Ch-ch-ch changes

So, Bali was the laid-back place where nothing had to happen fast and it was all about relaxation. Beijing is not. Bali was the place where I had the time (and energy left over at the end of the day) to write long blog entries, which I liked to think had some humor and some small insights. Beijing is not.

Here in Beijing you’re going to get short phrases, questions and quick impressions. It’s too hot, too crowded and too busy for more. Hopefully, you’ll still get some sense of what it’s like here. It is amazing. But it is different.

Tuesday

• We arrive: tired and dirty and check into our fancy western hotel (for our first 3 days here, then we’ll move to our “real” Beijing hotel)
• 3 hours later: clean and rested
• Visit to the 15th century Drum and Bell towers: big and impressive
• Wander through the “hutongs”(back alley neighborhood) of Beijing


• Question arises: why are there so many free public toilets in Beijing? Ahh, not everyone has a toilet at home. Actually a godsend for wandering tourists like us (yes, they’re more or less clean)
• Discovery of the day: Beijing has a ton of awesome bars (hidden in courtyards, perched on rooftops), who knew? We enjoyed 2 of them on our first night in town (here's one in the photo)


• Walked home (not to self: it’s a big city)

Wednesday

• Followed the “good tourist” plan: 5 morning hours at the Forbidden City with our guide (hired on the spot), Li Ling
• Impressions of the Forbidden City: it’s big and it’s hot; it’s red and it’s gold; it was no fun to be a commoner during imperial times (not allowed into the Forbidden City, not even allowed to watch – had to bolt their windows and stay inside! - if the Emperor and his court paraded out of the Forbidden City to have a ceremony at another temple); there are enough tales of love and intrigue from imperial China to make at least 9999 amazing movies
• Met the nephew of the last Emperor of China, who now sells calligraphy to help raise funds to maintain the Forbidden City (we bought the symbol for “harmony,” which he drew forus on the spot, and were so impressed by it that we assume that if we wave it over the middle-east as we fly home, that all will be well in the world)


• Lunch in the LES (lower east side) of Beijing
• Rest in our cool hotel room
• Walked to Tiananmen Square for Sunset: as it turns out, the square closes at sunset


• Question of the day: How do you close a public square the size of 61 football fields with no actual gates or fences around it? Answer: you employ a whole hell of a lot of Chinese soldiers…
• Discovery of the day: there are 2 Beijings (OK, probably there are 10, but we have only seen 2 thus far). The crazy “red army” Beijing full of imposing buildings, huge squares, and general pomp that certainly intimidates the masses and the “everyman’s Beijing” of the hutongs, where folks just hang out in the evenings in front of their small homes, playing games, drinking beer and chatting with the neighbors. Wish I spoke more than zero words of Chinese so I could join them for a beer…

Thursday

• Rented bikes: hello, freedom!
• Visited 2 temples: one Buddhist (Lama) and one Confucian
• Impressions of the Lama Temple: The power that be are trying really hard to show that they are tolerant (or even more, large supporters) of Buddhism, even in its Tibetan form. The temple is amazingly well-kept and there’s even a (state-sponsored?) monk or two running around. I don’t trust it a bit, but maybe I’m a cynic. Let’s just say that the Dalai Lama has not recently been invited to teach at this “tibetan buddhist” temple. Hmmmmm… (testing the censors with this one)
• Question of the day: Are the majority Chinese faithful Buddhists (they all bowed 3 times in front of all the Buddhas in the Lama Temple)? And if so, how did they practice their religion during the “godless” years of communism? I have no answers yet, but will seek them as I go…
• Impressions of the Confucian Temple: unclear to me if Confucianism is a religion or a philosophy; calligraphy on stone is amazing, difficult and beautiful (you try carving brush stokes on marble…)


• Biked through the hutongs some more, had a lunch at a French-owned café (good bread!) and crashed in a pile of sweat and fatigue along the lake at Beihai Park
• What I learned about Beijing parks: the minus points -- you have to pay to enter them (all the ones I can find, at least) and there are no big grass lawns to lie on – and the plus points – they are gorgeously landscaped and full of crazy chinese buildings
• Crashing in hotel room now. Jacco has to work. I can write a blog…
• Tonight, Peking duck!