Great Wall of China on one leg…? Yeah, I did that!

One of the biggest highlights during my time in Beijing was seeing the Great Wall. Obviously I couldn’t experience this like I would have if I’d have had the ability to walk properly but I made it there and I experienced it in my own little way. 

I went to the Mutyianyu section of the wall which is about 70km north of Beijing and it took about an hour and a half to get there. This area was recommended to me because it has cable cars and chair lifts there which I obviously needed so that was a great help. After I got off the lift at the sixth level, I walked, or hobbled, for about two hours in total. It was really difficult due to the amount of steps I had to climb and the unevenness of the path but being there was great and the views were amazing. Unfortunately the weather was rubbish- it was dull and foggy so the pictures didn’t turn out too great.

  

While I was walking I got a lot of looks and stares as you’d imagine. I’d probably look in disbelief at someone trying to tackle the Great Wall with a crutch and a cast too. I got lots of supportive, “WOW! Well done! You’re braver than me!” type comments from people which was lovely but at one point I overheard a girl that passed me saying, “Oh that sucks! She must be crazy!” Afterwards I thought, ‘maybe I am crazy for doing this!’ And that’s how a lot of people would view it. But then I realised it’s not crazy it’s just a testament to my character and the fact that nothing will EVER defeat me!! Sometimes I’m stronger than I realise I am. So I’m proud of myself for this achievement.

    

40,000won to enter China?! Pfft, they should be paying people to visit! Not charging them!

This year for Chuseok (Korea’s national Thanksgiving Day and what usually equates to an additional three days off school) I decided to go Beijing. Again, this was yet another trip that was planned, booked and paid for before I had the accident so not wanting to a) lose any more money and b) ruin any more of my plans, I decided to go ahead with it despite the injury. And after all, I managed to get around Thailand OK(ish) so two weeks on, I thought I’d be fine in Beijing.

Forbidden City

Tiananmen Square

Well, little did I know then that Beijing is THE MOST DIFFICULT CITY in the whole world! And I’m not entirely sure how I got through my five days there without killing somebody… or myself for that matter! Seriously.

Some of the things that made my time there difficult and/or annoying…

1. Nobody speaks English.

2. None of the signs are in English.

3. No western toilets. ANYWHERE. In normal circumstances this would be difficult and annoying. On one leg- impossible.

3. Food that makes you ill. Eugh.

4. Zero pharmacies. Well none that I could find anyway.

5. No lifts at the subway stations.

6. Having to put your bag through security every time you use the subway.

7. Not being able to cross the road anywhere due to the ridiculous fences that enclose every pavement meaning you have to walk to the nearest underpass (with said missing lifts so down and up the stairs which I couldn’t do AND with said missing English signs so down, up, down, up and down and up AGAIN) just to get to the other side of the road and end up where you want to be!!! Argh!

8. The rudest people I have EVER come across in my entire life. Fact.

Doesn’t it sound like I had a wonderful time?!?! I realise that the injury made it so much more difficult that it would have been without that hindrance and it’s a shame because it’s given me a not so great impression of China that would probably have been different given better circumstances.

However, having said that, after the nightmare that was the first two days, things gradually got better (I think I just got used to things being difficult and learned to make the most of it in the end!) and I actually managed to enjoy myself for the last three days and have some good experiences.

Gorgeous sleeping panda at Beijing Zoo

Could have stayed there and watched all day :)

Beautiful Weeping Willows 

Summer Palace

Rickshaw ride around the Hutongs

Peking Duck

Temple of Heaven

Stupid security checking system that you have to put your bag through every time you use the subway

Deliciousness in a bowl

Business Class upgrade! Oh, yes!

Beijing goodies

Favourite things in the world overload!

Needless to say though, I was extremely happy and relieved to get back to Korea after the five days were up. And although I have never felt that way about a trip before (usually I find myself wanting to stay, wherever it is that I have been, forever) it’s actually quite nice to have that kind of experience. China made me SO thankful to be from England and SO thankful to be currently living in Korea. And it’s nice to have experiences that make you thankful and appreciative of what you’ve already got instead of always wanting something better. So thanks China. We had our differences but you certainly taught me something.     

Korean Wedding

The morning I arrived back in Korea after two weeks in Thailand was a bit of a stressful one to say the least. It was the same day as my co-teacher’s wedding and after landing at the airport I had only a couple of hours to get across Seoul back to my place and back out to get to the wedding venue in time.

It was my first experience of a Korean wedding and I found out quickly how different they are to Western weddings.

Firstly, the bride and bridegroom can see each other before the wedding ceremony begins; it isn’t considered bad luck here. So before the ceremony, the bride sits in a special room having loads of photos taken but the groom is right there too and he can see her! That was very different.

The next huge difference was the speed of the wedding. Korean weddings are SO fast and they’re over in the blink of an eyelid. Within two hours the whole thing was finished and I was back on the subway home!

The third major difference and probably the most apparent was the reception. Western receptions are probably the best part of the day because it’s much more relaxed and it’s when the bride and bridegroom finally get to enjoy their day together. But at a Korean wedding it’s a different story entirely! While the photos are being taken after the ceremony, some people choose not to watch and instead, to my surprise, go straight ahead, before the married couple, hand in their ‘meal coupon’ and begin eating. I wanted to watch the photos being taken, which I did, but I still ended up going to the reception hall and eating before the bridal party because they had the second part of the wedding to get underway before they could eat.

The second service is the traditional Korean wedding and this part was just for the family. The bride and groom and both sets of parents wear hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) and this service is very different to the first ‘Westernised’ ceremony but I can’t comment too much as I didn’t see this part.

Just as the bride and groom arrived at the reception hall our table had finished eating and we were being moved out so the next wedding party could come in. So I didn’t even see them sitting down and eating together. And unfortunately there were no speeches. It wouldn’t have worked as people were coming in and out all the time.    

Despite all the difference there were some similarities like the dress, the bride’s walk down the aisle with her father and lots of flowers. The wedding even included Julie throwing her bouquet which is apparently not typical of a Korean wedding.

Although it was very different to the weddings I’m used to, I had a lovely time and was so honoured to be there to share in Julie and Julian’s special day. I wish them a lifetime of happiness together :)

Koh Samui Paradise

The final week of our Thai adventure was spent on the beautiful island of Koh Samui, Thailand’s second largest island situated in the Surat Thani province off the east coast. I have never needed a week of beautiful beaches and relaxation more than I needed it that week after a very busy first week in Thailand. And apart from our fun-filled snorkeling/ canoeing boat trip day to the stunning Anthong National Marine Park, beach bumming was pretty much how I spent the entire week. It was absolutely wonderful.

After a move from Cheong Mon beach (which was a bit too quiet for our liking) we spent the rest of the week at Chaweng Beach which was much more lively at night but still peaceful and not too busy on the beach during the day. It was a nice happy medium. The beach was heavenly, the food, although much more expensive than the rest of Thailand, was great and the buckets, well, they did exactly what it says on the tin!

All in all, it was a perfect week, with perfect company, in perfect paradise.   

  

Unforgettable Chiang Mai

After a few days in Bangkok we headed north to Chiang Mai. And despite being northern Thailand’s largest city, after the chaotic hustle and bustle of the capital, Chiang Mai instantly felt like Bangkok’s polar opposite within seconds of arriving off the train. Chiang Mai is like no other place I’ve been before. It’s difficult to explain what was so wonderful about that place but it just had such a chilled out vibe. Everyone seemed to be so happy and chilled and at peace there and this rubbed off fast. I could have happily stayed there forever!

Unfortunately, due to the accident and having overdone it a bit in Bangkok, I decided to take things a lot easier in Chiang Mai and therefore didn’t get to explore as much as I would have liked. However, I did experience two of the most unique and unforgettable experiences there that I have ever had. The first being my day at an elephant sanctuary where we got to feed, ride and bathe the elephants which was just incredible. 

And the second at Tiger Kingdom where we got to play with little tiger cubs and even go inside the cage and pet the huge fully grown tigers which felt at the time as unbelievable as it sounds.

Chiang Mai is a wonderful place. A place where dreams come true!