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EDITOR'S NOTE: GCI contributing editor Bruce Williams is in China attending the Golf Asia Show. This is his second dispatch from the road. Click HERE to read the previous story.
The Great Wall of China is about an hour and a half drive outside of Beijing.
There are various locations where you can view it but our group went to Badaling. This is my second visit to the Great Wall and it is just as awesome as the first time there. Hard to imagine that this structure was built thousands of years ago with nothing but manual labor. It took hundreds of years to construct and is very stable to this day. I was told that the wall separates the city of Beijing from the outside.
Our group walked up the wall about a mile and there was a significant slope in the section we viewed. Be sure to wear rubber soled shoes if you visit this attraction as the stone walkway can be smooth and you will surely need traction. There are no elevators and the only way up and down is to walk so bring plenty of water to drink. There are no benches along the way so be in good shape to go on this expedition.
Our van fit a dozen people quite nicely. I have come to learn that in China it is all about efficiency and not always about comfort. You get to know your travelling partners quite well.
Yesterday I made the decision to totally immerse myself in the culture of China and made the move from a nice four- star hotel to something in the heart of the city. The four-star hotels are often a favorite of the western tourists as they are user friendly in several ways. There are at least two TV channels in English and they do have pretty easy internet connections in every room. Dining was mostly Chinese food but there were some recognizable dishes of friendly food offerings. Signage was bi-lingual so easy to find your way around and also to check in and check out. Hotel operators were fluent in English as well.
At my new hotel I found out quickly that my two word vocabulary of Chinese was not going to suffice if I wanted to survive. All of a sudden I remembered using pantomime in my earlier years and thought that if I was creative that I would be able to get by. So far so good. Although you should see people look when I make the sound of a pig or a cow to indicate pork or beef. At least with chicken I can flap my wings and not many people notice.
A nice meal last night was followed by a walk through a very old part of town with many shops and stores. It was quite the global marketplace. I actually found a hot dog stand but had eaten so no need to test the local hot dogs but I shall remember where this location was….just in case I need a hot dog fix.
Back to the room by 9 PM and then a few hours sleep before a morning wakeup at 4 AM. We were off to Tiananmen Square to watch the official flag raising. Thousands of people gather to watch this ceremony as the sun rises. The national anthem is played and the flag is raised by an honor guard. My guess is that 98 percent of the people viewing the ceremony were Chinese and just a few of us were westerners.
In case you wonder if it is hard to get by with just a few hours sleep…..no worries. My new hotel has plenty of cold water in the shower and that can get your attention before you go out in the 30 degree Fahrenheit temperatures!
Found some friendly food for breakfast with toast and apples and some coffee instead of the normal tea serving that I have had every day. Longing for a Diet Coke but will have to settle for the real thing with sugar until I get back home.
I am reaching out to some local supts. today to inform them of the latest info regarding GCI and their new edition for China. This is creating a big buzz and surely will get broad readership. While it is preferable to communicate in Chinese, the locals have an insatiable appetite for knowledge and will get things translated to learn the latest and best techniques for maintaining their golf courses in top condition.