Travel: A tale of two Beijing stopovers

 BEIJING-When I found a cheap flight online to Taiwan, I realized the airlines usually pass the savings on to you with a long 24-hour stopover In the Chinese mainland capital on each leg. I decided to make the best of it. The Great Wall and the Forbidden City were the two attractions at the top my list.

 On the way in, I decided to focus on seeing the Great Wall of China. I arrived at 1 p.m. when I had my best opportunity to see it, especially in the winter when the sun sets around 5 p.m.. Because I was arriving on a red eye flight in freezing temperatures, I knew my decision-making process would suffer on the ground, so I booked a private driver recommended by my hotel.

 My intuition paid off. There was a long delay in immigration as is common in China, and Chen, the driver, who was waiting with my name on a sign started to rush me as soon as I waved. I suggested a coffee before we started. He declined, saying, “There is no time!” We jumped in his car, and as an American who has watched too many Fast & Furious movies, I suggested that we speed there if we were in that much of a rush. He reminded me that we were in China with cameras everywhere.

 The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall was a little over an hour’s drive from the airport. That section was rebuilt by the Ming Dynasty and includes several watch towers over a dramatic mountainous landscape. The tickets I purchased beforehand included a shuttle and cable car to reach the wall much faster than a hike up. My driver offered to join me to help me navigate the shops, get to the shuttle faster and provide insight.

 We found a long-awaited coffee to go, and now we were in business. He provided a short history and told me of the number of prominent Americans who visited this section, from former President Bill Clinton to Mike Tyson. It was originally built between 500 to 570 AD by the Northern Qi Dynasty and then rebuilt by the Ming Dynasty in 1404. The wall is made of bluish-gray granite that is about 26 ft high and 16 ft wide. The wall served as a defensive barrier for the Imperial Capital against invasions by northern nomadic tribes.

 After walking together for a stretch, he gave me about 40 minutes before sunset to walk the wall on my own. I headed for the highest point to get a better perspective. The steep climb was worth it. I started to appreciate the extent of the man-made effort required to create one of the Seven Wonders of the World. I was also struck by how empty the place was -- I only saw three other small groups of visitors.

 I met up with my driver again for one last sunset photo, and we were off to the airport Hilton that I booked -- relatively inexpensive but listed as a five-star property. I began to really appreciate my driver until he offered to take me to a Beijing Tea Ceremony (or, in Moroccan terms, “his uncle has a carpet shop”). I politely refused. The hotel offered a decent Chinese restaurant where I enjoyed the Peking Duck before an early flight the next day.

 On the way back, my goal was to see the Forbidden City. The name refers to its historic strict access punishable by death during Imperial China. The Imperial Palace was the residence of 24 Ming and Qing Emperors, and the center of power in China from 1420 to 1924. The Palace became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987 and is now managed by the Palace Museum. The site covers 178 acres and has almost 9,000 rooms.

  I stayed Downtown at another five-star property for a relatively cheap price. The Chinese hotel owner was from Macao and built an unbelievable property. The rooms on each floor opened to a large atrium which created an incredible interior space. A cab from the airport was relatively cheap and was actually faster than the metro.

 That night, the concierge suggested a walk to the old part of the city, Lotus Market Marina, with a detour down Luogo Lane, a food street. Thinking a 40-minute walk in the below-freezing temperature would be a good way to get to know the city, I was reminded of how bland China can be.

 On Luogo Lane, I found a Beijing beef pie, a savory panfried dough pie filled with seasoned beef. I felt better. The Mariana was crowded with people, shops, restaurants, and groups of trees that surrounded the lake with lights that would change colors in unison reminding me of the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony. On the way back, I decided to try the metro. After three one-stop train changes and a helpful metro attendant who didn’t speak English, I was at my hotel.

 Early next day I headed out. The Forbidden City was a 20-minute walk from my hotel. Booking my tickets in advance was key to saving time. At the gate, I just had to scan my passport, and I was in. My favorite parts were the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Imperial Gardens and several unique male and female lion statues. A few hours was not enough time to see everything at this massive property, and before I knew it, I was already racing back to the airport again.

 In the end, I got my money’s worth and made the most out of the stopovers. I am often left with mixed feelings about China.

 As a traveler, I really enjoy the differences from Western culture and the lack of English speakers. Also, I have not yet been blown away by the food or the hospitality.

 I will continue to keep an open mind. There are several other places I would like to visit in mainland China.