Jade Dragon Snow Mountain or Yulong Xueshan consists of 13 peaks, the tallest of which is 18,360 feet. According to the legends of Lijiang, this fog-shrouded mountain looks like a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name. In addition to living under it's shadow while hiking through Tiger Leaping Gorge, we decided to visit the National Park about 40 minutes outside Lijiang.
We shared a minivan with an Israeli mother and daughter from our hostel for 80CNY ($12).
The Chinese love spectacles, and the show we saw at the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was no exception. Many of you recall the Bejing Olympics opening ceremonies extravaganza show that was masterminded by Zhang Yimou. Well, he has created three "Impressions" shows in China that represent the culture and geography of each particular area. The three cities are Yangshuo, Lijiang and Hangzhou. The show in Lijiang is set in an open air arena inside the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain with mighty peaks as backdrop. At the start of the show they announce that they are "real people" from the area rather than professionally trained dancers/singers. This particular show is a song & dance story about a tea caravan that passes through Lijiang. Historically, this region has long been a trading center along the silk road and tea routes through China and Tibet.
Set to the tune of gallopping horses, banging drums, chanting and dancing, the scenarios portrayed your usual real-life scenarios --young brides leaving their families to go off with new husbands, women toiling in the fields, men drinking in taverns, a saddle dance, religious incantations, love stories, etc. I really can't describe what it was like to witness this show, but suffice to say that it was a world class, emotionally charged inspiring event mainly because of the innovative staging, choreography and number of performers.
China is just beginning to establish National Parks and entrance fees are steep. After the show we bought cable car tickets to Yak Meadow. It was a 40 minute bus ride to a 22 minute cable car lift up the mountain. The ride up was spectacular - the slopes were blooming with something pink that could have been rhododenron or azalea, growing very tall, like trees. Evergreens were draped with Spanish Moss, and we could see the emerging buds on deciduous trees as well. But the meadow up at the top was bone dry and yellowed.
We had a nice walk around the boardwalk, enjoying magnificant panoramic views of mountains in all direction.
To be continued.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
LIJIANG: Magical Lijiang
I stayed at Panba this morning to rest and write and upload photos. Around 2:00 Gary & Ariela came back from wandering and together we went out to the massage parlor. En route we discovered many more picturesque streets and fabulous shops. We ended up buying a lot of fun, somewhat inexpensive pieces of clothing.
Once at the massage parlor, I had my doubts. There was no one there and no one spoke any English. They handed me a menu with a few choices: Herbal Foot Bath, Tibetan Herbal Foot Bath, Chinese Massage, Oil Massage, Foot Repair, Clippings, All over body massage. I pointed to the Tibetan Herbal Foot Bath and had a seat. The red overstuffed recliner chairs with lace doilies were set in a semi-circle around an huge TV Screen with floor to cieling speakers. Each chair had a foot stool. I reclined and spread my arms out and waited. My lady appeared with a wooden bucket filled with hot water and little pieces of clear, jelly-like pieces. Would this be Tibetan Herbs? It didn't really dissolve but felt great. After a while she came back and emptied a small packet of something sweet smelling into the water. Could those be the herbs? Instant?
While my feet were soaking she started on my shoulders. YUM. When the water was getting cool she brought some towels and removed my feet.
The minute she started working on my left foot, I knew it would be good. Aah. Strong hands, very well trained. Not sure what style I'd call it, but it was very methodical and rhythmic. After 30 minutes on each foot, up to the knee, I couldn't imagine getting up. She brought me the menu and pointed to my toenails and suggested a pedicure, I think. But since I'd gotten one of those in Beijing, I pointed to the Full Body Massage. She got excited and led me to a private room. On the way we passed a room with two recliners and a young couple each soaking their feet in wooden tubs while their shoulders got worked on.
From my private room, which had both a recliner and a massage table, I could see out the window to the waterfall that drove the water wheel in the center of town. It was lovely. I had a wonderful 60 minute massage on my back, legs, arms and face. This woman did not speak one word, and worked so diligently with focused attention that the aches and pains washed away. It may have been one of the best massages I've had in my life. (And I've had a lot.)
When I got to the front desk, the clerk smiled and showed me his calculator - 76 RMB, which is about $12USD. I thought there must be a mistake, but since they had no English, and my Chinese has escaped me, I just paid the money and went dreamily downstairs.
I'm feeling much better with the altitude, although still incredibly dizzy when I stand up, bend over, or climb even a few steps. My feet were feeling fabulous until we got lost walking home and ended up walking for hours to find our way.
Gary tried calling Panba to tell we were on our way for the dinner but they said there wasn't enough food so we should eat elsewhere. We looked around at the mysterious offerings and settled on a place that offered Barbeque. They had grills on the sidewalk with baby pigs split in half roasting away. Next to that were racks of fresh food items that could be grilled or made into soup. Choice items included bullfrog, chicken feet, about 15 different kinds of mushroom, tofu small fish, sausages and unidentifiable meat on skewers. We settled on Chicken soup with a lot of fresh veggies.
Shortly after sitting down the girl comes with a small propane tank, a gas burner and a large clay pot filled with our veggies. We realized we'd have to sit there while they cooked. The chicken chunks looked cooked already. I tried not to think much about what they were. I am quite certain there were at least 3-4 chicken claws, and a liver or two. most of the chunks were unrecognized, the bones were smashed so the marrow floated around. We managed to eat enough to fill our stomachs. We asked for rice and got a wooden bucket full delivered to the table.
As we sat there on the sidewalk, we got to experience a stream of street performers trying their luck singing Kareoke with an amp and mike. These were the wannabes who were hoping to be singing in the clubs in the not too distant future.
After dinner we proceeded towards Panba and stumbled upon a main plaza where many Naxi people were dancing in lines. Evening was just setting in, and the mood was quite festive. About 15-20 women in native costumes were leading. They must be the wives of the men who led the orchestra last night. They looked ancient, many were toothless and wore the lines of hard physical labor in tough environments. There were all manner of people joining in. Foreigners, Chinese tourists, Asian tourists, young locals, all dancing together. It was very festive and welcoming, and no one cared about the cameras. Everyone had them. At one point, I was photographing a little boy, and his father then picked him up and wanted to take a picture of us together. He was very shy, but daddy persisted, and then the wife joined in, and soon a few other people wanted their photos taken with me. It turned into a circus.
There was such a magical, warm, friendly and upbeat atmosphere. However, we soon discovered that as darkness falls and the red lanterns light up the streets and alleyways, everything looks different and we soon lost our way. We then proceeded to get distracted by the lovely shops and women weaving, men pounding silver jewelry, and young lovers shopping for fun souvenirs, that we ended up walking for miles until Gary got us home.
Panba is located a bit far from town, but the good side is that it is away from the crowds and club noises.
Tomorrow morning we're off to Tiger Leaping Gorge for two days of hiking, and one night on the mountain.
I will try to upload a video from the dancing in the square. It was unique.
Nancy
Once at the massage parlor, I had my doubts. There was no one there and no one spoke any English. They handed me a menu with a few choices: Herbal Foot Bath, Tibetan Herbal Foot Bath, Chinese Massage, Oil Massage, Foot Repair, Clippings, All over body massage. I pointed to the Tibetan Herbal Foot Bath and had a seat. The red overstuffed recliner chairs with lace doilies were set in a semi-circle around an huge TV Screen with floor to cieling speakers. Each chair had a foot stool. I reclined and spread my arms out and waited. My lady appeared with a wooden bucket filled with hot water and little pieces of clear, jelly-like pieces. Would this be Tibetan Herbs? It didn't really dissolve but felt great. After a while she came back and emptied a small packet of something sweet smelling into the water. Could those be the herbs? Instant?
While my feet were soaking she started on my shoulders. YUM. When the water was getting cool she brought some towels and removed my feet.
The minute she started working on my left foot, I knew it would be good. Aah. Strong hands, very well trained. Not sure what style I'd call it, but it was very methodical and rhythmic. After 30 minutes on each foot, up to the knee, I couldn't imagine getting up. She brought me the menu and pointed to my toenails and suggested a pedicure, I think. But since I'd gotten one of those in Beijing, I pointed to the Full Body Massage. She got excited and led me to a private room. On the way we passed a room with two recliners and a young couple each soaking their feet in wooden tubs while their shoulders got worked on.
From my private room, which had both a recliner and a massage table, I could see out the window to the waterfall that drove the water wheel in the center of town. It was lovely. I had a wonderful 60 minute massage on my back, legs, arms and face. This woman did not speak one word, and worked so diligently with focused attention that the aches and pains washed away. It may have been one of the best massages I've had in my life. (And I've had a lot.)
When I got to the front desk, the clerk smiled and showed me his calculator - 76 RMB, which is about $12USD. I thought there must be a mistake, but since they had no English, and my Chinese has escaped me, I just paid the money and went dreamily downstairs.
I'm feeling much better with the altitude, although still incredibly dizzy when I stand up, bend over, or climb even a few steps. My feet were feeling fabulous until we got lost walking home and ended up walking for hours to find our way.
Gary tried calling Panba to tell we were on our way for the dinner but they said there wasn't enough food so we should eat elsewhere. We looked around at the mysterious offerings and settled on a place that offered Barbeque. They had grills on the sidewalk with baby pigs split in half roasting away. Next to that were racks of fresh food items that could be grilled or made into soup. Choice items included bullfrog, chicken feet, about 15 different kinds of mushroom, tofu small fish, sausages and unidentifiable meat on skewers. We settled on Chicken soup with a lot of fresh veggies.
Shortly after sitting down the girl comes with a small propane tank, a gas burner and a large clay pot filled with our veggies. We realized we'd have to sit there while they cooked. The chicken chunks looked cooked already. I tried not to think much about what they were. I am quite certain there were at least 3-4 chicken claws, and a liver or two. most of the chunks were unrecognized, the bones were smashed so the marrow floated around. We managed to eat enough to fill our stomachs. We asked for rice and got a wooden bucket full delivered to the table.
As we sat there on the sidewalk, we got to experience a stream of street performers trying their luck singing Kareoke with an amp and mike. These were the wannabes who were hoping to be singing in the clubs in the not too distant future.
After dinner we proceeded towards Panba and stumbled upon a main plaza where many Naxi people were dancing in lines. Evening was just setting in, and the mood was quite festive. About 15-20 women in native costumes were leading. They must be the wives of the men who led the orchestra last night. They looked ancient, many were toothless and wore the lines of hard physical labor in tough environments. There were all manner of people joining in. Foreigners, Chinese tourists, Asian tourists, young locals, all dancing together. It was very festive and welcoming, and no one cared about the cameras. Everyone had them. At one point, I was photographing a little boy, and his father then picked him up and wanted to take a picture of us together. He was very shy, but daddy persisted, and then the wife joined in, and soon a few other people wanted their photos taken with me. It turned into a circus.
There was such a magical, warm, friendly and upbeat atmosphere. However, we soon discovered that as darkness falls and the red lanterns light up the streets and alleyways, everything looks different and we soon lost our way. We then proceeded to get distracted by the lovely shops and women weaving, men pounding silver jewelry, and young lovers shopping for fun souvenirs, that we ended up walking for miles until Gary got us home.
Panba is located a bit far from town, but the good side is that it is away from the crowds and club noises.
Tomorrow morning we're off to Tiger Leaping Gorge for two days of hiking, and one night on the mountain.
I will try to upload a video from the dancing in the square. It was unique.
Nancy
LIJIANG: Panba Guest House
Panba Guest House is located on the edge of the Ancient City in a pedestrian zone. It is another warm, cozy feeling hostel with some nice hotel-style rooms as well as dorms. The staff was not inconvenienced by our cancelled flight, the driving staying at the airport til 2:00am. They said it happens all the time in Lijiang. They didn't make us pay for the room or driver that night and told us we should go upstairs to our room to rest and relax, and then come back later to check in when we felt better. They carried all our gear up through the maze of stairs, courtyards and balconies to our lovely "Family Set Room." It consists of an indoor seating area with lattice window overlooking the rooftops and mountains, a double and a twin bed and bathroom. We also have an outdoor balcony with table and chairs overlooking the courtyard and mountains. All for $20 per night.
We noticed a sign in the lobby offering a homecooked dinner with the staff for $2.50 per person at 6:30 daily. We signed up for that. No more mystery meals for one night. We also found a washing machine, self service, and area to hang laundry. We were thrilled to peel off the clothese we'd been wearing since arrival in Beijing, jump in the shower and don clean clothes and sit in the sun on the deck. Small luxuries.
Lijiang has a lot of traditional music dance performances from the ethnic minority groups living here. Gary bought tickets to an evening show that was being performed in the town theather by the elderly Naxi orchestra. Most of the ensemble were men in their eighties wearing long silk robes and embroidered brocade vests. They have distinguishing long beards and mustasches. The music was a variety of traditional music from different dynasties and themes played on a wide range of instruments and gongs. They had electronic screens on the sides of the stage with translation in both English and Chinese characters. It was rather entertaining but one can see that it is a lost art - there were a few young women, but most everyone was over 80 years old.
After the show we wandered around the old town and were captivated by it's charm and unique flavor. At dinner one of the hostel staff, Liu Wang told us that Lijiang has become China's number one tourist destination the past two years, particularly for young people. It is known as the 'lovers vacation place.' He said young single people come here to meet others and make romantic relationships in the night clubs. This made sense considering our flight was FULL of young chinese people, many couples, in party mode. It feels like Spring Break.
The town has a series of canals running through it with arched stone bridges. Picturesque. The streets are cobbled stone worn smooth from many years of pedestrian traffice. The entire old town is a pedestrian zone. The narrow streets are lined with small shops that have wooden shutters and red lanterns hanging in unique designs. Many of the goods are craft items, or imitation tribal jewelry, flouncy skirts, and modern renditions of traditional Chinese clothing, leather bags, tea and herbs. Unfortunately much of the jewelry looks like what you'd see on the streets of Chinatown, for the same price.
We saw beautiful young women in traditional costumes sitting in the front of their shops weaving on back-strap looms, while the shop was filled with scarves. I wonder if they've woven all the scarves in the shop... tend to think not but it sure is a pretty sight.
Alongside the canals, the shops and restaurants are decorated with illuminated red lanterns and many of the trees are strung with xmas type lights so it's very pretty and festive.
As we got near the central square we could hear the pulse of of disco clubs. After the traditional music show we wandered around the main drag to investigate. It was an amazing sight. Throngs of young chinese dancing wildly, steam/fog machines, lazer lights, juggling acts and DJs in glittering garb keeping the beat. Since the climate in Lijiang is mild year round, it's open-air style. You can see right in to each club. They had small blocks of wood on the tables and customers could use them to bang percussion on the tables in time with the music. We saw women in their native costumes singing on stage amidst blue-illuminated fog and flashing lightning bolts - singing in their traditional chanting style but to a disco beat. The crowds were loving it.
Ariela said "Mom, it just makes me want to go in there and start dancing around. Maybe this could be my first nightclub experience." At the entrances, girls in a variety of ethnic costumes were hanging out trying to attract customers inside. Ariela shot a lot of video, as we had never seen anything like it. Perhaps she'll even get it up on her site.
As we walked home, our street was lined with more low-key coffee-house style establlishments where we'd see young people lounging around on sofas, in a courtyard setting, strumming guitars and singing beautiful, haunting folk music. Everyone was so friendly and upbeat. All this on a Wednesday night.
LIJIANG: Arrival + Guest House
Located in the Southwestern corner of China near to Tibet and Burma, Lijiang is now a UNESCO World Heritage sight and popular destination for hikers and backpackers. It is the home of the Naxi ethnic group, who are a matriarchal society and still wear traditional clothing. The town is surrounded by beautiful mountains. We'll get used to the altitude here for a few days before attempting to hike for a few days through Tiger Leaping Gorge. Ariela will have her 16th birthday in this town.
After our trip to the Panda Reserve we took a cab back to the area of our guesthouse hoping to find a restaurant. We went into a 'hotpot' banquet hall but the menu was completely in Chinese and none of the items in photos looked recognizable so we wandered towards home and found nothing. Back at Sim's we had a nap and I started feeling like the last thing I wanted to do was go to the airport to catch a 9:00pm flight to Lijiang. But at 6pm the driver was waiting and off we went.
The big modern airport was packed and our gate was not posted, so we had to hang out for about an hour waiting. I wandered into a nice looking restaurant to look at the menu but there was nothing that looked safe. It was mostly pig intestines, pork brains, chicken entrails and things like that. In the afternoon we'd pass some food stalls where they freshly prepare dished and you sit at small tables nearby to eat. The only things we saw were chicken feet, and duck heads, including the bills, and yes, rooster heads too, dipped in sauce. My sense of adventure has limits.
Finally the flight was posted so we went through security to the gate. After about an hour I looked up and noticed that the flight was no longer listed at that gate so I went to enquire and was told it was moved to a different gate, so off we hustled. They typically board at least 2 flights from teh same gate at the same time. You get on shuttle busses to your plane, but just make sure you get on the right bus because the announcements are in Chinese.
Once on the plane, we sit there for an hour waiting for air traffic control clearance. We are the only Westerners on the plane. Finally we take off and smoothly head towards Lijiang. We are preparing to land when we hit some turbulance and the pilot announces that we are unable to land and are flying back to Chengdu. Sigh.
An hour later we're back on the tarmac in Chingdu waiting for a place to unload.
After much ado, we get on busses and are driven an hour into nowhere's ville to the most dismal looking hotel you can imagine. Luckily we were sitting in the front of the bus, so we got into the lobby right away and were issued a ticket with two room numbers on them, and no key without any more waiting. Upstairs the place was dimily lit and the lights didn't go on. There was a sign by an outlet that said "Insert key to obtain power." But we did not have keys. I guess they were trying to save electricity. The bathroom light worked.
The rooms had twin beds. Gary brought the quilts from his room and slept on the floor with us. We could only assume that Air China was going to manage our luggage and re-schedule the flight. It was 1:30. We crashed into bed. At 2:00am I heard the phone make a noise and so flipped it open. I'd gotten a text message from our guest house in Lijiang saying that the driver wanted to know if we were still coming or should he go home. Yikes. I'd forgotten that we'd requested airport pickup.
In the morning I found the receipt from the air tickets. I had made all the flight reservations through Ctrip - a Chinese travel service run by the government similar in set-up to Orbitz only much cheaper. I called their number and got an English speaking person who told me that the flight was re-scheduled for 11:30am and she could re-confirm that we wanted to be on it. Shortly thereafter someone came banging on all the doors and we went to the lobby where they were handing out packaged rolls. We got back on the bus and returned to the airport.
Went through the same security - and gate chaos. Of course the flight was delayed but we had seats in the waiting area (not everyone did). Finally boaraded, sat on the tarmac, and FINALLY took off, and got to Lijiang around 2:30 in the afternoon. Our driver was waiting with a sign with our names. The sun was shining, the mountains beautiful and we could see people working in the fields wearing traditional clothing. It was great to be in warm sunshine.
After our trip to the Panda Reserve we took a cab back to the area of our guesthouse hoping to find a restaurant. We went into a 'hotpot' banquet hall but the menu was completely in Chinese and none of the items in photos looked recognizable so we wandered towards home and found nothing. Back at Sim's we had a nap and I started feeling like the last thing I wanted to do was go to the airport to catch a 9:00pm flight to Lijiang. But at 6pm the driver was waiting and off we went.
The big modern airport was packed and our gate was not posted, so we had to hang out for about an hour waiting. I wandered into a nice looking restaurant to look at the menu but there was nothing that looked safe. It was mostly pig intestines, pork brains, chicken entrails and things like that. In the afternoon we'd pass some food stalls where they freshly prepare dished and you sit at small tables nearby to eat. The only things we saw were chicken feet, and duck heads, including the bills, and yes, rooster heads too, dipped in sauce. My sense of adventure has limits.
Finally the flight was posted so we went through security to the gate. After about an hour I looked up and noticed that the flight was no longer listed at that gate so I went to enquire and was told it was moved to a different gate, so off we hustled. They typically board at least 2 flights from teh same gate at the same time. You get on shuttle busses to your plane, but just make sure you get on the right bus because the announcements are in Chinese.
Once on the plane, we sit there for an hour waiting for air traffic control clearance. We are the only Westerners on the plane. Finally we take off and smoothly head towards Lijiang. We are preparing to land when we hit some turbulance and the pilot announces that we are unable to land and are flying back to Chengdu. Sigh.
An hour later we're back on the tarmac in Chingdu waiting for a place to unload.
After much ado, we get on busses and are driven an hour into nowhere's ville to the most dismal looking hotel you can imagine. Luckily we were sitting in the front of the bus, so we got into the lobby right away and were issued a ticket with two room numbers on them, and no key without any more waiting. Upstairs the place was dimily lit and the lights didn't go on. There was a sign by an outlet that said "Insert key to obtain power." But we did not have keys. I guess they were trying to save electricity. The bathroom light worked.
The rooms had twin beds. Gary brought the quilts from his room and slept on the floor with us. We could only assume that Air China was going to manage our luggage and re-schedule the flight. It was 1:30. We crashed into bed. At 2:00am I heard the phone make a noise and so flipped it open. I'd gotten a text message from our guest house in Lijiang saying that the driver wanted to know if we were still coming or should he go home. Yikes. I'd forgotten that we'd requested airport pickup.
In the morning I found the receipt from the air tickets. I had made all the flight reservations through Ctrip - a Chinese travel service run by the government similar in set-up to Orbitz only much cheaper. I called their number and got an English speaking person who told me that the flight was re-scheduled for 11:30am and she could re-confirm that we wanted to be on it. Shortly thereafter someone came banging on all the doors and we went to the lobby where they were handing out packaged rolls. We got back on the bus and returned to the airport.
Went through the same security - and gate chaos. Of course the flight was delayed but we had seats in the waiting area (not everyone did). Finally boaraded, sat on the tarmac, and FINALLY took off, and got to Lijiang around 2:30 in the afternoon. Our driver was waiting with a sign with our names. The sun was shining, the mountains beautiful and we could see people working in the fields wearing traditional clothing. It was great to be in warm sunshine.
Chengdu - Pandas
We're basically going here because it's one of only two cities that fly into Lijiang and it's conveniently located between Xian and Lijiang, more or less. So while we're here, we'll visit the Panda Reserve where they have a captive breeding program. So far, only one panda was released into the wild and it died within the first year. They charge $150 to hold a baby panda for 3 minutes. This is how they fund their programs and keep the reserve open. We'll see whether or not we decide to fork over the money.
We arrived in Chengdu in more freezing cold rain but were thrilled to see a representative from Sim's Cozy Garden Guesthouse waiting for us at the airport exit. Chengdu is a huge sprawling city in Sichuan province and it took almost an hour to get here in evening traffic. Because many domestic flights in China take off in the evenings, a lot of people were checking in and out at 8:30pm. Sim's is a fun, very unique hostel that is equipped to serve budget travellers and families with kids. You feel like you are staying in a tree-house right in the center of a city block.
They have a DVD library with just about every pirated movie ever made, and a book exchange, travel information center, and lots of tours to remote areas, restaurant, bar, ping pong room and many lounge areas equipped with free Wi-fi and computer terminals. I'm starting to get used to logging in on computers that are all in Chinese Characters.
In response to helpful posts on Tripadvisor we wanted to get to the Panda Reserve without a tour. So at 7:00am we were on the street hailing a cab and got one in less than one minute. Fearing traffic and a disappointed teenager, we wanted to get there early. Apparently once the pandas have been fed (8:30) they go right to sleep for the rest of the day.
We arrived at the gates by 7:18 in the cool, damp drizzle. About 7:45 a ticket lady came and we went in. We were the first ones there and enjoyed wandering around having the place to ourselves.
This Panda Reserve is where they do captive breeding and research. The park is quite lovely and peaceful, set up like a nature center.
At this time there are no babies in incubators. There were two sets of twins born last May and July, and they were adorable to watch. They were adopted by Jackie Chan and Coca-Cola to help fund their care so we saw photos of Jackie Chan with the babies. In the infant nursery here were also a few that were born the previous year who were sitting outside munching.
We observed the way they broke the bamboo and munched on it. In the quite crowd-less morning hour we the only sounds we heard were peacocks and other birds chirping and the pandas munching.
At about 9:30 the 4 little ones were fed bottles and that lasted no longer than 3 minutes so if you happened to take a walk around another building while you are waiting, you can easily miss it.
It wasn't very crowded this Tuesday morning and only a few people opted to hold the panda. Ariela was THRILLED to do it and I think it's one of those things where the money is well-spent. It cost 1000RMB. Bystanders are not allowed to watch. Ariela had to wear blue platic protective covering and went inside by herself with both her still camera and video. The staff did a good job of taking the photos and video with our cameras and Ariela was beaming from ear to ear when she came out.
The grounds had a variety of tea houses, cafes and restaurants that looked nice but due to the cold rain, we decided not to stay. The park was peaceful and quiet and we enjoyed the bamboo lined pathways and birds calling, fish in the pond, and friendly school children wanting to shake our hands and say hello.
There were a few taxis waiting by the entrance when we were ready to leave (11:30). Two drivers wanted to bargain, starting at 40 RMB, but there was another guy sitting in his cab and I just pointed to his meter, he shook his head, and we climbed in. The return ride was 23 RMB and took about 1/2 hour.
I was happy that we didn't go on a tour and that we were able to wander around at our own pace. It is not always clear whether or not it's possible to do this, in a country where English is limited and most travellers stick with groups.
We came back to the guest house and crashed for a few hours after figuring out how to get the heater working. It operates by remote control and the characters are all in Chinese. Since our flight for Lijiang doesn't leave until 9:00pm we were able to pay for an extra 1/2 day rate ($14) to stay in our room. If the weather were better we would have been happy to sit in the bamboo garden by the fountains but the humid chill has really settled in my bones and I am thrilled to be in this nice big bed drinking tea and keeping up to date on my site.
We are all looking forward to slowing down at our next destination - Lijiang. We have been moving at a quick pace and can't wait to be out of cities, in mountain air, and hopefully warmer weather!!
We arrived in Chengdu in more freezing cold rain but were thrilled to see a representative from Sim's Cozy Garden Guesthouse waiting for us at the airport exit. Chengdu is a huge sprawling city in Sichuan province and it took almost an hour to get here in evening traffic. Because many domestic flights in China take off in the evenings, a lot of people were checking in and out at 8:30pm. Sim's is a fun, very unique hostel that is equipped to serve budget travellers and families with kids. You feel like you are staying in a tree-house right in the center of a city block.
They have a DVD library with just about every pirated movie ever made, and a book exchange, travel information center, and lots of tours to remote areas, restaurant, bar, ping pong room and many lounge areas equipped with free Wi-fi and computer terminals. I'm starting to get used to logging in on computers that are all in Chinese Characters.
In response to helpful posts on Tripadvisor we wanted to get to the Panda Reserve without a tour. So at 7:00am we were on the street hailing a cab and got one in less than one minute. Fearing traffic and a disappointed teenager, we wanted to get there early. Apparently once the pandas have been fed (8:30) they go right to sleep for the rest of the day.
We arrived at the gates by 7:18 in the cool, damp drizzle. About 7:45 a ticket lady came and we went in. We were the first ones there and enjoyed wandering around having the place to ourselves.
This Panda Reserve is where they do captive breeding and research. The park is quite lovely and peaceful, set up like a nature center.
At this time there are no babies in incubators. There were two sets of twins born last May and July, and they were adorable to watch. They were adopted by Jackie Chan and Coca-Cola to help fund their care so we saw photos of Jackie Chan with the babies. In the infant nursery here were also a few that were born the previous year who were sitting outside munching.
We observed the way they broke the bamboo and munched on it. In the quite crowd-less morning hour we the only sounds we heard were peacocks and other birds chirping and the pandas munching.
At about 9:30 the 4 little ones were fed bottles and that lasted no longer than 3 minutes so if you happened to take a walk around another building while you are waiting, you can easily miss it.
It wasn't very crowded this Tuesday morning and only a few people opted to hold the panda. Ariela was THRILLED to do it and I think it's one of those things where the money is well-spent. It cost 1000RMB. Bystanders are not allowed to watch. Ariela had to wear blue platic protective covering and went inside by herself with both her still camera and video. The staff did a good job of taking the photos and video with our cameras and Ariela was beaming from ear to ear when she came out.
The grounds had a variety of tea houses, cafes and restaurants that looked nice but due to the cold rain, we decided not to stay. The park was peaceful and quiet and we enjoyed the bamboo lined pathways and birds calling, fish in the pond, and friendly school children wanting to shake our hands and say hello.
There were a few taxis waiting by the entrance when we were ready to leave (11:30). Two drivers wanted to bargain, starting at 40 RMB, but there was another guy sitting in his cab and I just pointed to his meter, he shook his head, and we climbed in. The return ride was 23 RMB and took about 1/2 hour.
I was happy that we didn't go on a tour and that we were able to wander around at our own pace. It is not always clear whether or not it's possible to do this, in a country where English is limited and most travellers stick with groups.
We came back to the guest house and crashed for a few hours after figuring out how to get the heater working. It operates by remote control and the characters are all in Chinese. Since our flight for Lijiang doesn't leave until 9:00pm we were able to pay for an extra 1/2 day rate ($14) to stay in our room. If the weather were better we would have been happy to sit in the bamboo garden by the fountains but the humid chill has really settled in my bones and I am thrilled to be in this nice big bed drinking tea and keeping up to date on my site.
We are all looking forward to slowing down at our next destination - Lijiang. We have been moving at a quick pace and can't wait to be out of cities, in mountain air, and hopefully warmer weather!!
XIAN: The Night Market & Muslim Quarter
Xian (shee-ahn) was the capital of China and end of the Silk Road so this city plays an important role in Chinese history. The ancient town still has it's wall intact, including several gates plus a drum tower and bell tower. In olden times, the bell tower was important for letting people know the time of day, and the drum tower served as a way to communicate messages to the people - warning of attacks, and announcing ceremonies.
Because it was the end of the Silk Road trade route, there is a history of Muslim people living here and the Muslim Quarter today is very colorful and attractive to tourists. It lies very close to the Drum tower and the Mosque. It wasn't too far from our hotel so after an afternoon nap and acupuncture treatment (for $15 a girl came to my room and stuck needles in my back and then put the suction cups on my feet, legs and shoulders).
The bell tower was beautifully lit up and street vendors were selling an assortment of dried fruits, nuts and mysterious delicacies. Walnuts in their shells were roasting, and a variety of other foods were being cooked over big pots right on the streets. The atmostphere was lively but we were a little leary of eating the food. We did try some dried persimmons, and bought some apricot kernels which are supposed to be incredibly good antioxidants and cost a fortune in health food stores at home.
Xian is supposed to be famous for it's dumplings so in the morning I asked at the hotel for a recommendation on a nearby place we could try some. We were directed just down the road for 5 minutes walking and we'd see a wooden building with green characters on it. Ariela & I walked for exactly 5 minutes and there it was. There were no signs, and no menu in ENglish. The place was large and decorated with animal skins on the wall - brown bears, among others. Each table had a beautiful brass teapot on it. The waiter was very friendly and tried hard to figure out what we wanted. We ended up wandering around looking at what other people were eating and pointed to some dumplings, pancakes, and a chicken-peanut dish. Then I pointed to the teapot and he brought me a very long menu of teas, all in Chinese. The only thing I could remember in Chinese was "Where is the tea?" So he takes me up two flights of stairs to yet another room, and on the wall were several cannisters of tea. A waitress took several down and opened them so I could smell them. DELICIOUS! I chose a Jasmine green tea that cost $5 for a pot. A plate of vegetable dumplings (about 24 total) cost $1.50, so you can see that this was excellent tea.
The food was really delicious and so plentiful that we motioned we'd like to take some home. They brought plastic bags for us to put them in. I wanted to buy one of the brass teapots but they just thought I was completely nuts and said "No, sorry."
It was a nice way to end our stay in Xian. I was sorry to leave so quickly as this city could be interesting to explore. But due to flight schedules, we couldn't manage another day.
Again, the hotel arranged a cab to the airport for about $10. The airport was another big, modern and very efficient place. We landed in Chengdu, got our luggage, and found a representative from our next hostel waiting at the exit with a sign for us.
XIAN: Terra Cotta Warriors
A hotel receptionist told us how to get out to the Terra Cotta Warriors without having to pay for either a tour (that would force you to visit some factories to buy souvenirs en route) or pay $80 for a private cab. So we headed off in the rain to catch a bus to the train station for 1 Yuan (about 30 cents each). The bus was a double decker.
As we climbed to the upper deck a group of male college students who were majoring in English moved over to give us seats. They immediately started asking us questions like "How much is an apartment in New York." And then the dialogue goes something like this "Is it true that when you get older and retire the government gives you a lot of money every month?" I said well, "You get some money, but it's not that much". "How much?" "Well, maybe a few hundred dollars." And then the guy asks me how much I get. I said I wasn't retired yet. And he said, well I must be at least 72 years old by the way I look. When will I retire?" I had a good laugh on that one. I know it's the gray hair. You don't seen many white-heads in China.
At the train station we wandered around again til we found the local bus that went to the warriors. Although the departure boards were not in English, it wasn't too hard to figure out. We picked up some snacks including Chinese potato chips. It was a comfy tour-bus style with Chinese music blaring. We climbed aboard and for a little more than $1 each we were on our way. It was bumpy and the city sprawl looked a more third world than anything we saw in Beijing. The bus was filled with locals who were going to sell their wares to tourists. In about 45 minutes we had arrived.
The parking lot was filled with so many tour busses and billboards in Chinese with no instruction as to where the entrance was. Luckily we were late enough to have avoided the early morning rush. I had read about how horribly crowded and pushy it could be here. The cab drivers and tour guides are eager for business but perhaps we just didn't look interested enough. Mostly we were left to figure out where to go by ourselves. A few guides approaced us, but I was determined to experience the warriors at my own pace. There are three covered excavation pits. Our guide book was conveniently back at the hotel room. We opted for the least crowded of the three pits, which turned out to be pit number 1, the biggest and most commonly seen in pictures.
The buried terra cotta warrriors represent the army of general Qin Shi Huang dating back to 233 BC. Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 he began building this mausoleum. Emperor Qin became the first Emperor of all of China. In 1974 a group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well. Archeologists immediately established this find as one of the most important in China.
Altogether over 7,000 life-sized pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Many have been restored to their former grandeur. It is said that every face is different, and is fashioned after a member of Emperor Qin's real army. What struck me was that each face had a feeling of serenity about it - rather than a fierce expression, which is what you might associate with soldiers.
When we entered the shed for pit number 1, it was completely uncrowded so we got right up to the railing in relative calm. There were several tour groups at the opposite end, and several groups arrived as were moving around the pit, so we had a nice encounter with the silent army.
Pit number 2 was smaller but had better lighting. Pit number 3 also had artifacts displayed in glass cases with some exhibit information.
After about 3 hours we were exhausted and ready to leave. Ariela bought a small set of warriors and I bought a fur hat, much needed in this cold. Finally, my head is warm.
XIAN: Xiangzimen Guest House
We got to the Xiangzimen Guest House Youth Hostel (name depends on which website you access) at 9:20am. It is housed in an historic building in the traditional courtyard style. The lobby is modernized to accommodate mostly young travellers. There were 5-6 laptops for internet and a host of tour advertisements. These people organize budget tours to Tibet and other remote areas, as well as city tours, bike tours, and an all-day Panda adventure.
It is said that the brother of the Song dynasty Emperor, Zhao Kuang Yin used to reside in this building, which has over 200 years of history and is specially preserved in Ming dynasty style by the Xi'an government. It is the only building of its type in the whole of northwest China, and is divided into two main parts: the front 'siheyuan' with it's open-air courtyards and exquisite masonry, and the back with wooden panelling recreated in traditional ancient style. The charming atmosphere and friendly staff instantly made us feel welcome and at home.
At first we were told that we couldn't get into our room until noon, but then after about 15 minutes (we were planning to go eat breakfast), I decided to ask again. I didn't want to wait until after noon to go by public bus to the warriors. The receptionist went to speak with the manager and came back and said yes, we could have the room. Yippee.
Our room has what's called a Kang bed. It is built on a brick platform and has two mattressed with a small space in between. There are little cubbies underneath where you would traditionally put hot bricks to warm the beds. It has been freezing cold so far and we didn't bring enough warm clothes. Most buildings in China do not have central heat so you tend to feel cold all the time when it's only 50 degrees or so.
We scurried around trying to locate battery chargers and electrical adapters that work - there are so many types of outlet plugs you really need all sorts. It is hard to stay on top of keeping our batteries and electronic devices charged up in addition to keeping track of keys, which camera batteries have died, which ones go in which charger, etc.
The carved wooden detail and relaxed atmosphere of this hostel is welcome. We have a family room and are in an area that has nicer hotel-style rooms. The dorm rooms are in a different section.
There is a laid back restaurant with wi-fi, a lounge area plus a bar in the back. It seems that local young Chinese people come to the coffee shop here to hang out. It's fun.
Night Train to Xian
THE NIGHT TRAIN TO XI'AN:
The cab driver knew exactly where to go, thank goodness. Beijing seemed so big - there are about 5 train stations. It took about 45 minutes of urban driving. Some of the restaurants here are amazingly huge - 4 stories, sprawling 1/2 a block, ornately decorated with illuminated lanterns. I think the Chinese like to eat out.
We left from the West Station. It was big, with blaring billboards in chinese characters flashing and blinking. Airport-type security is right out on the sidewalk - you have to immediately put your bags on the belts before entering the building. They have stainless steel barries for crowd control as soon as you step out of the taxi. You cannot enter the building if you don't have a ticket. Once inside the departures/arrival boards were well marked in both English and Chinese characters. It was incredibly clean and easy to figure out. We found the train number and figured out that it was leaving from platform 4 in waiting room 4. Each waiting room accommodated about 4-5 platforms. Again, the waiting room, which is bigger than anything I'd ever seen, was cram packed with people. As soon as one train boarded, we were able to get seats. Each waiting room had their own bathrooms and snack counters.
Boarding the train was very orderly. We rode down a very long escalator with our bags and asked a porter to point to our car number. We got on and found our berth. We were riding soft-sleeper on a Z train. The Z trains are all sleepers with 4-bunks per compartment. They were already made up with sheets and quilts. Our roommate was a young girl who was extremely shy and went right to sleep and didn't get up until we had arrived 11 hours later. It was incredibly comfortable and smooth riding. The bathrooms were much cleaner than anything I'd seen on Amtrak, although I'm sure not all Chinese trains are created equal. Just to give you an idea of how many people move around China - there were 4 sleeper trains to Beijing all departing within a few minutes of each other, plus some hard-sleeper and chair trains. We settled down. No one bothered us and the train didn't stop for 11 hours so you don't have the noise and commotion of people getting on and off. Lovely. I was excited and comfy. For the first time in years, Gary did not snore. We departed and arrived perfectly on time and rested.
It was cold and rainy when we came out of the station in Xi'an but a smiling representative from the hostel was standing by the exit with a sign and our name. We had to wait awhile for the minivan to show up, but it gave us a chance to observe the huge scale of yet another busy train station. Not as modern as Beijing, but incredibly colorful and busy. And yes, right outside on the street was a KFC on one corner and a McDonalds on the other.
Beijing - The Great Wall At Mutianyu + Summer Palace
Today we left by private car for the Great Wall at Mutianyu. Our original plan had been totake the public bus for about $2 but because we were out so late last night and felt stiff from bike riding all day yesterday we opted at the last minute to hire a car. We were about to leave when our hostess Angela said "I have a surprise. I asked my friend Michael to go with you today because he speak good English and maybe it's easier. I tell him you have daughter adopted from China and maybe he wants to meet you and we want to make sure she have good impression of China and fun time at wall." Shortly thereafter, arrives Michael. Popping into the lobby and putting plastic covers over his shoes, he eagerly introduces himself. Our driver spoke not one word of English and didn't seem too versed with the map either, so it was just as well.
We immediately ran into heavy traffic and slowly made our way out of sprawling Beijing. In contrast to when we were there 15 years ago, there is a lot of commercial development and trucks on the road. By the time we arrived at 11:00 we were lost in the crowds. Mutianyu is described as much less crowded than Badaling (the closest and most restored), and not quite as wild and unkept as the hike from Jinshangling to Simitai. Mutianyu is also one of the longest stretches, is very wooded, and has fantastic rugged mountains in the background. While you can't take the subway like Badaling, you can get there by public bus, and it's accessible by closed in cable car, ski lift and stainless stell tobaggon run.
We joined up with several thousand other tourists and bought tickets to go up the cable car and down via the tobaggon run. Michael assured us that even though there was a steady flow of bodies constantly bumping along, this was not the least crowded compared to Badaling. The weather I might add was spectacular. In the high 50's with a nice sunny sky. The atmosphere was very friendly. It felt like a big party or holiday, even though it was only Saturday and nothing special. There were many large tour groups wearing specific colored hats to identify themselves among the throngs. The guide carrying a flag was not enough.
What else can I say? The light was a bit washed out, but spectacular nevertheless. The trees had not started to bud yet and the land was barren and brown, craggy and harsh. I can't imagine enemies having to climb all the way up to the ridges and then scale the wall to invade. We had watched a PBS special on Netflix called Wild China and were surprised to hear that it used to have the reputation as being a graveyard because of all the people who died building it (slaves mostly). Now it has become a symbol for China.
It was a great day. Ariela was happy, Michael kept us having fun and moving along. Unfortunately it took us almost an hour to get through the line going down on the tobaggon run. It was great fun though. Along the winding path down there were guards dressed in Revolutionary uniforms screaming into uniforms "no photos" speed up, don't turn back to look, and any other things we could possibly be doing to slow the progress of getting the throngs of tourists off the wall. It was quite entertaining. Down in the parking lot we managed to buy 3 t-shirts "I climbed the great wall." and a Great Wall baseball cap at greatly reduced rates.
Since getting down took so long we had to rush past the Olympic Park - Bird's Nest and Water Cube en route to the Summer Palace. Traffic was already very heavy. Since Michael was taking a group of foreigners to a Kung Fu show we had to leave him at a subway stop and continue without him. After at least an hour we arrived at the Summer Palace only to be immersed in yet another throng of people. Think DISNEY only without the rides and steep entrance fee.
The summer palace is situated Northwest of Beijing on some lovely lakes surrounded by hills. It mainly dates back to the last Emperess Cixi who ruled from here before her demise. It is beautifully situated on many acres. The crowds were worse than at the Great Wall. As arranged by Michael, we were let off at the East Gate entrance and were sujpposed to be picked up by the North Gate in about 1.5 hours. We bought tickets to the grounds only since it didn't look like we'd be able to get inside any buildings anyway fighting the crowds.
By the time we got inside a strong wind had picked up and we were freezing. We'd left our coats in the car in the traffic and confusion of being dropped off. While the place is amazingly beautiful and interesting, the crowds were so thick we could hardly see where we were going. Yhr grounds were HUGE so we had to walk briskly along, following our map to get out the North Gate by 5:00. Once we got out there we couldn't find our guide, but thanks to our handy cell phone, we called Michael and he called the guide and we determined that we were not at the North Gate, even though we were at the gate that our map called the North Gate. We were at a smaller gate right down the street where the large tour busses let out, but eventually we managed to find each other.
It felt great to come home to our cozy, wonderful B&B where it was warm, quite and welcoming.
Beijing: The Forbidden City & Shopping
This morning it was about 45 degrees and raining. Felt like a Coyote Tracks day for those of you who are familiar with that mind-set. I wasn't looking forward to it but then thought of our coyote cub friends on Monday morning in the North Woods, cold and rain and decided that yes, indeed, I could wander around Beijing, figure out the subway in Chinese Characters, explain to cab drivers how to get where we wanted to go, and find a nice place to eat lunch too while carrying umbrella and avoiding puddles.
The hutong was much quieter due to rain. No one was out playing checkers. We got a cab quickly and as we got towards the Forbidden City the traffic was so horrendous I decided we'd get out and enter from the North Gate, which is usually where people come out. Otherwise we'd be sitting in the cab for an hour trying to get around to the front entrance. This turned out to be a great idea. We entered at the Imperial Garden which was blooming with weeping forsythia and cherry blossoms. As we made our way back towards the main entrance, we realized it was great to be going against the crowds. The rain did not deter the thousands and thousands of mostly Asian tour groups, all with their own distinctly identifying hats with a guide carrying a matching flag on a pole. These guides even have wireless headsets w/mikes. We ended up having a great time just watching the crowds.
One group even had one of the leaders go out and purchase dry socks, shoes and panda hats for some members of the group where apparently soaked. So there they were, inside the main gates of the Emperor's palace, sitting on the damp ground changing their shoes, wearing these hats that looked like Panda Bears. You will see the photos. We were also freezing cold and eventually found a souvenir stand where Ariela could get her own panda hat for $5.
Once outside we were at the famous Mao portrait at Tianamen Square and so managed to snap a few photos along with thousands of other people - I meant the crowds were amazing. But the atmosphere was so festive - everyone having a grand time. The young Asian tourists were posing in fashion poses in front of the monuments, laughing and joking with each other so it was infectious. The people watching was as good as the historical elements.
By then we were getting hungry so we headed back over to the Ancient Shopping Street. We wanted to tty out the Beijing Subway. It was pretty easy to figure out. The signs are in both Chinese & English and the announcements for the stations are in both languages. It is nice and clean. In fact, I couldn't believe how clean Beijing was. Never saw a piece of litter anywhere.
We found a very old restaurant that dated back to the middle ages. Hopefully you'll see some of those photos if I can get on a fast enough internet connection to upload. The food was amazingly good - the noodles home-made, portions large. It is always an adventure odering food - not sure what it's going to be like. Luckily prices are moderate enough that if we don't like a dish we can order something else. Ariela can eat a plate of about 30 dumplings in one sitting.
After stuffing our faces we went back to the hand-made shoe store and bought 5 pairs of shoes for about $75 total. Gary and Ariela each got one pair, and I bought 3. There were so many sales women, and no other customers, and the shoes ran about $15-18 each and were incredibly comfortable, with just the right kind of small heel that's good for my feet. So I decided to contribute to the local economy.
Took the subway back to our neighborhood. It was still a mile or so to our guesthouse. I didn't want to leave Beijing without riding in one of these little 3-wheeled stainless steel rickshaws. So we negotiated 10 Yuan for 2 people. Gary decided to walk. They were very small and we didn't want to pay for 2, although the price was less than $2. Off we buzzed. We were crammed in with the bags. These little vehicles are perfect for squeezing in between the cars in traffic jams and since it was rush hour we had fun watching the scenes.
Back in the Hutong it was nice and quite - a slow and gentle pace compared to the bustle and noise of the commercial streets. People chatting, children chasing each other, and cats observing street life from tile rooftops.
Angela had arranged for a cab to take us to the train station and we were allowed to relax in the lounge area and have some lovely jasmine green tea until it was time to leave.
Read more about THE NIGHT TRAIN TO XI'AN in the XIAN page.
The hutong was much quieter due to rain. No one was out playing checkers. We got a cab quickly and as we got towards the Forbidden City the traffic was so horrendous I decided we'd get out and enter from the North Gate, which is usually where people come out. Otherwise we'd be sitting in the cab for an hour trying to get around to the front entrance. This turned out to be a great idea. We entered at the Imperial Garden which was blooming with weeping forsythia and cherry blossoms. As we made our way back towards the main entrance, we realized it was great to be going against the crowds. The rain did not deter the thousands and thousands of mostly Asian tour groups, all with their own distinctly identifying hats with a guide carrying a matching flag on a pole. These guides even have wireless headsets w/mikes. We ended up having a great time just watching the crowds.
One group even had one of the leaders go out and purchase dry socks, shoes and panda hats for some members of the group where apparently soaked. So there they were, inside the main gates of the Emperor's palace, sitting on the damp ground changing their shoes, wearing these hats that looked like Panda Bears. You will see the photos. We were also freezing cold and eventually found a souvenir stand where Ariela could get her own panda hat for $5.
Once outside we were at the famous Mao portrait at Tianamen Square and so managed to snap a few photos along with thousands of other people - I meant the crowds were amazing. But the atmosphere was so festive - everyone having a grand time. The young Asian tourists were posing in fashion poses in front of the monuments, laughing and joking with each other so it was infectious. The people watching was as good as the historical elements.
By then we were getting hungry so we headed back over to the Ancient Shopping Street. We wanted to tty out the Beijing Subway. It was pretty easy to figure out. The signs are in both Chinese & English and the announcements for the stations are in both languages. It is nice and clean. In fact, I couldn't believe how clean Beijing was. Never saw a piece of litter anywhere.
We found a very old restaurant that dated back to the middle ages. Hopefully you'll see some of those photos if I can get on a fast enough internet connection to upload. The food was amazingly good - the noodles home-made, portions large. It is always an adventure odering food - not sure what it's going to be like. Luckily prices are moderate enough that if we don't like a dish we can order something else. Ariela can eat a plate of about 30 dumplings in one sitting.
After stuffing our faces we went back to the hand-made shoe store and bought 5 pairs of shoes for about $75 total. Gary and Ariela each got one pair, and I bought 3. There were so many sales women, and no other customers, and the shoes ran about $15-18 each and were incredibly comfortable, with just the right kind of small heel that's good for my feet. So I decided to contribute to the local economy.
Took the subway back to our neighborhood. It was still a mile or so to our guesthouse. I didn't want to leave Beijing without riding in one of these little 3-wheeled stainless steel rickshaws. So we negotiated 10 Yuan for 2 people. Gary decided to walk. They were very small and we didn't want to pay for 2, although the price was less than $2. Off we buzzed. We were crammed in with the bags. These little vehicles are perfect for squeezing in between the cars in traffic jams and since it was rush hour we had fun watching the scenes.
Back in the Hutong it was nice and quite - a slow and gentle pace compared to the bustle and noise of the commercial streets. People chatting, children chasing each other, and cats observing street life from tile rooftops.
Angela had arranged for a cab to take us to the train station and we were allowed to relax in the lounge area and have some lovely jasmine green tea until it was time to leave.
Read more about THE NIGHT TRAIN TO XI'AN in the XIAN page.
Beijing by Bike
This morning for breakfast in the Mao'er B&B we had spinich-egg drop soup, steamed buns and fried eggs served with a smile by Angela and her daughter who is about 12 and always eager to help. We then set off on foot for the Cycle China office where we hoped to join the 9:00am bike tour. Upon arrival we learned that they had run out of bikes and we'd have to come back a different day. Luckily I had printed out the rival bike tour company - Beijing Bicycles. Using our newly acquired SIM card for the cell phone, I called them and was told that we could do a private tour with them at 10:00am. They were located some distance away, through Jingshan Park, alongside the Forbidden City. So we set off walking and were lured into the park by a large throng of elderly Chinese people doing Qi Gong, clapping and chanting. Also was a group of women doing Tai Chi to taped music, and yet another group of seniors doing ribbon dancing, with long rainbow colored ribbons. Gary didn't want to join any of these activities but we enjoyed watching for a bit before climbing up to the pagoda for the city view. From there, the Forbidden City rooftops looked fantastic. The sprawl of Bejing was lost amidst the yellow dusty air. It was overcast and cool with rain in the forecast.
At the bike shop we were greeted by super friendly George and David who were eager to adjust our seats, and find the best bikes to fit our bodies. Our guide, David, was a gentle, caring young man who had studied mechanical engineering in College, and then taught English for a few years. He has now settled on being a tour guide by bike because it was a 'healthy way to live' by 'being oudoors most of the time and leaving a smaller carbon-footprint.'
The Beijing bike lanes are almost as wide as the car lanes, and often there is a barrier between them so you really don't have to worry so much about car traffic. The city is quite flat as well and signs are posted in English and Chinese. We pedalled around the Forbidden City first. The willow trees lining the moat were just budding their first tender green shoots. From there we rode past the National theater, which is shaped like a bird's egg, to accompany the "bird's Nest, built for the Olympics. After that, Tianamen Square, Mao's Tomb, and then along a very wide boulevard until we arrived at another historic hutong area.
The Hutong streets are narrow and crowded with pedestrian and small vehicle traffic. We visited an a few shops where they paint large chinese scroll paintings, shadow puppets, carved jade statues, calligraphy and stone jewelry. Gary found a musical instrument shop and looked at a few Pipa's (the Chinese Lute).
As we were getting ready to leave this area David stopped at a small restaurant and asked us if we wanted to try a special fermented green bean soup drink that elderly Chinese people enjoy. He explained that only a few shops in the ancient quarters still make this drink. So we decided to give it a try. Inside there was a sign on the wall explaining how it's good for digestion, and lowers cholesterol and moderates blood pressure. The shop was small and sparkling clean. We ordered one bowl for about 30 cents. It came with some pickled radish and a fried dough that did not look so healthy to me. We thought it tasted good, so David ordered one for himself, and another local Beijing snack that was some sort of fried chips with green vegetable in them. Not bad. Then a man came in and ordered a huge plate of steaming dumplings. We ordered one of those for about $1.50 - chopped cabbage, ginger and scallion. They were pretty good too. Our first Chinese dumplings in china. During this time the owner, who sat at a table smoking, started to ask questions about why Ariela looked Asian. When we explained about the adoption he said "Oh we were good people to do that, and she was a lucky girl." What I liked most about this place was the local people eating there were all friendly and chatting with one another, and included us in the conversation too.
After lunch we rode over to the Temple of Heaven. It was quite a long ride. A wind had picked up and at one stop light David asked if my hands were cold. When I said yes, he pulled out a pair of gloves for me. He then offered to call the office to have them deliver some warm clothes for us, but we thought we'd be OK. Ariela and Gary put on the rain ponchos they had provided to help cut the wind.
The Temple of Heaven was where the emperors used to come to pray to the god of heaven. When we visited there in 1994 it was 20 degrees outside and the trees were covered in heavy frost. Today, it wasn't so cold, but it was fun to remember our visit 15 years ago, and reflect on how much our lives have changed in that time. The Temple was packed with Chinese tour groups.
From here we rode back to the office, exhausted and happy to have our feet on the ground. When we left, the staff at Beijing Bicycle directed toward Wangfujing Shopping Street where we could find some camera shops to buy a battery charger for one of our cameras (seems we forgot to pack it). We headed in that direction and David soon caught up with us. He escorted into a shop and helped us bargain for the charger - got it down to half the price.
Next we wanted to get a cab over to the Dashilan pedestrian street that has a history dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). I had read an article online about this area and wanted to check it out. David wrote the directions for us in Chinese but we had a difficult time getting a cab. They weren't allowed to stop in this area. David stayed with us, and finally figured out where we had to go so the cabs could legally pull over. So he got in the cab with us because he wanted to make sure that we arrived safely at our destination. He then said goodbye and headed to the subway.
The ancient shopping street has a few memorable old shops. The Neiliansheng shoe shop has been selling hand-made cloth shoes for 150 years. It was here that the traditional black cloth shoes were invented as well as some beautifully embroidered silk slippers. The interior is beautifully maintained and the shoes are displayed in glass showcases with a sales clerk every 10 yards or so. The prices are very reasonable and we had fun trying some on. Gary bought a handmade wool felt cap.
We also wandered around the Ruifuxiang Silk Shop whic is the oldest cntinually operting silk shop in China, opened in 1893. Across from that is the Tong ren tang traditional chinese pharmacy that has been open since 1669. The founder became the Imperial Doctor for Emperor Kangxi during the Qing Dynasty. It is also in a traditionally restored architectural building. We wandered around, found some ATMs, bathroom and post office along with ginseng roots that sold for thousands of dollars. This lively area is now selling more modern versions of classic goods.
After walking several more miles (it seemed) to find the subway stop, we finally saw a cab pull up to drop off someone, and we jumped in, handed him the little map with directions to our B&B and then Gary proceeded to pull out our map and show the driver how to get there. It seemed a miracle that we got back to our cozy, warm and beautiful home after such a long and exciting day.
After a nice nap, hot bath and jasmine tea, we set off for dinner. We tried sichuan hot-pot style dinner that was delicious. Afterwards, strolling down the huton alley we passed a massage center. Since it was nicely decorated and a foot massage was only $5 for 30 minutes we decided to check it out. We ended up having just about every service possible for an hour and half. Lots of fun. Home at midnight, tired but re-energized and happier all around.
At the bike shop we were greeted by super friendly George and David who were eager to adjust our seats, and find the best bikes to fit our bodies. Our guide, David, was a gentle, caring young man who had studied mechanical engineering in College, and then taught English for a few years. He has now settled on being a tour guide by bike because it was a 'healthy way to live' by 'being oudoors most of the time and leaving a smaller carbon-footprint.'
The Beijing bike lanes are almost as wide as the car lanes, and often there is a barrier between them so you really don't have to worry so much about car traffic. The city is quite flat as well and signs are posted in English and Chinese. We pedalled around the Forbidden City first. The willow trees lining the moat were just budding their first tender green shoots. From there we rode past the National theater, which is shaped like a bird's egg, to accompany the "bird's Nest, built for the Olympics. After that, Tianamen Square, Mao's Tomb, and then along a very wide boulevard until we arrived at another historic hutong area.
The Hutong streets are narrow and crowded with pedestrian and small vehicle traffic. We visited an a few shops where they paint large chinese scroll paintings, shadow puppets, carved jade statues, calligraphy and stone jewelry. Gary found a musical instrument shop and looked at a few Pipa's (the Chinese Lute).
As we were getting ready to leave this area David stopped at a small restaurant and asked us if we wanted to try a special fermented green bean soup drink that elderly Chinese people enjoy. He explained that only a few shops in the ancient quarters still make this drink. So we decided to give it a try. Inside there was a sign on the wall explaining how it's good for digestion, and lowers cholesterol and moderates blood pressure. The shop was small and sparkling clean. We ordered one bowl for about 30 cents. It came with some pickled radish and a fried dough that did not look so healthy to me. We thought it tasted good, so David ordered one for himself, and another local Beijing snack that was some sort of fried chips with green vegetable in them. Not bad. Then a man came in and ordered a huge plate of steaming dumplings. We ordered one of those for about $1.50 - chopped cabbage, ginger and scallion. They were pretty good too. Our first Chinese dumplings in china. During this time the owner, who sat at a table smoking, started to ask questions about why Ariela looked Asian. When we explained about the adoption he said "Oh we were good people to do that, and she was a lucky girl." What I liked most about this place was the local people eating there were all friendly and chatting with one another, and included us in the conversation too.
After lunch we rode over to the Temple of Heaven. It was quite a long ride. A wind had picked up and at one stop light David asked if my hands were cold. When I said yes, he pulled out a pair of gloves for me. He then offered to call the office to have them deliver some warm clothes for us, but we thought we'd be OK. Ariela and Gary put on the rain ponchos they had provided to help cut the wind.
The Temple of Heaven was where the emperors used to come to pray to the god of heaven. When we visited there in 1994 it was 20 degrees outside and the trees were covered in heavy frost. Today, it wasn't so cold, but it was fun to remember our visit 15 years ago, and reflect on how much our lives have changed in that time. The Temple was packed with Chinese tour groups.
From here we rode back to the office, exhausted and happy to have our feet on the ground. When we left, the staff at Beijing Bicycle directed toward Wangfujing Shopping Street where we could find some camera shops to buy a battery charger for one of our cameras (seems we forgot to pack it). We headed in that direction and David soon caught up with us. He escorted into a shop and helped us bargain for the charger - got it down to half the price.
Next we wanted to get a cab over to the Dashilan pedestrian street that has a history dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). I had read an article online about this area and wanted to check it out. David wrote the directions for us in Chinese but we had a difficult time getting a cab. They weren't allowed to stop in this area. David stayed with us, and finally figured out where we had to go so the cabs could legally pull over. So he got in the cab with us because he wanted to make sure that we arrived safely at our destination. He then said goodbye and headed to the subway.
The ancient shopping street has a few memorable old shops. The Neiliansheng shoe shop has been selling hand-made cloth shoes for 150 years. It was here that the traditional black cloth shoes were invented as well as some beautifully embroidered silk slippers. The interior is beautifully maintained and the shoes are displayed in glass showcases with a sales clerk every 10 yards or so. The prices are very reasonable and we had fun trying some on. Gary bought a handmade wool felt cap.
We also wandered around the Ruifuxiang Silk Shop whic is the oldest cntinually operting silk shop in China, opened in 1893. Across from that is the Tong ren tang traditional chinese pharmacy that has been open since 1669. The founder became the Imperial Doctor for Emperor Kangxi during the Qing Dynasty. It is also in a traditionally restored architectural building. We wandered around, found some ATMs, bathroom and post office along with ginseng roots that sold for thousands of dollars. This lively area is now selling more modern versions of classic goods.
After walking several more miles (it seemed) to find the subway stop, we finally saw a cab pull up to drop off someone, and we jumped in, handed him the little map with directions to our B&B and then Gary proceeded to pull out our map and show the driver how to get there. It seemed a miracle that we got back to our cozy, warm and beautiful home after such a long and exciting day.
After a nice nap, hot bath and jasmine tea, we set off for dinner. We tried sichuan hot-pot style dinner that was delicious. Afterwards, strolling down the huton alley we passed a massage center. Since it was nicely decorated and a foot massage was only $5 for 30 minutes we decided to check it out. We ended up having just about every service possible for an hour and half. Lots of fun. Home at midnight, tired but re-energized and happier all around.
Back Lakes Area - Beijing
The B&B is located in an area that should be considered like SoHo or the Village in NYC. It's where the young & trendy Chinese like to come and hang out. The areas is called the Back Lakes because it falls along the shores of a series of lakes with arched bridges. We spent our first evening wandering along the lake edges as the sun went down and the neon lights came out.
Although we struggled with jet-lag and orientation (how much is the money worth and how to ask simple questions), it was a great way to spend our first evening. Ariela & I took a rickshaw ride/tour through a different Hutong and around one of the lakes. It was perfect. Families were coming home from work in the hutongs, and children were running around playing. We marvelled at all the varieties of bikes and small motorized vehicles that transport folks from one area to the next.
A fun thing is that the bars along the lakefront have actual stuffed sofas out on the sidewalks for maximum outdoor people-watching. We didn't dare sit down for a drink lest we fall immediately asleep.
After the rickshaw tour we headed back to our Hutong and discovered another alley full of lots of fun boutique shops and restaurants with inviting atmosphere. Many tea houses as well. See the pix.
Although we struggled with jet-lag and orientation (how much is the money worth and how to ask simple questions), it was a great way to spend our first evening. Ariela & I took a rickshaw ride/tour through a different Hutong and around one of the lakes. It was perfect. Families were coming home from work in the hutongs, and children were running around playing. We marvelled at all the varieties of bikes and small motorized vehicles that transport folks from one area to the next.
A fun thing is that the bars along the lakefront have actual stuffed sofas out on the sidewalks for maximum outdoor people-watching. We didn't dare sit down for a drink lest we fall immediately asleep.
After the rickshaw tour we headed back to our Hutong and discovered another alley full of lots of fun boutique shops and restaurants with inviting atmosphere. Many tea houses as well. See the pix.
Beijing
We had a fantastic trip so far! For starters, we flew out of Newark on Continental. The airport was so much nicer than JFK or La Guardia, and security was much easier, so we had a smooth take-off. The flight wasn't full so we had room to stretch out and nap and watch as many movies as we could absorb in the 14 hours it took to fly over the North Pole, Russia, Siberia, Mongolia and then land in Beijing. The Beijing airport was huge, sparkling with newness, and easy to get through. I felt like I was inside the Bird's Nest. We made it through the body heat sensors and quarantine area without a hitch.
Our hostess - Angela, from Mao'er B&B was waiting with a sign as we came through customs. She led us straight to an ATM machine that had no line, and then to the parking garage where a driver was waiting in a comfortable land rover type vehicle. What struck me immediately were all the BMW and Mercedes Benz cars parked in the lot. Every car was beautiful, and shining new. Their drivers were hanging around nearby. When we were here 15 years ago, there only rattle-trap clunkers serving as cabs. Driving into town, we could have been on any modern highway, anywhere in the world except that the street signs were all in characters. Hmm. No wonder foreigners aren't allowed to rent cars.
When I was making a reservation for Beijing, I wanted somthing that would give us a real "chinese" experience. I don't care for chain hotels. So I searched extensively on the web for a small, courtyard style guest house that would be a great place to end up after a long flight. The Mao'er did not let us down. It is located in what's called a Hutong, in an historic part of town near the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, just north of the Forbidden City. Hutongs are walled in neighborhoods that consist of tiny, winding alleys that are accessed through one main street. They are the real feel of China. But these old neighborhoods are quickly being demolished for modernization. This particular area is now designated as historic and there is supposed to be a limit to what can be knocked down.
The Mao-Er B&B consists of 4 guest rooms situated around an inner courtyard. There are also other rooms - kitchen, lounge, patio with swing, breakfast room, office, computer room, living room with TV and the staff rooms. It has a more personal feeling than even a small hotel. Angela's uncle has a woodcarving workshop and they carved all of the furniture by hand. The style is Ming Dynasty. It took them six months to carve our bed. It is solid teak or rosewood. Ariela said that she feels like Padme from Star Wars, sitting on her royal throne. This courtyard style home was rennovated 5 years ago and the interior is completely modernized and well designed while maintaining the Ming Dynasty decor. Our rooms were even better than the website photos. We have a suite of 3 rooms - sitting room w/bed, living room with tea-making set-up, bedroom and full bath.
Our hostess - Angela, from Mao'er B&B was waiting with a sign as we came through customs. She led us straight to an ATM machine that had no line, and then to the parking garage where a driver was waiting in a comfortable land rover type vehicle. What struck me immediately were all the BMW and Mercedes Benz cars parked in the lot. Every car was beautiful, and shining new. Their drivers were hanging around nearby. When we were here 15 years ago, there only rattle-trap clunkers serving as cabs. Driving into town, we could have been on any modern highway, anywhere in the world except that the street signs were all in characters. Hmm. No wonder foreigners aren't allowed to rent cars.
When I was making a reservation for Beijing, I wanted somthing that would give us a real "chinese" experience. I don't care for chain hotels. So I searched extensively on the web for a small, courtyard style guest house that would be a great place to end up after a long flight. The Mao'er did not let us down. It is located in what's called a Hutong, in an historic part of town near the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, just north of the Forbidden City. Hutongs are walled in neighborhoods that consist of tiny, winding alleys that are accessed through one main street. They are the real feel of China. But these old neighborhoods are quickly being demolished for modernization. This particular area is now designated as historic and there is supposed to be a limit to what can be knocked down.
The Mao-Er B&B consists of 4 guest rooms situated around an inner courtyard. There are also other rooms - kitchen, lounge, patio with swing, breakfast room, office, computer room, living room with TV and the staff rooms. It has a more personal feeling than even a small hotel. Angela's uncle has a woodcarving workshop and they carved all of the furniture by hand. The style is Ming Dynasty. It took them six months to carve our bed. It is solid teak or rosewood. Ariela said that she feels like Padme from Star Wars, sitting on her royal throne. This courtyard style home was rennovated 5 years ago and the interior is completely modernized and well designed while maintaining the Ming Dynasty decor. Our rooms were even better than the website photos. We have a suite of 3 rooms - sitting room w/bed, living room with tea-making set-up, bedroom and full bath.
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