GETTING AROUND IN BEIJING.
After almost two years, I feel like I can
call myself quite familiar with Beijing, all its quirks and confusions and
excitements. This is especially true when it comes to getting around. Do I
walk, ride my own bike, ride a bike share, take the subway, call a didi (chinese uber), run
for the bus, hop in a sanlunche (tuk tuk) , relax in a rickshaw, get on the
back of a scooter? So many choices!! Each of them have their pluses and minuses
depending on time of day, where I’m going, who I’m meeting, and what I’m carrying.
And, compared to nyc prices, they are all pretty freakin’ cheap! Imagine :“Ugh, I
guess I’ll splurge on a THREE DOLLAR taxi ride.”
(My favorite taxi driver- Mr. Three Phones)
But the most common transportation I use is a
bicycle. Beijing has a history of being a bicycle city and this holds true today,
despite the influx of millions of people, cars, trucks, delivery scooters and
more. I ride my trusty city bike all over, usually up to 20 or 30 km a day! But my
best biking day was when I was returning home and two boys on super fancy road
bikes caught up to me. One of them turned to me and in broken English shouted,
‘wow, you are so fast!’ I said, ‘thanks!” and zoomed ahead of them on my single
speed. Yes!
Advice time: If you decide to bike in
Beijing, however, there are some things you need to avoid. Granted the bike
lanes are wide, however, sometimes you come across:
2. Crazy things sticking out on the backs of mini trucks
3. A dude and his birds.
In other news, Beijing, and China in general, is on the
forefront of bicycle shares. In fact, there are TOO MANY bike shares in the
city that it’s becoming a problem. Every day, a new color bicycle appears for
public use. These bikes usually have some sort of QR code which you scan, then
the bike unlocks, you ride to your destination, lock the bike, and your wechat
wallet get’s charged a whopping 1 kuai (that’s about 15 cents people!). The problem
is they are dumping these bikes everywhere!! Convenience is turning into
disaster. But, it’s still a great way to avoid the traffic!!
so many to choose from...
Want to know more? Here’s a link to the
newest bike share movement, the “princess bicycle”. Right, because women need
flowers and shine in order to ride a bike. Will it come with a tiara and sash?
Of course, the best biking is done outside
the city. When I have the time and energy, I bike out of the city with friends,
or join the bike club and get driven to a starting point in the mountains.
These are the truly spectacular rides, whizzing by the Great Wall, getting ‘JIA
YOU!’ from locals (literally mean add oil- but really LET’S GO! ), and working
on communication skills at a roadside restaurant. The landscape even just an
hour outside of the giant city of Beijing is strikingly beautiful and an
incredible way to experience nature.
Lots of fun biking around Beijing and China!
See for yourself!
With all this biking, it’s no wonder my time
as a fellow will come to a close next week with an 11 day bike trip to the
autonomous region of Xinjiang (north west china- borders on Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tibet. My friend and I will start in Kashgar, bike
to see some amazing glacial scenery, then work our way down towards the desert
in 11 days of super hot and sunny adventure. A perfect way to experience the
Uighur culture, see camels and yaks in their local environment, and get an amazing
farmer’s tan while I’m at it. Plus, I’ve been told the food is out of this
world! But now, its time to scan a qr code, hop on a mobike, and go explore!!
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