Postcards from the edge 2

Movie sequels have a tendency to suck big time, every body knows that. While this is not a movie, I hope you'll still find this as interesting as the previous photographic account of my China adventure. As sequels go, may nadagdag sa cast: Pipi went with me on this journey. May cameo appearance pa ng kanyang jowa, na ang hirap i-pronounce ng name so we'll just refer to her as pipi's GF.

This was taken at the entrance to the great wall at Mutianyu. We decided to go to this part of the great wall, which is not as famous as the one in Badaling. We heard that although there are cable cars in Badaling, it has been commercialized so much that it is difficult to enjoy the sights. So here we went, less popular among tourists (although there were plenty of them also). Ang hirap ng anti-social!

Two views of the challenging climb that is the great wall. There is an inclined walk-way, and then there are the stairs that rival the steepness of Angkor Wat's stairs. Mas malaki nga lang ng kaunti ang baitang dito. Kung inakyat ko ba ito? Hindi rin! I told Pipi, "I can climb these stairs but I will have to be brought down on a gurney!" I still remember when I first climbed the stairs at Oudong mountain & Angkor Wat in Cambodia kaya pinairal ko na lang ang zoom ng aking camera.

One more view of the great wall. They say that the climb to the first outpost and back takes almost an hour. And I took their word dahil hindi ko naman pinangarap i-prove or i-refute yun, noh? Saka, pag nadapa at nahulog ako doon, I'm sure hindi naman nila ako dadamayan lalo na at nagtatalbog ako sa steps. Baka mamatay sila sa kakatawa. kung hindi man, papatayin ko sila pag pinagtawanan nila ako!

Dahil hindi kami nag-climb every mountain ni Pipi, we decided to explore the buildings on the foot of the mountain. Bear in mind that this was really a military installation, kaya may fort, may barracks, and all that. This was taken in the fort, which was where the conscripts were trained. In fact, the characters on this marble marker says that, "Whoever stands by this marker is now a REAL MAN." Nung nalaman ko ito, siyempre dali-dali akong tumayo sa tabi nito at nagpa-picture. So ngayon, puwede ko nang ipagsigawan na ako ay isang TUNAY NA LALAKI! Ahahahahahahaha (laughter a la Elvira Manahan)!!!

I also realized na tutoo pala ang korte ng mga bundok na nakikita ko dati sa mga Chinese brush paintings! Akala ko e, pardon the pun, drowing lang yun. Ganun nga pala ang shape nila! Evidence po ito.

This is Changli, apparently the most preserved of the 13 Ming Tombs. Why Ming tombs? Mahilig ba sila sa pusa? Ang corny ko! Of the 16 emperors during the Ming dynasty, 13 were buried in the same area that is surrounded by 3 mountains. Of the 13, 3 are open to tourists so we went to Changli dahil nga it's the most preserved so mas marami makikita.

In Changli, there is a great sacrificial hall called… walang tatawa! Hall of Eminent Favours! Ang saya ng name, di ba? Like the temple of Heaven, this hall boasts of a wooden structure na hindi pinakuan. The roof is supported by 32 giant wooden pillars each carved from a single tree. You can see one of the pillars on the right hand of this photo. 3-4 people ang yayakap dun sa pillar. Pero ang punch-line, hindi raw nakabaon yung pillars sa sahig ng hall, na gawa din sa kahoy. Parang gusto kong sumigaw ng, "Talaga?!" tapos ay sipain yung pillar kung ano ang mangyayari. Kaya lang sabi ni Pipi pangit daw ang mga jails sa China, kaya quiet na lang ako. Yung mama na nakaupo sa gitna ay si Emperor Yongle, one of the better emprerors ng China. Tomb niya itong Changli. Mabait daw siya sa mga tao and he reformed the feudal social structure chuva. Kaya pala maiksi reign niya (halos 21 years lang). Hehehe!

This is the way out of the Changli tomb. Di ba ang kapal ng wall? Naaliw din ako actually sa pic na ito kasi para bang sumakabilang-buhay ang dating nung mga naglalakad. La lang!

This is where the cocoons of the silkworm are processed. Kuha ito sa isang silk factory. This is also where I said goodbye to around $300.00 when I bought a couple of silk comforters with silk covers (for my mother). Pag talaga maganda, mahal! Hu-hu-hu!!!

Scenes sa downtown Beijing. Further proof na size queens talaga ang mga Chinese! Hehehe! Kaloka ang design nitong building on the left photo. Look closely and find out why!

I don't know about you but before I went to China, I imagined seeing loads and loads of bicycles on the streets. Pero hindi po ito nangyari kasi on the main thoroughfares, hindi na daw masyadong allowed ang bicycles and their version of the pedicab. But in the older parts (includes residential areas) of the city, the bike remains ubiquitous. Eto ang proof: bicycle lanes!

On my last night in Beijing, Pipi and his GF took me shopping. We went to both upscale and mass-oriented markets where I (tried to) buy gifts to bring back to Cambodia. I went there confident of my bargaining skills but when I heard this girl haggle, talbog ako! Puwedeng ituro sa college ang kanyang bargaining skills, sa true lang! Ako yung nanliliit sa kanyang pagtawad! Ching! Buti na lang isinama siya ni Pipi, nakatipid ako ng ilang dolyares. Kaya ko rin sya ikinikuwento sa inyo ngayon! 

Oki? Oki!