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Published: June 10th 2008
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Well, it all started when I decided to join a tour group to go and see the most touristy route on the Great Wall of China (Badaling). It was my last day in Beijing and Glyn had managed to get an earlier train for the 24 hour trip back to Shenzhen, leaving me with a day to kill before catching my train that evening. Our visas were due to run out the day after, so it was imperative we were out of the country and back into Hong Kong the following day. I don't usually do official tour packages when backpacking, but it was ideal to fill in the time and ensure I got back for my train. After all, what could go wrong when you go on an official government controlled tour, right?
The tour consisted of two Indian women, myself, the driver and a tour guide. We had a small minibus between us. I should have known better then to jump on a government run tour in Beijing. The tour was sold as a visit to the Great Wall Of China. What they didn't tell me was that it involved 5 hours of stops at random government shops
along the way, which included everything from Jewelry to Silk.
When I found out we were only going to get an hour on the Great Wall, I was really pissed off!. I rallied the two Indian ladies on the tour who were equally annoyed and we gave the guide a piece of India!
At the beginning of the tour, we soon realized the tour operator was receiving a small pay off each time they took us to a shop. When we refused to go into any more shops, the guide told us he would refuse to take us to the Great Wall and was prepared to drop us off back at the youth hostel!. The whole thing was a joke. We had a massive argument with the guide resulting in him writing on a piece of paper that he had the right to leave us at the Great Wall of China if we didn't return from the wall within an hour. All hell broke lose when we refused to sign it, he kept phoning his boss who in turn kept giving us shit. Eventually we came to an agreement that we would go into one more shop in
exchange for 2.5 hours on the wall. It was nuts, we were paying for this tour!
We managed to spend some time on the Great Wall of China. Only in China would they decide to put a toboggan down the side of an historic sight, but it was good fun and the Great Wall of China was really nice to see.
On the way back from the tour, both the driver and the guide refused to speak to any of us. They dropped the Indian ladies off first and then began the drive back to my hostel. On the way back we had the normal near traffic collisions. I have become slightly complacent about the traffic after spending the last 2.5 months on some of the most insane roads imaginable, but I never expected to be in a car accident that evening.
As we traveled down the main road at about 60kmph a car pulled out from the inside lane. I braced myself as I have done many times before in Asia. But this time it was different, it was obvious we were going to crash. There was the loudest bang as we smashed into the other
vehicle. There was no seatbelts in the minibus so I flew over 2 entire seats crashing into the back of the drivers seat. I bashed my arm and head pretty hard!. I remember seeing stars and feeling slightly dizzy! The minibus were a right mess, there was bits everywhere.
By the time I managed to clamber out of the minibus, our driver had already gone over to the other car and started a brawl. Our guide also began arguing and lots of people had got out of their cars to watch the events unfold. Before I knew what was happening the police had come from nowhere and arrested everyone involved. I was made to stand in line at the side of the road with the others for about 10 minutes before being put in the back of a police car and driven to the police station.
All of a sudden our guide was my best friend. He kept telling me that this is normal procedure and that I will be let out of the police station once I had given a statement. While in the police station we were all put in the same room while they argued
among them selves in Chinese. It was a deafening argument! I couldn't believe what was happening. Absolutely bonkers!
Eventually we were taken into an interview room one by one. At first I was asked to sign a piece of paper that was written in Chinese. I refused and had to wait a while longer for an English version before I was released. Because I was running late for the train, I was given a lift back to my hostel in a police car. I collected my backpack aided by a police officer to the amazement of other backpackers. I took great satisfaction in telling the robbing tour operator that their minibus was in bits around the corner before being driven to the train station just in time for my 24 hour train journey back to Schenzhen.
My arm hurts!
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Chinese Tourism
non-member comment
They'll screw anybody anyway they can just for an extra fen. That's Chinese tourism for ya. Which company did you use?