02/02

If you've read my first ever blog, at http://2015mexicanriviera.blogspot.co.uk/ you will know that we have some eccentric things-to-do-when-on-location, like Mars Bars from the Co-op in the Falklands, Turtle Burgers in Grand Caymen. Well, when in Beijing there are actually two must-dos and the first is going to the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that we've been four or five times already, each tour has new dancers that have never had the experience, and older ones who, like us just love to go. So we hop on the bus at 10:00 to make the journey north - it's not bad really, just the inevitable traffic makes the 60 odd km a long ride. Twenty Eight of us make the journey on this occasion so it's a small group, but perfectly formed.

Badaling is one of half a dozen places relatively close to Beijing where one can access the Great Wall, and since our last visit to this site has been extensively redesigned and extended. The cold is noticeable as we head into the hills, and the temperature drops to about minus five. Fortunately the sun is out and the wind is mostly gentle.

We use the new entrance which requires a kilometre uphill route march from the car park and, once on the wall it's so magnificent we forget the cold. A traditional group photo is required then people break off into their own groups to track as far as their legs can take the strain - it's not easy as a the wall rolls up hill and down valley. Everyone but us decide to take the toboggan back down, we prefer to enjoy the walk in both directions. Having climbed hard up certain steep parts it's with care that we descend some treacherous steps and slopes - it must have been a hard life to be a soldier patrolling the wall. There's a new cable car here, but it's base station is even further away from where our bus is parked, and we've done this at another site anyway so no need. 

Amusingly the bottled water here is 3 RMB - less than 35p - someone should tell our hotel! Snickers check in at £1, but they are only small so two each seems necessary.

After a slight delay everyone is back on the bus and we head back to the city, the return journey takes even longer and we get home around 15:00. We quickly order a sandwich and beer in the bar, but 50 minutes later the food still hasn't arrived so we go without lunch - there's no danger we will waste away. Time to go to the theatre and see how the get-in is going along. 

Getting into the NCPA is quite an experience. It's half a titanium egg, "laid" on its side on an shallow artificial lake, and the entrances, for both patrons and performers, is from under the lake. On the north a very grand entrance directly from Changan St sweeps majestically down dozens of steps into a huge entrance foyer below the street level, and patrons walk under the glass bottomed lake to reach the egg. At the south side, the stage door is less impressive but still huge, and after passing security it's quite a hike, again under the glass ceiling that holds the lake, down to basement level two and then back up to the stage of the central opera hall where we are performing. This subterranean area extends four floors below, where there are rehearsal rooms, studios, offices and a maze of corridors to rival the Pentagon. 

We learn that once again there are issues with the lights. Ideally we would bring our own as we do when touring across Britain. As we don't have two sets of lights, that's not an option when it takes six weeks by container ship, they were needed up to Christmas and are needed again much sooner than the costumes, props and set which will return in three containers. So the lighting hired locally is once again not what we specified. Fortunately our brilliant technical team will be able to work round this mess up but it will take time, skill and many frayed nerves. 

We rush back to do a quick change and head off along Changan Street walking into the centre of town. The logistics are not simple - we can't walk on the Tian'anmen Square side, as we know it is closed at night, so we walk on the northern pavement, past the entrance to the Forbidden City. To do this means we have to pass though security, fortunately our driver's licenses seem to be acceptable Government ID as we never carry our passports. The walk to Raffles takes 41 minutes, one less than Google predicted! 

This is the second must-do in Beijing - dinner at Raffles is an essential part of our tour, and never missed. It's a very pleasant experience even though we're almost alone, the only other table is some distance away and we are served by the Maitre D' himself most of the time. 

Between us and our companions we give the menu a thorough testing but I will spare the details. Some photos on FB. The naughty MD announced they had not got a second bottle of the wine I had ordered and wouldn't we like "this one" instead. Well I know that trick, and had already identified a second choice at the price range I wanted, not double as offered. Back to normal pricing, the wine list is a fascinating but scary read.