping malls. I think the flags are for Halloween. (They might also still be from last year's Easter.)

 
Basically I am still running in a big square around my own house. On the picture on the left, you see the view as you gaze back across a still empty field towards my own "villa" neighborhood. The field is empty, but for how long? Things change here overnight. I could come here tomorrow and it might be a five-story apartment building. There are also always funny cars parked everywhere. It looks like a greenhouse, but I think this contraption is to shuttle people and materials, not plants.
 

 
Did I mention it was a blue sky day?!? Wow. One good thing about all this pollution is that you absolutely learn to treasure a blue sky.

 

I turn right, along with this public bus. Still running in that square around my house.

 
But here things get exciting! I leave the big old square and turn left into this little village called Maquanying. Nice little gate to remind the innocent pedestrian where he is going.
 

 
I skip the bathroom stop and run a couple meters into this street. Oh well, I might as well tell you, I am having so much fun taking pictures that there's not much running going on anymore. But I do take little runs between the shots.

 
From the main street I turn left into a little alley. And this is where time starts to stand still and I just love being in China. 
 

 
So many colors and things to see!
 

 
Notice the mop on the right--one thing I actually don't understand about China is why there always have to be so many cleaning products out on the street. I don't want to be nasty, but China is not a squeaky-clean kind of place, so what on earth is everyone doing with all these mops and brooms everywhere all the time?
 

 
A village still-life.

 
I thought that the color of the door was so awesome, I had to take a selfie. The door's clearly up for some new paint, but Europeans like it that way, nice and rustic.

  

 

 

 
I think at this point I am getting lost in all the streets. The desk chair is a clear marker though -- if I see it again, I know I have gone full circle.
 

Oh, we're here!
 

 



 
Left at the shoes...
 

 

 
And right after the cute kids...

 

OK, now I am getting obsessed with laundry.
 

 
In addition to the cleaning products.

 

 

 
Just missed a wedding: The character on the right is the sign for double happiness. It's the Chinese character xi (喜), but double, so it's double-happiness for the married couple. For a divorce, you only need scissors.
 

Call me maybe?
 

 
Eventually I do find my way out of the maze and pop out onto the street (the one with the public bathroom in the beginning). I check out some clothing and then turn right, to head back home.

 
Some restaurants. The bottle of soy sauce (or is it vinegar?) reminds me of a funny story. Internet groups in China often use the phrase "I was just buying some soy sauce" to basically say "no comment," or "it doesn't concern me." The phrase comes from an interview with people on the street about some scandal, when one man commented "This has nothing to do with me, I was just buying some soy sauce!" The phrase went viral and now is used a lot in online forums.
 

It's hard to imagine, but just next to the little shopping street is this field of corn. I had never even seen it before myself, so you are getting first dips!
 

 

Would you like some egg on your jian bing?
 

 
Big smiles from the shoe lady, who has her shop just outside the big supermarket.
 

I admit it is an obsession. (But really, at the bus stop?)
 

 
Yi weihai zuguo wei chi, which I think means that if you harm your homeland (zuguo), you are in disgrace. Can't exactly understand what the guys on the right are doing, but it looks bad. The Chinese Mr. Bean on the left appears to be meditating. That, or he has a stomach ache. Luckily the other piece of street art (photo on the right) shows a more manageable objective: a yoga tree pose.

 
After my quick education on the vice and virtues of disgracing myself and hurting the homeland, I run (step) out onto the main road behind my neighborhood: good old Xiangjiang beilu, which means something like the "sweet-smelling river street (north)." I don't think they got that name from the little canal on the left.
 

 
No bus or bike for me today.
 

 
Lions bigger than the forbidden city watch me from across the street.
 

 
Back in my street...and home sweet home!
 

 
It was a lovely run. My own little lion peers out of his polluted eyes.

 
Speaking of pollution... hhm, even on my blue sky day the pollution index was 100, or "moderate." In other places that is cause for alarm, but we call it a good day. Oh well-- did you enjoy the run from the comfort of your own chair and while inhaling clean air?
 

In het Nederlands: Een uurtje rennen (maar vooral lopen) door de buurt. Het was een prachtige dag, al bleek het bij thuiskomst toch niet zo'n heeeel zuivere lucht te zijn.