Maosoleum and Olympics

Maosoleum, in T-Square

Olympic Torch

The Bird's Nest, 2008 Olympics, Beijing

September 9, 2008, Beijing, Tuesday

Vicki spent the morning packing and reorganizing the reorganization. I was determined to visit the Maosoleum and the Mao relics, so I took the taxi/subway, checked the camera, and got in line. It was 9:30 in the morning, but already there were a couple thousand people lined up. The mood was very different from the Wall. No exuberance; mostly reverence and evident pride and joy at being there. It was a cheek-to-cheek line, gentle pushing and shoving, but general order, especially once in the great Hall. Perhaps a third of those in line bought flowers to present, with a bow. Mao himself was as presented in the photos I have seen. Utter silence in the chamber as the thousands passed by. The relics area and the Chou and Deng rooms were closed, evidently (or maybe I just didn't notice them), and I proceed on to the next chamber, the gift shop, very tasteful and affordable memorabilia, but, still, a gift shop. Oh well. My own impressions of Mao are complex, and getting more complex. Like all the great figures of history, perhaps, his flaws nearly matched his achievements. If there is contempt for him in China, I have seen no evidence of it.


Our afternoon was spent in journeying to the Olympic zone, a special subway, all kinds of security, throngs and throngs. We had tickets for the Paralympics but were there mostly because we wanted to see the Cube, the National Indoor Stadium, the Bird's Nest, and all the rest. It was all overwhelming, especailly the Bird's Nest, where wer spent the next several hours about 20 rows up from the ground, in section A. When we arrived, the place was nearly empty, but as the afternoon turned to evening, it filled, literally, as 90,000 Chinese and a few foreginers cheered on the Paralympic shot-putters, javelin-throwers, 100 and 400 meter runners, wheel-chair relay race, and more. We were moved by the athletes, their achidevements and the obstacles they have overcome. But it was hard not to be more impressed with the Olympic facilities, the architecture, lighting, sound, scale, organization, and so on. The Bird's Nest is unlike any other stadium I have ever seen, especially the architecture, the comfort, and the technology.

The Great Wall

September 8, 2008, Beijing, Monday

Today, the Great Wall! We actually finally slept-in (til 7), then did the now familiar Wukesong/Metro route to T-square, walked its western periphery to the "Tour Bus Dispatch Center" (west), where we bought tickets for the Badaling section of the Great Wall. Finally, after all these years of ridiculing people on tour buses, we are riding one. (I stand by the ridicule). The bus was full, we were on the back row with three eastern European men. There were two German women from Cologne, the rest (50) Chinese. The ride through the northern half of Beijing was something. A mega-city of high rises, mile after mile, five-story shopping malls, sky-scrapers. Many kilometers beyond the 5th Ring Road, it began to thin, even to turn briefly buccolic (fruit orchards mostly). Then we turned into the dreaded jade factory/showroom. It was interesting to see the exhibits about jade, and also interesting to watch our travel companions shop. Our rule on this long/lite trip, is "take only photos, leave only footprints," so we didn't buy anything. The family-style lunch (soup and 8 dishes) was not enticing, and neither of us pigged-out exactly. The more we saw (and heard) the less we ate.

The Great Wall itself was about what you see in the documentaries. Today was exceptionally cloudy, low-cloudy, and there were no distant vistas. Lush, mostly deciduous vegetation everywhere, mountains to 5,000-6,000 feet by my estimation. After the obligatory sliding car ride up, we climbed about the various towers and walls, took some pix, and descended back to the car/bus park, feeding the bears along the way. (Bears in concrete pens whom you can toss apples to for 3 yuan). I bought a small bottle of rice "wine" (50 proof) for the ride back, but couldn't figure out how to open it. (I did later). The tawdry, commercial aspect of the car park was comparable to Cherokee, NC.

So what to make of the Great Wall? Impressive for sure. The experience is somewhat numbed by the masses. This is the world's most popular tourist site, and, in order not to be trampled by exuberant picture-snapping Chinese, you don't have much time for contemplation. But it is truly wondrous, even the few miles (of the 4,000) you can see, obligatory, and we're happy we did it. Been there, done that. Might do a different section next time.

We got back to the Sheraton early (for us). I did some shopping at the Lotus (giant supermarket in the giant mall four blocks away). Take-out Chinese for dinner. More travel research.

On the Great Wall, north of Beijing

Lost Day at the Temple of Heaven

High tech entering the Temple of Heaven grounds

One of many such structures at the Temple of Heaven

Street market

Duck restaurant

Entrance to Forbidden City

September 7, 2008, Beijing, Sunday

Yesterday, after posting, I discovered that it was Saturday, not Friday. This retirement thing is a bitch, never knowing what day it is! So we have lost a full day, sort of, and have to scurry.

After the morning planning, calls, reservations, etc., we set forth via Wukesong, to the Temple of Heaven. En route, we bought tickets at China National Bank to the Paralympics, Tuesday evening events in Bird's Nest. Then saw the overwhelming Temple of Heaven, buildings and grounds.It was a horribly humid day, but all the sights and sounds were great. Peking opera singing groups everywhere, traditional instruments and music. Not buskers, just people who love performing and people who love listening. Anyhow, the Temple was awesome.Then did the night food market (as seen on Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, etc.). We played it pretty safe, dumplings and fruit and such; and roasted oysters for me. Vicki would not try the fried scorpions. I would not try the fried silkworms. Then we got caught in crowds at T-square (Metro stations closed for fireworks, crowd control, etc.) and had to walk three stations to get back on the Metro. We crashed with extreme prejudice. But we are up early this AM to do the Forbidden City today. Much more later.

Later, but not much more. This morning we went back to the CBD, Vicki did some airline reservations/changes, and then we did the Forbidden City/Palace Museum (as it is now called). It is a whole day's thing, just hitting the high points. Building after building, monument after monument, museum after museum, collection after collection. And then the gardens. And the whole thing is not very old by Chinese standards. Fortunately, we still had enough energy for the promised Beijing duck, at the Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant. Superb duck; great fun watching the oven-master pop the cork. We followed this with a stroll in the commercial area nearby. Vastest, coolest mall ever. But no Omron pedometers.

Tienanmen Square and East of the Forbidden City

September 6, 2008, Beijing, Saturday

Yesterday, after the obligatory reorganization, travel research, etc., we adventuresomely set forth for the inner city, taking the taxi to the Wukesong station and then the Metro downtown.The Metro is very fast and travels long distances between stops. It's not as plush as the DC Metro, but then it carries many more people. Security and baggage checks at the stations. 2 yuan (about 28 cents) will take you great distances.We emerged at Tienanmen Square (from the Tienanmen east station) and began walking around it, in trhe mid-day sun, taking in the scale, the sites...the Heavenly Gate and the likeness of the Great Helmsman, the Great Hall of the People, the Maosoleum, the National Museum, the Shrine to Fallen Heroes. Frowny-faced, fit-looking but unarmed soldiers, standing at attention, all around all the public buildings. But even they could crack a laugh at some of Vicki's antics.In the neighborhoods later, there were many yellow arm-banded "public security volunteers," older women mostly, keeping a watchful eye on everything. But everyone was nice, friendly, helpful...especially the touts (!).

Our secondary mission for the day was to look into cheaper downtown hotels, so we walked and pedicabbed the neighborhoods east of the Forbidden City. OK, we were royally fleeced with the pedicab, but it was another "experience." Much of our exploration was in the hutongs, old Beijing, very interesting, but very sub-standard housing and conditions. The highlight was a tea-tasting, mostly green and oolong, most memorable of which was a "flowering fairy." (Pix later when I have the time and camera). Also many sites, temples, and street-scenes of interest and rather few Euro-American tourists. Toward the end of the day we strolled a beautiful garden near the Heavenly Gate, then got on the Metro back to Wukesong. On the Metro one of the day's more amusing incidents (apart from our "negotiating" with the pedicab guy) occurred. We could not remember the name of the station we were to go to; we had it written down on a card only in Chinese (by the hotel concierge ("My husband used to be the concierge, but he's dead; now I'm the concierge")). So there we were, holding the card up to the Metro car's map, trying to match its Chinese characters with the ones on the card, with scores of young Chinese intently watching and helping. We crashed upon return to the hotel, ordering-in the 2-for-1 pizza special from the hotel's Italian restaurant, with Nanjing beer for me. The rest of the evening was spent making further hotel and flight reservations, etc. And washing 1/3 of our entire wardrobe. And reorganizing.Travel is hard work.

Flowering Fairy

Vicki at tea degustation, east of Forbidden City

The storekeeper's son studying outside

Chinese signs crack us up

In China

September 4, 2008. Beijing, Thursday

We arrived Tuesday afternoon at Narita in fine form, all things accounted for, in good spirits. After immigration, customs, etc., we found the shuttle to the Narita Skycourt, a modest but affordable airport-vicinity hotel, and, after a couple vending-machine Asahi's, crashed. Meals on the United SFO/Narita flight were edible. We taught one of the flight attendants to say “Bring out your trash! Clink! Bring out your trash!”

Wednesday morning we were up before the crack of dawn, jet-lagged as expected, but had ample time to have breakfast and repack. The shuttle got us to Narita, check-in, security, and pre-flight gelatos and Starbucks. My, how Japan has changed since our visit 25 years ago.

The ANA flight to Beijing was great, especially the Asian lunch (smoked seafoods), the snappy attendants, some sort of film about a conquering princess (Mongols?). The approach to Beijing was interesting, conveying a bit of the scale. The metro area is said to be about the size of Belgium. The international building was the largest airport facility I have ever seen. And it was only one of many. Immigration, customs, etc., were fine. Olympics stuff everywhere, Parolympics people and signage everywhere. The English signage was great—until leaving the main building.

We knew all this was going to happen...our experiences in Japan two decades ago were preparation enough. We did not have the name of our Beijing hotel (Sheraton Four Points in Haidian) in Chinese, nor its address, nor anything else. We took a shuttle bus into central Beijing (not really knowing where it was going), got off at the end-stop, found a clerk in an electronics shop who spoke and read enough English to get us a taxi, and, after a bit of a ride and further consultations, arrived at the Sheraton. All this took about two hours, which is probably not much more than it would have taken had we known what we were doing. I am pleased to say we did all this in relatively good spirits, having agreed months ago that we were to regard such vicissitudes as interesting and beneficial adventures.

The manager of the Sheraton (brand-new for all I can tell), met us at the door, apologizing profusely for the fact that our original reservation, at the Beijing Lofts, had to be canceled (it's not open yet). English-speaking staff everywhere. Our 10th-floor room is palatial. We are not worthy.

The one unsettling aspect of the day was discovering that our possessions are more than we can readily carry. And so we spent much of the evening reprioritizing, resorting, repacking, etc. But very happy to be in Beijing.

Our shuttle into the city brought us past all the Olympics sites, the Birds' Nest, the Cube, etc. They are even more impressive up close. We hope to see more. No surprise: the scale of Beijing is overwhelming.Even the Ikea was bigger than the ones we have seen in MD and CA.

Again, we crashed early.

Today, Thursday, I awoke very early, jet-lagged, went downstairs in search of free wifi, chatted on skype and gmail with Rachel and Rebecca, and had coffee in the restaurant. As always, I enjoyed dawn, watching a great city awake. After a bit more reorganizing (we must be very organized by now) and repacking, we set forth for the Summer Palace, a site we chose (judging from the map) for its relative proximity. We are learning that in Beijing this means a harrowing ride on the expressway, perhaps 2-3 miles away.

So we spent the afternoon at the Summer Palace, which turns out to be many palaces, state, and other buildings, on a grounds large enough to include lakes and forests. We walked a bit arojund Kunming Lake, took the dragon ferry aross the lake to the Corridor (decorated with 14,000 scenes, landscape, cultural, etc.), the Temple of Buddha's Fragrance, quite a few other temples, the Wengshan Gallery, Cixi's theatre, the Seventeen Arch Bridge, the Temple of Embracing the Universe, etc. (Merely hugging trees would not be enough here....). The artefacts, relics, etc., were pretty overwhelming, and this is a site that is pretty young by Chinese standards...built originally in 1750, expanded in the late 1800's, pafrtially renovated in 2005. Often the renovated portions stand side by side with the 1905 additions, and it is interesting to compare what a century can do. People often spend a day at the summer palace, so we may have to go back if we have time. Pix later.

The taxi ride back to the hotel took us past a gigantic shopping center just two blocks from the Sheraton. After a celebratory martini and pina colada at the bar, we resolved to walk to the shopping center to look for dinner and explore. The Lotus Superstore was impressive—kind of a giant Super Walmart. American products everywhere, labeled in Chinese (generally); plus all the traditional stuff. (“Made by America in China”). The seafood section was like a trip to the wharf. And everything very inexpensive. More of this later.

McDonald's, Starbuck's, KFC, Papajohn's, etc., were in evidence here, so, being in a hurry to eat and get back to the hotel to crash, we opted for KFC (how do you say “white meat only” in Mandarin?). One shouldn't jump into a new culture too quickly. Besides, McDonald's is the new culture.

Our first hotel room in China

Marble ship, Summer Palace

Lake Kunming, Summer Palace

Summer Palace, Beijing, Lake Kunming, the Seventeen Arch Bridge to the Temple
of Embracing the Universe