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.
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