An Unexpected Stop On The Way Home

Chapter 4

I made it. This was such an accomplishment for me, I had to figure this all out by myself while in two different countries all the last minute and I did it. What a thrill!

With United airlines suggesting I change my scheduled flight from  Beijing to Chicago. I thought how great it would be to leave the airport and go see the Great Wall of China. Earlier in the month I did some research and found that a travel agent would pick-up the tourist at the airport and take them on a number of choices of tours, depending on the amount of time available. I contacted them and found out that I did not have enough time for their tours, so I had given up on the idea. But that morning message from United changed everything. I could change my departure time from Beijing to a later time, avoid Chicago and go to Newark. Free of charge! 

Next, I had to contact the tour company and see if they could do a last-minute tour. He said, “Let me see if I can get a driver and guide, this is last minute.” By 7pm that night, while waiting at the Bangkok airport, I got the message that my tour was all set to go and they would pick me up at 7:30 am at the Beijing airport.

I got wonderful directions on where and how to get a 24-hour visa in the airport, and where to meet the tour guide. Wow, I’m now going to Beijing and get to see the city and the Great Wall of China! Now I hadn’t pack anything for this hike. I did have on the right shoes for both flight and hike. I asked if they could supply a coat, which they did, but I did not have my sunglasses.

The airport in China was huge and it was so early in the morning there was no one around to answer questions. Even though I had directions from the tour company and all the details necessary to leave the airport, it still took two and a half hours. My phone wouldn’t work in the airport, which meant I couldn’t call the tour people waiting for me (Carol, the tour guide) to let her know I was there but running late while standing in long lines. I was afraid she might have given up on me. But as soon as I finished going through the fifth line, I ran to our designated meeting place and there Carol was, waiting for me with a sign, “Ruby McDermott”. I was sooo happy she and the driver had waited.

What a delight they were. Carol is from Beijing, 34 years old and full-of lovely energy. She explained so much to me about the different Dynasties who built the wall going back 2,000 years BC. The drive to the WALL was an hour long through part of Beijing. The climate reminds me of Maine. They get snow storms and now it’s spring. All the fruit trees and forsythia were blooming. But what was interesting was that they were all small trees. They were planted five years ago and the number they planted was astonishing. A thousand of each and every variety one can imagine. Along the river we followed were weeping willow trees with branches from each tree touching the other. They went on for miles and miles. So Beautiful. From the distance, the mountain peaks were bordering the horizon and finally we began to see the WALL. With Carol’s tour guide pass, we could drive beyond all the long-distance parking and park close to the entrance which saved us time. We took a cable-lift up to get us started quicker, and then began to walk the many, many steps. These steps are short ones so one has to be careful where and how one steps. I tried to skip a step thinking it would be easier, but that really didn’t work so well.

Carol held onto my arm and chatted the whole time like we were the best of friends. It was nice to be so comfortable. We had a quick bite to eat and I bought some T-shirts for my boys. We spent two hours hiking, then had to head back to the airport. I had many questions and Carol had a lot to share in the five hours we were together. Back at the airport, she escorted me to where I checked in and we said our goodbyes. 

When I got to my gate I was so very tired since I don’t sleep well on plains and had not slept much on my first flight from Bangkok. I decided to take a sleeping pill. Fortunately, no one sat in my row of seats. I stretched out on all three and slept for a number of hours. When lying from Newark to Tampa, for me it was 9pm on the 15^th, but here in America it was still the 14^th. I had left Bangkok on the 13th. It did take a little longer to reacclimatize into the US.

My trip has come to an end and these past seven weeks will long be remembered. I will always be grateful for such rich experiences in these different cultures.