(no subject)
Beijing! Wow.
It is very different than Shanghai, that is for sure. Far more physical space, far more attempts at swindling Americans, far more people asking to take their photo with me on a regular basis (!), far more Armani and Gucci awkwardly nestled between local places, far more nationalism (and I thought that Shanghai had a lot of hammer and sickles, good lord.) Far more haggling for jade because I am a sucker for pretty gifts for my pretty associates back in the US.
The Great Wall was quite the experience; it still feels pretty surreal. We hiked several miles along the top--I have not spent time breathing in air that crisp in a long time. Especially not in urban Chinese cities! The scope of it was incredible, and we walked up to "hero's path" or warrior's gate or whatever it was called, and boy, was it steep. This is a pretty serious wall they have, here.
The Forbidden City was similarly epic in scope, though I need to go back to Tiananmen Square tomorrow to get my fix of Mao's embalmed remains. Also I am taking the subway down to the Temple of Heaven, and up to the Summer Palace so that I can have some time in nature (I haven't gotten to take the train out of the cities to the extent that I initially anticipated.) I went to this gorgeous vegetarian restaurant off of a lake in the city this evening, though, and had probably the best green tea that I have ever had. It was made with love, steeped cup by cup by an elderly Chinese woman who would then urge is to rub large portions of the tea water all over our faces. Can't argue with that!
Speaking of delicious food: if you love eating live scorpions, roasted cicadas, or raw squid--I have the place for you! My apartment is immediately next to the "Snack Market," which is the home of pretty much every variety of fried bird head and stinky tofu known to man, among other delicacies. This is not the kind of market you want to look at the bottom of your shoes after walking through.
The only English bookstore I have run across is full of Steinbeck and Kerouac.
What I am saying is, I really like China and I want to travel to every place in the whole world.
It is very different than Shanghai, that is for sure. Far more physical space, far more attempts at swindling Americans, far more people asking to take their photo with me on a regular basis (!), far more Armani and Gucci awkwardly nestled between local places, far more nationalism (and I thought that Shanghai had a lot of hammer and sickles, good lord.) Far more haggling for jade because I am a sucker for pretty gifts for my pretty associates back in the US.
The Great Wall was quite the experience; it still feels pretty surreal. We hiked several miles along the top--I have not spent time breathing in air that crisp in a long time. Especially not in urban Chinese cities! The scope of it was incredible, and we walked up to "hero's path" or warrior's gate or whatever it was called, and boy, was it steep. This is a pretty serious wall they have, here.
The Forbidden City was similarly epic in scope, though I need to go back to Tiananmen Square tomorrow to get my fix of Mao's embalmed remains. Also I am taking the subway down to the Temple of Heaven, and up to the Summer Palace so that I can have some time in nature (I haven't gotten to take the train out of the cities to the extent that I initially anticipated.) I went to this gorgeous vegetarian restaurant off of a lake in the city this evening, though, and had probably the best green tea that I have ever had. It was made with love, steeped cup by cup by an elderly Chinese woman who would then urge is to rub large portions of the tea water all over our faces. Can't argue with that!
Speaking of delicious food: if you love eating live scorpions, roasted cicadas, or raw squid--I have the place for you! My apartment is immediately next to the "Snack Market," which is the home of pretty much every variety of fried bird head and stinky tofu known to man, among other delicacies. This is not the kind of market you want to look at the bottom of your shoes after walking through.
The only English bookstore I have run across is full of Steinbeck and Kerouac.
What I am saying is, I really like China and I want to travel to every place in the whole world.