Day 2 was not as adventurous as Day 1 but I think I walked a hundred miles! At least my feet felt like that. I just wandered about Beijing and discovered that it is a BIG place. Along the way I stumbled upon the Hutongs. I had read about these areas where row after row of small shanties are joined by rough concrete or stone walls to enclose them into a sort of usable rugged courtyard to give the families that live there more space. Here you see laundry hanging or rusted old refrigerators, more like ice boxes really, signs of simple day to living. maybe a step up from a homeless shanty but that's is probably not being accurate or fair. This is their home in a place where land is overcrowded and inaccessible to many. I watched two old men playing a boardgame with what speared to be large wooden handmade checkers.
I watched an old man, appeared to be in at least his 80's, struggling to pedal a type of rickshaw bike with a little old lady, not much different in age in the back clutching a yellow bag of groceries. I wondered if they were a couple out doing some shopping and this was their mode of transportation. Or if this was his job, sort of like a taxi. I watched the strain of the exertion on his weathered face.
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| Grocery shopping? |
I continued to walk. I discovered a cool street with shop after shop of the most beautiful papers, paints, brushes. On the wall hung beautiful Chinese watercolour paintings. Of course I had to get a few things there. I couldn't read the labels and I couldn't speak to the sales person because they spoke no English but I think the paints are tubes of watercolours. Gerry, this would be the kind of place we would browse for hours. I even picked up a set for my budding artist Sophie who loves to paint live Gammy.
I stopped for tea at an authentic Chinese tea house where I sipped sweet jasmine tea and nibbled delicious crunchy walnut cookies. Yummy. I imagined sipping tea with Kris, you would love it. Imagine the feeling of sipping green tea in something that is combination of Starbucks without the people and a spa without the pedicure. And the most beautiful tea sets, if it wasn't such a hassle I would bring a couple back.
From there I took a cab to the Silk Street market which is really a huge department store or mall with 6 floors of every kind of clothing, shoes, handbags you can imagine where you barter aggressively. I got a couple of good bargains here. Cynthia, you would love this place!
Next I had to stop for tea and a blueberry Danish at Starbucks.... No blueberry scones but the Danish was awesome, I could charge my phone, and my feet needed a rest!
From there on the Wanfujing which is a modern shopping area like you would see anywhere with all the common stores like Gap and H&M plus all the big designer names.
I just passed through this place and decided I would walk back to Tiananmen Square for a few more pictures but when I got there everything was blocked off and cordoned off and people everywhere. I wondered what big deal was going on and noticed I was the only non-Asian there. In fact young girls would come up to me and talk to me and ask me if I wanted to go get something to eat with them. I thought it was weird but then remembered reading they do that to practise taking English. I waited for a while and then learned that the head of state (not sure what he would be called) of Ukraine was there and they were having some big deal thing. I wasn't particularly interested in the Ukraine so I left. But all the streets were blocked off and I couldn't get a cab so walked forever and eventually took a rickshaw the rest of the way.
Overall, I spent a lot of time walking and get ripped off by cab drivers and even the rickshaw driver, but it's all part of the experience!
So, off to the Great Wall tomorrow!
Have a good day, or night or whatever it is.
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| People gather to catch a glimpse of their leader and visiting dignitaries in front of the national Museum of China across from Tiananmen Square. |
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| Sunsetting over the monument in Tiananmen Square. |
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