Beijing
Our days of luxurious China ended as we meet up with our group for the next 21 days of adventure! Our group has a total of 11 people plus our leader. And the first night in Beijing we all went out for a Peking Duck dinner to kick it off. They are a very interested group made up of people from Wales, England, Australia and Ireland.
Highlights
The Great Wall
Our first full day on the tour was Climbing the Great Wall! We now were responsible for getting our own food. Sounds easy, but after only seeing chicken feet and unidentified items, we finally found a box of oreos and some crackers. Armed with lunch and ready for the day, we went to an area three hours out of town that was not busy at all! This was a treat we soon learned was rare in China as massive crowds are the norm. We hiked up the steps to multiple lookouts overlooking Mongolia and China - where the wall went on forever. It was a beautiful day and the views were surreal. It was just mind boggling to see this massive structure and to think it was built in 400BC!
Tiananmen Square & The Forbidden City
Day 2 started by taking the subway to Tiananmen Square. It was a very windy day and a row of about 20 China flags were blowing perfectly to set the background. The most amazing thing at Tiananmen square was the kilometer long line to get in to see Mao's Mausoleum. The Chinese still regard him as a hero as he was the first leader. Crossing thru Tiananmen Square we got to the gates of the Forbidden City. This was an amazing site filled with history and stories. We learned a ton and got to see the living quarters for the Emperor, the Empress and the rooms right next to the Empress that held the concubines! There were over 3000 concubines in the Forbidden City for the Emperor who gave their entire life for the hopes of one night with the Emperor! And... when the Emperor died, they believed in human sacrifice, thus they buried him with concubines that were still ALIVE! After learning much of the history I indulged in a Forbidden Starbucks latte. The only chain inside the forbidden city is a Starbucks - amazing!
While at the Forbidden City, we also got our first taste of China and the culture. The place crowded - so crowded! In addition we learned that they do not believe in lines there. Mostly there is just pushing to see anything accompanied by the custom of spitting. The background noise thru all of China was "haaaawwwwkkkkk" then spit. Let the adventures begin!
Local Charity and the Rickshaw Ride
After the Forbidden City we went thru the back alleys to a see a performance at Huiling - a center for Chinese who are mentally challenged. They were the friendliest group of people, mostly adults who were so excited to put on their fancy coats and sing and dance for us in the courtyard of their school. After they hosted us for a lunch of dumplings and then taught us Chinese calligraphy. It turned out to be a great afternoon and we all supported the charity by purchasing jewelry and art they had made.
While we were in the neighborhood we grabbed a rickshaw for a ride around the hutongs of the city - basically the small alley-like streets. Scott and I shared a rickshaw and our driver was a bit ambitious peddling us thru traffic and over bridges. They dropped us off in a little shopping area where we bought some teapots and teacups.
Chinese Opera
Wow! What an experience. We had the choice to go to whatever show we wanted this night, and Scott and I chose the Chinese Opera (we had already seen the Acrobats in Shanhai). Our guide wasn't a fan as he described it as a lot of screeching - so it was no surprise that Scott and I were the only ones who signed up for this one. But we figured while in Beijing, we had to see what all the hype was. At the Opera we got to see the actors putting on all of their own makeup - making their faces look like masks. Then we were seated at a table where we had tea and snacks for the show. Then the Opera started... and it was pretty much all high pitched screeching! Luckily we were at a tourist version where they had subtitles and it only lasted about 40 minutes (traditional Chinese Operas can go on for DAYS). Then we had 40 minutes of a choreographed kung fu fight. It was quite an experience complete with people selling masks right out the door yelling at us all the way down the hall to the door. Once outside it was actually snowing!! There wasn't enough for the snow to stick, but it was awesome.
Summer Palace Day
Our last day in Beijing we headed out to the Summer Palace. This was by far the most beautiful place in Beijing. There was a walkway around the lake with gazebos and bridges. The crowds were again amazing, but once out of the entry we were all able to space out a bit and get some space. A rare treat is the busy city of Beijing. It was a great morning. After we headed back to town to take care of some business. We ate pizza and I got a new pair of shoes - Sketchers. I came all the way to China to buy the shoes that are made right in Manhattan Beach.
Then we grabbed some snacks and headed to the train station for our first overnight train in China. We got comfortable with the other 6 people in our compartment for the next 13 hours, ordered some beers and tried to keep our balance on the squat toilets while the train was rocking!
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