So off we went looking for warm clothes (jacket, scarf and hat for Davis and hat and scarf for me – I borrowed some mittens). After two days of wandering the streets of Shanghai (shopping, sight-seeing and eating) it was off to Beijing on a shore excursion.
There were 60 of us who boarded the train at 7:30 pm for an all-night ride to the capital of China, Beijing. It was lots of fun, squeezing eight of us into our room for wine and cheese (compliments of Dana) and then trying to sleep in the hot and stuffy cabins.
Upon arrival in Beijing we immediately noticed a further drop in temperature (close to freezing). So prior to starting our first tour many folks were seen “haggling” over prices for hats, gloves and scarves. Davis bought a pair of gloves for just over two dollars.
As we toured the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square it became obvious that we still were not prepared for the damp cold. A hot lunch warmed us up somewhat but that afternoon at the Summer Palace we were still ‘feeling the cold’.
That night Davis and I figured out that we needed a second layer on our legs as well as a layer or two more on our upper body. The next day we were prepared as we wore our pyjama bottoms underneath our pants and added a couple of layers for the top. Of course it snowed which actually proved somewhat warmer than the first day.
We were more than prepared for our hike up the Great Wall as we quickly warmed up with the climb! It was amazing even though our view was limited by the snow and overcast day. Davis even skateboarded on the Great Wall (a student had brought her skateboard with her)! The afternoon we finished up by walking down the “Sacred Walk” and visiting The Ming Tombs. Another great day, especially as we were prepared for the cold!
Our last day in Beijing was sunny and ‘chillin’! We toured the Temple of Heaven and Hutong (old part of Beijing). Once again we were prepared for the penetrating breeze and our ride on the bicycle pedicab. We finished our tour of Beijing by shopping in the very warm Pearl Market. Then it was back to the train for our overnight trip back to Shanghai and an even warmer night in our sleeper cabin! All-in-all a very ‘chillin’ experience!
‘Hot’ – slang for ‘lots happening’ – I guess I had heard that China was growing and modernizing at an amazing rate but I was not expecting so much to ‘be happening’. One of the guides joked that the national bird of China was the crane, the building crane that is so prevalent on the tops of buildings.
There is so much construction and development going on much of it in preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The infrastructure (i.e. roads, transportation, tourist facilities and so on) seems quite developed.
Cars are everywhere as are bikes and still a few “rickshaws” (either motorized or bicycle powered). Air pollution is quite obvious although we’ve been fortunate to see blue sky from time to time. Multinational corporations are also prevalent (from McDonalds and Starbucks to telecommunications and other global companies).
Tourism appears to be booming although we are in the low season. Street vendors are everywhere and are quite aggressive at times. The Chinese have discovered the joy of travel and can be found in large numbers at various tourist sights.
It’s been an exciting port with ‘lots happening’! Some highlights include: The Great Wall, negotiating over prices, The Legend of Kung Fu show, going into the home of a Chinese family in Beijing, riding the bicycle pedicab, the Drum Tower, the Forbidden City, the Sacred Walk at the Ming Tombs, Temple of Heaven, a Chinese Opera, the train ride to and from Beijing, the foot massage, the Chinese food, the silk factory, walking the Bund and the streets of Shanghai and, and, and!
China is definitely ‘chillin’ and ‘hot’!
Ken
P.S. Stay tuned for an update from Davis!
No comments:
Post a Comment