2008 Blogs

Beijing and a great ending to my travels

06/23/2009

As I mentioned previously, Sunan, Deb, and I took an overnight train from Xi'an to Beijing.  We left at 9 p.m. and arrived about 10:30 a.m. the next morning in a very crowded train station.  As you can see from this photo, our compartment was tiny but comfortable.  It contained 4 berths, and since there were only three of us, we shared with an older Chinese man.  To pass some of our time, we played Farkle (a dice game), but soon after that we found ourselves lulled to sleep by the rhythmic sound of our train speeding through the night.  The next morning I awoke at 6:30 and began watching the countryside--miles and miles of fields punctuated by villages.  It was green but overcast.  As we neared Beijing, I saw more and more smokestacks, presumeably coming from factories of all kinds.

Sunan's husband met us at the train station and took us to see the Olympic complex (as I noted in a previous blog), and we enjoyed eating Beijing-style noodles.  During the next two days (Thursday and Friday), we toured the city and traveled to the Great Wall.  This picture was taken at the Forbidden City, which was the imperial palace for the Ming and Qing dynasties, and home to 24 emperors.  As we walked through its many courtyards we saw the buildings that once housed the emperors and empresses, concubines, and the many other officials and staff required by an imperial dynasty.  We also visited the Ming Tombs, the Temple of Literature, and the Summer Palace, where we learned about the Dragon Lady who wielded power for 48 years.

Our tour package included a foot massage, and after all of the walking we had done, it sounded like a good idea.  What an interesting experience!  As we soaked our feet in hot water infused with herbs, we listened to a Chinese medicine doctor give a short lecture, and then he consulted with us while we had our feet massaged.  Here you see him taking my pulse while his interpreter asked me a few questions.  Very interesting!

We first visited the Great Wall on Thursday, but it was so misty and foggy that our view was quite limited.  Sunan's husband kindly drove us to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall on Saturday morning so we could appreciate its true spendor.  After riding a cable car to the top, we began climbing its many steps.  I was surprised by Wall's many uneven steps--with some very shallow and other quite steep.  The walk was a real workout, one that left us breathless as we reflected on the beauty of the mountains and on the effort it took to build and maintain this wall.

  

Upon returning to the city, Sunan's husband treated us and some of their other friends to some delicious Peking Duck.  It was fun watching the chef carve it before we rolled pieces of duck, sliced vegetables, and sauce in rice paper wrappers--simply delicious!

Thanks to Sunan and her husband, Deb and I had a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime trip to China.  We saw natural beauty, historical sites, Buddhist temples, and major tourist attractions of Beijing.  We rode the train and ate lots of ice cream (green tea ice cream, anyone?).  We sampled a variety of delicious Chinese dishes, from noodle soup in Yangshou to bao from a street vendor in Chengdu to spicey dishes in Xi'an.  All were good, but we especially enjoyed the flavors of Beijing.  We saw the amazing face changing at the Sichuan Opera and marveled at the colorful costumes of the Beijing Opera.  We held pandas!  Everything went as scheduled, which is always great.  But best of all, we met many wonderful people because of Sunan.  Her friends and family epitomize Chinese hospitality and we are richer for knowing them.

On Sunday afternoon, Sunan and her husband drove us to the Beijing International Airport.  After two wonderful weeks in China, it was time to fly back to the States and to experience reverse culture shock.  I'm still adjusting--it seems strange to hear English spoken and to see how much taller and bigger most Americans are.  Today I had a real shock when I went to the fresh produce section of my local grocery--yikes!  But it is such a beautiful time of year to return to Richmond, with flowers in bloom, blue skies, and lovely green grass.   And it is good to re-connect with friends here.  I have missed you.

In a few days I want to post a concluding blog entry reflecting on my impressions of Vietnam and China, and on my experience these past few months.  But first, I'm home in time to celebrate my father's 98th birthday!  Happy Birthday, Dad!  Thanks for encouraging me to follow my dreams.