THE GREAT HAUL
11/26: The day started very early as we both woke up at 3:00 am and could not go back to sleep! On our way to breakfast we were greeted by the hotel staff hoisting Santa and his reindeer over the hotel lobby! Some poor guy had to hold onto a rope that kept Santa airborne while another guy tied him up. They clearly need a Home Depot here as modern tools seem to be lacking! After breakfast we walked around Beijing University which is right behind our hotel. It was 7:30 on a Saturday morning and the University was hopping with students going to classes! However, it was the "health club" that impressed us the most! Essentially, it was an outdoor metal jungle gym for adults - no kidding! We had to stop and stare at the people exercising on the "equipment," but that quickly changed as they watched and laughed at Rich attempting to use the equipment! Completely fascinating to see all the people out exercising -- everything from tai chi with swords to basketball!
Next began our day of capitalism. First stop: the jade factory. Second stop: the pearl factory. Third stop: the cloissone factory. And, oh yeah, the Great Wall! While the factories are interesting, we both felt that we would have gladly given up the shopping in order to actually experience China! Here we are, halfway around the world, in a country that is completely steeped in tradition and history and where are we? Shopping. *SIGH*
I now understand why the agency made us take a CPR class - it had nothing to do with Eleanor -- no, they knew we would be climbing up the Great Wall! For those of you that have done it, you know what I mean! I do not think I can adequately describe the experience! Suffice to say that there were only 5 of us from our group that made it to the top tower (there were a total of 8 towers) and by the time we got back to the bottom, my legs were shaking! The steps are completely uneven -- some are 5 inches tall and others may be 3 feet tall! Even if the Mongols had ladders, it must have been slow going once they were on the wall because you could not run! Although, there were plenty of elderly Chinese who were leaving us in their dust! The view from the top was truly amazing and we agree that it is, indeed, a great wall!
Last night, Rich and I struck out alone for dinner. I was really proud of myself when I made myself understood to the waitress and she even said "your Chinese is good." I was soon robbed of that moment in the sun though when, after watching me eat with chopsticks, she walked over with a fork and knife!
We have really lucked out with the weather -- it has been in the mid-50s and sunny! While air pollution is certainly evident, it has not been that bad.
For those of you that want to experience a little bit of China, try brushing your teeth without using tap water. It is much more difficult then you would imagine. We have a whole sytem worked out that starts with boiling water and well, it is a several step process -- we take a lot for granted at home.
In that same vein, Marcia, our guide, lives in a 300 square foot apartment with three other people and it cost about $100,000! Most people live in apartments because houses are far too expensive. I cannot imagine what Chinese students think when they come to study in the U.S.!
Tomorrow we will do a little sight-seeing and then we fly to Changsha. We will get Eleanor at 10:00 am on Monday! Sometimes you forget why you are here, and then all of a sudden, you realize that 14 months after starting this process, the REASON for it all, will actually happen in less then 48 hours! So while we would definitely like to spend more time in Beijing, we are ready for the next phase of this trip, and, our lives . . . . |
