Tuesday April 3 Beijing
Every day so far has been sunny with clear blue skies - no sign of the smog we anticipated. Visited a Chinese medical clinic, which undertakes diagnostics (US trained doctor) by feeling the pulse and checking the tongue! Had a foot massage and diagnosed basically healthy. Chinese medicines available at very high prices!
Found out why there are no trucks or lorries - they are banned from the city between 7.00 am and 9.00 pm.
The Temple of Heaven was as beautiful and gleaming in the sun as we had anticipated. It was destroyed by lightning a long time ago, and not repaired until the 20th century over a period of more than 30 years. Completed 2006. Constructed without nails or concrete, all timber and 38 metres high gleaming with gold and painted bright blue. The emperor used this temple to ask his God to deliver a good harvest, with associated ceremony, sacrifices, etc. To get to the temple, we walked through a huge park which was filled with mostly older people dancing, singing, playing cards, kicking featered weights to each other, exercise with a light bat similar to a tabletennis bat and a soft ball. It was a delight to see so many people so happy and agile, and enjoying exercise in the sun and having fun. Apparently retired people are able to purchase a year-long entry to any park with a price of only100 yuan (about $15.00).
Everyone wears trousers - male, female, locals, and tourists. Apart from staff in the hotel, we have only seen three skirts and one of those was an Indian costume!
Beer and local wine are very good, if you can find the supermarket! Also quite cheap.
We were taken to the Underground City, built as protection from bombing by the Russians over the period 1969 to 1979. Tunnels are 2m wide and 3 metres high, and extend for over 6,000 km. Some sections are more than 7 metres deep. Could hold up to 5m people.
Next was a silk factory, with a lesson on silk worms and spinning, plus a shop of course to make purchases. We succumbed to a silk quilt (ie a doona) which is supposedly the best for all seasons. Also a couple of little silk number for Judy of course!
The afternoon was devoted to an artist's demonstration of water painting freestyle in the Chinese style, and Chinese calligraphy. Our attempts were pathetic - it is much harder than it looks. Good fun, and we will bring home our attempts for you to express your derision!
Our Peking duck dinner commenced at 5.30 pm in a private room. A delicious meal which incorporated every part of the duck in various different dishes, plus vegetables and everything else imaginable. Great night.
The guide must not eat at normal times - we need to consider our own welfare, by requesting "what will we be doing for lunch?" One day she expressed surprise that we had not brought along a packed lunch with us (where from??) She also has a distorted view of times - a trip which she said would take 1 hour in fact took 10 mins, and if she says 10 mins it might be as much as 45 mins!!
Like so many other countries/cities, the street sellers are a pain - Rolex watches, hats, scarves, dolls, toys, books, postcards, etc. Brian purchased a book on Beijing, which started with a price of 350 yuan, and he finally paid 20 yuan ($3.00) after lengthy negotiation.
People are on the whole friendly and helpful. Everyone seems to be industrious and hardworking, and we have only seen a handful of beggars on the streets. Uniforms abound. The army is obvious (green uniforms) and police also (navy blue uniforms). On most street corners there are Tourist Police in grey uniforms - community men who are paid to ensure tourists are safe and locals behave appropriately. Street cleaners on foot are everywhere, and the streets and pavements are spotless.
Our hotel hot water tap has a sign to state that it comes from a hot spring. Does this explain the extreme variation in temperature during a shower??
We may not be able to access the Internet for a couple of days - will try. Today we check out at noon, spend the afternoon on a boat to visit the Summer Palace of the emperors, (dinner unknown or maybe non-existent??) then to the Beijing Railway Station to catch our "First Class Soft Sleeper" compartment for an overnight trip to Xian. (we are intrigued to know what "soft" means)
More soon