Beijing, Baby!

Wednesday, June 30

Today was a big day of the trip - in fact, one might even call it a great day, because today was the day that we visited the most famous of China's many historical places - the Great Wall. Of course, with all things, we couldn't go straight to the Wall - we had a factory visit. In fact, this would be the first of three, count 'em, three factory tours that we would make today. If there is anything tour companies love more than getting your money for the tour (which I didn't pay - yay!), it's dropping you off in a factory so that your local guide can get a commission from you buying stuff. Our fist stop today was at a jade factory. The factory consisted of watching a guy behind a piece of glass carving some jade. Yawn. Of course, there was the requisite shop at the end. The pieces were beautiful, but outrageous in their prices. I felt that I could get a better deal elsewhere, so I didn't buy anything there.

We finally got to the Great Wall. The day was hazy, which made for some bad photography, but I was at the Great Wall! The Great Wall! It was AMAZING!!! I climbed as high as I could, breaking out in a full sweat on the way with my knees begging for mercy, but I climbed that wall!! I even bought a shirt to prove it. To top that, I dressed up as a Chinese empress and had my picture taken because, well, that's what I do. Climbing the Great Wall was definitely what I needed to get my batteries recharged. I had been feeling down and a little disgusted at how some things were going, but seeing something as magnificent as that Wall, and being able to climb around on it, is an experience that I will never forget. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to go there. Great Wall indeed.

Our next stop was - you guessed it - Factory Tour #2!! Woo hoo! This one was kind of interesting though. It was a cloisonne factory, and it actually looked like a factory instead of the cheesy setups that we have experienced up to this point. See the process of making cloisonne was very interesting, and very involved, which explains why the prices were out of control. Some of the pieces were truly amazing, but I would have had to sell my liver or a kidney to buy them, so they remain on the shelves of the factory showroom for others to enjoy. Sigh. Our lunch was at the factory, another routine Chinese meal, this time complete with French fries! When we got done, we had even more time to shop. Woo. Hoo. I think that I am getting tired of shopping. We keep seeing the same things for sale over and over. In the factory shops, you can't bargain, so it just isn't fun to shop there.

After this second factory tour of the day, we headed to the Ming Tombs. Thirteen of the sixteen emperors from the Ming Dynasty are buried here. We walked along the ceremonial path to the tombs. Each side had matching pairs of stone animals and court officials to watch over the emperor in the afterlife and to pay homage to him. The walkway was shaded with willow trees and a nice breeze was blowing, and most of all, the path was on flat ground, so it was really an enjoyable experience. I was really looking forward to the tombs area. Three of the tombs are open for tourists to have a peek inside (there are no bodies there - those were looted out long ago), but our local guide told us that there was nothing to see as the tombs had been burned out. WRONG. I know good and well that you can go into these tombs, because many guidebooks have told us so. But, we had Factory Tour #3 coming up, and time was getting away from us, and I truly believe that she wanted us to get to the factory because she gets a commission anytime we buy something on these factory tours. Needless to say, I was pretty put out, as were many others, but there really wasn't anything that we could do about it except pledge to not buy anything at the next stop. Not that I would have anyway...

Our next stop was a Chinese Herbal Institute. Our guidebook (Lonely Planet - outstanding) said specifically to avoid any tours that would take you to herbal institutes that would give you free check-ups and then try to sell you stuff. And that is exactly where our tour company took us. Talk about annoying. Again, there was nothing we could do, and I knew that my doctor (Hi, John!) would kick my rear end if I bought anything there, so I sat back and minded my own business. What a scam. It was pretty upsetting to be wasting time there when I could have been experiencing history. Only one person in our group bought anything. From what I hear the prices were outrageous, but I can't confirm that.

Our last official function of the day, and our last official of the trip, was to have our farewell banquet. We had it in the restaurant downstairs where we normally have breakfast. This time though, instead of breakfast food, was a fantastic East/West buffet. Prime rib! Salad at dinner instead of breakfast! Bread! And we all went crazy over the desserts, which proved to be fatal for many of us as we aren't used to sweets (the Chinese don't eat a lot of sweets, and when they do, it's frankly not that good, and usually involves red bean paste). Many upset stomachs ended the night.

Faced with such a problem, Mona, Cindy, Shari and I decided to go out for a walk. We were looking for the Silk Market, but settled for Starbucks. Sometimes it's the little things that make you happy.

Location: Jianguo Garden Hotel, Beijing
Tooth Update: Held onto a piece of rice for most of the day and was really annoying. It must be punished.
Weather Update: Overcast but humid humid humid. Big hair day!


Tuesday, June 29

Today was certainly a busy day, and one that showed me that I am definitely more tired than I thought. If you know me well, you know that the more tired I get, the crankier I get. Let me explain.

Our morning started with a trip to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heaven is the site where the emperor of China gave thanks to the gods for good harvests and also prayed for good harvests. The park surrounding the area is quite busy in the morning with mostly senior citizens practicing their exercises. There were all kinds of activities going on! We saw dancing lessons, badminton, a kind of human ring toss (your partner would thrown large round rings at you, and you would catch them around your neck), and of course, tai chi. There are several different types of tai chi that were practiced - one with just hands, one with paddles and a ball, and another with a sword. Tai chi is very peaceful and beautiful to watch, and we had the opportunity to practice with a tai chi master. It was kind of hard to see her (for me, anyway - that tree in front of me may have been to blame), but it was very cool in the park, so it was enjoyable. I was itching to get up to the Temple of Heaven though, which was on top of the hill overlooking the park. I was afraid that we were spending too much time in the park to allow us ample time to see things in the Temple area, and I was unfortunately right. We got about 15 minutes to explore the area, which was extremely frustrating. Several of the group walked off while our guide was speaking to go look at more things before we were released out on our own, and I can't say that I blame them. If I wasn't so insistent on following the rules, and if I hadn't done something similar yesterday, I would have done it myself. It was good that I didn't though as those who left were eventually spoken to about leaving the group.

The next stop was a lot of fun, but I am still worrying about my poor rickshaw driver. We had a tour of a traditional Beijing hutong by rickshaw. A rickshaw is simply a cart that was traditionally pulled by a man on foot. Now, they are pulled by bicycle. Mona and I were in a rickshaw together, and we worried about our poor rickshaw driver having to power the rickshaw with us on it, but this guy had calves of steel and it didn't seem to bother him. A hutong is a traditional housing area in Beijing. It is a collection of single story structures organized around a square courtyard. These courtyards date back hundreds of years, and they are in danger of disappearing in Beijing as the city continues to develop. Luckily, the city government has stepped in to protect these structures. There were many shopping areas in the hutongs, from actual stores to people on the street, and of course many of us took part in the traditional bargaining process. My favorite part of the hutong experience was lunch. We ate at a resident's house, where a nice and simple lunch was prepared for us. The food was so flavorful, and was really enjoyable. IT was a relaxing change of pace.

After lunch we headed to the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace was the retreat of the Chinese imperial family, and is most directly connected with Cixi, the Dowager Empress of China who is most commonly known in China as the Dragon Lady. Needless to say, she is not very well liked or respected in China today! Cixi largely controlled the later years of the Qing Dynasty in China through her ability to act shrewdly and decisively when it came to serving as regent for her son, then her nephew, and then another family member, who eventually became the last emperor of China, Pu Yi. Cixi is notorious for many reasons in China, but one that sticks out dramatically is the amount of money that she spent on the Summer Palace to renovate it to fit her tastes. This even included the construction of a large (non-floating) marble barge that was supposedly built with money that was originally appropriated for the building and maintenance of China's navy. Our tour at the Summer Palace started in the residential courtyards, including the one were Cixi's son, the Emperor, was imprisoned so that Cixi could pull the strings of government (see? I told you that she was controversial)! We even saw Cixi's bedroom and the courtyard of her chief eunuch. Eunuchs are court servants. They are males who have had certain body parts removed so that they can never father children, thus removing them as a threat to the throne. We also walked along the covered pavilion that was on the bank of the lake before taking a boat tour. The most aggravating part of the trip to the Summer Palace was that we didn't get to see the marble barge. I am not sure why this happened, but it was definitely frustrating. The barge is important because its construction left the navy in shambles, thus allowing China to be weak. Somehow our trip has started to sacrifice historical experiences. It's a good thing that there is a free day coming up so that I can possibly go back to see these things!

Our next stop was to view the Olympic Park. We saw the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, as well as the broadcasting area. We didn't tour the areas, but the bus stopped so that we could step out and get a good picture.

Dinner tonight was a disaster. This is where I discovered that I am emotionally and physically exhausted. Our dinner was a Mongolian hot pot. This style dates back to the time of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian army. The Mongols were known for eating large elaborate meals, but at one point, the Great Khan (that's Genghis) decided that there wasn't time for an elaborate feast - the army needed to move NOW. The chef was at a loss, so he told the soldiers to hold their helmets upside down, which he filled with boiling water, and then threw in the meat and vegetables. Voila. Instant meal. The problem at the restaurant, however, was that we didn't have our own helmet. Instead, we had a large copper hot pot in the center of a table set for 10. You had to stand up to cook your food. Well, you've heard the expression of too many cooks in the kitchen, right? Same problem here. People kept throwing in food without waiting for the food in the pot to cook, so you weren't getting consistently cooked food. I was so irritable about this! I finally spoke up - loudly, I guess, as I do when I am angry - and asked why we couldn't throw stuff in, wait for it to cook, then get it all out and put more in. Richard agreed with me. I think it angered some people, but I didn't care. I barely got any food as it was because people were being very piggy about getting food. Dave got mad enough about it that he left and went to the McDonald's down the street. It was a very uncivilized meal. I was steaming. When we finally got back to the hotel, Mona and I went to the Pizza Hut down the street and had a very civilized meal of cheese pizza and that amazing rose lychee drink. It's a shame that I didn't enjoy the hot pot meal, but people are just getting crazy. Everyone is tired, and I think that we are all ready to go home. Tomorrow is a big day, though. We'll be visiting the Great Wall. Hopefully we will have enough time to fully enjoy it, and our meals will be more civilized!

Before you comment though - I am having a great time, and I realize that I am in the middle of a fantastic opportunity. But, three weeks is a long time to travel, and I am blogging the feelings that I am experiencing. Documenting my frustration and exhaustion is important to chronicle the effects of a long trip to China! Thanks!

Location: Jianguo Garden Hotel, Beijing
Tooth Update: Tooth and I saw a dentist office today, and felt no desire to go inside! Victory!
Weather Update: Hot and a little humid. Feels like home!


Monday, June 28

Today started VERY early. I got up at 4:30 to prepare for our departure from Xi'an at 5:40. Oh, these early mornings are killer! We had breakfast on the bus again since we were up WAY before breakfast was served in the hotel restaurant. Today was our last domestic flight in China, and my string of having all window seats on every flight was broken - I got a middle seat. Middle seats are not cool. You never seem to have enough space and you end up being the go-between between the person with the window seat and the flight attendant. Kind of annoying, but I got some sleep so it wasn't that bad.

We were all exhausted, so our guide had luckily checked us in early, and we had about an hour to rest in our rooms before we started our day. That was a fantastic move, because we really needed it! Everybody was cranky, and a short nap was definitely in order. I am glad that we got that chance. After the rest period, we went to lunch, which was one of the famous foods of Beijing, Peking Roast Duck. You may be asking what the difference is between the uses of Beijing and Peking, as both names describe the same city. Peking uses the old translation, while Beijing is much more modern. The word "bei" means "northern" and "jing" means "capital." Beijing is simply the Northern Capital. Peking is used today to denote anything historic or traditional. Hence, Peking duck. Peking duck is pretty good, but not something I would eat all of the time. Luckily, Beijingers don't eat it all of the time either - it is a luxury.

After lunch, we headed to Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City. We know Tian'anmen Square for the protests staged there several years ago. In China, it's just the largest square, where one can find the People's Congress building, the State Museum, and of course, Mao's Mausoleum (which I have referred to as the Mao-soleum for most of the trip). Here is where you can find the famous portrait of Mao that hangs over the square from the Tian'anmen Gate, one of the main gateways to the Forbidden City. I took tons of pictures, and then got to go into one of the highlights of the trip for me.

I have wanted to go to the Forbidden City (officially called "The Palace Museum") since I saw "The Last Emperor" many years ago. That movie, which I strongly recommend that you watch, is about the last emperor of China, Pu Yi. He had a very sad life, though he was emperor. He eventually had to give up his throne, leave the Forbidden City which he had never before been allowed to leave, became the puppet emperor of Manchukuo (the Japanese-occupied state of Manchuria), wind up in prison, and then die a regular Chinese. The movie is one of the very few, if not only, Western movies to be filmed in the Forbidden City, and I was so excited to be able to walk through the palace. Of course, I could have spent hours there, but I was really pressed for time. Pesky group tours! I did manage to get to a gift shop, which was very important for me as I wanted a book on the Forbidden City. Although I wish I could have had hours more time there, it was definitely a highlight for me.

Of course, there was a ton of haggling with vendors outside the gates. You name it, you could have bought it there. Oodles of fun. I hope that Wal-Mart is ready for me to come back and try to bargain with them!

We had another traditional Chinese meal, and then everyone looked about ready to crash. It was definitely time to get some sleep. I was out by about 9:30 or so. I've never had a better night's sleep!

Location: Jianguo Garden Hotel, Beijing
Tooth Update: It's still in my mouth without pain, so that must be good.
Weather Update: Oh, it's a little warm, and a little humid! I miss Xi'an's weather already!!!