I always thought my walking game was legendary... until Beijing.
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The first time I took my son to Suzhou, our first day's plan was the Humble Administrator's Garden. We hired a guide and were done in just over an hour. We just looked at each other, like, 'Now what?' So, we hopped on a random tour bus at the entrance and ended up visiting Hanshan Temple, Maple Bridge, the Silk Museum, and the Pearl Museum. The local driver even asked, 'Do you guys think every place is as huge as the Forbidden City?'
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Oh, and I have to mention three friends—one each from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou—who told me certain places were 'just a short walk away.' Turns out, each 'short walk' was at least 20 minutes! You first-tier city folks are basically urban infantry units when it comes to walking.
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Twenty minutes? That is pretty close, just over a kilometer. I walk that much pretty much daily.
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From Tiananmen to Xidan, I asked a policeman how far it was. He said, 'It's very close, just a short walk.' Then I checked – it's 2 kilometers! That's 'very close'?
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2km isn't close? It's just a hop, skip, and a jump!
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After spending the last couple of days sightseeing in Beijing, I swear a kilometer here feels longer than a kilometer in Shanghai.
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Won't it be cold with nothing much to see along the way?
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That's why they say Beijing tour guides have the toughest job in the country.
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They have to walk so much and memorize tons of information, huh.
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I actually managed to schedule the Badaling Great Wall, the National Museum, AND Tiananmen Square all in one day in Beijing! My feet were absolutely killing me by the end.
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Are you sure you won't get stuck in traffic?
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@momo Hahahaha, remember when we walked from Wangfujing back to Xishiku? I was so freaking done with it, especially since they wouldn't even let us cross the road!
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And we just powered through the whole thing like that!