Today I had my first full day in Beijing. Woke up and headed for Tianemen Square and the Forbidden City, two places I have heard you can spend the day perusing.
Unfortunately, almost everything in Beijing is being renovated right now. Nearly every building of significance is covered in green screens and scaffolding...all in preparation for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Much like Sukhbaatar Square in UB being covered in the same materials while they renovate for the 800 year anniversary of the Great Mongolian State. Only Difference: China prepared early. The 800th anniversary is upon us but the screens have not come down in Mongolia.
So...Laura and I saw the square and the many vendors offering lovely watches with Mao on them and his hand ticking off the seconds. Also Chairman Mao's greatest quotes compiled into a book with German, Russian, French and English translations. Or just pictures of Mao or such like.
Forbidden City was beautiful despite the renovation...so open and so many beautiful pagodas, etc. We went through it and north to Beihai Park...a lake and park surrounded by nice places to eat and things to see. Had lunch at a place known for budget Peking Duck. Must say it was delicious. And it cost 3.75 for a large plate of Duck. In fact I discovered I spent all of 15 dollars today...maybe 20 if you include lodging.
The park was beautiful...it was thunderstorming but we could see rowboats and peddle boats on the lake and gardens all around it. Tried to get into the Round City...which holds the last remaining evidence of the first Yuan ruler (Khublai Khan) ...a Jade jar. Of course the circular city is closed for renovations.
Left the river park and walked back to the hostel. Ate famous Beijing pancake with spring onions and other stuff inside it and a rolled up vegetable bean sprout tortilla thingy for dinner...all of which cost just over a dollar.
Tomorrow we plan to see the Temple of Heaven park and some other places. We will take an overnight train to Xi'an, spending two days there. There we will see the Terracotta Warriors and the city walls and other things. On the way back we will stop in Pinyao and Datong...Pinyao is one of the only remaining walled cities and i supposed to be really interesting. Don't remember much about Datong but Laura told me it will be cool and we should spend two days there.
We will come back to Beijing and do the Great Wall tour and mink Tombs perhaps in the same day. Also planning a trip to the shalom Monk king Fe theater, maybe the Summer Palace of the emperors and Chinese Acrobatics.
All in all it has been a great first day and I am excited about the rest of the trip. One thing I've noticed..This city is clean! All the major roads have wide underplayed that pedestrians use and sidewalks are huge. I guess when you have forced labor such things as public works are easy. It isn't as crowded as Bangkok though I have to say Bangkok had more character and less pollution. There is a constant haze here.
I think I would be culture shocked if I hadn't lived in Mongolia for two years and seen Bangkok already. Babies walk around with pants slit open in the back to avoid the need for diapers. Men are shortlist as Mongolians are or wrap their shirts around their upper bodies. Don't blame them it is really hot.
I personally have been enjoying the sensation of humidity. My skin seems to be drinking every drop of perspiration back into my body and wondering what the heck it is after the arid Mongolian semidesert.
Have been drinking lots of water to compensate for lost perspiration. And a few Tsingtao beers to require more water later. Tsingtao is a chinese beer developed in a German enclave of China. Thus it tastes good unlike most Chinese beer.
Anyway...am loving China. Have had no problems avoiding tourist trap vendors or large American chains..except for Starbucks where I enjoyed a tall rasberry frap today. McDonalds no longer calls to me.
Will write more later. Hope all is well at home.