Overnight in Beijing

Beijing


DAY ONE
Disembarking: This was much more organized than our last experience as we waited in the Cabaret Lounge until we were called to go to Chinese health inspection and our tour bus. We were given a copy of our passport with Chinese immigration stamp and this is what we carried everywhere in China. The health inspection involved a questionnaire designed to see if we had any form of flu and then as we went through the terminal, which was huge and appeared to be totally empty including a gorgeous fountain that looked like it was never used, we passed a device “personed” by a woman who never looked up. This was the thermal scan. We heard that in the afternoon on Day Two, everyone on the ship was ordered off to undergo this scan. No one knew why this odd requirement. One person speculated that it was designed to elicit more “gifts” whereupon her husband said “That’s just speculation.” This lady is often very sure of her opinions so maybe he felt the need to soften her remarks.
Our tour bus was fairly comfortable as things go; it was fairly new certainly by our familiarity with Chinese standards. Mr. Wong, our driver, is one of those impossible-to-date men who was a very safe but competent Chinese driver. Those who know Chinese traffic will understand perfectly. Our tour guide, who learned her English in school, was Xi Fei or “Phyllis”, a woman of somewhere in her 30s, who was very efficient as most of the Chinese seem to be. They move amazing numbers of people smoothly and with comparative speed.
A few examples of Chinese efficiency: We were given the opportunity to purchase things on the bus such as a “chop” (the Chinese signature) and a book with the photo of us as a “family” (more later). We were given specifics on the bus including examples and then could give our order. These finished products were delivered to our bus where Xi Fei collected the money in whatever currency you had available. One lady was interested in a comforter and Xi Fei went to great effort to get the information since we would not be stopping any place where this would be possible. She even offered to go to the wholesale factory with her by cab in the evening. In the end, the lady decided not to do it. There are many other examples but overall, you feel very cared for.
So finally we were off after waiting overly long for several people to filter in. Eventually we left without two people. No one could find them. They appeared later and were sent to catch up with our bus by cab. We don’t know the details and as you can imagine, we were all ready for blood by this time. The women came on and one was using a cane and was very apologetic so that mollified most of us. So finally we (thought) we were on our way and then we got stuck in a wreck at an intersection between a city bus and a huge truck. Now we are really amazed that they don’t have more wrecks considering the density of traffic here and how people play this game of chicken. Finally the police came but unlike what we are used to, they didn’t seem concerned to move traffic along. Eventually Mr. Wong was able to skirt around all this mess and we made our way out of this city.
Xingang
This is a very busy port city of 400,000 people who live in a very dense environment with lots of construction and dust everywhere. It still shows more of the old than Beijing does these days (at least what we saw: more later of course).
Vehicles
We saw almost no rust buckets on the road. What cars we saw were in good mechanical and physical condition. There were bicycles, none of which looked like they had been purchased in the last 10 years, and some of them had little putt putt motors on them. There were more scooters and they were more recent in origin than we saw 9 years ago. And the number of push carts were few though we did see them. Clearly China kept it’s resolve to be ready for the Olympics; one of the venues (I’ve forgotten which one) was in Xingang.
Xingang to Beijing
We were told (variously) that this was a 2 - 3.5 hr drive. Because of all of our “challenges”, it took us 4 hours. All along the freeway, we saw trees of various sizes. We were told this is a tree nursery. China has experienced severe dust storms (in fact, Beijing had one the day before we got there) and they believe it is because over the years, trees have been cut down. So in many areas—we saw this especially at the Great Wall—you will see terraces of trees of various kinds. There is a bullet train between Xingang and Beijing and we were curious as to why we didn’t travel that way since it takes about 25 min. We saw this train go whizzing by and it is FAST. It seems that, much like flying from LA to many other places, by the time you get to the airport, etc etc etc, you can drive it. We did have a dust storm across the highway for part of the trip but it didn’t last and it was mild.
Water: we were advised to drink lots of water and it was available to purchase on the bus compliments of Mr. Wong. The price wasn’t designed to make him rich: 2 bottles for $1 USD. Xi Fei warned us that Beijing is very dry. She wasn’t kidding: our fingers were roughened very quickly and we were all slathering hand lotion at every opportunity. When we got back to the ship, I made liberal use of Ed’s Gold Bond “healing” lotion.
Squat toilets: Ok ladies. When you find a Western toilet, it will have the longest line. Many ladies clearly could not have dealt with this uniquely Asian facility. I chose them as an excuse to keep my thighs in better shape. I often found I had faced in the wrong direction but this caused on problems. And anatomically and physiologically, this is a much better position for women to use for evacuating any bodily rejects. None of these toilets were as primitive as I sometimes experienced in 200. For example, I never had to find a dipper and flush the device with water contributed in this fashion. We were not told not to put the tissue in the device but there was a little trash can in almost all of the stalls. And now I’m here to brag to you, Ed got a photo of the plaque to back me up, that I have used a four star squat toilet (in the Forbidden City). Why was it four star? I can only assume because it had an automatic flush!
Weather
Ok folks: it was (as I overheard one video recorder say as he scanned an open space) “bitterly cold.” It got better in the afternoons but I never felt warm enough even with 2 T-shirts and three coats (warm up suit jacket, leather jacket, and lined safari style jacket. I used a cover of some kind on my head (hoodie for example) and then wrapped a shawl over my head. My feet never got cold and my hands never got warm.
The temps were in the high 30s to probably the 50s at some point. But the wind was fierce in many areas. BUT the sky was clear as a bell, something I never thought would be possible in Beijing. And for that, both Ed and I agreed, it was worth the cold and wind.
Language: We found more people spoke English and they spoke it very well. This was true everywhere we went though the guide still would hover over us to be sure we could get what we wanted. We do recall that some high official declared that everyone would speak English by the time of the Olympics and while it may not be everyone, it is a substantial amount and it is spoken very well and easily understood for the most part.
Round eyes: When we were in China in 2001, people would frankly stop and stare at you. They would also approach you to speak English with you. Neither of those things happened this time. I think the Olympics made a big difference in that way.
Fu lions: Ok so now I understand (I think). The female lion has a cub or something under her left paw and she is usually situated on the left side as you enter a building. The male has a ball (orb: the world) under his right paw and he is on the right as you face the door.
Lunch
We entered a huge glass door that was left open against the cold and the wind. The clerks were bundled up in the warmest quilted coats around. We were herded through what is a jade factory. First came the rows of workers preparing the jade at various stages. Then we were routed to a different room where we were taught the way to tell real jade from fake: use a coin to hit it. It should have a ring to it. And look at it with a back light: it should have visible flaws in it. Then we were trooped through these enormous show rooms with every imaginable form of jade carvings and jewelry one could envision. Eventually, at the end of this hike (some folks got lost trying to get back out), we arrived at our tables with the round lazy susans you all know from Chinese restaurants. There was a menu in English but some of it was just on faith. They served only about 5 Tbsp. of soy sauce for the whole table (they seem surprised that we ask for it) and then the folks nearest the foods began to load up. Many seemed to feel they might never eat again though clearly this isn’t a problem and further, many could afford to miss a meal or two. Still we managed to get through the repast. No diet drinks. There was green tea and large 2 liter bottles of Coke and 7up. You could also have a local beer; none of the latter were at an additional charge either.
So then, of course, the purpose was to get us to buy. The prices would take your breath away. A small jade pendant could START at $150 USD. Forget about any bargains here and I didn’t see much buying going on but one couple did buy a substantial sized piece which probably took half their retirement to fund.
I wandered to the freezer room where we first came in and found a tchokis (sp) that I thought was fun. It was $10 USD which was more than I was willing to pay for something that isn’t needed and will be a challenge to get home. There was a color I wanted and they didn’t have any back up. Since the demo copy has a flaw I will have to fix, I asked if they could discount it. The price became $9 and when I turned she said $8. I figured that was OK though I probably could have gotten it cheaper so I got it. You could also purchase it with USD and that was really a big plus for me. They had some cloisonné that tempted me, but the prices weren’t good enough for something I might not wear and wasn’t sure who else would enjoy having one. I decided that room is kept so cold to discourage you from lingering there.
Great Wall
We didn’t return to Badaling, the site we visited in 2001. Instead we were taken to another area, Jong something, which has just been restored. I know will describe the Badaling site as the site for Wusses as this wall was what you expect. This part of the wall is 4000 miles long but the total of the wall is 30,000 miles overall. I really don’t know where to start with this narrative. We were told the easier side was to the right; the more difficult to the left. So we decided that we would tackle the right side quickly and then go to the difficult side; we had only a little over an hour for this trek.
I’ll fill in the middle of this story in a minute, but Ed and I climbed up past the tower (they are 1 km apart) and paid a small feel to have our photo taken and put on a certificate (actually a very thick credit card size) that says we have a Hero Certificate because we climbed so high. I didn’t count the steps. One fellow said later that he had counted 320 steps one way for the part that he went up; I don’t know if he went as far as we did or not but I’d bet my life he certainly didn’t go further from looking at his condition. This is not counting the more level areas in between these steps.
The steps are definitely not standardized. I used my fingerspan to measure one high step and it was at least 1-2” higher than my finger span. Some were as small as 1-2” and these were all mixed up so that one couldn’t plan on what to deal with next. There was a handrail in some places but it was spaced at about my midthigh level which helped but not much. Thank God for the cold weather and the wind because we definitely could not have done this in hot muggy weather.
So we trudged up….and up….and up. We were told about half way down that if we went up beyond the first tower, for $7 we could get the hero certificate. So upwards we kept going. We saw many other passengers and many locals of all ages, including teens and young kids, who were struggling to make it up as well. There was one very serious little 3 y/o who was going for broke though and she was already about half way up. I missed getting the photo of her with her little wispy goats tails and that severe expression on her face as she mounted these giant steps.
We did make it to get our certificate. They took a photo of us together (I look like my Lisa in it) and it went onto a credit card style card. I found out later that one of the tour guides offered them to the people on her bus for $6 and there were no criteria for having climbed even one step. No fair! Foul!
The photos from up there are spectacular. It reminded of Holmenkolen in Oslo: their ski jump. The angle was at least 45 degrees in most places. It’s amazing how the ancient ones made this much less traversed it daily.
We eventually came down. My depth perception isn’t too hot and there were shadows as it was late afternoon by now, so I clung to the midget sized rail and inched my way down. I was surprised to find my knees not liking this at all. Breathing was rarely a problem; I was right behind someone slower than me so I did OK as I waited on them. Today on the ship, many folks were complaining about their thighs really being sore. I haven’t heard a word from Ed and I’m doing just fine; you’d never know I’d been climbing steep places at all. I guess all the stair climbing on the ship is paying off.
Olympic Green
This was our next stop along with several million more visitors. You simply cannot appreciate the footprint of the Olympic site by seeing it in photographs. It is immense. The bird’s nest is even more impressive up close; they took out 30,000 seats and it still holds 60,000 people. The ice cube only holds 6,000 after the temporary seats were removed but the space is taking up by a lot of water surface.
City Wall Hotel (Marriott)
We all thought we had hit the lap of luxury. How can we get rooms like this at the same rate they must have paid for all of us to stay here? The beds were truly luxurious. One lady was going to fill the tub and simply stay there all night long. We had been warned not to drink the tap water but there was a tea kettle (once you “discovered” it in a drawer) and we boiled water and left it to cool in glasses so we’d have plenty to drink. They left two 300 ml bottles for brushing your teeth. They had plush houserobes and slippers for use and Ed checked out the TV which had most of the channels we see on the ship; I didn’t hear any Chinese so I presume he didn’t try that side of the scale. Our view was to the large boulevard in front of the hotel.
One man shut the bathroom door which was a pocket door. The whole room is dark wood and mirrors. The wife got up in the night and was feeling along the wall and couldn’t find the restroom. One guy said he was in a hotel one night and woke up to use the restroom and he found himself out in the corridor before he realized that he wasn’t at his own home. Fortunately, he didn’t shut the door behind himself.
Buffet dinner
There was a separate ballroom set aside for all of us and the buffet was a modified Chinese/Western diet. Everything was good and we were glad for the water. We went to bed shortly after all this as we had an early wake up the next day.
DAY TWO
Breakfast
We packed up and headed for the Bistro where I suppose all the guests get a complimentary breakfast since they weren’t checking us and we did not have a slip to surrender. There were several stations and you could have a traditional Western breakfast or many Chinese dishes. Some of you may recall “the vegetable” we all enjoyed so much in China. I haven’t found it yet though the bok choy is really good. I’m enjoying the various teas they offer with meals since I’m not drinking sodas much anymore and the beer doesn’t interest me.
We had scales in our rooms which some of us used. Ed and I are the same weight as when we left LA or at least within a pound or two. So a fellow, pretty slim actually, comes onto the bus and asks us what the conversion was for kilograms (since that’s what the scale used) to pounds. We told him 2.2 pounds = 1 kilo. Oh, he says in a obviously subdued tone, well that’s a little better. He thought the conversion was 2.6!
Tian’anmen Square (Heavenly Peace Gate), tower
This was our first stop where our guide gave us much of the history. She didn’t mention the confrontation here and mercifully none of the passengers did either. She did say that Chairman Mao made many mistakes but went on to praise him, though rather modestly. At one point we had a “family” picture. As we have been spending so much time together, we are now considered “family”. We decided to get it since it is a part of a larger book with many photos we wanted anyway and some narrative. When we got it back, Ed picked up on something really unique about how it was done. As you look at the group, the gate to the Forbidden City is perfectly placed. But so is someone in the back row! Right between Ed and another tall fellow in the back row, Chairman Mao is also shown! They had perfectly placed us so that the photo of Mao looks almost as if he were standing among us. Mao’s tomb, with lines that mean waiting for 2 hrs to get into to see his body preserved under glass, and the Great Hall of the People where there national meetings are held once a year.
Forbidden City
Last time we were here, we walked from our hotel to Tiananmen Square and then through the Forbidden City and on up a hill beyond that. This time, our bus drove us to the fourth gate which is considerably closer into the City. This is a space of over 250 acres of pavilions and courtyards surrounded by 25 ft high walls. While the traditional story is that there are 9,999 ½ rooms (only God could have 10,000 rooms), in reality there are over 1200. One goes through a number of gates as you progress through the grounds with lovely buildings which you can often peek into. One had a throne room, one where folks slept, and so on. The roofs have animals and dragons to keep the evil spirits away and in recent years a lightening rod has been added to the end of the dragons’ heads. Some parts of it have been restored and there the colors are bright and elaborate. The carvings are elaborate and are everywhere. I can’t wait to get home and dig out our photos from our last visit to see how things have changed, because there is so much change in Beijing and China itself since our 2001 visit.
Peking Duck lunch
We heard details of how the ducks are raised (fed a lot four times a day) and are killed at 56 days of age. Then they go through an elaborate process to produce a crispy skin. Then it is sliced into over 120 slices. That’s one duck but in the old days they were got even thinner, and thus more numerous slices. We had many different dishes here as well. It was nice to sample them and not feel guilty if you didn’t like it. One lady didn’t like “black fungus”/mushrooms so the rest of us enjoyed the extra which included some great bok choy. We had our choice of water, beer and sodas in 2 liter bottles. Each of our places also had a swe et fruity drink and we were told it was rice wine! It had no alcoholic quality to it.
There were a share of “mystery foods” because even though we had a menu to check, and it was in English, we often couldn’t tell what name went with what was in the dish. Still it was a good experience that was enjoyed by all. At the end, one fellow (seriously) wanted to know where the fortune cookies were.
Temple of Heaven
The walk to this place took us through some breezeways on some old buildings where we saw many natives playing cards, dancing various ethnic dances (including costumes), playing some games that looked a lot like hacky sack. You get the picture: lots of people all busy exercising in various ways.
This area is where the Emperor came twice a year to pray for a good harvest. We were not able to go inside but the outside has recently been restored and it is truly resplendent. Again, large areas and lots of carved staircases. We made our way slowly back to the bus through a park like setting with people enjoying the good weather.
Architecture
I can’t leave this experience without telling you about the architecture and here I don’t refer to the old architecture. You have seen the Bird’s Nest and the Ice Cube on TV and probably also the building made like a dragon. But there is so much more clearly recent buildings that show a terrific variety of creative architectural styles. Ed said it reminded him of Shanghai but it is more diverse than even Shanghai. I often thought of Dubai as I was gawking at these incredible edifices. You found yourself simply agog at it all.
Back to Xingang & ship
So then we were off fighting Beijing rush hour traffic and learning more about Chinese culture from our guide. The ride back was pretty similar to our ride out and we stopped for a washroom stop again where folks went in to buy cookies since they knew that they accepted USD. We barely made it back to the ship by our deadline and as we had been all day, we were the last bus. We zipped through a gauntlet of Chinese officials including one to whom we had to show the copy of our passport with the Chinese immigration stamp. I thought we’d have to surrender this but we were allowed to keep it. So I’ll use that one as my copy to carry with me while we are ashore in the future.
Dinner
Our table was full but there were only a handful of people in the dining room. Norm and Lynn had been in Beijing with our tour and the others had done some day tours in Tianjing. When I was discussing architecture with Warrick, he said they asked their guide who the architects were for all the new buildings which had no Chinese quality at all. She said that they had a school of architecture at their local university and so the architects are all native Chinese. I guess as foreigners, we were a little disappointed that their native trained architects are adopting the Western orientation for their projects.
As we have all gotten to know each other, we have become much more comfortable and there’s lots of chuckling and sharing of funny stories. This always includes interesting little tid bits that reveal the differences and the similarities in our nations.
Entertainment: this was just the ship’s band playing dance music, so we passed. Instead we watched the movie Old Dogs with John Travolta and Robin Williams. I enjoy both of them so much and it was cute but I’m not sure a highly recommendable movie.